Liberia, West Africa
MONROVIA, At My Father's House (actually two houses for teen boys) the Lord continues to encourage our hearts by the growth in Jesus of our fifty young men. All attend high school, college or trade school.(Because of the heroic efforts to raise sponsorships and to oversee local leadership by Sister Karen Barkman of Provision of Hope Ministries) They are working hard and are participating in the activities of the African Bible Church. They also conduct the monthly distribution of food to widows and gifts of milk to mothers of young children in the surrounding neighborhoods. We praise God for their labors in living out the grace of God.
The Precious Life Home of Hope for girls is full of young women and babies. (Twenty-one women and seventeen babies) all these young ladies are seeking to raise their babies in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and to learn how to provide for themselves in the future. They attend school, as they are able, and participate in church and extra church activities. We also provide food for a household of young mothers (about twenty people) with no income in Monrovia.
FREDDE RICHARDS and WILLIAM PEAL are brothers whom we have stood with for many years. They are both attending college in Monrovia, Liberia and we're greatly pleased by their growth in the things of God and educationaly. Liberia's only hope is in these kind young men and women of integrity, who will stay in Liberia and build their nation.
GANTA, Liberia Elder Eaves Zoku (an educator and pastor) cares for and educates over fifty youngsters, pastors a church and effects a whole community for Jesus. He is a wonderful testimony to the city and to the children he has taken in. We are blessed to be allowed to stand with him and his team each month.
In ZWEDRU, Liberia Kim Smith and his team of church planting evangelists battle malaria, typhus and cholera, as well as devil worshippers and violence to establish churches in the villages of 'bush' Liberia. They also are participating in an effective discipleship training program in the prisons of south central Liberia.
Ghana, West Africa
In BUDUBURAM Refugee Camp Ghana, Rev Larry and Linda Jarbah and their team continue to labor in building the African Bible Church congregation and among the widows in the Camp (about two hundred). We are encouraged by the life of the church and by the almost eight years of sowing and reaping and enduring and comforting and equipping and shepherding that Brother and Sister Jarbah have invested in this most difficult place. Pray for them, their children and their congragation as we have paid another year's rent and the work continues.
At KRISAN Refugee Camp, Ghana, Pastor Murphy Jellu and his family continue to labor at building the congregation of the African Bible Church. In addition to the regular church congregation, they minister to about fifty widows (in the camp and in the nearby village), numerous children, and many muslims in an ever changing camp population. The United Nations use this camp as a 'transit' camp, passing groups of refugees from all over Africa through this remote camp on the border of Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. We have been working here for over six years and have seen many conversions of muslims, who would have been impossible to reach in their home areas or other muslim dominated locales. Praise God for this place and for the Jellu's continued dedication to another unpleasent place. Brother Jellu works under the leadership of Rev Jarbah and we're blessed to have this team pouring themselves out for the refugees of Ghana.
Paula in Ukunda, Kenya
Paula has been having a severe trial with the government over her living style. The Children's Department believes she is abusing her twenty-six adopted children by not giving them an American style house to live in. They believe she is rich and just 'holding back' from the children.
Of course Paula lives just like her neighbors. She works very hard at her medical clinic and her children do not lack. In this Moslem area the enemy has stirred up a storm of persecution against her, even among the so called Christian leaders who should be standing with her. Her neighbors are encouraging but the government involvement has shouted down the neighbors voices.
Well Paula has now found and purchased property. Praise God! It has been staked by a surveyor and she has begun to fence some of it for a building site. The Lord has provided over thirteen thousand dollars toward the construction and a brother in Christ is going there in January to help with oversight on the project.
The government still says she has to send her children to their extended families (who do not want them) at the end of December and she cannot have them back until she has a suitable house. These children will be abused and used if they go. This is a foul thing to do to them, but Paula is without recourse. There is nothing else to do except comply with the government's decree. There is nothing in the flesh for her or us to do but....PRAY!
We can pray. Will you pray with us? Will you trust God to stop this jealousy inspired persecution and protect the children? His children!
The Lord is providing a way to build Paula a house and clinic. Getting title to a piece of ground was a major obstacle that has been overcome. The money for the house has begun to come in. Now we must ask Him to protect the children while the house is being built.
Thank you.
