Avoid sexual sin, Enjoy your marriage

            Marriage is an institution ordained by God and meant for our good and His glory. In recent years marriage has been under attack. Sexual sin is running rampant in society. Proverbs 5 urges the reader to avoid sexual sin and enjoy marriage.

            The author pulls no punches in describing the ruin which will come upon a man or woman who gives in to sexual sin. The writer describing an immoral woman writes, “though the lips drip honey in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood. Her feet go down to death. If you go to her strangers will drain your resources and your earnings will end up in a foreigners home” (vs. 22-23). The price of sexual sin is high. A moment of pleasure will cost you position, power, and prestige. In the end your life will be destroyed by sexual sin. The vice-grip of pornography will destroy your marriage, lack of discipline while dating will lead to lack of trust in marriage and adultery will cost you your reputation, trust and respect in the community.

            To contrast the dangers of sexual sins and to assist the reader in avoiding sexual sin the author urges us to enjoy our marriage. He writes, “drink water from your own cistern, water flowing from your own well. Should your springs flow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares? They should be for you alone and not for you to share with strangers. Let your fountain be blessed, and take pleasure in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful fawn-let her breasts always satisfy you; be lost in her love forever” (vs. 15-19). Where the immoral woman was a source of honey that turned bitter when tasted, the wife is represented by a cistern and a well which is a continual source of fresh, flowing water. The author utilizing poetic eroticism describes the beauty and blessing of love making in the context of marriage. Husbands and wives are to be satisfied in each other’s body alone, enjoying each other to the glory of God.

            In conclusion, avoid sexual sin and enjoy your marriage.

January Newsletter: 2

Wherever you are be all their; live to the hilt in every situation.-Jim Eliot

PICTURES:

Cellphones are charged by credits. This is the shop where we buy our VodaCredit for our cell phones. 

Our version of Wal-Mart. As you can see the employees work really hard.

We buy Coca Cola from these men. Every month we return a cartoon of empty glass bottles and they give us a new cartoon. They love their glass bottles.

Julia and I buy bread from this family once a week. The bread is cooked in the oven and served fresh every morning. It is sweet and very good.

Local carpenter

Local well. This place is packed in the morning with women coming into town to retrieve their water for the day.

We may not have a Mcdonalds but we do have Allah's Food Fast.

Local bike shop. The bikes will get you to your destination but the brakes will screech when you arrive.

Local gas station. Don't worry we don't get our gas here.

The local butcher in town. Anyone want beef?

Largest Mosque in Nalerigu.

I met this man at the bus station. He had just visited the leader of the Mosque in order to have the Imam place power in that pouch which you see on his face. The power would protect him from evil spirits.

Local Nalerigu market. Market happens every third day. This is where Julia and I practice language, buy groceries, and learn about culture.

Market day.

These kids saw me taking pictures in market and were curious. You should've seen their faces when I showed them the picture.

These donkey carts are all around Nalerigu. They are usually driven by children. You have to watch out for them because they will not watch out for you.

Main Street Nalerigu.

STORY:

Life in Nalerigu begins early for Julia and I. Below is a breakdown of a typical day in Nalerigu…

T’s schedule:

5:30 am:          I am usually woken up by the cat before my alarm goes off. After feeding the cat I head out for my morning jog. As I leave the hospital compound I jog past a line of people already waiting to be allowed in. Greetings are very important in Nalerigu and as I jog past, I am saying “Naa” which is a traditional greeting. The people in line find a white man greeting them in shorts while running to be a humorous event.

8:00-9:30am:   Language study. I review the sentences which I learned the previous day.

9:30-10:00:     Chapel at the hospital. The chaplains deliver a thirty minute evangelistic sermon and at the end they challenge the patients to either accept or reject Christ. Everyday God is saving patients at the hospital.

10:00-11:00:    I pray with the patients on the various wards. I have memorized a prayer in Mamprulli and the patients love when a white man comes in and begins speaking their language.

11:00-12:30:    Language practice out in the community. I go to the market and buy groceries for the day; I sit with men and talk, etc. Anything I can do to practice Mamprulli.

12:30-2:00:      Lunch/Siesta

2:00-3:00:        Language Class

3:00-5:00:        Various ministries in town including feeding widows, drinking tea with Muslim men, Bible storing in the Witches Camp, etc.

5:00-9:00:        Relax and spend time with Julia

9:30pm:           Bed

Julia’s Schedule:

7:00am:           Devotions/preparing for the day

7:30am:           Leave for school. Julia assists with Algebra 2, Elementary Math, Chemistry, and Biblical Relationships

7:30-12:30:     Working at the school house. Julia is involved in assisting with various classes as well as organizing papers for the moms, grading papers, motivating teenagers, and assisting in a 1,000 little ways. Her ministry in the school house frees up other women to be able to plan out meals for their family, shop and clean their house. Julia’s servant heart is noticeable to all of the women on the compound.

12:30-2:00:      Siesta/Language Study

2:00-3:00:        Language Study/practice.

3:00-4:00:        Language Class

4:00-5:30:        Serving in various ministries in town including feeding and playing with orphans, ministering to families at a Tuberculosis village next to the hospital, and helping students with their homework.

6:00-9:00:        Tuesday night Julia does a lady’s Beth Moore Bible Study through the Book of James. Wednesday/Thursday nights Julia helps a high school student with chemistry and Biblical relationships and the other nights spends time with T.

9:30 pm:          Bed

DEVOTIONS:
Press on, serve the Lord, come home empty
Horde or Save

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1) Please pray we would be diligent in language study. Pray we would have ears to hear the details of the language, tongues to speak and discipline/determination to put in the hours necessary to learn Mamprulli.

2) The culture of Ghana is very different from the United States and at times we experience culture shock. Pray we would begin to lean, understand, and appreciate Ghanaian culture. Pray we would have wisdom to navigate the culture and humility to laugh at ourselves when we make mistakes.

3) Pray for the various ministries we are involved in. Pray for Julia as she feeds orphans and ministers to families in a TB village. Pray for T as he feeds widows, drinks tea with Muslim men, and shares Bible stories in a witches camp. Pray we share/show the love of Christ. Pray God blesses our ministries and draws many people to Himself.

4) Pray for T as he starts an online class this semester. The internet is extremely slow and sporadic. Pray he has patience for the times when the internet doesn't work. Pray for understanding from his professor. Pray he is able to juggle work, language learning and his online class.

5) Pray for Julia as she teaches, coaches, and motivates junior/high school students. Pray she would have the energy to keep up with the teenagers, the patience to keep them on task and the love to minister to them. Pray for wisdom as she will be helping with Algebra 2 and Chemistry. Pray the students see Christ in her teaching.

We love you. Thank you for holding the rope for us.

The Welchs

Horde or Save?

Julia and I have two different strategies when it comes to packages, sweets and surprises. Julia hordes everything she gets only eating one or two bites to ensure that her candy lasts a long time. I on the other hand, jump right in eating everything five minutes after the box is open. Julia hordes and saves and I’m not even sure I know the definition of hoarding and saving.

This week we received a package from Julia’s mom and inside Julia received six Mr. Goodbars and I received two packages of Dunkin Donuts Hazelnut coffee. I instantly began to salivate when Julia pulled them out of the box. When you’ve been drinking bad instant coffee for three months; you wouldn't believe how much joy DD coffee brings. As I walked over to the coffee pot to enjoy this amazing gift, Julia reminded me of the size of the bag and proceeded to explain to me how I could stretch the portion sizes and make the coffee last longer. Like a fool I listened.

This morning when I put in the pre-arranged table spoons to make the coffee “last longer” it looked pitiful sitting in the filter; saying, “please add more, please add more”. I re-assured myself that it would be OK and turned the pot on to brew. After 15 minutes of smelling the delicious aroma of hazelnut I preceded to pour myself a cup. As I was pouring I realized I could see right through the coffee to the wall on the other side; when I looked down at the coffee in my cup I could see the bottom. In case you don’t know, that’s not supposed to happen. I tried it and almost gagged. I was drinking watered down Dunkin Donuts coffee AND IT WAS HORRIBLE. Day-old instant coffee is better than watered down DD. After two sips I decided I didn't care if the coffee only lasted a month; I was going to drink strong, dark hazelnut coffee. You know, the kind of coffee which puts hair on your chest and a pep in your step. The stronger, the darker, the better! Hey, it may only last a month instead of six but at least it will be delicious. 

Press on, serve, come home empty

Last night Julia and I received letters from friends and family members in the States. We were overwhelmed with everyone's kindness and generosity. In one of the cards my mom wrote, "you both press on, serve the Lord well and come home empty". Meditating on her words of wisdom I couldn't help but realize that my mom's desire for Julia and I is the same desire God has for us. God desires for us to press on, serve Him and come home empty.

God desires all of us to press on through the trials and tribulations of this life. When times our tough and don't make a lick of sense we must press on; looking to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. We mustn't through in the towel; rather, we must continue to do good knowing that in time we will reap a reward.

God desires His followers to serve Him through the local church. There should be no spectators in church; rather, everyone should be serving. A few ways in which church members could be serving include; nursery; holding a baby with a poop filled diaper in to order for a worn-out mother is able to attend church. Minister to the elderly, sing in the choir, have fun with the youth at a lock-in. There a 1,001 ways to serve the Lord through the local church. We must stop being spectators and get involved.

Finally, God desires us to pour ourselves out in service to others as worship to Him. Serving others by taking care of orphans, widows and those in distress, sharing the Gospel with our family members, friends and neighbors. Preaching the Gospel in the open air. Praying for/supporting missionaries. Seve overseas for short or long term. We must pour ourselves out in service to God.

Always remember God is urging us to press on and serve the Lord in order to come home empty to the words, "Well done good and faithful servant." May we press on towards that goal.

January Newsletter

The heavens declare the glory of God.-Psalm 19:1

Pictures:

Standing in a dry river bed. We took a two hour walking safari tour through the African plain. Quite an experience!

The start of our two hour tour.

We are ready to spot the elephants.

I'll drive

African Bush Buck. Our guide said that in English we call them Bambie.

One of the many monkeys we saw on the safari.

Trust me there is an African Crocodile in the pic.

Along for the ride.

Our faithful truck. It made it through two safaris and a twelve hour round trip car ride without a flat tire; a minor miracle in Africa.

Sunrise outside of Nalerigu.

Happy New Year from Mole National Park

Julia's rocking the sun glasses as she looks for elephants.

Termites anyone?

Entrance to the game reserve

We are ready for our safari.

Warthog. Where's tamone?

Who needs to pay for signs when you can just make your own.

Hello, from an African elephant.

I think I've seen this in a movie somewhere

We were praying he wouldn't charge.

I'm ready for my close up.

Sums up Africa perfectly. In the middle of this elephant reserve is a soccer game being played.

The End

Story:
Julia and I had the incredible privledge of ringing in the New Year's at Mole National Park. Mole is an elephant game reserve in Ghana. We spent two days and nights at a hostel on top of a mountain overlooking a game reserve. We took two driving tours and one walking tour through the game reserve and saw a plethora of animals. We saw warthogs, monkeys, baboons, bush bucks, crocodiles, and most importantly elephants. In the evenings we would sit by the pool and watch warthogs, bush bucks and elephants graze in the valley below; it was an amazing experience. During our time at Mole I meditated on the verse which says, "the heavens declare the glory of God." I am in awe of the simple fact that God is shouting at us through His creation. He is shouting at us through blue expanse on the horizon. He is shouting at us through the chirping of the crickets in the early morning hours. He is shouting at us through the grazing of animals on the African plane. He is shouting at us through majestic sunsets. He is shouting at us through star filled skies. He is shouting at us through the wind blowing through the trees. He is shouting, "I AM GLORIOUS. Open your eyes and worship me. I am worthy of all praise, honor and glory. I AM GLORIOUS!" Julia and I are learning to see the glory of God in nature. We are constantly learning that the heavens declare the glory of God.

Devotionals:
Identity in Christ
New Year's Resolution

Prayer Requests:
1) Please pray we would be diligent in language study. Pray we would have ears to hear the details of the language, tongues to speak, and discipline/determination to put in the hours necessary to learn Mamprulli.

2) The culture of Ghana is very different from the United States and at times we experience culture shock. Pray we would begin to learn, understand and appreciate Ghanaian culture. Pray we would have wisdom to navigate the culture and humility to laugh at ourselves when we make mistakes.

3) T has begun having tea with a group of young men who are Muslims. These afternoon tea sessions have led to good conversations, language practice, and the beginnings of friendships. Please pray T would form a relationship with these men and he would be able to share Jesus with them. Pray the Father would draw these men to Himself.

4) Julia will begin working with the missionary kids on the compound in the coming weeks. She has graciously volunteered to teach a middle and high school student, please pray for her as she prepares to take on this task. Pray she would be able to minister and teach the two students.

5) Please pray that we grow in wisdom and stature with God and man.

Thank you for holding the rope for us.

We love you,

The Welchs