May Newsletter

God is establishing His Kingdom on Earth through the planting of churches.

STORY:

If you were to come to Nalerigu, Ghana on a Sunday morning you would find Julia and I five minutes from the hospital compound walking up a dusty, dirt road with wooden benches on our head. We would be carrying those benches to Alafiafungo Church; aka Faith Baptist.

Faith Baptist was planted one year ago by Michael and Julie Coram. The Coram’s planted Faith Baptist to minister to patients who were admitted to the hospital with tuberculosis. Patients arrive on a daily basis; by the time a patient arrives at the hospital he or she is knocking on deaths door. The patient is administered to an isolation ward and if the patient responds to tuberculosis treatment and is no longer contagious, he or she is moved to Alafiafungo Village. At Alafiafungo, the patients receive additional treatment for six months in order to remove tuberculosis from their lungs. The patients remain in the village for six months and during this time they are encountering the Gospel on a daily basis. T and the Pastors at Faith Baptist Church have developed a holistic ministry in order to reach the patients with the Gospel.

When a patient arrives at the hospital and is admitted to the ward; T is there to welcome them and pray with them. This is usually the patient’s first encounter with a Christian or the claims of Christ. T goes back every day to pray with the patient and as God heals the patient through doctors and medicine the patient becomes more open to the Gospel. Once the patient is moved from the hospital to Alafiafungo Village; the patient discovers Pastor Coffee who prays with and administers medicine to every patient on a daily basis. Every Thursday Julia and I go to Alafiafungo in order to play with the children and pray with the adults. Every Sunday church is held at Faith Baptist which is located within walking distance of Alafiafungo. Before church T goes with the Pastor’s and they invite the whole village out to church. Once God saves a patient, the patient will join Faith Baptist Church and be taught the Bible for six months until they are sent home. Once sent home the patient returns to his or her village able to share the Gospel and encouraged to find and serve in a local church. God is using Faith Baptist Church to establish His Kingdom on Earth.

PICTURES: 

Families heading home after a great morning of worship.

Going over the Pastor's sermon as we walk back to our car.

The tuberculosis patients at Alafiafungo village bring their children with them when they come to stay for six months. Julia and I go once a week to play with the children and minister to families.

We are playing, What time is it Mr. Crocodile?

Thankful for our partnering church, West Mecklenburg Baptist for sending us a care package.  We couldn't make it if it weren't for all of you holding the rope for us!

I meet with the Pastor for Faith Baptist Church (church in Alafiafungo village) every Saturday in order to go over  his sermon to ensure that he is being faithful to the text.

This is Alafiafungo village. This is where patients who have been diagnosed with tuberculosis stay as they receive treatment. Patients stay  in the village for six months and receive treatment every morning. Julia and I have begun working with at a church in the village in order to reach the patients with the Gospel.

This is Faith Baptist Church. This church was started by a  missionary couple a little over a year ago in order to share the Gospel with patients. Julia and I have been working with this church since arriving on the field. 

Everyone does their share carrying benches to church. I didn't receive the memo that the benches were suppose to go on our heads.

The children found a short cut.

Women stop for church before heading to market.

This lady arrived at TB village 6 months ago, barely able to walk and a Muslim. Today, she is walking to church and singing praises to Jesus! 

Worship time at Faith Baptist. In Heaven the Africans are going to have to teach all of us how to dance.

Our fearless worship leader Chiny. He is a guard at the hospital and is quite famous, yes, he has a youtube page! 

One of the cutest children at TB village.  When the moms are admitted to TB village they usually bring their children to live with them for six months. 

Relaxing after a hard morning of dancing for the Lord.

The next John Piper!

Devotions:
Jeremiah 29:11
I am blessed

Prayer Requests:

1) We are progressing in our understanding of Mamprulli. We have both learned the story of Jesus calming and the storm as well as the story about Jesus going to Zachaeus’s house to eat. (No we didn’t learn the song). We have also learned Mamprulli proverbs; it is a treat to watch people’s faces when I make a point through the use of one of their proverbs. Language learning is going well but at times it is a real drag; please continue to pray that we would be diligent/determined to put in the hours necessary to learn Mamprulli. Pray we would have ears to hear and tongues to speak Mamprulli. Pray for us as we attempt to share Bible stories and proverbs in Mamprulli.

2) We have made it through hot season. WOOOHOOOOO!!!! God is good and has sustained us through 120 degree days and 100 degree nights. He is good! We are now entering into farming/rainy season. The men are beginning to head to their farms and our wondering why I don’t have a farm to work on. Everyone is inviting me to go to their farms and work. The rains have also been arriving and with the rains we have discovered that we have a few leaks in our roof. Pray for us as we do housing maintenance and learn how to farm. Pray we would continue to adjust to life in Nalerigu. Pray we would continue to be humble and learn from others. Pray we would be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves in navigating culture. Pray we would have wisdom to navigate the culture and humility to laugh at ourselves when we make a mistake.

3) Julia and I are working with a church plant which ministers to patients with tuberculosis. We agreed to help with the church after the missionaries who planted the church returned to America. We are in the process of equipping Nationals to run the church. This process comes with a lot of headaches, as every Sunday the Pastor’s are looking to us to make all of the decisions. Pray we would have wisdom to lead from the side-lines and equip our National partners. Pray we would have patience when they don’t do things as we would have them done. Pray for Julia and I as we seek to edify and equip the Pastors to do ministry at Faith Baptist Church long after we have left.

4) Every Thursday afternoon Julia and I minister to patients with tuberculosis by playing with their children. We play soccer, duck, duck goose, what time is it Mr. Fox, and sing Bible songs. While Julia is playing with the children, I attempt to meet the members of Faith Baptist Church in order to pray with them. Please pray that God would use our ministry to the children and the adults to grow the church. Pray that individuals who come to be treated for tuberculosis would see the love of Christ, encounter the power of God and would turn from worshipping idols to worshipping the living God.

5) Julia and I are coming up on our third wedding anniversary which will be on June 5^th. Please pray that we would continue to grow closer together during our time in Ghana. Pray that our marriage would be a picture of the Gospel to the Mamprusi people. Pray that we would decrease and God would increase in our marriage.

Serving Him,

The Welchs