November Newsletter

All people hoe to eat.-Maumprulli proverb

STORY:

Julia and I are an hour’s drive away from paved road and a three hour drive away from a large city. We enjoy living in rural Africa and would not want to live anywhere else. There are numerous benefits to living and ministering in the “bush”. One of the downsides to living in Nalerigu is the lack of grocery stores. We are able to find bread, sugar, flour, and other basic (and I mean basic) necessities but if we want to eat a decent non-Ghanaian meal we have to purchase all of our groceries three hours away in Tamale.

Tamale is the largest city in the North. To put it into perspective Nalerigu has a population just shy of 7,000; however, Tamale has a population of 537,000. I travel to Tamale once a month in order to make a supply run. I depart Nalerigu at 4:00 am in order to arrive in Tamale by 7:00. Trust me; if you arrive later than 8:00 you will be in trouble, the traffic is unbelievable! There are several tasks which I seek to accomplish in Tamale. I must buy all of our groceries for the next month, pull money out of the bank for the next month, check the post office, exchange US dollars for Ghana Cedis, pay internet/television bill for the guest house, and enjoy a hamburger at Mike’s restaurant.

Tamale shopping is always an adventure:

The main grocery store is an adventure! The store is about the size of your living room. You never know what you are going to find. Sometimes you are able to find everything on your list; however, there have been numerous times where basic items (cheese, cereal, milk, etc) were not in stock and we had to go without for a month. There was one time I went and all of the food was knocked off the shelves and on the floor. You had to sort through piles of boxes to find what you were looking for.

The post office is an adventure! Nalerigu only has one address which is the hospitals; so when I go to the post office I end up leaving with my mail as well as the mail for people in Nalerigu. I’m not sure why they give me other people’s letters; I guess they figure I am more responsible than our post master.

The restrooms are an adventure! There is no such thing as a free (the man who runs the public restroom charges a ridiculous amount to non-Ghanaians) public restroom, so it is a good idea to always bring a roll of toilet paper; just in case you need to stop by a bush on your way home. Using the restroom behind a bush is the main reason why Julia has stopped going with me to Tamale.

The restaurants are an adventure! One of the restaurants which we like to eat at is known as Swabs Fast Food; I’m not sure why they call it “fast food” because it always takes at least an hour to receive your order.

The driving is an adventure! Defensive driving is a must in Tamale. I am always watching out for cars, trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians, beggars, three-wheelers, donkeys, goats, and other farm animals. If the driving is not hard enough with all of the people on the road, you have to watch out for the police officers on every corner who are looking to issue a ticket to a white person so that they can receive a bribe. 

Tamale shopping is always an adventure.

PICTURES:

Yes, this is a kitten in the grocery store. Cats roam the grocery stores in order to take care of the rats.

The green shop is where school aged children purchase their hot lunches before going to school. Lunch is usually fried rice with a boiled egg.

This is the main grocery store in Tamale. Don't worry the picture is the actual size of the grocery store. We buy all of our groceries for a month.

Appliance, food, and knick knack store. Picture a very ghetto Kmart

Typical early morning in Tamale

I leave Nalerigu at 4:00 am in order to drive 3 hours to reach our nearest town to purchase groceries. The road is unpaved for the first hour of the trip.

Tamale has a population of 537,000. This is a fairly typical picture of what traffic is like when I go.

We have to pull our money out before heading back to Nalerigu. After taking this picture the security guard yelled at me and told me I wasn't allowed to take a picture of a bank. I'm not sure why. I guess he didn't want the bank to end up on someone's blog or something.

If you mail us a package this is where it waits until I arrive. I have made friends with the customs officer and he is trying to convince me to name my daughter after him. I don't think Shadu is a very good girls name.

Typical traffic in Tamale. You always have to be on the lookout for motorcycles. 

Heading home after another long day in Tamale.

Happy Fall from the 3 Welchs

We have chosen a name: Piper Christine Welch!

DEVOTIONS:

One year, Ten Lessons:

Operation Christmas Child

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1)     Piper Christine Welch is due on December 11^th. The International Mission Board will be flying Julia and me from Ghana-Senegal in order to give birth. Julia will leave a month before I do. Julia will be leaving on Tuesday, November 5^th. She will fly to Senegal with a friend and stay at the guesthouse in Dakar until I arrive the first week of December. Please pray for Julia’s flight to Senegal. Pray her flight/entry into Senegal goes smoothly. Pray there are no complications and her first doctors’ appointment goes well. Pray for me as I wrap up everything here in Nalerigu to join Julia the first week in December.

2)     Saturday mornings I meet with a young man who is one of the Pastors for Alafiafungo Baptist Church. We are going through a book entitled Starting and Strengthening New Churches. He is expressing a desire to be a church planter and evangelist. Pray that God continues to set aflame a burning desire to see others come to know Christ. Pray for myself as I seek to disciple him. Pray for wisdom as I seek to answer his questions and teach him all I know about evangelism and church planting.

3)     The month of November will be long and boring for Julia as she is in Senegal, a French speaking country all alone. Pray she is able to find activities while she is there. Pray she is able to rest while she awaits the birth of our child. Pray she does not go stir crazy hanging out in a guesthouse for a month.

4)     Volunteers come and serve at the hospital every month. Most of the volunteers who come are Christian but a few are not. For those who are not Christians there stay in Nalerigu might be the only time they have interacted for a prolonged period of time with Christians. Pray God saves them during their time here. Pray God gives wisdom to all of us who live on the compound to answer their questions. Pray they see Christ through our actions and hear about Him in our communication.

5)     I will be spending the month of November wrapping up everything in Nalerigu as well as preparing for classes which I will take in January. I have to read over 1,000 pages and write three papers before joining Julia in Senegal. Please pray I would take advantage of the time and get all of my work finished. Pray for wisdom as I seek to write academic papers after being away from school work for a year. Pray I am edified, educated, and equipped during my studies.

Thank you for holding the rope for us!

Serving Him,

The 3 Welchs

Operation Christmas Child

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The weather is dropping (or so I read on Facebook), peppermint white chocolate mocha’s are being purchased from Starbucks, the malls are crowded, and everyone is beginning to think about what they want for Christmas.  In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season individuals are thinking about others.

Organizations abound which seek to provide an outlet for individuals to donate their time, talent, and treasures during the holiday season. One organization which is very popular is Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is an extension of Samaritans Purse which seeks to show God's love to children through a simple Christmas present. Churches, organizations, and thousands of individuals will fill a Christmas box this season. Julia and I live and work in Sub-Saharan Africa. We interact with children everyday or could receive a shoe box.

I started writing this post to encourage/persuade you not to fill an Operation Christmas Box this year. I have since deleted, stared at, and contemplated the best way to make my case. After much contemplation I have come to the realization that Operation Shoe boxes are a practical, fun way for families to provide for the less fortunate this holiday season. There are individuals who fill their shoe boxes with useless garbage which doesn't help anyone, however, just because a few people don’t know how to fill a shoe box doesn't mean we have to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Below are a few suggestions to follow when filling your shoe box:

·        Please do not fill a box with toys. While your child in America would love the latest Barbie, or matchbox car, children overseas do not need, want or know what to do with these toys. Most of your toys will end up in the garbage heap or as household decorations.

·        Focus on filling your shoe box with school supplies and hygiene items. I realize school supplies and hygiene items aren't very glamorous, however, they are actually needed and wanted. Combs, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc will go a long ways in helping to provide for a family. Children at least in Northern Ghana love blue and red Bic pens. 

·        Involve your children. Take your children along with you as you fill a box. Teach them about the importance of giving. Operation Christmas Child is a great way to teach your child about the Nations. Help them to realize that the world is bigger than their school, neighborhood, city, state and nation.

·        Fill your shoe box with a new shirt, hat (no Duke hats), and a pair of sunglasses. Remember most places overseas are closer to the equator and most children do not have adequate protection from the sun. Most children own their school uniform and one other shirt, an extra shirt even just a plain colored one will make a child’s day.

·        Write a note and provide a picture of your family in your shoe box. Most children who receive a shoe box have had very little interaction with white people. A note/picture will go a long way in making a child’s Christmas. Include in your note a prayer of blessing for the child and his/her family.

·        Follow the instructions when filling your shoe box. Instructions can be found on Samaritans purses's web site (How to fill your box). Do not think you know better than Samaritans Purse. They have been filling shoe boxes for a long time and have it down to a science; a lot of headache can be avoided if you follow their instructions.

·        Pray over your shoe box. Pray when filling your shoe box. Pray before going shopping for your shoe box. Pray while shopping for your shoe box. Pray when mailing your shoe box. Pray over your box.

·        Operation Christmas Child is a great way to open your eyes to the Nations and others who are less fortunate. Do not stop with only filling a shoe box. Consider purchasing a goat, mosquito nets, etc to help serve a family or a community this year. Here is a link to a site which will help you better impact others this Christmas (Baptist Global Response)

In conclusion, Operation Christmas Child is impacting lives for eternity. Is it perfect? No. What is? There are abuses; however, if we are wise in how we fill our shoe boxes we may eliminate the problems and better impact the Nations.

Best of luck this year as you fill your box!

New Heaven & New Earth OR Renew Heaven & Renew Earth

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow. The sun forebear to shine.-Amazing Grace

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.- Revelation 21:1-2

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwell.- 2 Peter 3:11-13

A few weeks ago we sang "Amazing Grace" in church and the lyrics on the last line says, "the earth shall soon dissolve like snow. The sun forebear to shine." I did not sing that line and one of the teens called me out. He wanted to know why I did not sing that sentence. Below is my answer to the teens question.

We see in these texts that the goal of redemptive history is the restoration of fallen creation through the ushering of a new heaven and a new earth. But here's something worth noting. In Revelation 21- and in 2 Peter 3, the Greek word for "new" is kainos, not neos. Now, kainos means "new in nature or in quality," while neos means "new in time or origin." In other words, when these passages employ the phrase "new heaven and new earth," they are positing a world renewed, not a world brand-new. Therefore, what we see in Scripture's vision of the end of redemptive history is not an earth thrown in the trash can with its righteous inhabitants escaping to disembodied bliss in the clouds but a restored earth where creation has been reconciled to God. Looking carefully at Revelation 21, we see heaven meeting the new earth; heaven and earth collide into what is new (or renewed), and all things are made new on that new earth. What will that be like? 

The Bible tells us some wondrous things about the new earth. Isaiah 35:1 tells us that deserts shall blossom as the rose. Amos 9:13 says that the plowman shall overtake the reaper and that the mountains shall drop sweet wine. In Isaiah 65, we learn that there will be no more sounds of weeping heard on the earth, that the days of God's people shall be like the days of the tree and that on the earth the wolf and the lamb shall feed together. We see in Isaiah 11 that no one will hurt or destroy anything in all of God's holy mountain. And, according to Habakkuk 2:14, this is true because evil will be vanquished to the lake of fire, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as waters cover the sea.

Think of this! Slow down and ponder it. If you know somewhere in the world that is renowned for its spectacular views, what you see is nevertheless broken, and what is to come in the new earth is far beyond what you can fathom or imagine. The work that God does in us through the power of the gospel of Jesus's redemptive work is a glorious mystery, a matter of eternal interest to curious angels (1 Peter 1:12). Is it any wonder that we must have a world to match the wonder of salvation? Scroll back up and read 2 Peter 3:11-13.

Because we know Jesus is making all things new, and because 2 Peter 3 tells us we are waiting on a new heaven and a new earth, we should not see the fire and dissolution Peter speaks of as annihilating creation but refining it and remaking it. Think of how a blacksmith heats up a piece of metal to soften it before hammering it into shape. We who trust in Christ are counted righteous in Christ-this is our justification-and we are being made righteous through the Spirit's sanctifying work in us so that we will be fit to occupy a "sanctified" creation. We are declared God's righteousness so that we will be fit for the land "in which righteousness dwells.

This is the ultimate fruit of gospel mission, and it is undoubtedly what Jesus was praying for when he prayed that God's kingdom would come in such a way that God's will would be done perfectly on earth as it is done in heaven. Jesus himself was the answer to this prayer, inaugurating the kingdom through his earthly ministry and testifying that people who place their faith in him alone will enjoy the blessing of the kingdoms future consummation, when all the crooked ways are finally made right.

The Winning Offensive

Blessed are you, Simon, for God has revealed this to you, not man, and upon this rock, I will build my church. And the gates of Hell won't prevail against it.- Matthew 16:17-18

In the Scriptures, we encounter a great little scene in which Jesus asks the disciples, "Hey, what's the word on the street? Who do people say that I am?" They say, "Here's what we're hearing in the market. Some say Elijah; some say you're John the Baptist. Others say this; others say that." And then he asks, "Who do you say that I am?"Of course, everyone falls silent except for good ol' Peter. He fires off, "Well, you're the Son of God. You're the Messiah. You're the Holy One." Jesus says, "Blessed are you, Simon, for God has revealed this to you, not man, and upon this rock, I will build my church. And the gates of Hell won't prevail against it."

This verse (18) has huge implications for the missional posture of Christianity. Gates are not an offensive weapon, are they? Nobody says, "Let's get 'em! Put up the gate!" Nobody does that. Gates are defensive by design. So when Jesus says, "I'm going to build the church, and the gates of hell won't prevail against it," we are being told that evangelism, discipleship, justice, social aid, the engaging of God's people with his plan to renew creation-all of that and more, done in the power of the gospel-slam into the gates of hell. God's plan is to renew and remake, and God does not lose. The gates of hell will not prevail. The missional offensive is the winning offensive. It's the only winning offensive. 

So the fundamental posture of Christianity cannot be defense. Do we need watchmen on the walls? Of course. Do we need people who can guard the church against heresy? Absolutely. Do we need intellectual people with compelling voices to provide strong apologetic defense for the Christian faith? No doubt about it. But the fundamental position, the essential posture of Christ's church and our gospel-capture lives, is one of offense, of mission. We go on the offensive full of gospel confidence, because we see that day coming when what God has inaugurated in Christ he finished in Christ.

-The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler

One year, Ten Lessons:

Julia and I have been in Africa for one year! That’s right, a year ago today we arrived in Africa. For those of you wondering, “has it really been that long?” I assure you it has. We’ve felt every minute of it. And we’ve learned a lot-about culture, about ourselves, and about grace. God is stretching us and teaching us new lessons everyday. These lessons are applicable in Ghana as well as in our future ministry. Below are ten lessons which we have learned during our year in Africa.

10) Start every morning with a good cup of coffee: Life is too short to drink bad coffee. Every day is a new adventure. We never quite know what our day will entail. Starting every morning with a good cup of coffee ensures that we will begin everyday on a high note.

9) Open your home and your life to others: Hospitality is very important in Northern Ghana. When an individual arrives at your house, it is expected that you will invite them in and share a cup of water with them. We are learning that opening our home and having individuals over for a meal, movie/game night, or to talk deepens our relationships with individuals in the community. Hospitality has led to numerous Gospel conversations with volunteers and Africans.

8) Patience, patience, patience: Patience, the one trait everyone wants but no one wants to pay the price. God has moved us to Northern Ghana to teach us patience. We are amazed everyday how quickly the seemingly simplest tasks can suddenly become very complicated and test our patience. God is teaching us patience in our work with Africans, putting together a crib, flat tires, internet, and other wonderful (sarcasm intended) activities.

7) Maintain your vehicle: We are learning to always maintain our vehicles. In Nalerigu, our vehicles are our lifeline to civilization. Every month we must check tire pressure, oil, and other fluids. We are learning the simple truth that monthly/bimonthly car maintenance saves time, money and energy.

6) Ministry is about relationships: We are learning that ministry is about relationships. We are learning that it takes time and energy to forge a strong relationship with others. We must spend time getting to know members in the community. We are learning to sit with people, ask questions, enjoy a meal, laugh, cry, listen, and pray with individuals. In the same sense that we can not lock ourselves in our house and expect to be effective in ministry; in the future I will not be able to lock myself in my office and expect to be effective in pastoral ministry. Ministry is about relationships.

5) We must press on to fulfill our ministry: God has called us to serve in Nalerigu, Ghana for two years. There are days where we want to pack our bags and go home. Sometimes the only thing which keeps us on the field is a holy stubbornness. We persevere through the hard days, trusting that God is faithful to His Word and there will be better days in the future. God is teaching us perseverance and as we learn perseverance in a two year commitment, we will be able to persevere in pastoral ministry. We will not throw in the towel and abandon a church when ministry become hard but we will persevere through the hard days, trusting God to be faithful to His Word and His church.

4) Lead with the Gospel: Ministry is about relationships but you do NOT need a relationship with someone to share the Gospel. We are learning to take every opportunity which the Lord brings us to share the Gospel. We are not promised tomorrow; the people whom we meet are not promised tomorrow, therefore, we must take every opportunity to share the Gospel. We are learning to always lead with the Gospel.

3) Helping can hurt: We have the privilege of working with a lot of short-term volunteers. For the majority of the volunteers their time in Nalerigu is the first time they have encountered poverty. Most are driven to give and we are learning that giving without knowing how a culture works usually brings more harm than good. We are learning that handing out money to anyone who asks creates a wake of dependency which destroys culture, relationships, churches, and prayer. We are learning how to help the poorest of the poor in culturally appropriate ways.

2) Encourage missionaries: The biggest fear of every missionary is that they will be forgotten. Our biggest fear is that we will be forgotten. We are learning first-hand how great it feels to receive an email from someone informing us that they are praying and holding the rope for us. We are learning first-hand how much motivation we receive from others when we know they are praying for us. When we return to America and I become a Pastor, we will hold the rope for others. We will not forget those who are on the front-lines, sharing the Gospel in hard places. We are learning the importance of encouraging our missionaries.

1) Be in the Word: We cannot pour into others what we do not have in us. Every morning we must spend time with our Heavenly Father. We are learning to serve God, we must know God, and to know God we must be in His Word. The Bible says, “And He appointed them, so that they would be with Him and He could send them out to preach.” God has appointed us first to be with Him and after we have been with Him, then and only then can He send us out to preach. 

Musings of a former skeptic

God is mighty to save! God recently saved a woman named "A". "A" was a former skeptic who came to the BMC to volunteer and left a new creation in Christ. I have asked her to share a few things which she did not like about Christians and their approach to evangelism. Below is what she shared...

- Christianity is a seriously weird concept. Even being Christian when I was younger I still found it very very strange when I was thinking about it more recently. I think this is something a lot of Christians I talked to forget. I suppose once you know it's true it doesn't seem so unreasonable. But it is very odd - the creator of the universe decided that he wants a relationship with us (already seems very unlikely!) but since we wronged him he had to send his son (what's with the whole 3 in 1 thing?) to become a human and then be put to death by other humans so that would pay for our sins... I mean I know this is basic Christianity but it just seems so crazy.

- Similarly church (in England anyway) isn't aimed at non-Christians. Over the last couple of years I went to a quite a few different churches in an attempt to figure this stuff out, but mostly it wasn't really the right place to be because it seems church is aimed at people who are already Christian. I completely understand that that's the point of church, but a lot of my Christian friends didn't really get it. Most church services work from the assumption that you already believe, and teach Christians how to be more Christian, rather than answer fundamental questions. I appreciate isn't exactly something that necessarily needs changing since church needs help Christians grow, rather than just stagnating on the basics... but a some of my friends didn't really understand why I didn't find services on how to do evangelism, for example, very helpful when I didn't even know whether to believe in God. Also if I'm honest to begin with I found church scary + weird - lots of spiritually crap made it seem a bit like a cult... obviously I understand that now, but I think sometimes Christians forget how odd it is to someone on the outside.

- I had quite a few random people from my childhood asking me why I stopped believing in Christianity, presumably expecting honest answers. I suppose it's upsetting to think of someone going to hell, but this is a really personal question if you think about what you're asking and perhaps should be approached a little more gently rather than in an accusatory way that some of them had. At least not everyone stops believing because they want to get drunk at parties and sleep around, which is what some people seemed to think. Even now as a Christian, I think it's perfectly reasonable to look at the evidence for Christianity and conclude that it's probably not true. Just the further you look the harder it is to do that.

- One of the reasons I was antagonistic towards Christians was I really didn't want Christianity to be true and I thought if I could satisfactorily break Christians arguments then I would feel happy in the conclusion that it wasn't real or so I could somehow use their response to justify that it's not true. Unfortunately I was never quite satisfied with this and couldn't stop looking (or perhaps fortunately!).

-I know some people are fairly open about their atheism/skepticism, but for a long time (a year or two ago) I could be outwardly very antagonistic when really I wanted to figure out the truth. As well as being generally angry at Christians there were times when I didn't want to be honest about my uncertainty as it would give them a foothold to preaching at me. A lot of Christians (perhaps understandably) couldn't see past the resentment/confusion, but there were some who were willing to get their hands dirty and have serious conversations without getting offended. I took a LONG time to getting to this place, so I just want to encourage you to keep loving them. Which is probably a strange thing to say, but I know I wasn't always easy to love when I was searching for the truth, so they may not be too!

Sorry if this is a bit random. I don't really have a clue how to be Christian, but I do have some knowledge on how not to do evangelism!

October Newsletter

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.-James 1:27

STORY:

Imagine knowing your whole purpose in life is to marry and produce children. At the age of sixteen you are sent to live with a young man from another tribe and start a family. You work hard and produce children. You and your husband are in love and excited that the spirits have blessed you with a family. Years pass; one morning as your husband is driving to work on his motorcycle a goat runs out in front of him. Your husband swerves to the left to avoid the goat; he narrowly misses the goat but loses control of his motorcycle. He crashes to the ground, banging his head on a rock. He is rushed to the hospital but dies a few hours later from head trauma. You are now all alone with children to feed. You attempt to find work but no-one wants to hire a widow because of her bad juju or bad spirits which are following her. The same spirits which killed her husband could kill her employer. You attempt to return to your family but all of your family members have died. You must resort to begging. You wander the streets everyday asking people for money. Most nights you go to bed hungry. You lie awake at night wondering how you will appease the spirits. Life is very hard and very difficult.

This story is reality for women in Nalerigu who have become widows. Thankfully First Baptist Church Nalerigu in partnership with the missionaries who work at the BMC have started the Naomi Fund. The Naomi Fund takes place every second and fourth Thursday of the month and provides twenty women with food for two weeks. Julia and I volunteer at the Naomi Fund. We share a bible story with the women, help hand out corn, and provide funds for the women to have the corn ground up. The women range from ladies in their twenties to elderly women. Hardship knows no age barrier in Nalerigu. The Naomi Fund allows us to meet both a physical and spiritual need in the lives of these women. The women come to receive daily bread but they leave having experienced Jesus who is the bread of life.

PICTURES:

Twice a month Julia and I serve the widows of Nalerigu by handing out corn and providing money for the women to have the corn ground into food. We share a Bible story before handing out the food. 

Imagine if all you had to eat everyday for the rest of your life was a bowl of corn. Without the help of First Baptist Nalerigu, the majority of the widows would starve.

Julia hard at work serving.

Even though she's pregnant she still loves to serve. The women were excited to see a pregnant white lady working.

I decided to be a gentleman and give Julia a break.

Life is very difficult for the widows of Nalerigu. Please pray they find comfort and hope in Christ.

Every woman from a young age learns how to carry stuff on their head. This practice frees their hands to work.

First Baptist Church Nalerigu was started in 1956. This church is salt and light to the Mamprusi people. The Naomi Fund is run from 1st Baptist with help from the missionaries at BMC.

All work and no play would make Julia and I very dull. This month we took a few days off and traveled down to the coast of Ghana to enjoy good friends, good food, and a great time of relaxing.

Julia at 29 weeks.

We were amazed at the power of the ocean off the coast of Ghana. 

We had an opportunity to visit a slave castle, in fact it was the same one President Obama visited when he came to Ghana. We were left speechless when confronted with the horrible acts which were committed against Africans. 

A typical dungeon which held over 200 slaves as they awaited transportation to America. The only light was from the three windows near the ceiling, slaves would become blind when they were moved from the dungeon to the ships.

This walkway is over top of a tunnel which the slaves would have to walk through in order to reach the ships. There were holes in the walkway to allow the English to look down on the slaves and shoot any who weren't moving.

View of the castle. The English lived on the top while the slaves lived below in the dungeons awaiting the next ship. The English conducted church above the slaves in the hopes that the slaves would hear the Gospel and become Christians. This realization made Julia and I sick to our stomach. Horrible evils were committed while men sat around and did nothing. We vowed to never allow such evil to take place again.

This is the "Door of No Return". Once Africans passed through these doors they would be loaded onto ships and sent to America; never to return.

Fishermen's boats ready to set sail.

Fishermen mending their nets.

Friends in Accra hosted a baby shower for Julia. We were blessed with all of the gifts.

DEVOTION:
The Reality of Hell and Our Worship
Friendship Evangelism: Lie from Satan

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Please be in prayer for the widows who attend the Naomi Fund. Pray they find comfort and peace in the midst of their difficult circumstances. Pray God opens their hearts to understand the Bible stories shared every week. Pray God would daily provide for all of their needs.

2. This month is Pastor Appreciation Month in Ghana. Please be in prayer for our National Partners and Pastors. Pray God would encourage and equip Pastors to fulfill their calling and do the work of the ministry. Pray for Julia and I as we seek to cast vision and motivate Pastors to move outside their comfort zone to accomplish the Great Commission. Pray for us as we seek to find culturally appropriate ways to bless and encourage Pastors this month.

3. Julia is in her third trimester and both she and Baby Welch are happy and healthy. October and November are two of the hottest months of the year. Temperatures during the day and at night will remain over a 100. Very hot temperatures and a very pregnant wife do not make for a good combination. Please pray that Julia is able to find rest from the heat. Pray Julia remains relatively comfortable throughout these last few weeks. Pray God provides a breeze at night to help us sleep.

4. I have been encouraging my Muslim friends to read and study the Bible. I have been telling them that the Koran teaches that all good Muslims study the teachings from the other prophets (Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus). All of my friends want to be good Muslims so they have begun asking for Bibles and are listening to them. Pray God would grab hold of their hearts and draw them to Himself. Pray they would turn from their sins and false god to worship Jehovah and His Son, Isa.

Thank you for holding the rope for us!

Serving Him,

The 3 Welchs