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