All Around Thankful!

I have been thinking about Thanksgiving and wanted to share what I am thankful for the most.

I am thankful for my Heavenly Father who knows all my faults, but loves me despite. The Lord gave of Himself so that I may live eternally!

I am thankful for the parents and in-laws that God gave me. God blessed and is still blessing us with their wisdom! I am also thankful for my family: my husband, my children, my Christian brothers and sisters.

I am thankful for Seed Ministry. The Lord gave wisdom to Bob and Bonnie 11 years ago when they decided to start this wonderful ministry. What a blessing it has been to so many here in Ghana. Countless times we have heard since we have been here: "If it wasn't for Seed Ministry..." "Because of Seed Ministry...". So when I say that I am thankful for Seed Ministry, I am actually thankful for all of you! You who pray for Seed Ministry, give to Seed Ministry, visit Seed Ministry and encourage Seed Ministry! Although you may not see the fruits of your labor here on earth, you will definitely be rewarded in Heaven! Thank you!

Posted by Joy

Praises

8 Month Old Orphan being raised by her grandmother

  

Wahidu and Jacob sharing the bicycle






















Do you ever have those days when you just want to feel sad? I think that is me (Bonnie) the last few days. We have been looking into the best case scenarios for the boys that are now living with us. We knew from the beginning that this would be a short term stay for each of them until better arrangements could be made. But they have joined into our lives here so quickly that  we find ourselves wondering if just keeping them would be a good thing to do. Of course, we know that is not the solution, still it makes me sad to think of them moving away from us. 

There are so many orphanages here in Ghana, all with plenty of children yet Bob talked to a man this week that has been on a waiting list for FIVE years to adopt a boy - not a newborn baby - just wants to adopt a son. This man is a Pastor and teaches in a Bible College. The home life would be good and they would be able to take care of a child. What possible reason could there be for so many children having to live in orphanages while someone waits on a list for five years and still there is no boy for his home? 

There are many injustices in this world and today I sure am thinking about them a lot.  Yet Christ tells us in Matthew 5:44-48 
          "But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting
          as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good,
          and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only those who love you, what good
          is that? Even scoundrels do that much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different
          from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in
          heaven is perfect."

So for today I am going to choose to live by this Scripture and focus on positives and give Him praise for ALL things - those that seem to me to be injustices and those that seem to me to be Good.

And a couple of those Good things are... 


Bob and some children at Kpendua



..the church at Kpendua being almost completed and the children (and adults) that will be saved through that building being there and them hearing the name of Jesus as a personal Saviour.

Caleb and Sule helping clean and paint at Gushegu

..finding a house to rent in the Gushegu

area which will be our Outpost for that Region.

I could add many, many more praises of what God allows us to be a part of every day. But you have heard me say them many times already.

Find a child today and just bless him or her in some special way.

  

11th Annual Tamale Region Seed Ministry Rally

36 Participants were nervous but confident as the Rally began.

 
I wish I had permission to play the song “I Can Only Imagine” on here– but even that does not say enough. I cannot begin to imagine what God is going to do in the lives of these young ones that participated in today’s Rally!

It never gets old. I am just as overwhelmed today as I was at the very 1^st one we did. This was their 2^nd year of the God Story questions. The Tie Breakers were who ever could say the most verses from Phillipians and Colossians.

Here are the statistics…

·        18 zones were represented with a total of 36 participants.

·        They answered all 229 questions with 11 children still in the competition

·        They quoted every verse in Phillipians – 104 Verses

·        To find a winner they had to go to Colossians 1:5



·        A total of 229 questions plus 109 Verses!!!

The winners were very excited to receive animals as prizes this year.

1^st place received 2 female goats, 2^nd 1 goat and 1 hen, 3^rd 1 goat. This will help them start raising animals if they choose to do so or have a very good Christmas meal.



Of course they also got a cash prize to go along with that and a Bible. The Club Leader and Helper received a cash prize as did the Zone Leader along with the TROPHY! The winning clubs received plastic chairs.



At the close of the Rally we fed over 200 for lunch. Look at that Tamale sky!

What an amazing thing to be a part of. The children have worked so hard to memorize all of the answers and scriptures. The Club Leaders have worked hard teaching the children. The Zone Leaders have worked hard encouraging both the Leaders and the Children. Staff has worked hard trying to keep up with everyone and even now as I am typing this they are still cleaning up after everyone.



Helping the ladies with TZ for the Friday Night Sleep Over



Yet all of this is possible only because of the generosity of many who are willing to share their blessings from God with others. We praise God for allowing us to be a part of His Kingdom!

Networking



What a joyful time it has been around Seed Ministry. Last week we just gave up trying to figure out who was going to be arriving and how long they were staying. But it was a great week. In fact the last month has been great. We have Jesse still with us recording God’s Story in more Ghanaian languages. He also hosted the recording workshop last week and people were coming from several different countries, including Brent and Brian from his home church in the US (seen above leading a SM Bible Club).

            But we have also had Don Honeywell here overseeing and doing more training for John Adam and the FAITH evangelism conferences. At the same time Johnny, Dan, Shan, Stephan and Nikki were here from North Point going out for Discipleship training, visiting schools and Bible Clubs.

            Talk about a networking dream. I think these guys all got together and layed out a plan for their ministries to work together next year all over the place. We have been able to talk to some of the translators about the possibility of Bible Clubs in their countries / areas.

God never ceases to amaze us in the way He works and puts people together.  We tend to go around everyday making our plans and think we are in control, yet God has such remarkable ways of bringing us into His plan!

Jesse and Seth recording as John and Thomas narrate a lesson on Paul's Writings

The Northpoint team worked with the Seedlings' class tonight. Joy and Toby just sat back and watched this talented group. They taught on the full armor of God from Eph. 6. The kids loved the games and lessons.

In the pictures Shan and Steph are teaching about the Breastplate. Just like Shan could hide behind Steph (she is in both pictures just look closely), we can hide behind Christ and His righteousness for our standing before the Holy God.

The team started their day with a departure time at 7:00 am to head out to some villages and ended their day after 8:00 pm with the Seedlings. Tomorrow it will be another day teaching in the villages (but we'll leave at 6:30 just to break the monotony).

Northpoint Team Sharing Jesus!

What a wonderful day it has been! We left at 7:00 am this morning for a village far away. The Northpoint Team, translators and Parker family filled up the bus. When we arrived at the village we could see many children excited to have visitors.

Shan and Dan spent four hours teaching a discipleship class to Christians. Some were new believers. We know all enjoyed the teaching time.

While the teaching was in the church, many children came to play games. Nikki taught about Christ.

Johnny and Steph did hut to hut evangelism.

We left there at 1:00 pm and headed to our next destination. The plan was to go to the next village and see if we could encourage some children to come out to play games, then learn about Jesus. We parked and the team pulled out a huge parachute for the kids to play with. Children started running from everywhere! At one point we counted 150 children, but we know many more were there. The children really enjoyed the games and the stories. Some of the translators really got involved also (Emmanuel!).

Thank you for your prayers. Continue to pray as we go into these areas that have many unreached people.

Welcoming Northpoint, Then Straight to Work

We are so happy to have the Northpoint Team with us this week. They are here from North Carolina. We praise the Lord that they arrived here safely at 9:00 am Sat. morning.

As soon as they arrived they taught Seedlings class, ate a quick bite and then we all left to visit two village Bible Clubs.

The children at the Bible Clubs were so happy to see us. They listened very intently to the Bible story. They all enjoyed the games that the team brought, and of course, toffees!

We plan on having a very busy week. Pray , as the team evangelizes and disciples, that many would hear the Word so that nothing would fall on deaf ears, but on ears that listen, understand and respond.

Pics: Bible Club w/Steph, Nikki, Johnny, Shan, and Dan

Bro. Johnny playing a game w/children.