25th November 2018
Yendi Notes
Today’s travels didn’t take us very far away from Yendi. We went to the village of Kulkpanga. The Church consists of only a couple of families. Instead of meeting in the school yard we met outside of one of the brother’s compound. This small congregation is unusual in the fact that this is the only congregation that we work with that is of the Dagombas tribe.
On our walk to the brother’s compound we met a lame man that looked like he had powdered charcoal pasted from below the right knee to the top of his foot. After further inquiries we found out he had punctured his leg several years ago while looking for one of his cows that had disappeared. He has gone to many traditional healers and the latest one had put this dark concoction on the leg. We were told the man found his cow in the bush dead. It is a belief of this tribe the disease that killed the cow was transferred to the man when he examined the animal. We asked the man why he had not gone to the hospital. He said he didn’t have the money to go. We gave him the money for his transport to the hospital and money to renew his National Health Insurance Card. He was very happy to know that we were willing to help him. I really wonder what kind of disease the man really has.
There were seven adults present at services. The children outnumbered the adults three to one. Most of the children were from the village but that’s ok with us. I gave the Old Testament accounts of Noah, Moses and Aaron striking the rock, and Nadab and Abihu so even the smaller children got something from the lesson. What child doesn’t like to hear about Noah and the Flood?
After services one of the men said he had something on his mind that had been troubling him for a long time. He went on to say he wasn’t a violent person but as a young man he had participated in a riot. They were burning buildings. The men who he was with started to burn a church building. That was too much for him. He didn’t want them to burn the building so he scooped up handfuls of dirt and through them on the fire. Then he took off his shirt and tried to put the fire out. The men he was with turned on him and asked him why he was putting out the fire? They asked him” Are you a Christian”? He flatly denied being a Christian. His denial of being a Christian has been troubling for years. He keeps reading the verse that says “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” Matt. 10:33 Timothy and I explained how repentance and forgiveness work. Timothy prayed for him. You could tell he was so happy and relieved!
The Chief wasn’t in the village so we left kola with the church members to give to him. The two women attending services asked if they could ride in to Yendi with us. Today is Yendi’s market day.
After arriving back at the compound I sat down with Iddrisu and we counted out the money for several months of payroll and business expenses while Kandie was working in the house to get ready for our guest who will arrive to take part in this week’s seminar.
We loaded up the truck with items for the seminar and took them out early before bible study at Kulkpeni. After bible study we worked another two hours on the apartment getting the guest’s room ready.
We hope you are having a good day. Keep the seminar in your prayers this week.
In His service,
Stephen and Kandie Taylor
RTR!
