I am running a little behind getting the Monthly Notes sent out; please forgive me. We are looking forward to another prosperous year for our Lord. It was good to see everyone when I arrived in Yendi. All of the people that we work with are doing well and send their greetings!
When my Delta flight arrived in Accra on February 1st I was able to get a domestic flight to Tamale the same afternoon. Kandie did not come with me; she stayed at home to help watch grandchildren. Kandie arrived near the end of the month. Red, our part time driver picked me up at the airport in Tamale. January through March are our hottest times of the year. The heat was the first thing I noticed when I got off the plane in Tamale. Before we could head to Tamale I had to stop at the bank and give them some information to update the checking account. A few days later I had to make another trip to the bank because they needed additional information.
Our plan was to visit one of the neighboring congregations on the first Sunday (5th) after I arrived but the vehicles were not cooperating. We decided to worship with the brethren at Kulkpeni. After services Timothy and I talked to the members about building a building on the southwest corner of the church property to demarcate that section of the church’s property. Now that Kulkpeni has electricity there is a push to grab land wherever possible. The Church members are just now realizing how important it is to protect their nice property. The church members thought a new building was a good idea. The building will be used for additional sleeping quarters during the seminars.
Sunday (February 12th) we visited the congregation at Nakpache. This congregation has been struggling for some time but they had a few members from the Church at Jagrido move to Nakpache which has helped to strengthen the congregation. They decided to build their own church building. Last year we told them we would help with matching funds. The congregation has been meeting in a school block for a number of years. After services we went to the site where they had already laid out strings to demarcate the foundation of the building. The chief gave them a nice plot of land. It is on the edge of the village near the road to Yendi. We will give you an update on the building in next month’s report.
The new congregation at Kulkpanga was our destination for worship on the 19th. This small group of Christians is from the Dagomba Tribe. It is the first congregation of Dagombas we have worked with during all our years in Yendi. Before worship service started we were invited to come back on March 3rd for a naming ceremony for one of the church member’s new baby boy. I taught a lesson on the fundamentals of worship. After services a man asked a question about the children’s behavior during worship. You have to understand these men are babes in Christ and eager to please God. I assured them the children were just fine and they needed to be present during services so they would know how to behave.
On the 26th Kandie and her brother Paul went with us to visit the congregation at Kpamang where Brother Divine lives. Paul taught the sermon and I taught the children’s class. The children loved the account of King Solomon judging to find out who was the baby’s real mother by threatening to cut the baby in half. After services I was asked to give a name to a church member’s new baby. I chose the name Rachel.
In January the evangelists and church leaders reported that sixteen were baptisms and four restored to the Church. There were thirteen villages visited during the month. Twenty men attended the monthly classes.
For the month of February the men’s reports included five restorations to the Church and eight people were added to the Church through baptism. The evangelists also visited thirteen villages in February. Twenty-one men were present for the monthly classes.
We want to inform you that our son Aaron and our daughter-in-law Melissa have personally built a website for the work. This is a way you can get information about the work in addition to the West Hobbs Street website; which is currently being worked on. You now can read the Yendi Notes or subscribe to the Yendi Notes through this website: www.ghanamissionfund.org
There are a few videos and some photos on the website; we hope to add more in the future. Please share the website with your family and friends.
Thank you again for helping Kandie and me to return to Yendi for another year. We are kept busy trying to encourage and strengthen the individual congregations that we work with. None of this would be possible without your help. May God bless you for your generosity!
In His service,
Stephen and Kandie Taylor
DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO: GHANA MISSIONS, C/O JIMMY STROUD, 406 SANTANA DRIVE, ATHENS, ALABAMA 35611
THIS WORK IS OVERSEEN BY THE ELDERS AT WEST HOBBS STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST, ATHENS ALABAMA 35611
WEBSITE- WWW.WESTHOBBSSTREETCHURCHOFCHRIST.ORG PHONE 256-232-4705
