African Hope Update
02/15/2008By Charlie Budd
Did you notice?
For a month I have been “missing in action”.
Initially it was not through my action/inaction; our African Hope email accounts had been hacked by someone and then spam was sent from my address. This caused the host of the website and email accounts to shut us down while the situation was corrected. When this had been corrected I was out and about doing my Father’s business. As I visited many of our ministry locations I was accompanied by Ken Henderson, the founder of Teen Mission/Mission Journeys. Our trip began in Gomoa Fetteh with a quick look at the Village of Hope Orphanage, Hope Academy, G.F. Jr. High School and Till’s Hotel. Ken is coming back to this area and will bring a team to assist us in ministry.
Praise God!!
While in the area we delivered computer systems to the Jr. High, school supplies to Hope Academy, gifts to many people and handed out Bibles. We met with many directors and the Head Master of the school. The biggest prayer request from the orphanage/school was for new buses and for the current buses to be repaired. VOH now has 175 orphans on site, 40 away at high school or college, 528 students at the academy (most are bused in from nearby villages and the Liberian Refugee Camp. This is one busy place!
After only being in Ghana for 40 hours we traveled to the Northern Region to discover the ministry potentials for future trips. My ATV was full of supplies for all the groups we are ministering to in Damongo, Larabanga, Busunu, and Mole Park. Computers and printer to New Life Academy, one CPU to Pastor Abraham, books to Chief Jakpa, books to Sedak, and Bibles to many others. The majority of the books was Christian fiction/non fiction and will be mostly read by Moslems. What a blessing it is to share these books that have been collected through Operation BookShelf.
The trip took 14 hours each way and there were minor vehicle repairs needed on each trip. It is also the dry season so we were thankful the AC was working…at least on the way to the Northern Region. Coming home we were not so blessed, without AC we had the windows down and we were completely dust covered when we finally made it home at 1:00 am. Ken is still coming back! He enjoyed the African Hope ministry in the North but thinks we should not subject others to such a trip and use two days traveling within 12 day outreaches.
While in the North I met with local pastors and finalized the trip logistics for a team of men coming in May. This trip includes a Pastor’s conference for the local pastors, outreaches each day to Moslem villages (some are 100%), delivering books and computers to the rural schools, and visiting local Chiefs and Imams (all Moslems).
Don’t you wish you were coming along to see the miracles, signs and wonders?
We began our trip home after a 6 hour delay while the vehicle received some much needed mechanical attention. As soon as we were on our way I received a call from our fellow missionaries, the Mozleys. They had a team of 5 dental people who had just been denied access to the Liberian Refugee Camp. After a few phone calls the dental crew was on its way to Gomoa Fetteh. Three days of ministry through the clinic at Village of Hope. This was a free dental clinic open to all who could come! Many came, even those in need of dental care from the Liberian Refugee Camp. We serve an Awesome God!!
After our return it was off to Ghana Christian College for Ken. After a day and night at GCC Ken has decided to do a pastors conference at the college. This will be part of the team coming next year to assist African Hope. How awesome is it when we all work together to do Kingdom Building? When are you coming to Ghana?
Keep Praying
Pastor Charlie
PS: Happy Anniversary Gar and Carol