Adventures in Tamale (the city, not the food)

Pray for poor John Mark.  He’s had a tough week.  He has two big knots on his head from collisions with the tile floor and furniture.  And on top of that, it looks like our perfect health record has been broken (I am actually surprised it lasted this long).  We think he has the Giardia parasite – maybe contracted while swimming in Lake Bosumtwe on Sunday.  He seems to be doing better today but we need to get it treated and be very careful so it doesn’t spread to the rest of us.

Last week up in the northern region city of Tamale, Ash and some of the coaches held a conference with about 25 young men and women of which most are former Muslims.  They have decided to not move away from their families after leaving Islam (despite threats and attempts on their lives by the same family members).  It was an honor to be with these folks and hear their stories.   After the conference they asked us to commit to coming back to continue to mentor, train and help them.  It was humbling to hear about the sacrifices that mark their lives.

• Adam, a YLI training coach travels to the villages around Tamale to love and care for Muslim children.  He tries to take whatever is needed including clothes, books, medicine and food.  He has also raised money for necessary surgeries.  Caring for the children has given him credibility as he lives the Gospel before preaching it.
• Moses told us how after becoming a Christian his father attempted to kill him.  He fled to Accra to go to a Bible school, but then afterward heard God tell him to return to Tamale.  He is now pastoring a church in Tamale and building friendships with those who rejected him.
• Samual is a young man who first was exposed to YLI in 2003.  He told me how he learned to show love and serve those God put in his path, and ‘invest deeply in a few’.  As an anatomy teacher at nursing training colleges he has been given a platform to counsel and disciple many other young people.  He also uses his car to transport Muslim children to and from school.  He told me how much they love him because he tunes his car radio to the station that recites the Koran.
• Mohammed is the only bread winner for his whole family, so he told me that when he became a Christian they couldn’t kick him out.  He lives in rejection and many times he is forced to eat alone in the house.  He could use your prayers!