In rural areas of Ghana, especially in villages, people are not used to relating to a God who loves them deeply, and desires to give them the unconditional gifts of salvation and life.
African traditional religions teach that various local gods need to be appeased of their anger and wrath through costly gifts, idol worship and animal sacrifices.
When YLI coach Adam Brown visited the chief of a village neighboring Kpenchela – the village where he led the construction of a project to provide clean water – the chief asked him a not-so-surprising question. “How much money do I have to pay to become a Christian?”
Adam had taken with him a few young people from Kpenchela whom he is discipling in his village ministry. All of them waited to hear his answer to the Chief’s question.
Adam replied, “The gift that Jesus came to earth to give was free, so what we come to bring you is also free.” Adam told me that the chief became excited as he heard about the true God who loves him and his people.
The love that Adam has shown first in Kpenchela is now spreading to the surrounding villages, and it is exciting to me how Adam is embedding the mission God has given him into the next generation of younger leaders. In the same way that YLI has grown after the passing of Jim Moye five years ago, so will Adam’s ministry multiply long after he is gone.
Please continue to pray for Adam, those whom he is discipling, and the Kpenchela young leaders who are learning how to reach out to the surrounding villages. Pray for the chief and his village, that they too will receive the free gift of Jesus.
Update: Just this morning (9/29/10), I received an email from Adam with the following news:
“Ash, I am happy to inform you that four other villages invited us to visit them so that they can also know our God. The villages are Banvem, Komlanyili, Nagidigu and Digma.
The rains this year is very heavy and it is difficult to get to the villages. We went to Komlanyili, and at some point we crossed two streams, and the water was at chest level. We had to carry our motor bikes very high.
God is using the water project at Kpenchila to glorify him self in the area and beyond.
Adam Brown”
youngleadersinternational.org 