Last month I was with 30 university students at the YLI Home Base in Ghana. Please read the short report below. It was one of the most fruitful and fun ministry experiences I’ve had in years.
Both Dr. Blackaby, and the Shoot Ash From a Cannon prayer were top of mind during my 2024 kick-off visit to Ghana last month; probably because there was no shortage of adventure, adrenaline, excitement…and prayer!
Two weeks ago we had 30 university students from Tamale Technical University (TaTU) at the Home Base in Tamale. This is exactly what I had dreamed for this house!
Like with our work in Nigeria, it took five years before we saw signs of discipleship multiplication at TaTU. During those initial years roots were going down, but there was very little visible fruit. Now there is so much growth that we are having to adapt on the fly in order to disciple them.
The timeline is amazing…
2019: One YLI Coach enrolled at TaTU and began discipling a few fellow students.
2020: Days before the COVID lockdown, we held a Basic Training for a couple dozen interested students.
2021-2022: Roots were doing down. There was little visible numerical growth, but seven discipled TaTU students were selected as YLI Interns.
2023: Unexpectedly, nearly 100 new students (twice the number we budgeted for) showed up for a Basic Training. It was cramped, chaotic and wonderful!
2024: Thirty of the 100 visit the Home Base along with the seven interns to share how they are growing as disciples of Jesus, and a desire for deeper discipleship. They are in the above photos.
The harvest born from five years of prayer and relational investment is growing exponentially. The ‘cannon prayer’ keeps coming to mind, but explosive discipleship growth (if authentic) doesn’t just happen. The beginning is small, slow and not very impressive looking.
In addition to the current growth at TaTU, some TaTU disciples who graduated last year have moved on and are opening doors in three other schools in Ghana. And in Nigeria, Peter Iliya and his team are hosting the first Basic Training at Government College in Toro. YLI Universities is becoming a ministry within a ministry.
I knew 2024 was going to be a busy year but it already feels bigger and busier than I anticipated. The thing with being shot out of a cannon is that the person being shot out of the cannon isn’t very much in control of the speed, trajectory or target. Experiencing God means that we join God in what He is doing at His speed. We don’t ask Him to bless our “great” plans, ideas and timelines. The intentional act of not being in control is hard sometimes, but it deepens our faith, helps us learn that God can be trusted, and that everything truly belongs to Him.
2T22,
Ash Zook
Executive Director
youngleadersinternational.org 