Dear friends of Young Leaders International,

How easy is it for you to remain consistently aware of God’s active involvement in your everyday life? I confess that despite what I have been privileged to do for a living for the last 15 years, I can easily work all day, focused on what I am trying to accomplish without a thought that except for God I wouldn’t have strength for the next breath, much less accomplish my goals for the day. As YLI’s long-time board chair, Barry Sutlive has reminded me with a smile on more than one occasion, “Ash, you know you bring absolutely nothing to the table. God brings 100%. It’s all up to Him.” Barry’s point is not that I should doubt myself, but rather remember that God is so sufficient that concerns about my own abilities are wasted time. 

Over the years I’ve noticed that my West African friends have a more innate awareness of their human smallness in comparison to God’s ineffable ability.  For them, “the spiritual” is not a separate reality to the physical and material world.  Rather, God’s presence, as well as the dangers of spiritual darkness are as interwoven into reality as the person sitting next to you. The opportunity of approaching the throne of God in prayer is not taken for granted. Prayer proceeds every meeting, meal, and especially, road trip. 

In my early YLI years, I arrogantly assumed that all this prayer was for show, a way of demonstrating personal piety. Not at all. It was I who had a faulty understanding and needed to be discipled in prayer by Vincent, Jonah, and Naomi. The Coaches knew better than me the limits of their human agency, and that if God didn’t show up, all would be lost. This awareness did not decrease their own effort. It motivated them to work tirelessly in ministry, knowing that although they bring nothing to the table, God can always be relied upon to show up with His 100%.

The Akan people of Ghana have a beautiful language of symbols called Adkinkra which predate literacy and Christianity in the country. God used these symbols to later aid the Akan people to see the truth of Jesus Christ. One popular Adinkra symbol is the Gye Name. It means Except for God. My personal translation is, “If God doesn’t show up, we’re in big, big trouble.”  This year, once again, we saw that He always does show up with His 100%.

Sincerely,  

Ash Zook, Executive Director

Edward Lijol, a YLI Intern, along with his wife and a large staff of under compensated teachers lead one of the most successful schools in his district. The reputation of Eddie and Faith Gate Christian Academy are so good that many Muslim families have also enrolled their children. Faith Gate has grown to over 300 students, and unfortunately Edward is having to turn students away due to a lack of classroom space. In addition to leading Faith Gate, Eddie has also project managed five water projects for YLI. He is one of the most tireless workers I’ve come across.

Earlier this year the old pump well at Faith Gate ceased to function.  Gratefully, you all were generous with water giving last year! It’s time consuming to line up contractors, design the solution, run electricity, and transfer funds, but a school of 300 students (many who are residential) cannot function without drinking water in Ghana heat. No one thought of cancelling classes though! Every day the older students would ride their bikes to a pond and then pedal heavy cans of water back to the school for the younger students. 

Thanks be to God, the water solution we were able to provide for Faith Gate is a major upgrade over the old hand pump. Now that the school is connected to the local power grid, a mechanized pump sends water into an overhead tank with multiple spigots. The process of getting water is drastically easier, allowing students to spend more time investing in their future through education.

YLI has a new Home Base in northern Ghana, and that’s a significant milestone!

Years ago, we had a home base in the southern city of Kumasi. Kumasi was strategic because of the large population of Christians, especially Christian young adults in southern Ghana.

Ghana’s north, on the other hand, has historically been heavily Muslim-influenced in both culture and religion, and poorer than the south. I’ve heard stories of Ghanian pastors from the south, who, as a consequence of angering the wrong denominational leader, were exiled to a northern post as punishment!

YLI has had its eyes on the north since our beginning. Our vision has been to disciple Christian leaders who would move joyfully into the Muslim world out of love for God, and lost people. Over the years, YLI’s center of gravity has slowly but naturally moved north. In 2006, 80% of Coaches were from southern Christianized ethnic groups. Today, over 90% of YLI Coaches and interns are from a northern Muslim or traditional ethnic group, and our southern leaders are ministering in the north.

A couple years ago we began to talk and pray about establishing an actual Home Base up in the north.

Reestablishing the “YLI Home Base”, in Tamale, Ghana’s northern capital, is a visible marker of God’s faithfulness in leading YLI deeper into the non-Christian African world. YLI trained leaders are serving in very challenging places. Most live as Christian minorities. Many live in hostile environments. They need our love and support.

As soon as we can get the home base ready, YLI leaders will come to for training, community, discipleship, rest, prayer, food, sports, and encouragement. It will be their place as much as YLI’s place. We want it to be amazing for them.

We need living and dining furniture for 20 people as well as two sets of bunkbeds for 6 bedrooms. We need a fridge, a range and kitchen supplies. We’ll need linens and towels. We want it to be decorated comfortably but uniquely as a YLI Home Base. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

As our plans come together we will be in contact with you about how you can get involved either by donating or traveling to Ghana to sweat with us! Stay tuned…

Christopher Clay Henderson, age 53, went to his heavenly home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, August 26, 2022. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, son and brother. Chris loved Jesus and loved others. He was truly a friend to all! Chris was passionate about life and lived it to the fullest every day. He was known to be exuberant and generous, blessing those around him.

Besides spending time with his wife, Tammy (the apple of his eye), as well as family and friends, Chris had a fondness for other things like gardening, hunting, fishing, cooking, and sports of all kinds. He was always eager to try new things and experiences and share them with others. One of the many ways he served the Lord was through a faithful commitment to support YLIs clean water projects in Africa, knowing that Living Water brings Life.

With this in mind, Chris’ wife Tammy has asked that in lieu of flowers, YLI accept donations in Chris’ memory, so that YLI can continue to provide clean water to those communities in need, thereby reaching and leading the people of those communities to Christ, the Living Water.

To make a donation, click YLI’s giving page, choose a one time or reoccurring donation and select the Chris Henderson Memorial fund. You will receive a confirmation of your gift, and when the water project is completed, YLI will update you with photos and information about the community that received clean water in memory of Chris.

May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. -Ephesians 3:17

Earlier this year, YLI Coach Constant photographed the pregnant woman above as she attempted to collect water from a muddy river bed in the village of Latinkpa. Constant’s heart broke as did ours when he sent us the photo. Praise God, her entire village now has clean water. 

When YLI leaders first began going to remote villages for cross-cultural discipleship, they felt dissonance in talking about God’s love when the people lacked clean water. In 2010 we prayerfully discerned that funding clean water in villages where African YLI leaders were planted for mission did not distract from our call to discipleship. In fact, it has given credibility to our leaders’ testimonies of Jesus. 

This year, by God’s grace, we have more young leaders working in rural communities, and that means more clean water projects than ever before. We completed three and have seven more to go.