Pakistan update

Ghana update

New updates from our missionary partners in Pakistan and Ghana have been posted.  Read them on our secure site at:

Pakistan update, June 2011

Ghana update, June 2011

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MOST OF OUR CHURCH MEMBERS LOST THEIR FARMS AND HOUSES

SOME LOST FAMILY MEMBERS.

ROADS TO THE RURAL AREAS NOT ACCESSIBLE (CUT OFF). THIS HAS HINDERED CHURCH ACTIVITIES IN THESE RURAL AREAS.

INCREASE OF MALARIA AND OTHER WATER RELATED DISEASE.

PRAY FOR GOD’S INTERVENTIONS IN THESE SITUATION.

PRAY FOR THE ONE WEEK TEACHING, EVANGELISM, SEMINARS ETC.

PRAY FOR MORE CHURCH LEADERS TO PARTICIPATE.

PRAY FOR MANY TO ATTEND THE HEALTH SEMINAR (HEPATITIS B)

FOR TRAVEL MERCIES AND GOD’S PROTECTIONS FOR OUR VISITING TEAM

FOR MANY TO COME TO KNOW GOD AS A RESULT OF THESE ACTIVITIES

FOR GOD’S NAME TO BE GLORIFIED.

From Stephen Aputara

Greetings in the most precious name of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His name is very Excellent.

Today saw me attending meetings with parents and staff of Navrongo senior high school. This ended very successful and trust God to bring peace and understanding between students and staff.

Tomorrow Friday, will be speaking in Mirigu church. Pray that God’s name will be honored.

Saturday, 24th July, we will be having a meeting with all our pastors and leaders from our 18 churches in the Kassena Nankana area of the upper east region. This is a crucial meeting where we will take stock of our ministry, strategizing to meet the daily issues that confronts us in our ministries. There are many communities still without the Gospel. Pray with us as we strategies to meet this need.

Will be speaking in Kologo church, 12 miles from Navrongo.

On Monday 26th July, I will be in Tamale to hold a meeting with church leaders.

On Tuesday 27th July, I leave Tamale to Accra. Hold meetings in Accra on 28th July.

On 29th July, will be at Ethiopia embassy for a traveling visa to Ethiopia.

Burden Bearers Academy schools vacate on the 29th July for 6 weeks holiday. Pray for funds to be able to organized a party for the children and also sponsor radio programs at the FM stations here in both Bolgatanga and Navrongo. This gives the children opportunity to recite poems and scriptures on air.

Pray for the recruitment of teachers and nursery attendants for the 2010/2011 academic year which begins on the 15th September, 2010.

Leave Ghana on the 30th July to Ethiopia for a meeting on Discipleship from the 1st August to the 9th August. Will return to Ghana on the 11th August.

Pray for our denomination national Pastors and Leaders Prayer Retreat which comes on the 16th August to the 20th August in Kumasi. Pray for the venue, the speakers, the participants traveling from the length and breath of Ghana. This year prayer retreat is mandatory for all pastors and leaders attending the retreat comes with their spouses. This year attendants is expected to grow in number.

Pray the funds needed to pay for venue, accommodation, feeding etc.

Pray for me as I will be joining the Pastors and leaders in Kumasi as soon as I arrived in Accra, Ghana. Fortunately, my wife Mercy will be joining me in Kumasi for the prayer retreat.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Praying and Serving Him Together.

Stephen and Mercy Aputara

The months of May 11th through June 15th saw me visiting the States. It was a wonderful time of meeting friends, partners and also speaking to individuals and group of people, sharing the needs of the ministry in Ghana.

I arrived in Ghana on the 17th June and realized that my baggage remained in New York. I was assured of their safety and transfer to Accra, Ghana. Delta Airlines did not keep their promised, however, I got my baggage. This was not without some financial and time losts.

June 13th saw me preaching in All Souls Church in Navrongo. Visit our outreach preaching place in Paga in the late afternoon.

Monday June 21st saw me having meetings with Navrongo Senior High School management over student uprising on the the 30th May.

Tuesday had meetings with the District Church Council members. Visited our pre-schools to meet with staff and to greet the pupils who missed me for six weeks. They were happy their Daddy was back. The kids called, Daddy.

On the 23rd June had to travel back to Accra by bus (15 hours) for Bible Church of Africa Board of Trustee meeting. Had meeting with our theological education committee on the 24th. Had board meeting on the 25th in the morning to 2:30pm. Met with the scholarship committee of our denomination on the 25th in the evening.

On the 26th June visited my daughter Phoebe in senior high school in the eastern part of Accra, 2 hours drive by bus.

Spoke in the church on the 27th June. Visited flooding area in Accra that claimed 35 lives and properties amounting to thousands of Ghana cedis.

Left Accra on the 28th by bus to Navrongo.

Today 3rd July, I have just returned home from a long meeting with the board and management of Navrongo senior high school. The students rioting on the 30th May destroyed property worth many thousands of cedis. The committee that was set to find out the cause of the uprising did not actually do their work properly with tensions still growing. It is alleged that some of the students were having deadly weapons (AK47 raffles etc). The well behaved students are being targeted by these students. Lives are being threatened. These leaders of the uprising are from our other brothers. And some of the committee members set by the government were also our other brothers. Their recommendation did not include any disciplined to be meted on the students suspected to be the cause of the uprising. Another committee is being set today to speak to both staff and students and also meet with the mayors and the minister in charge of this region. I am on the committee to meet with the students, staff, mayor etc. This is a big task.

I would appreciate your prayers on this. That I will be favored by God.

There was a Big Joy in my heart after our meeting this afternoon. The chairman of the board of trustee asked for a volunteer to do the closing prayer. This is what one of our big brothers, who is a prominent member of our brothers said, “Since we have the man of God who has been away and is back with us, he should do the prayers”. I was thrilled and praised God silently in my heart. Anyway, I did the closing prayer. May God’s name be Glorified.

I have this Task on me now to bring peace and reconciliation at a time lives are being threatened. But one thing I know is, “With God all things are possible”.

Dear brothers and sisters, what a privilege to have met you and known you. In the words of Augustine, “Without God, we cannot; but without us God will not.”

In His sovereignty, God has voluntarily linked Himself to human cooperation, (You and I). He has bound Himself to the prayer of faith of His children. He merges His working with man’s praying.

Joshua’s day in battle would have gone poorly without Moses prayer (Exodus 17). Jacob’s place in Israel’s history would not have been the same without Penuel (You) (Genesis 32). The cross would have been intolerable without Gethsemane (Luke 22).

THINGS TO PRAY FOR

1. For Wisdom as I lead the committee.
2. For the Favor of God upon me and the committee members. One of them is the other brother.
3. For protections from the enemy
4. For the protections of the well behaved students (the X)
5. For my family and the ministry
6. For our preschools.

Thank you
Your brother and His servants,

Stephen and Mercy Aputara

Yes, that’s right and you have a chance to help Mercy get here. Plans are underway to have Stephen A. and his wife Mercy visit BRBC in late April.

Stephen is President of the Bible Churches of Africa in Ghana and he lives in the north – near the border with Burkina Faso. Last year, our church started regular support for Stephen and his ministry.

His work is varied and very busy:

§ pastor “All Souls Bible Church” in Navrongo
§ mentor and teacher to many other native pastors
§ many building and farming projects
§ at the frontline of the spread of Islam in Ghana
§ takes in and supports orphans
§ widows ministries
§ transports people to hospitals
§ always looks to the needs of others

Now, he is asking us to provide so that Mercy can travel with him this April. She has never been out of Ghana and hardly ever gets a vacation or meal in a restaurant. This is a great opportunity to bless this magnificent couple!

The Aputara’s will be staying in this area for much of their visit to the USA. Take a look at what Stephen says about how involved Mercy is in his ministry:

Dear Heidi,

Trust you are doing well with the family.

Mercy’s dream is to see those who have contributed to the ministry.

She desires to meet as many women as possible to partner in raising children from deprieved families and communities. She is at the moment helping to provide food and shelter for many kids in the communities, especially children from single parents. Many of these kids are often taken by people and forced into hard labor. Especially the girls never have access to education. Some are given into early marriage at age 14.

Having come from the same background (single parent) denied education, taken as a maid, work without rest, she is so much concern of the plight of kids like that.

She is so excited going to the U.S.A Mercy is soooo excited and already dreaming of it. She is wondering how the flight will be. She has never traveled by air. It will be a wonderful experience for her. We are praying and trusting the good Lord to make this happen soon.

Please. I would like you to pray and see if God might prompt you to donate money for Mercy’s plane fare. If so, please write checks to Blue Ridge Bible Church with the memo “Mercy Aputara plane fare.” I thank you so much. I can not wait for everyone to meet Stephen and Mercy in person. You will know that they are wonderfully warm people.

(Both posts are in the secure area of the BRBC website, so you’ll need to log in to view them. Need to set up an account? Email us at missions@brbc.org.)

The Lord called her (Anna) home on Sunday midnight. Her body was send back to Chiana in upper east region on Thursday at 3:am and buried at 9:30 am. I have been a close family and ministry friends with Francis and Anna for 26 years now. I thank God for giving me His grace to to stand by her sick bed as she took her last breath and also to preach at Anna’s funeral.

I spent the day with Pastor Francis and so happy he is picking up gradually. On Sunday I will be preaching in a joint service in Chiana organised by 8 churches. I will appreciate your prayer support.

I have been invited to be a co-speaker at an Evangelistic Campaign in Ougadougou in Burkina Faso from the 15th November to the 21st November.

Pray that we will be able to fixed a date for the next national church council meeting
Pray for Pastor Francis and his sons, Samuel and David
Pray for my son Kenneth as he starts his national service soon
Pray for my trip to Ougadougou in Burkina Faso.
Pray for safety and and protection as I travel
Pray for my family good health

Thank you

Yours Partner,

Stephen Aputara