The team got to Navrongo around 10:30 or 11pm Wednesday night. They’re staying at the Aputara’s home.

Praise God, Thursday’s conference went really well! David, Steve, and Randy divided up the three hours or so of speaking, and afterwords the team was able to meet and speak with several EMA pastors as potential leads for ministry support.

Thursday they also spent time dividing up all the supplies our BRBC body sent with them — 8 suitcases full! Divided things out to distribute to schools and churches.

Today (Friday) the team visited a lot of churches, two schools, and Stephen’s parent’s home. They went to Burden Bearer’s Academy (one of the schools David and I taught at in 2011, the school Pastor Stephen started). David said his youth leader-ness kicked in here as the team pushed through the chaos of organizing all the school kids into two big Awana groups (so 8 teams total) to play Awana games. He said it turned out awesome and they all had a ton of fun! Saw Teacher Bridget, who we met 11 years ago.

Went to many churches/talked with pastors (asking them what are your challenges?), took pictures, visited Gumungo school, Thomas & Tyler shared their testimonies, which was really awesome to see them step up to do! Very full day: jostling around on bumpy roads, standing, visiting, getting back in the van all sweaty, repeat.

Visited Stephen’s father, sitting on same log under same tree, as when Stephen took us to visit him in 2011 and 2015. He’s 94 years old. The team got to visit Stephen’s grave, close to parents house.

David said Mama Mercy has been cooking them amazing meals at the house.

• He asked for prayer for wisdom and guidance — there is a lot of need — wisdom for BRBC in moving forward.
• Please also pray for tomorrow (Saturday) as they speak at another leadership conference!

1. Steve speaking at the leadership seminary! Great turn out at church. These are church leaders from all over – Sunday school teachers, pastors etc.

2. This is the men with the EMA missionaries – they are called missionaries even though they are primarily within Ghana because they are leaving their own tribe/region and going to a different tribe/region that does not have the gospel at all to plant a church. Very powerful testimonies and very real challenges.

3. This is us trying to organize all that was donated by Blue Ridge! Amazing blessing!! Thank everyone who gave!! They are substantive blessing!

4. Thomas sharing his testimony at Burden Bearers school in Mirigu. Very powerful. He had pastor Boniface translate for him because Boniface wanted to make sure the children were able to understand.

5. Mirigu church – pastor Joseph and his son Ramon (who is the youth director). Very encouraged to hear about the work they are doing – and the challenges they face. This is a very large church for Ghana standards. It is the first structures built to this scale for that whole region.

6. Gonum church. Pastor Kennedy and Simon are the leaders. Very spiritually dark community – they have a dirt floor and no finished windows so rain flows in. So much energy and faith in God. We prayed with them – it was very powerful.
Many from the church were actually able to come and greet us with the pastors.

7. Walking back from Pastor Gabriel’s house. He was injured in a motor bike accident so he was not able to greet us at the church. We visited him at his house and prayed with him. Very encouraged by him – to see where he lives and the commitment to pastoring that church.

8. Gonum church and school. We helped to fund this. And this is only a small portion of the school because most of them had left – school was out.

9. The living room/hang out spot at the Aputara’s house!