December 25, 2008
Hello all!!
I must apologize for neglecting to update you guys in so long!
Ah ahem.. I apologize.
I have been doin' quite well, praise God. We have been keeping pretty busy. We just started another discipleship course last week. So far we have about five coming. But due to the season the attendance has been irregular.
(Side note: Interestingly enough the largest church here, the church of Pentecost, official church doctrine is strongly against celebrating Christmas. So most of the hundreds of smaller Penticostal/Charismatic churches follow suit. (The JW’s also of course boycotts the holiday—and there are literally thousands of them here.)
All that to say!!
Doctrinally the
majority of the people
here are against
Christmas, however most
everyone celebrates it,
albeit in secret!)
You can be remembering our brother Fii, he had a case of what was thought to be malaria, however three weeks later he still is experiencing migraine like headaches on one side of his head. He was very excited to join the classes but currently is unable to come consistently.
Now I believe the last email I wrote was in regards to our visa situation.
Well it’s a long long story, let me try to give you a quick summary!
We were applying for residency/work papers, and started the process in March.. Due to our refusal to pay any bribes or “thank you’s” it was just early last month we heard they were ready for pickup!
So we took the long trip to Accra to the main immigration office and arrived at 8:00am and were the first ones in when they opened the office at 8:30. Well after doing all the paper work, running back and forth, copying and recopying, about 3:50pm we finally had all the necessary papers and walked to the main desk to present them. All seemed to be well, the girl even waived our late fee! So we proceeded to the pay booth at 4:05. The woman kindly informed us the pay booth closes at 4:00, please come back next Monday.
We prayed under our breath and repeatedly asked her very politely to make an exception—explaining our house was the other side of the country. Finally she said because we were missionaries she would take us quickly. When we paid for the papers we come to find out the amount she told us was in US dollars—not Ghana Cedeis. In other words, the money we had wasn’t sufficient! SO we scrounged around the managed to make up the difference!
That’s the short version, that happened all day long!
Well that was a few weeks ago and just two weeks ago called us to come to collect our stamped passports.
When brother James and I arrived we found out that the fine the attendant “waived” the last time was reinstated by higher up officials.
So we realized they were not going to listen to our case so we headed over to the familiar pay booth. The same woman, with a slight smile on her face, kindly said we were five minutes late--she was closed. We hadn’t even bothered to check the time so I incredulously glanced up at the clock! It was 3:05, the desk closes at 4:00! So I leaned back and let out a long.. chuckle=) This woman was just to funny for her own good.
She paused for quite a while to let the joke sink in—we thought. Then she slightly rolled her eyes and collected our papers and money.
As she was processing our papers she very sternly told a couple in line behind us she was very much closed. They would have to come back next Monday. Suddenly we realized she wasn’t joking! Since the next day was a national (Muslim) holiday they closed an hour early.
We should be going back to Accra this week perhaps or the next to pickup our finalized, stamped, accepted, legal, with two year permits—passports! We do praise the Lord for his faithfulness!
The evangelism continues around the area! We have pretty much covered the surrounding villages/towns door to door, and from the fruit have started some small bible studies—mostly evangelistic in nature--in each of the villages.
Please pray for the Village of Tebrebe: We are very encouraged with two brothers particularly, Emmanuel and Second Samuel. Each Monday we go our at 3pm and have been having really blessed meetings. Were are praying that perhaps a small fellowship could be raised up there.
The small village of Camponase: The village is under terrible bondage to alcohol, the evenings it seems all the men are drunk.
Wednesday nights at 7pm. We have been having a bible study there. Three young guys in particular, Isaac Joseph and Enoch have been very faithful for the past two months.
The sister village to Camponase, Effuanta: we have also been trying to establish a study there, the majority of the village is Islamic.
I finally the
village/town of Ensuta:
We have just this
last month started going
door to door.
We praise God
already we are having a
small study in the home
of a young couple.
And of course we the
fellowship here in Tamso
appreciates your
prayers!
Again I apologize for
failing to update you
guys in so long, hence
the immense length of
this update!
We are always remembering you in our prayers! I hope you all are staying warm during the Washington Blizzard of ’08;)
If you get to much cold,
feel free to pay me a
visit and thaw out over
here, it’s something
like 90 degrees and 80%
humidity.
I love you all and hope
you are encouraged in
the Lord and growing in
grace!
Your son,
--timo