A team of eight from Indiana left Indianapolis on Monday afternoon, January 15, and arrived at Valley View University on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana, after 10:00 p.m. on the 16th. After a brief rest, orientation began at the Oyinka Hotel in Koforidua. There was no time for relaxation! Friday evening, January 19, each team member was taken to their respective ShareHim sites where they met their translators and then began to preach. The first week passed very quickly.
The second Sunday, I began to lose my voice. By late afternoon there was nothing left. What am I to do? I thought. I went to my site anyhow. The worst scenario would be for my translator to read my English notes and translate them into Twi to speak. I recalled the biblical story of the priests placing their feet into the water before the River Jordan parted. I decided I must at least make an attempt to speak before passing things over to my translator. As I opened my mouth to speak, words came out! I preached the entire sermon. Afterward, not a word would come out of my mouth. I remained in that condition all of the following day.
The second evening, I had a similar experience. But from that point on, my voice improved daily. By the weekend, I could speak with no impediment. ShareHim team members had prayed that my voice would be restored. It was very humbling to think the devil was attacking me personally and that my God touched my voice each night, so I could continue the meetings without interruption! Precious individuals were reached, and God used my voice to do it.
Pansy Beckford, a Cedar Ridge Church member, did not want to preach on the Ghana trip, but was willing to be a preacher's assistant. However, upon arrival, she learned another speaker was needed. Approached again to preach, Pansy asked herself, How could I refuse when I already asked God to lead me on this trip? She prayed, "God, You must know what You are doing, because in my own strength I can neither speak nor stand in front of an audience to do anything."
Pansy preached 21 sermons, standing before 700 people as she preached. One time before she spoke she did not even get a glimpse of the sermon she had to preach. To her surprise, some ladies indicated their desire to preach like her. She encouraged them and praised God for what He did through her. In the end, 59 were baptized from Pansy's meetings. Pansy said, "Every moment of the trip was all about God's leading throughout my life, and I just want to thank Him that He could see someone like me (an empty vessel) and use me."
Approximately 1,200 were baptized in Ghana as a result of the ShareHim meetings presented by the eight missionaries from Indiana. Visit www.sharehim.org to learn how you can be a ShareHim missionary.
Janet Schlunt is a member of the Terre Haute (Indiana) Church. Contributions were also made by Pansy Beckford, a Cedar Ridge Church member, and Diane Thurber, Lake Union Herald managing editor.
