The Lord is blessing the new work started in French-speaking Burkina Faso, Africa, just over a year ago by The Wesleyan Church of Ghana. Right now, ministries are developing which go to the heart of the meaning of Global Partners.
During the Ghana National Conference in December, Issah Osman, Ghanaian missionary to Burkina Faso, reported on the new work. Already one church has been established and there are three preaching points that are quickly developing into churches.
Issah reported that one of the most pressing needs was to begin training leaders within each of the emerging congregations. It made sense to Africa Area Director Bob Bagley to find French-speaking Wesleyans from an established Wesleyan work to come help. Fortunately, there are Wesleyans in Haiti who have recently expressed a call to missions and a vision to work in French-speaking Africa. Issah responded very positively to the idea of recruiting a team from Haiti. The Ghana and Burkina Faso churches agreed to cover meals and housing for such a team.
The Haitian church responded quickly to an invitation, and is currently selecting a team to send. They will cover their personal expenses and in-country travel expenses.
Bob Bagley believed God could help him raise the funds for air tickets for the team from Haiti to Burkina Faso and back. Then he received an unexpected email from Papua New Guinea. A Wesleyan leader there had been moved by God to help support ministry in Africa! His gift covers half the cost of the tickets. The rest of the ticket money was pledged at a North American District Superintendents’ meeting in Orlando in January.
Bob Bagley and Ghana National Superintendent Joe Ocran will visit Haiti to help with the preparation of the Haiti team, at a time when they would already be coming to the U.S. for leadership meetings.
With God’s help, the Haiti ministry team will depart for Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in mid-September and we will have:
– a Haitian missions team
– serving on a Ghanaian mission field
– in Burkina Faso, Africa
– supported jointly by Papua New Guinea, Haiti, Ghana, and North America.
How cool is that?