I am reminded of the two great promises contained within the Great Commission.  As he bid farewell to his disciples, Christ stated “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  Christ is the one who orchestrates the events in heaven and on earth.  He also said, “And surely I am with you always (lit. “all the days”), to the very end of the age.”  There is no event out of Christ’s control, there is no day when Jesus Christ is not with us.  

2021 Opens with Uncertainty
We Trust in Christ's Sovereignty and Presence.

As I write, we have just inaugurated a new President many of whose directions and policies remain to be seen. The news regarding new strains of COVID is concerning, and cases continue to rise all over the US and in much of the world.  Politically, medically, economically, socially, there is much unrest and uncertainty. Yet, we can be assured that God has everything well under his control.  Christ continues to advance his Kingdom and his Church continues to grow and prosper spiritually. 

I am reminded of the two great promises contained within the Great Commission.  As he bid farewell to his disciples, Christ stated “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  Christ is the one who orchestrates the events in heaven and on earth.  He also said, “And surely I am with you always (lit. “all the days”), to the very end of the age.”  There is no event out of Christ’s control, there is no day when Jesus Christ is not with us.  It is on the basis of those promises that we can confidently go and make disciples in a climate of uncertainty and, at times, hostility.

Seeking to implement some of this confidence in my ministry, I spent some time during the past two weeks conversing with Sam over email about making a quick trip to Ghana during late January/early February.  After all, the flights are available, the COVID tests are available, and the vaccine is on the way.  I had several motives, not the least of which was to scout out the situation on the ground in Ghana.  I was also hoping to be able to carry through on some of the conference commitments I had made for 2021.

Sam told me the political situation in Ghana is also full of uncertainty.  Their President was re-elected and has been inaugurated, but his party has only a two vote majority in Parliament.  And in the election for Speaker of Parliament, two of his party voted for the opposition candidate!  So, the opposition controls Parliament and no one knows what will happen in the days to come.  This situation has produced unrest and even violence in the cities of Ghana and Sam felt it was not safe for us to come.

In addition, Sam’s most recent email indicated that COVID cases in Ghana are on the rise again, perhaps necessitating more stringent governmental action.  The CDC recognized the danger several days ago by raising the COVID warning level for Ghana to Level 4: “Travelers should avoid all travel to Ghana.”  It certainly seems that God has closed the door for travel right now and so – like all of you – we are waiting and praying.

In light of these realities, our travel plans have reverted to a late April return to Ghana.  Please continue praying with us that God will allow us to resume our work on the ground there in his time.

On the other hand, there is wonderful news on the curriculum front.  As the picture above indicates, all of the pastor training manuals have been printed and are ready to go.  The abundant funds given even allowed Sam to purchase an extra 100 copies of each manual. Most of the pastor training schools have been able to reopen using masks and social distancing. So, although ELI is not able to do in-person teaching, the ELI curriculum will continue training hundreds of Ghanaian pastors and evangelists.  Praise God for his provision!

We will continue to provide financial assistance to our Ghanaian brethren as God provides.  We will also remain in close contact with Sam and other key brethren to ensure that the ministry goes forward as much as is possible under these pandemic conditions.  We are committed to helping them in any way we can.

Please continue in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Ghana, for God’s blessing on this new curriculum, for an opening to return to Ghana in God’s time.  Also, thank the Lord for his abundant provision of funding for the Ghana Curriculum Partnership, for the health and safety of our co-laborers there, and for health and safety for us here in the US.  God is good!

For Christ’s Kingdom,
Dan.