Report from Dr. Chris Feucht - June, 2005

The New Life mission team has just returned from Ghana , West Africa and a medical outreach among the Lobi people in the Upper West District. I stand in awe of what our God accomplished among the people in the village of Tuolu and the surrounding areas. It was a privilege to be a part of this outreach and see a new church planted among the Lobi.

 

After approximately a 24 hour plane trip and a 30 hour bus trip (including two bus breakdowns and a short night of sleep in Kumasi), we arrived in Wa. We attended the church at Zuprii which was a combined service of several but not all the Lobi churches. Approximately 450 Lobi attended the service that morning. What a special treat that was to worship with them, hear the testimony of the Zuprii Chief, see the little girl who God raised from the dead, host children's ministry and pray over 25 Lobi missionaries.  These Lobi believers came to the altar last year and gave themselves to take the Gospel to other nations (now called the Jesus Christ Commandos or JCCs)! This year they have planned missionary journeys into Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. The favor and presence of the Lord does rest in Zuprii and the Gospel is going forth from this place ... and to realize that five years ago no one here had heard of Jesus.

From there we began our outreach in the village of Tuolu working along side of our missionaries, Keith & Debbie Jaggers, and national Pastors Victor and Ben. Through the week long medical clinic:

 

• 547 people received medical care
• 237 prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior
• 46 received miraculous healing for their illnesses, &
• 16 received deliverance from demonic oppression or bondages 

We also ministered to 320 children through the children's ministry daily --- 100 believed the Good News & joined the family of God. At the Jesus film presentation on Wednesday night, one hundred more Lobi prayed to receive Jesus.

 

Through our entire outreach I was impressed by three things:

 

1. How many of these people had never heard the name of Jesus --- at least one half had not heard of Jesus or the Good News. The other half had only come to hear and know about Him the last two months because Pastor Victor has been coming to hold meetings and share the Gospel.

 

2. The openness these people have to the Gospel message and how easily they understand & receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

 

3. The mighty presence and power of the Holy Spirit to save, heal their bodies and deliver them from the bondages of the enemy.

 

One man I saw in the medical clinic was a man of influence and power in the community because he was a landlord with several wives, many children, land and considerable livestock. His wives and children had been coming to Pastor Victor's meetings but he had not attended or knew anything about Jesus and the Good News. Initially he seemed resistant to Gospel, but as I shared about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and offered him salvation and eternal fellowship with God through Jesus, he said to me, " I choose life." His countenance completely changed as he prayed and invited Jesus into his heart. He understood the message and his life was transformed as he became a child of God.

 

The scripture tells us in Mark 16:17 that as 'we preach the Good News', " And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; ....they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." God was faithful to His word as there were 45 miraculous healings and 16 deliverances. One afternoon in the counseling area all but one person were healed as the team members prayed for the patients ... 31 Lobi were healed that day. One woman who came in barely able to walk with a cane was completely healed of arthritis and pain in her back, legs and knees. She jumped up with joy and marched around the room as she praised and thanked God.

  

We left the village of Tuolu realizing what a great work God was doing in this place. Many Lobi had come, received a drink of the "living water" and their thirst for relationship with the living God had been quenched. God had established His church in Tuolu and this village, these people, and this land will not be the same.

 

The chief of Tuolu was so moved by what had occured that he offered a goat as a gift of thanksgiving to the team, the Jaggers and Pastor Victor. This chief was God's man of peace for Tuolu and there is a sense in my spirit that this church may be a key church plant like the one at Zuprii. We received the report that there were 110 people at their first Sunday celebration. PTL!