Village: Buka

This Sunday I got the privilege of going to out to a village church service with the Russell’s (missionaries that are here in Wa). It is about 35 minutes from the school by car. This church was started by the Russell’s about 3 years ago; before that the people had never hear of Jesus Christ. They started meeting under a tree but now have a building and are hoping to use the same building as a school for the children but due to Ghanaian laws about schools it is very difficult to start a school and have teachers come.

When we first got to Buka is was all children in the church so we had a little Sunday school hour. Rachel (the Russell’s youngest; 6 years old) wanted to read the children a story from her children’s Bible. She picked out the story of the last supper; which ended up being perfect because John planned to have communion. As Rachel read Lizzy (the Russell’s helper) translated the story for the children to understand. Since there is not school for the kids to go to, none of them know English; they only know the tribal language but can understand Walli, Lizzy’s third language is Walli so she was able to translate for Rachel.

During worship Isaac (the Russell’s son, 10 years old) played the drums. He had so much fun. In the middle of singing a man, named Jon, came in dancing. Jon was so happy, he light up the room when he danced right in, made me want to get up and dance with him. Bess (missionary mother) told me that he became accepted Christ just a few weeks ago after his wife died. It was his wife’s dying wish that Jon would know the Lord. Wow God uses everything to bring people to know Him.

Each church has a care taker that is an elder in the church; they watch over the church during the week and all its affairs. Joseph is the care taker of this church in Buka and got word that the village next to Buka heard about what was going on and wanted a church too so Joseph took it upon himself to go out and start a church in the neighboring village. God is working here!

Grandpa to answer your question about doing wash: Here in Ghana Saturday is wash day. If you are fortunate to live by a body of water you go wash your clothes there otherwise you wash them by the local bore hole. You bring three buckets and fill it with water; one to soak, one with soap and one to rinse and then use the bushes as drying racks. As for me; I am teaching Lizzy (the missionaries in Wa) how to read in English and in return she said she is willing to do my wash; which is good because I do not have much time to do my laundry.