From John:
 
We had our first class today and all is going well.
 
I am very impressed how open the evangelists and pastors are to encouraging trying new ideas.  Andrew traveled to a new deaf school at cape coast and we are making plans for him to travel twice a month - a 4 to 5 hour trip by tro tro.  Wow

I am trying to send the emails bud and Denise typed - tell Barbara we are at the I N T E R N E T C A F E  and yes it is the same as normal.  For some reason it will not read my disk and they are working to solve the problem.

We are working on all of the arrangements to meet the king, find a truck, set up the house so it can be used every 3 months, working with Amadu about the school, etc, etc..
\I dont know how we will finish all in two weeks.

We asked again if people want to go ahead with the school and the deaf said they have talked with other deaf and they are very excited about have a SS (High School) the deaf to learn and be able to go on to the university.  They also liked the idea about making it a deaf university!!
People here are praying and now we see where God provides the $1.4 million to build the whole campus!

We also discussed about coming back every 3 months and the evangelists and pastors taking time off each time.  They said it would not be easy but they want to try.  They also see the need to have the focused training and become ready to do the training themselves.  THANK GOD!!  He is working!!

Thank everyone praying for us!  We know this work would not be possible without everyone’s support!

 
Pastor Reinke
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From Bud:

Dear People,

Greetings in the Lord!

Praise the Lord! Once again our Gracious Heavenly Father has brought us here safe and sound to Ghana, West Africa! Hallelujah! We left in a blinding snowstorm from Chicago at 10:45 in the pitch-black evening of Wednesday January 5th. Of course nothing is ever that easy especially when it is snowing like that! Just the 2 hours getting to the airport from Wisconsin to Chicago was problematic. Once we got through customs, got our tickets, waited to board the plane…we waited another few hours on the tarmac as they de-iced the plane but finally, praise-be-to-God, we took off into a hailstorm of snowflakes. Whew!
The flight was uneventful other than those few minor frustrations and terrors! Ha! Smile!
We arrived at Kotoka International Airport in Ghana at 9:00 PM sharp on January 6th. A full 24-hour trip after everything was said and done. Lordy day! As we flew in over the ocean we glided on silky smooth patch of Ghanaian air. It was actually kind of eerie because there was no turbulence at all. Suddenly, we hit the rich warm heavy water laden air of Africa then it became a little bumpy but it was fine. We were so tired after packing and unpacking 8 (70 lbs) action packers that Pastor Reinke brought along. Ugh! Ugh! That Pastor Reinke you just “hate to love him” and “love to hate him” but then again you just can’t help “but love him” for all he does…especially for the deaf. Carrying those 8 action packers and all our luggage…what a pain but what a blessing to the deaf people of Ghana. Smile!
We want to thank all of you for your prayers, donations, and projects that you have done to collect materials and resources to encourage the deaf here…even though it was 8 action packers full…grrrrrrrrrrrh! We are continuing to pray for a huge harvest of souls as we train the 6 deaf Evangelists and 7 deaf Apprentice Evangelist to become pastors as well as some deaf women interested in becoming deaconesses and many other deaf who just want to learn more about their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Truly a great blessing you are to them and to us! Our work really couldn’t be done without all the people praying and helping us in so many different ways…and of course financially as well. However, we know if there is a need God’s people are usually very eager to give. Faithful people just want to make sure their hard earned cash is going to something worthy. I don’t think there is anything more worthy than the souls we are helping to train and helping to serve so that many could be saved from the crushing jaws of Satan’s work. Satan is alive and active…that monster is seeking many deaf souls…to gobble them up into his spidery web ignorance. Satan wants to keep the deaf people down, dumb, and ignorant of the SAVING Gospel. And he is doing a pretty good job too…we know that only about 2% of deaf people have good working knowledge of who Jesus is and what he has done for them. Only 2% of the deaf worship regularly…that means 98% don’t have a clue. They don’t have a clue that the WRATH of God is waiting for them at the end of their life on earth. The fires of hell are raging for all those who have not “kissed the son” (Psalm 2:12). Please continue to make sure that doesn’t happen to anymore of our beloved deaf brothers and sisters. Pray, work, and give so that many deaf people may be saved out of this old wicked world. That’s why we came to Ghana with your help and support! Tsunamis are not the real threat…it is the huge tidal wave of sin and evil that is engulfing the lands and the people that our Lord has given into our hands…that is the real problem and devastation. Thanks be to our Gracious Father that He has given us the victory of over these terrible forces through His Son, Jesus, that we can stand strong and move forward in victory with Him…through the power of His Word and Sacraments.
As we exited the rear of our jet and walked down the metal mobile stairway of international airport, the blast of 80-degree humid air hit us full force. The sweet sticky smell of Africa was again in our nose and memories of the past trips flooded back into my mind. The pungent smells, the bright exotic colors, the different clothes, and the multitude of black faces controlling each stage as we embarked our way through customs on our way into freedom of the crushing mobs standing outside waiting to greet us with crowded pleas wanting to help carry our baggage for a nominal “dash” (tip). Finally, we (Rev. Reinke, Ted, Denise, and me with our bags and luggage) “squished” into our Nissan truck with driver behind the wheel and action packers stacked and loaded in the back…and headed into Accra the capitol city of Ghana.

 

From Ted & Denise:


Home!  Ok it isn’t actually like Wisconsin but it sure feels like home to me (Ted would probably say differently).  All the sights, tastes, smells are so familiar from my other travels that I feel right at home here.  The only difference is the dust.  Right now it is the dry season.  Winds kick up here.  When they do they take the sand from the Sahara and bring it into the city. The country is actually tropical but just south of the desert.  Slowly the desert is taking over the tropics.  

God has been wonderful in getting us here.  You already know all the problems that we encountered before arriving.  Well, on the day we left, of course, there was a major snow storm and Chicago got 12 inches of snow.  Somehow we made it out ok.  The strange thing for me was how at peace I was with this trip.  It started about 2 days beforehand.  God took all my worries and concerns.  I have never felt so at peace before even though I am about to face 300 elementary kids.  They did finally set up 2 schools for us to teach at.  They also have plans for follow up after we leave.  YEAH!!

Today was our first full day here.  The temperature and humidity aren’t that bad at all (Ted again would say different!)  Most of the day was spent getting things that we would need for the next 2 weeks and meeting some of the people who work everyday here.  Tomorrow we will drive up to a town called Kumasi.  There we will set up at the mission house for Pastors Palmer and Reinke to teach.  Then on Sunday Ted and I will be dropped off at our school. 

Ted doesn’t seem too overwhelmed here yet.  Just taking in the sights so far.  Luckily he is a patient and curious man.  It will be interesting to see his reaction when we get out of city and more into the countryside. 

Thank you for all of your prayers and support.  I will try to update you as often as we can.  God’s blessings.

Because of Christ, Denise and Ted Pulfer