Preaching in West Africa

MISSIONARIES who leave their native land and people to preach the good news of God’s kingdom in the far corners of the earth among strange circumstances are richly rewarded with many blessed experiences. For example, note the following taken from a report recently received from a missionary serving in Accra, Gold Coast, West Africa, on his two-week trip in British Togoland.

“While witnessing at one house in the village of Klefe an educated man came up and quietly sat down. After I had given the witness the man asked if we could go to some place to talk. He took me to his school. He told me he was a Presbyterian teacher who had had no use for the Bible nor for any of our books explaining it, but today he had heard the Bible taught in a way different from anything he had heard before. ‘Religion is useless,’ he said. After our discussion on the authenticity of the Bible he obtained the book ‘Let God Be True’ and asked that someone come to study this textbook with him. This was arranged.

“In Peki I made a return visit on a woman who had manifested some interest. She said that what I was telling must be the truth, for a white man would never come to her humble home and sit with her to explain the Bible and from such a faraway country if it was not the truth. ‘Since I was a little girl I was taught in the Presbyterian Church, but never in all these years have I seen a white minister of that church go from house to house preaching,’ she said. When asked to go with us to preach she replied, ‘Why not? You have shown me that I must preach. I will go.’

“In Toh we used a large horn to call the people to assemble for a public talk. The farmers had just returned from hard work in the hot sun and took their places on roots of a large shade tree. After the talk, which was heard by 106, the chiefs of the village expressed regret that we had not announced our coming ahead of time so that more could have heard it. One of them expressed astonishment that a white man would come into their midst, sit on roots and speak with them just as though he were black.

“A native brother was giving the witness to a Catholic priest on the subject of hell, proving his points from the Douay version. The priest asked the brother to come to his home for a further discussion. Although he had been to the theological seminaries in Akropong and Kumasi, he had never heard such a presentation on the subject of hell, the priest observed. Where did the brother obtain such information? Upon being told that it was to be found in the textbook ‘Let God Be True’, he immediately obtained a copy, but cautioned the brother, ‘Do not tell anyone I have purchased this book.’ An almost identical experience was had with a Catholic catechist.

“Two years ago a European brother from the branch office visited the leper colony not far from Ho where one brother lives among the 200 lepers. At that time the prejudiced attitude of the European Catholic manager of the colony brought much persecution upon this brother, even threatening the removal of the brother from the colony. While there I had the privilege of giving a message of real hope to 34 lepers whose bodies had been so badly eaten by leprosy that they presented a horrible sight. To look into the faces of some was most difficult. The talk was given in a newly completed auditorium by permission of a new European manager who gladly accepted three Bible study aids as a contribution to their library. The brother, whose fingers have been eaten away by the leprosy, has an amazing knack of turning pages as he reads. He has been put in full charge of the colony or settlement as an overseer of construction works, he being an accomplished builder. He is very happy in spite of his affliction.

“At Ho two public meetings were held, with a total attendance of 288; at Dene 74 heard the public lecture. It took us an hour and a half by foot to travel the three miles over a rocky mountain pass to reach Tsito where, in addition to preaching from house to house, we gave a public talk with 60 present. Back near Avetile-Peki 260 and in Jaki 320 assembled for public lectures. For the two weeks 1,142 heard the call ‘Prisoners, go forth!’”