OCTOBER 3, 2006 VOLUME NO.1 ISSUE NO.3

Kayla and I set off on a 15

hour car journey to northern Ghana. My friend Romana Testa, the founder of Beacon House a Christian Children’s home for children who have lost both their birth mother and father, her daughter Zena, and Kayla’s friend Olivia Korum joined us. We left after church on Sunday, June 4th. Our first stop was Kumasi – a 5 hour journey.

BOLGA TRIP TO NORTHERN GHANA

Contents Title:

Bolga Trip ....................... 1

Meeting with the Chief .....1

Medical Care and Entertainment t ............2

Little Akologo ...................4

American International

School .........................5

In Kumasi, we stayed with missionaries, Sue and Danny Janes. Early Monday morning we all traveled to Bolgatanga, where we arrived by evening. As we drove north, the terrain changed from lush forest to savannah. However, since it is the rainy season, the savannah was green and plantng was in full force. Last year the rains had stopped early and the farmers had lost the first

plantings. Many people were very hungry resorting to eating their precious seeds for planting. The landscape of the far north consists of massive boulders, magnificent baobab trees, and round huts. Bolga is the home of the Frafra people. We headed for the village of Vea where my dear friend Ursula comes from. I had sent her ahead of us to inform the Chief and people at Church about our visit.

Our first meeting was with the Chief of the area. We explained that we would be once again having a mobile clinic, children’s activities, two movie nights, and introduce Romana Testa, who explained Beacon House’s mission. I’ve tried to help the people of Vea

MEETING WITH THE CHIEF FROM VEA

over the years and have prayed for a means to have a lasting impact for Christ there. What a blessing to have Beacon House answer those prayers. Just in Vea alone there are 27 children who are biologically orphaned. The land is harsh and does not produce many crops. When

there is no rain there is little or no food. The Chief agreed to allow us to return in one month. We were given permission to take case histories of the children and give each a medical screening. The Chief was very generous and presented us with basket full of guinea fowl eggs.

Heather is blowing some bubbles while they wait on the chief to come and give his "blessing" for the activities of Heather and Romana (Beacon House Orphanage) while in Vea. The chief was the normal late (GMT- Ghana Maybe Time) but for somewhat unusual reasons. He hadn't finished his bottle yet!

African Mission Evangelism P.O. Box DD142 Dodowa Ghana mobile: 233-20-837-8087 office: 233-22-252-180 email: pc@ameghana.org heathercline@ameghana.org US Address 7343 Ridge Rd. Lexington, NC 27295 ph. 336-764-1900 email: sdanner@ameghana.org

The chief (in blue/white hat to the left) finally arrived in all his splendor ready to talk. We are thankful to God that the chief made no really difficult requests, like a bottle of Schnapps, other than a chair. As you can see the chief is sitting on the ground and some of his elders had chairs. So, the chief wanted a chair. We brought it to him on the second trip and boy was he ever pleased!

MEDICAL CARE AND ENTERTAINMENT

Sue Jaynes, a missionary nurse provided a medical clinic in Ursula’s family home. Our children had spent days filling bags of vitamins and medication for this day. She worked tirelessly into the night listening to people’s problems and prescribing medicine from anti-malarial, and everyone in Vea that attended the clinic giving vitamins and de-worming drugs. While sue did the clinic, Kayla, Zenna, and Olivia entertained the children. They started with a puppet show about the story of Zacchaeus and how he climbed the tree to be able to see Jesus. I had recorded the story and music in the local language. The children and adults really enjoyed the entertainment.

The teenage girls made special bracelets with the village girls. Each bead had a specific meaning: black represented sin, red represented the blood of Jesus, Blue for obedience to baptism to wash our sins away, white for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and green represented a new life in Christ. The children then played games and danced. At night Danny Jaynes took care of the movies. A young preacher, new to the area, led singing and introduced the first nights movie of how the earth was created to the life of Christ. The second night more gathered to see peace child and another movie. There are several young Christians in Vea but they have not had a preacher to help them apply the Christ to their everyday life. The Catholic Church is present in Vea but it also very accepting of ancestor and idol worship.

The teenage girls made special bracelets with the village girls. Each bead had a specific meaning: black represented sin, red represented the blood of Jesus, Blue for obedience to baptism to wash our sins away, white for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and green represented a new life in Christ. The children then played games and danced. At night Danny Jaynes took care of the movies. A young preacher, new to the area, led singing and introduced the first nights movie of how the earth was created to the life of Christ. The second night more gathered to see peace child and another movie. There are several young Christians in Vea but they have not had a preacher to help them apply the Christ to their everyday life. The Catholic Church is present in Vea but it also very accepting of ancestor and idol worship.

Little Akologo

Romana and I noticed a little boy about four years old in the village while Beacon House being introduced during a village meeting held under a few trees. He stood out among the other children because of his extended belly. A swollen stomach is indicative of Kwashiorkor, malnutrition caused by protein deficiency. It often affects children when they are no longer fed milk and their new diet is lacking in protein. The protein deficiency causes fluids to drain from the blood into the stomach, causing the swelling (edema). Although Kwashiorkor may not kill, permanent injury such as mental retardation is not uncommon. Both his parents are deceased and the second wife of his grandfather was caring for him. She was selling a few goods at the market but can no longer do so. Akologo’s father died of TB and his mother died from fever. His grandparents were also deceased leaving his step grandmother to care form him and 3 other children. Little Akologo also had a very bad chest infection, intestines full of worms, and fungus on his head. We had to wait for permission from both the grandmother AND the chief before we could bring him back to Beacon House in Accra. Praise God that all were in agreement and he left with us the next day.

Today you would not recognize him as his stomach is receding, the fungus is gone, and he has gained weight. He also loves his Christian preschool! His name is now Sammy Akologo and he is waiting to be adopted and finally have a permanent earthly family and grow in Christ to one day have eternal life with his forever Father.

Having fun telling the story of Zacchaeus with puppets and Lamissy the living Sycamore tree. She is now working in Accra at Beacon House.

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The Prayers of our supporters are felt each and every day and without them our lives would much more difficult here. God bless each one of you who spends just 5 min. a day thinking and praying for our family.

PRAYER / PRAISE. Prayer: The Lifeline of a Missionary

PRAYER REQUEST 1. Placement for 6 orphan boys ages 6

to 9. Beacon House has filled all the openings for boys.

2. For more to come to Christ in Vea. 3. We need to raise one month's rent for

teacher housing at the American International School of Accra.

4. Pray for more students to come to AIS and GCU

5. Continue to Pray for Christopher Adjei's recovery from a stroke suffered last moth

6. Pray for Vida, a friend of ours, who also suffered from a stroke this month. She has a 14 yr old grandson that needs a caregiver.

7. Heather still needs to have some dental work done but with so many needs it is difficult to spend money on yourself. Somebody needs to TELL her to take care of her teeth besides her husband.

Praises 1. We are thankful to God that

Heather and the kids had a safe and productive trip to the Northern Region of Ghana.

2. God has so richly blessed us through our supporting churches to be able to help so many in need these past months. To God be ALL the glory!

3. Brother Christopher Adjei is still recovering at home but is making huge progress as he is now walking from bedroom to bathroom. Keep Praying!

4. We have begun classes at GCUC (Ghana Christian University College) and we are exited to see where God is leading us!

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF ACCRA (AISA)

The mission of NICS (Network of International Christian Schools) is to establish a worldwide network of international Christian schools staffed by qualified Christian educators, instilling in each student a Biblical worldview in an environment of academic excellence and respect for people of all cultures and religions.

Patrick and I, as well as several other missionary families, have been and are still working hard to get the school ready for opening on September 4th. We still need three more teachers so if you’re ready to jump on a plane in the next few weeks the American International School of Accra can provide housing and a ten thousand dollar salary for the school year. Two teachers have just notified us they will not be coming to teach so we are in a pinch! If interested, please go here http://www.nics.org/openings.php

Because of this last minute change I will be teaching First and Second Grade so our three children will attend the school in exchange for my services. Kayla will be in eighth grade, Hunter fifth grade, and Jaden is in Pre-Kindergarten. Even at the missionary rate it would cost seventeen thousand dollars for the first year for our children to attend AISA! Patrick and I believe in this school and its mission just as we have always believed in sound Christ-centered education at all levels. Over the past 13 years we have had to say goodbye to many families that have not been able to home school their children, especially as they enter junior high to high school. For many parents the added curricula required to get in college today is above their abilities or they lack the time due to ministry needs so they often leave the field. Good Christian schools are very much needed in West Africa to meet not only the needs of the many missionaries but the many Christian workers with companies and the embassies. There are also parents who just want to put their children in good schools but may not truly know their savior. Here is an opportunity for ministry!

Watauga High School in North Carolina gave a wonderful gift of $500 for school supplies. Sunyani Christian School and Faithway Academy were blessed with school books, pencils, erasers, crayons, etc. THANK YOU so much!

African Mission Evangelism

P.O. Box DD142 Dodowa Email: patrickcline@ameghana.org Website: www.ameghana.org