Saturday - August 18, 2001

Well it is 6:30AM in London (1:30AM) Florida time. The flight from Accra was smooth and, typical for me, sleepless. The last few days are a blurr. In Kade I taught a ladies class and preached for the congregation on Tuesday night. On Tuesday we traveled to various villages the Kade congregation had been instrumental in starting. Wednesday night in Somanya, I spoke for about and hour and one half to over one hundred members and visitors. So far there have been six baptisms as a result of the campaign. Five in Aveyime alone. I expect more in the next few weeks as
follow ups are made. I am anxious to be back in Auburndale and to be once again with the brethren at Orange Street.

Until then...
In His Service,
Bob Bauer

Wednesday - August 15, 2001

We are on our way to Somonya and lo and behold there is a cybercafe in Kofa-Ridua. God is great. The last two days have been spent with Isaac Adjei in the Kade region. We arrived Monday afternoon and I spoke to the ladies class in the evening for about an hour and one half. On Tuesday Isaac took us to all the area works that the Kade church has been involed with. We visited Akumaning, Kusi, Takrowase, Amanfrom, and Abaam. By the time we arrived home, Addo Adela looked like a native American Indian from the road dust.

Last night I preached for the church in Kade and the brethren from Adonkrono came and worshiped with us. In Amanfrom, we greeted the local chief, It is a custom to do so. The church has just been started there is the last few months and so it was the first time the brethren had officially greeted the chief. He was very pleased that the church was coming to his village and very supportive of it. Hopefully, studies in the future will cause him to come to Christ.

I also had the opportunity to greet an old friend. Nana Barrima Sarpong IV, chief of Adonkrono. Nana is also a brother in Christ and a great supporter of the church.

Must go for now...
In His service,
Bob Bauer

Sunday - August 12, 2001

Addo Adela, Alice Adela, Christopher Letsa, and myself arrive back in Pram Pram from the Bedeku campaign at 3:30 PM on Sunday and immediately set out for Ashaimain so I could preach for the brethren at the Lebanon congregation. It has been a long day. Worship this morning was four hours long including the Bible study. I told the Ghanaians that if worship lasted four hours back home the congregation would sack me immediately and unappoint the elders. They got a big chuckle out of that. There were many questions during Bible study that took up much of the time and sermons during worship usually last an hour and fifteen to twenty minutes due to translation.

The word was sowed mightily this past few days in Bedeku. About tewnty brethren, from Bedeku, Ashaimain, Pram Pram, and Old Ningo spent about 5 hours each day in Bible Studies often with multiple persons. I will have the exact figures later. There were no immediate baptisms but I am confident with the follow up in the next few weeks many will come. There was great interest among the people.

Each night we had street preaching which lasted for approxiamately 2 1/2 hours. There would be singing, preaching, and the answering of questions from the people gathered. The street preaching was held at the local junction where all the taxis and transports are located so there where plenty of people to hear. The Bedeku brethren even had the campaign advertised an a local radio station. The brethren told me as far as they could remember it was the first time a white brother had been involved with a campaign in Bedeku. This was all made possible through your generosity and prayers and may God bless you for it.

It is almost impossible for me to explain and express the gratitude of the Ghanaian brethren for the efforts that are made because of your support. Truly, we are fellow laborers.

Tommorrow morning Adela, Christopher letsa, and myself will be leaving for Kade to visit with Isaac Adjei and the brethren there. Isaac is supported by the Orange Street congregation and I will be able to make a first hand report about the good work he is doing in the Eastern region.

Until next time...
In His Service,
Bob Bauer

Friday, August 10, 2001

Hello from Ghana,

The work is going well. We arrived in Aveyime Monday PM and immediately went and taught an adult literacy class about Christ for two and one-half hours. We then spoke for two hours Monday evening to the brethren in Aveyime.

Tuesday, we visited some the elderly sisters and helped them with some funds and also had a three hour bible study with about seven individuals. Tuesday night once agin, I spoke to the brethren and fielded questions for a total of two and a half hours.

Wednesday morning we visited a lady who had been stung by a black scorpion on her way to the services. The brethen told me that they had been plagued by black scorpions in their building due to the rains and the cold weather. As I preached, I had one eye on my Bible, one on my lesson, and still kept
watched for scorpions.

We are in Bedeku now. Street preaching began last night. I preached for about an hour and answered questions from the crowd for about an hour. I also met a Peace Corp worker that I came to know last year while in Aveyime. She is from Orlando and we ran into each other in Ado-Foah.

I hope to report back again on Sunday as we will be back in Tema for a day. Until then, remember the campaign in your prayers.

In His Service,
Bob Bauer

MONDAY - August 6, 2001

Greetings From Ghana,

As often happens in Ghana plans had to be changed. Instead of traveling to the Volta Region yesterday afternnon, I had to remain in the Pram Pram area so that I could finally retrieve my luggage from the airport. We will be leaving for the Volta Region shortly.

The work in Pram Pram went well. We had many Bible Studies and one young lady obeyed the Gospel. She sacrified a lot to do so. Her family is Moslem and her father told her if she became a Christian she would no longer have a father. Her courage and desire to be cleansed by the blood of Christ is to be commended.

I spoke twice at Pram Pram Sunday as well as each night preceding. Sunday evening I spoke to the brethren in Kpone where Edward Owusu is the preacher. He has labored there many years.

I have been enjoying many of my favorite Ghanaian dishes. Red-Red is one that I especially enjoy. It is beans in a red sauce with fried plantain. We have also enjoyed Jollof rice as well as fish stew over rice. My wife said I cannot gain and weight while I am here so I must be moderate.

The weather has been nice. Humid, but the temperature stays in the eighties so it has been comfortable. I have been riding in the back of a pickup in order to get around. It is somewhat uncomfortable but tolerable. I will report once again upon our return from the Volta Region, unless by God's grace there is email out there.

In His service,
Bob Bauer

FRIDAY - August 3, 2001

We had to come into Tema once again to get supplies and so the opportunity to report on the work. Yesterday as planned we spent most of the day in Tema and Accra. I greeted old friends as per the Ghanaian custom. I also needed to exchange dollars to the Ghana Cedi (6800 to 1). While at the Bible House in Accra I attempted to take a picture of the Bible House. Across the street from it is James Prison. Just as I began to focus the camera a man with a very large machine gun asked me what my problem was. I replied that I only wanted to take a picture of the Bible House to which he responded "It is not permitted." I apologized and quickly moved on my way.

The driver we also hired made an incorrect left turn at an intersection and we were immediately stopped by two policemen. Of course, a fine had to be paid. I should have remembered this intersection for when traveling with Ted Wheeler one time we were stopped at the same intersection and also paid a fine. I got the opportunity to enjoy some shittor yesterday with rice and chicken. Shittor is a sauce made up of fish, shrimp, peppers, and oil. It is very hot but tasty.

Last evening I preached for the brethren at Pram Pram. Immediately after preaching we headed for the airport to try and recover my lost piece of luggage. We were there until after 11:00 PM and still no luggage. We will try again tonight. Addo Adela and I spent three hours studying with an older man today who was a retired construction engineer. He is an educated man who had been so influenced by human philosophies that he does not seem to know what he really believes.

We will have more personal work tomorrow this time with a Muslim who has expressed an interest in Christianity.

Until next time from Ghana,
Bob Bauer