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Breaking News! (posted 7 September 2008)
Two wonderful pieces of news
have come out of Ghana in recent days!
First, the FIM-Ghana Team has taken in their first orphan! "Karen", as they are calling her (her real name and condition cannot be published due to privacy reasons), is approximately 10 months old, though is greatly undersized and in need of nourishment and love. ("Karen" is not the child in the picture at the right, but is in a local orphanage near them!)
Brian writes: "She came to us eating only some light soup (a tomato based sauce usually with fish cooked into it) and rice, but no formula or milk. This will soon change. Not only are Debbie and Colleen on the job, but Jessi is there to oversee the process as well. We are very excited about finally having our hands on a little one, it began to seem as if this would never happen. So be in prayer. We are caring for little Karen until an adoptive family can be chosen for her. That is the job of another agency with whom we are working cooperatively."
Second, FIM-Ghana has received their NGO (non-governmental organization) Certificate! The paperwork, which was held up in Ghanaian bureaucracy for months, was advanced with the help of a member of the Ghanaian Parliament that a team from KMCC met on a recent trip to Ghana.
Again, Brian writes: "The brief but great news of the day is that we have finally been granted our NGO Certificate. This means we are officially recognized as a not-for-profit agency licensed in Ghana to do the kinds of "selfless social service to HUMANITY and MANKIND" (as it states on the certificate) that we have come to Ghana to do. NGO status here is the equivalent to 501(c)(3) status in the US and exempts us from taxes, etc. But most importantly, it means we are licensed to do what we have applied to the gov't to do. And we applied to do church planting, medical ministry and ministry to and with orphaned children. This is the primary document that all our other document needs have been dependent upon. And praise the Lord with us, in His uncommon wisdom and ability, we were granted our NGO while other orphan care facilities are having difficulty getting theirs renewed."
Praise the Lord for His faithfulness; please be in prayer as they team pursues its next hurdle - obtaining their residency visas.
McIntyre News (updated 7 September 2008)
Brian & Debbie McIntyre, along with Tommy, Derek, and Jessi, are now in Accra, Ghana, West Africa, serving 2 1/2 years with Fellowship International Mission.
Derek, Brian, Debbie, Tommy, and Jessi McIntyre
Brian is
serving as the Field Director of FIM-Ghana, which has adopted a
three-pronged focus for ministry: orphan care, medical care, and
church planting. Additionally, Brian is serving as interim pastor with Greater Grace
Bible Church, taking some of the pastoral duties until a full-time pastor
can be found. Brian is also working with four men who are part of
the transitional leadership team at GGBC to provide direction to the
church.
Brian spends much of his time making contacts, including contacts with Ghanaian Social Service agencies, as they try to adjust to the culture and begin to see the Lord bringing together the pieces of their ministry. Brian and the team have done quite a bit of networking with other ministries in the Accra area, including with other orphanages, Handi*Vangelism (for medical ministries), and even with a street ministry in downtown Accra. Brian also functions as the team's chauffer, being the one with the driver's license who is brave enough to handle the traffic! (Editor's note: On my recent trip to Ghana, I noticed that the roads and the traffic is horrendous! The potholes are the size of a Buick, and there seem to be no organized traffic rules!)
Debbie spends much of her day taking care of the family, and (along with Tommy) is learning sign-language - their teacher, Michael, is very helpful and supportive! Daily tasks include taking care of the many sanitation duties involved in living in Ghana - preparing the water for the day, bleaching the dishes daily, and the laborious task of food preparation in a developing country.
The children are finding many things to do to keep themselves busy as well. In addition to their home schooling, Derek and Tommy play football (soccer) with local children, including some of the people at Echoing Hills. Both boys are very popular there, and even received an invitation to attend the school, though neither is hearing-impaired! Jessi is busy making new friends, and everyone seems to love her. Of course, video games are also a good diversion for the kids, and all three of them have gotten quite proficient with e-mail and using Skype to talk to friends and family back home.
And please be in prayer for the McIntyres as they continue their life in Ghana for the sake of Christ's glory!
Part of the reason we do what we do...
Colleen
Scigliano News Letter (posted 17 October 2008)
Hi to all,
Talk about adventure! We went to the village of Puokper on Tuesday after no village visits for a month. We had found a short cut the month before last that cut off considerable distance and time so we were on that route. There must have been a great deal of rain in the mountains in the past week and when we were half way to Puokper we had to cross a small bridge that was partially under water. We made it through but it brought to mind videos of safaris where the land rover (we have a Dodge van) forges through the river. We made it through and were glad we had prayed for safe passage before we began.
As we drove a little further, we noticed that the entire road up ahead was under water. It looked like the road ran under a small lake. We back tracked a ways and asked directions from a man and his wife who were bagging maize. They directed us to the other fork in the road and we were off again. The second route took us back almost to where our "short cut" began. When we were about a quarter of a mile from the village a man stepped into the road and flagged us down. The road ahead was impassable and we would need to walk the rest of the way to the village. Now this was no small feat as we had boxes of liquid Tylenol, vitamins and the 25 pound bags that I carry, holding all our first aid supplies as well as the water and snacks we bring to keep our bodies fueled. Several men from the village hoisted our supplies onto their heads and we were off.
Now to set the stage, it was the hottest day we've had since last year. The air was humid and the dragon flies and other bugs kept us company as we walked at a brisk pace. We came upon a place where the road was half washed out so I figured "this is why we had to walk." Then we walked past the site of our "stuck in the mud" adventure where the road was very soft and muddy and I though "this is why we needed to walk." About one hundred feet further I actually found out "why it was necessary for us to walk." The road was partially covered with water and we had to roll up our pants, take off our shoes, and wade across. Now you really don't want to spend any time in fresh water in tropical countries, not because of the creatures like snakes that you can see, but because of the creatures that you can't see. Many of you recall that parasites were one of the things that filled me with dread before we came to Ghana.
We were good troopers, waded through the gently flowing water; put our shoes back on and proceeded to the village. We saw 49 children who were weighed, checked over, injected, and whose mothers were counseled. We saw little Te, the young man with the scarring and keloid caused by the house fire. (We are looking for local treatment for him.) We saw several adults with various complaints, wrote a few referrals to the hospital, and gave out Tylenol and ibuprofen to those who had complaints of pain. Then it was back to the van, wading, once again, through the small river. Needless to say, the shower looked mighty good to me and I was in it as soon as I got home. It makes me think of how like a parasite sin is in our lives. We can't always see the harm, but like a parasite, sin is just waiting to sap our joy, strength, and vitality. We should be just as anxious to go the Jesus to "wash away" our sin.
God bless each of you and please let me know how I can be in prayer for you.
Love to all! Colleen
Dinah and Colleen teaching village children about health and personal hygiene.
Introducing
Dinah Kwao (posted 2 March 2008)
It is with great pleasure that we introduce other member of the FIM-Ghana team, Dinah Kwao.
Dinah is an Ghanaian national, whose late husband John helped plant two churches in the Accra area, including Greater Grace Bible Church. John and Dinah were part of the original FIM team in Ghana.
Dinah, also a nurse, is working with Colleen Scigliano in the medical ministry branch of FIM-Ghana. One of their goals is to make contacts through medical services for evangelism and as a way of being involved in future church planting. There is much to do in terms of contacting medical service authorities in Ghana, making contacts with Christian doctors, and finding pharmaceuticals and a source of ongoing funding of their purchase. She also remains actively involved in Greater Grace Bible Church, and will be serving as an ex-officio member of the FIM-Ghana board.
Dinah has been invaluable to the McIntyres and to Colleen in helping them with their transition and adjustment to the Ghanaian culture. The simple task of shopping in the local markets is a challenge to Westerners (i.e. much more expensive!), and Dinah has helped with many such adjustments. Both the McIntyres and Colleen report wonderful things about this remarkable woman of God, and look forward to working with her in the coming months and years.
Please be in prayer for Dinah in all that God has for her in her work with FIM-Ghana, and that she may see His mighty hand as she works for His glory!
