GHANA & SOUTH AFRICA MISSION TRIPS - HOPE SINGAPORE

An Africa Mission Report written by Ee Lee Tan from Hope Singapore Mission Department. 


Pastor Jeff, Stephen, Chee Harn and I (Ee  Lee Tan) went to Accra, Ghana from 1-6 June and to Johannesburg, South Africa from 6- 10 June. 



Accra, Ghana 



Ghana is a safe, stable country with relatively low crime levels compared to other West African countries. Although a significant proportion of the population in Ghana profess to be Christians, there is also a great need for discipleship making in this nation. Ghana can be the eastern gateway for our missions to Africa.



In this trip, we visited the families of our Ghanaian members in Hope Singapore, and also ministered to them. They were very hospitable and invited us to their homes. They treated us to sumptuous Ghanaian food, and shared with us their lives and culture too. Ps Jeff preached in the Sunday Service in Rehoboth Praise Chapel International Church, and connected with the pastor and his congregation. He also preached in another ministry called the Generation of Honour, which is made up of a group of youth adults.

Ps Jeff shared about our vision of church planting and discipleship making, and they were very inspired by the message. Mishael, the leader of the ministry also shared with us that one year ago, his classmate who had not contacted him since their high school days called him all of a sudden and brought three Singaporeans to his meeting. These three Singaporeans were the second team from Hope Singapore who went to Accra last year. While they were there, Mishael told them that Nana, the vice president of the Generation of Honour was studying in Switzerland but she would be going to Singapore. He would then connect Nana to them when she went. Amazingly when Mishael contacted Nana, she was already connected to Hope Singapore! Someone in Hope Singapore actually approached Nana and invited her to our church service. She was feeling lost then and felt the peace of God to join. God actually led her to our church even before Mishael told her about us. We spent more time fellowshipping with Mishael and his team. They were very keen to learn and partner with us. We all felt that God had orchestrated our meet up!

Johannesburg, South Africa 

We then visited Johannesburg. The objective of the trip was to visit Ps Henry and family, and also to encourage the church.

I was personally very inspired and encouraged in this trip. I visited Hope Johannesburg in 2010 and during that time, sister Lerato was recovering from cancer and she was weak physically. However her spirit was strong, and both she and Ps Henry continued to lead the church. Their church service attendance then was five adults and about ten children when we visited. They did not have a strong core team then, and they had issues with finding a venue for their meeting.

What a difference when we went this time round. Sister Lerato has recovered from her cancer and she was so much stronger physically. There were also many breakthroughs in the church.

Firstly, there is such vibrancy in the church starting from the leadership team. A new couple had joined the core team. The woman suffered back problems due to the unevenness in her leg. A previous team who went had a word of knowledge and prayed for her. One of her legs grew and her back pain was completely healed, and she had an encounter with God. She and her husband added much enthusiasm and strength to the leadership team.



Further, the other couple in the core team has also experienced God’s blessings in their lives as they continue to serve. One of them was given a promotion and the other received the best teacher’s award at her school. Ps Jeff taught Ps Henry and his core team, and then they shared how they wanted to apply those teachings in their settings.

Secondly, God has also provided them with a tent and there is a great sense of unity in the church. We visited their prayer meeting in their tent. Their exuberant praise and worship could be heard even before we stepped into the tent, and God’s presence was tangible. We joined our hearts and hands together with the twenty South Africans in fervent prayers. We were also touched by the unity of the church. On Sunday, before we reached the church venue, we received news that there was a sandstorm and the tent was collapsing. When we reached the venue, indeed, there were strong winds but amazingly, the church members just rallied together.

The men helped to pull down the tent, while the women tried to support the pillars of the tent. After which, sister Lerato led us into a time of praise and worship, in the midst of the sandstorm. They did not complain nor succumb to the elements, but looked to God. We then conducted the Sunday Service in another venue which Ps Jeff taught and many responded to the call of serving God.

It was indeed a very fruitful 10-day trip.