Sword & Trowel 2016: Issue 2
BORSTAL GRACE IN GHANA News from Pastor Praise Agyei, Reformed Baptist Church, Agona Swedru
church and Sunday School build- ings. They are all now rendered and painted and look very smart. The church, Sunday School, young of- fenders’ ministry and outreach work in several localities are continuing to thrive by his grace. Seven converts were baptised on 2nd October. One was a young man who had practised occultism to amass wealth. This particular practice, called Sakwa, originated in Agona Swedru and combines modern internet-based fraud with traditional occult rituals, including animal sacrifi ces, to secure success. It is increasing and many of its prac- titioners, mostly young men, live in luxury. This young man put up a mag-
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nifi cent building but, as a result of my door to door evangelism, he was converted and started attending our church regularly, to the astonishment of his friends. Then his building collapsed into ruins in a rainstorm and we saw this as the will of God because it was ill-gotten gain. He is now renting a house and zealously serving the Lord, happy that he has become a new creature in Christ. The second convert, a married man with fi ve children, was an adul- terer but when he was invited by a son to attend our church, and heard the Gospel, he repented of his sins
page 14 Borstal Grace in Ghana
E are very grateful for your help to complete the exterior fi nishing of our
and was converted. He is also serving the Lord. The third convert is a boy who was
disobedient to his parents but, under the infl uence of Sunday School, was saved and is now well behaved at home. We thank the Lord afresh for the Sunday School ministry and for the Lessons for Life materials.
Converts from Borstal School The four others baptised were
converts from the Borstal School, being fruits of the young offend- ers’ ministry. Their housemasters testify to their conversion, speaking of the radically different behaviour of young men who had committed crimes which would have sent them to prison as adults. We have only two Borstals in Ghana, one in Accra and the other in Agona Swedru. The government provides only limited food for the boys and does not supply other basic needs. When I started the young of- fenders’ ministry in Agona Swedru I realised they needed compassionate help. I provide them with items such as: soap for bathing and laundry; toothpaste and brushes; toilet rolls and disinfectants. Also I give fi sh to add protein to their diet, and some- times rice because they are always given maize. I provide help to these boys when I visit the Borstal, so they do not come to meetings in order to obtain it. However, I believe that the
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