Summer Activities Of Some of the Staff and Students
By
Jackie M. Stearsman

The information has been compiled from those making trips to Ghana and Costa Rica during the summer break.

This year is the twenty-seventh year for Ted Wheeler to make trips to Ghana. During this period, he lived there for five years establishing and stabilizing congregations. Health issues has made it necessary for Ted to postpone his part of the trip for later in the year. However, he did organize a group to go and do much of what he has done over the years.

This digest of persons and events comes from those who went with Bob Bauer (Instructor), the group organized by Ted Wheeler (Instructor and Board member), Brian Kenyon (Instructor and Associate Director), and Autumn Kidwell’s (second year student) Costa Rica group.

Bob Bauer Group
Adapted Summary
From Daniel Stearsman

As our Ghana campaign came to a close the words of Daniel Webster rang true, “There is nothing so powerful as truth,–and often nothing so strange.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Quotations). As I sat waiting for a vehicle Sunday after worship, my poor attempt at humor would bring to light some sordid secrets of a neighboring village and their homage to foreign deities. The school house where we had worshiped lay in beautiful grassy plain. This prompted my question about lions. One brother would reveal how a neighboring village in days past practiced human sacrifice. A child from the royal line would be sacrificed yearly to appease the god. All the royal offspring were dying. The villagers plead with the deity for a different sacrifice. The deity agreed that the villagers could capture a lion. But, it had to be alive! This resulted in the death of twenty men. Finally, the deity relented and they could now capture a live deer. The captor is heralded as a hero and honored in the village.

Ghanaian Paul Addo tells of a time in his youth when a chief died and they were looking for a sacrifice to bury with him. Paul found himself out late one evening in a great foot race for his life. He survived, but how many have not? Indeed if the world is to be freed from the oppression of false religion, it will be only through Christ and His redeeming blood (cf. John 8:32, Eph. 2:13, 1 Pt. 1:19).

Bob Bauer has been visiting Aveyime for four years. In the center of Aveyime is an idol carefully guarded by fetish (idolatrous) priests. This oppressive deity dominates their lives. Libations are offered to this idol, an idol created with hands. This idol is cast in the center of polished concrete consisting of a galvanized bucket covered with a cloth shroud, washers and a machete that penetrates the center. How desperately they need to hear, “For freedom did Christ set us free” (Gal. 5:1) and “that gods made with hands are not gods” (Acts 19:26).

Truly the sun never sets on the work of the Lord and the Florida School of Preaching. Seven, including FSOP faculty, Bob Bauer and Brian Kenyon, students Chad Tagtow and myself left for Ghana June 16th. Our first week took us to Pram Pram for a second lectureship, this year on Resolving Conflict. This theme would be repeated in the Eastern region of Ghana. The efforts of Brian and Bob in these lectures are of tremendous value. Having traveled to Ghana since 1991, Bob leads the team and brings great practical knowledge of Ghanaian customs and years of practical preaching experience. Along with Brian, involved in the academic rigors of the school, these men in open forum ask, defend and debate a multitude of issues. We emphasize to them, that we are not there to give a patented “church of Christ” answer. We come neither to set policies or procedures for our brethren. We come not to proclaim and convert souls to personalities (1 Cor. 1:11ff.), but to preach Christ crucified, the wisdom and power of God (1 Cor. 1:17-23). Surely, the churches in the U.S. are no closer to heaven, than the churches of Ghana.

While these lectures were given, some of our group worked in Old Ningo doing personal work. Truly the fields were white unto harvest (John 4:35). It was common for ten or more men to come and listen to the pure gospel in these personal Bible studies. Some would listen from balconies and windows. We would celebrate the baptism of more than thirty total in our campaign.

One morning devotional, Brian would remind us that success is not only in seeing a soul baptized. A successful study may result in a heart driven to deeper contemplation. Our job was to plant and water. God in Heaven will give the increase (1 Cor. 3:5ff.).

The second week of our journey took us to the Village of Hope. The Village of Hope is an orphanage, clinic, and school supported by churches of Christ. We were able to observe some of their outreach programs for homeless children, young men and women. Human trafficking has not ended. It’s honorable to see brethren in Christ helping young women have a trade, such as sewing, and avoid sexual oppression or endless toil in the market.

While we stayed at the Village of Hope we worked in Budubram, a Liberian refuge camp in Ghana. Chad Tagtow and I were able to teach a crowded room of correspondent course students on the plan of salvation and one church. The questions were numerous. Chad, usually never short on verbiage, was taken back when one elderly lady questioned, “Where was Adam when Eve was sinning?” She wanted to know why Adam, if truly “a man,” didn’t step up and stop her from sinning. The participants had many questions on baptism. In the evenings we would show a film depicting the life of Christ and street preach to the masses, both Ghanaian and Liberian alike.

Personally, one of the greatest rewards is having our faith on display, open for public scrutiny to the masses. Because Ghana is a third world country does not mean that the Ghanaian mind is third rate, or less intelligent in any sense. In Ghana our faith is “tried with fire” and the rewards are more precious than gold or silver (cf. 1 Pt. 1:1-9). The debate, at times gets heated; the opposition very stern; but truth prevails. Brian engaged a Muslim in a lengthy discussion in the camp. Since Brian’s return this man has expressed a desire to be baptized but is concerned with the cost of being abandoned by his family and its religion.

We are thankful for the 200 Bible studies and the adding of 33-34 souls to the kingdom. When you support the school, you make possible growth in the cause of the Lord both in Florida and in other areas of the world. You help us and together we glorify God in exalting His Son.

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Ted Wheeler Group
Adapted Summary from Ted

7/8/06 The plane was a little late but they arrived safely (in Ghana) and were met at the airport by all my guys. I spoke to Ernest, Owusu, Paul and Tim Simmons at the airport. Awhile later, I spoke to Ernest and David Stearsman (second year student) at Ernest's house. They had just finished eating their welcome dinner and were heading for bed.

7/10/06 I spoke to bro. Owusu, Tim & David this afternoon. All is going well with them. One soul was baptized into Christ following Rick's (Kenyon, graduate of FSOP, 2006) sermon this morning at Haana. They met Tim (Simmons, member from Venice) and Owusu and had the baptism in the Atlantic Ocean.

7/17/06 Spoke to Tim Simmons, Paul Addo, Ernest Apeadu & Niipaak Laar today. The connections were not too good so I will try again tomorrow and see if I can get David, Rick & Bill for a few minutes. They arrived today in Saboba after spending the last week in Bunkpurugu.

During the time they were there 147 were baptized into Christ and two new churches were established. They conducted the seminar for four days (finishing up on Saturday). Attendance started at over 400 and went up each day of the seminar.

On Sunday (7/16) morning they had a joint church service (with brethren from the existing four churches along with new converts in attendance). Attendance was 713! Following services Sunday they conducted the free clinic and treated 484 people.

On Saturday and Sunday the two wells were completed and commissioned. They said that the one outside the Gbetimong building (where services and the clinic were held on Sunday) was used non-stop from morning til night! Tomorrow night they will be preaching in another new community. Thank you for your prayers for the group in Ghana and also on my behalf.

7/18/06 Tim Simmons preaching at a small village near Saboba. Following his lesson twenty (20) were baptized into Christ and a new congregation was established. To date three new congregations have been established and 168 souls have been baptized thus far during the campaign.

7/24/06 David preached in Kade on Sunday morning and had two more baptisms following his lesson. As of today, 170 baptisms with this group.

Ted

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Costa Rica
Adapted Summary
From Autumn Kidwell

Like Renee Wheeler, Ted’s wife, who attended the Florida School of Preaching with Ted for two years, and then went with him to Ghana, Autumn Kidwell has attended the Florida School of Preaching one year.

Autumn went with a group to Costa Rica and has provided us with the following highlights of her trip.

This summer I was asked to participate in the 2006 summer campaign to Costa Rica ... The trip was lead by Wayne Brewer (Mabelvale, AR). The campaign lasted two weeks.

The first week was spent in Coronado, outside of San Jose. Our mornings were spent door knocking and setting up Bible studies. In the evenings brothers Wayne Brewer and Jim O'Connor (Oak Grove, MO) delivered a message for the meeting while Laura Perry (Mabelvale, AR) and I took turns in teaching Bible classes for the children. There were several Bible studies conducted, and the week ended in joy when a family of four responded to the Gospel.

Week two our group traveled to Tilaran where our schedule included VBS which we conducted during the afternoons. Attendance for the VBS began around seventy the first day and and grew everyday. The final day count was over one hundred.

The VBS was considered successful, and some of the children in the community wanted to attend the nightly meetings. This encouraged parents and grandparents to attend. There were Bible studies conducted throughout the week and from these one young man was baptized.

We were also able to go into Miramar, Los Chiles and conducted a three day meeting in Ciudad Quesada before returning to San Jose to fly back home.

The trip was encouraging to both the brethren in Costa Rica and to all who took part in the campaign.

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We rejoice over the progress of the summer activities summarized above. However, it underscores the tremendous need for preachers to edify those converted. We must not forget this need. Will you help us prepare preachers? Editor

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Class Schedule Change

Please note the following schedule change. Sermon on the Mount has been moved to Wednesday afternoons and Ezekiel/Daniel has been moved to Friday afternoons. This change will not affect full-time students, but part-time students may need to adjust their schedules.

Brian R. Kenyon