“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) While I cannot speak on every region outside the United States, our experience in Ghana has felt as though there are two speeds at which things operate—slow and stop. However, the Bible calls us to trust God’s larger plan through life’s challenging seasons, finding peace in His sovereignty, rather than trying to understand every delay or outcome.
Upon returning to Ghana after our furlough, we immediately contacted our architect to obtain the finalized blueprints necessary to apply for building permits. Although the designs were complete, there were delays related to their printing. Given that the architect was providing these services at no cost to our church, we patiently waited.
On September 12, we received the call to come and collect the blueprints. Once in hand, we promptly set out to Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Physical Planning Department to apply for the permits. Previously, we were quoted 80,000 Ghanaian cedis (pronounced like CDs) for the building permit fees. A couple of staff members at the KMA Physical Planning Department told us that if we “pled” to the director, their committee should be able to reduce the fees. Following their advice, we made our appeal to the director. The director referenced Luke 14:28 and told us we didn’t know our Bible. That stung. While there is wisdom in this verse, this is an analogy, not a command. In context, it talks about considering the cost of being a disciple of Christ. Although his response was not what we were seeking, it was what we needed. It prompted us to seek God’s forgiveness for our moments of doubt. Time and again, God has faithfully and miraculously provided at EVERY step of the way, and this experience reminded us to trust Him more. On November 5, we received the response for our permit application. Everything was approved, and all permit fees were waived!
One Saturday in November, I was visiting a Muslim Deaf man named Mohammed. One of our regular church attendees told me that Mohammed had recently gotten remarried, and I should visit his new wife. I met Mohammed in 2018 and have repeatedly tried to share the Gospel with him. Many times, he declined, waving me away and clearly stating that he was a Muslim and did not want to hear what I had to say. On one occasion, while distributing church tracts at a sporting event for the Deaf, he threw it to the ground and said he didn’t need it. Later, unknowingly, I shared the Gospel with his then wife, and she trusted Christ as her Saviour. As I would visit again in his area, Mohammed would lead me to other Deaf with whom to share the Gospel, but his stance didn’t change. That Saturday in November when we went to visit his new wife, I asked him again if I could share the Gospel with him. He said, “You have been trying for a long time, and you still ask.” I asked him if he knew for sure he would go to Heaven when he died. He said he felt as if he would. I asked him how he knew. He said, “God will decide, but if you know how to go to Heaven, you should tell me.” As I shared the Gospel, Mohammed’s heart was opened. He was amazed to learn that he did not need to earn his way to Heaven. That day, Mohammed finally placed his trust in Christ as his Saviour. Everything is beautiful in His time!
Please join us in prayer that we will be able to accomplish significant work on the new property during the next three months, which is the dry season. We still need to raise roughly $130,000 to complete the building project. However, as we have witnessed recently, while God may provide the necessary funds, He is also able to work through people’s hearts to offer services and support at no cost. Another prayer request is for an upcoming Deaf Revival and interpreting training with Missionary Miguel Triano and local pastors in Cape Coast in January 2026.
Your co-laborers for Christ,
Rocky, Melanie, Rocky II, Malachi, Tyler, and Marissa Hall
