Greetings from the Ruckman Family. We trust this letter finds you in the good will of God. The first quarter of 2025 is nearly finished. Life is a vapor and time marches on. There is much to report in this letter. Thank-you for reading our letters, praying for our requests, and communicating with us.
We enjoyed spending the month of January traveling from Georgia to Alaska, as we continued reporting to supporting churches and even presenting in a few new churches. We are especially grateful to Pastor Doyle Ashburn and Faith Baptist Church of Pikeville, Tennessee for making their beautiful mission house available to Angie and I to get some much-needed R & R.
Faith Baptist Church also sent a large Christmas offering to finish the construction of the ground floor of Calvary’s Hope Academy. To God be the Glory! Yes, you read that right. God completely provided the entire $32,500 for the foundation and the $73,500 for the ground floor of the children’s home. Last Saturday, we finished pouring the ceiling (which is also the floor for the second story). Lord willing, the men will have the ground floor completed by June. The second story will house a dormitory for thirty-nine children and a house family. We need $88,000 to construct the second story. We trust that the Lord will supply so that we can finish the second story by December. God’s Hand is NOT waxed short that He cannot supply! Once the second story is complete, we will take the time to build the children’s home/school and have those two stories at near full capacity before building the third and fourth floors. Our goal is to have all four stories of Calvary’s Hope Academy constructed and fully operational by 2028.
On February 4th, Angie and I interrupted our furlough to fly back to Ghana for eleven weeks. While we are so glad to be home, we do look forward to returning to the States in late April to finish our furlough. Since arriving back in Ghana, life has been anything but boring. In addition to pastoring Mt. Calvary, we have been able to oversee the Hope of Africa Baptist Mission, teach in the Bible Institute, participate in many special events, and simply reconnect with our people. During this next term, we believe the Lord will allow us to be involved in planting several more churches. We have been commissioned by our sweet Lord to go into all the world, and we want to reach as much of our world as possible. We are currently working on plans to begin a new church-plant in the village of Mpatado through a national pastor and a Bible Institute student.
We are excitedly anticipating returning to the States in April as we have two more granddaughters who are making their entrance into the world in April and in May. This will be our first opportunities to see our grandbabies when they are newborn. Angie will also have her fourth annual post-cancer checkup as well as some other tests. Would you help us pray for a clean bill of health?
Shortly before returning to Ghana, we will load and ship a container filled with scriptures, resources, clothing, and some personal items that we need to minister more effectively. If anyone has Sunday School material or Bible Institute books in good condition, we could sure use them. If anyone feels led to help with the cost of shipping the container, that would be a blessing. I am enclosing a needs list for our second term as well. Would you help us pray for the Lord to provide as we continue the front-line advance of gospel church-planting. There is no possible way that we could accomplish what is being accomplished without the fervent prayers and generous giving of God’s people. Thank YOU!
Your Missionaries to West Africa,
James & Angie Ruckman
The Ruckman Family Prayer Letter: January – March 2025
