Greetings from a very cold South Dakota. You read that right: we are in South Dakota. Angie and I had to take an unexpected medical furlough on December 28th. Since returning to Ghana in August, I had lost a lot of weight and muscle mass, while my fasting blood sugar was increasing. Despite a healthy diet and exercise, the medication lost its efficacy. When I dropped below 150 pounds, we knew we needed to return to the States for medical care. We were told that we could not be seen by an endocrinologist until June 2nd; but the Lord intervened, and we were able to see one on January 15th. They confirmed the medication was no longer working, put me on a continuous glucose monitor, and switched me to insulin. We are very thankful that just one week later, we are already seeing positive results. We are hoping to return to Ghana before the end of February.
December was a busy and profitable month. We had a young couple visit from our home church who were very helpful in organizing gifts that were sent to the children and ladies of the five church-plants. (Thank YOU to everyone who has sacrificially given gifts to our precious people.) They also gave us much-needed help with other ministry work. It is always a blessing to host visitors. Our church put on a wonderful Christmas play re-enacting the birth of the Lord Jesus. It was a blessing watching these children, most of whom have gotten saved in the last three years, tell the story of Christmas.
In our last letter, we stated that we needed $150,560.64 to complete the construction of three stories of Calvary’s Hope Academy, including the roof. TO GOD BE THE GLORY, the Lord has provided $49,650.44 through various individuals and churches since the last letter. May God bless each one who has fervently prayed and sacrificially given to this ministry. We are down to $100,910.20 to finish and roof the building. God Can! God Is! God Will!
The second term for Calvary’s Hope Academy has begun, and we are thankful for the staff who are tirelessly working to give the children a spiritually excellent education. Justice and Susie continue to do well learning English, progressing in their schoolwork, and adjusting to their new life. It is our prayer that they will both get saved at an early age and be greatly used by the Lord. We continue to pray for the Lord to provide a national house family to take care of Justice and Susie. We excitedly anticipate bringing many more children into this James 1:27 ministry in the months and years ahead.
Please continue to pray for our church-planting efforts. Our spring semester of the Bible Institute is beginning next week with four students graduating this May, Lord willing. We trust the Lord to continue calling and sending men through our churches and Bible Institute into the harvest fields of West Africa. The harvest is excessively plenteous, and the laborers are dangerously low. We need missionaries and church-planters to go Tumentu, Tarkwa, Tamale, and beyond. God will call as we all continue to pray.
Your missionaries to West Africa,
James & Angie Ruckman
