Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. In these first several months of 2024, The Lord has saved several souls at our church in Ntankoful. God has called a twelve-year-old boy to preach. The church continues to see steady growth. These are spiritual things that we believe are occurring as a direct result of your fervent prayers. Additionally, we thank two specific supporting churches who have committed a combined total of $6,000 to our church-building projects in Kojokrom and Shama. The construction of a church in Shama has begun. We continue to pray for the Lord to provide the finances to finish these two church-building projects. We will have news concerning the Calvary’s Hope Academy (boarding school/orphanage) in our next prayer letter.
Our spring semester of the Fundamental Bible Baptist Institute is underway. We currently have Institute classes two days a week. It is wonderful watching as these young men and ladies grow in the Lord and in their knowledge of sound Bible doctrine. Two weeks ago, we were privileged to preach at the wedding of two of our Institute students who are members of the church in Apremdo.
In January, my Grandpa Ruckman went to Heaven. Psalm 115:16 says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Grandpa was an avid soul-winner from the time that God saved him until his death at the age of 97. He built the pulpit and communion table that I am currently using (as well as two others being used at two other church-plants we started). He prayed for and supported our ministry faithfully. He will be missed. We traveled to the States to preach his funeral and were blessed to visit all three of our boys and their families. We enjoyed meeting our newest granddaughter, Joanna (JoJo) as well as seeing Jenna and Oaklyn.
We are planning a furlough from mid-August 2024 through early 2025. I will be contacting the pastors that we could not report to on our short furlough in 2021. If we were with you in 2021 and you would like us to
come by to report, we would be happy to do so, but our priority will be the churches we haven’t visited since 2016/2017. May the Lord bless and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you.
Your Missionaries to West Africa,
James & Angie Ruckman