The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.  They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.  Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.  And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God.  You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.  Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.  "For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity.  In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.  Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples.  All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed."  I delight greatly in the Lord;  my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.  For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

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Our Ghana Mission Team members are:
Chris Corbelli
Jill Eckert
Judy Gates
Susan Maslo
Bob Prus
Duke Schneider
Linda Wilamowski

26 September 2010:  Our Ghana Team will soon be leaving for Africa.  As their fellow NCC Christians, we need to cover them in our prayers as they make final preparations.  This week we ask you to pray for the team and their families;  that they spend time together, remain confident in their mission, and share God's love with one another.  Our Team and Pioneers Africa have adopted Isaiah 61 as a steadfast prayer.  "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor."  Isaiah 61:1

3 October 2010:  We asked team leader Linda Wilamowski why she was going on this mission trip.  This is her response:  "In 2007 when NCC planned to go to Ghana I felt God's tug on my heart to go.  I loved to travel and as a former nurse and flight attendant this opportunity fascinated me.  What I found in Ghana changed me forever. . . I found "The Me I Want To Be."  God met me right where I was and took me to a deeper level with HIM.  This mission . . . I am going to try to give back more than what I receive.  It's very hard to out give God!  Leading others into HIS kingdom by serving HIS people through our clinics, thats the mission.  I can't wait to see what adventure God has in store.  SOLI DEO GLORIA!"  Please continue to pray for our team.  With all the complexities of international air travel, pray that our team arrives in good health, with all their baggage and medical supplies, and prepared to work with the Pioneers-Africa missionaries.

10 October 2010:  We asked team members why they were going on this mission trip.  Bob Prus answers, “For about the last ten years, I have felt the Lord pulling at my heart to help kids in an underprivileged country.  I retired in February of this year, and when the Ghana trip was announced, I knew that I had to go; the Lord has put everything in place, and now it is my time to respond to Him.”   Judy Gates writes, “In October of 2007 I went on a mission trip to Ghana with 14 other members of New Community Church.  It was my first mission trip.  I had had an inner nudging and so decided to step out of the boat.   What an exciting, life-changing experience.  I hoped I would be able to return to Ghana to once again serve God and the Ghanian people , and now I am fortunate enough to be returning to Ghana  with the Ghana Mission Team 2010.”

Jill Eckert answers:
I believed I had seen poverty - then I  saw Ghana
I believed I had seen hunger - then i saw Ghana
I believed I had served others -  then there was Ghana
I believed I made a difference - then there was Ghana
I believed I had seen God - God found me in Ghana

Our 2010 mission to Ghana is not a bucket list item of mine that is able to be crossed off or a feel good "look what I get to do" moment.  It is walking in obedience to God's call for my life and my just service to the King of Kings.

My returning to Ghana and the village of Banda is bringing to completion a work God began in me in the Fall of 2007 (Philippians 1:6 "... He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus"). I experienced God's grace, His compassion, and His Spirit working through my hands and feet.  He took me to a place of joy and servanthood and fulfillment.  God also introduced me to the me He created. I found myself alive and renewed and authentic.  God has continued to use His empowering Spirit through me to further His Kingdom from the brokenhearted parents of special-needs children to language-delayed preschoolers at a non-profit children's center in Sewickley, PA.

I am blessed to be able to return to Banda ready to serve His people with the same Spirit of fullness, wonderment and joy. I believe with great assurance that  God will accomplish great things during our 2010 dental-medical mission.  To God be the Glory!

17 October 2010: When we asked Duke Schneider why he was going, he replied, “When the church announced the 2010 mission trip, I had no interest.  We had just returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and I had already been to West Africa.  I’ll leave it to someone else this time, but I thought that I would attend the kickoff meeting just to lend moral support.  At the meeting, I announced that I would not be going; but the leaders asked that I reconsider and at least go home and pray about it.  I said that I would and that night I did.  During that prayer I heard a voice in my head say ‘You have to go.’  I was taken aback.  I literally said “Are you sure?”  The reply; “I said, you have to go.”  Okay. You win.  I’m going.  Who argues with that type of command?”

As our team leaves Friday evening for Ghana, Africa, we ask you to “pray continually” for them over the two weeks they will be gone from us.  They will be calling us daily to share their experiences that day.  Their messages will be posted on our website > so you can keep up with them and their prayer needs.  Also on our website’s > you can read the reasons team members are on this mission and about the program at Pioneers Africa of which they are a part.

3 October 2010:  The NCC mission team will be traveling to Banda Ahenkro, Ghana to partner with a team of six missionaries from Pioneer’s Africa.  The two teams will work together to reach out to several Muslim villages in order to promote the Community Health and Evangelism (CHE) Program lead by Dr. Margaret Mensah.  Basic dental and medical care will be the focus of several clinics where missionaries will also share the word of God to those who are receptive.  The CHE program was established with the mission of establishing a ministry aimed at bringing together the Great Commission and His commandment to heal the sick by teaching disease prevention and health promotion.  Ultimately Pioneer’s Africa hopes to raise villagers who will continue to promote the CHE by sharing the knowledge learned both physically and spiritually.

Prayer

-The missionaries in Banda remain physically strong and healthy
-The villagers be receptive and responsive to the CHE program
-Our NCC team remains healthy and spiritually prepared to travel and engage with the Banda team and village people.

Praises

-Generosity of our church to send our team fully prepared to partner with Pioneer’s Africa.

10 October 2010:  Pioneer’s Africa and Dr. Margaret Mensah have defined a strategic action plan  to meet the objectives of the CHE program.  Pioneer’s has been successful thus far in introducing the CHE program to 5 of 8 villages by targeting the village leaders and key tribe members who have shown interest and initiative in progressing their village healthcare needs.  Pioneer’s has begun to train them to bring CHE awareness to their people.  By allowing the key village leader’s the opportunity to train for and then lead the program, Pioneer’s is giving ownership of the CHE within each village. This initial introduction has taken over a year to accomplish but, is strategic for the Muslim villages to develop an acceptance and trust with the Christian missionary team involved.  Our team will have the opportunity to invest in these people by delivering hope to both the missionary team and villages through the care they will deliver and the time they will spend with each person.

Prayer-

-Health and stamina for both teams as they make the final preparations to go into the field to share their time and talents in helping to restore health and hope to villagers.
-Team’s will be received by villages through the hands and feet carrying out His plan globally.
-Village leaders understand the importance of initiating a healthcare plan to develop their people to live a better life.

Praise-

-Village leaders responsiveness with the CHE program.
-Initiative, stamina and endurance shown by the missionaries to accomplish an invitation into the Muslim villages.

17 October 2010: NCC and Pioneer’s will come together to take on an aggressive itinerary that will focus on 6 days of medical/dental clinics in 5 different areas surrounding Banda Ahenkro.  There will be a total of 14 people serving the villages in a variety of capacities.  Three of the areas that the team will be visiting are new villages that Pioneer’s Ghana has targeted to introduce the CHE program.  The days will be long and temperatures will be hot (90+ each day) but what a privilege this team has to introduce Jesus to the Muslim people and offer much needed healthcare to the people of the villages.  David Yebuah, Team Leader of Pioneer’s Ghana asks all of us to pray for the following:

-Praise God for all donors who have decided to partner with Pioneer’s.
-Pray for the health and strength of the Banda Team.
-Pray for logistics for the CHE.
-Pray for the leaders and especially parents in the villages that they would see the need to receive and own the CHE program.
-Pray against spiritual warfare binding the villages from learning.
-Pray that Pioneer’s would glorify God in all they do and say.