PrayerLetter-Apr 1997

Dear Friends,
    To you all I send my warmest Christian greetings in the most blessed name of Our Redeemer and Lord, Jesus Christ, from the land of Ghana, a land rich in gold and ancient history. It is the birth place of one of Africa's most illustrious sons, Dr. Kwame Nkruma as well as the current United Nations Secretary General.
   Ghana, which was formerly called GoldCoast, was first visited by Europeans of Portuguese nationality in 1471. They came to trade in the abundant gold found and mined here, hence the name "coast of gold." The country is about the size of the United Kingdom and is relatively flat.
The name of Ghana was not coined out of political expediency. There have been centuries of empires and states in this part of Africa long before 1471. According to Verstraelen, Camps, Hoedemaker and Spindler, there was a Kingdom of Ghana in the ninth century (whose name modern Ghana adopted) that traded in gold and was known for her abundant gold. This kingdom was succeeded in the eleventh century by an even greater empire called Mali which extended to most of what is now northern Nigeria (1995:65).
   It was during this period that one of the first known universities was built at Timbuktu in Mali, a city still known by that name in modern Mali. This university was known for its Islamic scholarship. The most famous of its scholars, Usman Dar Fodio, founded the present Sokoto caliphate, or dynasty, of the Islamic Kanem Borno Empire. From the thirteenty century on in this region the Yorubas developed a new political system. Their art in terra-cotta and bronze is among the best in the world and shows continuity with a much older culture, the Nok culture, which was present in the region centuries before the Christian era in Europe (Davidson 1996:23-36).
   Organized missions, both Catholic and Protestant, began in the nineteenth century. Missionaries came to Ghana not only from Europe but also from North America. Americans of African descent were in the forefront of taking the light of the gospel to this land of gold. In J. K. Agbeti's words, their missionary contribution reached beyond Ghana to the other British colonies in West Africa (1986:113-19).
   Today there are in Ghana, besides churches founded by missionary enterprise, some five hundred independent groups. These independent churches are often called "healing churches" because of their emphasis on healing. They are also called spiritual churches because of the power people experience in these churches in their struggle for life and in their yearning for the expansion of their lives. These facts supplied by D. B. Barrett (1968) and Beckmann have since been altered by further growth and development of Christianity.
   I flew in here with Jim Gillett of Ireland Outreach, International from Lagos. We came on April 14 and Jim will leave 20th April for Europe. I will leave on a later date on the next available flight to Lagos, Nigeria. While here, we will introduce the Emmaus Correspondence courses as an active tool for evangelism and discipleship. We will therefore hold seminars, workshops, Bible conferences, counseling, speaking engagements, and personal witnessing. After the introduction of the Emmaus focus in Nigeria, the German brothers and Ireland Outreach have born the very heavy financial burden of supplying 300,000 courses printed and shipped free, and over 20 cases of Bibles for those who asked for them in Nigeria and Ghana. In addition, valuable and needed books on various subjects are suppplied to reinforce the Bible teaching.
   Pray that the increased demand that will be caused by this visit to this place will not be grounds for some well-meaning beleivers to criticize the method being used to meet these needs. Pray for Jim Gillett and Ireland Outreach as they seek to help in this program.
   Our host and hostess are Alfred and Esther Addison. Esther is the Nursing Officer in charge of Lever Brothers Clinic in Accra. Alfred, who was formerly the regional director of S.I.M training program and prison chaplain, now runs a church at the University of Ghana, Accra campus, called Accra Chapel. It is an independent evangelical church. Pray for these two for they have assisted in coordinating the follow-up program in this country.
   After 1994 tract distibution in Los Angeles during the World Cup finals, many responses came from Africa. Two of the nations where the responses came from were Nigeria and Ghana. At the request of Richard Yarrall my family and I undertook the follow-up and coordination of the responses from these two countries. For the past three years this couple has worked closely with us to do just that in Christ's name.
   These tracts offered free Bibles to respondents. As of now, Jim Gillett and Ireland Outreach, International have adequately met these offers by sending in the needed Bibles. When I was back in the States, I was told that Bethel Chapel in Gardena, CA has also been sending Bibles directly to the requests that they receive. Please let us know those who have been helped so that limited resources are not unwisely utilized.
   Those who stand in judgment against those who make known their needs and those of the work must remember that God's work involves human financial input. In John12:3-6 we are reminded that false spirituality in such matters always grieves the heart of the Lord of the harvest. If Paul lived in our day, many would have put him out of our platform because he made needs known to the assemblies and asked for help ( 2 Corinthians 8:1-18).
   We are all called to live by faith, the more simple, if more difficult part of dependence on God for guidance and supplies. Living by faith shold be true of every child of God, whether working with a society, or in business, or in any vocation of life. We all need to experience and know His faithfulness.
Lovingly in Immanuel's name,
T. Cyprian Kia

PrayerLetter-Jan 1997

Dear Friends,
Loving Christian greetings in Jesus' wonderful name. In 1962, Douglas Hyde, a British author and correspondent, observed that nowhere on earth is the pattern of life changing more rapidly than in Africa. It is spectacular for those who observe it and often bewildering for those caught up in it. Charles Albert Swan, a pioneer British missionary, commenting on the same subject in 1890 declared: "...nothing but the truth of God will put things right...as in all places."
As we enter the New Year, let us resolve to emphasize Biblical answers and de-emphasize political and social ones, for our God is able. In the great awakening and harvest ahead of us, as many souls come into God's kingdom, we can see that the current use of the Emmaus courses in Nigeria will be a great help to the body of Christ in establishing and nourishing the flock. We covet more your prayers as we take the truth of God to the many millions of Nigerians within and without.
Your prayers have been answered in the quick recovery of Jessie. She still experiences slight pain in muscles around the spine. Pray for complete recovery. Cyprian's kidney situation is now resolved. The doctor said the cyst there is presently not of essence. The other problem is the hip bone. The doctor's opinion is that it may someday require replacement. Pray for God's overruling hand.
March 16th to April 14th Jim Gillett will be with Cyprian for the Emmaus Focus, 1997. They will both travel to Ghana April 14th to launch Emmaus Bible Center, Ghana. In October, Cyprian will return to Ghana to honor an invitation by Ghana Evangelical Missionary Institute to teach Cross Cultural Church Planting and Leadership Development. He will also teach Mission Trends and Strategies (Rural and Urban missions), and Christian Missions in Africa at the University of Ghana, Accra Campus.
If you can, send these books needed as textbooks to Cyprian at our field address.

1. Developing the Leaders Around You

   by John C. Maxwell,

2. Incarnational Ministry

   by Paul G. Hiebert and Eloise Hiebert Meneses.

It is said, "None are so empty as those who are full of themselves" (Whichcote). So let us empty ourselves and be filled with His Spirit, for His coming is imminent.
His Unworthy Servants and Fellow Pilgrims,
Joy and Cyprian

PrayerLetter-Dec 1996

Dear friends,
Nathaniel, chosen by Jesus to be His disciple, said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49). At this season we are humbled to realize the Baby born in Bethlehem is our King, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and our Savior. Throughout this year He has gently revealed Himself in more wonderful ways, and our longing is to be like Him, to reflect His light as we realize He has chosen us to be His disciples.
The year, soon to be behind us, has been full of victories and joys. Cyprian's time in Nigeria this year was marked by fruitfulness. As of October there are over 27 correctors in Kano, 12 in Benue, and some in Bassa local government of Kogi State. The Lord is raising capable and enthusiastic correctors and leaders. Progress is remarkable in the distribution of these courses which have proven to be a valid and useful tool in evangelism and discipleship. Cyprian, D.V., returns to Nigeria the end of January 1997 for the remainder of the year. Pray constantly for all of the ministry there: the work of encouragement and challenge in the assemblies, university fellowships, evangelistic outreaches, film ministry and the continuous counseling that takes place. Endless miles of travel will be undertaken in less than good traveling conditions. Pray that all will truly be blessed by God's wisdom.
Joy's health is great, and she continues nursing where times of sharing and prayer with the residents are numerous. Teaching Sunday School and occasionally ladies' fellowships are a joy for her. She will be involved in coordinating the Emmaus mail from Ghana for follow-up in Cyprian's absence. Jessie has rapidly recovered from the October accident that caused injury to her spine and is still wearing the brace. Pray for her as she continues studies at Loma Linda University. Stephen continues engineering studies at USC, and we see God's hand of protection and love continually. Access to the Internet is an additional blessing from the Lord through USC.
As we have seen God's hand throughout the year, we know we must thank each of you again for praying for us. Please continue--we are helpless without your prayers.
The heart of our God is seen in this expression of love: "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all my commandments that it might be well with them and their children forever!" (Deuteronomy 5:29).
All Glory to the King,
The Kia Family

PrayerLetter-Sept/Oct 1996

Dear friends,
The glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe. God will continue to save souls even though we seek to proclaim this gospel with all our inadequacies. Ray and Jan Downing, contemporary missionary doctors serving in Kenya, recently identified some of our inadequacies as: the wrong use of our resources, an unhealthy focus on differences, and our attitude that we have all the answers and therefore cannot listen or learn from others.
Resources will always be part of mission, but they do not have to be barriers. The gap they create can be narrowed by "keeping our resources from stealing the show so that we can truly do what we are sent to do." We are sent to evangelize and disciple.
The gospel we bring is a gift from God to them although it is wrapped in our human person and expressed through our limitations and culture. Presenting this gift will lead to "... hours of making friends, hours of unwrapping the gift together. For when we unwrap it together we can decide what to do with the wrapping and together we might be able to see the gift we are becoming to each other." Thus we will appreciate our human differences and commonalities which in Luzbetak's words "will go a long way towards reducing our ethnocentric tendencies. Our attitudes make it hard to listen to those we go to help. If we listen, the people there will tell us what doesn't fit, where, and even why. Yet we are willing to listen to the summaries of anthropologists and researchers if we have the chance. These people write their summaries by listening. Then why can't we listen ourselves and learn? Perhaps the people we go to are not worth listening to, for they are not like us (Downing, 1996).
This gospel of Jesus Christ is relevant to all ages, cultures, and peoples, but its communication must be contextualized in order for it to be experienced as the living message of God. It is the wonderful news to all the people of the world, who finally may come to God and to life without hindrance. It remains our task to so closely follow the Spirit of the risen Christ that we do not hinder His work in our complex age.
Please pray:

1. That we will be humble in our judgments.
2. That we always have a learning attitude and total submission to Christ.
3. That we will always bear in mind that "the work" will go on without us.
4. That we will not let personal interest and ambition get in the way of the moving of the Spirit of Christ.

"And Thine is the Kingdom," oh Lord!!!
Ever in His mercy,
Joy and Cyprian