Transformed Daily

The entire Jones family says thank you for your prayers and support. As you have seen, God did some incredible things in us and through us. We are very humbled for the opportunity and pray that His will is accomplished as we live and move and have our being back in America.

Meanwhile, I encourage you to visit my permanent blog site: www.TransformedDaily.com. You can sign-up for an RSS feed or an email subscription.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Our African Experience - the video

This video provides just a taste of what we experienced while living and ministering in Ghana, Africa for 30 days. We are in awe of God's incredible goodness and power. In our short time, we made lifelong friends, we saw people make the decision to follow Christ, children were fed, miracles happened, the lame walked, demons were cast out, fresh water ran through a village for the first time, people were baptized, hearts changed, and our "normal" American perspective was forever ruined for the glory of God.

The conclusion

Leaving Ghana is bitter sweet. We are excited to get back to our home and more importantly our family and friends. However, it is tough to leave our new friends in Ghana and all that God has been doing in us and through us. 

Last night (Wednesday), we stayed in Accra at a hotel across the street from the airport. We left for the airport at 6AM and proceeded to go through approximately six lines of security before finally reaching our seats on the plane. We are currently (Thursday) in the air somewhere over the atlantic ocean at about 35,000 feet. As soon as we boarded the plane, I felt America. 

We will land in New York in about 5 hours, proceed to Salt Lake City, and then finally reach Phoenix. We will be arriving close to lunchtime and plan on heading over to one of our favorite restaurants that serves pizza and other food we love and, at the current time, crave.

God blessed us with an incredible African experience. We will be forever changed and will never forget it. Our faith has grown, our hearts have softened, our understanding of the world has expanded, and our love for our Savior, Jesus Christ, is off the charts. May we never loose what we have gained and may we live it out in America too. 

We are excited to see what God has in store for us next. He is always doing a new thing.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:18-19

All who are thirsty... come to the fountain

A milestone occurred this past Sunday for the village of Afife. A village-wide water distribution system was dedicated and the water began to flow. The project was championed by Pastor Emmanuel Fiagbedzi of the Liberty Center Assemblies of God Church, while the funds for this significant project were donated by Joan and Jerry Colangelo of Phoenix, Arizona. 

Before I continue, let me tell you how and where the village has been getting their water. The village of Afife has no running water. Therefore, they must fetch there water from nearby marshes and ponds. The typical manner in which they fetch the water is using one large metal bucket at a time which they carry on their head back to their home. The filled buckets probably weigh 30 pounds and the distance they carry them can be as great as 1.5 miles. By the way, the water is not pure and is quite salty. Believe me, you would not want to drink it. 

This new water distribution system not only delivers water to 18 strategically located spickets (fountains), but it also delivers much cleaner water which is pumped from three bore holes and stored in two water towers. The new system is a life-changer for the whole village. So, it is no surprise that people were lined-up and joyfully filling their buckets when this new system was turned on.   

The dedication ceremony was held at the church while the ribbon cutting occurred at the water towers and two of the distribution locations. The whole village was buzzing and the church was packed. I had the privilege of preaching that morning. 

The ceremony was attended by several village chiefs, representatives from the village council, and area pastors. All of the speakers honored Pastor Emmanuel and spoke very highly of his commitment to helping this village and the work that he is dong in the surroundings communities. The Italian contractor who installed the system, spoke very candidly and declared that it was Pastor Emmanuel's commitment and dedication to this project that caused it to finally succeed after overcoming many obstacles and roadblocks presented by local politicians. At one point, Emmanuel's life was actually threatened. The politics in Africa can be quite intense and spiritual warfare is definitely real, but we are called to be strong and courageous. Also highly honored were the Colangelo's, who's selfless gift made it all possible. 

However, the ultimate praise was given to God. There was no beating around the bush. God's name was lifted up and He was given the glory for this gift. Songs of praise were sung throughout the ceremony. The gospel was preached. God was glorified. Additionally, the whole event was discussed and praised for 3-hours on a local radio station. 

What a blessing to witness the work of God's mighty hand. His hand of comfort and provision. How magnificent it is to see the Body of Christ being used to quench both the spiritual and the physical thirst of man. 

Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them ...

Today was special because I had the opportunity to join Pastor Emmanuel in baptizing 10 members of his congregation. Baptism is a very special and powerful event in the life of a Christ follower. I love baptisms, so today I was blessed to be involved in this significant ceremony. One special aspect of the event was that all of those being baptized and the guests sang songs of praise during the whole service. 

We drove for about 15 minutes out into the bush to a dammed-up river where the lives of 10 people would be forever changed for the glory of God. It was picturesque. It was the day that the Lord had made.

Some family pictures

Here are couple pictures taken today at The King's Voice Academy which is located just behind the church. As you can tell, we are all wearing our African outfits. The children's outfits were given to us by one of the church's that Eric preached at as a thank you gesture. It was very kind of them. Our hearts were touched.

Sunday morning preaching and anointing

I preached this morning at Pastor Emmanuel's church, Liberty Center, in Afife. It was a very special day for their church and the entire village. Today, they dedicated and turned on a new water distribution system that serves the whole community. I will reserve an entire post to how significant and special this was for this village and how God was glorified.

The service this morning started at 10AM and was filled with excitement, including almost two hours of praise & worship. I didn't begin preaching until about 12:15PM. I finished at 1PM by declaring God's promises and speaking some prophetic words over the congregation. Oh, I also went African-style by leading a praise song after my message. It is very common for Pastors to spontaneously lead into worship. I really like it. It fits me well.

After this, Pastor Emmanuel invited me and my whole family forward. He anointed me by pouring a significant amount of oil on my head and then proceeded to very powerfully bless me and, in so many words, commission and ordain me for the work of the kingdom of God to the nations. He also anointed Velvet and the children and spoke blessings over them and our family as a whole. It was a very meaningful time. We are also blessed because the whole ceremony was recorded on video. Anybody up for some home videos? Maybe we will post it on a private YouTube site.

All is well and we will be heading home in just a few days. God has been good and faithful. We are blessed to be His children. 

 

Life in Africa - by Jake Jones

Jake has been journaling while here in Africa. I will be posting his journal entries as they are available. Here is the first installment (Parts 1, 2, & 3). Enjoy!

Life in Africa

Part One: The Plane Ride

By: Jake Jones

We left Arizona on the 17th of November; our first plane left from Phoenix to New york city, (that was the easy part of the trip). They had touch pads in the plane and we played 20 Questions almost the whole plane ride! When we got to the JFK airport we had our last real american meal. We watched part of a movie in the airport while we had our layover, then we got on the airplane. When we got on the airplane Ben and Faith made a little friend; they talked until we took off. After we took off we tried to go too sleep. For the first 2 and a half hours, everybody could sleep except for me. One of the reasons why I couldn't sleep was that the little kid that Ben and Faith made friends with was asking me questions. I couldn't even understand what he was saying. We watched cartoons about 3 hours into the trip then Dad said, "no more"!  After we watched cartoons we tried to go to sleep  and I actually did! Two hours later, I woke up and walked around on the plane. I played a game after I walked around; and when the sun came up I ate some breakfast and enjoyed the descent. 15 minuets before we were going to land Ben was freaking out because his ears were hurting (that was one of the longest 15 minuets of my life). When we landed we got our carry-ons and walked out of the plane and realized that we are in Africa! 

Life in Africa

Part Two: The Car Ride and Dinner

By: Jake Jones

When we got off the plane we hopped into two four wheel drive vehicles and drove to the bank to exchange American dollars for Ghana cedis. After we went to the bank we went to the mall and had a chicken sandwich (one of the best chicken sandwiches i've ever had). When we finished eating we shopped for food to last us for a couple weeks until we have to go to Accra again. When we were driving to where we would call home for the next month, I slept almost the whole way, and when we got to the compound I looked for the nearest bed and sacked it until dinner. Dinner was good. It was breaded pieces of chicken and mexicanish rice. After dinner I slept a refreshing sleep. 

Life in Africa

Part Three: The House

By: Jake Jones

The place that we are living is a four bedroom two bath house that is really two apartments opened up in the middle. The house has no running water; that means that people have to fetch water from the "well". The bedrooms are about normal in size and they have a built-in dresser in the wall. Grant and I sleep on one side of the house while Mom, Dad, Faith, and Ben sleep on the other side of the house. the living rooms are L shaped with the table in one part of the L and a sitting area in the other part of the L. On the side of the L there is a door that leads to a kitchen. The other side of the house is a mirror of the the first side of the house.       

Having a birthday in Ghana

Yesterday (Thursday) was my birthday. I turned 41 while in Africa. We had a wonderful party and dined on the local cuisine of banku, pepper sauce, and whole roasted tilapia - head, tail, and all. (Notice: no silverware - you eat it with your hands.) Velvet made some brownies which we enjoyed with some "ice cream". I was blessed with songs from the children at the compound and several rounds of "Happy Birthday". 

Earlier in the day, I attended a Life Christian University class held here at the compound with several local pastors. The topic of study was "The Ministry of Helps." We got into some lively discussion. I was blessed when this group of Christian leaders prayed blessings over me and sang Happy Birthday to me. 

Early that evening, I preached at Pastor Ken's church in Sasieme. It is a recent church plant located in a small village about 3Km from Efife. Pastor Ken is also the Headmaster of The King's Voice Academy - the Christian elementary school in this area. The congregation was very kind and eager to hear God's Word. I preached from the third chapter of the book of Joshua and discussed how God goes before us and He also stays with us. 

Before the church service began, we took a short tour of the village. There was a funeral going on and we found ourselves driving right through the middle of the processional. It is very different in Ghana - the cars have the right of way and they simply honk and the pedestrians must get out of the way - even when they are part of a funeral processional. It was an odd experience. The other interesting aspect of the funeral was that it was a funeral for a young person (teenager) who was an idol worshipper. You can tell this from the colors and outfits worn by the mourners. 

It was a good day filled with memorable moments. After all, it's not every day that you have a birthday on Africa.

Back online!

We got the internet reconnected this morning!

Going dark, upcoming events & prayer

The internet connection here at the compound is rather costly and the term for the current period of use expires today. Therefore, I might not have consistent access to the internet after today. 

All is well. I am preaching at a church in the village of Sasieme tomorrow evening. Pray for the power of God to be present. Pray for transformation, for deliverance, and for the name of Jesus Christ to be lifted up. 

There is a pastors conference scheduled for this Saturday. I may be speaking at this conference of pastors from this region of Ghana. If I do speak, may the Holy Spirit provide the perfect word for this season and for this audience. 

Finally, please be in prayer for the health of our entire family. As you can imagine, we are battling the enemy on a daily basis. We know that the battle is not against flesh and blood. But, a primary area of attack is in the area of physical sickness. We know that we have the victory and greater is He who is in us. We are standing on the sufficiency of Christ Jesus and the power of His name, His Word, and His blood for our healing. Join us in prayer and come alongside of us as we put the enemy to flight and claim the victory that is ours. 

"No weapon formed against us will prosper. All those who rise up against us will fall."

Get up and walk

Last night, Saturday, we had an incredible church service at Pastor Emmanuel's church in Efife. Because of national elections, they held their service on Saturday night. However, they decided to make it an extended "all night" service of prayer and ministry. 

The service began at about 9:00PM and lasted until 1:30AM. It started like many other gatherings with praise and worship followed by a powerful message from Pastor Emmanuel about the authority of God's Word. However, at 11:30 the focus shifted to a very interactive and intense time of corporate prayer for the nation of Ghana. This lasted about 45 minutes which took us into Sunday - the day of the elections.   

At this time, worship erupted like I had never experienced before (and I have been in many worship services). The whole place was singing and dancing. It was unbelievable. There was no holding back. Full-on worship like no other. The Holy Spirit was present in a visible and powerful way.  You could literally see the presence of the Holy Spirit.

But wait, it wasn't over yet. Just when you thought it was time to go home, Pastor Emmanuel called an older man to be brought forward that had been crippled for four years. Since 2004, he couldn't walk. He was lying on a mat at the back of the meeting. His legs had very clearly experienced significant atrophy - they looked like sticks. Pastor declared that he would walk tonight. Even at that declaration, the man who was being carried to the front, began to walk on his own. He walked about 12 feet down the center isle to the Pastor and stood before him. This man hadn't walked for 4 years! Pastor Emmanuel called me over as well as other prayer ministers and we prayed for this man. He then walked another 50 feet before sitting down because of exhaustion. Did you hear what I said? The lame man walked! "Get up, take your mat, and walk." - Mark 2:9 

A healing service had broken out. Many were healed. I prayed for a woman who was limping because of an injured ankle. She was jumping around the sanctuary after prayer. We prayed for people with stomach pains, headaches, leg pain - they were healed. We prayed and prayed. I was exhausted. 

"And these signs shall follow those who believe: in my name they will ... place their hands on the sick and they will get well." - Mark 16:17-18. Hallelujah! This is good news and it is alive and well. 

The rain came down

It rained heavily from 4:30PM Friday afternoon until about 2:00AM Saturday morning. It was a very active thunderstorm that cooled down the temperature a bit and settled down the dust for a while. However, the rain caused the Friday night revival service in Afloa to be cancelled. If you recall, the church is open air with only small canopies providing limited shelter. They have ordered a more permanent tent structure like those used in crusades in America. However, it has been delayed in its arrival. Until then, when it rains they must cancel services. 

I was also supposed to preach and minister this morning. It was a Saturday morning service, but due to the elections on Sunday it would be their primary weekend service. However, the storm ripped the canopies and twisted the support poles of the church. I received word before we left that they were picking up the pieces and that the church service had to be cancelled. 

Please pray for Pastor Joshua and his congregation. It is a new church - about 11 months old. They have been blessed with rapid growth and a sweet spirit and we stand with them that what the enemy means for harm, God will turn for good and for His glory. May this be a time of unity and strengthening among these people of God. May they be able to "consider it pure joy" and persevere. And may what was taken from them be restored in a double portion. 

On the border - The promised land

Last night I preached at a church in Afloa, Ghana. We were about 1 mile from the border of Togo. It was exciting because the church facilities were open air, but located on the main street running through this relatively larger city. There was a lot of vehicle and foot traffic. So, as I preached using the microphone and loud speakers, my voice was heard for quite some distance and many people who were just walking by decided to stop and listen to this white preacher from America. Although I was preaching to a church congregation, because of the location and setup, I was also street preaching. That's what I call a "two-fer". 

God directed me to the first chapter of Joshua where I preached about entering the promised land. The message was very well received and it was followed by a wonderful time of ministry. That morning, as God was giving me the word from the book of Joshua about taking the land, I didn't realize that the pastors name was Joshua and their church is in the middle of acquiring new land next to their existing land in order to expand their church and build a permanent structure. God is good!

I will be preaching there tonight and tomorrow morning. In Ghana, most churches will be meeting on Saturday this week instead of Sunday because the national elections, which are always December 7th., happen to fall on Sunday this year. 

Pictures from the beach

We needed this day. It was very refreshing.

Velvet and children at school

1. Velvet helps in the classroom leading praise and worship.

2. The children rush to Mama Velvet.

3. Jake, Grant, Faith & Ben stay out of the rain.

4. The common drinking bucket and cup.

A day at the beach

We really did have a day at the beach yesterday. We weren't scheduled for this until December 13th., but I thought we needed it - especially the kids. Our hosts graciously spent the better part of the day helping make this happen. Thank you Pastor Emmanuel, Richard & Diane. 

We began the day by touring a slave fort from the 18th century. It was very difficult to be on location and hear of the atrocities that were done to the people of this land. We then headed west to a small local African beach resort called "Meet Me There". They paddled us across the lagoon to the beach. The boys loved the huge, crashing waves. They body surfed and played hard like boys. They enjoyed watching Dad get knocked down by the big waves. We also played a little catch with the football. One of the highlights for Ben and Faith was the little puppy that lives at the resort. They had great fun playing with it. 

We enjoyed our day at the beach. It was refreshing and needed after two weeks here in Africa filled with ministry. On the way back, we popped-in on a pastor-friend of Emmanuel's. We had the opportunity to lay hands on him, anoint him with oil, and bless him and his ministry. It was a special, unexpected moment for that man of God. He was blessed. 

Velvet and the kids are on there way to the school to join the students for Wednesday morning praise time and then help in the cafeteria. This school serves all of the children breakfast and lunch every day. 

I will try to upload some pictures of recent activities later today.