Our area
Wawase, the village we live in, has a population of about 2000 souls. It is located in the south of Ghana about an hour’s drive north of Cape Coast. This area was previously tropical rainforest. About 30 years ago many people settled here, staked a claim and cleared the land. Most of the inhabitants are subsistence farmers with cocoa bean and oil-palm trees as their ‘cash’ crop. They have sufficient to eat (mainly cassava, corn, yam and plantain), but little money to support their large families. Average daily income in our area is about $4. 
Wawase is steeped in a mix of ancestor worship, juju and taboo observances, all glossed over with a very superficial Christianity. A public electric grid has brought detrimental western influences such as TVs and DVDs.

The school
Charity African Mission has been active in this town since 1993. When a church was formed in the mid 90′s, Joy Clark and Rosella Wittmer noticed that many could not read properly. Eventually their assistance in teaching Phonics resulted in the setting up of a school in 1999, at first for the children of the church families. Through the years Victory Christian School grew into a full-fledged school with children coming from a large area. Since 2002 the following brothers had a role as principals/headmasters: Eric Cherry, Andy Zelinski and Elson Miller. We now have eleven classes on KG, primary and junior high level. At present there are 290 children in 11 classes. Beside Klaas there are 13 teachers, all Ghanaian.

Our family
Our background is Dutch. After a two year stay in Ohio, we were asked to move to Wawase in August 2007. Klaas is principal at the school. His wife Geraldine takes care of household and family homeschool duties together with Jessica (Dieneke).  Lysanne assists with remedial teaching classes in phonics at school, mainly for students who have joined the school at a later stage. Steven, Harry, Otto and Bram help with practical issues at school and around the house after their school hours. Geraldine and Lysanne also have an outreach in our village after school hours. An orphanage and also women in spiritual need are very appreciative of their attention. Dieneke is giving unpaid help in a maternity clinic a few towns north of Wawase in preparation for a possible study in midwifery in the near future.

Please pray for us that:

• Victory Christian School will have a spiritual effect on the community. Its motto “Equipping Youth to Serve God and Man” can only be worked out if all teachers are of one accord and on fire for God! Since coming here, the Lord has led in assembling a teaching staff that is of one accord. We have seen a very good turnaround in the attitude of the students recently, and hope that some will find the courage to step away from their peers and seek the Lord. May His Name be glorified in all of us and them.
• we will proceed in acquiring a good grasp of the Twi language. Most of us are well under way; Klaas has more of a struggle mastering it.
• interaction with the people in town will lead to saved souls. Just being ‘Christian doesn’t make a difference here.
• opportunities at school to bring children to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ will be seen by the staff.
• the daily contact our own children have with many peers will open their hearts.
• we will know how to guide our older children during their stay on the mission field. We may see several of them moving away in the near future.
• the church in Wawase will be able to solve difficulties that are hindering growth.
• we will be able to cope with the isolation. We are 12 – 15 hours away from the northern stations, five hours away from Accra, and have limited contact with the other missionary families.
• revival would come to the whole town. What the Lord did long ago in Wales can also occur in Wawase!

Thank the Lord with us for:

• protection against sickness. We eat mainly local food and also street-side food while traveling, and thrive on it.
• protection against spiritual attacks. There have been situations in the past years where enemies have launched specific curses against us with no effect.
• good relationships with the students, village people and officials. Attitudes have improved very much since we came.
• a continuation of His work in this area. These people are not considered ‘unreached’, but they are probably more ‘unreachable’ due to the way a fake-Christianity is prevalent.
• the indigenous principles our mission is following. It gives us the opportunity to live simply among the people much like they do with no need of a guard and compound walls, and no fear of attacks.
• showing us how to apply God’s word to the Ghanaian mindset.
• brothers and sisters who are willing to intercede for us. Can we also count on your prayer support?

Last updated June 2010

What Great Things God Has Done for Us (Family Testimony)