Mr. Bathaniah Kofi Baapona, and his wife, Martina, both 23 years old, were part of the five new converts baptised by immersion during a film outreach jointly organised by the Evangelism Ministry and the Tuna District in the Setiepor community, yesterday.
Setiepor is a small farming community in Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in the Savannah Region of Ghana.
The couple, whose short marital life had been fraught with miscarriages, finally surrendered their lives to Christ in fulfilment of a promise they had made to God.
Narrating their story to PENTECOST NEWS on the sidelines of the event, Mr. Baapona said it all began when he visited Kpangari No 2, a community also within the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, where he met a young Muslim lady called Martina. He was immediately attracted to her and they later got married. Little did he know that Martina was already betrothed to another man.
Heartbroken and in extreme anguish, the man vowed to make their marriage unbearable at all cost.
“Although I heard some of these threats, I did not think too much of them,” he said.
In the first year of their marriage, his wife took seed and the couple were looking forward to the first of many children. Unfortunately, she lost the child in strange circumstances; she took seed and miscarried again.
“At this point, I felt it was a bit strange. I later heard that the man had been spreading news in their town that he was responsible for our situation. He had indeed vouched that we would know no peace.”
“He even said it to my face that he is the cause of our miscarriages and that his ultimate objective is not just to terminate the pregnancies, but the life of Martina as well as a payback for what she did to him” he said.
On hearing this, Bathaniah became very alarmed and sought various spiritual and alternative help but to no avail. So, when he heard that Pastor Isaac Asare, the Tuna District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, had come to town, he saw it as an opportunity to seek his assistance. However, the meeting did not go as he had expected.
“After narrating my story, Pastor simply said the solution to all my problems is Jesus. He said that if I would surrender my life to Christ nothing could harm me or my wife. He then prayed with me”
“But after leaving him felt the pastor had made light of my problem. I expected him to give special solution, but he only said I should believe. So, I prayed to the Lord and said to Jesus that if He would grant us a child then we would completely surrender our lives to Him,” he said.
Shortly afterwards, his wife took seed again and this time Bathaniah was very keen to see what Jesus would do. By the grace of God, on the 28th day of July last year, Martina gave birth to a baby girl.
“I named her Alberta, because it is a name I really like, but my mother insists on calling her Naa Gmenetra (God’s Gift),” he said with a grin.
At the end of the film outreach, 29 souls comprising 11 adults and 18 children were won for Christ. Pastor Isaac Asare has hinted that these new converts would form the nucleus of a new assembly of the Church in the community.
Bathaniah and Martina, now staunch members of The Church of Pentecost, are considered strong pillars in the soon-to-be created assembly. To God be the glory.
The film outreach is part of a series of preparatory activities being organised ahead of the “Sawla For Christ” Crusade. The event is scheduled to take place at the Modern Ghana Park, Sawla from March 15 to 17, 2022.
PENTECOST NEWS