“Now that I have the desire to read the Bible, I can’t”
March 2, 2018 | Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa | Wally Amundson, retired pastor from the Inter-American Division
Abraham Kofi Kwarteng (left) sits with his brother Ivan. Image courtesy of Wally Amundson
The dark night made it difficult to see the 450 listeners as all of them rose from their plastic chairs arranged in an open field. Some were coming forward to the wooden stage in response to the message that evening. As I watched the young and old starting to gather in the dusty dry clearing, my eye was drawn to an older gentleman led by the hand by a young lady. He was blind. We prayed for this newly committed group that God would keep them and build them up in the faith as we continued to study God’s Word night after night. This open air meeting, like many of the other sites, was held under a starless and dark sky since the sun sets regularly at 6:00 pm in West Africa.
Christine and I were in Kumasi, Ghana sent by the Inter-American Division to join several other leaders and church member volunteers from the United States conducting individual evangelistic meetings for 15 days. Members all across the West African Division as well as around the world continue to fast and pray for the 2500 evangelistic meetings taking place in West Africa over a period of the next few months. Even the pastor and members in our home church in Miami Springs, Florida were lifting us up in prayer daily.
Crowd of people gathered at the evening evangelism efforts led by Wally Amundson in Kumasi, Ghana. Image courtesy of Wally Amundson/IAD
As I inquired about the blind man, an interesting picture began to emerge. Abraham Kofi Kwarteng was born 45 years ago in Nsuta, the Asahnti region of Ghana. Along with his family and three brothers and sisters Abraham attended the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but Abraham was never baptized. Following middle school, Abraham chose farming as his livelihood. After some years Abraham wondered away from the faith and the family. His brother Ivan says the family was worried because they didn’t know where Abraham was living for many years. In 2006, Abraham began to experience blurry vision which would later be diagnosed as glaucoma. A local ministry he had joined didn’t provide answers to his question, and he soon dropped out of his bible study group due to poor vision.
Eventually Abraham contacted his brother Ivan who was now a nurse working at a Seventh-day Adventist hospital, but it was too late to reverse his failing eyesight. Ivan had access to the medications that could have saved much of Abraham’s sight. Ivan reflected that if his brother had come home sooner, some remedy could have been applied, but now Abraham was blind.
With family reunited, Ivan decided to provide as much assistance as he could for Abraham, both physically and spiritually. They often prayed aloud together as Ivan read the bible to Abraham. Ivan was joyful to be with his brother again, even in this condition.
Abraham accepted his blindness as a fact of life, and didn’t think God was punishing him or sending him a message. However, as he now depended on others, his attention turned more to God. Abraham said, “It is easier to understand God now that I am blind”.
Abraham Kofi along with other believers get in to the river to be baptized on Feb. 10, 2018. Image courtesy of Wally Amundson
When Abraham heard there would be a series of open air meetings where he could learn more about God’s word, he decided this time he would come back to God. During the meetings, while contemplating the death of Christ for his sins, and after learning that Jesus himself submitted to baptism, he saw his need to be baptized also. When I asked Abraham about his thoughts when he came forward that dark evening, he said he had a strong desire to be part of God’s people when Jesus comes.
During Abraham’s baptism the following Sabbath in a cool stream nearby, an overwhelmed Ivan was there to witness this miracle of spiritual healing. Abraham says during his baptism he became very, very happy about his decision. It gave him great joy to know he had given his life to Christ, and joined the family of God. Abraham says he has no desire to fall back in his old life now that he has experienced a new life with God. He proclaims because of what God has done for him, he will not allow anything to pull him back to his old ways. Abraham feels a sense of gladness and a welcome from the people around him now that he is again part of the family.
I asked Abraham if he had a message for those that can see, but have not seen or experienced the love of God. I watched Abraham’s scaly eyes moving back and forth as he searched for his answer. After a short pause, Abraham replied. “Those that can see must use the advantage they have to “see” God and His creation. They have much more evidence to surrender to God. They should give themselves to the Lord.”
Wally and Christine Amundson (right) stand with the group that was baptized during the evangelism efforts in Ghana last month. Image courtesy of Wally Amundson.
Reflecting on this life changing experience, I saw Abraham night after night sitting on the front row facing a 20-foot screen displaying beautiful graphics illustrating the Gospel and the Second Coming, which he could not see. The Holy Spirit quietly awakened Abraham’s heart while he was sitting there in darkness, deepening his sense of need and giving him spiritual sight. This moment standing in the heart of Ghana was a foretaste of when Abraham will see, this time with his own eyes, the glorious second coming of our Lord and Savior.
Christine and I look forward to that day when the words of Jesus to the two followers of John the Baptist recorded in Matthew 11:5 will have new meaning: “The blind see…” This wonderful future fulfillment relies on each one sharing the message of salvation now. Let us join together today with the family of God worldwide in getting involved as the world church is encouraging through its Total Member Involvement initiative. There are many more like Abraham that will come to you in the New Earth with thankful hearts that you got involved and shared your faith at this crucial time of earth’s history.
Pastor Wally and Christine Amundson served as missionaries in the 1980s to Rwanda, Burundi, and the Ivory Coast, where they established the first SAWS (now ADRA) offices on the continent of Africa. They retired from the Inter-American Division (IAD) in 2016, and represented the IAD at the TMI evangelistic meetings in Ghana.