The first week we were in Ghana I attended the funeral of a Muslim chief and wrote about that experience on this blog. Yesterday evening Mory Kamergate, the chief of the Nafana village of Temogossie, passed away. He had been very ill and this past Monday Jerry Robertson, the IMB missionary working with the Nafana, had taken him to a hospital in Ghana. The physicians had been unable to help him and sent him back yesterday. Apparently the long, rough trip back on public transportation took its toll on his frail body.
Carol Robertson picked us both up from the bus station late Wednesday afternoon and we dropped Mr. Mory off at his village. I had an opportunity to meet his family and take some pictures of them all. We found out Thursday morning that just a couple hours later he died at his home.
When the Muslim chief in Nalerigu died I was reminded of the great need of witnesses in West Africa to share the story of Christ and the saving grace He provides. I praise God for His faithful servants Jerry and Carol who for 9 years have been learning the incredibly difficult Nafana language in this remote area so that they could do just that. Through the Bible stories that they painstakingly translated and shared with Mr. Mory, he came to know Christ and follow Him.
As sad as we are that he died it gives me great joy to know that I will see this dear old man again in heaven. Being the chief of a village he was key in granting permission for the Robertsons to share Bible stories with the people. As a result, several young men accepted Christ and they in turn have been Bible storying in other believers.
Jerry once told me that he saw his work here like a chain – he was just a small link that God was using to connect another, even bigger, link. To that link an even larger link was connected and the chain is growing. We can also praise God that with Mr. Mory’s death the chain is not broken. Jerry found out Thursday morning that before his death Mr. Mory had written a letter stating that he wanted Jerry and Carol to be allowed to continue telling stories in the village.
This next week is full of uncertainty. Pray that God will open doors allowing the Robertsons to not only continue their work in the village but even expand it. Pray that the Nafana people of Temogossie will understand that their well-respected elder, Mr. Mory, is in heaven today – not because of his good deeds but because of his faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ.