APF Ministries, Ghana West Africa
Native Texans Allan and Patsy Fulton were enjoying a profitable career in the oil and gas industry. In 1994, after teaching six courses of the Bible study Experiencing God, they experienced GOD! A visiting Pastor from Ghana, West Africa came to their church and uttered a life changing statement “God is working in Ghana, come and join Him”, words that had been echoing throughout the Henry Blackaby study. “If you want to serve God, watch where He is working and join Him there”. Their first trip to Africa came that spring with a three-city evangelism crusade. They not only saw a tremendous response of the people that heard the gospel, they had a personal response to join the work of God going on in Ghana.
Their primary mission work in Africa is water drilling projects. After thirteen years over 500 wells, over 100,000 people now have safe clean water to drink! But water is not the only provision APF Ministry brings to the nation of Ghana. In 1998, they joined the team of Samaritan’s Purse to bring Operation Christmas Child gifts into the country; that first year, 7,000 boxes were brought in. Increasing the numbers every year, in 2007, 98,000 boxes were delivered to Ghana. Now, African nationals, trained under their leadership, have taken over the direct distribution responsibilities, but the Fultons continue to participate by taking a portion of the boxes into villages, orphanages, and hospitals, focusing on discipleship programs with local ministries and pastors.
Through their extraordinary dedication to the project, to date over 300,000 children have received these gifts and heard the message of the Gospel, “the greatest gift of all!”
Ever mindful of outreach and ministry opportunities, in 2003 through an introduction by Sunshine After Rain Ministries, Allan and Patsy became involved with Joni and Friends Wheels to the World program. In 2005, they became the official Ghana National Directors, facilitating the delivery of over 8,000 wheelchairs, numerous other types of mobility equipment to date, as well as starting a new prosthesis program through Standing with Hope.
The success of their drilling ventures has enabled the work of the ministry to be independent of US funds. The profit from the water well projects support the ongoing work by providing funding for duty taxes to be paid on the Joni & Friends wheelchairs and the Samaritan’s Purse containers, as well as underwriting the costs of an annual Vacation Bible School (VBS) which last year served 15,000 children and in 2007 will serve close to 20,000! Sunshine After Rain Ministries in cooperation with Exceptional Women of Dallas, Texas sent over 4,000 bibles for the children served in VBS.
Currently, they are working on a warehouse to accommodate a Training Center for AIDS education teaching pastors and local leaders, a wheelchair shop to train repair technicians that will serve those receiving equipment through the Wheels to the World program. Additional fitting technique training will provide Ghanaian teams that will complete more wheelchair distributions along with the US teams that come each year.
We are pleased and proud of the commitment APF Ministries has made in serving as the administrators of the discretionary funding to Ghana, for Sunshine After Rain Ministries.
In a country where the needs are great, the ministry of Allan and Patsy Fulton is meeting the need greatly!
APF Ministries Disbursements
Mephibosheth Disabled Children’s Home: Founded in 2004 by Mary Jane Ponten of Mephibosheth Ministries, this children’s home serves the severely neglected population of disabled children in Ghana. Ms. Ponten suffers herself from cerebral palsy, but at 75 it has yet to slow her down. She tirelessly serves the disabled and disenfranchised throughout the world, but Ghana holds a special place in her heart, having witnessed first hand through her affiliation with the Joni & Friends Wheels to the World distribution the treatment of the disabled in the country. They are seen as “cursed” individuals and often the children afflicted are abandoned. Ms. Ponten has worked to educate pastors, community leaders and individuals to see “the least of these” as special emissaries of Christ. Through her efforts a nation is changing, hearts are growing, and lives are being saved!
Frafraha Christ Faith Foster Home: This faith-based children’s facility is home to over 50 children of various ages. Once the children are accepted into the orphanage, it is considered their home for life. They never are released from care due to their age. They are encouraged to find work outside the facility, and oftentimes educated with various skill levels that will ensure their ability to contribute to society. Because of the location in a rural suburb of the capital city, provisions and basic necessities can sometimes be scarce. The special disbursement will help address emergency situations that affect the children and their future.
Pastor Ohene Kumi: Pastor Ohene, has been blanketing his nation with Christ’s love through committed and tireless evangelism efforts over 17 years. Each year over 30,000 children are impacted by his ministry through Good News Bible clubs he has established across the country. In addition, working with a core team of 8 pastors, the Jesus Film is show annually to over 75,000 adults – resulting in the establishment of new churches and fellowships. He is dedicated to discipling and training young pastors and lay persons. His work with World Vision has established over 75 after school Bible programs. He teaches Old Testament at the All Africa Bible College in the capital city of Accra. Funding to Pastor Ohene supplements his income to cover basic needs and travel costs for his ministry.
Pastor Kenneth Amoateng: This dynamic pastor joined the APF Ministry team in 2000 on their first Samaritan’s Purse distribution. Since then, he has participated annually in the program ministering to over 300,000. He is the youngest man ever promoted to Elder status in his church, currently serving as District Youth Leader, administering and counseling the leadership to over 12,000 children, in all aspects of ministry and outreach for his denomination. In 2004, he ran for Parliament losing by only a small margin. For the last four years he has worked under Pastor Ohene Kumi as the Tema City coordinator for child evangelism. His direct involvement affects 20,000 children in 30 schools. Pastor Kenneth, trains and recruits lay volunteers to support the local work conducted at the schools. Over 175 teachers are active participants to train the children in after school Bible studies. He has exhibited his commitment to ministry even when funding was non-existent. Sunshine After Rain Ministries supports this excellent example of servanthood and leadership by underwriting monthly support of his salary.
Global Mission Fellowship
Global Missions Fellowship (GMF) strives to put a church within walking distance of every person in the world. Today, they serve churches in over 40 countries around the globe. God is using this dynamic ministry to mobilize thousands of Christians for the Great Commission. To date, nearly 500,000 men and women have received Christ and over 3,500 new churches have been planted. One of GMF’s single greatest strengths is our ability to provide laypeople with the opportunity to have fruitful ministry without spending years in seminary -- or in some cases -- even leaving their present occupations.
Pastor Joseph Oyuki, Rwanda: Pastor Oyuki receives supplemental monthly support from Sunshine After Rain Ministries. Dedicated to seeing his nation so devastated by Civil War in 1994 hear the gospel, he sees the only solution for the healing of his country is the love of Christ. Through his commitment and concern thousands will come into the Kingdom and be ministered to by the God who heals.
Pioneers in conjunction with Bajalia Trading Company
Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches. In 2006 Bajalia Trading Company (BTC) partnered with Pioneers to bring committed individuals to the foreign field to assist with local incorporation of business initiatives in rural and impoverished communities. BTC is a nonprofit fair trade organization that partners with artisans and entrepreneurs in undeveloped regions of the world while stimulating growth in their communities.
Susanne Price (former regional director at Samaritan’s Purse) communicated her heart for Africa and the unreached to Executive Director Charlynn Johns, during a Ghana Operation Christmas Child outreach in 2005. Charlynn put her in contact with the Bajalia president Debbie Farah and the rest as they say is “HIS-story”. Susanne relocated permanently to Kenya in the summer of 2007. Sunshine After Rain Ministries supports her work there on a monthly basis.
