Dear Friends,

My wife Chelsea and I have an opportunity to go to Ghana this fall, on a short term mission trip. Our church is partnering with International Needs Ghana to provide a team to support their difficult work of liberation, education, care-giving and evangelism in the Volta region of southeast Ghana. Rural villages throughout this region engage in a ritual servitude known as “Trokosi”, where religious shrines take young virgin girls in payment for religious atonement or alleged misdeeds of a family member. The result has been sexual slavery of young girls, who spend the rest of their lives in slavery to fetish priests. God has used International Needs in liberating over 3,500 Trokosi slaves with their 14,000 children, and in providing them education through vocational training centers and schools. Chelsea and I feel that God has called us to be a part of the effort.

International Needs first began attempts to free Trokosi slaves in the Volta region of Ghana in 1990. It was 1996 when the first agreement was reached, and 30 women were freed. Since that day, over 3,500 girls/women and their 14,000 children have been liberated. In exchange for their freedom, International Needs makes agreements on providing long term support in helping to modernize these villages. They establish schools for children, vocational training centers for adults, and bring in team after team of volunteers on medical mission trips. They also provide child sponsorship, similar to what Compassion International does. One girl who had received such a sponsorship in this area of Ghana is now grown up and attending graduate school in Ohio. Her name is Gifty, and she visited our church last fall and sang one of the most beautiful songs. She credits her life to her sponsors.

Our team will travel in November, led by International Needs—Ghana. We’ll be helping at vocational training centers, visiting children at local schools & churches, and also meeting with local villages to learn about the needs for an expanded support system. Chelsea will also be helping with lesson coordination, and I will be delivering a guest message during a Sunday Church service. Our fundraising for the trip needs to be complete by late August in order for the team to solidify logistics and purchase aid materials. The fundraising commitment is $3,000 each, so Chelsea and I together need to raise $6,000!

If you are interested in supporting God’s work through this mission trip, we can use both prayer and financial support. Financial support can be provided to International Needs, who will manage our trip. International Needs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All financial donations are tax deductible, and can be made online or via check. It is easiest to donate online, the web address is: http://www.internationalneeds.us/ You will need to click “Donate” in the upper right corner.

About half way down the donation page is a box titled “Notes”. If you enter “Nils and Chelsea Stenvig”, then your donation will count specifically toward our commitment for the Ghana team. Please contact me if you need further directions. Material donations are also possible to arrange, if you have something specific to send the women or children of Ghana.

Chelsea and I are looking forward to the trip and answering God’s call on our hearts to be a part of this effort. It’s our first mission trip together, and we’re excited for how God will use this experience to grow our marriage and strengthen our faith. We’ll be sure to let you know how things went when we return. Please pray for us and for our team as we prepare for this trip!

Thank you for your support!
nmstenvi@gmail.com
906-201-2091

“Love one another, as I have loved you.” – Jesus