"...the miraculous power of God..."

Issac Osei- Owusu is a member of our District High Council. He is a farmer of Cocoa. He is well respected and has 11 acres of Cocoa trees which distinguishes him as one of the few men to cultivate such a large plot here in the bush. He was baptized at age 18 in 1986. He is a pioneer of the Church in this region. He finished High School at twenty years old and applied for Missionary service in the Spring of 1989. He was called to serve in the Ghana Mission- his native country and began his two year missionary service in June of 1989. He served faithfully and has returned to his home of Asunafo doubly qualified to serve in Church callings. He has served as a District Councilman, branch Sunday School President, Elders Quorum President and a Branch President for nine years in the Asunafo Branch. He is presently a member of our District High Council and a great strength to our district leadership. Last week, Sister Dalton and I visited his home and their new baby girl who had just arrived to their family, making four children. What a treat to visit with he and his wife, Patience. They are a pillar of strength for each other and the branch membership. We all had a chance to share testimonies and our love for the Gospel in these the latter days; it was a special moment for us all.

Issac shared a testimony building story from his missionary days while serving in Konongo, Ghana. In 1990 the government leaders of Ghana, after several years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints being recognized as a Christian Church, where convinced by other religious leaders, that “Mormons” where not Christians and were a cult. Ghana prided itself that it was a Christian state in Africa, unlike the rest of the heathen nations of the continent. So one day a decree went out over all of Ghana that there would be a “freeze” or a “law” that stated that all of the “Mormons” and their assets were to be seized and now the property of the State. It was declared that if any person in Ghana was found practicing Mormonism, they were to be jailed immediately and in time put on trial for their belief. In effect, the Church was band from Ghana and the members were left to themselves to go underground until the law could be abolished. From Jan 1990 to July 1991 members were underground and worshipped their God in the secret chambers of their own homes. Many of the promenade Church leaders were jailed and kept for some time until released with a promise they would not gather in church worship meetings. All of the buildings, church properties, welfare farms, machinery, and monies were seized by the ruling government leaders and used for government support.

 It was during this time that Issac was on his mission and serving in Konongo. He and his companion had a small apartment in the town and everyone knew of their purpose as missionaries. There was a small branch established during his stay in Konongo and he and his companion were the keepers of the sacred tithing funds each week before they made deposits into a bank in Kumasi some 2 hour away on a Trotro ride. They had a small old steel safe with a paddle lock they would keep the funds in until their trip to Kumasi during the week. When the law was set forth from the government concerning the “Mormons”, someone had informed the police of this large sum of money these young elders had in their apartment and during the night cloak of darkness, broke down the elders door while they were sleeping and ransacked their living quarters until they found the small safe they had been told held great sums of monies. With guns held to the Issac’s and his companion’s heads, they were ordered to open the safe.  That Sunday the Branch President had put into the safe about 44GHc of precious tithing funds and locked the safe and had mistakenly taken the key with him instead of giving it to the missionaries. Issac told the police that he did not have the key to the lock. He was hit with a butt of a gun and knocked to the ground. Once again he was stood on his feet a gun pointed on to his head and ordered to open the safe. He explained that they did not have the key and this time his companion was gun whipped and lay unconscious on the floor. With several guns surrounding him and threats of shooting Issac dead, one policeman picked up the safe and threw it across the room shouting, “shoot him! Shoot him!” The safe hit the floor and fell open. The men rushed the safe and its contents. After sifting through the tithing receipts, found no money at all, not even the coins many had donated on that Sunday. The “big man” of the patrol turned to Issac and again put his gun to his head and said “there is no money in this safe, only small useless paper, no money. Why would you keep worthless paper in a safe?” Issac spoke with a soft and gentle voice and said, “Sir, those small useless papers are very sacred to us and we always keep them in that safe. Please sir, do not destroy them.” And with that, was hit with a rifle butt and left unconscious lying on the floor next to his companion. Within time they had regained consciousness and began cleaning the mess left behind. As they picked up each sacred tithing receipt, they also gathered the money that was in plain sight scattered all over the floor to them, then, but not during the police invasion. Every coin and paper cedi, was accounted for- all 44GHc and 73 Pesewas. The Lord’s money had been preserved and a witness of a modern day miracle in a young man’s memory, that would strengthen his foundation in the Lord for a lifetime.