Buddy, Jeffrey, Peter, Bethany, Stephen, Melody, Liberty + One of the churches the Baehrs have planted in Ghana, Africa!

P.O. Box NW 536 ~ Nsawam, E / R ~ Ghana, West Africa
   Contact Information  
  

Introductory Article: Testimonies

Liberty Tomeny Baehr’s testimony:
 
I was very rebellious in my teens and had never heard the Gospel. When I was 19 yrs. old, unmarried
and pregnant, my aunt told me that I could get an abortion or find another place to live. Through a friend at college, I found out about and went to live at Agape Christian Children’s Home in Covington, Louisiana, when I was 3 months pregnant.
 
After living there for several months, I prayed the "Sinner's Prayer" with the mom and dad there. This prayer was not sincere and I knew it - I was just trying to please them and remove the pressure I felt to "say a prayer."  I know that if I had died then, I would have gone to hell. Months passed, and struggling with sin in my heart and a desire to understand the Bible, I truly prayed to receive Christ as my personal Savior at a Bible study in Feb., 1991.  I was baptized a few years later in obedience to Jesus’ example.
 
Several years later, after a brief courtship/dating experience that failed, I felt like I needed to separate myself so I could see what I believed and why. I had gone to several Basic and Advanced Training seminars (IBLP) where I heard Biblical truths which convicted me that I needed to get closer to God.  Realizing I was living a hypocritical life and needed to focus my attention on training my five year-old son Jeffrey, we left the ministry in March of 1996 and moved to Mandeville, LA.  In 1998, we joined Trinity Baptist Church, with Bro. Winfred Baker.
  
Through the Bakers, who I have known since 1991 and adopted as parents, I committed myself to courtship/betrothal and trusted God to provide my husband (or not) through them. A few years later, through the prayers and direction of the Bakers, I became engaged to Buddy Baehr (a missionary to Ghana). We e-mailed each other, fellowshipped with other families in our church, and shook hands when parting.  On our wedding day, November 18, 2000, after we exchanged rings, I kissed and hugged my husband for the first time.
  

We intended to leave for Ghana missionary work shortly thereafter. We had our first baby together 10 months later. Our trip to Ghana was postponed until after the Ghana quota was approved for a permanent residency visa and our baby was born. We left for Ghana in February of 2002. We have home-schooled our 4 older children (Peter 17, Stephen 15 ½, Melody 13 ½, Jeffrey 13) from the start, and they are continuing their schooling while we are here in Ghana. Our youngest, Bethany, is now 2 years old and we are expecting another baby in May of 2004.  Praise the Lord for the privilege of training up a Godly heritage!

My husband, Lloyd "Buddy" Baehr, was saved in August, 1978 after the tragic death of his first wife. A fellow employee led Buddy to the Lord, and a month later he was baptized at First Baptist Church in Kenner, LA. With six children to care for, he soon remarried. His new wife had been divorced and had 4 children. She was saved soon after, and they had four children together. After several years in Charismatic churches, they began attending a local First Baptist Church.  Then in 1997, they joined Trinity Baptist Church in Abita Springs, LA.

After going on a short medical missions trip to Ghana, West Africa, Buddy retired early from his permanent job of 23 years in order to be a full-time missionary. In October of 1998, he and his wife and the 4 youngest children went to Ghana for four months. His wife and his 15 year-old daughter died when a van overturned during their last week in Ghana. Buddy had planned on going back to Africa as a self-supported missionary with his remaining three children, but God decided :) he needed a helpmeet and another son to go with him. Praise God for His mercy and grace!

We have been in Ghana for a year and nine months. Buddy preaches and teaches the pastors and church planters.  And our whole family visits the six neighboring villages and conducts Bible studies
or house-to-house witnessing each week. Liberty has Bible studies with the women in different villages. Our children teach Bible lessons, missionary stories, hymns & Character First! songs in the Children’s Sunday Schools, backyards, and public/private schools.
 

Results from February 15, 2002, through November 30, 2003 :

1. Provided funds to construct the Annomenampa church building (37 adult members)
2. Partial funding of a community well for the Annomenampa area
3. Provided funding for benches for 3 churches
4. Provided funds for long-term rental of school building for the Adeiso church
5. Provided partial funding for future construction of Nsawam Church building
6. Provided funds for accommodations for pastor relocations to Annomenampa, Fotobi, and Adeiso
7. Provided 395 English Bibles, 110 Twi Bibles, to pastors and to the Ghana Medium Security Prison
8. Provided 100 Twi hymnals to local pastors
9. Ministry funds continue to provide partial support for 25 pastors and church planters in Ghana.
10. Evangelistic outreach to Nsawam area (Eastern Region) and Nkoranza area (Brong Ahafo Region):

• 273 House to House Witnessing Opportunities: Total 4,692 people - 1,951 prayed to receive Christ
• 11 Men & Women Bible Studies: 26 Men and Women Bible studies - 458 people
• 36 Women’s Bible Studies: average attendance at each - 9 women
• 21 Pastor’s and Church Planter’s Classes: average attendance at each - 12 men
• Preaching Opportunities: 68 Church services: Total 3,584 people - 196 prayed to receive Christ
• 2 Street Preaching Opportunities: Total 600 people - 300 prayed to receive Christ
• Baehr Children taught Bible lessons, Missionary stories, & Songs to Ghanaian children:

• Baehr family helped Medical Missions International July 21^st - 24^th providing primary health care & evangelization to 1,840 people in four towns / villages in which 793 people received Christ as their Savior.
   

 
Malaria -- Melody: 7 times; Peter & Jeffrey: 6 times; Liberty: 5 times; Stephen & Buddy: twice;
and Bethany: once. We have tried many preventatives, but it seems that it's best to simply come in early (5 pm) or wear lots of repellent (and pants, long-sleeves) at night or in swampy areas, and to spray the Raid at the doorways!  We are grateful that there is a cure for malaria now, and most of
the time (if we catch it in time), the affects are mild and we are back to normal within a week.

Future Ministry Plans

1. Continue to assist National pastors and church planters in the Nsawam and Nkoranza areas with financial support and evangelism
    
2. Partially fund more pastors and church planters
    
3. Begin a pastor and church planter training school --- This is what we have desired to see in Ghana. There is a critical need for the further presentation and maintenance of biblical doctrine here in Ghana. Without it, people are subject to great confusion of doctrines from the ever-present competing religions and cults, which are legion. The school would be conducted in Nsawam (our current location). One week out of each month would be best to provide sufficient exposure to training and yet allow the men to return to their homes for farming and local ministry. Funding is needed for transportation of the men from our local villages and from Nkoranza (our northern mission point in Ghana – about 7 hours away) and for an additional teaching pastor. The intent would be that the pastors in Ghana would conduct the school two out of three months or so, and that we would get pastors and workers from the US to do one out of three months. Our pastor, Bro. Baker, would be able to do one or two of these each year. This is the key to training sound men for the future. We also need to put together a small library for the use of the school. Bibles, resource books and other literature, including used Sunday School materials, could be provided by bulk mailings from the States and by visiting pastor–teachers.  Specific costs will surface as we approach this matter. Then we can suggest to those in the States funding opportunities for commencement and operation of the school.
    
4. We are encouraged and strengthened by what we have learned here. As a result, we are looking forward to eventually returning to America to share this experience and knowledge in local churches. We plan on returning to America in August of 2004. We would like to work with local churches to encourage Americans to do work in the mission fields or support those who do. Most of this effort could be accomplished through short-term mission trips as the Lord provides the funds.
    

               
* If you would like to support our efforts here in Ghana, please contact Bro. Winfred Baker at 
   Trinity Baptist Church in Abita Springs, Louisiana, at 985-898-0130 or wwbaker2@juno.com
     
Or you can send a check payable to:
    
Trinity Baptist Church - For Ghana
P.O. 1454
Covington, LA 70434
    
Our phone number here in Ghana:  011-233-24609313   (See Current TIME in Ghana)
Our email address:  baehrsden@yahoo.com   (Send an e-mail to receive our e-newsletter.)    
         
~ Thank you and may God bless you & your family abundantly!
   
Buddy & Liberty Baehr
P.O. Box NW 536
Nsawam, E / R
Ghana, West Africa