I was not born a Christian, for my parents were animists or nature worshippers. They worshipped and made sacrifices of chicken, goats, donkeys and even cows to divinities such as rivers, stones, trees, mountains, lakes and our ancestors. When my father realized that his fortune was getting exhausted because of the persistent sacrifices of his flock, he converted to Islam, believing that he had finally accepted a God that was both powerful and did not seek perennial favors. No sooner had I become a Muslim than I realized that Islam, after all was not a “liberating” or “transformational experience for me. I found Islam to be more difficult to follow than my previous traditional religion. I was forced to pray five times a day and memorize Qu’ranic passages even though I never understood the Arabic content. Moreover, bodily demands such as fasting one month a year from dawn to dusk seemed an obligation that was no different from the favors that the traditional religion gods sought from me. As an obedient son, however, I continued living the life of a Muslim that was decided for me by my father.

After receiving the rare blessing of an education, I went to work in the the port city of Tema where I met the LCMS missionary Rev. Walter Schmidt. He introduced me to the Gospel, which was a transformational moment for me. I came to understand that God in His eternal love had already redeemed me and called me to be His child; and that it was not my favors, discipline, and reciting verses that made me a “Christian,” but that it was completely reconciliation brought forth by the grace of God. I readily enrolled in the pre-baptism class and read the Bible for myself. The Holy Spirit brought me to faith and I was baptized and confirmed…