TOGO CHRISTIAN MISSION
A Restoration Movement Mission in Togo,West Africa
In 1969 Kwame “Hammer” Afakule’s father was hired as a night watchman for Richard Hostetter, a missionary from Burlington Church of Christ (in Burlington, North Carolina). Not long after being hired, Hammer’s father was very sick and even though Hammer was a small boy, he was permitted to be a night guard in his father’s place in order to take care of his family. While Hammer was working for Richard Hostetter, he was led to Christ. After finishing high school, Richard Hostetter helped him start his studies at Ghana Christian College. While Hammer was at Ghana Christian College, his dad became incapable of supporting them, and at the same time his mother was struck with tuberculosis. Hammer became the sole provider for his family of six. Even though he was facing a lot of circumstances while he was at college he still had a heart to serve the Lord. He was a dedicated driver for the Bible College and was also a deacon in Ghana Christian Church in Abeka, Accra. While Hammer was helping starting new churches in Ghana, he met a beautiful girl named Dela, whom he ended up marrying shortly after he graduated from College. After Hammer had graduated from College, he and Dela wanted to go to Togo to share the good news to his people and they made preparations to move to Vogan,Togo. Togo is a small country in West Africa about the size of West Virginia. Most Togolese are animists, worshiping idols made out of stone or clay or other nonliving things. On their way to Togo, they literally had to sell the tires off their motorcycle (which was their only means of transportation) in order to get across the border!
In 1989 Hammer, Dela were living in Vogan, using lantern for light and carrying water from the well. Due to Hammer’s good reputation in Ghana Christian University and in working with Richard Hostetter and other missionaries in Ghana, he was supported by Harvest Fields (a nonprofit organization that focuses on helping indigenous evangelists started by Lamar and Sue Tillman form Winston-Salem, North Carolina).
When Hammer settled in Vogan, Togo, he tried to find ways to build relationships with the local people. He did this through a weight lifting program, wound cleaning, and showing the Jesus film with a small projector run by a solar panel out in the surrounding villages. Since his wife Dela was from Ghana, she had to start learning how to cook the native Togolese dishes. She took this as an opportunity to build relationships with some of the local women. However, this was not easy as many people looked on her as an outsider, and often ridiculed things such as her cooking, or even her Ghanaian accent. However, over time God lead her to women who would eventually be some of the pillars for the church in Vogan. Despite the challenges Hammer and his family faced in Togo, the Lord used each one of these challenges to make the ministry grow in so many ways.
More recently the Lord used our supporting churches and partners in the ministry, and Harvest Fields to bring ministry to where it is today by God’s grace. Right now ongoing programs include: Church Planting, Medical Outreach, Aid for at risk children, Christian Education, and Community Development. All our programs work together to point to making disciples who make disciples.
Please come join us, walk with us, be our friends and partners. We need your help to Serve, Save and Extend the Lord’s Kingdom in Togo. Together we are planting the seed; the Lord will cause it to grow.
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