In the US, the world of evil spirits and magic spells becomes a national obsession just once a year—during Halloween. Creepy decorations and scary costumes might bring a momentary shudder, but the dark side of the supernatural realm quickly fades into the background as the focus shifts to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyday belief in the presence and power of evil forces mainly seems the stuff of superstitions and horror movies.

But in Sub-Saharan Africa, spiritual forces are palpable year round. Items like charms and amulets are ever-present evidence that beliefs in the spirit world are real and affect every aspect of life. In African traditional religion the natural world is filled with spiritual forces. There’s a fine line between the physical and spiritual world—so fine, in fact, that it often seems to dissolve.

Manipulating the Spirits

People try their best to deal with malevolent spirits by appeasing them and, if possible, using them to their advantage. Among other things, they turn to the spirits for power, protection, guidance, and healing. And one way they manipulate the spirits is through the charms they wear. Jewelry isn’t always just an accessory; it can be filled with power.

These basic bangles made of twisted metals are popular amulets in northern Ghana. People buy them in the market before they’re imbued with magical power. Then they take them to an earth priest or soothsayer and have them “charged up” with magical powers.

This Fulani toddler (above) at a Baptist clinic in West Africa, is wearing a magical, twisted metal bracelet, perhaps as an attempt to aid his recovery from his illness.

This Mamprusi leather worker in Ghana is making kanni, a magical charm that a woman wears around her waist. These are especially common for pregnant women to wear to protect them from harm during their pregnancy. Most of the talismans and amulets in northern Ghana are made by the local leather worker. A client provides the craftsman with something magical to put in the talisman—often a piece of paper with qur’anic verses written on it. The contents are always kept a secret. To reveal the secret could negate its magical powers.

A Senufo man in Burkina Faso shows off his magical jewelry. The rings and bracelet were passed down to him by his father and to him from his father. They are made of silver from old colonial coins. Both the pinky ring and the bracelet contain a box that has a powerful, secret object inside meant to protect the man from evil spirits and harm.

Toddlers in West Africa are often seen wearing threads laced across their chest from arm to arm. At first glance, the strings may appear decorative, but actually they’re a magical charm to heal a medical condition, usually coughing or breathing issues. The woven threads are nothing special, but a local healer will spit on them as he chants qur’anic incantations that are believed to give the thread healing powers.

When Magic Becomes a Weapon

An elder (on left) in the Mamprusi paramount chief’s court dances a war dance with an ancient spear at the annual Damba Festival. He wears a gba’anu, war gown, that is covered with magical talismans, many containing a strip of paper inscribed with qur’anic verses. The gown’s fabric has also been soaked in water that was used to wash off qur’anic verses written in chalk on a tablet—a practice believed to make the one wearing the gown impervious to gunfire and swords during battle.

Magic charms are not only defensive. Some can be offensive. Some people get magical amulets and potions that can be used to kill another person, make them sick, or harm them in some way.

Many tribes in northern Ghana pride themselves on their dancing. In dance competitions, men often carry special magic charms that are meant to “bind” other dancers so that they don’t perform as well. The dancer above wears this type of charm on his wrist as he dances.

This traveling cat salesman is riding his bike over one hundred kilometers to sell cats to an ethnic group that believes cats have magical powers. Black cats are believed to be especially powerful and fetch a much higher price. Some soccer goalies will seek out a magical stew that has cat paws in it. They believe the stew will give them cat-like reflexes and allow them to catch the ball better.

A newborn wears an amulet made from a piece of broken calabash on its wrist in Ghana. The bracelet was likely imbued with magical powers through a sacrifice to ancestors and is passed among relatives to put on babies in the family to protect them from harm.

Magic in the Modern World

Although Westerners tend to label such magic and mysticism as superstitions of a bygone era, they are a real (though ill-fated) attempt by Africans to navigate this broken world. Each of the amulets, talismans, and magical charms pictured above are part of their owner’s quest for power to counteract and overcome bad magic, sorcery, demons, witchcraft, sickness, and the daily challenges of modern life.

“The greatest need among African peoples is to see, know, and experience Jesus Christ as the victor over the powers and forces from which Africa knows no means of deliverance.”
—Dr. John Mbiti

Join us in praying for Africans to realize that Jesus—the one victorious over death—is more powerful than any spirit, amulet, or spell.

Power in Prayer

The apostle Paul reminds us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). His weapons of choice in the battle against evil are the armor of God and prayer.

• Pray followers of traditional religion will repent of sin and follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
• Pray African believers will find strength in the power of the Holy Spirit to confront suffering and life’s difficulties. Pray they will not be tempted to consult witch doctors or use magic to solve problems.
• Pray for theological educators in Africa as they train the next generation of church leaders who need to know how to address the issue of magic with their congregations.
• Pray that missionaries who have to confront magical beliefs and practices would be free from fear and communicate truth with wisdom and grace.

Recommended Reading

Free Indeed from Sorcery Bondage: A Proven Scriptural Ministry by Marvin S. Wolford.

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William went into Nalerigu’s market and gave himself 10 minutes to capture photos of the people and scenes using only his iPhone. Watch and see what a lively community we have full of kind, beautiful people in northern Ghana!

Here are the photos that were captured – all taken with an regular iPhone 15.

Don’t wait to buy expensive gear – get out with your smartphone and connect with people in your community today!

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This month, I had the incredible honor of being sent on a mission abroad by the NaYiri and the Mamprugu Traditional Council. I was headed to the UK for work, and the Overlord entrusted me with a Citation of Honor to deliver to Dr. Anthony Naden on his behalf.

Tony Naden is both a hero and a legend to me. He lived in a small, rural village in Mamprugu for more than 30 years and pioneered the development of the Mampruli orthography. With that critical foundation in place, he went on to lead the work on the first New Testament translations into Mampruli. For me, his most seminal contribution was the Mampruli–English Dictionary, which—along with the Mampruli Bible—was essential to Heidi’s and my own learning of the language when we first moved to Nalerigu, Ghana.

After years of corresponding by email, I finally met Tony in person in 2022. I was in London for work and managed to carve out a free afternoon to visit him.

On the day I left for London, I went to the palace and met with the paramount chief, along with his elders and subchiefs. They presented me with the citation and an official letter to deliver to Tony.

A few days later, I took the train to Pangbourne, where I met Tony (now 86!), his wife Di, and other members of his family. I spent several hours at their home listening to his remarkable stories of life in Mamprugu during the 1970s–90s. We also discussed the ongoing work on the Mampruli–English Dictionary, which I have been taking over and updating for modern media standards and use (more on that in a future post).

The highlight of the visit was presenting this great man with a token of appreciation from all of Mamprugu. His decades of work have had—and will continue to have—a lasting impact on the preservation of the Mamprusi people’s language and culture. It was deeply encouraging to see that the traditional leaders both understood and valued this contribution.

As the citation says, “We thank you for your great work and may God give you long life.“

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For well over a decade, we have enjoyed hiking to Gingana Mountain along the Gambaga Escarpment which overlooks the White Volta River. Occasionally, we hike down to the river but I’ve always been afraid to swim in it. It is very deep and appears to move very fast (just check out the rapids!).

This dry season we’ve made a couple hikes down to the river banks and the water level has been very low. Twice now we’ve gone swimming in it and it has been a really fun experience. In some spots, you can walk across the river with the water barely reaching your waist!

KJ is very fond of these excursions since she loves to swim and the closest swimming pools are over 100km away in Bolga or Tamale.

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This is the third time in 10 years that we’ve killed a large cobra in our yard and then eaten it. This was by far the largest and most terrifying cobra yet! Possibly also the most delicious.

Some photos from 2019 when we killed a cobra. That second time, I got much more creative with my recipe.

Photos from 2017 when we killed the first one:

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A teenage girl presented to the hospital with several days of abdominal pain and an inability to pass stool or gas. Her symptoms were vague, so it wasn’t immediately clear to the admitting physician that surgery might be necessary. The ward doctor called me for a second opinion, unsure whether an operation would be required.

Initial Assessment

Before seeing the patient, I reviewed her labs, vital signs, and imaging. The only available image was a chest X-ray, but enough of the abdominal cavity was visible for me to identify the problem: cecal volvulus. An elongated cecum that is not properly fixed to the abdominal wall has a tendency to twist on itself. When the colon twists and becomes obstructed, bacteria inside produce gas, causing the bowel to inflate. On X-ray, the twisted cecum often resembles the profile of an embryo—hence the classic “embryo sign.”

Preoperative Management

It was late in the day, so we focused on resuscitation and preparation: administering IV fluids and antibiotics, placing a nasogastric tube and Foley catheter, and obtaining abdominal X-rays to confirm the diagnosis. The x-rays of the abdomen showed the clear “embryo sign” confirming my diagnosis.

Operative Findings

In the operating room, we found the cecum twisted into the left upper quadrant. We carefully untwisted the bowel, which fortunately was viable with no signs of compromise. Because recurrence is highly likely, the best treatment is a right hemicolectomy (removal of the last part of the small intestine and all of the right side of the colon up to the first part of the transverse colon). I performed an end-to-end anastomosis between the ileum and transverse colon.

The patient recovered well and regained normal bowel function.

I am grateful for the training that allows me to recognize subtle findings—even when only partially visible. Early recognition leads to timely treatment and better outcomes.

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We were blessed to have Trey join us this Christmas holiday so we took the opportunity to update our family’s photos. We haven’t had a proper family photo together in 18 months!

Two bonus photos: The first is of KJ with her best friend Favour. The second is a portrait of Heidi with an in-camera effect done with a makeup mirror.

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Merry Christmas! It’s time for our annual tradition (17 years and counting) of doing a timelapse video of us putting up our Christmas tree. We’re back in Ghana this year and, again, Trey isn’t with us this time since he’s off at university. However, he will be joining us in a couple weeks once he’s finished with his semester.

See all the past years’ below:

Here’s the 2023 one:

Here’s the 2022 one:

Here’s the 2021 one:

Here’s the 2020 one:

Here’s the 2019 one:

Here’s the 2018 one:

Here’s the 2017 one:

Here’s the 2016 one:

Here’s the 2015 one:

And here’s the 2014 one:

And here’s the 2012 one:

And here’s the 2011 one:

And here’s the 2010 one:

And here’s the 2009 one:

And the 2008 one…

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Over the past couple of months, I performed two thoracotomies—surgical procedures to open the chest. It had been a long time since I last did this type of surgery, but I felt it was still within my skill set.

Case 1: An 11-Year-Old Girl with Severe Chest Infection

The first case involved an 11-year-old girl with a serious infection in her right chest. She had persistent high fevers and required oxygen support. When listening with stethoscope, the right side of the chest was very quiet, with no breath sounds. Ultrasound showed that the lung lobes were collapsed and fibrinous material was floating around in the fluid.

We inserted a chest tube and drained seropurulent fluid (a mix of watery and purulent material). A follow-up X-ray showed most of the fluid was gone, but air remained in the chest. With each subsequent X-ray, the lung continued to deflate instead of reinflating. Although she no longer needed oxygen, her recovery stalled. Some of the fibrinous material seen earlier had now adhered tightly to the lung and the inner chest wall, forming what is called a fibrothorax. The lung was trapped in a rigid “rind,” unable to expand.

Knowing the family could not afford a referral to the teaching hospital, I explored treatment options. I called a colleague from residency, who recommended a thoracotomy with decortication (removal of the “rind” to allow the lungs to expand again). It had been years since I opened a chest, but I believed I could do it. I asked questions, sought advice, anticipated complications, and prepared both myself and the patient for surgery.

The Operation

Through a posterolateral incision between the 5th and 6th ribs—with controlled cuts of both ribs—we entered the chest. The lungs were deflated and encased in a thin rind covering both the lung tissue and the pleura (the lining of the chest wall). I carefully scraped off as much of the rind as possible. I noticed a small injury and air leak on the upper lobe but decided it was best to leave it alone.

By the end of the case, the anesthetist gave big breaths through the breathing tube, and we watched the lung expand to the chest wall. We placed two chest tubes, closed her up, and sent her to recovery. The next day’s X-ray looked better, though not perfect.

Over the next two weeks, despite adjusting the chest tubes—using suction and water seal bottles—the X-rays showed that the gains from surgery were gradually lost.

The Outcome

It was discouraging at first, until I realized the girl was clinically improving. Her fevers were gone, and her oxygen saturation stayed at 98–99%. I eventually removed the tubes and discharged her after six weeks in the hospital. Her X-rays didn’t show complete success, but her health had undeniably improved. I told her to go home, return to school, play with friends, and sleep in her own bed.

When she and her mother returned two weeks later, they looked like new people—rested, well-fed, and healthy. It took several follow-ups to see significant improvement on X-rays, but her overall recovery was clear.

Case 2: A 9-Year-Old Girl

About a month later, I performed another thoracotomy on a 9-year-old girl with a less extensive disease process.

This time, the rind was easier to remove, and I was more confident and aggressive. She stayed in the hospital for only a week before going home.

Reflections

My first thoracotomy wasn’t perfect, but the child improved. I wish I had done the second case first—it would have prepared me better for the more complex situation. Still, I’m grateful for the outcomes in both cases.

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An exciting opportunity has arisen for William in northeastern Ghana. The region has just launched its first satellite TV channel that is focused on content in Mampruli or relating to Mamprugu. As a new launch, they are desperate for content and guess who happens to have been making cultural content about northeastern Ghana for the past decade? William!

William met with the owner, and together they agreed on a partnership. He will be providing them with his vast archive of videos (many of which are on William’s YouTube channel) as well as creating new content. It has been a great motivator to finish some of his projects that have been on the back burner for a while.

The station will also broadcast Christian content from William on Sundays. To start, they are showing the Generosity film he made a couple of years ago as well as broadcasting the LUMO project Mampruli edits he has done. Currently, this includes the Book of Mark, but he is working on delivering the Book of Luke to them soon. William hopes to start some Mampruli Bible Storying projects like the one he worked on a few years ago in Burkina Faso.

Unlike the US, where people have cable TV subscriptions or streaming packages, across Africa the vast majority of televised content is consumed via satellite TV. A personal satellite TV setup is fairly inexpensive and doesn’t rely on any infrastructure (other than electricity). Folks simply buy a dish and a decoder, and they are ready to go.

The flip side of that business model is that the satellite TV company is very interested in hyper-local channels to target specific regions on the continent. All that is needed is a good desktop computer, a reliable internet connection (enter StarLink), and enough content to stream 168 hours a week. They stream their feed over the internet to the satellite company (in this case, MultiChoice based out of South Africa) and they, in turn, broadcast it up to their satellites and back down to West Africa. By offering so many free, local channels they expand their consumer base and hope that those consumers will eventually start paying for premium packages that include movie and sports channels.

I’m excited that this provides an opportunity to boost interest in the culture, history, and language of Mamprugu. It also opens so many doors to sharing the gospel and improving the biblical literacy of the Christians in northern Ghana.

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This year marked a first for me as I was asked to be the Chairman of the Children’s Ministry Week at First Baptist Church of Nalerigu. Unlike a chairman of a board or typical business chairman roles, this is more of an honorable title.

I didn’t have many heavy responsibilities other than to be present a various events throughout the weekend – especially the climax worship service. I was asked to lead prayers and gave a couple brief “speeches” accepting my chairmanship and making closing remarks.

To kick off the week, we had a “float” or parade through town with all the kids. I drove my truck loaded up with all the toddlers who couldn’t walk the 2 mile parade route.

Sunday was the “climax” – a Sunday morning service that featured Scripture recitation by kids, spoken word recitation by kids, worship music led by kids, cultural dances by kids and a sermon preached by a young boy and translated into Mampruli by a young girl. It was very impressive!

Below are some videos of the service and I highly recommend you watch some of the cute little kids recite their Bible verses as well as the young boy Famous’ sermon.

William is Introduced as Chairman of the event

William’s ChairPerson acceptance speech

A Bunch of the cutest little kids came up to recite memory verses

ONe boy knocked it out of the park reciting all of Acts 2:1-30

Children performed traditional Cultural dances like the ‘Gyɔŋŋu’

A Young Boy Named Famous Gave a Great Short Sermon

WIlliam’s Closing Remarks

Portraits of some of the attendees

First Baptist Church of Nalerigu, Ghana has a historic steeple with a church bell from Decatur, GA. The church has outgrown its original 1950s building and has been slowly building a new sanctuary beside it to accommodate the larger congregation.

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