Sowing By Grace
Witnessing God at work!
April 2026
Jared Bell with pastor Mathew Yennaah
Healing Hands, Open Hearts: A Conversation with Pastor Mathew
For five years, Grace Dental and Medical Missions (GDMMissions) has had the privilege of partnering with Pastor Mathew, a dedicated church planter in Ghana. His vision for reaching the lost through compassionate care has transformed communities. We asked him to discuss the impact of this partnership and the future of the Gospel in his region.
The Bridge of Compassion
Q: What first convinced you that medical missions would be a powerful tool for the Gospel in your context?
Pastor Mathew: I was deeply moved by the daily struggles and challenges my people faced due to a lack of basic healthcare. In prayer, I asked God to provide relief for their physical suffering. However, I realized that the relief God provides through medicine is, more importantly, a “wide door” for the Gospel. It is a channel to minister to spiritual needs, which far outweigh physical ones. Medical missions make it possible for many to hear the Word who might otherwise never step foot in a church.
Q: You have worked with GDMMissions for five years now. What long-term ministry impact have you observed during that time?
Pastor Mathew: The impact has been both numerical and spiritual. GDMMissions has significantly enhanced our local ministries. We see a consistent pattern: after the clinics are conducted, many people from the community begin joining the local churches. It isn’t just about a single day of care; it’s about people finding a permanent spiritual home.
Q: As healthcare infrastructure evolves in Ghana, why is this specific partnership still vital for the future of your church-planting efforts?
Pastor Mathew: Healthcare acts as a “bridge of compassion.” It allows the local church to provide “pre-evangelism” care, connecting individuals to a community that continues to love them long after the clinic ends.
Sustaining the Work
This work requires significant preparation and resources. GDMMissions has been instrumental in removing the physical barriers to our ministry. For example, the mission helped restore Pastor Paul Zinyeni’s vehicle and recently provided a used engine for my own van. These aren’t just mechanical repairs; they are tools that keep the Gospel moving.
Q: Is the investment of time and resources truly worth it?
Pastor Mathew: Absolutely. Through these medical missions, I now have five Muslim families and four other individuals from Muslim backgrounds who have joined my church. People are being saved, and their illnesses are being treated. It is a beneficial channel for reaching the unreached.
“My prayer is that God will provide continuously for this great work. May He strengthen our partnership and sustainability for the advancement of His Kingdom until the coming of Christ.” – Mathew Yennaah
Colin Ovenell
The Faithfulness of God on Display in Northern Benin
Wednesday, October 6, 2021, marked a pivotal day in the history of Grace Dental and Medical Missions’ (GDMM) efforts to promote the gospel in Northern Benin. What began as an exploratory visit by GDMM with hopes of expanding the existing ministry quickly turned into a crisis, as our missionaries and their partners with Faith Baptist Mission were evacuated from their homes by the government of Benin. Missionaries were given the option to repatriate or relocate to a different region of the country. Threats by jihadists, deemed credible by Beninese security forces, led to this sudden upheaval. Within a short span of time, these threats became reality as attacks began on military outposts along the borders with Niger and Burkina Faso.
While we rejoice in seeing God sovereignly protect our missionaries, we remain concerned for the ongoing work in which we have invested considerable time and resources. The immediate effects of the evacuation were disheartening. Morale among medical staff declined rapidly as questions arose about how to move forward in the absence of missionary personnel. This was followed by a steady decline in patient numbers as word spread that Americans would no longer be on-site to provide care. The clinic, which had been self-sustaining since its inception, suffered greatly as patient volume dropped, making it increasingly difficult to maintain standards and pay staff. Consequently, the difficult decision was made in August 2023 to release over one-third of the staff to streamline the ministry and continue moving forward.
The Lord used these challenging circumstances to remind our missionaries and staff that this is His clinic, and He is the one who established and sustained it along the way.
Following the downturn and a subsequent restructuring, we began to see the ministry shine once again. In the face of increasingly hostile conditions, patient confidence returned and numbers began to stabilize. The compassionate care patients received, along with their relative proximity to the facility, led to an increase in revenue.
A decision was then made to move forward with a long-desired expansion plan to include maternity services. In His perfect timing, the Lord provided both the staff and the facilities for this growth. A former missionary home was renovated to accommodate medical services, and former staff were informed that positions would be reopening. With all the essential elements now in place, we await government approval to begin services. Please pray with us that this approval will be obtained soon so that the clinic can expand to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the local population.
The light of Christ continues to shine in even the most challenging circumstances. The gospel was not hindered by these distressing times; in many ways, it has shone even brighter. This past Resurrection Sunday, 30 believers from Boïffo and surrounding villages were baptized, and another new church is being established in a nearby village. God is faithful, and His faithfulness is being made known through devoted servants who continue the work of reaching lost souls through compassionate medical care in Northern Benin.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9
Bryan Bell
NEW Mission Logistics Center
Over a year ago, the mission sold our office space and decided to build something more suitable for our needs. Since then, the foundation was completed in the spring, framing and roofing followed in the summer, and the windows and doors were installed in the fall. While we contracted out the foundation and shell, our staff and missionaries are performing much of the finish work to stay within available funds. This approach—combined with a few snags like a necessary town variance—has slowed our progress, but we are grateful to be moving forward.
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve installed insulation, drywall, and a heat pump on the top floor. We have already moved some mission equipment out of the storage trailer and into its future home. The building, which we are calling the “Mission Logistics Center” (MLC), is a 26’ x 34’ structure with a second floor. The main floor will provide ample space to organize, store, and pack supplies for our ministries, while the top floor will serve our office and conference needs.
We are excited to have this building in use soon. We still have quite a bit to do before it is fully functional, but if all goes well, the office space should be usable this coming month. Once the office space is ready, we will still need to finish the warehouse and staging portions of the building, as well as the siding and exterior work. Lord willing, we will be able to finish this project and have it in full use this summer.
If you live in the area and are interested in helping with this project, you can reach out HERE. You can also support this project financially HERE.
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