Forwarding Agent:

Mrs. Paula Bounds

3712 Eagle Lane
Betiiany, Oklahoma
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U U
FEBfiUARY 1966
-ARRESTED AS A SPY
Edgar Nichols
P. 0. Box 1977
Kumasi, Ghana
Feb. 4, 1966
Shortly after daybreak on Dec. 3rd a big black car pulled up in front
of the house and seven big men piled out and swarmed all over the place.
I was placed under arrest and the house thoroughly searched. All of this
was the result of spy charges made against me by Pastor Hayford.
I sat on a chair in the presence of these men while they read my per
sonal correspondence, searched my files, and scru"inized every tract,
pamphlet, and scrap of paper. One's conscience may be quite clear, one's
motives above reproach, but still one does not feel entirely comfortable
under such circumstances. I read my Bible and found strength and quietness.
At times I prayed that some tract or pamphlet mignt prove to be the good
seed which would strike root, grow, and bring forth fruit unto eternal-
life.
After about two hours of this, a few letters and periodicals, which for
some reason had caught their interest, my tabe recorder and tapes, and I
were bundled into the car and taken to headquarters. There, after a long
wait, I was questioned by two different officers and then asked to sign a
statement covering the answers to these questions. I was asked _
to play some of the tapes, but they were satisfied after the playing of
one. These tapes were mostly copies of Bible recordings and recorded ser
vices of Ark ^lley_Chri^tijui Church, J^Viciidta^ ^ .
During the day Brother Sampong of Afrantwo and Brother John Gyedu of
Winneba showed up. They were able to testify as to my character and as
to my work as a missionary. This was very valuable assistance. I had
sent for Brother Sampong, but Brother Gyedu's coming was unexpected. -^9,
said he had something like a premonition that he should come, and thus it
worked out according to the providence of God.
At 4 PM I was released on my own recognizance but asked to return in two
days. After this session my tape recorder was returned. I did not^
receive my passport back until shortly before the Christmas Convention,
and only lately have all travel restrictions been removed.
Looking back on the whole affair, I can see both plus and minus
factors. On the credit side, I have greater confidence than ever in the
government of Ghana and in their police. They had a job to do and they
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did it efficiently and without prejudice. For the Church, it seems that
such a time of testing was necessary, that the thoughts of men's hearts
might be revealed. Also, it seems that tne way is cleared now for the
granting of the quota.
On the other side of the ledger, I have seldom been as disappointed
as I have in a certain person who was formerly very close to me. He is
personable, intelligent, and gifted with the power of persuasive speech.
ne is eloquent, both in English and in the vernacular, and I judged him to
be completely dedicated. But I have evidence, which I am forced to accept,
that it. was he who made the latest complaint. This on top of the one pre
viously made by Hayford brought the police. This man has left us and is
working with another group and I can only pray that he will truly repent.
Pastor Hayiord has confessed to his part in the plot and is pleading
that the church readmit him. I tell the brethren it is up to them. Per
sonally, I think he is a mental case and that until he shows signs of im-
-pr-vement-^.-both mentally and spiritually, it might bea.source of embar
rassment to have him in the fellowship.
CHRISTMAS CONVENTION.
The annual Christmas Convention of the Universal Christian Church
held at Aseswa Dec. 2^127 was well attended and a good spirit prevailed
throughout. There were 200 who receive the Lord's Supper at the service
on Sunday afternoon and an estimated ^00 in attendance at the evening ser
vice. In a short service of prayer and dedication, ten ministers of the
Universal Christian Church were recognized by the granting of certificates
of ordination. Pive younger men were set apart for the preaching of the
Word, These will be considered probationary pastors. After faithfully
fulfilling their duties for one year, they will be ordained as ministers.
The public address system, newly repaired, was put to good use at the
convention. We wish to thank our friends, ivir. & Mrs. Kenneth Keller from
Edon, Ohio, whose gift covered the cost of putting this useful tool back
into service.
Pray for God's people in Ghana.
-May--the-God- of--peace be _with _,yoji.. _
HIS servant and yours,
Edgar Nichols
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Box 8
Rolling Prairie, Ind 46571
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U. S. POSTAGE
1/^0 PAID
Permit No. 1
Rolling Prairie, Ind.
Forwarding Agent;
Mrs. Paula Bounds
3712 Eagle Lane
Bethany, Okilanoma
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JUNE 1966
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Edgar Nichols
Box 231
Toppenish,
Washington
THAT YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANEVilSLETTER in the last two montjas hp not
been due to lack of news, neither has it been the fault of _the publpher.
We will have to put the blame squarely on the writer, who opt did not ge
Anything writtenT He asks for your in^lgenee, and^hops tMt -^phe re-
Ooicing over the wonderful happenings herein related, all will be forgiven.
' ' After the events chronicled in the last letter, I was feeling sopwpt
depressed. I decided to go to Nigeria, to visit Bptpr Baugpan, and stay
for an indefinite period. The brethren did not take to the pea pry ^
kindly, but I told them to go ahead working on the quota, and if they we.we
successful, I would return. I set a day for my departure, but two days
before this date a'coup took place in Nigeria. The goverppt was over-
thrown, unrest and rioting were rife, and air travel was pUep Wpn con
ditions had returned' to normal and travel was possible I had chpged my
mind. X decided it was not God's will for me toleave at that time. 1
decided' to move out. to Afrancho and fellowship with the very fine Christ
ians of this community for some time. This is the community which h&s
given us,a 460 acre farm, and is willing to build a small hospital for us
if we will furnish a doctor and nurses. In this community the church bells
ring every morning at 5:50, and many people come to the church for prayers ,
before starting out on the day's work.
One day I suddenly took the notion that I wanted to visit mvmisspp
ary friends, the Davenports, in Kumasi. VJe had an enjoyable vpit, pa
accepted their invitation to stay all night. Bext mornpg quite ppy-,
Brother Davenport, with face half shaven, rushed into the room, saying,
"The army and police have taken over the government of Gpp - My paction
was, "No' it can't be". It .seemed too good to be true, bp it was true.
"Naturairy,'~we staTed prWty" close--to-The'-i^di daY.Inhere werpno
reports of violent Lt I was very thankful to be where I had good cover
age of what was taking place.
The spontaneity of the people as tney demonstrated in the streets, and
the joy which shone on their faces testified to their genuine plief in
being delivered from a despotic communist regime. When we read accosts
in the newspapers of how crowds had broken into the Communist .
center in Accra, gathered up the books and pamphlets and made a bonfire out
of them, it did our hearts good. We had been through the painful experi
enoe of seeing the communist take over West China and Tibet, and now to see
the reverse happen made us feel real good.
One week after the coup I proposed to Pastor Sampong that we go to
Accra and make inquiries about our request for a qupa of I.
thought it too soon to find out anything definite, but agrpd to p wph me
Upon our arrival, we went directly to the Ministry of the Interior. e
found the office largely deserted, but were able to locate a secretary
who told us to return the next day. V/e did, and on tp morrow we were
handed the official papers granting the Universal Christian Church of
-Hyhetna-aquota^-of ton .famili.es-.- -- -
This was cause for great rejoicing, but it also created something p a
problem. IWe were hardly prepared for this as we had not expected a quota
of more than five. However, we felt that as God had opened the doors in
this marvelous way, they must be entered. It was decided that I should
return to the States to inform the churches of the opportunity before us
and to enlist workers for the task.
I have been in the States since March 25th, 1966. Starting with East
ern Christian College, I have visited the campuses of nine of our loyal
Bible Colleges. There has been a heartening response. Two fine young
families are definitely committed to Ghana, and several more are vitally'
interested. I am in correspondence with several who are nearing the ^9^"
elusion of their medical training, and among tnese we are sure there will
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be some wiio find God's leading in tbe direction of Gbana. We are inter
ested in iiearing from preacJaers, evangelists, teacbers, farmers, and
builders wbo feel that God would have them work for Him in Ghana. We are
interested in hearing from proiessional people who might consider a
position in Ghana. There are many ways by which the work of the Lord can
be promoted, and all of these should be utilized.
To go back a bit, on my trip home I spent two weeks with Brother Don
Baughman and the Le May family in Otta, Nigeria. I certainly enjoyed the
fellowship with these fine Christisins, and the opportunity to consider
together the needs of West Africa. We held preliminary talks concerning
the future, and the advisability of joining forces under the aegis of the
West Africa Christian Mission. I found Brother Baughman's ideas to be
similar to mine; that such an organization should not be an authoratative
body but merely for mutual helpfulness. Conferences with Forest Hill
Christian Church and other interested parties showed unanimous approval of
this idea. Therefore, we are pleased to report that the Nichols are now a
part of the West Africa Christian Mission. We wish it understood that
is-not merely a name, but that we propose a serious attempt to evangelize
the 68,000,000 people who reside in VJest Africa.
I have not been able to visit many of our supporting churches, as my
efforts nave been directed towards visiting the colleges and interviewing
prospective candidates for the work in Ghana. I was privileged to be part
in the Missions Rally at Mimosa Heights Christian Church, Oklahoma City,
May 6-8, and enjoyed a wonderful day of fellowship with Brother George
McElroy and the Forest Hill Christian Church on Sunday, May 17th. Now, I
am at home in Toppenish, Washington. The joys of reunion help to compen
sate, somewhat, for the long hours of separation, which are often neces
sary in the life of a missionary.
I am pretty well booked up with camps and conventions until the 6th
of August. I am accepting dates for August in the Chicago area, Michigan,
Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. I am accepting dates for Mission Confer
ences and Faith-Promise Rallies up to December 1, 1966. Let us know if we
can be of service to you. I expect to be in the MidWest States, Iowa to
Colorado, South Dakota to Texas, in the months of September, October, and
November.
Mrs. Nichols joins me in thanking you for your continuing support
through your prayers and gifts.
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God the Father and from our Lord
Jesus Christ.
,Yours,
Edgar Nichols
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Box 8
Rolling Prairie, Ind 46571
Non-profit Organization
U. S. Postage
PAID
Rolling Prairie, Ind.
Permit No. 1
c?P crrrj
Edgar & Mabel Nichols
Missionaries to Ghana
Affiliated with Vilest
Africa Christian Mission
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September 1965
Forwarding Secretary
Clarence A. Bangs
Box 8
Rolling Prairie, Ind
4-6371
pear Friends; . .
When I left Ghana in March of this year_i;^hoped to be able to return
within six months. That was fj^ttrb^'optimiatic an .es1jf.mate of what I would
be able to accomplish in^.ad. short a time. Now it is the plan of Mrs.
Nichols and myself to l|eave in February of 196? for the/work which awaits
us in Africa. [ " --i .
I was able to visit the nampu^es^^X-Jii3!i^""of our Bible Colleges before
the end of the school year and I expect soon to be able to announce the
nsoaes of some who have made their decision and are preparing to go to
Ghana. I plan to visit several more of the Bible Colleges this fall and
am scheduled to take part in several Faith-Promise Rallies. It has been
thrilling to see the great interest shown in the work in Ghana and the
opportunities open there. We are confident that churches and individuals
are going to rise to the occasion and the need for workers will be metV
Mrs. Nichols and I wore happy to greet many of you at the North
American Christian Convention in Louisville. It truly was a most inspiring
convention. The fellowship, which afforded an opportunity to meet old
friends and to make new ones was a most appreciated feature. The booth
of the Vilest Africa Christian Mission was visited by many and was the
subject of much favorable comment- Brother Don Baughman was responsible
for the general design of the booth and for the photography, and Mrs.
K. V/arren V/oodrome for the fine art work on the posters.
We hope to.meet many of you at the National Missionary Convention,
September 27-50? at Fort V/ayne, Indiana. A great program has been planned.
Many are hoping and praying that it will not be just another convention,
but that it will mark the beginning of a new era in world evangelism.
Surely "times like these" demand full dedication on the part of all
Christians.
Because of the high cost of living in Ghana, we need about $200 a
month of additional pledged support. Also, there are several items of
equipment which we could use, such as a portable typewriter, P. A. system,
and 8mm movie camera. Perhaps some church or mission organization might
like to furnish one of these. We plan to take a pickup truck with a
camper back to Ghana. We hope to have an interesting announcement in our
next newsletter concerning this matter.
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Professor Gibson's letters to me are full of enthusiasm, passion,
and poignancy; enthusiasm because of the great opportunities presented,
passion for the souls that need to be reached, and poignancy because he
is only one person and can be in only one of the many needy places at
one time.
I am pleased to announce my daughter Lois and son-in-law Clarence
have assumed the respondsibility of being our Forwarding Secretary. You
may direct all correspondence and gifts for us to them from now on.
We are very grateful for the dedicated service of Mrs. Paula Bounds
as she has served as our Forwarding Secretary. Due to added respond-
sibilities she is unable to continue. We are greatly indebted to her for
her fine work as she served the Lord in this splendid way.
Fow may grace and peace from God, the Father, and from our Lord
Jesus Christ be with each of you.
In His service of love,
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Box 8
Rolling Prairie, Ind 45571
Edgar & Mabel Nichols
SEP 21 raw
Non-profit Organization
U. S. Postage
PAID
Rolling Prairie, Ind.
Permit No. 1
r uir^
2J,//
Edgar & Mabel Nichols
Missionaries to Ghana
Affiliated with West
Africa Christian Mission
NOVEMBER 1966
Forwarding Secretary
Clarence A. Bangs
Box 8
Rolling Prairie, Ind.
46571
Bear Christian Friends:
We still have our eyes fixed on February 20th as the date
'when Mrs. Nichols and I will leave for Ghana. We need to raise
5^3,000 before that date with which to buy a pickup truck and camper.
Petrol, gasoline to us, is practically SI.00 per U. S. gallon, diesel
fuei-:'-'ah'b'ut half that. We wish to take a yz ton diesel powered Chevy
^>^'-ickup, jyhich will enable us to make enormous savings on our trans-
'portabardn costs. Vi/ill you please bring this need before the group or
;--Giaurch of which you are a part. We need 30 such groups or individuals
to give or pledge SlOO within the next two months. Please be in
prayer about this urgent need.
At the Missionary Convention in Ft. Vifayne we met Brother ,K^nt
Ta.ylo_r._ latest recruit to Ghana, who has had a successf^nmihistry"^
a period of years at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. V\/e were favorably
impressed with Brother Kent and we ask that, if possible, you have
him speak for your congregation and do all in your power to speed
him on his way to Ghana, the need is urgent. We have talked with
and are in correspondence with several fine prospects for the mission
field. Vi/e confidently expect to have five families in Ghana by the .
>ae of the year 1967 and our full guota of ten within another
year. Then, we will go for a larger quota.
Sometimes I get very tired traveling. What I mean is that I
get fed up with the discomforts of traveling and of being separated
from loved ones- for such long periods, however,, one does meet a
lot of wonderful people, experience a warm fellowship with saints in
many widely scattered places, and receive a great lift from feeling
that he is a part of a vigorous and growing movement. These are just
some of the compensations, as before us we have the goal of serving
our Lord in a needy place Vi/here the laborers are few.
Yours in Christ,
Edgar Nichols