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Curtis Cochrane and
wife, Grace, with a 2 year old son, went to the Gold Coast, West
Africa, in the fall of 1946, as the first Baptist Missionaries of
Baptist Mid-Missions. There was very little Mission work being done
in the Gold Coast at that time, but there were several old country
churches there and a lot of people who were baptized by them but had
no idea what it meant to be saved. They spent about one and one-half
years in the capitol city of Accra and held Christian services in
homes and on the streets in the evenings.
Due to a very
serious illness of Curtis, they had to fly home. He spent several
weeks in a New York hospital. They went back to Africa the next year
and opened up a field in the far north where there was truly an open
door as there was nothing but a Catholic station a few miles farther
north. The government gave them 5 acres of land and they built their
home. They only lived there one term as Curtis was a diabetic and the
Mission didn't want him so far from a doctor. Other Missionaries were
there by that time so they replaced the Cochranes and they returned to
Accra. Curtis pastored the small church that had been started for
that term and the next term they opened up a Work in the new harbor
city of Tema. This was done with the help of the government as every
house was government owned. They got one in the name of the Mission
and enjoyed a wonderful 4 years of preaching and teaching.
Curtis was getting
very hard of hearing and finding it hard to work and answer the
people correctly. The Gold Coast had finally gotten their
independence and took the name of Ghana, named after a famous old
chief. They sailed home on a ship called the Black Star. They
decided to live out their retirement at Missionary Acres. They felt
they had made a wise choice as they loved the wonderful fellowship and
brotherly love and care.
Curtis went home to
be with the Lord and Grace hopes to continue at the Acres until God
calls her to her new and lasting home in Heaven.
Grace was 100 years
old August 13, 2009
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