Back to the Steps

In just a few short days I get to return to the city that captured my heart last October . . . New York City that is.  In truth it wasn't the city, but the people.  It was in the conversations with homeless individuals and in the faces of children that have seen too much for their age that I learned what true love meant.

I remember sitting on the steps of a church talking with a man who would be sleeping on the same step that night.  As we talked I asked if there was anything I could pray with him for.  Expecting him to smirk at me and ask for prayer for a house or a job, I was surprised when he said he would love prayer for a new pair of socks and some toothpaste.   So practical.  I remember that little boy I got to make paper airplanes with.  He didn't want me to leave just as much as I longed to stay. 

It was there that I learned the importance of attention.  The impact of showing someone that they are someone.  The difference a smile and a kind word can make in the life of someone who is too often ignored. 

I return this time not as part of a mission team, but as a tourist.  Yet with Christ as my Savior I am an ambassador of Christ wherever I am, in whatever context, and at whatever time.  I pray that I will not get so caught up in the "tourist" side of my trip that I forget to use every opportunity and chance to show Christ's love to those around me.  Let this be my prayer not just as I head out of my own community, but every morning when the Lord opens my eyes to a new day.

A House of Prayer for All Nations

Good evening, everyone!  I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post.  Originally, I was going to share information and prayer points for various nations from the awesome book Operation World.  The more I considered this, however, the more I felt that perhaps I shouldn't share too much of this books wonderful wealth of information and, instead, encourage you to purchase the book and work through it on your own.  I'll still share tidbits of information and a shortened list of prayer points for various countries, but I strongly encourage you to check out the book for more thorough and detailed information.  (You might even be able to find it at your local library!)

My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. - Isaiah 56:7b

Here are some countries that I've kept on my prayer list the last several weeks:

Afganistan:  Pray for freedom from religious oppression, safety for the Christians there, and the workers that God is raising up to minister there.

Albania:  Pray against indifference.  That God would bring revival.

Algeria: As another Muslim country, pray for freedom and again for God to raise up workers who will passionately share the love of Christ.

The American Samoa:  Pray for awakening.

Andorra:  A little country tucked between France and Spain, this nation is very wealthy.  Pray against the spirit of materialism and for God to bring a true spirituality to the people there.

In addition to the countries I've been reading about in Operation World, I've also been praying for several nations that have been expressing difficult situations recently.

Sudan and South Sudan:  South Sudan declared independence this past Saturday, July 9.  Please pray for peace between these two nations.  Pray also for South Sudan as they set up their government, currency, etc.

Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya:  The horn of Africa has been hit with a devastating drought.  Many people, especially in Somalia, have been effected and are trying to find aid.  Many of these individuals have traveled into Ethiopia and into refugee camps in Kenya.  Pray for those who are forced to leave their homes in order to survive.  Pray for Kenya as they are working towards accepting more and more refugees.  Pray that their newest refugee camp will be completed and opened for the use of these people in desperate need.  Give God praise as well!  For the first time Somalia is allowing international aid in their country.  Pray that this would be an opportunity to bring more religious freedom and an open door to share the Gospel more freely with the people there.

Egypt:  Pray for continued peace.  I have a friend serving there with a missions team. Please keep him and that mission group in your prayers as well.

Nigeria:  The Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group in Nigeria, has launched several attacks in the past couple months causing many casualties.  Many citizens have had to flee their homes in Northern Nigeria to find safety elsewhere.  Pray for peace.

This is only a brief list of countries, but every nation on this planet needs our prayers.  Please join me in praying for God to raise up workers in these nations, pray for freedom of religion that would allow Christians worldwide to publicly praise God's name, and pray for those around the world who are suffering and in dire need of a Savior.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." - Matthew 9:37

Operation World - A Heart for the Nations

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens! – Psalm 148:13

It's been a while since my last post.  Forgive me.  Since returning from Ghana life has been a little busy!  There was much school work to catch up on . . . and I'm still not done.  But God is awesome and I felt led to forgo work for a few minutes and share some thoughts.

Only this morning God began to speak to me about the importance of mission here.  Many times we think of God working in the "there and then" rather than the "here and now."  Often we think of mission trips planned months in advance as the time when God will use us.  Or we wait for our church to organize something in order for us to share the Gospel and the love of Christ.  What I'm learning is that God moves much more in the here and now if you are open to His leading.  Don't be afraid to share what the Lord has done for you.  A simple story, even a short greeting could change a life forever.  In a sermon I heard this morning the pastor said, "If God has shown you mercy this week, tell someone!"

In addition to serving by living a life worthy of our calling each and every day in order to be witness of the love of God to those around us, we are also called to pray for those around the world.  Over the past couple weeks, and the past couple days in particular, God has really laid the nations on my heart.  I attended a course this past week on the history of missions around the world.  Part of this course involved presentations on the various regions of the world and the work of local missions within them. 

Some quick facts on missions around the world:  1/3 of the global population (2 billion people) are professing Christians, 1/3 (or 2 billion people) are non-Christians who have heard the Gospel, and 1/3 (2 billion people) are non-Christians who have never heard the Good News of Jesus!  When I heard these numbers I was astounded.  Here's more:  there are approximately 495,000 missionaries in the world.  Of those, approximately 2-3% of them are serving with un-reached people groups.

As I sat listening to all that God is doing and all that is still to be done, God led me to a book called Operation World.[1]  This book is incredible!  It includes information on every country in the world and then shares answered prayers and points for continued prayer.  While discussing these nations in class God put it on my heart to move through this book country by country and pray for them. 

The first country I'm focusing on is Afghanistan.  Let me share a few facts I've learned recently: 

• 46% of the population is under 15 years old
• Life expectancy is 43.6 years
• There is limited freedom to practice religions other than Wahhabist Islam and there appears to be "no freedom to propagate another faith or to covert from Islam."
• It is considered "the world's most dangerous place for a child to be born" due to high infant and maternal mortality rates.
• 78% do not have regular access to clean water.
• A recent BBC article indicated that this past May was the deadliest month for Afghanistan with almost 400 civilians killed in conflict-related incidents.

This is only a small portion of the information I've learned since reading about this country in Operation World.  Please join me in praying for genuine freedom, an improved quality of life, and a move of the Spirit within the Afghan people.  I don't just want to share the "down" stuff, but also want to share that compared to only a few decades ago when barely a couple dozen Christians could be found in the entire country, there are now a couple hundred believers!  God is already moving among the people, let us pray for those who are taking the Message to them and for the Christians there who are facing persecution as they attempt to spread the Gospel of Christ.

Our God is a God of the nations.  He loves every man, woman, and child on this earth no matter their ethnicity, nationality, income, health status, etc.  We, therefore, should share God's heart for the nations and pray for them.  Please join me in praying and believing for God to bring a great revival among the people of the world.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! – Psalm 150:6

---

[1] Mandryk, Jason. Operation World. 7^th ed. Colorado Springs, CO:  Biblica Publishing (2010).

Whatever my lot . . .

As I very slowly begin to process the events of my time in Ghana, West Africa, I feel led to share some of those revelations with you.  First of all, this experience has been such a humbling learning experience for me.  The people on my team were so incredibly anointed and used by God.  I learned so very much from each of them and am looking forward to another opportunity to use what I've learned and learn even more. 

Here are a few things I've taken note of since being back:

During our decent into Norfolk I suddenly thought of the idea of being able to brush my teeth using water from a faucet.  It may seem silly, but this brought tears to my eyes!  I still can't explain it entirely, but the idea that I can have confidence that the water I get from my house is clean and pure enough for me to swallow is a blessing.

The first night I was home, I had a difficult time falling asleep because it was too quiet.  There was no music outside my window, no goats, no chickens.  I just laid there thinking how blessed I was to have a bed, a roof, air conditioning, a blanket, and so many other things that we might consider minor.  I thought of the people I met over the two weeks who slept on concrete sidewalks next to their vending booths or in mud huts surrounded by mosquitoes.

When I got in my car to drive somewhere on Friday I was amazed at how smooth and quiet it was!  I didn't hit a single pot hole, didn't have to slow down halfway through acceleration to shift gears, and it was quiet.

During church services on Sunday, God spoke to me on several issues, two in particular.  First was the idea that though my body may grow weary, the Lord is my Strength and His Strength never runs out.  I got less sleep over the two weeks I was away than I would normally allow myself to get by with.  And although I was doing so much more physically than I was used, I never felt too tired to help someone or go the extra distance to offer assistance.

Finally, we sang a song during worship that I had heard many times before, but never understood in the way I do now.  One of the lines says, "Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well with my soul . . . '"  In Ghana there is a Twi phrase "Gye Nyame" which means "But God."  Essentially, this phrase is saying no matter what situation I'm in, no matter what is going on, God is there.  He is my Sustainer, my Provider.  All this may be happening, but God!  After seeing the living situations of many of the people we met, I have a new understanding of the phrase "whatever my lot."  And despite what these people endure on a daily basis, they say, "It is well, it is well with my soul."  May we learn how to say this in our lives in the face of whatever the enemy attempts to use to bring us down.

We're Back!

Our flight was supposed to leave Accra on Thursday at 9:40am local time (5:40am EST), but due to a problem with the detection system we took off around 11:30am local time.  Overall the flight was good and we made up an hour in the air, landing at 6:20pm EST.  From there we each left to find our connecting flight.  Mine happened to be in another terminal so there was lots of running around for a while after customs to find the shuttle and get to the next gate.  When we arrived there it seemed like everyone was leaving from the same gate! 

Turns out there was bad weather earlier in the day which delayed a lot of flights.  Although we boarded the plane just before 9pm, we didn't take off until 2am!  After such a long flight before it and being pretty tired I was a little upset at how long we had to wait . . . until I met Betty.  I had purposefully chosen my seat for this flight so I would be near the back in a window seat, but when I boarded the plane someone was sitting there.  She asked if I could trade seats with her so she could sit with her husband.  How could I say no?  This put me a little further up on an aisle.  At that point I had been sitting in a window seat for the past 12 hours so that didn't bother me to much.  In the window seat sat an elderly lady that I later learned was Betty.  She was traveling from Kathmandu, Nepal where she lives.  I asked her how long it took to fly here.  As we counted up all her flights and layovers we discovered that she had been traveling for 40 hours already!  And when we got to Norfolk she still had to take a shuttle to Portsmouth!  This helped me put everything in perspective so that delay in our flight wasn't such a big deal anymore. 

We finally landed in Norfolk at 2:45am, gathered my bags, and headed home.  It's funny the things I've really noticed so far.  As we came in for landing I almost cried at the thought of being able to brush my teeth using water from my sink!  Silly, but it was such a blessing.  My car also seemed to run smoother on the roads after all the bumps and potholes in Ghana and the fact that most cars are stick shift.  And going to sleep was so hard . . . it was quiet!  I'm still not entirely adjusted to where I am.  Sometimes I forget where I was just a couple days ago while other times I have a hard time believing I'm back in the States now. 

Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the members of our team as we re-adjust to time zones and culture while processing all we've seen and done over the past couple weeks.

Praises:
- We made it home!  No one got sick on the trip and God surely met us there!

Village and Youth (Mon/Tues)

Monday morning was supposed to begin with a visit to a local mosque.  Tamale is the Muslim capital of Ghana so there are many mosques throughout the city.  Unfortunately there was a bit of miscommunication and the sheik was not expecting us. He and a local imam came onto the bus to greet us briefly before we continued on to one of the villages. 

At the village we saw where we would be spending the night.  :)  As we walked over to see some of what the women do during the day I acquired several children that attached themselves to my hands!  The women were filling large bowls with dirt and carried them on their heads to a new compound they were building.  Several of my team members joined in to try it, but I couldn't figure out a way to politely wiggle my hands free from the children.  One of my team members saw my dilemma and came over to take the childrens' hands while I tried carrying the pot on my head.  I was too nervous to take my hands away with the bowl full, but was pretty descent at it with the bowl empty!

Next we saw where they were cooking some bread and such.  It was pretty good.  The bread was really thick and almost had the consistency of potatoes.  From there we visited with some of the men of the village who were hanging out at the "butcher's."  We were able to present the Gospel to these men and then Dayna and I worked with the children.  We shared our testimonies and prayed with the kids before singing several songs with them . . . including teaching them the YMCA! ;)

We left the village for a while and went for lunch at the pastor's house.  There was another event scheduled for us at the church that night so we were able to rest at the pastor's house for a while.  The event that night was with the youth.  It was so great!  Several members of our team shared testimonies and then we heard some from of the youth.  We were quickly carted off along with some of the youth from the church to the village.  After setting up mosquito nets and mats, we attended a traditional ceremony of dancing in our honor.  Several members of our team, including myself, joined in the dancing! 

Afterward we were able to share the Gospel and pray with many of the people for healing.  Although there were several people we prayed for, one little girl sticks out in my memory.  She was maybe four years old and had a horrible fever.  As I held her in my arms I began to sweat from the heat coming off of her.  It was difficult to hear her raspy breathing and see the weakness in her.  We prayed earnestly for God to heal her and are believing for a full turnaround from whatever sickness she is suffering. 

Then it was time for sleep!  I was so tired, the hard floors didn't bother me that much.  I think what shocked me more than anything else was that although I was sleeping on the floor under a mosquito net in a village, I was also sleeping in a room with an electric light and fan and next to a tv and awesome stereo system!  Not every village is fortunate enough to have these luxuries, but it was quite a surprise for us.  Oh!  And the wake up call of goats who came into the courtyard to see who we were was also rather unexpected.  I was able to get a couple hours of sleep before we got up at 3:30am our time to begin the long journey back to Accra.  Praise the Lord we were able to stop off at the hotel we had stayed at before and take showers.  Then came goodbyes to Pastor Abraham, his wife Anafa, and several of the youth from the church. 

On the way back to Accra we once again stopped in at Nana Yo's house in Kumasi for an amazing lunch!  We arrived in Accra around 7:30pm and have spent the evening resting before enjoying our final day in Ghana tomorrow.

Prayer Requests:
- Continue to pray for everyone who has helped us along the way.  That the Lord would bless them.
- Pray for those we have been able to speak to and pray with while here.

Praises:
- Safe travel back to Accra!

Children, Worship, Goodbyes, and More (Sun)

Today began with two church services.  At the first, King's Christian Ministry, we were only able to stay for praise and worship.  Although we were only there for such a short amount of time, it was truly a blessing.  Worship was incredible!  Just listening and seeing the sincerity on people's faces was so great.  They weren't just standing there or singing words that meant nothing to them.  They sang and danced with all that was in them knowing that their Lord surely does live!  I had wanted to stay for the full service, but before we knew it, it was time to head to the next service. 

At the next service our group was introduced to the congregation before Tanishia and I made our way to the children's class for the rest of service.  When we walked in I was blown away.  The children were worshiping.  When I say worshipping, I don't just meant there were songs being played for them, I mean they had several older children (maybe 13-15 years old) playing drums and singing.  Every child there was singing and dancing along!  I can't wait to put up video!

After this the teacher invited any children who had a special song they wanted to share.  Several children came up to sing and were immediately accompanied by the drums and the voices of their peers.  There was also more dancing!  I wanted to get up to dance, but I had attracted a little girls of maybe three years old who was sitting in my lap.  I tried to resist making her move, but eventually I couldn’t hold back the dancing any longer!  She held my hand the whole time as we danced in the circle with the other young girls.  At this time the teacher began the lesson.  As she was teaching I really felt led to share with the children that Jesus loves them and present the Gospel to them.  When I was done about 30 children came forward to receive Christ!  It was incredible!  My prayer now is that they understood their decision and that it was a true conversion.  Either way it was so awesome to hear this huge group of kids pray to receive Christ in their native language (the teacher was translating for me)!

The festivities weren’t done yet though!  Dr. Clarke arranged to bring in soda and biscuits (cookies) for each child.  Some of the children from the surrounding homes got wind of what was going on and came over to get some.  At first the teacher and other students in the class were keeping this group of about 20 children outside fearing there wouldn’t be enough for the class and these extras.  I stayed by the door, however, and assured everyone that we would have enough.  Eventually they let these children come sit inside and participate with us.  It seemed like such a short time and it was time to leave.

At this point I was exhausted.  We had been up late at the revival the night before, then I had attended both services that morning.  It had already been a long day and we weren’t even halfway through yet!  Lunch was decided upon and we were able to sit and rest in the ac on the bus while waiting for food to be prepared.  When it was done we enjoyed chicken and fried rice, among other dishes, under the shade of a giant tree.

Next came a meeting with the chief of Tamale.  This was a very interesting meeting, but the story comes more before we met with the chief.  There were several young boys outside playing soccer.  Apparently the draw was too much for Dr. Clarke and Kwaun who both ended up playing football (soccer) with the kids.  We got some awesome photos and videos!

Finally, the time came for Angela and Vincent Adkins to leave us.  They were part of the team from a church in NYC who decided to stay longer than the rest of the group.  Having quickly become part of our group is was very hard to see them go.  Their flight left early this morning (Tuesday) so please be praying for travel mercies that they will be returning safely home shortly.

Even with so much having occurred already, our day was still not over.  We were able to get some rest before another program with the revival that night.  Although they had seats set up for us, I just couldn’t seem to stay seated.  After the first song I walked to the back of the meeting where I stayed for the entire event.  I walked the periphery praying constantly for those at the meeting, the speakers, those at the “bar” next door, those within earshot, etc.  I couldn’t possibly type out the amazing things we saw that night.  The Holy Spirit surely showed up in amazing ways.

Another tidbit from the program that night – on three separate occasions I was approached by a toddler with open arms!  It was so amazing.  The first time was when we first got there.  A little boy of about 1.5-2 years came toddling up to me and hugged my legs as I walked to the seats.  Then as I walked to the back of the meeting another little boy approached me in the same way.  It was such an encouragement and just made my heart smile!  J

As I mentioned, there is so much more to tell, but it would be very hard for me to write everything out right now.  I’ll have to write as begin to process things later as well.

Prayer Requests:

-          Travel mercies for Angela and Vincent.

Praises:

-          Praise God for allowing us to take part in the mighty work He is doing in Ghana!

God is so good! (Sat/Sun)

We had our program tonight.  Praise the Lord for He is so good!  The service was held outside on a basketball court.  They set up a stage for the musicians and left a large space open in front of the chairs for the speakers.  We began with worship led by the choir of the church.  Oh my goodness are they anointed!  They were absolutely incredible!  What amazed me most about worship was when the power went out on two separate occasions while they were singing.  They didn't miss a beat!  Power or no power they were praising the Lord!  No scheme of the enemcy can hold us back!  I just thought of home in the US where most churches will cancel all services and events if the power were to go out.  Here we turned our bus on to shine the headlights onto the musicians as they played and continued singing all the louder!  Glory to God!

After worship, where they sang many songs we sing in church back home, the pastor of the church introduced Dr. Clarke who, in turn, introduced the team.  We were each given an opportunity to say our name, where we're from, and offer a brief greeting.  It was so awesome the passion that came out in those greetings!  We were all so pumped from worship.  Following this Patrice gave an incredible testimony.  She shared about the prodigal son and offered some of her own story to show what a loving Savior we have.  Then came my turn. I spoke on forgiveness and how we are called to forgive those who have wronged us just as the Lord has forgiven us (Col. 3:13).  Finally, Dayna brought the word!  Along with sharing some of her testimony she encouraged us to be obedient to the Lord and wait with eager expectation for His return. 

When the altar call was given for anyone who wanted to receive Christ there were two girls that came forward.  I felt like I should go up with Dayna, but didn't want to just go on my own.  About that time Dr. Clarke looked back and told me to go stand with her.  I didn't know who he meant by "her," but it was apparent when I got up there.  Standing next to one of the girls who came forward, she literally fell into my arms.  I stood with her for what felt like eternity just welcoming her as my sister and telling her how beautiful and loved she is in the Lord.  Dayna continued to invite people to the front for prayer, but I stayed with Rebecca for most of that time.  When I was released from being with Rebecca I walked around the periphery of the congregation praying.  Dr. Clarke asked everyone to be seated, but I just couldn't do it.  I ended up talking to a young man at the back of the group named Phillip.  He had just been out for a walk and happened to hear the preaching so he stopped to listen.  God is so awesome.  He told me he has no doubt the Lord led him to that place at that appointed time.

It was so hard to leave everyone.  I was still talking to people and getting information when pastor Abraham (our host) came to tell me the bus was getting ready to leave.  I can't wait to go back tomorrow to see everyone!  It's like family.  There was such a warm environment where I really felt like I was amongst brothers and sisters. 

Praise the Lord for His wonderful deeds!  Father, thank you for allowing me to be a part of the work You are doing here.  May you be praised and glorified in all I do.  May I not return home the same, but with a renewed passion for Your people and those who don't yet know Your Name.  Amen.

Prayer Requests:

- Phillip:  Pray that God would continue to draw him closer as he decided to rededicate his life to Christ tonight.

- Pastor Abraham and his wife, Anafa, as they continue their work here.

- Pray that God would move in even greater ways tomorrow night.  That people would be miraculously healed and set free!

- Vincent and Angela will be traveling back to Accra by bus tomorrow.  Pray for safe travels.

- The team from NYC left this morning.  Pray they returned safely home.

Praises:

- I got to greet a new sister, Rebecca, into the family tonight!  :)

- We safely made it to Tamale and God is already speaking so much to us in this desert place. 

- Our God is awesome!  :D

Lots of Driving and a new city

Hello everyone!  i apologize in advance for the lack of capital letters in this post.  it's killing me to be so grammatically incorrect, but the internet is down at our hotel and i'm writing this from an internet cafe.  the keyboard is different so it's slowing me down to find the shift key!

yesterday consisted of a lot of driving.  we got up, packed a smaller suitcase for the few days we'll be in tamale and boarded the bus.  after a quick stop at the accra mall to get a cooler to keep our drinks nice and cold, we began our journey to tamale.  it was a long, quiet ride.  there really isn't too much to tell.  it took us about 6.5 hours to get to kumasi where we stayed the night.  my good friend Abigail's father offered to host us at his home there once again.  And yet again he prepared a feast for us!  after a huge meal, we had a quick debriefing and then headed to bed, preparing for an early morning.  we were up around 3:30am and on the road by 4.  we didn't actually make it to tamale until about 11am.  it took much longer than we thought it would.  along the way we could see the changes in landscape.  we're much closer to the Sahara desert here so there's not quite as much vegetation and it's much hotter.

tonight we're running a program at king's christian ministry.  it's starts at 6pm tonight and is scheduled to run until 9pm.  in case i don't have internet again for a while here's the schedule for the rest of the weekend/week -
program tonight from 6-9pm

Sunday
- 8-10am church service
- 10am-12pm another church service - i'm working with the kids
- 6-9pm program at the church

monday
- visit to the mosque
- day in a village - i'm working with the children
- evening program with youth 6-9pm
- spending the night in a village

tuesday
- leave early morning back to accra

please pray for the Lord to use us in mighty ways while we are here.  pray for peace and protection for our group as we step into new areas we've never experienced before.

praise the Lord for safe travels thus far.  the roads here can be very dangerous - we saw a huge truck flipped over on the road to tamale today.

Bible College, Cape Coast, and Traffic

Forgive the lateness of this post.  After a long day yesterday I came home and went to sleep rather than blog! 

Our morning started with an incredible thunderstorm!  It actually woke us up early in the morning. I can't recall having ever heard thunder so loud before.  And the rain was so hard.  We were scheduled to leave for Cape Coast at 7am, but with the rain being so hard we had to leave later - closer to 8:15am.  On the way to Cape Coast, which is approximately a 2.5 hour straight drive with no traffic, we stopped briefly at a local village that Dr. Clarke used to work with and walked around.  We were only there a few minutes before we were back on the road.  The next stop was at Pan African Christian University.  The plan was to stop only for a moment to see the school, but there was a class in session and they wanted to introduce us.  We ended up having about 6 people share testimonies and then as they took up an offering for the school I shared a testimony of God's provision.  This school is under immense persecution.  Just last month about 25 men came into the school and beat many of the students, some to the point where hospitalization was necessary.  It was amazing to hear those stories and yet see so many people there with joy and a determination to learn and do more for Christ.  They didn't ask for money, but simply stated their needs.  They're trying to put together a computer lab, but have no money for computers.  It takes approximately $22,000 per month to run the school and the mission agency that supports the school sends only $125 per month!  Obviously, they have a great need for more support.

After we spoke to them many of us got to meet some of the students as we headed back to the bus.  I met a couple gentlemen from Liberia.  They both had such a peace and joy about them.  One young man told me he wanted to come to Regent University, stating that he would be there in 2015 after he graduated from here in 2014!  Such determination!  As much as we would have liked to have stayed there longer, we boarded the bus and continued the drive to Cape Coast. 

Our first stop in Cape Coast was Elmina, the first slave castle in Africa.  We were taken on a guided tour of each aspect of the facility and what activities would have taken place in each location.  It is devastating what they went through.  They showed us where the men and women were kept for up to 3 months before they would be boarded onto ships.  The passage leading the ships was very narrow with low ceilings.  The final door that would leave to the ship was entitled "The Point of No Return."  It was unbelievable.  What caught me the most was how beautiful the area was.  I just couldn't get over how a place that was so beautiful could have such a devastating history.  I guess it's just like people though.  If we judge based on looks alone or how someone acts now, we may never know what they went through to get to the place they are now.

While at Elmina we heard the tour of the Cape Coast castle was free that day so we decided to go there as well.  On the way I just got this overwhelming desire to be away from the group for a while.  Being with a group of people nonstop for a week is very out of the norm for me and it was starting to take its toll.  as we drove I prayed that God would provide a time for me to separate myself from the group.  Watching the ocean I desired nothing more than to go sit on the beach and watch the waves for a while.  Praise the Lord for answered prayer!  The Cape Coast castle is on the water.  There is a big sea wall where you can sit and watch the ocean.  One of my other team members who had seen the castle before wanted to sit out so I was able to go with her up to the sea wall and just watch the ocean for a while.  It was so peaceful and exactly what I needed.

At dinner there was a  display of African dance and drums outside the restaurant.  It was so awesome!  I kept joking that I should have brought my djembe (African drum) with me so I could join!  :)  Dinner concluded our time in Cape Coast so we started the drive home.  About 10 minutes from the hotel we hit traffic and sat in it literally for 2 hours!  What should have been a 2.5 hour drive became a 4 hour drive at least!  By the time we came in and had debriefing, I needed to pack to leave for Tamale today and then sleep! 

Today we'll start our journey to Tamale in the Northern Region.  Tonight we plan to stop in Kumasi which is just over halfway there and then we'll complete the drive starting around 4am tomorrow morning.  I'm not sure how much I'll have internet over the next couple of days, but there should be internet in the hotel in Tamale when we get there. 

Praises:
- No one has gotten sick on our team.
- We've head safe travels everywhere we've gone.
- Praise God for such an awesome opportunity to come here and see what He is doing!

Prayer Requests:
- We're leading several services in Tamale Saturday through Monday.  I've been asked to share a testimony Saturday night.  Please pray that God would reveal to me exactly what to share.  There are so many things I could say, but I need the Holy Spirit to guide in what this particular group needs to hear.
- Safe travels over the next two days.
- Quick adjustment to the different culture, language, and environment of the Northern Region.

A Day of Rest and Fellowship

Unlike any other day we've had here thus far, there was only one brief event scheduled for us this morning.  After group devotions and breakfast, we heard a professor from Legon University in Accra, Dr. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, speak on Contemporary African Pentecostalism.  Originally we were going to the University to hear the lecture, but the students are taking exams now so we met in the conference room at the hotel instead.  The lecture was incredibly informative and the professor was a very intelligent, yet approachable gentleman.  It was a pleasure to meet him.

When the lecture ended at noon we were given free time for the rest of the day.  For the first hour or so I worked on a school assignment using the textbooks I brought on the trip with me.  As soon as someone mentioned lunch, however, I headed out the door!  We walked to the local "mall" to get some snacks from the grocery store before heading over to a local restaurant.  They had galaxy chocolate ice cream bars!  Oh my goodness, it was so good.  The last time I had galaxy chocolate was in Jordan in 2007 so it was a great treat to find it here!  Then came our adventure of a lunch.

While we were deciding whether or not to eat at a restaurant outside the hotel we met Zsofi.  She's a missionary in Ghana who came to assist in planting a church.  She told us she's originally from Hungary, but currently lives in England.  She helped plant several churches there and when this church was being discussed she decided to come here to live, work, and help with the church for six months.  Another church is being planted in Germany in October so she said she might be moving there for a bit.  It was such a blessing to meet her.  She just had this presence about her - she exuded joy and peace!  And that was before we even sat down to eat!  :)

At lunch we had an absolutely wonderful time of fellowship.  We took time to hear each person's testimony and talk about our lives.  It was a really great experience as much of what we were hearing from one another was new.  I think it went a long way to drawing us closer to one another.  After an wonderful, HUGE meal, we walked back to the hotel.  We found out when we returned that we had been invited to the church service at the church of one of my friends from school.  During the few minutes we had before leaving, I met one of Charlma's friends from here, Perpetual.  She was a beautiful, kind woman.  Her sister is a seamstress so we were also able to arrange to have some dresses made for a couple members of our team.  They should be ready by the time we return from Tamale next week.

Next came church at Trinity Baptist Church with Abigail and her parents.  Our bus got stuck in traffic on the way to meet us so we ended up pretty late for service, but what we did hear was wonderful.  And afterwards we were invited into the pastor's office for refreshments and fellowship.  The people here are so hospitable.  They put southern hospitality to shame! 

We were able to debrief on the bus ride home so that when we got back to the hotel we were released for the night. 

Other tidbits:
- Call and response is pretty big here.  So far I've heard three prominent ones.  If some says "hello?" the response is "hi."  This I've found through watching the schools and even at church tonight is a way to regain attention or make sure people are listening.  The others are "amen" with the response "amen!" (Like little Nancy yesterday!) or 'hallelujah" with the response of "amen!"  It was really interesting to hear these responses in church tonight after hearing them at the school yesterday and recognizing that they're pretty common occurrences.
- Another random fact - in order to have hot water for a shower here you have to turn on the hot water heater.  There is a switch on the wall outside the bathroom just like a light switch that turns on the hot water.  You have to turn it on then give it a while so you have enough warm water for your whole shower.

Praises:
- Praise the Lord for the wonderful time of fellowship with some of my team members today.
- Praise God for the chance encounters with people like Zsofi and Perpetual today - two lovely sisters in Christ!

Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Zsofi and her team here in Ghana as they work to build their new church.
- Pray for Perpetual - for blessing, grace, and job opportunities.  She's hoping to move out of Accra, but is waiting for a good job offer to come before she can go.
- We'll be driving to Cape Coast tomorrow.  It's about a 2.5 hour drive to get there so please pray for travel mercies, comfort, and rest for each of us.

Praise the Lord for the great things He has done!  Our Father is so worthy of praise!  Thank you, Jesus, for all you have done in my life and the opportunities You have provided for me to come here and meet these wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ.  It is only through you that I am here.  Praise the Lord!
Prayer Requests:

The Perfect Day

Today was the whole reason I came on this trip.  We started our day off at the Christ Faith Foster Home working with the children.  The orphanage has just over 40 students they care for and then run a school with 217 students.  I was able to work in the "nursery" which cares for children between 2-4 years old.  The superviser of the school, who goes by "grandma," walked me into the class and told all the children they had an "obroni" in their class!  One little boy came straight to me with open arms, giving me a giant hug!  It was so cute.  The teacher, Rosemond, asked me to sing for the kids.  I'm normally not to keen on singing for people, but how could you say no to those little faces!  I taught them "I'm a little teapot" with hand motions and all.  We also did "Head and Shoulders," "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," and "Eentsy Weentsy Spider."  The the kids taught me some songs.  I can't wait to put all those videos up for you to see!

After singing for a bit the teacher told the students to sit down and rest while she talked with me.  She had an old children's song book and asked me to go through it with her to teach her the songs.  We learned "Ten Little Fingers" and several others that she was so thrilled to learn.  She said she had the book, but could understand how the songs were supposed to be sung.  And some songs she had trouble with the words.  As I talked with her I found out she is an ordained pastor.  She said she's an evangelist and a gospel singer.  Her job at the school provides money she needs to hire a car to travel to churches in the area and spread the Gospel  She said if she had a car herself she would go everywhere to proclaim the Word of God because her whole body and life is dedicated to Jesus Christ!  Amen!

We left the orphanage and headed out to the public school we visited yesterday.  I was able to go into the class with the youngest students along with three other ladies from the group.  The teacher set up chairs for us at the front of the classroom at first, but we chose to sit closer to the students.  I was near the back of the class talking with some kids when the teacher asked what we would like to do.  Everyone was so quiet that I finally spoke up saying that we were there to help. She had me write things on the board as the kids mentioned them.  Then we told the kids a little about America.  At that point I wandered outside to check out some of the other classrooms.  A group of about 6 five year olds found me and were fascinated by my skin and hair.  They grabbed my hands and arms laughing and saying "obroni!"  When the teacher came to ask me if I would teach the children a song, my little group of children followed me all the way into the classroom!  I felt like a mother duck!

After working at the school we returned to the orphanage for a party.  It started off with an assembly where some of the kids put on a performance for us.  They had reserved seats at the front for us, but I much prefered sitting with the kids so I went back where they were.  By the end of the program I had two little boys in my lap!  Next came the food.  We had a long line set up with all our volunteers helping to serve.  While they were serving I saw two of the youngest children at the school and went to visit.  While over there I met a young lady named Marvis.  She's fifteen years old and wants to be a newscaster.  After talking with her for a while I asked if I could pray with her.  When we were done praying one of the little girls, Nancy, tugged at my pant leg and made motions to me.  The children around me said she wanted me to pray with her.  She was not even 2 years old yet!  So awesome.  We put her Fanta on the ground and she folder her hands and bowed her head as we prayed.  All the kids around her were helping, telling her to closer her eyes.  When we were done I said amen and Nancy yelled "Amen!"  Absolutely incredible.  The most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life.  If only all of us had the same passion that Nancy has! 

We ended the day by returning to the public school for a time of fellowship with the teachers.  We prayed for them and then fellowshiped over a light meal.  They are all so joyful!  Before we left they began singing worship songs.  What touched me most was when we sang songs common to both cultures.  Listening to those from the Ghanaian culture singing alongside those of an American culture was touching.  It just showed me again how we truly are a united family in Christ. 

Such an incredible day followed by an evening of rest.  Forgive me, but I'm going to take advantage of that time of rest and tell you more stories at another time.

Praises:
- Watching Nancy and the other children pray today was amazing!

Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the teachers here - that they would be encouraged and that God would bring provision.
- Please continue to pray for rest and guidance for out team.

God bless!

Trotro, School, and dinner with an archbishop . . .

Praise the Lord!  Glory to God!  May the Lord be exalted and lifted high on our praises!

Today was a good day.  We were given the option of either taking a boat tour of the man-made Volta Lake in the Volta Region or staying around Accra for the day preparing for our ministries tomorrow.  After a vote, our group opted to stay in Accra.  Although we heard the Volta Lake is gorgeous, we've just been kind of run down with all the traveling and non-stop go recently.  Instead, we had a fantastic day in Accra!

First of all, we got rid of all private transportation for the day.  Thus far most of our traveling has been done by a private bus or our own van.  Today we chose to use the public transportation.  So much fun!  We started off with the trotro.  Bascially, it's a van that comes to certain areas, picks people up and drops them off in different set locations.  It's pretty much a bus system, but on vans and in very tight quarters.  We loved it though!  Whereas before we were watching the people from behind a plate of glass, today we were literally shoulder to shoulder with them.  What an awesome experience!  Thank you, Jesus, for this opportunity!

Next came the taxis.  We were headed out to the orphanage we will be serving in tomorrow and since the trotro would take to long to get there Dr. Clarke hired two taxis to transport us there.  Nearing the orphanage one of the taxis broke down.  Praise the Lord it was next to a convencience stand so we were able to spead to the woman who owned it - Magnificent - while we waited.  Such a wonderful woman.  When the car was "fixed," we were able to get the rest of the way there.  We met with the director of the orphanage who told us about the history of the institution, then got to meet some of the kids briefly.

We once again caught the trotro and headed to a local public school where some members from our team will be serving tomorrow.  The teachers came out to meet with us for a long time to discuss their struggles and challenges.  It was so great to hear from them and we're looking forward to going back to encourage them tomorrow.  After talking with the teachers we each greeted a class (95-100 students per 2 teachers!  Never again will I complain about class sizes!).  The kids were able to ask questions of us about America.  One boy asked me if life was difficult in America.  I explained that for some people it is very difficult while for others it's not so much.

This meeting was followed up with a light snack at Redd Lobster (no, you didn't read it wrong).  We got back to the hotel with an hour to wash off the think layer of sweat and red dust that had accumulated on our skin throughout the day.  Next came dinner at archbishop Duncan Willians' home.  It was a very beautiful home and the food was delicious!  The bishop even came over to our table for a while to talk to the Regent students specifically.  He then prayed for us which was absolutely beautiful and empowering.  At that point we headed back to the hotel, did a quick debriefing with the group, and are now headed off to bed. 

There's is obviously so much more to tell, but, as always, it is late and I need to get sleep before playing with the kids tomorrow.

Praise:
- Our God is simply amazing!

Prayer Requests:
- That we would be guided by the Holy Spirit in all we do.
- Pray that we would have an impact on the kids tomorrow and take time to listen and learn from them.
- That God would use us to bring Himself glory.

Dogpile of Children

Today was absolutely incredible!  It's Sunday so our  team broke into two groups to serve in two churches in Kumasi.  Dr. Clarke, Temaki, Dayna, and myself served at one church in different areas.  We all started off in the adult worship which was incredible.  People were singing, dancing, and praising the Lord!  We had such a wonderful time worshipping with them.  I'm always astounded when worshipping in a context where others speak a language I don't understand that despite the differences in style and mode of worship, we are worshipping the same God.  Praise the Lord!  At one point Dr. Clarke called forth the A students to recognize them.  After saying a few words he asked me to come forward and pray with them.  It was such a wonderful opportunity.

Forgive the next parts for being very brief, but it's been a long day and I need to get some sleep.  I promise to share mroe detailed stories at another time.

After praying with the students and Dayna giving her testimony, Dayna and I went to work with the kids.  I was assigned to work with the group aging 5-10 years old although several were younger.  They had some interesting questions, including who is our prime minister.  We talked some, I prayed with them, and they began to recite Bible "quotations" for me.  I was so impressed with what they could recite!  It was incredible.  Then they went on to name off the books of the Bible.  Amazing.

At that point I sat down so the teacher could finish the lesson she had prepared.  During the time I was stading a little girl probably 2-3 years old had sat in my church.  The teacher moved her so that I could sit down, but I could tell she was really tired and didn't really know where to go so I put her in my lap.  Within five minutes she was asleep!  So cute. 

They were fascinated by my camera.  They liked being able to take a picture and see it right away. In fact, I had to be very careful in taking pictures because they would push each other in order to see the camera.  My hair was also very entertaining.  At one point, recognizing the kids were fascinated by my hair, I knelt on the ground so they could all touch it.  I literally ended up with over 20 children leaning over me!  What was even more hilarious was a little girl who was not interested in touching my hair who instead kneeled down with me so we could continue talking.  It was like we were having our own private conversation in a tent made of children!  :)  Oh, and apparently I now answer to "obroni!"  All the kids were calling this to get my attention - it means "white man."  Praise the Lord I had learned this word beforehand or I would have been very lost today!

After working with the kids we checked out of our hotel, had a wonderful buffet dinner, and made the 5.5 hour drive back to Accra.  Tomorrow we'll be making preparations for a party at the orphanage on Tuesday.

Praises:
- Such an awesome church service this morning for all of us.  God really brought out our talents and gifts today.

Prayer Request:
- For rest and rejuvination.  Pray that God would grant us His strength, rest, and endurance.

Praise the Lord for the wonderful things He has done!  God grant us boldness and courage to continue the work you have set before us.  Father, I thank you for the many opportunities you have given me to see Your abounding grace.  Amen.

Dirt Roads, Palaces, and a Meal to Remember . . .

Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. - 1 Thessalonians 2:8b

Good evening!  Boy, was today a long one.  We began our day in Accra with a continental breakfast and a quick devotion.  After packing an overnight back, all our other luggage was gathered together in one room to be stored until our return to Accra tomorrow.  This began our long, bumpy ride to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. 

Imagine 23 people plus a driver packed onto a rather small bus, each person carrying a purse and an overnight bag.  Now add a combination of dirt roads and paved roads with massive potholes.  Needless to say it made for an interesting ride!  Despite the rough terrain, we had an awesome time watching the countryside, seeing the people, and enjoying the company of one another.  It took us over four hours to arrive in Kumasi, but we finally made it!

Our visit here began with a stop at the palace of the Ashanti king.  They were getting ready to close, but we were able to take a quick guided tour.  It was very interesting to learn about the Ashanti people and their customs.  Each Ashanti person is seen as being of the royal family and therefore any woman can serve as the queen mother as long as she shows herself dignified among her people.  This understanding that each person is of royal blood brings pride to the Ashanti people.  It makes me think of how as children of God, of the "royal bloodline," we should be confident of who we are as His children. 

After visiting the palace we checked into the hotel and went to the home of a local friend of Dr. Clarke's.  This gentleman also happens to be the father of a friend of mine from Regent University.  He welcomed our large group into his home and fed us the most amazing meal!  One of our team members, Tanishia, also had a birthday today so they had a cake prepared for her so we could celebrate.  It was such a wonderful night.  We also got to experience and learn a bit more about Ghanaian culture.  As a way of showing appreciation one is expected to bring people with them to say thank you, including a dignitary.  Tonight Dr. Clarke showed this appreciation to our host, Nana Yo Oduro, by having a bishop in our group from New York present gifts and a blessing to Mr. Oduro.  It was an awesome thing to be a part of.  All this excitement for the day ended with a prayer and debriefing, then off to our rooms to ready for bed.

There were some other interesting side notes I wanted to share:  I've noticed over the last few days how common it is to have chickens and goats wondering through the streets of the city. We were at a gas station today and were able to watch a group of about 6 goats wonder back and forth across the street . . . along with their rooster friend!  It was so funny to watch!  :) 


I was also able to observe a lot of children today.  It seemed rather common for children to be placed in charge of their younger siblings.  I saw many children walking hand in hand through the countryside and the city.  Many times the older of the two was only about 6 or 7 while the younger may have been about 3.  We also saw many children playing games and such outside.  Despite the environment they are in, each of them had a smile on their face expressing pure joy.  It made me think of my own childhood and the lives of many children in America.  Where do most children spend a free saturday afternoon?  More than likely sitting in their air conditioned house in front of the tv playing a video game.  And even then they don't seem happy and only ask for more.  This trip has already begun to show me how much we take for granted.  I have a total new appreciation for traffic, paved roads, and fast internet.  Silly things, but things I take for granted and even fuss about when they're not as fast as I would like.

Oh my goodness!  I almost forgot to tell you about the storm!  As we were sitting in the bus driving along the dirt roads, I started looking at the blue skies and actually began to miss rain.  Perhaps I'm strange in this regard, but I love rain.  About that time I happened to glance out the window of the other side of the bus to find a massive storm cloud.  When it came closer the wind picked up a lot and the rain began to pour.  Most of the vendors on the streets, including the children, didn't have anywhere to go so they sat outside trying to protect their goods.  It's obvious the rain was a treat for some.  I saw a group of about 4 boys standing on a building porch dancing in the rain with huge smiles on their faces! 

Praises:
- We made it safely to Kumasi!

Prayer Requests:
- We will all be ministering in various churches tomorrow - pray for the Lord to speak and work through us in powerful ways.
- Pray for safe travels as we head back to Accra on the bus tomorrow evening/night.
- Please also be praying for continued health (physical, emotional, and spiritual).

And as always, thank you for your support and prayers.  Please let me know if you have any questions about anything that we're doing or anything you may just want to hear more about.  There are so many stories, but I simply can't write them all down . . .

God bless!