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.
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