Street Evangelism and Haggling . . .

Hello again!  I was going to update you earlier today, but the internet has been exceptionally bad lately.  Last night we took a night drive around Accra.  We had dinner at a place called "Frankie's."  I was so happy to see hummus and meat on the menu!  So much reminds me of Jordan - and the hummus was delicious.  So much better than you could ever find in the states!  After dinner we drove around some more.  Dr. Clarke drove us near "downtown" which is where the rougher part of the city is.  Think inner city New York and then add a little bit.  It was rough.

As he was driving around he decided we should stop and walk around so we would have an understanding of what we should be praying for.  It was incredible.  As we walked a man came up to Dr. Clarke and called him father.  He apparently saw the six of us following Dr. Clarke and just associated him as our father.  He asked him to come help him buy food.  It was a very strange encounter and difficult to explain, but it led to us praying for passers-by on the street out in front of one of the most notorious night clubs in Accra.  Dr. Clarke asked me to pray for one gentleman, Moses, and when I was done another man approached me to pray for him also.  As he, Seth, told his story, God just stirred up something in me.  I had to contain myself long enough for him to share his heart before praying with him.  It was simply an awesome God-thing.  Afterwards Seth was so grateful.  He kept saying he wished he could give us something in return, but had nothing to give us.  It brought tears to my eyes. 

While we were standing back waiting to see where the Lord would lead next I saw a gentleman standing watching all of us.  I grabbed one of my friends and we went to talk to him.  He allowed us to pray for him although we later learned he was Muslim.  My friend, Patrice, asked if he had joy in his heart and this man, Mustafa, admitted that he did not feel joy.  We talked to him a while longer laying out the Gospel of Christ, then blessed him and continued on our way.  By then it was almost midnight so Dr. Clarke led us back to the buses.  Despite the intense joy and passion I felt while praying for people on the street I was filled with an overwhelming dread on the ride back home.  Thoughts like "do you really want to be here?"  "You can't even call your family right now," "what made you think you were meant to serve in West Africa?"  I was really upset until I began to realize that all of this was lies of the enemy and by allowing him to affect my thoughts I was allowing him to prevent the work God could do through me.  My focus was completely on myself despite knowing that my focus needs to be on God and the people around me in order to be a blessing.  Once I came to this understanding it was like everything became right in the world again!  And I went peacefully to sleep.

This morning was hard to get up.  After such a long flight, a full day in Accra, and little sleep, it was a struggle to open my eyes!  We met for team devotions this morning before breakfast.  It was a great way to start the day.  After allowing for a bit more time to get ready, we headed to the Mausoleum of the first president of Ghana.  It was beautiful!  There were trees, green grass, and fountains abounding.  It took us quite a while to get there because of traffic, but it was worth it.  And oh was it hot!  But again, totally worth it!  There were even peacocks wondering around.

Our team in front of the Mausoleum.

Notice Nana's Virginia Beach shirt.  And the lady is his sister, Matilda.

Next we went to the Ghanaian "Culture Center."  I was expecting a museum from the name of it, but it's actually a giant outdoor market.  I've never had to bargain before and was a little concerned  I asked a friend to walk with me, but within five minutes I found myself led away by a lady selling me dresses and necklaces.  Not long after that I met Nana and his sister, Matilda.  They were incredibly kind and helpful - not pushy like most other people.  I bought several things from his sister's stand, then Nana wanted to show me the drums he sells.  I really wanted a Djembe so I said I was willing to see what I had, thinking it was right around the corner.  By the time we were done walking I was in a separate building at the back of the compound, well away from my group.  Despite being so far from everyone I never felt nervous or scared.  Nana introduced me to his grandmother and we bargained over the drum.  Funny side note - Nana was wearing a shirt that said "Virginia Beach!"  I was able to tell him that's where I lived and talked to him some about it.  What a crazy thing to see here!

So much food!  And pineapple juice is incredible!

When everyone was done bargaining we headed to lunch/dinner at a place called Country Kitchen.  They set up a traditional Ghanaian buffet for us that was delicious.  I tried fried plantains (among many other things) and they were absolutely wonderful!  So sweet!  :)  Finally, it was time to go home.  The traffic was horrible and people would come up to our windows to sell us things.  We had one group of vendors who literally followed us all the way from the cultural center to our restaurant - not a short drive and certainly not a short walk/run!  They are so desperate to sell their wares. 

I've also noticed it's rather common to see people laying down anywhere.  I was really impacted by this as I thought about my recent trip to NYC where we did homeless ministry.  At least there they had churches coming by to give food, blankets, etc. and they had cardboard boxes to make things even the slightest bit more comfortable.  It's not uncommon to see people lay down on a concrete sidewalk to sleep here - no blanket, nothing.  They have nothing more.  Some are vendors who have no where to live so they stay on the streets to sell their items literally 24/7.  We are so blessed and yet have no idea in the US.  We take things so much for granted.

I have more stories, but I'm going to have to start being a little more selective in the stories I tell.  There's just not enough time to write out everything!  Tomorrow we are headed to Kumasi in the Ashanti region.  We'll see the palace and some other sites, stay the night, do ministry in churches on Sunday, and return to Accra Sunday night.

Prayer Requests:
- Please continue to pray for group unity and for guidance from God as to what we are to do in each place.
- Pray for safe travels tomorrow and Sunday.
- Pray also for good health and many opportunities to speak and pray with people.

Praise:
- The Lord is awesome!  :)