We are so very thankful for the safe arrival of the rest of our 8 team members, including one who flew from Brussels to Accra, via Amsterdam. They spent a few hours at the guesthouse in Accra, getting acclimated. Most of them played card games, visited with some members of the Anankra family who came to greet them, and enjoying some popcorn and Coke. Oh, and don't forget th free Wi-Fi! An added bonus!
This morning they depart the guesthouse at 4:00am for their 5:30am flight to the Northern Region. When they arrived at the airport early this morning, there was problem with their tickets and they were not booked on this flight. (TIA) The plane only flies North once a day, so they will fly early Sunday morning. Although we are all disappointed that we will not see them today, we know they will have a fun day in Accra. They will be visiting Boti Falls, which is a short road trip outside of Accra. This will give them a great introduction to the culture as they will watch Ghana go by as they travel. They will enjoy meat pies for lunch and chicken and rice for dinner. We were very thankful that GILLBT Accra could accommodate them for another night.
Team 1 will continue to prepare for their arrival today and also spend some time with Ghanaian friends. We may even go shopping in the market for some goodies to bring back home.
In Africa, or on any mission, the number one thing a team member can do to be helpful is to be flexible. That means letting go of control issues, completely trusting your leadership, being thankful for what does go according to plan and also thankful for what does not go according to plan. God is never surprised by anything and we know He is in control of this mission and everything that goes with it. We are thankful for His presence no matter where we are or what we are doing.
Please continue to pray for the team (we are one team now) and feel free to post comments. We see them and read them to the others.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
They Knew We Were Coming
I have been doing mission work in Ghana for nine years, and mostly in the Northern Region, so being in a culture that is predominantly Muslim is nothing new to me. Just like many Christians in the US and other parts of the world, many of them are "cultural" Muslims. The teams have always had easy access to the government schools in the villages where we go in and engage them in Bible storytelling, songs and games.
Until now.
They knew we were coming. And they were ready.
How did they know we were coming? Because they had their eyes and ears open. Before our arrival, the local pastors approach the village chiefs and school headmasters seeking permission for us to come to the schools. Most, but not all of them, are Muslim. The local Imams are very involved with knowing what is going on with the children and they stay in close contact with the teachers at the schools. It is not unusual to see the local Imam sitting on the school steps during the school day, keeping watch.
How were they ready? Recently there has been a big push for Islam in the North like never before. There are two organizations pouring tons of resources into this area, and one of them is from the USA (shocking or at the very least surprising, isn't it?) I've been in many rural villages in the past two weeks and every single one of them has a new mosque. The local Imams are holding Arabic classes for all the children in the afternoons, after school dismisses and on Saturdays. They have taught the older boys to ask key questions (we've heard the same questions in two village schools) that challenge the Christian faith. These questions focus primarily on the virgin birth of Jesus and the Trinity.
Ho do we respond? First of all, we don't debate. Secondly, when this occurs we call in Pastor Mohammed, a former Muslim and the national pastor we work with, to answer the questions. We actually thank God for these opportunities because it is a way for these children to hear the Truth. They are free to ask any questions, instead of just the ones they have been trained to ask. How amazing that the Lord gives us this opportunity to share the love of Christ with them in this way?
Does this worry us? No, not at all (not because we serve a bigger God, but because we serve the ONE True God), but it has been a sobering reminder to the Ghanaians and Americans that we MUST DO MORE to spread the Gospel. Not just here, but all over the world. And we must train our children, not just send them to someone else once a week and hope they "get it". We need to bind the Word of God on their hearts and hands (and ours as well).
All Christians should be able to defend their faith. Can you?
Until now.
They knew we were coming. And they were ready.
How did they know we were coming? Because they had their eyes and ears open. Before our arrival, the local pastors approach the village chiefs and school headmasters seeking permission for us to come to the schools. Most, but not all of them, are Muslim. The local Imams are very involved with knowing what is going on with the children and they stay in close contact with the teachers at the schools. It is not unusual to see the local Imam sitting on the school steps during the school day, keeping watch.
How were they ready? Recently there has been a big push for Islam in the North like never before. There are two organizations pouring tons of resources into this area, and one of them is from the USA (shocking or at the very least surprising, isn't it?) I've been in many rural villages in the past two weeks and every single one of them has a new mosque. The local Imams are holding Arabic classes for all the children in the afternoons, after school dismisses and on Saturdays. They have taught the older boys to ask key questions (we've heard the same questions in two village schools) that challenge the Christian faith. These questions focus primarily on the virgin birth of Jesus and the Trinity.
Ho do we respond? First of all, we don't debate. Secondly, when this occurs we call in Pastor Mohammed, a former Muslim and the national pastor we work with, to answer the questions. We actually thank God for these opportunities because it is a way for these children to hear the Truth. They are free to ask any questions, instead of just the ones they have been trained to ask. How amazing that the Lord gives us this opportunity to share the love of Christ with them in this way?
Does this worry us? No, not at all (not because we serve a bigger God, but because we serve the ONE True God), but it has been a sobering reminder to the Ghanaians and Americans that we MUST DO MORE to spread the Gospel. Not just here, but all over the world. And we must train our children, not just send them to someone else once a week and hope they "get it". We need to bind the Word of God on their hearts and hands (and ours as well).
All Christians should be able to defend their faith. Can you?
Links to Pictures
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Sunday-Wed
(insert amazing picture of the storm here. I tried for over an hour to get it to upload, to no avail)
Well, sometimes you are just too busy living it to write about it and that has been the case with our team. I"ll try to do better the next couple of weeks.
On Sunday, we worshipped with our friends at Shalom Baptist in Tarikpaa. Pastor Steven Napari preached and right in the middle of his sermon, a huge storm began to pass over. We were thankful that the church had recently been roofed, but there are no window coverings or doors, so in came the fierce rain with the cool wind. We were actually cold (and so were our Ghanaian friends!). We had to wait awhile before we could leave the church because the Kumbumgu road is a dirt road and there are no drainage ditches. We made it back to the guesthouse just fine, very thankful for the rain. It is planting season here and the rain is needed for the crops.
On Monday, we went back to Tarikpaa and did a VBS program for the lower primary students. We have been going to this school every summer for several years so they know all the songs, which is really fun. It reminds me that sometimes we reap the harvest that others have sown. I am thinking of people like Audrey Salter, Elizabeth Mateer, Birgitte Obenchain, Amy Adams, Taylor Duggan and so many more who have spent their time in this field. The children remember.
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Mole National Park, which was a four hr drive over mostly bumpy dirt roads, but so worth it. Hopefully one of the team members will blog about that tomorrow, so please check back.
Please remember Team 2 in your prayers as they will be departing the US on Thursday at 1:30pm. We have 8 more team members joining us and we are really looking forward to their arrival.
Well, sometimes you are just too busy living it to write about it and that has been the case with our team. I"ll try to do better the next couple of weeks.
On Sunday, we worshipped with our friends at Shalom Baptist in Tarikpaa. Pastor Steven Napari preached and right in the middle of his sermon, a huge storm began to pass over. We were thankful that the church had recently been roofed, but there are no window coverings or doors, so in came the fierce rain with the cool wind. We were actually cold (and so were our Ghanaian friends!). We had to wait awhile before we could leave the church because the Kumbumgu road is a dirt road and there are no drainage ditches. We made it back to the guesthouse just fine, very thankful for the rain. It is planting season here and the rain is needed for the crops.
On Monday, we went back to Tarikpaa and did a VBS program for the lower primary students. We have been going to this school every summer for several years so they know all the songs, which is really fun. It reminds me that sometimes we reap the harvest that others have sown. I am thinking of people like Audrey Salter, Elizabeth Mateer, Birgitte Obenchain, Amy Adams, Taylor Duggan and so many more who have spent their time in this field. The children remember.
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Mole National Park, which was a four hr drive over mostly bumpy dirt roads, but so worth it. Hopefully one of the team members will blog about that tomorrow, so please check back.
Please remember Team 2 in your prayers as they will be departing the US on Thursday at 1:30pm. We have 8 more team members joining us and we are really looking forward to their arrival.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Saturday - Orphan Care and Shopping
On Saturday, Jillian, Jackie and Tayler spent the day volunteering at a local orphan home. The orphan home now has 9 babies, ages 2 and under. The girls played with, rocked, changed, fed and napped them. The workers there spend long hours at their jobs, so when the babies nap, so do they. When I arrived to pick the girls up at 4:00pm, I found all three of them, along with one of the regular workers, sprawled out on the tile floor by the baby beds, sound asleep. It was so cute and funny.
Colton and Joseph enjoyed sleeping in and then wandering around town. Of course, Joseph found some chocolate chip cookies at a store, which he gladly shared with us later. We didn't care that they were smashed to smithereens and in about a zillion little pieces. They were wonderful! They also discovered another little treasure, but that will stay a secret for now until our reinforcement (Team 2) arrives. We are going to surprise them with it.
I spent my day in Tamale running errands. I was able to find some really good Ghanaian curriculum for the new preschool that is opening at Shalom in September. I also found some good quality plastic bowls for a good price for the school children, which is important because the nutritional supplements (powder) needs to be sprinkled on individual serving. In this culture, several children normally share food from one bowl.
Prayer Needs:
*Continued good health for the American and Ghanaian teams
*A young Muslim man who we met a few days ago who is wanting to follow Jesus but will suffer great persecution from his family when he goes public with the decision. At great risk, he actually spent two days on the field with our team, helping translate Bible stories.
*Team 2 preparing to depart Thurs
*our families back home
*for everything we say and do to glorify God
Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. It is so wonderful to know that you all are there for us.
Colton and Joseph enjoyed sleeping in and then wandering around town. Of course, Joseph found some chocolate chip cookies at a store, which he gladly shared with us later. We didn't care that they were smashed to smithereens and in about a zillion little pieces. They were wonderful! They also discovered another little treasure, but that will stay a secret for now until our reinforcement (Team 2) arrives. We are going to surprise them with it.
I spent my day in Tamale running errands. I was able to find some really good Ghanaian curriculum for the new preschool that is opening at Shalom in September. I also found some good quality plastic bowls for a good price for the school children, which is important because the nutritional supplements (powder) needs to be sprinkled on individual serving. In this culture, several children normally share food from one bowl.
Prayer Needs:
*Continued good health for the American and Ghanaian teams
*A young Muslim man who we met a few days ago who is wanting to follow Jesus but will suffer great persecution from his family when he goes public with the decision. At great risk, he actually spent two days on the field with our team, helping translate Bible stories.
*Team 2 preparing to depart Thurs
*our families back home
*for everything we say and do to glorify God
Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. It is so wonderful to know that you all are there for us.
Friday, July 1, 2011
\Ishawu's family with colton and cheryl - this is the child who almost died from starvation last year
\jillian
Dagomba child - the marks on his cheeks are tribal markings
Team with Chief of Sankpem - this is the waterless village. They are so desperate for clean water.
Bunny ears on a Chief? Really Jackie? oh my.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Thursday in Yipieligu by Jillian
During breakfast we talked about the importance of teamwork. In America we are so used to doing things for ourselves. In America it is a social norm to refuse help from others, revealing confidence in ourselves. Being in a different country, with different social norms, it is important to work as a team with our Ghanaian translators, as well. After breakfast the six of us (Jackie, Colton, Joseph, Tayler, Mrs. Read, and I) hopped in a van and headed down the long bumpy road to Yipieligu Village.
After arriving, we learned one hundred and fifty children attended primary school (K-4) in Yipieligu. We split the children up into three groups. Colton, Mohammad, Suyuhini, and I shared a story with one group. The story told about creation, the fall of man, Abraham, the prophet Isaiah, and then Jesus. More importantly, we stressed the need for this Savior named Jesus. Because Jesus died and rose to life again, we could have a good relationship with God despite our sinful nature. Tayler, Jackie, and Drusilla sang songs with one group of children. The kids were singing and dancing... I could tell how excited they were by how loud they were. I can just imagine children singing- or yelling ;) - "Hallelujah" being music to God's ears. Joseph and Peter played futbol outside. Yesterday when my group asked if any of the children had any questions, one raised his hand and said, "can we go play futbol?" Not the type of question we were looking for, but I was happy to hear they enjoyed it so much.
We drove back to Tarikpaa village, and we had lunch with our Ghanaian teammates. Right before lunch a phone rang and Peter (one of our translators) tapped me on the shoulder. "It's Uriah," he said. Uriah was one of my translators during hut-to-hut evangelism last year, and I was very excited to hear from him that he will be travelling back to Tarikpaa from school this Sunday to see our team. I have loved reconnecting with people from last year. I met a shy little boy named Isaiah last year who stole my heart. I saw him a couple days ago and gave him a picture of us that I took last year. As I gave it to him, I watched a smile creep on his face.
These kind of special relationships make coming back to Ghana so much sweeter.
After arriving, we learned one hundred and fifty children attended primary school (K-4) in Yipieligu. We split the children up into three groups. Colton, Mohammad, Suyuhini, and I shared a story with one group. The story told about creation, the fall of man, Abraham, the prophet Isaiah, and then Jesus. More importantly, we stressed the need for this Savior named Jesus. Because Jesus died and rose to life again, we could have a good relationship with God despite our sinful nature. Tayler, Jackie, and Drusilla sang songs with one group of children. The kids were singing and dancing... I could tell how excited they were by how loud they were. I can just imagine children singing- or yelling ;) - "Hallelujah" being music to God's ears. Joseph and Peter played futbol outside. Yesterday when my group asked if any of the children had any questions, one raised his hand and said, "can we go play futbol?" Not the type of question we were looking for, but I was happy to hear they enjoyed it so much.
We drove back to Tarikpaa village, and we had lunch with our Ghanaian teammates. Right before lunch a phone rang and Peter (one of our translators) tapped me on the shoulder. "It's Uriah," he said. Uriah was one of my translators during hut-to-hut evangelism last year, and I was very excited to hear from him that he will be travelling back to Tarikpaa from school this Sunday to see our team. I have loved reconnecting with people from last year. I met a shy little boy named Isaiah last year who stole my heart. I saw him a couple days ago and gave him a picture of us that I took last year. As I gave it to him, I watched a smile creep on his face.
These kind of special relationships make coming back to Ghana so much sweeter.
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