Village of Hope Orphanage Ghana 2010

Here are pictures from my 2 and half month stay at the Village of Hope Orphanage in Ghana, West Africa where I had the amazing privilege of living with over 200 children and teaching art at Hope Christian Academy. These are all the children that I love and miss so much. Lordwilling I will be returning in January 2012 to live once again at the VOH and teach art at HCA for 3 months. I am praying for the Lord's guidance and direction as I continue to pursue His will as I serve Him in Ghana.

So Simple Yet So Meaningful

Last night I went to Marita Barnett house for devotions and brought scrap paper and markers to draw with the children afterwards. However, I was the one who ended up doing all the drawing that evening. A sweet 12 year old girl named Ethel drew me a beautiful picture so I drew her name in block letters and created fun patterns in each letter. I decorated around her name and wrote I love you. After I gave her the drawing and all the other children saw it, they all asked me to draw their names too. So I spent the evening drawing each child's name. I did this until I ran out of paper. So I told the children I would bring more paper to draw the rest of their names. I really enjoyed drawing each child's name because as I was drawing each one I was thinking about how precious each one is to the Lord. He knows each one by name and created each one for His special purpose, and I want to communicate to each child just how special he or she is. What better way than to draw their names. One gift I feel the Lord has given me is an overwhelming amount of love for each child here at the Village of Hope. All the children are a part of my heart, and I can sincerely say that I know each one of them by name.

After I ran out of paper, Ethel asked me to teach her how to draw a star. I demonstrated how to draw one, and she practiced until she finally could do it. It warmed my heart to see her beautiful face light up with joy once she was able to draw a star. Something so simple yet so meaningful for this young girl to accomplish and that is the joy in teaching. I showed Ethel how to draw a face another time I came over to her house to draw, and ever since then, she has asked me to come back to draw more with her. I absolutely love spending time in the evenings with the children in each house, drawing with them and spending time teaching those who are interested in learning to draw.

Three Cheers for Art

I love teaching the primary classes because every time I walk into the room for art class, the whole class cheers with excitement. Last week I was teaching class 2 about how to create patterns so I decided to give them a rainbow scratchboard to practice drawing their patterns on. As I was demonstating on the whiteboard how to create a pattern using different shapes, the entire class was so quiet and intensely watching me draw. It was such an amazing moment because they were all silent and listening. It does not always happen this way where they are all listening as I am trying teach. As I drew the different patterns on the board they applauded with complete delight and amazement at what I was drawing. It was so great! Then when I told them they would each get a scratchboard of their own to use to create patterns on, they all shouted with excitement and clapped. It was so precious to see all their faces light up with joy over having the opportuntity to use the materials I brought for them. I am sure this was their first time using a scratchboard, and they were anxious to try it out.

Last week I was also teaching class 3 about how to create patterns with paper shapes and how to create a rubbing from their patterns. I demonstrated on the whiteboard how to create a pattern with fun shapes. I showed them step by step how to create a pattern on the board, and they all applauded me with each step. Then afterwards I showed them my sample and immediately after they saw it, they all clapped. They also got really excited and clapped when I showed them how to create a rubbing using my example. All the children loved using the fun shapes to make their own patterns, and it was so sweet to hear them sing quietly as they worked. These are the moments when I am teaching that make the hard days all worth it. This was definitely the highlight of my week! I have so much I would love to teach all the children here, and it is these days that are so rewarding when I see the delight and excitement in the faces.

For the Lord's Splendor

My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
-Psalm 71:8

A day has not gone by where I have not seen the splendor of the Lord. I have seen His splendor in the beauty of His creation all around me. I have seen His splendor in the precious children He has given me the privilege of living alongside. My mouth is fillled with praise for all that the Lord has blessed me with here. The joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and it is through His strength I am sustained and refreshed to pour out His love with each new day of life that He gives me. The Lord encouraged me with Isaiah 49:3: You are my servant, in whom I will display my splendor. I am the Lord's servant, and I desire to be completely used for His glory and splendor so that His name may be praised forever.

Freeman, Joel, Wisdom, and Teiko

It has been so great having all the new 47 children from Tema and Kete-Krachi here at the Village of Hope. I have loved every minute of spending time with them and loving on them. I have made so many new friends! One of my new friends is Freeman. He was only 3 and a half years old when he was sold into slavery. The Touch a Life team was not even looking for Freeman when they found this little boy, naked and running as fast as he could away from them. He is the sweetest and funniest little 7 year old boy with the most adorable laugh. The past couple of evenings I have been sitting and holding him on the porch steps of his house. He just holds me so tight and looks right into my eyes and smiles. I told him I had to go back to my house for bed one evening, ane he whispered into my ear and asked me if he could have a hug before I went to bed. When I told him yes, he jumped into my arms and squeezed me so tight. He wouldn't let go. I held him there on the porch for a l while, and when I told him I had to go again, he only held me tighter. He placed his lips on my cheek and kept giving me kisses. I didn't want to ever let him go.

Joel is another little friend from Tema that I met last year. The moment I saw him, he was all love and smiles. He jumped into my arms and gave me a huge hug. He was just rescued last summer with his older brother Wisdom. Both boys are so special to me. One evening when we were talking about birthdays, I asked Joel when his birthday was. He told me he didn't know. I told him my birthday was July 9th, and that I would love to share my birthday with him. With a big smile and a little laugh, he said he would like to celebrate his birthday with mine. That evening he asked he if I could be his mom, and when I would take him to America. Joel's brother Wisdom wrote me the most beautiful letter and inside the envelope he gave me a plastic heart ring, a bracelet he made, and his most prized possession, a wire cross necklace. I felt so honored that he would think of me and want to give away something that was so special to him. What little he had he so freely gave away. I showed Wisdom that I was wearing his ring and told him that I would always think of him. He just looked at me with his big eyes and smiled real big.

Teiko Florence is another sweet little friend who is from Tema that I met last year. She has grown so much since I saw her last summer. She is now five years old and just wants to be held all the time. She never had a childhood because she was sold into slavery and was resuced when she was only four years old. Now she doesn't want you to ever put her down. All the love, affection, and nurturing she never received, she cannot get enough of it now. She just wants to curl up in your arms and be held. When TAL found Teiko she was a domestic slave. She was covered in ash from head to toe and her old shirt was the color of her dark skin. Teiko loves laying in my lap during church and always falls asleep in my arms. Teiko with her huge beautiful dark eyes looked into my eyes and asked me to be her mommy and take her home with me. I would love to be her mommy and give her the love she has missed out on and longs so much for.

The Blessing of 24 More Children

All the Touch a Life children who are under the age of 13 years old have arrived at the Village of Hope!!! There were 23 children from Tema that arrived this past Friday and 24 children from Kete-Krachi that arrived this past Saturday. The remaining children that are 13 years and older are at the Village of Life in Kete-Krachi going to a vocational school that was just newly built. The 47 new children at the VOH are only going to be here temporarily until TAL builds a house nearby for all of them to live. They will continue to go to Hope Christian Academy located at the VOH for schooling.

It has been a joy having these new children in my Creative Arts classes, and several of them are wonderful artists! We have been short some desks so they had to share a desk and chair with their new classmates. Having so many children in class has definitely been challenging, especially with all the noise. Trying to establish structure and procedures in the classroom where there are none has been really challenging. There are constant interuptions, and the children are out of their seats and very talkative. It does not help that I am female and American. The children listen so much better to the male Ghanaian teachers, so I know they are capable of working quietly in art. I just haven't been able to manage that yet. The children are all very excited to see me when I show up for art class. Today, Mishel turned in his drawing, and then quickly asked for it back. When he gave it back to me, I saw that he wrote I love Jenny on it. The little ones are so precious! I pray the Lord would continue to fill me with His strength, love, and patience so that I may pour out His love each day to the children and teach them art in the process.

My Friends From Tema Arrived

Today 23 children who were all rescued from a life of slavery on Lake Volta moved into their new temporary home at the Village of Hope. They moved from their previous home in Tema, which is a couple hours from the VOH, so that they can attend Hope Christian Academy. They will be living here until Touch A Life can find some property nearby to build an orphanage for these children. The children will be starting Hope Christian Academy on Monday. You can keep these children in your prayers during this transition into a new home with so many new faces. About half of the children are excited to be here and the other half are unsure about the change. I am so happy to be here with them and to help in any way I can to make them feel right at home in their new place.

It is so great to see all my special friends again!!! I have missed them so much. Tonight we showed a movie for the children at the campus center (the old church building), and my special friend Joel, who just arrived tonight from Tema, layed in my lap during the movie. I absolutely loved holding him in my arms and sharing this special moment together. After his big move, he rested in my lap and as I held him close, he fell asleep. He is such a sweet little boy and as I held him tight, he asked me when I would take him to America. It was so precious. I would love to take him back with me in October.

When I tell the children I live alone in America, they always ask me if I am lonely. Nkugami, who is beautiful 15 year old young woman, asked me if there were poor people in America. I told her that there were poor people in America and that some of them were homeless. When she heard this, she asked me if I would do something for them when I go back to America just like what I am doing here at the VOH. Belinda, who is a sweet 11 year old young girl, was standing with us, and she told me to take one of the homeless people into my home to live with me since I live by myself. I was deeply touched by these two young girls great compassion and concern for the poor in America. These girls may be considered poor in the eyes of the world, but they are far richer than the wealthest person in America by the Lord's standards. They truly understand what it means to love as Jesus did and to walk as He walked, caring for the poor, broken, and lost.