Art and Music Camp 2008

Vida

Artwork by Vida Binyimbor

Vida and I...isn't she beautiful!

Vida is a super special 10 year old girl that I spent every day with last summer! I prayed that God would bring children into my life at the Village of Hope that I could love and really connect with in a special way. Vida is one of those special children that God placed in my life, and it broke my heart to have to leave her. The night before we had to leave I held Vida tightly in my arms, not wanting to ever let her go, as we both cried. I told her how much I loved her and that I would see her again...in faith... knowing that God would bring us back together again the following summer...and HE DID!

I was so touched to receive this piece of artwork from Vida recently. An American team made up of a couple of people who went to Ghana last summer recently went back to the orphanage and Vida asked them to give me this drawing that she made for me. The director of Children's Art Village made sure I got the drawing, and it is now hanging up in my room. I see it everyday and think of Vida! I cannot wait to see her this summer and hold her in my arms again!!!!!

I'm Going Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to see these precious faces again this summer when I return for the 3rd Annual Art and Music Camp in Gomoa-Fetteh, Ghana!!!!! I am so EXCITED and can hardly contain my joy! I will be leaving for Ghana on August 7th and will be gone for 9 days...too short but it will be worth it just to spend time with all those beautiful children at the Village of Hope Orphanage. I will be one of the American art teachers again for the camp. I haven't stopped thinking about or praying for all the children at the orphanage that I got to spend time with while I was in Ghana. The Lord has kept them close to my heart since last summer, and I have been praying that God would provide a way for me to return this summer.

God is GOOD!!!!! The plane ticket to Ghana was an answer to prayer. The director of Children's Art Village (the organization that I will be traveling with) bought her plane ticket for $1415 and shortly after that the price jumped back up to $1915. Over the next week, I kept checking the price daily and praying that the price would go back down so I could buy it for the cheaper price... and IT DID!!!!!! It went down to $1156 and I couldn't believe it!!!!! God provided and He is ALWAYS faithful! Praise the Lord!!!!!

August 7th cannot come soon enough. There will be 29 of us on the American team going to Ghana and 5 Ghanaian teachers joining us. Going back to the Village of Hope means the world to me!!!!!! I just sent 5 letters to the children there telling them how excited I am to be coming back this summer. I want with all my heart to LOVE the orphans in Africa, and God has given me this opportunity to do just that... and I'm so thankful to have this chance to share the love of Christ with these children in Ghana. They all have a special place in my heart and ALWAYS will!

I am also planning to do some more drawings of the children to give to them when I see them in August!