Life in Ghana

I cannot believe I have already been here one month!!!! God is so good! By the grace of God I have been healthy and strengthened each day to continue to serve and love in the Lord's mighty power! I feel so at home here at the Village of Hope surrounded by all these amazing children! I have been trying to learn some words to communicate in the primary language of this area, which is Twi (pronounced tree) and Fanti. There are some sounds that my mouth has a hard time making, but I am trying. One of the first words I learned was thank you because I was told that Ghanaians really like when we Americans say thank you in their language. I also wanted to say I love you to the children in their language, so I use that word all the time too. When I said it for the first time to my little 8 year old friend, Ruth, her eyes just lit up and she laughed. Now we say it all the time to each other! And I taught her and some of the children I love you in sign language.

I have also enjoyed learning more about the Ghanaian culture, but I have so much more to learn. Two and a half months just is not long enough (I know my mom thinks it is though). Here are some new phrases and words that I have learned since I have been here:

"Rubber" means a plastic bag
"Flashing" means dialing someones cell phone number and then hanging up before the person answers. They do this so the number appears and that person calls them back so that they do not use their own phone credit.
"I'm coming" means I'll be right back
"Plaster" means a bandaid or bandage (The children are always asking me for a plaster when they get scrapes and blisters)
"Slippers" mean flipflops
"Dress" means clothes

I also learned it is not appropriate to wave with your left hand, of course, after I already did so. Good to know. You should only wave with your right hand or both hands, not the left because it is considered unclean. You should also only accept items from others with your right hand. When you eat, you only wash your right hand, the hand you will eat with (you don't use silverware). You will be given some soap and a bowl of water before a meal to wash only your right hand. When you are eating, if someone walks by you, you need to invite them to your food by saying "your invited." People will not usually eat from your plate, but you need to offer.

When I was at one of the children's houses during dinner, a child said "your invited" to me. I decided to pass on the fish head, but I had a bite of the banku (ground maize and water pounded into a large ball) dipped in sauce. Stephen who was sitting right next to me popped the fish's eyeball out and ate it. I heard a crunch. I tried to keep my stomach from churning too bad between watching him eat the fish eye and the smell of the fish itself. It was hard since fish grosses me out, and the kids eat the entire fish. I have eaten both banku and fufu (ground plaintains and cassava with water pounded into a large ball), which are traditional foods here. They are pretty good in soup.

20 Unexpected Blessings

The Lord is so good!!! Today I experienced such a huge and unexpected blessing from the Lord. I was spending time outside the Linary House with several children (the newest house with 28 new children), when a group of children with 2 adults were walking up to the house. I waved to the group thinking they were some people visiting the Village of Hope for the day. It took me a little bit to realize but once the children got closer, I started to recognize their smiling faces. Some of them started to run up to me, and that is when I saw Moses, Benjamin, Joel, Gabriel, and Chakobie. These were all the children I met last summer who were rescued from the lake and joined us for the art camp. I could not believe it!!!! I was so excited to see their beautiful faces. I was hoping to get to see them while I was here in Ghana. They have grown so much since I have seen them!!! Joel and Benjanin ran right into my arms, and I gave them a big hug. I love these kids so much!!! Joel showed me he was wearing the watch I sent him.

It was so great to see Chakobie!!!! He was the little boy who was rescued last summer while I was at the Village of Hope, and in just one year, I could see a tremendous transformation. He came right up to me with a huge smile and gave me a hug. Words cannot even begin to describe the joy in my heart when I saw this precious child so full of joy and with new hope in his eyes. When I met Chakobie last summer, days after he came from the lake, he was quiet, reserved, and scared. Today I saw a sweet, gentle, loving, and adorable little boy. Praise the Lord!!!! Just when I thought my heart could not be any more full...full of joy and love for these precious children... these 20 blessings show up to the VOH.

I found out today that these 20 beautiful children are coming to live at the VOH in September, and they were here today taking their placement exams for school!!!!! There has been construction going on since I came here on August 2nd, and I was wondering what the building was for. No one I asked seemed to know for sure. It is a new house for these 20 children who are currenting living in Tema, a couple hours from the VOH. I am thrilled that I will be here when they return in Septmeber to move into their new home at the VOH.

I walked with the children to the campus center where we gather for church so that they could eat some lunch before they headed back to Tema. I thought this would be a great time to get out the suckers that I brought for a special occasion. All the children ate their lunch of rice and an egg that the VOH provided, and once they were finished I passed out a sucker to each child. Seeing these 20 precious children sitting together and enjoying their lunch brought tears to my eyes because not that long ago they were all in slavery on Lake Volta.

These children and the many others still on the lake were destined for more than a life of slavery. The Lord has a special purpose and plan in creating each of these precious souls, and each of us can do something to help fight human trafficking, whether you are here in Ghana or raising awareness in the states. Freedom has a face and a name, and those names are Moses, Isaac, Gideon, Mary, Comfort, Benjamin, Jacob, Joseph, Joel, Wisdom, Christiana, Gabriel, Chakobie, Felix, and many more! I cannot thank the Lord enough for each life here and the promise of hope that He has for each of these children.

A Heart BIG Enough

Living at the Village of Hope with so many children means always having someone calling my name and wanting my attention, whether it is to simply sit and talk, play a game, read a book, make a bracelet out of string, teach them how to draw, or bandage a bloody knee.

I do not have enough hands to hold each one when I walk from place to place. When I sit down my lap is not big enough for them all to curl up in my arms to be held. However, the Lord has given me a heart BIG enough to hold all the love I have for each one here and by His strength I am able to pour out this love to each child. And by His grace, I will continue to pour out His love each day He gives me here with the children.

This past week, I was so glad I was able to be here with eleven year old Hagar when she needed to go to the clinic. With so many children to care for, the house parents do not have the time or ability to see to every individual concern of their twenty-some children, like taking them to the clinic. Hagar had a staph infection that manifested itself in the form of a boil on her leg. It kept progressively getting worse until I finally went with her to the clinic to see the doctor. Staph infections and boils are so common here with unsanitary conditions. It can spread so easily from person to person. Hager asked me to go in with her when she saw the doctor. I held her hand as the doctor cleaned the area around her boil, which was extremely painful for her. It was hard for me to see her in such pain, but she was really brave through it all. I was thankful to be there with her so that she did not have to go through that alone. She thanked me afterwards for being there with her and gave me a big hug. The doctor put her on some medication to help fight the infection, and she is now doing much better.

While I was there, Benedicta, who is 11 years old, was sitting in the waiting area alone. She was waiting to get her bandages changed from the burn she suffered when boiling hot porridge spilled on her chest and stomach. Akua, who is 8 years old, was sick with malaria. She was waiting with 11 year old Agnes from her house to see the doctor. As I was sitting there in the waiting area with these young girls, I kept thinking about when I was sick as a child. I had parents who took me to the doctor and sat right by my side the entire time when I was not feeling well. I had the comfort and support of a loving mom who held my hand when I was afraid or rubbed my back when I was hurting. And all these girls went in to see the doctor by themselves. As I was holding Hagar's hand while she was in pain, I was so thankful to be with her in that moment to show my love and comfort her.

Angels Are Rejoicing In Heaven

Tonight a Ghanaian man named Daniel gave his life to Christ and was baptized!!! What a joy to witness the new birth and welcome a Ghanaian brother into the family of God. When Daniel came out of the water, everyone joined in and sang the song, I Have Decided To Follow Jesus! It was amazing to be a part of this glorious Lord's day with all my Ghanaian brothers and sisters in Christ!

There is a baptistry outside behind the church building where we all gathered around to witness the new birth. Praise the Lord!!!

A typical Lord's day at the Village of Hope begins at 8:30 am for devotions in the campus center building right now (this is the old church building) . It is not large enough to hold all the children and adults, but since several of the children are gone on vacation, this is where we meet. The Village of Hope is in the process of constructing a larger church building but at the present time, that building only has the foundation and the supports that hold up the roof. There are no walls yet. After devotions, Sunday school is from 9-10 am for children and adults with the preacher teaching the lesson. Then the church service begins at 10 am and concludes at noon. Hymn books are passed out, and the worship is led by one of the older children at the VOH without music. I absolutely love hearing all the children's voices singing loudly in worship to our God. There are designated ushers that walk up and down the aisle tapping children who start to fall asleep during the service. The little ones tend to lean over in their chairs and fall asleep so the ushers watch them during the service and try to keep them alert to what is being said.

Following the songs, there are several prayers including prayer for the preacher and his message, and another older child does the scripture reading of the passage the preacher will be teaching on that morning. After the sermon, we all gather around the Lord's table for communion. More hymns are sung while we take an offering, and then we close with any announcements. If it is someones birthday, that person goes up front, and we all sing happy birthday to him or her. After the song, we pray for that person, thanking God for adding another year to their life.

Then we gather together again in the evening from 6-7 pm for evening service, which is similar to the morning service with hymns, prayer, and a message.

Genuine Faith

Every evening at 6 pm each of the houses have devotions as a family. On this particular evening, I was walking to Linary House for devotions, and it was a little after 6 pm so the other houses had already begun their devotion time. As I walked by, I heard the children in each house singing different praise songs to the Lord. It was such a beautiful sound to my ears, and I could only imagine how even more pleasing this was to the Lord's ears as His children worshipped Him in song.

During devotions one child leads the others in songs from a hymn book. Afterwards, the child leading calls upon different children to pray. One child prays a prayer of thanksgiving for their lives, food, water, clothes, shelter, and safety. Another child prays a prayer of forgiveness for their sins, while another prays for the house parents, visitors, and travelers. One prays for the Village of Hope staff and preacher. One prays for the sick, and finally one prays for a good nights sleep. The children without hesitation stand up and lead the others in their specific prayer, and when he or she finishes the prayer with Amen, the others all echo with Amen. Following the time of singing and prayer, the house parents share a message from God's Word with their children. If there are guests joining them for devotions, the house parents will ask the guests if they have a message to share with their family. I have been asked to share a word of encouragement from the Bible with the houses I have been at for devotions.

The Village of Hope is training the children in the ways of the Lord. And it is my prayer that as they grow older, the seeds that were planted while they were here, the scriptures they memorized, and the examples of Christian character from their house parents and other adults will altogether grow into a strong faith of their very own.

God's Goodness

God is so good!! The children sing the song God is so good during devotions all the time, and I cannot help but see God's goodness all around me here at the Village of Hope. My heart is so full...full of joy...full of peace...full of love...and overflowing with contentment. Each new day brings new blessings with the children and opportunities to pour out the love the Lord has filled my heart with for each precious child. The moment I stepped off the bus nearly 3 weeks ago and saw the children, I was overwhelmed with joy, so much so I could not help but shed tears of joy. My heart is finally home! My life over the past 3 weeks has been full...full of laughter...full of play...full of children wanting my constant attention...full of hugs...full of praise to the Lord...full of new faces...full of God's goodness all around me. I had been waiting nearly a year to be reunited with all the children here and have felt a constant ache and longing in my hear that has finally ceased. I am right where I am suppose to be...in the center of God's will loving His children in Ghana!!! I cannot think of any other place I would rather be right now than here. By the grace of God, I am feeling well and strengthened to do the work He has called me to do. I am here to serve the Lord with the strength He has provided me and love with the love He has filled my heart with.

A Divine Appointment

The Lord had a divine appointment for me one evening after church with one of the house dads in Chisholm House. I stood in the dark for an entire hour as he poured out his heart and I listened. It was such an amazing time, where I got a glimpse of his passion and heart for his 18 children. George and his wife came to the Village of Hope in June after the house mom passed away in Chisolm. It was evident to me through our conversation that this is exactly where the Lord wants him and his family to be. He has 3 young children of his own, George Jr., Abigail, and baby Jessie. He has such a huge heart for his new children and a desire to do whatever possible to help them succeed in school. He shared with me that education is the key to ending Africa's greatest problems: illiteracy which leads to poverty which leads to diseases. He referred to the VOH as a "Little Paradise" that serves as a stepping stone for these childrens' futures if they only take advantage of the opportunities they have here.

The verse that the Lord has impressed on my heart over the last 2 years has been James 1:27 that says: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. George shared that scripture with me when he told me how he came to the VOH. That is exactly what the house parents here at the VOH are living out 365 days a year. George said how encouraged he was to see me come so far to love and care for these children, and he said if I can come that far, then he can come from Tema (a couple hours away) to the VOH to serve. However, there is a big difference between me giving of myself for 3 months and him sacrificing and caring for these children 365 days a year. Then he shared with me 1 Corinthians 15:58 that says: Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. He believes that nothing he does for these children is in vain.

George's heart and passion were so encouraging and inspiring and at moments brought me to tears. I could clearly see his love for the Lord, his desire to serve Him well, and the high calling the Lord has placed on his life. I am so thankful for this opportunity to encourage him and his children while I am here. He has 4 boys that are extremely talented artists and I will be doing some art lessons with them in the evenings while I am here. I started last night with a watercolor painiting with Alex, Bright, Dana, and Dawuni.

All for a slipper

This past week when I was walking to the school for the art camp, there were some children throwing their slippers (the children call their flipflops slippers) at a mango tree to knock down some fruit. In the process, one little girl got her slipper stuck in the tree and was trying to knock it down with a mop. She couldn't reach so I thought I would give it a try. Without knowing that the branch with her slipper on it was swarming with big red biting ants, I hit the branch and the slipper along with all the biting ants came showering down on top of me. They were on my head, in my shirt, and on the bag I was carrying. Needless to say, it was a little awkward getting those biting ants out of my shirt, but at least that little girl had her slipper back.

My new friend Benedicta

This year there is a new house full of 28 new adorable smiling faces and Benedicta is one of those beautiful children. She is 11 years old and has the most tender heart for the Lord. I had the opportunity to go to her house for devotions one evening last week, and after a time of singing and prayer with all the children, I talked with Benedicta for a while. She took me into her room that she shares with 5 other girls and showed me her closet with all her possessions. She is going into class four and wanted to share with me her test scores.

Afterwards we sat down and I asked her what her favorite scripture was and she shared with me Psalm 122:1:

I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord."

She said that was her favorite verse because she loves to be in the house of the Lord. Her exciement and joy was precious and so evident in her eyes and beautiful smile. I shared one of my favorite verses with her: Zephaniah 3:17:

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Benedicta was absolutely delighted with this verse. It was so amazing to see her love for the Lord. She was so thankful for me coming to see her home and spending time with her. She also told me that when her parents tell her to go to bed, she loves to grab her Bible and read before she goes to sleep.

The next day I stopped by to give her a letter I wrote her and a piece of gum. The following day when I saw her she thanked me again for the gum and said she really enjoyed it. I was so amazed by her sincere gratitude for something as small as a piece of gum. I am truly thankful for the Lord bringing her and her younger brother, Prince, to the Village of Hope, and I am so thankful for the blessing of being here with her. It is so cool how the Lord works and connects you with certain people, and Benedicta is one of those special people.

You can pray for Benedicta because she was severally burned a week ago when a boiling hot bowl of stew fell from her head and spilled on her entire chest and stomach. She showed me the burn this week and it just looks so painful, but you would never tell from her sweet spirit.

Samuel Amofa

I cannot believe it has already been one week since I arrived here at the Village of Hope. It has been a really busy week so far and I have a few short minutes to update because I am helping out with the summer reading program while someone is gone for the next 2 weeks. Life has been so full here... full of laughter...full of hugs... full of joy... full of singing praises to the Lord... full of so many activities with the children... and my heart is so full and content being here with all these precious children. I have enjoyed every moment loving on them and getting to know all the new children to the VOH.

I have been spending several nights working with Samuel Amofa on illustrating his story. I have gotten close with him over the last 2 years and was so honored that he asked me to help him draw his story. He is a sweet 12 year old boy and I have truly enjoyed our time together drawing. His story will be published along with 11 other VOH children and sold in the U.S. to help raise money for the orphanage.

I gave Mark, Hagar, Kofi, Kojo, Vida, and Sarah their drawings and they all loved them. I loved seeing the excitement on their faces when they saw their portraits for the first time. Kofi carries his drawing everywhere he goes. I asked Kojo where he put his drawing and he had a huge smile on his face. He took me to his room and opened his closet door. There it was hanging up inside. I have been asked by practically every child and house parent at the VOH to draw their portrait after they saw the drawings I brought several of the children. I will have my work cut out for me when I return home. I would love to draw each child at the VOH eventually.