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.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, September 13, 2010
School Begins
Last week Monday was the reopening of school. It was not a typical first week of school. The teachers were in and out of their classrooms all day, and sometimes the students were left all alone in their classrooms for the entire day. During the first week, the assistant to the headmaster was trying to correct all the scheduling conflicts with all the classes. So I did not get my official teaching schedule until Thursday. Since there is not a music and dance teacher, Katie and I will be teaching music and dance together. Katie has joined me from Texas and will be staying at the guest house with me for the duration of my time here. We are going to try and teach what we know and leave the African dancing to the Ghanaian teachers. The lower primary classes (1st through 3rd) have 35 students in each and the upper primary (4th through 6th) to Junior High School classes (7th through 9th) have 45 students in each.
The boarding students have all arrived so there are an additional 80 boys and 40 girls here at the VOH until school breaks for Christmas in December.
A typical school day:
The Village of Hope children wake up at 5:00 am (4:00 or 4:30 am if they have to cook breakfast and lunch for their house that day.) They do all their chores, have devotions with their families, eat breakfast, and go to school early to clean around the school before devotion time. Then the children line up by class in front of the school for devotions. They praise the Lord through song and have prayer. Followed by song and prayer, the children sing the school song and say the school pledge together. Then, the school day begins at 8:00 am with someone ringing a bell. They have only one 20 minute break and a 25 minute lunch during the day. There are 8 class periods during the day, and their subjects include Math, Science, English, Bible, Fante (the local language), French, Creative Arts, Music and Dance, Religious and Moral Education, Citizenship, and Physical Education. For the changing of lessons or classes someone rings a bell and says change classes (or lessons) please. The day ends with a time of worship from 2:45 to 3:15 pm.
The boarding students have all arrived so there are an additional 80 boys and 40 girls here at the VOH until school breaks for Christmas in December.
A typical school day:
The Village of Hope children wake up at 5:00 am (4:00 or 4:30 am if they have to cook breakfast and lunch for their house that day.) They do all their chores, have devotions with their families, eat breakfast, and go to school early to clean around the school before devotion time. Then the children line up by class in front of the school for devotions. They praise the Lord through song and have prayer. Followed by song and prayer, the children sing the school song and say the school pledge together. Then, the school day begins at 8:00 am with someone ringing a bell. They have only one 20 minute break and a 25 minute lunch during the day. There are 8 class periods during the day, and their subjects include Math, Science, English, Bible, Fante (the local language), French, Creative Arts, Music and Dance, Religious and Moral Education, Citizenship, and Physical Education. For the changing of lessons or classes someone rings a bell and says change classes (or lessons) please. The day ends with a time of worship from 2:45 to 3:15 pm.
Friday, September 3, 2010
My Sweet Friend, Famous
I have had the blessing of spending time with a young boy named Famous who is probably 12 years old, but because of his size looks younger. He was rescued from a life of slavery and lives in Marita Barnett house. He is such a sweet, gentle, and kind boy. He picked a flower off the tree by my house and gave it to me yesterday. He also told me I was handsome and that he loves my hair. This past week I was asked by several of the children in Famous' house to teach them how to draw the human face. So I have spent some evenings this week teaching and drawing with Famous and the other children in his house. While I was drawing one evening, Famous stood right above my shoulder watching and gently playing with my hair.
There are some really incredible and gifted young artists like Emmanual and Kojo who live in Marita Barnett. Last time, I was there for an hour and a half in the evening, and for almost a straight hour, the kids kept asking me to draw things for them instead of them drawing. I drew boys, girls, planes, ships, birds, flowers, sharks, and lions for the children. Famous saw how all the children were asking me to draw this and that for them, and he told them that I was not a machine and that I could not draw that fast. I just laughed. Then I told him about a photocopy machine and his eyes got really big in amazement at the possibility of making 25 copies of my drawing to give to all the children.
After I demostrated how to draw a boy's face, Famous asked me if he could keep the drawing. When I gave it too him, he said it was handsome and that it was him. He asked me if I would draw a girl on the back of that paper, but he said he didn't want to worry me so he would wait until I finished drawing pictures for everyone else. After I finished, I drew the girl for him and he loved it. He said that whenever he is sad, he would look at the drawing and that would make him happy because it was so beautiful. It was really precious to see his face and his amazement at the beauty of this simple sketch I drew for him. It meant so much to him.
There are some really incredible and gifted young artists like Emmanual and Kojo who live in Marita Barnett. Last time, I was there for an hour and a half in the evening, and for almost a straight hour, the kids kept asking me to draw things for them instead of them drawing. I drew boys, girls, planes, ships, birds, flowers, sharks, and lions for the children. Famous saw how all the children were asking me to draw this and that for them, and he told them that I was not a machine and that I could not draw that fast. I just laughed. Then I told him about a photocopy machine and his eyes got really big in amazement at the possibility of making 25 copies of my drawing to give to all the children.
After I demostrated how to draw a boy's face, Famous asked me if he could keep the drawing. When I gave it too him, he said it was handsome and that it was him. He asked me if I would draw a girl on the back of that paper, but he said he didn't want to worry me so he would wait until I finished drawing pictures for everyone else. After I finished, I drew the girl for him and he loved it. He said that whenever he is sad, he would look at the drawing and that would make him happy because it was so beautiful. It was really precious to see his face and his amazement at the beauty of this simple sketch I drew for him. It meant so much to him.
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