Celebrating Christmas with the Kids

The kids on Christmas day in front of the Art Center!

Christmas morning, Kelly and I went to the Art Center with our cans of spray snow that she picked up in the states to decorate all the windows and doors.  We set up the Christmas tree on a table with all the kids' presents surrounding it and had loud Christmas music playing to get the kids ready and excited for our Christmas celebration.  Once the kids were in the Art Center and seated, Garret began by sharing the Christmas message with the children as they anxiously awaited opening their presents.  Each kid received one present, but unlike in the states, they had to come up front once their name was called and dance their way to Garret who was holding their present.  It was a blast and the kids were so excited!!!  Many of the boys asked for remote control cars so they spent the day playing with them.  We also had a ping pong table built so there were many games of ping pong on Christmas.  The kids had a late lunch/ early dinner of their favorite: chicken and fried rice!  The kids had a great Christmas day and were looking forward to the next day when we take them to Kessben Stadium, a professional football (soccer) field that we rented out for the day.

Kelly and I by our Christmas tree with all the kids presents!

Kessben Stadium is located near our campus and is no longer being used so we could rent it out for the day.  We brought soccer balls, footballs, rope for tug-of-war, sacks for potato sack races, water balloons, and a parachute to play with.  The kids had a blast playing for hours and hours!!!  We brought meat pies and meat kabobs for lunch along with ice cream and pop for the kids to enjoy!  

Doris, Benedicta, and Abigail..my dear sweet girls!

All the girls loved laying on the parachute as much as playing with it!

Freeman ready for the sack race!

Merry Christmas

Check out our COOL Christmas sweaters!!!

Merry Christmas from Ghana!!!

Art TRUTH Journals

Mary with her Art TRUTH Journal

Saturday mornings are my special art time with only the girls!  Each Saturday morning I meet with the older girls (ages 11-13) and then the younger girls (ages 7-11) to work together on what I call…our “Art TRUTH Journals.”  Drawing and writing God’s word or TRUTH has been an important part of my walk with God, and I want to share that same process with all the girls! 

Over the past year and a half while waiting to return to Ghana, God has been teaching me what it means to find my identity solely in Him and nothing else.  The word I would use to describe my heart and passion for the children as well as myself is FREEDOM.  Galatians 5:1 has been a key TRUTH for me to claim and live out… “It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  How do we stand firm?  We can only stand firm if the word of God is securely planted deep inside our hearts!  Knowing the TRUTH will set you free from the lies of the devil. 

You can be a believer and still be in bondage to the lies of the devil, taking back that yoke of slavery again.  And that is how I had been living.  An unnecessary yoke burdened me until the Lord in His wonderful mercy and grace revealed the lies I believed.  So I started to draw and write the TRUTH that God was teaching me in my art journal.  This art TRUTH journal became such a precious and intimate time with my heavenly Father that I couldn’t wait to be alone and spend time with Him.  The Lord has transformed my heart through this process, and I have found healing through drawing and writing God’s TRUTH.  There is power in the word of God, and that is exactly what I want the girls to discover too!  The Bible says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active.”  It is the Lord who is working in the hearts of these young girls, and I pray He would do the work that only He can in their hearts like He has been doing in mine!

Abigail

We began our time together by creating the covers of our art TRUTH journals!  We had already talked about Psalm 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  So each of the girls wrote (name) is fearfully and wonderfully made says the Lord on their journals and drew beautiful designs around the words.  Then, each week when we discuss a TRUTH of who they are in Christ, they will be able to write/draw that TRUTH on one of the pages in their journal. 

If you could pray with me for all the girls (Christiana, Comfort, Mary, Justiana, Comfort, Emefa are the older girls and Abigail, Benedicta, Mary, Teiko, and Doris are the younger girls) as we walk together on this journey to FREEDOM in Christ!              

The Artist Man Caesar

Caesar

By looking at this picture of Caesar, you might say he is quite creative and fun with his handmade paper tie for church!  Well that is exactly who Caesar is!   He is a talented, artistic 9-year old boy in class 3.  And when he grows up he would like to be “a footballer (soccer player) AND an artist man sitting on his chair drawing imaginative drawings. 

Joel joined his friend Caesar and made his own tie too!

Every Sunday for church Caesar puts on his very best dress shirt and pants (that are a bit too short but so adorable!)  Then one Sunday he chose to get creative and make himself a nice tie to complete his adorable outfit!  This has to give God’s heart such joy when He sees His precious child Caesar in his very best dress (paper tie and all) ready to worship Him! 

A few more facts about Caesar in his own words:

What do you like?

I like food and learning.

What is your best subject in school?

Creative Arts, Math, and Science

What is your favorite sport?

Football (soccer) and baseball

What is your favorite animal?

Cat, dog, leopard, tiger, dragon, and lion

What do you like to do for fun?

I like learning and playing other games.

What are your favorite Bible verses?

John 15:5 and Joshua 1:9