Sorry it has been so long since I have posted about what has been going on in Ghana. I plan to pick up the story by the end of this week. Also, Papa Wayne and Seth just returned from the Volta region of Ghana with more exciting news. I am hoping to get one of them to do a guest post here on the blog soon so you can hear it in their own words. Keep checking back…there is a lot more to come!
In the weeks ahead I hope to share with you about our trip to Ghana. I have found that it has been hard to communicate in spoken words what it was like to be there. I hope that written words will help tell the story better. I am sure I speak for the entire team in saying this trip blessed us in ways we never imagined. The team members were; Wayne Matthews, Bo Hancock, Ellen and Leah Dobry, Nick Grandstaff and myself. A special thank you for our Papa Wayne. We began calling him Papa as a term of endearment during our trip. This trip would not have been possible without his love for Jesus and the people of Ghana. He is an inspiration to all of us and God is using him in big ways. Also, a special word about Leah Dobry. She is a wonderful little girl with an enormous heart. She collected school supplies to give out in the schools while we were there and money to help enroll kids in school. God used her vision of helping the schools of Ghana to open many doors for us while we were on this trip. Thank you Leah! At the end of each post I will include quotes from my personal journal. I kept a journal each day to help me remember what I was feeling while I was there. I hope that these posts will help you see a more intimate view of our trip. Enjoy.~
Day 5 Part 2-
After our encounter with the police at the small village of Antesmbua we made our way to Cape Coast to spend the day with a young pastor who had planted a church there. His name is Peter. When we arrived at Peter’s church we found what we had come to realize was quite normal among Christians in Ghana; they were having a prayer meeting. We joined the meeting right in the middle and spent the first part of our afternoon in Peter’s church praying and sharing from God’s word.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the village of Elmina. Elmina is a large fishing village near Cape Coast. We were taken to meet some of the fisherman in the village and Pastor Peter did some open air preaching where the fisherman had gathered. After he preached we spent time praying with the people and speaking with them. We left the fisherman and went to visit the slave castle that sits on the ocean in the heart of Elmina. The coast of Ghana is dotted with slave castles. These are the places where slaves were brought to await departure to the Western world. They look like medieval castles but in reality they were just fortified prisons. The visit was sobering and a grim reminder of the atrocities that human beings are capable of committing against each other.
The slave castle in Elmina in the distance as we approached the village
The female holding cell at the Elmina slave castle. 300 women lived here for 3 months waiting for ships to arrive. No bathrooms...no showers...no lights.
The "Door of No Return." After walking through this door the next stop was a ship waiting to take the slaves to be sold as property...if they survived the long ocean voyage.
When we left the slave castle our team was split up. Nick and I returned to Cape Coast so I could preach at Peter’s church that night and the remainder of the team stayed in Elmina to speak at a youth event that had been organized there. We had a little bit of time to kill before our service started in Cape Coast so Pastor Peter took us to his home and asked his friend Eugene to host us there while he ran some errands.
This is the best picture I have of Eugene. He is the man in the bottom right.
Eugene took us into the living room of the house and turned a television on and said he would be right back. As we sat there we realized this was the first time we had sat in front of a television since arriving in Ghana. When Eugene joined us we told him that we had not watched television in Ghana and that simple statement led to a conversation that was very interesting and very convicting.
Eugene shared with us that he does not like to have a television on in his home. After several days of not watching TV we both could appreciate the absence of a TV. But I was surprised that his apprehension about watching television was not brought on because he wanted to spend his time more wisely. His dislike for television was caused by what the television was “importing” into his home. Very simply, television was importing us into his home. American secularism was being brought into Ghana on TV and he shared with us that it was changing their country.
Don’t get me wrong, Eugene made it clear that he loves America and Americans, but what he saw of our culture on TV troubled him deeply. It would be impossible for me to recreate the entire conversation we had that evening but I will share the major points.
- Many of the people in the third world have idealized America as a place where everything is good. It seems to them that we have all been incredibly blessed and that we live a very good life.
- In spite of the blessing we have, when many third world Christians see a glimpse of our culture as a whole it cause them to grieve over what they see as a complete moral collapse.
- They see us as a culture that has an obsession with sex and a promiscuous lifestyle.
- Eugene struggled to understand how our children have no respect for authority and no parental guidance.
- He told us that he would never allow his children to come to America because he believed we would ruin them morally.
- He could not understand why alcohol and drug abuse was acceptable and even celebrated in our culture when it is so clearly damaging and dishonoring to God.
- And of course he spoke of our obsession with wealth and material possessions.
I have to admit, hearing his assessment of our culture made me sad and a little embarrassed. Again, I want to make it clear, he loves America. It was not that he was speaking in condemnation of our culture. It was almost as if we were listening to a younger brother grieve over the mistakes of an older brother he loved and respected but who had gone astray.
As we spoke we told him that we saw things exactly the way he did. In reality it is probably worse than he knows with his limited exposure to us on TV. But we also shared with him that there is hope. In America we are seeing signs that God is awakening His Church. In recent years there has been a renewed commitment to focusing on our commission from Jesus to reach the world with the Gospel. Lately many American Christians has realized that we have indeed been blessed in many ways compared to the rest of the world and we have a responsibility to leverage those blessings and resources as a powerful tool to reach the world for Jesus.
After sharing these things with Eugene his tone changed from one of grieving to one of hope. He said to us, “I pray that revival comes to America. People around the world respect America and would follow them. If a revival came to America, America could lead the world to follow Jesus.”
This short time that we spent speaking with Eugene was a strong reminder that we have a great responsibility as people who have been uniquely blessed by God. This conversation reminded me to pay close attention to Jesus’ words in Luke 12, “Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”…
“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Our trip to Ghana taught us many lessons, but one of the lessons that we were reminded of each day is that we have been given so much good and so many blessings by God. The only explanation for this blessing is that we are expected to use our resources for the Master.
After sitting with Eugene we eventually made our way to the church service that night. This was the only service I was able to preach without an interpreter and it was a relief. The service was lively as always and Pastor Peter preached with passion that was reviving. We made the drive back to Shama that night in a car filled with laughter and amazement at how God had worked in us and through us that day.
Journal Excerpts-
Day 5- Breakfast with Francis, Takoradi with Nick and Francis. Jesus is coming soon, Maybe at midnight, maybe at noon. Jesus is coming, surely soon! To cape Coast, Nick is “possessed.” Learning to be uncomfortable. Back to Shama. Mangos and Oodles of Noodles. To the rooftop for the magic of Shama as they sing into the night. Psalm 46:1-3 for today!
In the weeks ahead I hope to share with you about our trip to Ghana. I have found that it has been hard to communicate in spoken words what it was like to be there. I hope that written words will help tell the story better. I am sure I speak for the entire team in saying this trip blessed us in ways we never imagined. The team members were; Wayne Matthews, Bo Hancock, Ellen and Leah Dobry, Nick Grandstaff and myself. A special thank you for our Papa Wayne. We began calling him Papa as a term of endearment during our trip. This trip would not have been possible without his love for Jesus and the people of Ghana. He is an inspiration to all of us and God is using him in big ways. Also, a special word about Leah Dobry. She is a wonderful little girl with an enormous heart. She collected school supplies to give out in the schools while we were there and money to help enroll kids in school. God used her vision of helping the schools of Ghana to open many doors for us while we were on this trip. Thank you Leah! At the end of each post I will include quotes from my personal journal. I kept a journal each day to help me remember what I was feeling while I was there. I hope that these posts will help you see a more intimate view of our trip. Enjoy.~
Day 5, part 1-
Our fifth day of ministry in Ghana turned out to be a day that would take us completely out of our element. We had begun to adjust to our surroundings and we had gotten accustomed to the rhythm of our days. Our fifth day began in a normal enough way. We woke to our normal breakfast of eggs and toast. The only thing that was different about breakfast that day was that we were joined by our new friend, Francis. Francis is an old friend of Wayne’s. We met him the night before when he rode with us to the crusade in the jungle village. He was the only one who knew that way and after arriving he sat with us and helped us to understand what was going on in the service. It was nice to have someone to explain things that were taking place in the native language. Francis spent the entire evening with us and we had arranged for him to come the next morning and be our guide to Takoradi. We needed to go to Takoradi to stock up on some supplies and we wanted to pick up a few things for our families back home.
After breakfast Francis, Nick and I made the trip to Takoradi. The trip itself was rather uneventful. We made it in and out of Takoradi without too much trouble and we were able to get all the things we set out for. The most important thing that happened during that trip was the conversation we had with Francis on the way there. We had begun to ask him about his life in Ghana. Francis is a young man full of joy but also a man who has many challenges every day.
Our brother Francis
He explained to us that he lives in his family’s home with his mother and his sister and a few small children. At the time we were in Ghana Francis had not worked for several months. We asked him about his work situation and he told us that work was just very hard to come by. Francis has skills. He is a certified welder and iron worker but there are no jobs where he can practice his trade. Obviously, if a man has no source of income, daily necessities become a challenge. I asked him an obvious question, “Francis, what do you do for food?”
His response was simple and humbling. I expected him to tell me that he does what he can each day to find a little bit of work and buy a little bit of food. I expected him to tell me there is some sort of place he can go and always find enough food to feed his family. But instead he simply said, “I pray to God.” It was so simple and so obvious. He was not saying that God would miraculously make bread appear on the table. He was simply saying that he trusts God each day to provide for him. He actually trusts God to feed him each day!
Of course this should make us think immediately of the model prayer Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven…give us today our daily bread.” God has blessed us so much that none of us have probably ever had to pray for God to provide food for the day. But here is a reminder that many of God’s people are struggling and they are trusting God to provide for them each day. And since Francis was obviously not starving, God has been faithful to answer his prayers.
Francis also went on to tell us that when times are particularly hard he sings to God. He asked us if we would like to hear the song that he sings when he struggles. Of course we said yes and he began to sing, “Sure it’s soon, I’m sure it’s soon, Jesus is coming, Sure it’s soon. Maybe at midnight, maybe at noon, Jesus is coming, Sure it’s soon.” I was completely blown away. His song was not a sad song. His song was not a song pleading for help. His song was a song of hope. In his struggles he found his hope in Jesus.
Francis, full of joy and childlike faith
It was such a blessing to spend that morning with Francis. We had set out to run errands and take care of “nuts and bolts” types of tasks. But God used this time to teach Nick and I some great lessons about trusting God and being content.
After returning to our guest house in Shama we joined the rest of the team and loaded up to make the trip to Cape Coast. Cape Coast is a city about 45 minutes east of Shama. It is a more modern city that Shama. There is a university there and it is a place that attracts a lot of tourists. We were invited to come and meet with a pastor in Cape Coast and see what kind of ministry opportunities were present there.
We were looking forward to new experiences and meeting new people. Nick was driving and the car was filled with the normal small talk and laughter. Suddenly out of nowhere a police officer appeared in the road. It was obvious right away that we were being pulled over for speeding. In Nick’s defense, it is not hard to speed in Ghana. We were travelling on the main road that runs across the southern coast of Ghana and we were in an area where there were not many people. But even on this major road in the middle of nowhere the speed limit was only 50 kilometers per hour. That is equivalent to about 30 mph. We all know it is hard to drive 30 mph anywhere, especially on a major road. We pulled over on the shoulder of the road and the officer approached the car and held the radar gun so that we could read the display. The display on the radar gun read 90 kph.
We didn’t know what to expect. At first it didn’t seem like a big deal. We were speeding and we thought we would just pay a fine and go about our business. But it quickly became a big deal when another officer approached the car and simply said, “We must possess you.” Often there was a language barrier to overcome while we were in Ghana. But this time we all understood what was being said. They wanted to arrest Nick for speeding. Immediately we all began to try to convince the officer that this was not an option. We asked for mercy. We told the officer that we were missionaries and we apologized for breaking the law. Of course we offered to pay a “fine” on the spot. The officer was not interested and simply said that Nick would have to be possessed and taken to the judge.
When it became obvious that our attempts to wiggle out of this uncomfortable situation were not working Wayne got out of the car and went to speak with the officer who was in charge. After a few tense minutes Wayne returned and told us all to get out of the car. He had managed to make a deal with the police officer in charge. He explained that we were missionaries and we were in Ghana to help the people and the children in their schools. In return for $50 and some of our time he would let us go with only a stern warning. Yes, it was a bribe.
The police told us that we needed to get out of the car and go into the village across the road from us and help their school. We didn’t know what to expect. We were relieved that Nick was not going to be arrested but we were unsure of how we would be received in the village. We didn’t know anyone in this village. No one knew we were coming and we were unsure of how we could help. We were quickly split into two teams. Nick, Ellen and Leah were taken further down the road to the school where the older children were. Wayne, Bo and myself were told to stay behind and see what we could do in the village we were stopped at.
As Nick, Ellen and Leah drove off down the road we stood by the roadside wondering what to do next. By now a small crowd had begun to form as the people in the village noticed us. They quickly brought a bench and placed it under a tree near the road and told us to be seated. When we sat down it seemed like the rest of the people in the village came out of nowhere. We suddenly found ourselves surrounded by a large group of people, most of whom spoke no English. At first it was very uncomfortable, but the tension was quickly relieved when a woman named Ruth appeared in the crowd and made her way to the bench where we were sitting.
The crowd gathers to greet us at the small village of Antesmbua. They laughed as we tried to speak Fanti.
Our friend, Ruth
Ruth could speak English and as we began to tell her why we were in Ghana she did something that was strange. She reached out and touched our hair and said, “Your hair is so beautiful.” Then she took my hand and rubbed my forearm and said, “Your skin is so white.” We began to understand that this was the first time many of them had ever had a personal experience with a white person. They were interested in us. We seemed to be a sort of novelty. We laughed and she taught how to say some words in Fanti, their native language. We explained that we were there to share Jesus and to help their schools. Instantly she became excited and asked us to come see their school. We made the short walk and found their school nearby. It was a small building that served double duty as a preschool and church. The students and teachers were inside and they shared their needs and their hopes for their school with us. The school had no supplies or books. They were simply gathering the children and teaching them whatever they could orally. We promised to explore ways to help them and then we all returned to the roadside to meet up with the rest of our team.
The preschool at Antesmbua
We knew that God had orchestrated this stop. We had plans that day, but God had other plans for us. The greatest thing that happened that day was that we were able to meet a young lady named Gladys. Gladys had been attending a private school nearby but because of financial difficulties she had to leave school. Her dream is to become a police officer, but she had lost hope in that dream because she was not able to continue her education. I will never forget when Wayne explained to her, with tears in his eyes, that Jesus had brought us to her village so that she would be able to resume her education. We agreed to sponsor her education. It may seem like a small thing but we don’t believe it was small at all. Jesus had interrupted our schedule and brought us face to face with someone who was losing hope. And by bringing us to that small village that day He used us to restore hope in one young woman’s life.
Gladys with Nick
Before we left the village we spent time handing out school supplies and treats. We made arraignments to work out the details for Gladys’ education and said goodbye. As we got back into the car and continued on our way toward Cape Coast we were all amazed at what God had just done. We didn’t know that we needed to stop in that small village that day but God had plans to intervene in a young woman’s life so He stopped us there. He forced us out of the car and He gave us the opportunity to show His love to people we never would have met otherwise. The events of the first half of that day taught us to embrace the unexpected events that come our way. Even though it began as a terribly uncomfortable circumstance, God used it to teach us and minister to others. It was such a vivid demonstration of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Our day was far from over. We still had appointments to keep in Cape Coast and many interesting people to meet. We were able to take part in street evangelism that day as well as preaching in two different churches that evening. But for me, the most memorable moments of our time in Cape Coast came while sitting in the living room of a pastor’s home speaking with a young man named Eugene. In my next post I will share that conversation with you. You may be surprised to hear what he had to say about America and his hope for our people.
~In the weeks ahead I hope to share with you about our trip to Ghana. I have found that it has been hard to communicate in spoken words what it was like to be there. I hope that written words will help tell the story better. I am sure I speak for the entire team in saying this trip blessed us in ways we never imagined. The team members were; Wayne Matthews, Bo Hancock, Ellen and Leah Dobry, Nick Grandstaff and myself. A special thank you for our Papa Wayne. We began calling him Papa as a term of endearment during our trip. This trip would not have been possible without his love for Jesus and the people of Ghana. He is an inspiration to all of us and God is using him in big ways. Also, a special word about Leah Dobry. She is a wonderful little girl with an enormous heart. She collected school supplies to give out in the schools while we were there and money to help enroll kids in school. God used her vision of helping the schools of Ghana to open many doors for us while we were on this trip. Thank you Leah! At the end of each post I will include quotes from my personal journal. I kept a journal each day to help me remember what I was feeling while I was there. I hope that these posts will help you see a more intimate view of our trip. Enjoy.~
Day 4-
The fourth day of our trip to Ghana proved to be the most memorable day of the trip for me. I am sure that each of us had moments that touched us and changed us while we were in Ghana. Day four was my day.
We had awakened like most days to a breakfast of eggs and toast. I was looking forward to a day that seemed like it would be a little slower that the days we had already experienced. We had agreed to stay together as a team for a visit to a school in a village nearby called Inchuaban. We packed into our rental car and set out for a morning filled with meeting children and handing out school supplies.
When we arrived at the school in Inchuaban we could see immediately that this school was unlike the school we had visited in Shama the day before. This school was situated in the heart of the village and all of the surroundings suggested that this village was very poor. We were taken in to meet the head mistress and after a short time of greeting we were escorted to a large classroom where they had assembled most of the older children in the school.
These children seemed very interested to see us. They were packed into the room very tightly. Some were standing on desks and chairs so they could see over the crowd in front of them. Teachers patrolled the room with their switches making sure the students didn’t become too unruly.
The children at the Inchuaban school
We were given the opportunity to share with the students about Jesus. It was always exciting to have a ready crowd to share Jesus with. Wayne, Ellen and Nick shared with the children. Wayne began with a short puppet show and then Ellen took time to share the story of Zacchaeus. It was such an appropriate story to tell the students because Zacchaeus had climbed a tree in order to be able to see Jesus over the crowd. These children were also standing on whatever they could find in order to see over the crowd. Ellen’s time was particularly fun because our interpreter that morning was very lively. She would pull children from the crowd and use them to illustrate parts of the story. If Ellen climbed up on a chair, she climbed up with her.
Ellen teaching the children the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus
It was also fun watching these children at Inchuaban as they listened to Ellen speak. They were so interested to hear her speak. At one point our interpreter brought Leah to the front to illustrate one of the points and the children almost crushed each other trying to get a look at Leah. We would find out later that for many of these children it was the first time they had seen white people up close.
After Nick finished the time of speaking to the children they sang for us. They sang wonderful songs. One of their songs was in English and we were able to understand the words; “Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…children of the Lord, children of the Lord…can you sing hallelujah?” These words rang out into the school and into the village surrounding us. Times like these almost take your breath away. Watching the children sing and shout to Jesus with such energy and joy was very convicting. How many times do we attend worship services here in America that seem dull and lifeless? We have been given so much to be thankful for. We have received so many blessings from God. Yet so often we find it hard to be joyful and vibrant in worship. These children have so little and suffer far more than we do, yet they sing to Jesus with all their hearts. It was so refreshing.
We left the large classroom and were taken out into the main courtyard of the school to begin visiting classrooms and handing out school supplies. At first, the children were very well behaved and waited patiently for us to come to their classrooms and hand out pencils and crayons. However, things quickly changed as the students began leaving their classrooms and meeting us in the courtyard. It started with only a few children but the crowd quickly swelled and before we knew it we were mobbed in the courtyard. Children were everywhere. They were calling out to us, “Bruni! Bruni!.” They were pressing in on us to shake our hands and to touch our skin. It was overwhelming in some respects. Most of them spoke no English, so there was no meaningful conversation. We were just there with them, enjoying one another.
The children in the courtyard at the school in Inchuaban
It was during this time in the courtyard that one of the little children touched my heart in a way I will never forget. I was in the middle of the courtyard knelt down with a crowd of young children around me. I was greeting them and we were sharing smiles and handshakes. In the crowd I noticed a little girl, maybe 3 or 4 years old, being pushed forward in the crowd by the other children. She stood out in the crowd because she was so small and frail. She also stood out because she was noticeably shaken. She was crying and it was obvious that she was scared of me. We had already learned that for many of the children the sight of a white man for the first time was a frightening experience. They were not afraid of us because of some type of racial tension. It was simply that they had only ever seen people who had dark skin and to see someone with pale skin like ours was new and frightening.
This was not the first time I had seen a child who was afraid of us. Most of the time we would just smile and give them some space. But for some reason I felt compelled to act differently with this little girl. It was as if the Holy Spirit prompted me to reach out my hands and pick her up and comfort her. As I took her in my hands I could feel her fear. She stayed motionless. She would not look directly at me and it was immediately evident that she was terribly uncomfortable. I spoke to her and tried to comfort her and let her know that I loved her. Our time together only lasted a few moments. I put her down and she quickly melted back into the crowd.
We continued to work our way through the courtyard toward the kindergarten area of the school. As we approached the end of the courtyard the crowd had grown so large that we could hardly move. It was absolute chaos as the children surrounded us, reaching for our hands and posing for our cameras. As the children pressed in around me I suddenly realized that there was one child who had begun to cling to my right leg. I couldn’t move any further with this little child holding me so tightly so I reached down to pick the child up and to my surprise it was the same little girl who had been so terrified of me when we met earlier. Apparently she had worked her way through the crowd of larger children in order to find me and once she found me she began to hug my leg and would not let go until I acknowledged her.
In an instant my heart began to melt. As I lifted her into my arms I was overwhelmed by the fact that she was now comfortable with me. She was glad to be in my arms now. She even leaned her head against my shoulder and placed her hand on my chest. My emotions were running wild. Instead of being fearful, she was happy. Instead of tears, now she smiled as I talked to her. All kinds of thoughts were racing through my mind as I tried to process what was happening. In that moment I felt God speaking to my heart. He was telling me to pay attention; this moment was a living parable of God’s love for us. The Bible says in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.”
The little girl who touched my heart in Inchuaban. Words cannot express what I was feeling at this moment
I didn’t know how to communicate with the little girl when she first appeared in the crowd. I only knew that I should show her that I loved her and in response she returned to me and responded by loving me. This is such an important reminder that though we may not always know how to meet needs and share Jesus, we can always love people. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails…”
We spent the rest of our morning at the school in Inchuaban. We handed out schools supplies, spoke with the children about Jesus and taught them to sing “Jesus loves me.” Our hours there that morning left us all feeling overwhelmed. We had not expected to be received with so much love and God had given us so many opportunities to share His love. It was becoming a pattern; God continued to out-do Himself every day. We made ourselves available each day and He gave us opportunities and blessings we never expected every day.
One of the classrooms where we gave out school supplies and taught the children the words and sign language to "Jesus loves me"
The rest of our day was busy as usual. We made another return to our favorite spot, the Ameano village. This time we handed out candy and Nick played soccer with some of the kids while Ellen spoke with the village leader about how we could help send their children to school. We made a quick stop at the Shama school to deliver more school supplies since we had run out the day before. When we returned to our guest house we were greeted by an ever-increasing crowd of children waiting at the gate.
After dinner with friends (we had lobster and fresh fish that we were given in Ameano) we returned to the “jungle village” for another night of worship and preaching. This was the first time I had the opportunity to witness one of these services without having to preach. Even though I was not scheduled to preach that night, Ellen and I were given the opportunity to sing for the people. We sang, “You are my all in all.” It was great because we started singing without any accompaniment but were soon joined by the musicians who were there. It was a joy to sing for the people. Wayne and Bo preached that night and again we saw many people respond to the Gospel message.
The night was far from over. After the service concluded we were taken to a local pastor’s house for a late night meal. It was a traditional African meal of rice balls and chicken stew. It was very good. The dining room was filled with laughter as we joked about Bo’s attempts to speak the native Fanti language. He was such a joy to be around, and such a good sport when we joked with him. Another day was drawing to a close and as we reflected on the events of the day we knew that God had been working powerfully through us and in us all day. We were beginning to realize that God was working in our hearts as much as He was in the people of Ghana. We were almost halfway through our trip and we had already experienced so much. Day five would be a day filled with new experiences. We were becoming comfortable in our new surroundings but on our fifth day we would learn very quickly how to embrace being uncomfortable.
Journal Excerpts
Day 4- Today was life changing. We went to the school in Inchuaban…Nothing could prepare us for this day…One boy was scared of our white skin and hid under a table…We left feeling a sense of awe. We love these children, not in a superficial way but as our own…Increasing number of children at our gate…Bo and Wayne preached. Wayne is a wonderful man and so is Bo…laughed hysterically at Bo as he tried to speak the native language…Matthew 19:13-15 for today!
This morning I got a call from Wayne Matthews, or as we call him now, Papa Wayne. He has been calling each day since he arrived in the Volta region of Ghana to give updates on what God is doing there. Of course, I posted earlier today about the door that was opened to them in another village near Tsiveto. You can read about that and more about the events that led to the ministry in the Volta region here https://purpose2012.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/an-update-on-the-volta-region/
Today we have been praying and looking forward to the culmination of something that began that began months earlier in a small prayer meeting here in Southern Maryland. We had captured a vision to go and share Jesus with the people of Tsiveto, a small village in the Volta Region of Ghana. The people there were living in true spiritual darkness. They were worshipping dead idols and we knew they needed to hear about Jesus.
We were able to visit Tsiveto while we were in Ghana in February and meet with the king. After a short meeting and tour of the village the king told us that we were welcome to come to Tsiveto and share Jesus with the people. This was the opportunity we had prayed for. Today, Wayne and his team held a crusade in Tsiveto and boldly shared Jesus with all the people including the king and the elders of the village.
At 7:20 tonight I got the call I had been waiting for all day. Wayne called and at first he reeled me in with his wonderful sense of humor. After spending time with Wayne while in Africa we learned quickly that you can never really tell when he is joking or being serious. He knew we were excited and waiting for news from Tsiveto so he decided to mess with me for a while. At first he told me not much had happened in Tsiveto. He said the lights were out and he was too scared to go into the village in the pitch black. This sounded a little strange to me since I knew this wouldn’t keep Wayne from preaching to the people. But he had me convinced that the night was a bust. “The lights were off. There was nothing we could do. We’ll have to go back some other time.” This was his story.
To be honest I was a little disappointed. I knew so many had been praying and fasting and expecting God to do amazing things in Tsiveto. I tried to encourage Wayne and reassure him that their trip had already been a success, even if they couldn’t preach in Tsiveto. That’s when his voice changed and he said, “I have to tell you the truth. The lights were out, but Jesus turned them on!!!” I knew right away that I had been the victim of that beautiful sense of humor. We had a good laugh and then things got really good. He said that they were able to share the Gospel in Tsiveto and there were hundreds of people there. The king and the elders of the village came and listened as they shared the Gospel. Now before I get to the rest of the story I have to flash back to the day we were in Tsiveto with Wayne.
The day we were there we were taken to see the king. In Tsiveto the people live in family groups, sort of like small compounds within the village. As we entered the king’s compound the first thing we saw was the king’s “god.” It is hard to explain. The “god” was actually just a large concrete cylinder. The king would take his offerings there and ask for the god’s blessings. Inside the “god” were various animal skulls and bones and other strange objects. The king was seated not far from this god and we were take to him and introduced. As we sat with the king the African pastor we had taken with us from the Western region leaned over to me and said, “A godly king will lead his people to be godly people. We need to share Jesus with him so he can lead his people.”
The king's "god" and his sacrifices in Tsiveto. He was seated only a short distance away when we took this picture and we were taken to meet him minutes later.
I’ll spare you the details of the rest of that day. The really important stuff happened today. After the preaching was concluded today in Tsiveto Wayne made an appeal for the people of Tsiveto to come to Christ. With the people of the village looking on the first person to respond was the king we had sat with that first day in Tsiveto. He gave his life to Jesus in front of the whole village! Next the elders of the village began to come and give their lives to Jesus. It didn’t stop there. There is more to tell and so much more to be excited about in Tsiveto. I am going to leave that for Wayne when he returns. I just wanted to share that God has done something amazing. God has called the leaders of a village that is littered with idols to forsake the idols and come to Christ. Jesus overcame the idols of Tsiveto. Jesus has redeemed people for Himself in Tsiveto today.
God is so good and we are overwhelmed right now by His power and His glory. Please continue to pray for the people of Tsiveto and the Volta region. We know that there will be serious spiritual warfare there as people turn away from idols and strongholds that have been there for countless generations. But we also know that Jesus is more powerful than the one who is in the world. And we know that He has promised to send the Holy Spirit to help us. Be in prayer and please raise awareness for this ongoing work in Ghana. Wayne will be home soon in America, but the work is far from over. Pray about how you can support this work. And praise God for showing Himself in power in the Volta region of Ghana!!!
While we were on our trip to Ghana in February we had an opportunity to travel to the Volta region of Ghana. Ghana is separated into several geographic regions. We were staying in the Western Region. The Volta region is on the far eastern side of the country. The journey to the Volta region began here in America.
Our friend Seth knew a man named Emmanuel whose family is from the Volta region of Ghana in a town called, Tsiveto. A few weeks before our trip to Ghana Seth invited Wayne, Nick and myself to his home to hear about a recent trip his friend Emmanuel had taken to Tsiveto. They had gone there on a medical mission trip. As Emmanuel showed us pictures of Tsiveto he eventually came to some pictures of idols that are in the village. He explained that the people in Tsiveto still worship these idols. There are no missionaries working in the village. There is no consistent Gospel witness there to lead the people away from their idols and toward Jesus.
One of the idols in the village of Tsiveto
We knew immediately that God was speaking to us through Emmanuel. God made it clear in our hearts that night that we needed to travel to Tsiveto and allow God to open doors there to share the Gospel with people who are living in spiritual darkness.
The "god" who guards the entrance to Tsiveto
We knew we would not be able to spend much time in the Volta region while we were there in February. It was a 6 hour journey from where we were staying. We set aside one day toward the end of our trip to travel to Tsiveto and see what doors God would open. The trip was very interesting. We were taken to a “sick camp” or “prayer camp” where people who have been rejected from their villages were taken. This was a place none of us were quite prepared for. I won’t go into details, but it was interesting and disturbing. We were then taken into the village of Tsiveto and given a tour by a man who lives in the village. He took us around and showed us the idols and introduced us to the king.
We were seated in front of the king and given the opportunity to share our concern for Tsiveto and the Volta region. After a few tense moments Wayne began to tell the king that we came in the name of Jesus and that our desire was to share Jesus with the people of Tsiveto. None of us knew how he would react. We were seated only a few feet from the king’s “god.” Ultimately the king told us that we were welcome to return and tell the people in Tsiveto about Jesus. Praise God, the door we had prayed for was opened!
We had to return to the Western region that same day but Wayne was able to schedule a return trip later in March. This brings us to where we are today. Wayne travelled to the Volta region along with a few African people who volunteered to travel with him from the Western region. Wayne has been there for a couple of days now and the trip has been nothing short of amazing.
The first night they were there they were taken to the prayer camp we visited during our trip. That night they held a service that lasted for several hours. They shared Jesus and prayed with those who were sick and who were dealing with serious spiritual strongholds. I spoke with Wayne after that first night and he told me that it was an amazing time of seeing God work in powerful ways. He said that curses were broken, demons were fleeing and people were coming to Christ. Last night they returned to the same prayer camp and held services again which were equally amazing.
The big news came today when they were taken to another village nearby Tsiveto. This village was a shock. The people there were consumed by idol worship. Some of their gods were simply trees in the village that they prayed to for blessing when they go out to hunt. They had shrines in the village where the people offer sacrifices to their gods. After touring the village they were asked to speak with the people there. About 40 villagers were gathered and they began to share Jesus with them. They preached Jesus in a place where people have been worshipping dead idols for generations. Wayne said that when they finished preaching half of the people there gave their hearts to Jesus! He said it was unlike anything he had ever seen. The people are running away from their idols and running to Jesus. They are ready to tear down the idols and worship Jesus. They have already named their church!
The work is not over yet. Tonight they will go into Tsiveto to hold a crusade. They will be preaching about Jesus and calling the people to leave their idols and run to Jesus. God has already showed His power there in the last couple of days and we are excited to see what He will do tonight in Tsiveto. Please pray for Wayne and his team as they boldly share Jesus in a place where the devil has had a stronghold for many generations. We are confident that Jesus is going to work powerfully in Tsiveto tonight!
I will update again as soon as Wayne calls to give me a report from Tsiveto. Pray hard for him and the team as they fulfill the Great Commission in the Volta Region of Ghana. Pray for safe travel for their team tonight as they leave the Volta region to return to the Western region. Pray for God to continue to open doors for the Gospel in Ghana. Pray that God will prepare the way for our return trips to Ghana in the year ahead.
I also had an opportunity to speak with one of the men who is with Wayne. His name is also Emmanuel. As we were speaking and I was encouraging them Emmanuel said to me, “God is doing it…God is doing it.” Praise God, He is using frail men and women to display His power and glory!
~In the weeks ahead I hope to share with you about our trip to Ghana. I have found that it has been hard to communicate in spoken words what it was like to be there. I hope that written words will help tell the story better. I am sure I speak for the entire team in saying this trip blessed us in ways we never imagined. The team members were; Wayne Matthews, Bo Hancock, Ellen and Leah Dobry, Nick Grandstaff and myself. A special thank you for our Papa Wayne. We began calling him Papa as a term of endearment during our trip. This trip would not have been possible without his love for Jesus and the people of Ghana. He is an inspiration to all of us and God is using him in big ways. Also, a special word about Leah Dobry. She is a wonderful little girl with an enormous heart. She collected school supplies to give out in the schools while we were there and money to help enroll kids in school. God used her vision of helping the schools of Ghana to open many doors for us while we were on this trip. Thank you Leah! At the end of each post I will include quotes from my personal journal. I kept a journal each day to help me remember what I was feeling while I was there. I hope that these posts will help you see a more intimate view of our trip. Enjoy.~
Day 3
I doubt any of us was prepared for what we experienced on the morning of our third day in Ghana. We were awakened at 4:00. We had all stayed up late getting school supplies ready to deliver to schools. I was not feeling well after having only a little over two hours of sleep. There was no time for coffee and no time for breakfast because we had an appointment to speak over a village radio system at 5:00. We didn’t have far to go but to me it felt like an eternity sitting in the car that morning heading to our appointment.
It is pitch black when you travel at night in Ghana. Many times the electricity has been turned off by the government so there are no lights to guide the way. You cannot tell when there is a building or a house or even an entire village as you travel. It is simply black…pitch black. We were driving along one of these pitch black roads looking for the school where we were supposed to meet Rosemary and Emmanuel, two local school teachers who had organized this invitation to speak. As we were driving Wayne’s cell phone rang and it was Rosemary calling. She told us to turn around. We had missed the school.
Rosemary directed us into a dirt lot below the school and when our headlights illuminated the lot we were surprised to see a group of people standing in the lot holding hands. Emmanuel was in the center of the circle and it was obvious that this was a prayer meeting. We got out of the car and at first I was very uncomfortable. Prayer meetings in Ghana are not like most of the prayer meetings we experience here. The people were all praying out loud at the same time. I was tired and a little disoriented and because of the language barrier the prayers sounded strange.
The lot below the school where we had our early morning prayer meeting
At first I didn’t know if I should join the meeting but after a few moments I asked God to use this as a learning experience and I put my comfort aside and joined the prayer circle. It was an amazing time of prayer and fellowship. We stood there in the dark, holding hands and praying to the same Jesus. We could not always understand each other, but there was a sense it which it was wonderful to hear people pray in different languages. It was another reminder that we don’t have a monopoly on Jesus in America. Revelation 5:9 says, “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.’”
After the prayer meeting ended we made our way to the village “radio station” where we had been invited to share Jesus with the entire village. The radio station was basically a small dimly lit room with a mixing board and a couple of microphones. It seemed more like an intercom system than an actual radio station. As we were waiting to speak we listened to Emmanuel’s voice being blasted into the village over loud speakers outside the station.
Each of us was given a few moments to share what God had placed on our hearts. I don’t remember what I said that morning. It was still very early and I wasn’t quite awake yet. This was another circumstance when I had to rely on 1 Peter 4:11, “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” Because we come from America, I’m sure we were all wondering if anyone was actually listening. After all, it was 5:00 in the morning. But when we finished and walked outside the building we saw that a group of people had gathered. Even the village Chief had come to see what was going on. We may have been tired and out of our element but God was able to use us that morning to share the Gospel with hundreds, maybe thousands of people. We were slowly learning that we just needed to be willing and available and God would take care of equipping us and giving us opportunities to witness.
The "radio station" we spoke on at 5:00AM
After breakfast at the guest house we divided into two teams. Bo, Ellen and Leah would spend the day at Rosemary’s school in the village we had already been to that morning. Wayne, Nick and I would go to the Shama Primary School where we had been invited to come share in their morning worship service and then speak to the children about Jesus. Each team took bags of school supplies and set out to serve Jesus in the schools.
When we arrived at the Shama Primary School the children had already begun to gather outside for worship. It was so interesting to watch the teachers patrol the ranks with long wooden switches. The switches were rarely used. The children seemed eager to worship and in no time the entire school had gathered and the time of worship began.
The children gathering for worship at the school in Shama
Over the next hour we watched in amazement as the teachers led the children in a vibrant, joyful, enthusiastic time of prayer and worship. It was so refreshing to see Jesus being lifted up in worship in a way that seemed so full of life. As I watched the children pray and sing I noticed several children who had tears running down their faces. Their eyes were closed and no one was paying attention to the person next to them. This worship was between each of them and God. There was no fear. There was no holding back.
The worship service was led primarily by one young, energetic teacher. She was very skilled at leading the worship. Over the hour she led the children in prayers and songs. Some times during the service were quiet and thoughtful. Other times were loud and energetic. The entire service seemed to be swelling with intensity as the hour moved on. Finally the worship service ended in a time of joyful dancing and singing like I have never seen before. The children were singing, “Hallelujah” to Jesus with their hands stretched out toward heaven and their voices ringing out into the village. It was like Psalm 150:4-6 was being lived out in front of us, “Praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”
The teacher leading the children in prayer toward the end of the worship gathering
The remainder of our morning was very busy. We spent time handing out school supplies and speaking in the classrooms to the children, encouraging them to continue to cling to Jesus. After leaving the school we walked back to our guest house to meet with another local pastor to see how we could partner with him in his ministry to unreached portions of Ghana. While waiting for the other team to return Wayne, Nick and I visited the other side of Shama. This area was much different. There were street merchants and a much different atmosphere. In Shama there is a “slave castle” where slaves were held before being placed on ships to head to North and South America during the years of slave trading. While standing at the steps of the castle we met some Muslim children. They seemed curious about us and we tried to speak with them but as they approached one of the older children came out and scolded them and made them leave us.
We walked back to the guest house and we were met by children who were waiting for us. “Bruni, bruni!” they called to us. We had very little time as we needed to return to Ameano that day and then get ready for our first night of open air preaching in the “Jungle Village.” For some reason closing the gate behind me was particularly painful this time. The children were calling to us and I felt ashamed that I had to turn and walk away from them.
The children at our gate after returning from the slave castle
After returning to Ameano that afternoon for a short visit we made the journey to the jungle village to take part in a crusade they were having there. Nick and I were supposed to preach that night. When we arrived everything was pitch black. The power was out in the village. Only the lights from our car proved that there was actually something getting ready to happen here. It was a large open dirt lot with chairs set in neat rows and drums setting nearby. It was absolutely dark. We were wondering if they would even be able to proceed with the events that night. Someone came by and asked if we had flashlights. We realized that electricity was not a priority here. They would worship and preach whether there was electricity of not.
The worship began in the dark. Someone began to play the drums and then voices began to sing. The singing was in the native language so we could not understand but it was very joyful. Even in the dark people began to join in the worship. A group of young men seemed to appear out of the night and began dancing and singing right in front of us. Children started to make their way out of the surrounding village and they joined the dancing. After a short time someone showed up with a generator and turned the lights and microphones on. For the first time since we had arrived we could see our surroundings. A crowd had begun to gather and the worship was becoming more and more vibrant.
This is a one of the best pictures we have of the crusade in the "jungle village." It was dark and dusty
Eventually Nick and I were called on to preach to the crowd. It was a wonderful experience. Preaching with the interpreter was much easier this time. Nick preached first and then I closed the preaching time. After I finished preaching the local pastors made a passionate appeal for people to come to Christ. People began to come and Nick and I were invited to pray with those who had made decisions to follow Jesus. The worship service was far from over. After we prayed with the people another time of worship and celebration erupted. There was dancing and singing. This time seemed even more intense than when we had begun. During this time of worship a woman approached me with a small child. The little girl looked frail. An interpreter explained to me that the woman was bringing this child to me so I could pray for her to be healed. I was told that the little girl was suffering with measles. I could only think of my little girls back at home with their mother. I knew how heartbroken Denise would be if one of our children was seriously ill.
I didn’t know exactly what to do. I was not accustomed to people bringing sick children to me for prayer. I knew I had no power to help this little child but I was confident that God could heal her. I reached out and put my hand on the little girls head and I pleaded with God to heal her. I didn’t see the little girl again after that night. I don’t know what happened to her. But I knew that God was teaching me to stop thinking about results and to just be faithful in whatever situation He puts me in.
Another day in Ghana was over. We returned to our guest house in Shama for another late-night time of group devotion and prayer before bed. God had given us so many opportunities. He had taught us so much about prayer and worship. He had given us opportunities to minister to hundreds of Children and share the Gospel and see people come to Christ. We had prayed with the sick and celebrated God’s grace with other believers. What a day! We couldn’t imagine it could get better, but we were about to experience a day that none of us would forget.
Journal Excerpts
Day 3- This morning we woke at 4:00. Neither Nick or I were happy…We all got to share on the village loudspeaker at 5:00. We shared the Gospel…The whole school worships each Wednesday morning. Words on paper could hardly describe what this was like…It stirs your soul…Today my heart is heavy for these children. Their spirits are so wonderful and they are so beautiful…The dancing and worship began without lights. It was spectacular. The sound of conga drums and tambourines. The dust filled the air while the people danced in front of us…Great pineapple for late night snack. 1:10 AM to bed. Hebrews 13:13 for today!
~In the weeks ahead I hope to share with you about our trip to Ghana. I have found that it has been hard to communicate in spoken words what it was like to be there. I hope that written words will help tell the story better. I am sure I speak for the entire team in saying this trip blessed us in ways we never imagined. The team members were; Wayne Matthews, Bo Hancock, Ellen and Leah Dobry, Nick Grandstaff and myself. A special thank you for our Papa Wayne. We began calling him Papa as a term of endearment during our trip. This trip would not have been possible without his love for Jesus and the people of Ghana. He is an inspiration to all of us and God is using him in big ways. Also, a special word about Leah Dobry. She is a wonderful little girl with an enormous heart. She collected school supplies to give out in the schools while we were there and money to help enroll kids in school. God used her vision of helping the schools of Ghana to open many doors for us while we were on this trip. Thank you Leah! At the end of each post I will include quotes from my personal journal. I kept a journal each day to help me remember what I was feeling while I was there. I hope that these posts will help you see a more intimate view of our trip. Enjoy.~
Day 2-
Waking up in Shama was interesting. I did not sleep well that first night. I went to bed with a terrible headache that I am sure came from a day of travelling without eating or drinking until arriving at our guest house. I woke up a little nervous about what the day would bring. I wasn’t nervous in a bad way, just nervous because today we would face something completely new and we had no idea what the day would be like. We knew we would go to the fishing village nearby, but that’s all we knew.
After getting dressed and cleaned up we gathered in the dining room to have breakfast. Breakfast was the same each day; omelets with onions and tomatoes and bread. We had hot water for our instant coffee. At first I was a little nervous about making coffee with the water there. The water had been boiled but we had been warned not to drink the water. We were even told to keep the water out of our mouths and eyes while we were showering. The need for coffee outweighed the risk of diarrhea so I took the plunge. Breakfast was refreshing.
After breakfast we gathered outside at our rental car to make the short trip to the fishing village. Our guest house was enclosed by high concrete walls and a tall iron gate. As we were opening the gate to get our car out Leah suggested something that would set the tone for our entire trip. She said, “We should walk!” We all agreed that this was a good idea. I think we all knew that we needed to walk. We needed to leave the isolation of our guest house and our car and actually live and walk and talk where the people were.
As we were walking toward the ocean we met several children along the way who were on their way to school. This was the ice-breaker we needed. We said, “hello” and “how are you.” We were met with smiles and giggles. Some of the older children responded with “hi” and “I am fine.” We met more and more children as we got closer to the school. They all seemed very interested in us. Their smiles were infectious and they made us feel welcome in their village even though we had an obvious language barrier.
The children we met on our first walk to Ameano
When we finally arrived at their school we noticed from the road that there were many teachers standing outside. The school day was just about to begin. We decided on the spot to go talk to the teachers and see if we could have access to their school to share with the children about Jesus and bring them school supplies. Again we were greeted warmly and we were taken into the Head Mistress’ office.
After some short introductions we were invited to return the next morning at 7:50 to share in their weekly worship service. This was very exciting. Coming from America it is hard to imagine showing up at a school with no prior notice, asking to come share Jesus with the children and then being met with approval and an invitation to return the next day. This was wonderful. We were taken on a short tour of the school where we were met for the first time by little children spontaneously chanting, “Bruni, bruni, how are you?” “Bruni” is the word they use for “white person.” There is nothing insulting about this word. They were truly happy to see us. We promised to return the next morning and then left to continue our walk to the fishing village.
Our arrival in the fishing village (we later learned that the name of the village is Ameano) was a bit intimidating at first. The fisherman were hard at work on their boats. They were mending nets and preparing their boats for three day journeys out into the ocean. At first they seemed very uninterested in us being there. There was almost the feeling that we were a bit of an annoyance. After all, they were working and we probably looked like a group of Europeans on vacation looking for some good pictures of the “native” people. Thankfully Bo had brought along some pictures of him working as a fisherman here in America. He was able to show his pictures to some of the fisherman and they seemed to understand that we were interested in making a connection with them in a genuine way.
Bo had brought a piece of net with him and after showing them the net they invited us to come see their boats. We were taken down the beach to the boats that were tied off waiting to go to sea. We climbed up on the boat and had a great learning experience about their way of life. The language barrier was hard to overcome since their English was not good, but we managed to make the most of it. After that first meeting with the fisherman we all agreed; the waterman in Maryland have it easy compared to these guys. What started as a tense meeting with complete strangers became a very warm encounter with people who would become our friends in the days ahead. We didn’t know what to expect but it turned out to be a wonderful first encounter. We ended our time with the fisherman by telling them that we were there to share Jesus with the people of Ghana and we asked if they would join us on the beach where we could pray with them and ask God to bless them and protect them while they were out at sea.
One of the fisherman that first day in Ameano showing us how they sleep on their boats during 3 day trips into the ocean
It was hard to believe; a couple of days ago I was watching Netflix with my family, relaxing on our nice comfortable new furniture. Now I was standing on a beach in West Africa holding hands with a fisherman as we prayed in the name of Jesus. Awesome!
After leaving the beach we were met for the first time by some of the children of Ameano. They noticed us there and came to see the Brunis. Bo saved the day again by producing candy canes from his backpack to give to the kids. We had fun meeting the kids that day. They were friendly and funny. We were able to speak with a young man named Emmanuel who was standing nearby watching us play with the kids. We asked him why these children were not in school. He explained they could not go to school because they had no money for uniforms and meals. We were sad to hear that. But we also knew that this circumstance offered us an opportunity to help this village. We knew we could find a way to get these children an education. While we played with the children Wayne and Ellen spoke with the apparent leader in Ameano; a man named Yaw. They spoke with him about how we could help the children there and we promised to return to work out the details.
As we walked back to our guest house we were overwhelmed by how many doors God had opened for us. It was only late morning on the first day but God had already helped us make valuable connection to the people and children of Shama and Ameano. It reminds me of Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” God would teach us to rest in verses like these during our time in Ghana. Each day God did more than we could ever ask or imagine.
Of course our day was far from over. We made our first trip To Takoradi to stock up on supplies we would need to make it through the next 8 days. We bought cases of bottled water, Bibles to hand out, more school supplies and various other things. After returning from Takoradi we had some time to kill and went to a school yard near our guest house where we played with some of the local children and gave them a soccer ball and candy. It was a great experience even though the crowd that gathered quickly became overwhelming. There are children everywhere. They gather at our gate and wait for us to come talk to them and give them little gifts of crackers (biscuits) or candy. They are so wonderful and we are constantly reminded of Hebrews 13:13, “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp…” God is teaching us so much about ministry. It would be easy to stay inside our guest house and ignore the children “outside the camp.” We would get more rest if we stayed behind the gates. But we know that Jesus is with those who are outside the camp. Jesus is with those who are hungry or thirsty. Jesus is with those who are dirty and rejected. We want to be with Jesus, so we spend as much time as we can “outside the camp.”
On our first day, the children had already begun to gather outside the gate
That evening we attended our first worship service in Africa at Pastor George’s church. The worship was vibrant and wonderful. I was able to preach for the first time with an interpreter. It was a real challenge. In a lot of ways I felt like I was learning to preach all over again. We were encouraged by the people at Pastor George’s church. After the service they prayed for our entire team that God would use us in mighty ways while we were in Ghana.
Our first full day of ministry in Ghana ended like most days would; late dinner and a time of devotion and prayer. After dinner we went to our room to organize school supplies for our visits to the schools the next morning. When we finished with school supplies it was off to a cold shower and a couple of hours of sleep. The time is 1:45 am and we need to be up at 4:00 am to go to another village where we have been invited to speak. Today was awesome, but God would prove that He could outdo Himself each day.
Journal Excerpts-
Day 2- Sleep was not good last night. I had a headache and vivid dreams…Leah wanted to walk and I was happy for that. I knew I would never get over my anxiety about my surroundings until I immersed myself in my surroundings…We left and walked to the village on the ocean. It was a little intimidating as the men were hard at work and at first were not interested…Takoradi was busy and hectic…Worship was vibrant and loud…1:45 AM, we finished arranging school supplies. Took a cold shower and getting ready for bed. 1 Corinthians 10:31 for today!
~In the weeks ahead I hope to share with you about our trip to Ghana. I have found that it has been hard to communicate in spoken words what it was like to be there. I hope that written words will help tell the story better. I am sure I speak for the entire team in saying this trip blessed us in ways we never imagined. The team members were; Wayne Matthews, Bo Hancock, Ellen and Leah Dobry, Nick Grandstaff and myself. A special thank you for our Papa Wayne. We began calling him Papa as a term of endearment during our trip. This trip would not have been possible without his love for Jesus and the people of Ghana. He is an inspiration to all of us and God is using him in big ways. Also, a special word about Leah Dobry. She is a wonderful little girl with an enormous heart. She collected school supplies to give out in the schools while we were there and money to help enroll kids in school. God used her vision of helping the schools of Ghana to open many doors for us while we were on this trip. Thank you Leah! At the end of each post I will include quotes from my personal journal. I kept a journal each day to help me remember what I was feeling while I was there. I hope that these posts will help you see a more intimate view of our trip. Enjoy.~
I certainly had no idea what I was in for when I arrived on the ground in Ghana. I knew that I needed to go on a mission trip. I knew I wanted to go to Africa. I knew I wanted to go with Wayne Matthews. But beyond those things, I had no idea what I was in for.
It was a bit surreal as the plane began to descend into Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Below we could see the smoke rising from fires all across the landscape. Some of the fires were from burning trash. Some were fires that were obviously set on purpose as some type of controlled burn. There were unfinished structures all over the place. From the air it appeared the unfinished structures outnumbered the finished ones. The soil below was a rich red set against the brilliant green of the tropical trees. We were in another world.
Stepping off the plane was another shock to the system. When we left America the temperature was just above freezing and it was snowing. In Accra it was hot and humid. After making our way through customs and out of the airport we began our journey out of Accra west toward Shama. Driving in Ghana is not fun. We know what bad traffic is here in the Washington D.C. area. Traffic in Ghana is far worse. Imagine rush hour in D.C. with 3 times the people and no traffic lights or stop signs. Traffic in Ghana is worse!
Traffic in Accra
It took us 5 ½ hours to reach our guest house in Shama. It was dark in the village. The government had turned the power off in the western region. After moving our luggage to our rooms we had some time to relax before eating our first meal in Ghana. Standing on the balcony of the upper level of our guest house we could not see what the village looked like around us. We would have to wait until the morning to see our new surroundings. Even though we couldn’t see our surroundings we could certainly smell them. The smell was…unusual. It was another reminder that we had arrived in a place that was completely foreign to us.
Arrival in Shama, Looking into the unknown
The emotions of that first day in Ghana are hard to describe. In one sense everything is very exciting. We were in Africa. How could we not be excited about that? We were excited about how God would use us in the days ahead. One of the things that made this trip so special is that we had a very interesting plan. Our “plan” was to have no plan. Of course we had appointments to keep and we knew we would be in certain villages and churches to preach on certain evenings. We knew there would be days when we visited schools. But for the most part, our days were wide open. We were relying on God to lead us. We were relying on God to open doors for us. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” We knew that our only hope for success was to allow God to be the team leader.
We sat down for our first meal together that evening in a room that would become our “home base” for the next 8 days. It was a dining area on the second floor of our guest house. This was the place we would eat our meals, have times of devotion and prayer, meet new friends, send Facebook messages on Ellen’s laptop, laugh and sit at night to reflect on the blessings of the day that had just passed. As we ate our first meal in Ghana we discussed what we would do in the morning. We all agreed we would like to go and visit a small fishing village nearby. We had no real plan. We would just go and let God lead us.
Home Base, in the dining area at the Guest House
After dinner and cold showers (the warmest water we touched during our trip was in the ocean) we had time to call our families. We had purchased cell phones in the airport and the coverage was surprisingly good along the southern coast. It was great to hear the voices of our spouses and children. It was hard to want to get off the phone but we knew our pre-paid phone cards would run out quickly. It was late now and time for bed. We were tired from nearly 24 hours of traveling and we needed rest. Tomorrow was going to be a big day; our first full day as missionaries in Ghana.
Journal excerpts-
Day one- “Got to see a lot today in passing. Only these short hours make us appreciate our lives in America. We are very rich…Police checkpoints and crowded toll booths with people trying to sell you something…Arrived in Shama at our guest house…Dinner was made special for us…We made our plan for tomorrow to go to the ocean after breakfast to try to meet some fisherman. We don’t really know what will come of it…Jesus is King of all creation…Proverbs 3:5-6 for today.”
