Team:

• Lee Ann Ensweiler
• Jim Ferwerda
• Charity Hoskins
• Jacob Hoskins
• Whitney Neely
• Kim Ricklefs
• Colleen Scigliano

Hi, all!

Well, I'm here the day before we leave for Ghana, sitting in my basement, surrounded by what seems an uncountable number of bags, wondering how it's all going to get to Accra. The final preparations are being made before we leave for Chicago around 11:30 AM Tuesday - just a few more items to pick up before then.

The team is excited about going - Charity, Jacob, Kim, LeeAnn, Colleen, and myself (Whitney has already arrived ahead of us). We will be staying with our dear friends, Brian & Debbie McIntyre - hopefully, we won't stress them out too much, as the population of their house goes from 5 to 12 for a few weeks.

During the next couple of weeks, we hope (Lord willing) to host a Vacation Bible School for the children living around Frafraha Baptist Church outside of Accra, to work with a street ministry in Downtown Accra for people with disabilities (Charity and I will do some music, and I'll get to preach there as well), to visit a village to help with a medical clinic, visit some orphanages, visit a residential camp for disabled people, and pretty much whatever else they tell us to do! (Of course, there will be some sightseeing and shopping - if anyone wants me to pick up anything, let me know!! I hear there are still Obama memorabilia available from his trip their 10 days ago!)

Of course, today is the 40th anniversary of Armstrong and Aldrin's first steps on the moon - how vividly I remember it as a kid of age 10! I'm not even going to try to attempt to compare this trip in terms of historical significance to that great event, but we are praying that the Lord would use this trip for eternal significance - in our lives and the lives of the children, the orphans, the disabled, the poor, and anyone else He brings into our path. James 1:27 reminds us: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." In this we glorify Jesus, as we seek to do what He's called us to - this is our act of spiritual worship!

Please be praying for us on this trip - that we can be used by God to make a difference for Him eternally that is totally disproportionate to who we are, and that He gets the glory for it all. (Pray also that we get our eclectic combination of luggage and their contents through Ghanaian customs without incident!!)

"One small step for man, one giant leap ... of faith in our Lord!"

In His Mercy, for His Glory,
Jim


 

Hi, all!

Catchy Subject Line, huh?

Hey, we made it! As I sit here, it is close to 8:00 local time, and after roughly 24 hours of travel from door to door, we are here! We touched down in Accra on time, but minus one bag (which mysteriously disappeared at O'Hare) - we checked the bag, but I don't think they tagged it, so we don't know where it currently is - you can be praying about that!

Well down on sleep at this point - will write more tomorrow. We go to a village about two hours away to assist Dinah (the Ghanaian nurse that works with the McIntyres) with a medical clinic.

Praise the Lord - we are here!


In His Mercy, for His Glory!
Jim

Hi, all!

What an interesting and tiring day it was! After a decent night's sleep, the team headed out to the village of Fontim, about a 3 hour drive north of Accra, set amidst some beautiful mountains.

Our purpose for going to Fontim (in the Central Region) was to assist Dinah (the Ghanaian nurse who is part of the FIM-Ghana team; she heads up the medical branch of the ministry here) in holding a health clinic. She works in the villages weekly, teaching about proper health and nutrition, helping mothers learn to take care of their children, tracking height and weight of the babies and toddlers, and giving vaccinations (such as MMR) to the small ones. There is a time of praying and singing with the people as well - the goal is to help them physically as well as spiritually - where the best kind of mercy can be found!

As part of the work today, LeeAnn and Charity helped weigh and record the weights of the babies, Colleen helped Dinah with the vaccinations, and Kim, Whitney, and I were the "entertainment". We took pictures of the various children and women, and then showed them the images from our digital cameras - they just loved to see their own pictures! They would pose and then gather around to see the image, laughing and just enjoying the time. Most of these people spoke only Krobo, so communication was a bit challenging, but we seemed to all get along really well. Additionally, Whitney, Kim, and I (and later the others) just played catch with the kids - it was really quite unusual for them to have an adult play with them, and even more unusual when the person was white! They loved to touch our skin, just to see if it felt different.

Probably the highlight of the day was when first Whitney, then Kim, Charity, and myself (yes, me) got "wrapped" by the women. Here babies are carried on the back by the mother (or occasionally the father) by wrapping a cloth around the adult while the baby is on her back - a simple baby carrier! Whitney wanted to try it, and the results were comical and somewhat "ice-breaking" - the villagers loved seeing the white women (and man!) carrying babies around like a Ghanaian. Praise the Lord for the fun we had! (See attachment, if it comes through - Whitney is to the side with a camera.)

Afterwards, the villages presented the "foreigners from afar" with gifts, including a ton of casaba (to be used in Saturday's foofoo dinner) and other vegetables, and bracelets. The bracelets are worn only by Krobo "royalty", so I guess I've been promoted!! They relished the opportunity to tie them on us - mine is so tight that I don't think I can get it over my wrist without cutting the rope. (I'm not sure I can play guitar with it on; if not; I'll have to somehow get it off.)

We are praising the Lord for His goodness in today's trip - very sobering to see the conditions of poverty in which these precious people live, yet they have much joy - and that joy can only come from the Lord!

Thank you for praying - we appreciate the continued prayers!


In His Mercy, for His Glory!
Jim

Hi, all!

Just wanted to quickly check in before heading off to bed - today was a bit of a slower paced day, and it was nice to get a chance to catch our breath a bit.

We started the day with team devotions - we are using chapters from John Piper's book, "Pierced by the Word", a collection of short meditations on the supremacy of God. (I highly recommend it!) Today, we learned about how God's love for us is different from how most of us usually think of love - in human terms, the best kind of love involves putting others interests above our own. But God can't love us that way - he can't put US above HIMSELF, because if He did, it would be idolatry - God is the highest and greatest of all beings, so He can't put us above Himself. Yes, he loves us, but He does so by giving us the best thing of all - Himself! And He does so because He love Himself within the Trinity so much more - which is proper, for He is the best! I know this may sound confusing, and I'm not explaining it well, but it was an enlightening time.

Afterwards, we headed to the Echoing Hills Village in nearby Ogbojo - about 15 minutes by some of the worst roads on the face of the Earth (think big moguls on a ski hill, and you are starting to get the idea). Echoing Hills is a community for the disabled in the area (for those who know Pastor Larry Lamina from his visit to Wisconsin in early June, this is the facility he heads up). We spent some time with the residents and with Pastor Joel, who is in charge in Larry's absence. In Ghana, the disabled and the sick are often treated as if they are demon possessed, so these people become the throwaways of the society. Echoing Hills and their related ministries help bring God's mercy to these precious people - meeting both physical and spiritual needs. This is one of my favorite places from last year's visit. Additionally, I got to meet my "grasscutter" or "bushrat" that Pastor Joel is raising on for me - he will be part of tomorrow's Ghanaian dinner that is being prepared for us! Can't wait! :)

Brian and I also had a meeting today with Mr. Samuel Gyebi, the chairman of the board of FIM-Ghana (I am his counterpart with West African Mercy Ministries) and a real estate developer. He is assisting us with the liquidation of some property WAMM bought a few years ago in Kumasi, money that will go directly into the care of infant orphans.

In the evening, we planned and practiced the music for this Sunday's worship service at Frafraha Baptist Church, where Charity and I get to help lead the music. Looking forward to it!

Keep praying for us all - we're all healthy and doing well. Oh, and I almost forgot - the lost bag was found and is on its way!! :)


In His Mercy, for His Glory!
Jim

Hi, all!

Yes, it's true - the grasscutter is history. And I thought he was yummy!

Our day started, after team devotions, with a short visit from Pastor Joel, who raised my grasscutter for me. His wife, Felicia, had smoked the grasscutter yesterday, and they brought him (I think it was a he; by the way, I would never name my food prior to butchering!) in the morning.

We then left for some souvenir shopping at the Tetteh Quarshie Art Fair near the airport - all sorts of fun handmade stuff, jewelry, wood carved items, etc. I picked up a few things to bring home - a couple of Ghanaian shirts, some material, and a few other things.

The afternoon was taken up with preparations for dinner, making the fufu (the dumpling like stuff made of plantain and casaba), and the two light soups (to be put over the fufu - one chicken and one grasscutter). We also had multiple ping-pong games, and just a good time relaxing.

Evening was taken up with music practice for church tomorrow; again, an enjoyable time.

Tomorrow, church and a visit to the street ministry for children ( the junior version of what I'll be preaching at next Sunday).

But now, it is late - too much grasscutter and fufu makes me sleepy!

Love to all!

In His Mercy, for His Glory!
Jim

Hi, all!

It is well past 11:30 PM local time, but my mind can't sleep and needs to process the day - I apologize if I start to ramble.

Today started out as a great Sunday - we had a great time of worship with Frafraha Baptist Church. Charity, Tommy, and I got to help with the music, and Pastor Gaisie preached on the importance of prayer - how we need to bring everything, especially the need for the salvation of others, to the Lord continually in prayer. We enjoyed the time of fellowship - for me, it gave me a chance to renew relationships with people I met last year.

After lunch, we went to what we thought was going to be a street ministry for children - it ended up being in a "refugee camp" called the "Yam Market" (for obvious reasons). It's not really a camp, but it is where people displaced from a civil war in the north of Ghana were relocated to by the government more than 25 years ago. We visited the children's ministry headed up by Pastor William that is a part of Handi*Vangelism (the same group that runs the Echoing Hills Community we visited Friday, and the street ministry that I will have the privilege of preaching to next Sunday) that operates in the heart of the community.

Never have I seen such squalor in person - it was like looking at one of those bizare National Geographic specials in some Third World country, where they show the poor children sitting amidst the garbage - but we were immersed in it, sights and smells and all. Even now, I have a hard time thinking about what we saw, much less talking or writing about it. There are 23,000 people crammed within 2 square kilometers (about 1.5 square miles, if I am calculating that correctly). The people live in shacks; diseases like cholera are rampant; children are sold into prostitution regularly, or are forced to work at very young ages just to survive. I took maybe a hundred pictures, just holding the camera at my waste and clicking, but even as I looked at them this evening, they don't capture the depth of poverty and desperation that we saw. I can't explain it - nor will the images and impressions be easily be erased from my memory.

My daughter Jenni introduced me to a singer by the name of Brooke Fraser a few weeks ago. The title song of the CD is "Albertine", named after an orphan she met on a recent trip to Rwanda. In the chorus, the words go in part (roughly):

This is what I kept thinking while I was there; it all comes back to Isaiah 58 and James 1:27 and 1 John 3:16-18 tell us. If we want to see God, to know Him and worship Him in an expectably manner, we need to (no, are compelled to) be involved in mercy-type ministries. We in the West, who have abundance, need to be seeking the Lord to see how He would have us invest our abundance - should it be on what is temporal or what is eternal?

Pastor William gave us many suggestions as to how we can help the children to whom they minister. For many, it is as simple as providing school uniforms, without which the children cannot attend school. (A single set runs about $15 or less, but on what many of them live on, that is way past what their income provides.) Until recently, there was a group that helped fund the making and distribution of such uniforms, but that funding has dried up.

This part of the trip has left several of us shaken; we struggled to process it throughout the evening. I know we cannot meet the needs of all the people we have met - nor does the Lord expect us to do so. But we can do something - even making a small difference makes a difference. Each of us on the team need to spend some time praying and seeking the Lord as to what He would have us do in response to what we have seen, knowing of His greatness and supremacy.

Lord, give us your heart for those in need, not just to care for their physical needs, but to bring them what is really needed - YOU! - for you alone can satisfy all our needs.

Now off to bed - it's almost midnight ... VBS starts tomorrow!


In His Mercy, for His Glory,
Jim

Hi, all!

Today was a much better day for the team here in Ghana - despite the little tensions that come from having 13 people under one roof (none of which have been serious), we are all doing well, and we were able to get started with the VBS.

In the morning, after the morning devotions, the ladies (Charity, Colleen, Whitney, LeeAnn, and Kim) headed to Beacon House Orphanage, run by an Italian lady named Romana Testa. I had the opportunity to visit last year - it is a very good orphanage by Ghanaian standards - this is the orphanage through which Brian & Debbie are doing foster care for little Abena, now almost 19 months old. (She is such a doll! Can't wait to show you pictures of her!) While Colleen (our nurse) did check ups on each of the 29 kids there, the other ladies read to the kids and played with them. All in all, it was a good experience for them, especially after the difficulty of seeing the children we saw in the Yam Market area - they loved every minute of it!

Meanwhile, Brian and I had some business-related errands to run - in particular, business surrounding WAMM (my end of the work being done here) and FIM-Ghana (the Ghanaian side of the ministry). Since I had visited the orphanage last year, we took the opportunity to take care of those types of things.

In the afternoon, we headed off to Frafraha Baptist Church to set up for the VBS. What an amazing time it was! We had planned it to start at 4:00, thinking we'd actually get going by 4:15 or 4:30 or so - Ghanaians are typically late - but by 3:30 we had a bunch of kids already!! We were expecting maybe 30 kids or so, as it wasn't advertised except at church yesterday. Grand total by the end of the session: 108! Wow - we only expect it to grow larger, as the kids tell friends, etc. Pastor Gaisie estimated only a third of them were actually from the church, so this is definitely bringing in kids from all over the area. We did the typical VBS kind of things - games, Bible story / skit, snacks, coloring (something they are not used to doing at church, not even in Sunday School), a memory verse, and more singing. We want to make it simple, as we are training the youth leaders as to how to run a VBS in the future. In all, we were pretty satisfied with how it went - please be praying for these precious little ones, all of whom God loves, and all of whom need Jesus (either to come to know Him or to grow in knowing Him more). (See attached picture of the singing!)

Tomorrow, some shopping and VBS Day 2.

Thanks for your prayers - as always, may the Lord be glorified in us!

In His Mercy, for His Glory,
Jim

Hi, all!

The Lord is good, and we had a very good day today. We started with a trip back to the Tetteh Quarshie Art Market for completion of souvenir shopping - the djimbes that were requested were picked up, and the others finished what they needed to get.

The VBS went well today - we had a slight increase in numbers to about 125 or so - quite the handful for the "obruni" (white people) and their Ghanaian helpers, but all was handled well. Charity and Kim have put together an awesome program - I am thankful to the Lord for those who best know how to handle these precious little ones.

Our program typically will have play / game time (the kids really love bubbles, football (soccer), and jumping rope - today I was throwing an American football with some kids, but I think they were treating it more like rugby!). We follow this with a time of singing - both African and American type songs, as we (tried) to learn some of their songs. Then comes the Bible story, which Kim reads and the rest of us act out (I get to play "God", so you can tell it's low quality entertainment!!). This is followed by snacks and coloring pages - they really love coloring, as they have done it in school but never at church or Sunday School. We do a few more songs, have review questions, and a memory verse. It's been so much fun - I'm a VBS rookie, but am loving every minute of it!

Evenings are being spent in planning and preparing for the next day's lesson and relaxing. The team has really gelled together well, and I think we all enjoy each other's company.

Please continue to pray for us - for unity and strength and a vision for displaying the glory of the Lord. We are a week into this trip, and I know each of us is missing our families greatly (me too!!). Also, please pray for our missing luggage - we know it was located in Chicago, but Lufthansa has been having a hard time getting it from United (who runs the gate Lufthansa flew out of) - they claim that it got put on today's flight and should be here tomorrow afternoon, but we've heard similar stories before!

In His Mercy, for His Glory!
Jim

Hi, all!

Tonight I have just a few quick notes about the day - some cultural experiences and the third day of VBS.

In the morning, after team devotions, Dinah (the Ghanaian nurse who works with FIM-Ghana) took us to the Medina market (named for the township it is in). I remember well our trip there last year - it is a cultural experience that is an assault on the olfactory sense. (In other words, it stinks!) We saw (and smelled!!) all sorts of things for sale - fish, pork, beef, crabs, massive snails, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, all displayed without refrigeration or any protection from things like flies. Yuck! At least one of us felt sick enough from that to not want to eat lunch (it wasn't me!), but it was a good cultural experience for the team to see what the "supermarket" of the region looks like.

After we returned home, Dinah made waatche (pronounced: "watch - a"), a meal made of rice, beans, meat (beef in this case), and a variety of sauces. It was yummy! I guess it's right up there with fufu and light soup in terms of favorite Ghanaian meals! More culture, more eating - it's a good thing!!

Our third VBS went well - only 104 kids this time (like I can use the term "only" when dealing with more than 100 kids!!), but all went well. They were mostly attentive, and seem to really enjoy the coloring pages we give them. The kids are so precious! They range in ages from probably 3 years up to 13 or so, but the older kids seem to enjoy it as much as the younger ones. Please keep praying, as we build towards completing the gospel presentation on Friday!

On a side note, I would also ask for prayers for me and Brian tomorrow as we fly up to Kumasi (in central Ghana) on a WAMM / FIM-Ghana business trip. We are attempting to properly handle the liquidation of some property that WAMM purchased a few years ago, with the proceeds to go into orphan care ministry here in Accra. We will be travelling with my counterpart from FIM-Ghana, the ministry for which Brian is the field director; Mr. Samuel Gyebi is the board chair, and is a wonderful, godly man. I am looking forward to getting an opportunity to talk more with him on this trip, as well as seeing a part of Ghana I have not yet seen! (Pray, as I understand these planes are not of the caliber as what you would find in the states - ask Josh McIntyre about that if you get a chance!!)

Pray for the ladies as they handle the VBS without me - come to think of it, it will probably be even better without me!! :)

Thank you one and all for your prayers, your support, and your nice notes back to me! They are all appreciated!!

In His Mercy, for His Glory,
Jim

Hi, all!

You may have heard the saying, "If you want God to laugh, tell Him your plans." That's the kind of day we had here in Ghana!

You may be wondering about the acronyms in the subject line - no, it's not the writing on the wall of Daniel Chapter 5! But they are the operative words of the day here:

So just where do these expressions come in for describing our day?

If you read yesterday's email, I was scheduled to travel to Kumasi by plane with Pastor Brian and FIM-Ghana chairman Mr. Gyebi. Well, that didn't happen. Gyebi told us to meet him at the airport at 8:30 AM for a 9:30 AM flight from Accra to Kumasi. So Brian and I left with plenty of time to stop at the ATM so I could get money for the trip - oh, but TIG, the ATM that takes my card was closed - but no worry, Brian found one that takes his (not mine), and so I could pay him back later. Then off to the airport - we arrive at 8:15 or so, try to arrange our flights, and wait for Gyebi. But Gyebi isn't anywhere close to the airport - the obrunis where there on time, but the Ghanaian wasn't gong to be even going to make it on time. This is typical Ghanaian behavior - no regard for time. So we didn't make the flight - there was no point in going without Gyebi, so we rebooked for Friday. Perhaps he'll leave his house a bit earlier? We'll see... Oh, well - TIG!

So instead, the whole team was going to take a trip to the state-run orphanage in Osu for a tour. Oh, but wait - after driving to a nearby gas station (where now the ATM I needed was open - but TIG), the van wouldn't start. Brian walked about 10 minutes home, brought their car, and we jump started the van. Back to home; we didn't want to risk getting stuck in Osu. The plans were scrapped - AWA. (However, perhaps the reason we didn't get our flight is because of this - otherwise, the ladies may have been stranded without the guys to assist, so perhaps this was God's way of preventing that. I guess AWA, but it doesn't have the last word against the mighty, loving, sovereign Lord we serve!!)

So instead, Brian, LeeAnn, Whitney, Charity, and I took the car to a different orphanage, this one run by Handi*Vangelism, the same people who run Echoing Hills (community for people with disabilities), the children's ministry at the Yam Market, and the street ministry where I will be preaching on Sunday. It was good to meet Pastor Ashley and see his facility and church - we even got to see how they harvest the coconuts, and got to drink the milk straight from the coconut! It's a nice facility by Ghanaian standards; I really appreciate the presence of Pastor Ashley in the orphanage, as many I have seen here have almost exclusively female staff. But Ashley is actively involved as a caregiver to 24 boys taken off the street - they give them schooling and apprenticeship training so that they can thrive in society. There is also a church on the facility - one thing I appreciate about their ministry is that each facility they have also contains a church. So, PTL, things started looking up for the day!

Our VBS went well - just like the others, so PTL. I didn't get a head count, but judging against the other days, I think we had about 110 or so. It's so fun to play with the kids, to see their faces light up when doing coloring pages, or just to have them come up and hold my hand or call out my name with that African accent. I am finding that I can truly love these kids, no matter how dirty they are, or how snotty their noses, or whatever their situation is. I will miss these precious ones - I am saddened that I will miss it tomorrow (if we really truly do fly up to Kumasi, that is - after all, TIG!).

Finally, a big PTL: Kim's bag FINALLY arrived, only nine days after we last saw it! My lovely wife did some "tree-shaking" on the Chicago end, and it finally paid off! Kim got her shoes that were missing, Brian got his car parts that he needed, and all is well.

But what about tomorrow - will we be saying TIG? Or AWA? Or will it be PTL? Even if it be the two former ones, I know that I can still use the latter one, for we can praise the Lord in all things. Blessed be His name, in the pleasant places or in the dessert places - He is still sovereign, in control of all things, and nothing can happen that He does not allow for good, even when we struggle understanding what that good might be. So rejoice! Our Lord is King!

In His Mercy, for His Glory!
Jim

Hi, all!

Ok, I'm officially tired! It's late now, so I hope I can put some coherent thoughts together before crashing for the night!

Today, Brian and I flew up to Kumasi, while the rest of the team hit their final VBS of the week.

First, the VBS: From what the team tells me, that had a great last day - I truly wish I could have been there! They had about 154 kids, our highest of the week! 154 kids heard the gospel presentation - how cool is that? We don't do "altar calls" or things like that, so we don't know how many made commitments to follow Christ - so for those who are interested in that sort of thing, we cannot tell you if we were effective in that respect. However, we continue to pray for fruit in the lives of these precious children - the Lord knows who they are, and we are grateful to have had a small part of it. One of the cool things is how this team both gelled together, worked together, and prayed together - not one of them will take credit for this week, but all are giving the glory directly where it belongs, on the Lord Jesus! Thank you, LeeAnn, Charity, Jacob, Kim, Whitney, and Colleen (as well as Tommy and Derek) for such wonderful, loving, caring, and God-centered hearts!!

The Trip to Kumasi: All went well on the flight to and from Kumasi, about a 4.5 hour drive on nasty roads northwest of Accra, but just 40 minutes by plane. Our meetings with Pastor Yaw and with one of the former elders of Yaw's church (Johnson) were, well, interesting. While in human terms we may not have gotten much done (TIG), I think we are starting to reach an understanding as to the disposal of the land that WAMM purchased 5 years ago outside of Kumasi. We are praying that the Lord be glorified in it, that the proceeds from an eventual land sale can go primarily to working with orphans here in Accra. But nothing is simple in this country - TIG - and honesty is not always practiced here, even within the church (often a Ghanaian will tell you exactly what you want to hear, whether or not it is true - I guess the truth is harder to present than a facade of cooperation and trust). Hopefully you don't read that as a harsh statement; it is the cultural reality in which we must work, just as there are cultural realities affecting people and churches in the States that are not biblically sound - but that's a discussion for another time.

Tonight was a night of relaxing, decompressing, and reflection on the VBS and the week that was. Tomorrow is a fun day, including a chance to sleep in! God is good indeed!

In His Mercy, for His Glory!
Jim

Hi, all!

Oh, how good the Lord is to us - when we are weak, He is strong; when we are tired, He refreshes us with His goodness!

Today was a planned day of rest, recreation, and relaxation. After our morning devotional time (which, by the way, as been a highlight of our days here!!), we set off for a couple of hours a the pool of the La Palm Resort. For 10 cedis (about $6.50), we could play in the pool, sit in the sun (only the second mostly sunny day we've had), and just unwind from a very tiring week - just what we needed!! Plus, there is an ice cream shoppe in the complex, with some unusual flavors - I found the triple scoop dish of pineapple, banana, and coconut ice creams to be just the perfect combination!!

(By the way, Brian has forbid me to show any pictures from this time - he doesn't want anyone else to get the wrong impression of what missionaries do for fun!!)

As part of the fun, I got the opportunity to drive in Ghana for the first time - the 15 passenger van we had borrowed was not functioning, but Brian's own van was finally working, so he drove that while I drove their car. Driving in Ghana is like a rugby scrum - lane markings are meaningless, stop signs are few and generally ignored, and the rule of the road is: "He who has the least to lose goes first" (i.e. the occasional BMW or Mercedes yields to the beater van or taxi). It was an experience - a fun one for me (I don't know about the passengers in the car with me!!)

The evening was spent playing games (Catch Phrase and Spoons in particular) and just enjoying one another and the Lord. I've been spending the evening preparing for tomorrow; in addition to preaching at Pastor Joel's Street Ministry for homeless and disabled people in downtown Accra, I was asked this morning to preach at Hope Community Church, on the grounds of the orphanage that we visited on Thursday in Haatso. Please pray as I get the opportunity to speak to these precious people about treasuring Jesus as the prize of greatest, infinite worth.

Perhaps it's time to leave this computer and join the game of spoons...

In His Mercy, for His Glory!
Jim

Hi, all!

How great is the love of Christ for us! Today was a busy day, but a very blessed one!

The morning started out with brunch at the African Regent Hotel - a very nice buffet at pretty reasonable prices. It was a good chance to relax and take a break from the hassles of food preparation in this third world country. (Meals are never easy to prepare, but especially hard when you are feeding 13 faces!)

Next, Brian an I headed off to Hope Community Chapel, a part of the Handi*Vangelism Ministry at the orphanage in Haatso. After a time of African style worship (think loud and enthusiastic and upbeat and fun!), I had the opportunity to preach the gospel from Mark 2:13-17; Pastor Joel translated into Twi as I spoke. (Main points: Jesus loves and accepts us as we are, and He is the treasure of infinite worth that causes us to follow Him.) It seemed to go well, but I am a poor judge of that sort of thing. I truly enjoyed fellowshipping with this small congregation, and felt loved and accepted by all - what a blessing to be there!

As we left church, Pastor Joel handed Brian and I gifts of African shirts, handmade by his wife Felicia - how incredibly thoughtful and loving of them.

After a short time of rest at home, the team moved on to Pastor Joel's street ministry in Central Accra. Here we were greeted by about 40-50 street people, many of whom are disabled. In Ghana, the disabled (like the lame, blind, etc.) are social outcasts - there is a prevalent belief, as a function of their animistic past, that a disability is the result of demon possession, and thus these people are thrown out of their families and home. Hence the street ministry. Their ministry has expanded greatly since last summer when I visited it; the Lord is doing some great work amongst these "lowliest" of saints! I again got to preach to them (same as above, but shorter and simplified; same interpreter, too!). The attached picture is proof - notice the great shirt, Felicia's handiwork!! What a privilege it was to share time with these precious people!!

Tomorrow, a day of being tourists - a trip to Cape Coast, about 3 hours west of Accra. An EARLY start - 5:30 AM departure (that's 12:30 AM back home!!), with visits planned to the Canopy Walk (rope bridges in the canopy of the rain forest, designed to let you see animals, etc. inhabiting the trees), one of the two Slave Castles in Cape Coast, and a beach area about halfway back from Cape Coast to Accra.

Resting in His goodness,

In His Mercy, for His Glory,
Jim

Hi, all!

Today was an early start (5:30 am departure) for a trip to Cape Coast, about 3.5 hours by big van west of Accra. (It's been in the news in the US lately - anyone remember why?)

Our first stop was the Kakum National Forest, the site of the famous Canopy Walk. Essentially, its a series of rope bridges suspended about 60-100 feet above the ground through the canopy of the trees. If you get there early enough, you can see monkeys, birds, and other critters in the tree - we weren't early enough for that, but it still gave a heart-pounding, breath-taking view of the rain forest. It was SO COOL! (Note to my son: This is not for people who are afraid of heights!!) We called it the Ghanaian version of a thrill ride - it was amazing!

Then we went on to the Cape Coast Slave Castle (anyone figure out why Cape Coast has been in the news lately yet?). It is one of two slave castles in the area (the other one, the Elmina Castle, was the one we visited last year - it dates to 1482, 10 years before Columbus sailed to the Americas). This was build starting in 1655, and was one of the major sites from which African slaves were sent to the Americas and Europe. Think of 400 people spending a month or two in my classroom (about 40' by 25'), without proper food, water, sanitation, or ventilation, and you start to get the horror of the slave castle. We were able to pass through the "Doors of No Return" (something that can't be done at Elmina), where the African slaves were last allowed to walk on African soil as they were loaded on the slave ships bound for Europe, the West Indies, South America, and of course North America. We, however, were allowed to go back in through those same doors, just as some famous US couple did about three weeks ago. (Anyone get the news connection yet?) Very sobering, yet I am glad to have walked those steps where thousands of Africans walked centuries ago towards slavery and/or death - it is a good reminder of how sinful man can be, and how much we need a Saviour to redeem us from our sin!

Our final stop was at Till's Beach, about halfway back to Accra from Cape Coast. There we relaxed, played in the water, and had a nice dinner. (I also took about 8000 pictures of the beach, the palm trees, the ocean, and all the scenery - this truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been!)

All in all, a wonderful day of playing tourist before the packing and the travel back home. We leave the house here around 7:30 PM Tuesday (that's about 2:30 PM back home), for the long flights home. Please be praying for smooth travel and a good connection in Frankfurt - we only have an hour and 10 minutes between flights, so please pray that we (and all our baggage) will make the flight to Chicago. Scheduled arrival at O'Hare is around 10:30 AM on Wednesday - I can't wait to be back home, but will miss my friends (both old and new) here in Ghana.

Next report should come from home in Mukwonago, Lord-willing!!

Love to all!

In His Mercy, for His Glory,
Jim

Hi, all!

"Sometimes things are challenging in Ghana." I think this is one of my new favorite sayings. It aptly describes our remaining time in Ghana and the flight home.

Here's where the quote came from: On our departure day on Tuesday, I attempted to check in online for our evening flight back to the US from Ghana. After fighting the internet and their website for an hour or so, and after finally getting all the names, passport info, and the other stuff they wanted for six people for online check-in, the website told me that we were unable to check-in online, and that there was a problem with our tickets; we were directed to contact the local Lufthansa office for information. When we called and explained that our online check-in failed, the agent assured us our tickets were fine, and then told us, "Sometimes things are challenging in Ghana." Little did we know how true that statement would be for us!

Tuesday was then filled with preparations to come home, including packing, last-minute shopping, and visits from both Pastor Gaisie (Frafraha Baptist) and Pastor Joel and his family (street ministry). Pastor Gaisie reported that they had 70 children at church in Sunday School, an new record for them, as a result of the VBS we helped lead - praise the Lord for that!! May these precious ones continue to grow in the love of Christ!

We arrived at the Accra airport the mandatory 3 hours prior to flight time, had little issues with customs or immigration, and waited patiently for our flight. We were supposed to start boarding around 9:50 PM; we didn't start boarding until around 10:15 or so - no big deal for a 10:50 flight, right? Wrong - TIG again! They also started to board another flight from the same gate at the same time. (Yes, you read that correctly!) Add to that that the flight crews for two other flights were trying to get to their planes at the same time from the same gate, and the result was utterly chaotic! That's a big TIG!!

We finally boarded and got off, about 25 minutes late - a bit of a problem, as our scheduled layover time in Frankfurt was only 70 minutes. Lufthansa was great in helping us get our connecting flight - they met us as we deplaned, bussed us to the correct terminal (instead of having to walk or run through the terminal), put us at the front of the line at security (a HUGE time-saver!), and we boarded the flight home with just minutes to spare. The downside - only one of our 12 checked bags made the flight home. I guess it was another AWA (Africa wins again) situation - our African delay meant our bags didn't have time to make our flight home. (Not to worry - we expect our bags to arrive at our house this evening, Lord-willing. Africa may have won that battle, but we plan on winning the war!)

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So we are home! It is so good to be with family again, yet a part of my heart was left in Accra. The images of the children at VBS, the children from the Yam Market refugee camp, the homeless and disabled people we talked to in the street ministry, and all the other people we ministered to - these images are seared within my memory for a long time. I am grateful to the Lord for the opportunities He gave us in this trip; I marvel at the way He brought this team together and unified us. I am thankful to each person on this team - for their talents, their willingness to love the unlovely and touch the untouchables, their obvious love for the Lord, and their desire to do it all for the Glory of Jesus. And thanks for the McIntyres for hosting us - what they do in their ministry, day in and day out, is truly an inspiration and example for us all. It was a truly remarkable experience, and I rejoice with each person on the team in what the Lord has done and is still doing!

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A final note on our stay in Ghana. On Tuesday afternoon, before we left Ghana, we received a call from Beacon House Orphanage (the one with which Brian & Debbie have been working with, from where they got Abena from) that a baby named Noah had died that day. He was rescued from a fetish priest who wanted to use him as a human sacrifice; Noah was HIV positive, likely had malaria, and had other health issues. Often times, the government gives these types of sick children to Romana at Beacon House so she can care for them. She pays the doctor and other bills on these kids herself; there is no government support for these throw-away children, no support whatsoever. Even with all their efforts, Noah passed away at an age of about 10 months; he is in the Lord's hands now. It was a sobering reminder that indeed, "sometimes things are challenging in Ghana" - but it also serves us with the reminder that God calls us to accept the challenges, to trust in His sovereignty, and to work to share His mercy to the orphans and needy of the world around us. This is what Mercy Ministry is all about - a chance for God to use us to show His mercy to those around us, that He might be glorified in it. That is what this trip was all about - this is why I do what I do in working with West African Mercy Ministries.

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Thanks for reading these updates over the last two weeks - I hope that they gave you a little insight as to what we were about on this trip. If you have any thoughts or questions (or if you know some churches that might like a guest speaker sometime about what God is doing in West Africa), please let me know - I will talk to anyone I can about the Lord's great works in Ghana!

"Sometimes things are challenging in Ghana." But Jesus is still Lord, and our times are in His holy hands.

In His Mercy, for His Glory,
Jim