My Journey to Ghana, West-Africa.

 



   I recently just got back from a 10 day mission trip to Ghana, West-Africa in a small village called Kotokata along with a team of 20 that I spent the summer with serving at a Baptist encampment. These are my writings from beginning to end. I hope through these recordings God will open your eyes to what a magnificent and HUGE God He is and how much He loves you and the rest of the world. I am merely just a human. Just because I traveled all the way to Africa and gave up my summer to serve makes me no better than you. I am only doing what Jesus commanded us all to do.. Follow Him. If you are a Christian that doesn't mean you have to go to a third world country to do this. I was simply given an opportunity and said yes. If you are not a Christian, I hope that you are drawn closer to Him through my encounters.

   As soon as we arrived to the Houston airport a black lady pulled up next to us and asked about our tye-dye Pray for Ghana t-shirts. We replied that we are going on a mission trip to Ghana, West-Africa. She was excited as she told us that she is from Ghana and that she will be praying for us. Before she left I took a glimpse at what was on her rear view mirror.. It had 23rd Psalm written on it. I don't believe that was coincidence. God was just reassuring us.

Witnessing to the English boy at the airport in Spain.

   We were waiting to board our flight in Madrid to Africa and a random boy from England sat next to us. We began to carry on conversations with him and he was a really cool guy. Funny, cute accent, outgoing, adventurous, but undecided in his beliefs. Andy spoke to him some about Jesus and later I came up and asked him about his faith as well. He was very open. He told me that there are so many beliefs out there and he doesn't want to just pick one without knowing more about it. He wants to gather information and experience. So I asked him if he was seeking that. He hesitated when he replied no, not really. So I told him that there is one true God. One. And that He will change his life. I also added that this moment was not a coincidence. The subject changed and God laid on my heart to give him a Bible that I asked for at Sunday school last Sunday. I wanted the little pocket Bible to put in my satchel for Ghana so I will always have a Bible with me. Little did I know that God was up to something and that the Bible was for this boy. He was getting up to leave and I gave him the little New Testament Bible and told him to read the book of John. I told him that this is my God and he will find his answers. After everything was said and done Andy began to explain to us that God sets up divine appointments and that we can't let that slip away by not opening our mouths. God is already working before we even set foot in Africa. But in order for anything to happen I have to be obedient in what He tells me to do. There has been many times when people have asked about our shirts and every time I let an opportunity to witness to someone slip away. Except for this moment and God moved. I am grateful God opened my eyes and showed me that the mission is not just in Ghana, it is everywhere I go.

Spotted this outside of the plane window in Madrid.
He is everywhere.

 
While we were in Madrid airport shopping a lady that worked in the store came up to me and Kayla and told us to please pray for Nigeria as well as for Ghana. She said that her country is trying to be taken over by Muslims. She said that there are more Christians than Muslims and that this cannot happen. She said that God is going to protect them and she trusts in Him, but to pray because that is God's land. It was such a sweet moment. I seen the hurt in her eyes for her country. God is working all over the world.



In the Tra-Tra. About to head to the village!

   When we got out of the airport in Africa Patti (Jojo's wife), Agnes (Jojo's adopted daughter), and Sara (Anges's bestfriend) were waiting for us out side. Without ever seeing them in person I knew exactly who they were. I hugged them and they were so excited that we were finally there. Some friends of Joey helped us get our luggage to the Tra-Tra (very slow bus). The Tra-Tra was fairly small, but managed to fit 33 people. We were packed in pretty tight. As I watched all of the people work together as they put our stuff on top of the bus and seeing all the happy faces.. It hit me and the tears came. I am finally in the long awaited Africa and I am surrounded by the most friendliest people I have ever met in my life. I sat between two precious children. The girl, Mavis, was very shy but such a sweetheart. And the little boy, Manesseh, never said a word. But about two hours into the drive they were both asleep in my lap. The entire trip from the airport was about 5 hours. I didn't get to see much because it was so dark. The weather in Ghana was cool, it's not at all what I expected Africa to feel like. The mosquitoes were not bad and I haven't seen any animals except for goats and chickens. The village has no electricity so when we got here we had to function with no lights. I also got to take a super cold rainwater shower and use a toilet where you scoop saw dust mush into the bottom when you get done with your business. It's not that bad actually. When you are where God wants you those things become so small. I know God's hand is going to move in a mighty way this week.. I cannot wait to see what He is going to do.

Canoeing on the river, basking in God's beauty.

   I was one of the first to wake up this morning. I got up and went outside and there were cute little African faces everywhere. Yaw took a liking to me and crawled up in my lap and he has been right by my side ever since. He likes to hold my hands and play with my hair. He's not very talkative yet and knows some English. His little brother Kofi is the complete opposite. He runs around and is always making weird noises and being silly. They are both adorable and both stole my heart. Yaw, when sitting in my lap, started pulling my arm hair and rubbing my skin. I also noticed that Yaw is very caring and pays attention to the details. I had hair in my mouth and he pulled me down to his level and got it out for me. He also cares for his little sister, who is just a baby, by giving her water and fixing her shirt when it is falling off of her. Nick was really dirty and Yaw started wiping him off. He has such a sweet heart. As I met a lot of the kids I learned their names quickly and by the end of the day they warmed up to me. Simon and Josephine were others that stole my heart too. I got to know the teenagers as well and formed close friendships with them. After breakfast we played with them and then we set off to different villages greeting different people. They were very very welcoming and as soon as they seen us they immediately started smiling and waving at us. I was surprised that there is actually quite a few people that know some English as we walked through the villages. One connection that I was able to make with them was by taking their picture and showing them. They simply laugh at their selfs. The kids really love it and act so silly in front of the camera. I love to see their happiness. It's always overflowing. We were able to go canoeing on the river and the scenery was breathtaking. What a magnificent God we have. I could not help but praise Him. We were offered coconut in one village. They had a boy climb up to the top of a tree to get it down and they prepared it for us as we visited them. They offered us so much that I was so full of coconut I could puke, and they continued offering it and we finally had to tell them no more. When we came back at around 4, the number of children multiplied. There were people EVERYWHERE! We had a really good dinner, but I broke into tears as I was eating because there were so many children sitting on the ground watching. After dinner we played some more and taught some of them Ninja tag. That was too funny!! I wish I would have got a clip of Yaw on my camera playing. He was so sneaky. Our boys also taught the boys in the village how to play American football. They finally got the hang of it and were actually pretty good. They had so much fun. At the end of the night they watched Chronicles of Narnia on a projector running off the generator. It was a good day and tomorrow is the start of VBS! The kids are so excited! Steven played a song for them as he was setting up. Claysey jumped in and started showing some of the kids the dance and they started dancing along. It was the sweetest thing ever! It is going to be a great week. Yes, they are going to have a blast, but most importantly they are going to learn about Jesus.

VBS! They were singing and dancing to their theme song.

   I woke up this morning and Kofi and Yaw were there to greet me. As we were talking at breakfast about our first day it started to sink in. At first I was overwhelmed when I came here, now it is all starting to hit me, the reality of it. I am now grieved by the smiling faces that rarely smile except when we play with them and the skinny bodies and the little scrapes that go unfixed, their internal emptiness that shows through their big beautiful brown eyes. I cherish every moment I get to spend with them and hear their laughter. I seen a lot of smiles today. It was the start of Vacation Bible School! They all looked very skeptical about the program at first, but they picked up very quickly. The crafts, which is what I taught, was hectic at first with the little ones, but as the ages grew it became easier. They made coffee filter butterflies. Some are very artistic. We did not have lunch today so I grabbed some snacks and fed the children around me as we watched the teenagers play some intense soccer. They loved my applesauce to-go and slim jims. At dinner we had a lot of food. I gave most of my food to Kofi and Yaw. Every time I would place food in their hand they replied with thank you. I talked to Claysey afterwards about them and she said their family cannot really provide for them and their dad is an alcoholic. I try to love on them as much as I can. After dinner, we went to town and got some yogurt. There were so many hills on the way so I am pretty warn out right now. I do not see how the people do it. Always on foot and always carrying something on their head and sometimes a baby on their back at the same time. Tomorrow is another day of VBS. It was a good day.

Crafts! This is Kofi, being Kofi. :)

   Today has been the best day so far. Joey presented the Gospel to us at breakfast and gave us some information about their culture so we will know what to expect if we get to share the Gospel with anyone. Crafts today was AWESOME! They colored plates and we put paint on their hands and they did their hand prints. They LOVED it. They also loved the stickers we gave them. They put them on their faces and it seemed like their laugher was unending.  When it was time for the older kids to do their VBS in the evening they loved it just as much as the little kids did. The teenagers get so into what they are doing. If we gave plates, crayons, and stickers to teenagers in America they would look at us like we are stupid. After VBS I played with the kids. They chased me, tickled me, we danced, and the little boys pinched my arms. Their smiles will not leave my mind. We also played Gaga! They absolutely loved it, and caught on very quickly. At dinner we had more good food. Yaw and Kofi sat right next to me and I fed them most of my plate. When we were done they got half finished plates that people we were done with and ate it also. They even ate food off the ground. It broke my heart to watch that. After supper God moved. Steven sang and played the guitar as we worshipped. Yaw was sitting in my lap and tears filled my eyes. I never want to let him go. He fell asleep in my arms and woke up coughing and then went home in the dark. We continued to sing and my heart was full of hurt. Hurt for the children, hurt for the lost. Something that has been heavy on my heart even in the states is how can I reach all of these people. The people driving past me in their cars, the people in the mall, the people in all the houses I flew over coming to Africa, and the people in the village that have worshipped juju gods and have a misconception of Jesus and the Gospel. It hurts me. I want them all to know about this God I serve. This God that loves them so much. This God, Jesus, that is alive! They may never understand. At the end we sang a song that went like this.. We went through every person gathered around and replaced their name. ____ God loves you. ____ God cares. ____ God has a plan for you. Hearing those words were so sweet. And in that moment when my name was being sang someone I have been praying for all summer that does not have a strong relationship with Christ came to me and kneeled beside me. I looked up and it was Trent. We have had many ins and outs this summer so when he came to me it was an answered prayer. He was crying as much as I was and I hugged his neck and reminded him how much God loves him and that this moment is the reason he is here. I told him to give everything to God. Everyone sang around us. It was such a God-filled moment. I am expecting another great day.

Their sweet smiles.

   Church this morning filled me with awe. It is nothing like America. Today reminded me that Jesus is alive and He is working all around the world. Every seat on the benches were full. They danced and sang to God without holding anything back. The joy was overflowing and so were my tears. Their faith is so genuine. As I sat in the church and watched these people worship our creator I realized that this is real. They are worshipping the one true God. They get it. They have hope and direction and I understand why they cannot help but dance and sing praises. And what is even more awesome is that God is sitting on His throne receiving all the Glory. The message was brought by Jordan Swearingen about the great commission and I was able to share my testimony. God is so good. My fear of speaking in front of others did not phase me. The nerves left. I can only hope that my testimony touched at least one heart in the building. After church I played with the kids. We took a lot of pictures because they absolutely love it. At dinner all of the children where gathered around us and I could not get myself out of the chair to get food. I looked around and I hurt. How could I eat and not give every single one of these children that were looking at the food something to fill their stomachs? I noticed a man with two small children sitting there watching us. The tears came pouring and Jojo took my hand and told me it was okay to hurt. He said that even though there is hurt, there is joy. He told me to find that joy because it is there. I got up and made that man some food. He didn't say a word but I did not care. I watched him eat and feed his children and I knew that is what God wanted me to do. I hope that he seen Christ. I sat looking at everything around me while Mikeal was playing the guitar. Everyone was eating and I just basked in that moment. I never wanted to leave it. The kids were either eating our unfinished plates or smiling. The team was fellowshipping with each other and loving on the kids. God was there. After supper we went to take a walk through the jungle to see one of Jojo's friends. It was a long walk but gosh it was beautiful. When I got back from visiting I got the news that when I was gone Yaw's mom came and beat him and Sarah had to run her off. From what I heard it was pretty bad. I thank God that I was not there to witness that. It would have probably hurt me more than it hurt him. I am left broken because sweet little Yaw is back home and I cannot be there to console him. I just want to hold him.

Simon.

   Today was our last full day in the village. I spent most of it loving on the kids. I don't know how tomorrow is going to go. This is all so hard for me. I tried to block the vision of getting on a plane and going back to the states out of my head because I know that if I don't, I would spend the entire day crying. At the end of the day we sat together and shared what God has showed us and what he is saying to us. I could not get through my testimony without tears. My heart has just been so heavy. I held Simon in my lap and kissed his cheeks every second I could because I knew this was going to be the last time I would hold him. He was constantly moving from scratching. Little bumps covered his body and I just wanted to take them away. God has put small things right in my face to confirm my calling to be a nurse. I have been praying that he would show me what he wants me to do with my life and how He wants me to serve Him. And He has done just that. I wasn't sure if nursing was His plan, but now I am. He has spoken to me through other people without them even knowing and made sores, coughs, and high fevers stand out to me and allowed me to be there for the one's hurting. To show them compassion and console them in their pain. As soon as I get my school paid for I will be on the mission field serving God and loving those who are at their weakest. Where He wants me.. I don't know, but I will be back to this small village again. My heart is there. Even though I was only there ten short days.. I see things differently. This almost unimaginable world I have stepped off in became real so fast. Nothing will ever be the same.

God's Glory displayed through His creation.

   Leaving this morning was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I woke up and got my stuff together and sat outside. Simon was there and I held him in my lap. I told Yaw and Kofi yesterday to be here early in the morning.. But the time was getting closer to leave and there was no sign of them. Finally, they came around the corner. The staff was giving them hugs and I sat in my chair holding Simon in tears waiting for my turn to say goodbye. I put them all in my lap and held onto them for as long as I could and while I did I watched the water well looking for beautiful Josephine. Then Clasey came walking up holding Josephine's hand. She was dressed in her wrap and she looked as pretty as she could be. My heart broke because I knew that this was going to be the last time for a while that I would see them. It was finally time to go and I told them bye and hugged them as tight as I could. Yaw looked at me and wiped away my tears with his rough little hands. I got on the bus and just wept. As I looked out the window I seen Josephine waving at me with a big smile. It was so hard to get her to smile sometimes because the other kids made fun of her because she just lost her two front teeth so she was embarrassed and tried to always hide it. And then as we turned around I seen Yaw sitting by a post next to the church waving at me and Kofi was jumping around like usual. We pulled out and Simon was swinging on the swing set that we built by the school. My heart was hurting. I never felt so much pain before. But like Joey said.. Where there is hurt there is also joy. I found that joy. I found it in their laughter and smiles. I found it in God's greater plan. I found it in the memories that will never fade. I found it in the hope of my return to this off the map village to love them again. The rest of the day we spent most of our time on the Tra-Tra. We went to a canopy walk and some of the older teenagers that I grew close to over the eight days went with us. We walked through the jungle at the top of the trees on a rope bridge. I was pretty freaked out but it was absolutely beautiful. I was able to see God's beauty through His creation. Then we went shopping after getting lost and having to walk to the market place. Next stop was the airport. Saying goodbye to my good friends and getting on the plane was the hardest thing I ever had to do.

I hope they all felt the love of Christ.
This is Yaw, Kofi, and myself.

   Overall, this journey has been an eye opener for me. Sometimes God puts you places just so He can remove the scales off your eyes that have blinded you for so long. So he can really show you what the world is like outside of your bubble. He allowed me to see others through His eyes, and showed me how to minister to them by loving them unconditionally like He has loved us. He showed me that the harvest is plentiful and that I am called to GO. He showed me that He is bigger than I have made Him out to be and that His presence is everywhere. He showed me what it really means to be selfless. He showed me that I have a lot of unnecessary junk in my life that hinders me from being who He yearns for me to be. He has changed my life through this trip and I will never be the same. Even though I did not see thousands of salvations or witness the blind being healed, He had a plan. He let me see these things so I would be prepared when He sends me out again. I do not want to waste my life. In a blink of an eye it will be over. So I want to love. I want to love every person I come across so they know that there is a God that loves them even more. I want to build relationships and lift others above myself so they can see the love and grace of the God I serve. It is not about me, it is all for the Glory of God. Let this be a testimony of His unconditional love and His unfinished work that He promises to complete: "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." Philippians 1:6.

Eating.

   When we arrived back to the states I called my mom immediately. I had not talked to her the entire time I was away so it was really good being able to hear her voice. When we left the airport the team went out to eat at Chili's. The hurt came back. The waiter came up to our table greeting us with "It's time for some good ole American food.. I know ya'll are hungry so we will get those appetizer orders first." And the people that just seen the same things I have seen and experienced the same situations I experienced were more worried about their cheese burgers than the reality of what we just came from. Was I the only one that felt this way? I played back pictures in my head of feeding the children my plate and putting food in their hands. I sat quietly in my chair at the table and felt so distanced from everyone else. I just didn't understand. When arrived back at the camp and my family was there to greet me. As I got out of the van and hugged my mom I looked down on the ground and spotted a piece of tree bark that was shaped like Africa. It might seem crazy to you, but I don't think that was coincidence.

Me and beautiful Josephine.

   When I woke up the next morning I felt a bit lost. I sat in the comfort of my home missing the kids and replaying memories in my head. I spent a lot of my time crying and trying to think of what they were doing at the same moment I was. I went to sleep fairly early and the next day was no easier. I woke up and got ready to have lunch with my youth minister and his wife. This was the first time I was able to share about my experiences in Ghana. They understood because they have been on missions their selves and experienced some of the same things. They comforted me as I was telling them about my trip and the struggles I am having now. They never fail to encourage me and lift me up. I love you guys.

The older kids at VBS.

   So that is the story. Please pray for me as I hurt and also pray for this village that God is moving in. The total of children at Vacation Bible School was about 300 give or take. That means 300 children heard about the true Jesus. Praise God.

The younger kids at VBS.