Ghana Update

Aw, friends, there's only two weeks left to the beginning of my Ghanaian adventure! I cannot believe time has flown by this fast. Please be praying that we finish strong!

The past few weeks have been crazy, it feels like! I got to witness a child going home to his family. It was such an experience. Today, another girl will go home. In the coming weeks, two more kids will get to go. It is beyond exciting for them mixed in with a little sad for us, but mostly happy!

One of the funniest things happened the other day. Little Moses is 4, although he looks like he is maybe 3. He doesn't speak much English, but he is learning quickly! The most he has ever said in English to me is, "Where did you go?" But he is getting there. Moses loves to crack himself up. The other day I got to GMI and I went upstairs to see the kids. When I came back downstairs, there were 6 or 7 kids standing in the foyer. Emma looked at me and said, "Mommy, why did you tell us to come inside and go back to sleep?" I didn't tell them to, so I said, "What? I didn't say that?" Emma looked at me, "But Moses said you did!"  I looked over at Moses and he was rolling on the floor cracking up! He is so ornery, but I love it!

Little moments like this will be what I remember for years. I will remember the sound of Roselinda saying angrily when I don't pick her up, "Ohhhh, mummy." Emmanuella grabbing my hands so she can jump up and down without falling. Abu always wanting to be held, but never able to sit still. Majuwah pretending to be sick so she could come sleep with us. Mina at AoH putting on a mask and knocking on it, saying, "What is your name?" then cracking up. Esther's laugh. Mawusi asking for a goodnight prayer after a month of hiding from us. Edwin at CORM's shrieking like a girl.  Quoting all of the Village21 Church Jesus parodies with Emily.

Well, I am about to cry now. Next week we will begin VBS. We were this week, but we had a crazy weekend with a hospital visit and stuff. We are doing a God Is... theme. If you would like to partner with us and pray for each day, here is a prayer guide for the theme:

Monday: God is Creator (pray kids will understand there is one God and He is completely in control)
Tuesday: God is Just (pray kids will understand sin and the consequences)
Wednesday: God is Love (pray kids will be able to feel God's love and realize how He always loves them)
Thursday: God is Savior (pray kids will understand how God showed His justice and love on the cross and for the kid's salvation)
Friday: God is at Work (pray kids will understand that God calls us to grow in relationship with Him and how to do that)

If you would like to partner with us in these prayers, please please please leave a comment letting us know! I would love to know there are people praying for us and for VBS. We will need it! It will be a miracle if the kids will listen and be able to understand what we say. But God is good, and He is a God of miracles!

Love from Ghana!
Anna

All the time

This past week was spent at City of Refuge Ministries, which is located around two hours from Teshie. CORM is an organization that negotiates for the freedom of child slaves who work as fishermen on Lake Volta.  Their property serves as a safe house for children and has an awesome school on the property.  The children there are full of joy and fun.  Their vision is large, and soon I am sure the Lord will fill their property with safe houses and many children!  We got to see CORM bring home one boy from the lake named Sammy.  He was so much fun! We had water fights with our satchets. Four more were brought home from the medical clinic.

I feel like I have seen so much tragedy this past week, along with lots of joy.  While I have been here in Ghana, I have seen things that break my heart.  The volunteers with CORM had to leave many slaves behind for a different rescue.  There are children living in a dump.  There is poverty and HIV and so many pictures in my head that can bring me to tears.  But every single time I drive or walk past one of these situations, the Lord always whispers to me, "I am good."


He is good in the joy in a little girl's eyes as we sing and dance. He is good when we find that that girl has scabbies and no money to get treatment.

He is good in R's sweet smile as I chase her with her bath sponge. He is good when her mother leaves her at the orphanage because she can't give her food.

 He is good when we must leave behind dozens of other slaves for another rescue. He is good when we bring sweet Sammy home from a life of slavery, to a new home where he is free!

I don't understand. It makes my heart hurt sometimes. But seeing the joy in children when they have nothing but Jesus, I believe it. God is good. All of the time.

Albertine

"Now that I have seen, I am responsible-faith without deeds is dead."

We met a little girl in Togo named Albertine. She was adorable, a little rotten, and loved making funny faces.  She reminded Hillary of this song by Brooke Fraser called Albertine. It is about Brooke's trip to Rwanda, where she met a girl named Albertine and became responsible for her and the other people she saw.

I have been here for three weeks, and I am already responsible. She says it better than I can, so here is the song. Please take a few minutes to watch the video and let God break your heart into action.

Albertine in Togo

I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine
there in her eyes what I don't see with my own
Rwanda

now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda

I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine

Meet the Kids!

These children have already captured my heart, so I want you to meet them! I will try every week to introduce you to two or three children. They will all be from the GMI Orphanage in Teshi, Ghana, unless otherwise noted! Some have families, and some do not, so please join me in praying for them all!

Moses is around 2, and this little face says it all. He doesn't know a lot of English, but he has definitely figured out the word Mommy. He loves to sleep, talk to the other kids, and play with water bottles. He is so cuddly!

This is Emanuel, Ema for short. He is pretty quiet, but he loves to sit in Olivia's lap and play with her watch.  He is soooo skinny, but he loves to eat our food when we can't finish it! His smile always makes me smile.

Oh, Miguwah! She is so precious. Her and Hillary are buddies. Miguwah is a diva in the best possible way. She loves to be held and to laugh. Anything can make her laugh if she is in the mood to. She is always wearing pillowcase dresses, and her droopy eyes are so cute. She loves giving kisses.

Ghana Update

Hello! Or as Ghanaians say it, “hallo!”  We have been in Ghana for three full days, and I am already in love.  The second we came in the door, all the children ran and covered us with hugs and kisses.  The teenagers and adults are all so friendly and welcoming as well!  There is no shortage of love and kisses here.
The orphanage has a courtyard around it.  My favorite thing we have done so far is sit in a chair in the orphanage courtyard with one or two children in my lap, with girls braiding my hair better than any American (although it hurts, and we have to tell them “We have white hair!”), and two or three kids around saying “Mommy see, mommy see!” We are all mommys here.  We tried to tell them to call us Aunties, but that did not last long.  Anyone who sits and loves on them is a mommy.  I can’t say I don’t like it.
We went to the beach yesterday. Oh my…the men here love them some white women.  The guys with the orphanage are so awesome, though.  They were on the look out for the creepers and let us take care of it, unless we couldn’t then they would let them have it.  Us girls also learned that the Jenna Marbles face works wonders to scaring guys away…haha if you haven’t seen that video don’t go look, because it is inappropriate, but so funny! Hahaha
Something God has opened my eyes to is what an orphan actually is.  Someone who is an orphan is not just sad because they don’t have parents, but also because they aren’t chosen.  These children see families come and go taking the other children, meanwhile they are still here feeling rejected.  I asked Deejanu if she talked to God.  I asked her what she talked to him about.  She looked up at me and said, “I ask for a mommy and daddy.” Oh, my heart.  I prayed with her, and I am praying for all these children.  Please join me. The Lord has a plan for their lives.  I pray that it includes a loving mommy and daddy.  I am so blessed that I get to fill the role as mommy for a few months in their lives, but I am also sad to know that is not enough.

Dzidzonu

This is  my afternoon haha love it

Sweet Ema, so quiet and loving

Cover Us

"When Pilate saw he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. 'I am innocent of this man's (Jesus') blood,' he said, 'It is your responsibility!'  All the people answered him, 'Let his blood be on us and our children!'"

Matthew 27:24-25, NIV

I was reading this yesterday and today in my Bible. Both times, I was struck by the people's line.  "Let his blood be on us and our children!"  Oh, Jesus.  I know the people meant they would stand responsible for the death of Jesus.  But that cry, the cry of my heart....let your blood cover me and my children, Lord.

In the Old Testament, there was a mercy seat, literally translated "atonement place."  It was kept inside the Holy of Holies on top of the ark of the covenant, the place only a priest could go, and only one day a year.    That priest would sacrifice a bull and sprinkle it's blood on the mercy seat.  This sacrifice would stand for the priest and the people of Israel.  Now, the ark of the covenant contained the 10 Commandments and Moses' staff.  The blood covered the law that every person has broken.

Every year, the priest had to do this. Hebrews 10:4 says "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."  Verse 3 says those sacrifices were "an annual reminder of sin." Every year, the bull was insufficient.  A bull is not worth a person! And the price of sin is a person's death.

As God looked down on the bull's blood covering the Ark, He saw the law was temporarily covered in an insufficient way.  Christ was our sacrifice.  He was a human being.  He was perfect and spotless.  He is sufficient.  As our eyes are opened to the Gospel and we die to ourselves, Jesus's blood covers us in a way much fuller than the bull's blood can.  If I am dead, and Christ lives through me, then God sees Jesus's blood covering my sin.  He sees Jesus instead of my filthiness.  He sees righteousness and perfection instead of me.  Oh, Jesus.  May Your blood be on me and my children. Cover us.

Only gonna get get what you give away...give love

Ghana is in 38 days!

I cannot tell you how excited I am. But after spending five minutes with me and realizing that is all I will talk about, you'll probably figure it out :)

Olivia, Hillary, and I are going to be staying in an orphanage for two months, loving on kids.  Oh, Jesus, I am so happy. These kids need love, and the Lord has been filling my heart with His love my whole life, and especially speaking love over me this last year.  I believe it has been in specific preparation for this trip.

Today, I got a yellow fever shot...ugh...and bought seven skirts.  I cannot wait.  I just can't!

Here are some things that we could use prayer for:
1.  Most importantly, that we would emotionally connect with the children, and have many opportunities to talk about Jesus with them.
2.  Raising the rest of our funds.  The very last bit is due when we get there.
3.  That the Lord would continue to prepare our hearts in whatever ways they need it.
4.  That we could let go of any anxiety.
     (Wanna know what I am most afraid of?  Being away from my family and Chris will be brutal, of course, but I am most scared about having to eat different food, especially fish.  I guess I should be happy that's the most pressing matter!)

Thanks for your prayers! :)