One More Week

Today is our last Friday here in Ghana, which is very weird to say!

A quick update on the past week-

We started VBS, which has been CRAZY! The language barrier with these children makes it very difficult. They also don't really like to listen, no matter what we try. But today is our last and most important day. We will share the gospel. We are going to try something new and break the kids into three small groups. Each of us will present the Gospel and pray the Holy Spirit leads! Hopefully He also closes their mouths and opens their ears as well :) haha

We tie-dyed shirts with Lisa and Angela, and it was an absolute blast! The kids loved it.

We went to City of Refuge yesterday and hung out with the kids and volunteers. While we were there, John Bull brought home four children to the safe house! One of the kids was covered in scratches, and John said that he was bloody when they found him. Praise God they are now safe in a new home! The volunteers began putting together beds and cleaning the safe house. So exciting to see the work the Lord is doing!

I found out a lot of things about adoption in Togo that have me thinking. The government only allows a few adoptions a year, and prospective parents cannot choose a child but instead are matched. The prospective parent must also live in Togo with the child for a year. Definitely difficult, but I pray people's hearts will be open to God's call there. I even pray that adoption from there could be in the cards for me one day. I also pray for John's work there. He is working with the government there to make adoption better for everyone.

There are many volunteers and family coming in and out this week. Lisa and Angela are leaving on Monday, while two adoptive families and a friend of FTO are coming on Saturday and Sunday nights. Then Olivia and I will be headed to America on Wednesday.

Prayer requests:
Olivia and I as we say goodbye to the children and as we travel
Families for the children
God to open doors and hearts to answer his call to care for people around the world

Togo!

I love love love Ghana, but I must say that God has laid a special love in my heart for Togo. I just got back from our second short visit there, and I must say that I cannot wait to go back!


This time, we got to Togo after the kids were in bed. I was so excited to see them that I couldn't sleep! My heart was beating so fast from excitement. I went to bed at 12:00 am and woke up at 3:00 am. I was so excited I couldn't go back to sleep! I had to be up when the kids were up. I finally heard them stirring at 5:00, so I was up and in the hallway before most of the kids were even awake.

I will never forget. Kokou, my buddy from last time, looked up at me with his big eyes. He grabbed one of my hand in both of his and just looked at me with a smile and happy eyes. Oh, I was so happy!

It is so much fun to love on the kids. It is difficult because they don't know English and we don't know Ewe or French. They receive the love just the same, though, and we were loved in return.

Another girl who is about 13 was glued to my side when she wasn't doing chores. She was so sweet. That morning, as soon as I sat down, she sat at my feet and put her head in my lap. I have been told it is a sign of respect and trust. It was so sweet and humbling. This beautiful girl is so strong and sweet and loving. As I left, I handed her a pair of my earrings. She looked up and started crying that we were all leaving. Oh, my heart.

Through FTO, money was raised for all the kids to have mattresses! There is also a building over the kitchen, a door on the courtyard, and mosquito nets coming. They also built a small storage room in the hallway for the mattresses and other things. They are also working on getting beds and other needs for the home. It is so awesome to see God work through John. He does such a good job with the homes.

Oh, my heart is sad to leave those kids, but happy for the love they receive from John, his mom, and the other people who work with the home.  Oh, God is good!

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