Day 39 Week 6

The last few days have been very culturally educational. This past weekend the surrounding communities came together at a neighboring village of Abindo for a funeral. The women was known in the area as well as her husband. It was a very interesting time for this was a Christian wedding, but there was plenty of apestesh (Alcohol). Everyone is very supportive throughout this time in helping with the arrangements, financial support, and taking care of the mourning family.
After about a week of the death of the women everyone came together Friday night. During this time people dance, sing, and pay their resects to the elder and the mourning family. Later in the night a service begins. All the area churches of the same denomination present a song and dance. This portion of the service can go one for a couple of hours. Following this a message is presented by the minister. Then there is a time for stories and or words of encouragement to be given by selected people. This portion also can go on for a very long time. We left during this portion for it is the last thing that is done, but it was already after midnight, so it was pretty late.
Around 9:00 a.m. (which could be closer to 11 in Ghana) the funeral service begins. Once again all the area churches present a song and dance. Following this the biography or the obituary was read. Then one of the sons read a poem he wrote towards his mother and on behalf of the family. The minister presented a message again of encouragement and hope. Then the community comes together to present an offering to the family to help with the expenses. A final prayer is given and then the whole community follows the casket to the burial site. This walk was about a quarter to a half a mile away, so those caring the casket were very tired. The minister presented some last words and scriptures before the casket was lowered into the grave and then they fill it right away.
Then yesterday, Sunday, I preached at Abrebrawa. Pastor Hayford and I walked the two miles to the church and arrived just on time, which was whenever we got there. The sermon went well and I felt that the people were once again very warm and welcoming. I have been gaining more confidence through the encouragement and prayers that I have been receiving wherever I go. Then last night I did my final lesson with the youth and adults of Obanda. My time here has been amazing and very quick. The hardest thing in leaving is the friendships and bonds one makes. I have loved experiencing the unity we truly have through Christ! It is amazing that people form completely different cultures and lives can come together in Christ name and develop close relationships. God is truly great and I pray that I never forget how great he truly is! I pray for God’s hand to be active in the churches of this Volta region and that He blesses them and they flourish! I leave tomorrow to go back to Accra/Tema area as I evaluate my stay in Obanda and wait for the arrival of my parents.

Day 34 Week 5

The last few days have been very relaxing in most regards until today! We made some visitations to surrounding villages, which can be up to three miles away or so. The area is somewhat mountainous and so these journeys can be very wearisome! I am learning that ministry is not just mentally tiring at times, but also physically exhausting as well. When we do these visits I am sometimes out of the loop for they speak in Delu, Twi, or Ewe of which I understand nothing! After the visit I generally ask a little about what was discussed and it varies from small talk to family issues.
Now for today’s journey that has taught me a lot! First, we had to wake up at 6:00 to get ready for our trip, because we were intending on returning back t Obanda by 3:00. Well that did not happen. Today we were going to go to Nkwanta to visit a wildlife reserve, of which no one had been to or knew much about. We ended up not leaving until close to 8:30. Once again the Ghanaian time strikes again. Upon arrival we made a few stops to buy some items we needed and then took off to where we (thought) we needed to go to register for the park. This consisted of a two mile hike to the building that ended up just being a reception building for large groups. After this unfortunate discovery we made our way back to where we started. We found a taxi who did take us to the park. We asked him to stay while we figured out what we were going to do since Pastor Hayford had not been to the park. We went in and basically discovered that were going to see very little and spend a lot over four to six hours on this adventure or which neither of us were prepared for. With this we decided to leave and head back to Obanda, so the trip we made ended up being to get a couple drinks, lunch, and a few items. God was not done with our little adventure either, and I am sure he was just laughing the whole time because that’s all we could do, for as we came out of the park our taxi driver had left! We are now about three kilometers away form town and at the peak of the heat. We made it about half way and someone gave us a lift the rest of the way. Wow! O but wait I am still just getting started! It is about three o’clock in the afternoon by this point so the day has already been long. We get back to town and grabbed some lunch and picked up a part for someone in Obanda. We had the very fortunate time in finding a taxi driver right away who was leaving, typically it can be an hour to two hour wait for one. Well it turned out to be to good to be true. The diver had to make a personal stop to get a back of rice or sugar, so we waited about a half hour or so. Once we got going we were about half way and we made a slight (huge) detour! We headed to another village off the direction we needed to be going. Once we finished dropping off this woman we completed our loop which put us back into the town we needed to be in Brewaniase. Well, we decided to make things a little more interesting and half way on this detour our car ran out of gas! We did stop right in front of a small village so that was at least nice. It took us about an hour before anyone came back with some gas. Well that was the least problem for we had hit some big rocks and one of them had punctured the gas line! So what does one do when you are stranded in the middle of a village and you have a punctured fuel line? You get some soap and there is your plug! Laugh all you want, but it worked. We made it to Brewaniase and now it is around 5:30 going on 6:00. The same man was going to take us the rest of the way to Obanda, when a sudden we ran out of gas again. Upon refueling and a lot of push starts (everyone starts to push the car to gain speed so the driver can put it in gear, which then the car starts) we were on our way. We finished off this day around 8:00 at night having walked about 6 miles give our take and lots of dead ends!
I learned that in ministry you are going to have many dead ends and not to get discouraged. As well, when curve balls are thrown at you just keep your eye on the ball and swing for God will get you through it all! The most important thing I learned today is that one is a representation of Christ at all times and so when one is thoroughly exhausted and more things keep going wrong to keep a level head and keep smiling or laughing. Laughing was what got us through the day!

Day 30 Week 5

Wow! I finally arrived back in Obanda yesterday completing a two-week side trip. I visited seven villages and preached over ten times, spoke to two primary schools, a Junior High, Spoke to a whole community on behalf of the chief and elders, and have meet hundreds if not thousands of people. I have had no time to myself and it does wear a little on you just for the rest sake. You would think that I would have time to rest today, but nope I go to preach tomorrow! This truly has been the best possible way for me to feel what ministry is going to be like! I am very thankful for this experience and God has blessed me and the people I have meet over this past month! I have made it my goal to not repeat sermons or lessons throughout this portion of my trip and so far so good. It has been very difficult at times to feel God put a message on your heart and or you have planned, what you think, is a solid sermon and then to have no response to it in anyway! I was reminded of when Jesus sent out the disciples’ to their ministries and told them to dust their feet off and although these people are already believers I still feel like it applies.

Day 26 Week 4

I have been away from my main village of Obanda now for over a week and it is amazing when you are away from even a temporary home how you look forward to returning. I was planning to go back to Obanda this past Sunday, but well will just say adaptation has strike again. I am loving this trip, but it is becoming very tiresome. I am speaking every night and traveling during the day to the next village via a small 100 cc motor bike that is really a one seater! I am learning so much and appreciate all that God is doing in my life. It has become a challenge in preparing for each night. The services are full-blown Sunday morning services, so my lessons become sermons. I am not able to put together the same type of sermons as I would in my homiletics’ class, but I know that what I am delivering is not of me, but of God and a sermon of the truth from the Bible never goes wrong. I love seeing all the children and meeting all the people, for they have been very warm and welcoming! Today I thought I saw another American, but it turns out that it actually was an albino Ghanaian!
Yesterday Pastor Hayford left for Accra and I began my trip with Pastor Newman for the next three days. We stopped in Tutukpene for last nights service and today we continued on to Ashebre. The people are very nice here, but I feel little more of an outsider in the way they respond to me. I kind of do not blame them for I am an outsider coming and so I really don’t feel like I have much authority in my deliverance with them. The other thing that I am finally getting use to is that every time I have been speaking to the church members or visiting them at their homes is the public breastfeeding of the babies. One minute I am talking about Christ receiving rest and seeking time of prayer and then bam! A mother begins breastfeeding right in the front row. This has been very helpful in teaching me to preach through distractions, because the kids will always cry, people will always be getting up and church never runs at 100% every Sunday. Although not the way I was expecting to learn to handle distractions, none the least God has worked again in HIS OWN UNIQUE WAY!

Day 23 Week 4

This morning I awoke at the unprepared time of 5:45 a.m. Yesterday we meet with the chief and elders of the community of Pusupu and upon departure of our visit, they decided they were going to bang the gong to address the community for the youth to arrive in the morning for a message. Before going to bed, we had not heard the gong, so we were under the impression that it was not going to be happening. Well I was wrong! I rushed to get ready and when we got up there no one had arrived. I am learning that the people of Ghana and the Ntrubo people are not concerned with time. In addition, they seem to tell you one thing and then at the last minute it changes. Adaptation is the word of the trip. I had not prepared a message for the morning, since it I was not thinking we were meeting, so I had to gather myself and put a message together. I remembered my word of the trip, adaptation, and once again, I had to implement that very word. Once people started to arrive, it was not the youth at all, but all the adults. I again had to change my message and speak of something more appropriate. The delivery went well and I feel it was well received. I am learning that God is with you always. I am also learning not to worry for he will help you when you are not able, or caught off guard.
Finally Rain!!!! It is the first time for rain in over two months! Wow! I never thought I would look forward for rain… Never mind, it was just thunder!

Day 20 Week 3

I am concluding my third week of being in Ghana and my third week in the Volta Region. I have preached, taught a ministry class, or spoken to the schools almost everyday since I arrived in the Volta Region. I am currently in Brewaniase working still on the interpretation during my speaking for sometimes my word choices become confusing. Above all else, I have started to become a little worn of speaking so much. I love the experience, but since they are back to back, I find myself not being as well prepared and doing a lot of discussions and lessons on a rough outline! I am understanding the importance of that day off from work as well as designating specific days for just office work. As far as emotions go, I love the opportunity to speak as often as I am, but I have quickly felt that I am starting to sound like a broken record. Even with this every time I speak, I generally am speaking to a new group, so the receptiveness is strictly with myself. I spent the past weekend with the church and community of Abrubrawa. There I preached and it was the first time preaching in a thatched roof building, which was outside with no electricity. This also was very interesting for the evening services. I feel that God is truly using this time for me to develop me speaking skills and to work with my people relations as well. On a more personal note, spiritually I feel I am learning to develop a regular Bible reading and a regular prayer life. This I am thankful, for the pass of life is much slower here, so it has provided me with no excuse not to develop one. I am growing so much and the time is truly going by fast. I am getting more opportunities to preach and teach here just in the short while I have been in Ghana than I would have anywhere in the U.S. for the whole six months!

Day 15 Week 3

Currently I am experiencing the things we take for granted in a developed country. I am currently writing not knowing how much longer my battery will last for we are out of electricity at the moment. This happens almost every week at least once and no one knows when it will come back on. I have been involved a lot in teaching and preaching and observing throughout the village. I spoke to both the primary schools and the junior high school. Both of which I observed in their classes and then gave them words of encouragement. I love how open the country is for in the public schools there is a classes taught to everyone about religious and moral education. In which they talk about Christianity and all that comes with it. I also spoke to the women of the church. That was interesting and challenging for a man to addresses women, especially when I am so young and am easily intimidated by women. However, it went well and I welcome the opportunities in the future to speak to them again. The students were very open to what I had to say and over all everyone has been very pleased with the messages that have been delivered. I am learning how to be a vessel for God to work through, because there many moments where I just have thought after thought that keep coming and it all makes since and flows nicely. It is difficult to preach the way I have been taught for I can not type things out and or write everything out for I do not have much paper, so I have been doing outlines and then developing them when I preaching. It seems very poorly planned, but I am assured that I have the ideas of what I speaking about. Much like in the America all the children and youth have taken to me and are very open and warm. I am now going to be going to another village done the road for a few days to preach and see the people and then I am off for a two week travel of about 7-10 villages where I will be teaching and preaching and making visitations.

Day 12 Week 2

Wow already I have been here for one week and I feel very much apart of the village. I am constantly being addressed in conversations and it has been great. I am becoming to have more confidence in my teaching and preaching for I have taught every night since Friday. I have spoken to the youth and the men. Both of which I feel went really well. It is difficult to plan for the lessons because of the way I have been taught, in which I realize now how much I rely on technology and resources that are not available. I actually love it though because I feel I am learning to preach and teach strictly form the word. I do not have access to the Internet, commentaries, or anything else other than the Bible. Although I feel those things are very useful, I am glad that I do not have those for I feel this is preparing me to be a biblically focused preacher and teacher. It has been a little more difficult using a translator for sometimes even the translator does not understand me and so it can throw off my thought or movement, but all in all it has been good. On to week three here we go!

Day 9 Week 2

Wow what an experience I am having! I am having such a wonderful experience. I love taking the bath outside under the stars. I truly feel that God is very near and very real with me as I am in the middle of a village, which is in the middle of nowhere. I am not sure how effective I have been in speaking for the language barrier has made it more challenging to feel for the responses to things said, but I know the Holy Spirit will work through that and carrier the message over to them. I also have gained in understanding of what it means to communicate out of love. I cannot speak the language of the Delu people, but out of dancing, acknowledgment, and smiling they know where my heart is and the real reason why this Bruni (White man in Twi) is with them. I am a little nervous about my first sermon that I will be preaching and the load that I will have in a couple of weeks. I will be preaching at least four to five times at various locations within a week. This will be great work and experience for me, but I am a little nervous about delivering good quality in such a short amount of time. God will be with me and prevail through the message.

Day 6 Week 1

Only in my first week and I have witnessed more than I thought within the first two or three weeks at best. I am currently located in the Abanda Village in East-Ghana in the Volta region. Yesterday, was my adventure coming up. It began with leaving Enoch’s around six in the morning. We were heading to Accra to catch a van/bus. Getting anywhere in the city or I guess anywhere at that is always life threatening. “Ways of the road” seems to be whatever you make them. The traffic is constant and unorganized you latterly fight for your positions! When we arrived an hour and a half later, we entered a market area. Here there were shops lined everywhere. What I thought was going to be a mild wait, turned into five hours of waiting in intense heat. We finally began our journey, which consisted of a six-hour drive through a lot of Ghana. I saw a variety of landscapes and vegetation. The van was very uncomfortable and very very hot! The bridge that goes over Volta Lake (largest man made lake in the world) was very beautiful! When we came closer to the village we began to drive on the dirt roads again, most of the way up they were paved roads. The amazing thing about coming up was the speed we were going at when the roads were nice. At top speed, we hit 150 km! I loved it! Upon arrival, I was introduced to my living courtiers. Not a Holiday INN! I became a little overwhelmed at first but took a deep breath and said a prayer and I was fine. My room is pretty nice actually; it is more of the other hygiene things that are a little difficult. The toilets, well there are not any, at least ones to sit on. There is a whole in the concrete and you do your best at aiming at the hole. Showering is out side, which I actually enjoy a lot for you get to see the stars and he weather is amazing (at night)! Today I meet many of the people of the village. Those consisted of members of the church, the nurse, elders, and the chief interim. I meet with Pastor Bismarck and Pastor Maxin today as well. I had a lot of great discussions over cultural comparison with America. Although in the obvious sight the two countries are very different, but in the large scheme of things we are very similar. The same things that we deal with in America they deal with in Ghana. I am looking forward to a wonderful month. It may go by slowly for that is village life, but it will be a great one at that!

Wow what a month!

I have completed my stay with Pastor Hayford in the village of Obanda, in the Kwanta distric of the Volta Region. I preached or taught a lesson around 23 times or so, spoke to 6 schools, and addressed a whole community! I will be adding a video, and posting my journal enteries that I took over my stay in the next day or so. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and encouragement! I am sorry it has been so long since I gave anyone an update, but it was not possible with where I have been. God has been doing some amazing things in my life and in the lives of the people I have been with. My stay there has been amazing and truly a great start to my stay in Ghana! Please pray for the people of the Obanda area and for God's blessings upon them. I have taken many pictures and video, so I will do my best to share those with everyone. I will be leaving again here in couple of days upon my parents arrival. keep them in your prayers as well as my brother and sister. Once we return I will be able to give more updates a little more regularly! I am growing in experience, confidence, and reliance with Christ as my guide! My eyes and heart have been opened like never before. Through Christ it is truly amazing to see the quick unity of people from different walks of life and different cultures come together with the same purpose and desires in Christ. I have developed many friendships that will continue to bless me beyond my stay in Ghana!