Thursday morning there was more dawn preaching at 3 a.m. Then in the afternoon, we traveled to Apromasi village for the two baptisms. When we arrived, we were blessed by meeting a man who had heard us preaching and heard his niece was going to be baptized, so he decided it was time for him to do so as well. When we went to meet with Josephine, we found out that she was very hesitant. We found out that she was scared and highly influenced by here mother and aunt who were Jehovah Witnesses. The one thing that has really bothered me with both the Muslims and Jehovah Witnesses is that both receive and keep people within their religion by means of bribery and threats! She wanted more time, but did agree she would do it on the following Tuesday. After meeting her, we went out under the mango tree to talk with some of elderly men who were relaxing there. After we were finished talking to them they all agreed to be baptized on Tuesday as well! Out of a little set back with Josephine, God took two baptisms and turned into five with more potentially joining. God’s work did not stop there. Before we left the village, we wanted to meet with the chief. He had been living in New York for the past 35 years and just moved back. Pastor Paul had meet him only once before over three years ago, so he has never been able to make much progress in starting a church in the community, but when we meet the chief (Nana as all are called) agreed to help us out. He agreed to give ten plots for the church, an academy, and missionary house! Ten plots equates to 700 feet by 1,000 feet in dimension! Nana was so generous that he even asked us to come back on Sunday to see if the land they choose would be acceptable for us. As for payment, all he requested was for the church to give the community what they saw fit to help with more development. In the evening was the second night of the revival and I had the pleasure of preaching. The message went very well and it seemed to be well received. God has been doing so much and I feel bad for my lower than normal energy form this sickness.
Friday was another interesting day! It was our final day of dawn preaching. At times, I have felt bad for I feel that we are just preaching to the wind and the Bible even talks of random preaching, but we are sharing the Gospel, so if just one person accepts Christ then it is all worth it. I am struggling with analyzing time spent for lives changed evangelistic returns. This I feel comes with my youth and love for business, but Christ is not a business, so I heed myself. Later in the afternoon, Pastor Paul took me around to visit a few more sites. We saw the largest market in all of West Africa. Went to the teaching hospital, which is just one of two. It was there that we went to see the King Arthur sword equivalent for Ghana. A high fetish priest over six hundred years ago, supposedly, received a golden stole form the skies. It is this stole that the power of the Ashanti’s remains. If the stole is taken then the power of the Ashanti’s is taken as well. This fetish priest also placed a sword in the ground and no man has been able to remove it! People such as Mohammad Ali have tried to remove this sword and have been unable. Following seeing this we went to the World Famous Kumasi Zoo!!!! Ok this was a very sad site. It is extremely small, and the animals were few and far between. The conditions of these animals and the small size of living conditions almost made me feel guilty for even going.
Saturday God did stop moving! During the whole of last night the church got together to pray from 10 p.m. till 4 a.m. I was unable/unpermitted to attend for threat of the most deadly beast in all of Africa!!!! The Mosquito! After all the pastors recovered, we headed toward Abennase, which is the other village in which Pastor Paul wants to plant a church. Currently they meet every Wednesday for fellowship. It was very encouraging to meet more people and God was a moving once again! While here, through the sharing of the Gospel to many families by all of the pastors and I, there will be around ten or more baptisms on Wednesday with more potentially coming as well. The past couple of days have been very encouraging! I am unaware if this is common or not, but it seems no matter what that God has been busy! Very ones energy is very high and I have experienced that when God speaks through you, your message can leave footprints. From a message that I thought was ok, for I am still young in preaching, the pastors have been quoting and applying. This is truly God’s doing for I even forget some of the things that they have been saying as bad as that may seem. I love the energy that is being felt for it is very contagious to everyone we encounter. GOD IS GOOD! I also forgot to mention that I learned a new way to battle against the fetish practices or the practice of worshiping other gods…run them over! As we were, leaving Abennase Pastor Paul was backing up and could not see very well. The next thing we hear is a loud crash! We had run into and over a cement monument/statue of one god that was worshiped in the community. I love this tactic and plan to see if this is applicable back home!
Another portion of my stay in Ghana came to an end today. I concluded my stay in Kumasi with Pastor Paul, Pastor Jones, Pastor Hope, and all of Garden City Christian Church. God did so much in a short period of time and all, including myself, have been blessed by this time of unity. This morning I delivered the sermon and they actually gave me a whole hour to preach. They said that they have been extremely blessed by my, God’s, messages, so they wanted all they could get from me, God. Following the service, they presented me with beautiful gifts. They gave me kentia shirt, sandals, bracelet, and tie. The Ghanaian people are very hospitable and will do anything to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. One part of there hospitality is giving of gifts to the visitors. I have been blessed by everyone I have stayed with in which everyone has given me shirts and other such gifts. Upon resting, I received a visit from one of the members from the church who invited me to come to his house again to give me one of his paintings. He is truly talented in painting and actually does it as a hobby only!! His business is in graphic design, so he wanted to show me some of his work. He is doing well with his ability and is able to produce pretty good quality material! I was very impressed at his level of God given talent. He never went to school for art or anything for he says that it just comes naturally! After this visit, Pastor Paul and I went to the Bus terminal to purchase my ticket for tomorrow’s trip back to Tema. The night was good as I watched Ghana win its first qualifying game in soccer for the world cup. Now I am currently writing this update in “lights off” mode, which is common in both the village and the big cities!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Day 76 Week 11
Monday began with a trip to the cultural center, which gave more history of the Ashanti Kingdom. One would see this as just site seeing, but it adds into understanding the history of the community and the people of this area. Later in the afternoon, Pastor Paul and I continued in more house-to-house evangelism. Once again, this was very enjoyable and encouraging for both us and the people we were meeting. Throughout the whole day, I felt weak, but I could tell I was starting to slowly come around.
Tuesday I arose at 3 a.m. for my first ever, never thought I would do it, dawn preaching! This consists of driving to random spots in different communities and preaching to people whether they are there or not. The car has an amplifier and speakers on top, so we begin by driving around with music playing and then we stop when we find a place we want to preach. I asked how effective this method of evangelism is in Ghana and Pastor Paul says that many people have testified to coming to know the Lord through this way, himself included. This is definitely not one that grabbed my interest, but I know it is a passion of Pastor Paul’s. He has a lot of dedication and variety in reaching out to the community. Later in the day, we traveled to Apromasi, a village in the outskirts of Kumasi where Garden City Christian Church wants to plant a church. Here we continued with house-to-house evangelism and it was very promising. During this visit, we were encouraged to begin a church there. There is already a Methodist and a Roman Catholic church, but not everyone is attending these churches.
Wednesday I again arose at the glorious 3 a.m. for more dawn preaching. We decided to go to the village during this time to continue to make our presence known. In the afternoon we traveled back to the village for more house-to-house evangelism. During this trip we had the opportunity to had a great opportunity of a young women accepting Christ for the first time. We made plans to return the following day to baptize her. Then as we were leaving a young man, who had been spending the day with us, decided to also get baptized. The day was great and God is really moving in this village. Before we left we also received word that the community was going to be able to give us some land for a building or a room to rent for church. This was a great day and Pastor Paul was filled with much joy! Then in the evening it was the beginning of the revival that was going to continue for the following three days.
Tuesday I arose at 3 a.m. for my first ever, never thought I would do it, dawn preaching! This consists of driving to random spots in different communities and preaching to people whether they are there or not. The car has an amplifier and speakers on top, so we begin by driving around with music playing and then we stop when we find a place we want to preach. I asked how effective this method of evangelism is in Ghana and Pastor Paul says that many people have testified to coming to know the Lord through this way, himself included. This is definitely not one that grabbed my interest, but I know it is a passion of Pastor Paul’s. He has a lot of dedication and variety in reaching out to the community. Later in the day, we traveled to Apromasi, a village in the outskirts of Kumasi where Garden City Christian Church wants to plant a church. Here we continued with house-to-house evangelism and it was very promising. During this visit, we were encouraged to begin a church there. There is already a Methodist and a Roman Catholic church, but not everyone is attending these churches.
Wednesday I again arose at the glorious 3 a.m. for more dawn preaching. We decided to go to the village during this time to continue to make our presence known. In the afternoon we traveled back to the village for more house-to-house evangelism. During this trip we had the opportunity to had a great opportunity of a young women accepting Christ for the first time. We made plans to return the following day to baptize her. Then as we were leaving a young man, who had been spending the day with us, decided to also get baptized. The day was great and God is really moving in this village. Before we left we also received word that the community was going to be able to give us some land for a building or a room to rent for church. This was a great day and Pastor Paul was filled with much joy! Then in the evening it was the beginning of the revival that was going to continue for the following three days.
Day 73 Week 11
Early Thursday morning I began my journey to Kumasi. The trip was about four to five hours and I traveled on a very nice tour bus. Upon arrival I meet Pastor Paul and Pastor Jones who are two of the three pastors of Garden City Christian Church. Garden City Christian Church has been blessed to be able to support three full time ministers. There hope is to train pastors and then to have them take over the future church plants that are in planning for near by villages. Pastor Paul, from the very beginning, has been very hospitable. To much surprise they accommodated my stay to be in a very nice hotel. This is due for another family is staying with Pastor Paul. I enjoy the nice room and service, but to be honest I enjoy being with the families. I get to know them better and it feels warmer, but the family that is staying with them consists of a pastor who had a stroke, so this is not their fault.
After resting most of Thursday we went out for site seeing of Kumasi on Friday. We visited the Palace Museum and the Military Museum. The Palace that we visited is that of the Ashante Kingdom. This is the largest kingdom in all of West Africa. They have a long history of both power and wealth. To clarify they are very much a tune with the world and are by no means a kingdom separated from the world. There main source of wealth comes from gold. The military museum was very educational as well. The history of the country under Britain and their involvement in WI, WII, and UN peacekeeping missions are vast.
Saturday consisted of a prayer service for a couple of hours and the beginning of a very bad cold for myself. The service went well and I am growing so much in my praying, in both quantity and quality. Truly practice makes perfect, the more time one spends with someone (our father) in conversation the more easy it becomes to talk to Him. Later in the day I went with Pastor Paul for my first ever door-to-door evangelism. This was a very different situation to be apart of, but it has been very exciting getting to meet many people and learn more about them. It seems to be very effective in Ghana, for if they already believe, then it gives us time to encourage them as a fellow believer, but if they have not then we are there to welcome them to join us and to accept Christ into their lives.
Sunday I awoke to a very bad cough and extreme weakness. To my fortune I was to deliver the sermon for the service. This was another great experience were the Holy Spirit took control. In the matter of minutes my cough ceased, I gained some energy, and the message just flowed. It truly was amazing! A message I on paper that looked average, turned out to be a message that touched peoples hearts. I know that it had nothing to do with my little knowledge and all from the words of God. It was so compelling that Pastor Paul, who normally just relaxes the rest of Sundays, felt compelled to go and make house-to-house visitations. For a day that was full of sickness and weakness Christ showed me literally that when we are weak He is Strong!
After resting most of Thursday we went out for site seeing of Kumasi on Friday. We visited the Palace Museum and the Military Museum. The Palace that we visited is that of the Ashante Kingdom. This is the largest kingdom in all of West Africa. They have a long history of both power and wealth. To clarify they are very much a tune with the world and are by no means a kingdom separated from the world. There main source of wealth comes from gold. The military museum was very educational as well. The history of the country under Britain and their involvement in WI, WII, and UN peacekeeping missions are vast.
Saturday consisted of a prayer service for a couple of hours and the beginning of a very bad cold for myself. The service went well and I am growing so much in my praying, in both quantity and quality. Truly practice makes perfect, the more time one spends with someone (our father) in conversation the more easy it becomes to talk to Him. Later in the day I went with Pastor Paul for my first ever door-to-door evangelism. This was a very different situation to be apart of, but it has been very exciting getting to meet many people and learn more about them. It seems to be very effective in Ghana, for if they already believe, then it gives us time to encourage them as a fellow believer, but if they have not then we are there to welcome them to join us and to accept Christ into their lives.
Sunday I awoke to a very bad cough and extreme weakness. To my fortune I was to deliver the sermon for the service. This was another great experience were the Holy Spirit took control. In the matter of minutes my cough ceased, I gained some energy, and the message just flowed. It truly was amazing! A message I on paper that looked average, turned out to be a message that touched peoples hearts. I know that it had nothing to do with my little knowledge and all from the words of God. It was so compelling that Pastor Paul, who normally just relaxes the rest of Sundays, felt compelled to go and make house-to-house visitations. For a day that was full of sickness and weakness Christ showed me literally that when we are weak He is Strong!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Living for Christ
When Paul wrote, "to live for Christ", one cannot fathom to grasp the intensity of such a statement. To what degree does one strive to replicate the Son of God? Does ones life truly change? What affects does ones actions truly have on others and the world? "Truly, Truly I say" the affects of ones life and the affect one has on others is great! So, Why do we have a hard time being a slave of Christ, and to give ourselves in all actions to the one who has given us life?
From my experiences that I have indulged in so far, I have begun to immerse the vast life lessons deep into my heart. As I have been moving from place to place and meeting many people God has been showing His greatness and passion to reunite with His children. Life has not been without its pain and discomfort, but Christ has been glorified even in the sorrow and uncertainties. There have been many times when the words have been provided and hearts have been touched for the glory of God. I have been working on putting myself in the background and Christ in the foreground, but this can and is difficult. With my life at out my control, it has been the best opportunity for God to gain complete control. No worries are burdensome upon my heart, no fear for what tomorrow brings, and all hope in the one whom I serve. I am learning to humble myself in all regards to the point of getting on my knees and becoming, as Christ exemplified, the "feet washer". The greatest thing that I have been enlightened is that at some point you as the "feet washer" become the one to whose feet will be washed. The blessing of being a servant of Christ is that in all actions, assuming they are for Him, are cyclical.
I have been reminded and urge others to look at your life, your family, your job and see if Christ is the focal point. Sometimes we are involved in our own plans and miss Gods plans for us. Sometimes our families become so busy that Christ is briefly mentioned as an entrance to ones meals. When life's comfort of routines blind us from broken and lost people changes have to be made, priorities have to be reevaluated, and sometimes we need to get a little uncomfortable. I cannot explain the difference I have felt with not having control and trust being upon Him. More doors have been opened then ever before and there has developed visions and directions I would have been oblivious to had my heart not been open, my mind not been willing, and for all control to be out of my hands. Losing control is the most difficult thing for myself as it might be for you. Life seems so much easier to manage when we have the control of getting the best job we see fit, living in the place where we want to live, and to be able to choose how much involvement we will have in church and in the work of the Kingdom, but I tell you that God has been showing me how amazing life is when we serve him and live to do the work for the kingdom in all that we do! I pray that you take time and see if what you are doing is for the
So, to what degree does one strive to replicate the Son of God? One should be having the eyes of Christ in that no matter if you are walking down the street, sitting in the pews Sunday Morning, or at work, you are seeking the lonely, the hurt, the lost, and the misguided. Then take action and engage them with the heart of Christ. Does ones life truly change? Yes, your life will not be the same if you are doing everything for the kingdom and become completely immersed in the direction that Christ has for us. What affects does ones actions truly have on others and the world? Your affect can save lives that would have been disregarded by others, you can bring purpose and meaning to someone who feels worthless and scared, you will be the “light” in a dark world. By bring Christ to others you are bringing comfort, peace, grace, mercy, love, endurance, strength, meaning, trust, and care. The world that is lost and forsaken becomes a world where a hungry are feed, the thirsty are given living water, the pain is replaced with comfort, and people become united through the Son of God, the Giver of Life, and Definer of Love!
2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Day 66 Week 10
The last few days have been very very busy and many life experiences have occurred. Thursday was very productive. In the morning I helped the Cincinnati Christian University (CCU), team who came for a short-term mission trip, move solid concrete blocks at the site of the future Faithway Christian Church. I loved getting my hands dirty and finally being able to do some manual labor. Every worked very hard and put up with the scorpions and snakes to achieve a lot. In the afternoon, Pastor Ntim and I went around and did a few visitations to various members of the church. Following this, we went for a prayer meeting in the evening time, where we prayed for the church, government, members, and gave thankfulness for many things.
Friday was a very early morning! We left the house around 5:30 to go and deliver some items to Pastor Ntim’s son Flint. The school was about an hour away and in the mountains, so the drive was beautiful. Upon our return, I spoke to the Faithway Christina Academy. I found out that I have a difficult time teaching younger students. I do not know why, but that is not an area that I am gifted. It is always good to identify your strengths and weaknesses, so that is what I am dong as well while I am over here. In the afternoon, I worked on my sermon for the first time and this was going to be the only it me as well, but God provided guidance and direction, so it came quickly and smoothly. Then in the evening, we went to visit more members who were sick or have not been to church in a little while. The visitations went well and the people were very nice. I had many wonderful conversations with the people and I will be implement these visits into my ministry no matter where I end up, for it creates a more personal connection with the members of the church and the ministers.
Saturday, wow what a day! This begins the weekend of death! I do not mean this figuratively, but literally. I found myself waking up really early in the morning to leave by 5:00 a.m. to attend the funeral of Pastor Ntim’s wife’s brother. Three hours later, we were approaching the village and descending a very steep mountainside when all of a sudden we came across a very recent accident. A pick up truck was going to fast and lost control and ended up rolling several times. In Ghana there are bad roads, no service in remote areas for cell phones, and the hospitals are few and far between. So, anyone and everyone who is around become apart of the emergency response team. They dragged the bodies out in which I saw many very critical situations in which I could tell the person was already dead. With some, I could not even tell if the person was alive or not. Blood was everywhere and some of the victims where already in shock! So, many taxis and trotros (Makeshift shuttle vehicles, a min-van taxi) came and the bodies where carried into these vehicles to be rushed to the nearest hospital, which could be around and hour or more! A majority that are in these types of accidents probably die from the moving of the bodies into the vehicles. They are not knowledgeable of spinal injuries or how to properly transport them! I am not sure how many survived, but I do know that what I saw was not easy and their lives were truly in God’s hands. Following this horrific incident, we arrived safely to Pastor Ntim’s Wife’s home village. This was my second funeral to attend and I discovered that they are not all the same. We drove over three hours to get there and all that was done was the viewing and some dancing. Then all of a sudden they put up a curtain and closed the casket and of they went with no service, no announcement (none to my knowledge), and not very many people followed. Within a matter of an hour of being there it was done. I long day, which will forever be with me. The accident truly showed the underdeveloped nature of this country.
Sunday continued on in the theme of the weekend, death. I delivered the sermon for the service, which God truly spoke through me for I had a lot written and I abandoned my notes, oops. Following the service Pastor Ntim received a phone call from a man who we had visited earlier in the week. He called to inform us that his wife had passed away that morning! When we went to visit them earlier in the week she was very much in pain, but nowhere near death, and we checked up on here when we saw the husband on Thursday and everything he said was ok. This was very shocking and unbelievable with the weekend we had had. The afternoon we visited this man and then continued on to various members homes as well. I truly was enlightened on the shortness of life and as a minster one has to be prepared at all times! This was a very long and challenging weekend, but by God’s grace, I made it!
Friday was a very early morning! We left the house around 5:30 to go and deliver some items to Pastor Ntim’s son Flint. The school was about an hour away and in the mountains, so the drive was beautiful. Upon our return, I spoke to the Faithway Christina Academy. I found out that I have a difficult time teaching younger students. I do not know why, but that is not an area that I am gifted. It is always good to identify your strengths and weaknesses, so that is what I am dong as well while I am over here. In the afternoon, I worked on my sermon for the first time and this was going to be the only it me as well, but God provided guidance and direction, so it came quickly and smoothly. Then in the evening, we went to visit more members who were sick or have not been to church in a little while. The visitations went well and the people were very nice. I had many wonderful conversations with the people and I will be implement these visits into my ministry no matter where I end up, for it creates a more personal connection with the members of the church and the ministers.
Saturday, wow what a day! This begins the weekend of death! I do not mean this figuratively, but literally. I found myself waking up really early in the morning to leave by 5:00 a.m. to attend the funeral of Pastor Ntim’s wife’s brother. Three hours later, we were approaching the village and descending a very steep mountainside when all of a sudden we came across a very recent accident. A pick up truck was going to fast and lost control and ended up rolling several times. In Ghana there are bad roads, no service in remote areas for cell phones, and the hospitals are few and far between. So, anyone and everyone who is around become apart of the emergency response team. They dragged the bodies out in which I saw many very critical situations in which I could tell the person was already dead. With some, I could not even tell if the person was alive or not. Blood was everywhere and some of the victims where already in shock! So, many taxis and trotros (Makeshift shuttle vehicles, a min-van taxi) came and the bodies where carried into these vehicles to be rushed to the nearest hospital, which could be around and hour or more! A majority that are in these types of accidents probably die from the moving of the bodies into the vehicles. They are not knowledgeable of spinal injuries or how to properly transport them! I am not sure how many survived, but I do know that what I saw was not easy and their lives were truly in God’s hands. Following this horrific incident, we arrived safely to Pastor Ntim’s Wife’s home village. This was my second funeral to attend and I discovered that they are not all the same. We drove over three hours to get there and all that was done was the viewing and some dancing. Then all of a sudden they put up a curtain and closed the casket and of they went with no service, no announcement (none to my knowledge), and not very many people followed. Within a matter of an hour of being there it was done. I long day, which will forever be with me. The accident truly showed the underdeveloped nature of this country.
Sunday continued on in the theme of the weekend, death. I delivered the sermon for the service, which God truly spoke through me for I had a lot written and I abandoned my notes, oops. Following the service Pastor Ntim received a phone call from a man who we had visited earlier in the week. He called to inform us that his wife had passed away that morning! When we went to visit them earlier in the week she was very much in pain, but nowhere near death, and we checked up on here when we saw the husband on Thursday and everything he said was ok. This was very shocking and unbelievable with the weekend we had had. The afternoon we visited this man and then continued on to various members homes as well. I truly was enlightened on the shortness of life and as a minster one has to be prepared at all times! This was a very long and challenging weekend, but by God’s grace, I made it!
Day 62 Week 9
The last couple of days have been very good. Sunday went well as I meet the congregation and delivered the communion meditation. The service went well and everyone was very welcoming, this is a consistent theme everywhere I go. After Church Pastor Ntim and I went to families homes to see how they are doing and encourage them to make to come to the churches events throughout the week if they were not involved. I really enjoy the visitations for you learn more about the members of your congregation, and plus it makes your relationship more personal.
Monday began with a brief visitation to the academy in the morning where I spoke with some of the teachers as well as observed the children in school. This was very good to see the students learning a lot verses the way I saw school being conducted in the villages. The afternoon Pastor Ntim and I went out again to make more visitations that included a few members who had been absent for a little while and the cause for not coming was from sickness. With this, I prayed for the health and relationship of the family. Monday night I spoke to the Women’s Fellowship and was very well received. The message that was delivered seemed to connect well with them and I know it was God speaking through me because it was women!!! Plus I am not married and so I have a very limited amount of wisdom concerning women, but God provides where we are unable.
Tuesday I had the luxury of spending the day at Ghana Christian University College. It was very nice to see a similar set up as most of the Christian Colleges in America. They are doing very well and the college has some prestigious professors. The students seem to work very hard, but they are still young and so the same time management skills are applied (procrastination). They have a big vision and I will be excited to see and hear about it when they get to their temporary goal. That evening I led the Bible Study from the Philippians Chapter 2. It was very interesting to hear the reactions of those who attended. They, after some time, began to have some very good thoughts and encouragement towards one another.
Today I was back at the academy in the morning where I sat in on every one of the classes for a little bit. Here I interacted with the students and tried to help the teachers out in classroom. I love working with kids, but it was a different game when it comes to teaching them. I have developed more patience and learnt that if one way of teaching does not work then you must find the one that does, and this might take some time. Overall, I had a great morning and they taught me more than I taught them. Then tonight I spoke to the youth; I love the youth so much! They just have a very passionate heart and a wiliness to push themselves! The worship time was very intense and I found myself in the middle of dance workout routine. Out of breath and all I delivered a message to the youth. They really took to heart what was said to them and I pray that they begin to act. This group has so much potential to be examples to the church and community!
I have been very busy, but once again, it is with great opportunities. I look forward to some rest, but my schedule is very busy so I will rest in Christ and in the work for Him.
Monday began with a brief visitation to the academy in the morning where I spoke with some of the teachers as well as observed the children in school. This was very good to see the students learning a lot verses the way I saw school being conducted in the villages. The afternoon Pastor Ntim and I went out again to make more visitations that included a few members who had been absent for a little while and the cause for not coming was from sickness. With this, I prayed for the health and relationship of the family. Monday night I spoke to the Women’s Fellowship and was very well received. The message that was delivered seemed to connect well with them and I know it was God speaking through me because it was women!!! Plus I am not married and so I have a very limited amount of wisdom concerning women, but God provides where we are unable.
Tuesday I had the luxury of spending the day at Ghana Christian University College. It was very nice to see a similar set up as most of the Christian Colleges in America. They are doing very well and the college has some prestigious professors. The students seem to work very hard, but they are still young and so the same time management skills are applied (procrastination). They have a big vision and I will be excited to see and hear about it when they get to their temporary goal. That evening I led the Bible Study from the Philippians Chapter 2. It was very interesting to hear the reactions of those who attended. They, after some time, began to have some very good thoughts and encouragement towards one another.
Today I was back at the academy in the morning where I sat in on every one of the classes for a little bit. Here I interacted with the students and tried to help the teachers out in classroom. I love working with kids, but it was a different game when it comes to teaching them. I have developed more patience and learnt that if one way of teaching does not work then you must find the one that does, and this might take some time. Overall, I had a great morning and they taught me more than I taught them. Then tonight I spoke to the youth; I love the youth so much! They just have a very passionate heart and a wiliness to push themselves! The worship time was very intense and I found myself in the middle of dance workout routine. Out of breath and all I delivered a message to the youth. They really took to heart what was said to them and I pray that they begin to act. This group has so much potential to be examples to the church and community!
I have been very busy, but once again, it is with great opportunities. I look forward to some rest, but my schedule is very busy so I will rest in Christ and in the work for Him.
Day 59 Week 9
I once again am on the move and quickly have become involved in the local ministry! I arrived at Faithway Christian Church on Wednesday and to my great surprise, this church has a huge vision. I have been so use to being visiting the churches in the villages that pray and hope for a church building to meet in, but here there is a strong vision. Pastor Richard Ntim has a good size church of around 200 plus members, but he is not satisfied and wants more growth. He is truly focused on winning souls and it is evident in the way God has blessed him. There is an academy, which has over a hundred students from k-1 all the way to 3rd grade. The building is very nice and provides better quality teaching then the public schools by far. He vision is to have a school through Junior High, which would consist of a two to three story building. On top of the school, he has begun the construction of another church building on the campus to be functional for the growth they are experiencing. I have noticed it is through the personal care of visitation and challenging of the members that they have growth both in numbers and in unity with Christ!
On Thursday I went to the prayer meeting which was very encouraging to be apart of. They prayed for the church, the government, the school, and many other people and issues or concerns. The one thing that was very good to was how much thanks was expressed during this time. They are very appreciative with what they have, so they are very conscience when praying that they make sure to thank God for their blessings!
Friday I had the pleasure to go with the youth to the Beach! This was my first outing with any youth, so this was very beneficial! Immediately God reassured me that this is where I am supposed to be (with the youth). I get a different feeling when I work with the youth. I enjoy people in general, so its not one of favoritism, but one of directional focus form God. We had a wonderful time at the beach and I got fried! The was a very scary time though for a group of girls (against the advise of the leaders) went out by themselves without a guy while caring their bags. While out they were surrounded by eight guys who pulled a knife on them and stole their things! I do not write this to instill fear of the country or of my safety in this country, but to express the opportunity that was made to teach the rest o the youth the value of life and the meaninglessness of worldly possessions! Everyone is ok and have all learned a valuable lesson. I am learning a lot about safety preparations, what needs to be implemented when going on trips and such. The youth here are very strong and what I can tell as their results of unity is from the leadership among them. The youth is primarily run by a youth committee who guide the activities and studies. There are some adults involved for guidance and for their presence, but it is manly run by the youth. The youth here are more around the high school college age, but nonetheless they are still youth in relation to their stage of life as youth in America. The passion that I saw in the youth was incredible! On the way back from the beach, the whole bus was rock’n literally! The youth sang songs accompanied by the rhythm of miscellaneous items such as wrenches, hard plastic coverings, the side of the metal bus, and so on! It was so encouraging to see the openness to live on firer for Christ! I want to bring back this excitement and love to the youth that I am apart of.
Then on Saturday, I made a long journey to an all girls senior academy for the daughter of Pastor Ntim. They had an awards ceremony that lasted for over four hours and started two hours late! TIA (This Is Africa)! The day was long, but it was good to see the encouragement of women education in a developing country. The traffic when we got back to Accra was ridiculous and once again I understand why they pray before and after they travel for it is truly God protecting you. My first three days here at Faithway Christian Church has been very encouraging and I am excited for what is yet to come!
On Thursday I went to the prayer meeting which was very encouraging to be apart of. They prayed for the church, the government, the school, and many other people and issues or concerns. The one thing that was very good to was how much thanks was expressed during this time. They are very appreciative with what they have, so they are very conscience when praying that they make sure to thank God for their blessings!
Friday I had the pleasure to go with the youth to the Beach! This was my first outing with any youth, so this was very beneficial! Immediately God reassured me that this is where I am supposed to be (with the youth). I get a different feeling when I work with the youth. I enjoy people in general, so its not one of favoritism, but one of directional focus form God. We had a wonderful time at the beach and I got fried! The was a very scary time though for a group of girls (against the advise of the leaders) went out by themselves without a guy while caring their bags. While out they were surrounded by eight guys who pulled a knife on them and stole their things! I do not write this to instill fear of the country or of my safety in this country, but to express the opportunity that was made to teach the rest o the youth the value of life and the meaninglessness of worldly possessions! Everyone is ok and have all learned a valuable lesson. I am learning a lot about safety preparations, what needs to be implemented when going on trips and such. The youth here are very strong and what I can tell as their results of unity is from the leadership among them. The youth is primarily run by a youth committee who guide the activities and studies. There are some adults involved for guidance and for their presence, but it is manly run by the youth. The youth here are more around the high school college age, but nonetheless they are still youth in relation to their stage of life as youth in America. The passion that I saw in the youth was incredible! On the way back from the beach, the whole bus was rock’n literally! The youth sang songs accompanied by the rhythm of miscellaneous items such as wrenches, hard plastic coverings, the side of the metal bus, and so on! It was so encouraging to see the openness to live on firer for Christ! I want to bring back this excitement and love to the youth that I am apart of.
Then on Saturday, I made a long journey to an all girls senior academy for the daughter of Pastor Ntim. They had an awards ceremony that lasted for over four hours and started two hours late! TIA (This Is Africa)! The day was long, but it was good to see the encouragement of women education in a developing country. The traffic when we got back to Accra was ridiculous and once again I understand why they pray before and after they travel for it is truly God protecting you. My first three days here at Faithway Christian Church has been very encouraging and I am excited for what is yet to come!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Day 41 Week 6
(February 18, 2009)
I safely made it back to Tema yesterday at around 3:00. That is adventure in itself! My stay in the Nkwanta area has just completed after about a month stay. I have learned some much and God has used me be there guiding me every step of the way. I know that it has been God speaking through me and it is grace and love that I feel outpouring through me. He is truly an amazing God who cares for the hurt, lost, and the faithful! This has been a great month and it has gone by extremely quick.
I feel that the hardest times for me in this stay was when I went into some of the other villages to meet and speak to the church. With some of the churches, I did not feel much receptiveness. It has been hard from preaching and teaching at the church at the location that I am actually staying at, be so interactive, to go to some of these churches that in the end they just stare at you. I initially if my visit was even worth it for them, but I also know that God will be the one to take care of the message that He delivered. I also feel that it is the fact that I just had met them earlier in the day and then gave this message in which I left the following morning. There definitely lacks a personal connection with the members of the church, which makes it harder to receive the message when you do not relate with the person giving the message. God will ultimately deliver the message and develop it within each of His hears, but as the vessel delivering it can be somewhat discouraging especially when I am battling with confidence and assurance. All in all God has been terrific and blessed me more than I deserve or could ask for.
I am finally catching up on my emails for I am going to be leaving again for another ten days. God is literally moving all across Ghana!
I safely made it back to Tema yesterday at around 3:00. That is adventure in itself! My stay in the Nkwanta area has just completed after about a month stay. I have learned some much and God has used me be there guiding me every step of the way. I know that it has been God speaking through me and it is grace and love that I feel outpouring through me. He is truly an amazing God who cares for the hurt, lost, and the faithful! This has been a great month and it has gone by extremely quick.
I feel that the hardest times for me in this stay was when I went into some of the other villages to meet and speak to the church. With some of the churches, I did not feel much receptiveness. It has been hard from preaching and teaching at the church at the location that I am actually staying at, be so interactive, to go to some of these churches that in the end they just stare at you. I initially if my visit was even worth it for them, but I also know that God will be the one to take care of the message that He delivered. I also feel that it is the fact that I just had met them earlier in the day and then gave this message in which I left the following morning. There definitely lacks a personal connection with the members of the church, which makes it harder to receive the message when you do not relate with the person giving the message. God will ultimately deliver the message and develop it within each of His hears, but as the vessel delivering it can be somewhat discouraging especially when I am battling with confidence and assurance. All in all God has been terrific and blessed me more than I deserve or could ask for.
I am finally catching up on my emails for I am going to be leaving again for another ten days. God is literally moving all across Ghana!
Day 55 Week 8
(March 4, 2009)
The last few days have been very slow. I pushed back my next trip to Faithway Christian Church in Accra form Sunday to today so I could get caught up on my school work and rest. Monday was very productive and relaxing, but yesterday was frustrating and boring. I did not get anything done yesterday that I needed to, because the electricity was out the whole day. Once again, “Adaptation” is the word for my stay in Ghana. I am learning that what we have planned is not exactly what will happen. This just forces me to rely upon God that much more and allow Him to plan and control my life. Trust me it is much easier to give it to Him to deal with then to do it yourself, plus it will drive you insane, literally!
The last few days have been very slow. I pushed back my next trip to Faithway Christian Church in Accra form Sunday to today so I could get caught up on my school work and rest. Monday was very productive and relaxing, but yesterday was frustrating and boring. I did not get anything done yesterday that I needed to, because the electricity was out the whole day. Once again, “Adaptation” is the word for my stay in Ghana. I am learning that what we have planned is not exactly what will happen. This just forces me to rely upon God that much more and allow Him to plan and control my life. Trust me it is much easier to give it to Him to deal with then to do it yourself, plus it will drive you insane, literally!
Day 52 Week 8
(March 1, 2009)
Today my parents set off for home. There stay was very enjoyable and eye opening. I think the departure will be more difficult for them then for me, but nonetheless they will be missed. This past weekend was very interesting and long. Upon our final day in the north, Thursday, we found ourselves once again in another country and yes, once again it was “officially” “unofficial”. Burkina Faso was our destination, but unlike our adventure to Togo we just stayed in what is referred as the “nomad’s land.” This is a part of land in-between Ghana and Burkina Faso that is not claimed by either country, but there borders are truly in this area, so we did actually go into Burkina Faso. After this, I found myself as well as my parents sitting on a live 98-year-old crocodile! Upon our “Crocodile Dundee” adventure, we made our way back to Tema where we began this trip one week ago.
We arrived on Friday and relaxed the rest of the day. Then on Saturday, we began our site seeing and shopping in the greater Accra. The market, much like Mexico, has a more then less unique business operation. There is a price and then there is the agreed upon price (bartering). I personally love this because I will love business and cannot be pushed around. My Mom on the other side is a softy and my dad just was the carrier of the items. Upon our crazy shopping time we went and saw the capitol, parliament building, U.S. Embassy (which was surprisingly Huge!!), and Ghana Christian University.
This week I have not been really involved in much ministry actions, but I have been still involved for when on a mission trip there really are no days off. I would equate this last week as a youth conference for youth ministers. You are technically working, but it is also designed for you to gain some rest and revive yourself. I need this for the past five weeks were very intense in the amount of preaching and traveling I had done.
Today my parents set off for home. There stay was very enjoyable and eye opening. I think the departure will be more difficult for them then for me, but nonetheless they will be missed. This past weekend was very interesting and long. Upon our final day in the north, Thursday, we found ourselves once again in another country and yes, once again it was “officially” “unofficial”. Burkina Faso was our destination, but unlike our adventure to Togo we just stayed in what is referred as the “nomad’s land.” This is a part of land in-between Ghana and Burkina Faso that is not claimed by either country, but there borders are truly in this area, so we did actually go into Burkina Faso. After this, I found myself as well as my parents sitting on a live 98-year-old crocodile! Upon our “Crocodile Dundee” adventure, we made our way back to Tema where we began this trip one week ago.
We arrived on Friday and relaxed the rest of the day. Then on Saturday, we began our site seeing and shopping in the greater Accra. The market, much like Mexico, has a more then less unique business operation. There is a price and then there is the agreed upon price (bartering). I personally love this because I will love business and cannot be pushed around. My Mom on the other side is a softy and my dad just was the carrier of the items. Upon our crazy shopping time we went and saw the capitol, parliament building, U.S. Embassy (which was surprisingly Huge!!), and Ghana Christian University.
This week I have not been really involved in much ministry actions, but I have been still involved for when on a mission trip there really are no days off. I would equate this last week as a youth conference for youth ministers. You are technically working, but it is also designed for you to gain some rest and revive yourself. I need this for the past five weeks were very intense in the amount of preaching and traveling I had done.
Day 48 Week 7
(February 25, 2009)
Wow wow wow! Today was a very long day for we traveled a long distances and found ourselves to be at the end of the world (if there is one we were there). The last couple of days my parents and I were with Pastor Kingsely in a village near the Togo boarder. This community is run by very young men both as the chief and as the elders of the church. I am looking forward to coming back and working, encouraging, and growing with these young men. We “officially” “unofficially” went into to Togo as well. If we officially would have gone in then we would not have been able to get back into Ghana, and that would be bad. How does one get around this, I am glad you asked… With a little pay off and the Ghana immigrations holding on to your passports, so we went into to the country, but our passports did not. TIA (This Is Africa). As a future pastor, this would seem a little controversial if one really stopped and thought about it, but in an unfortunate culture that “Pay off” was like paying taxes or a security. All in all our stay with Pastor Kingsley was very good one and has excited me for when I return to work with them in May.
For today’s little adventure, we traveled form Pastor Kingsley, which is located in the Far East and about ¾ of the way up in Ghana. The town we left form is called Tatale. We traveled from there all the way to the near northern boarder of Ghana and about 2/3 over to the west. We traveled over to Yezesi to visit Pastor John. This will be the location on the field in my stay here in Ghana. Let me tell you this is in the middle of nowhere!!!! It is the hottest place I have every been and the sweat would evaporate before even hitting the ground! Our visit was short, but again I look forward to the new experiences come June. I also have developed a list of things that I will be eating in the northern region as well: Grass cutter (a type of rodent), Rat (a true rodent), snake (Poisonous), and dog (but not like my own dog). Just for clarification, this is not by force and it is not as common as one would think to eat these things. This is truly me wanting to go all the way with this trip. Most people do not even eat these things to be honest. As far my ministry has been concerned this trip has been more of a preparation for my last final leg, so in a very good way it has instilled in me a little different passion of my hopes for each location when the time comes.
Wow wow wow! Today was a very long day for we traveled a long distances and found ourselves to be at the end of the world (if there is one we were there). The last couple of days my parents and I were with Pastor Kingsely in a village near the Togo boarder. This community is run by very young men both as the chief and as the elders of the church. I am looking forward to coming back and working, encouraging, and growing with these young men. We “officially” “unofficially” went into to Togo as well. If we officially would have gone in then we would not have been able to get back into Ghana, and that would be bad. How does one get around this, I am glad you asked… With a little pay off and the Ghana immigrations holding on to your passports, so we went into to the country, but our passports did not. TIA (This Is Africa). As a future pastor, this would seem a little controversial if one really stopped and thought about it, but in an unfortunate culture that “Pay off” was like paying taxes or a security. All in all our stay with Pastor Kingsley was very good one and has excited me for when I return to work with them in May.
For today’s little adventure, we traveled form Pastor Kingsley, which is located in the Far East and about ¾ of the way up in Ghana. The town we left form is called Tatale. We traveled from there all the way to the near northern boarder of Ghana and about 2/3 over to the west. We traveled over to Yezesi to visit Pastor John. This will be the location on the field in my stay here in Ghana. Let me tell you this is in the middle of nowhere!!!! It is the hottest place I have every been and the sweat would evaporate before even hitting the ground! Our visit was short, but again I look forward to the new experiences come June. I also have developed a list of things that I will be eating in the northern region as well: Grass cutter (a type of rodent), Rat (a true rodent), snake (Poisonous), and dog (but not like my own dog). Just for clarification, this is not by force and it is not as common as one would think to eat these things. This is truly me wanting to go all the way with this trip. Most people do not even eat these things to be honest. As far my ministry has been concerned this trip has been more of a preparation for my last final leg, so in a very good way it has instilled in me a little different passion of my hopes for each location when the time comes.
Day 45 Week 6
(February 22, 2009)
It has been nice to see my parents and for them to be assured and comforted that I am safe. Yesterday the church that we were at in Salaga wanted me to preach, so I decided to incorporate my parents within the sermon, so I broke it into three parts and we all preached. It went well, but the main thing that was to be received was the family strength that the church is to also to have. This week has been nice and a good break. I think I might have been getting a little burnt, but not to bad. The only thing about this little break is that we are driving so much. We are going to three villages to see the evangelists that are supported by my home church. Overall, it has been a very uplifting week. I have not been home sick by any means, but to have your parents with you and for them to see what you have been doing is very exciting. It is odd now to be the one to help with the church side of things (preaching, teaching, interpreting, ect.). I am very excited, because I am very comfortable with the environment and culture. I am starting to understand the culture and customs in the villages and Ghana in general. I finally have figured out the lay out of church and some of the songs for worship!!! We will see what God has in store for this next leg of my trip; all that is being done here is in His hands and for His glory!
It has been nice to see my parents and for them to be assured and comforted that I am safe. Yesterday the church that we were at in Salaga wanted me to preach, so I decided to incorporate my parents within the sermon, so I broke it into three parts and we all preached. It went well, but the main thing that was to be received was the family strength that the church is to also to have. This week has been nice and a good break. I think I might have been getting a little burnt, but not to bad. The only thing about this little break is that we are driving so much. We are going to three villages to see the evangelists that are supported by my home church. Overall, it has been a very uplifting week. I have not been home sick by any means, but to have your parents with you and for them to see what you have been doing is very exciting. It is odd now to be the one to help with the church side of things (preaching, teaching, interpreting, ect.). I am very excited, because I am very comfortable with the environment and culture. I am starting to understand the culture and customs in the villages and Ghana in general. I finally have figured out the lay out of church and some of the songs for worship!!! We will see what God has in store for this next leg of my trip; all that is being done here is in His hands and for His glory!
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