Last week.

Last week, I walked the dirt paths of a community covered in trash. Last week, I met a mother who lives in a 10 x 10 ft room with her three children. Last week, I looked into the eyes of a mother, mourning the loss of her dear husband. Last week, I saw gut wrenching pain in the eyes of children who just lost their father. Last week, I was in a different world.

Last week, I was "mommy" to thirty five children. Last week, I held hands with children who have never known the love of a mother. Last week, I prayed with a child who is convinced he will never have a family. Last week, I held more children than I can count. Last week, I saw children smile at the hope of having a family. Last week, I saw the hurt that comes form being abandoned. Last week, I was 6,000 miles away.

Last week, my feet were filthy. Last week, it was 100 degrees. Last week, my showers came from a bucket. Last week, I put children to bed by candlelight. Last week, my clothes were washed by hand. Last week, I walked children to school on dirt roads covered in trash. Last week, djembe drums were my alarm clock. Last week, I was in West Africa.

 Last week, I laughed at silly jokes. Last week, I smiled at the child who was scared of my white skin. Last week, I spun children in circles. Last week, I colored with little ones. Last week, I prayed for sweet children as they fell asleep. Last week, I spent my afternoons bandaging wounds and teaching kids about Jesus. Last week, I was blessed.

Last week, I said goodbye to dear friends and family. Last week, I hugged and kissed those little children one last time. Last week, I realized how hard it is to say goodbye. Last week, my heart was broken in two. Last week, I left my home.

Serving in Ghana was such a blessed experience. I'm grateful for everything the Lord has taught me the last three months. We experienced a lot of highs and lows, but He was incredibly faithful through it all. I pray He allows me to return someday soon, but for now I'll be serving Him right here in Knoxville.

Great Mission International

 Teshie, Ghana.

10/16/2012-01/17/2013 

Back in the U.S.

We made it back safely! I will post about the final weeks of my trip, but I just wanted to give everyone an update on the past couple days, first. 

After saying goodbye to my precious friends and family of three months, Seth and I set out on our near forty hour journey to the United States. Getting fussed at by the customs official in Ghana was the first problem we encountered on our trip. On the kind of visa that I have, you're only allowed to stay in Ghana for sixty days at a time. I'd been in the country for ninety two at that point. Whoops! I was going to go to Togo half-way through my trip, to renew my visa and visit GMI Togo, but that didn't work out. So I entered the airport praying it would go unnoticed, but unfortunately the officer realized my mistake. After discussing the issue for a few minutes, he told it me would be a fee of 50 Ghana cedis (About $26). I only had 20 cedis left from my trip, so he began to contemplate whether or not to let me go. After speaking a few words to him in Twi, he decided to take the 20 cedis and let me go. Praise the Lord! After that, it was smooth sailing! Or should I say flying? We said goodbye to Ghana and boarded our first plane. It was painful to say goodbye, and I'm so thankful my best friend was there to share all the mixed emotions and struggles that came with leaving. I spent most of the first flight drifting in and out of sleep, and enjoying some actual rest after three months of craziness. Once we arrived in London, we got settled in for our eight hour layover. It was 27* outside and we were both exhausted, so we decided to skip the quick visit to the UK. 

After an uneventful, but long, layover, we found our way to the next gate. The eight hour flight to Chicago was very long, but also smooth. We flew over Greenland, so that was really cool! After we landed, we re-entered the US without any problems. We went through security and settled in at our gate, patiently waiting for the final flight. Seth spent some time talking to his family, while I caught up on some much needed sleep. 

After a very long journey, we were welcomed in Knoxville by family, friends, ice, and snow. It was so wonderful to see them after being gone for three months. After lots of hugs and a little bit of catching up, we successfully collected all our bags, and headed out to the van. After being in 90-100* weather for three months, I bravely ventured out into the 30* frigid air. It was quite the cold shock! Once all the bags were put in, we all loaded up and started the final leg home.

About halfway home, we hit a patch of ice in the road, and lost control of the van. We slid into the median, and then slammed into an abandoned truck. After being in Ghana for three months, I wasn't in the habit of wearing my seat belt, so I was trying to hold on as best I could. I was sitting in the seat right where we took the impact from the truck, so I was thrown off the seat, into the side of the van. Everyone else just had minor bumps and bruises, but the longer I sat there, there more my shoulder began to hurt. At first I thought it was just bruised, but I quickly realized I could barely move it at all. So, instead of going home, we headed to the ER so they could do some x-rays. The doctor discovered I have a minor ligament tear in my shoulder. I have to keep it in a sling for a week, and then see a specialist on Friday. It should be non-surgical, but it will probably require some physical therapy. 

It wasn't exactly the welcome home I was expecting, but I'm so glad we are all safe, and it wasn't worse! Its been an adjustment being back and learning how to do everything with my left hand, but God is good! Please be praying my shoulder heals quickly without any problems. 

I'm Ghana miss this.

It's hard to believe my time here in Ghana is coming to a close. When I boarded a plane in Knoxville almost three months ago, I had no idea what kind of adventure awaited me. Let me just say, this adventure has been so wonderful. There have been many highs and lows throughout this journey, and I'm thankful for all of them.

Please be praying for me as I finish up my time here. Only eleven days til I board a plane back to the U.S.! It's going to be hard to say goodbye, but I'm looking forward to what the Lord has planned for this spring.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise should continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:1-3

Christmas in Ghana!

This year, Christmas in Ghana was a week long celebration! On Christmas eve, we spent the morning preparing food for an outreach at a school in Accra. We did all the cooking outside, while listening to Christmas music. It was such a strange feeling listening to Christmas music when it was 90 degrees. The Lambs and I got to help with the food, and then deliver it at the school. We also handed out pencils, candy, and other small things. We weren't able to spend much time at the school, but we enjoyed getting to share the love of Christ and provide a hot meal for them! After we finished at the school, we headed back to GMI. They celebrated Christmas Eve by having a late night dance party!

The children lined up
and waiting for lunch!

On Christmas day, we celebrated here at GMI. I was awoken by the older boys singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. After that, I went to morning devotions with the kids. We thanked God for the year He blessed us with, and prayed for the coming year. Once we were finished praying, Pastor Eben decided I was the one who should tell the kids the Christmas story. So at 6:30 in the morning, with no prior notice or preparation, I got up to tell the kids the Christmas story. Once we finished up with devotions, the kids started doing their chores and the adults began cooking all the food for Christmas dinner. The kids spent the rest of the morning playing, while I put the finishing touches on their Christmas presents. It was such a relaxed morning, I even got to take a nap! Such a treat.

 After lunch, things started to pick up quite a bit. We had some uninvited guests show up, and only one lady in the house knew who they were. An adoptive parent here was talking to him, but didn't know it's a cultural "no no" to talk to uninvited guests, so two of the older boys quickly called him away and told him not to speak to the guests again. A pilot from Delta Airlines brought his family to celebrate with us. They brought a bunch of stuff for the kids, so we had to sort through all that. While I was getting everything put away, Seth showed up with some gifts from my family and a block of cheese! I have never been more thankful for cheese, and it was such a wonderful Christmas present! He helped me finish putting things away, and then we started playing with the kiddos and getting ready for dinner. We were supposed to start around 3:30, but it was closer to 5:30 by the time things actually got going. Life in Ghana often runs about two hours behind. =P

All the girls got new dresses!

The Beebe's brought their family to celebrate with us. It's awesome getting to see their sons give their lives away to share Jesus with the people here. I love to see the Lord working in their hearts! Once everything was ready, we sat down and enjoyed our meal. It was such a blessed time getting to fellowship with a mix of Ghanaians and Americans. After the meal, we shared presents with the kiddos. They were so simple, but for some of them it was the first Christmas present they'd ever received. Once everything was cleaned up and put away, we spent the rest of the evening having a dance party. The third one that week, and the kids loved it every time. =P

On Wednesday, we celebrated Christmas at Nyame Dua (The orphanage where Seth is volunteering). I went over early to help Seth get the presents ready for the kids. Once we were finished, a bunch of kids from another AAI home came to celebrate with us. With Christmas music playing in the background, we handed out presents to all the kids. Outside, in the 90* heat. It has been so strange celebrating Christmas in the heat!

 After the presents were handed out, we sat down for dinner. They killed a goat for Christmas, and they shared all of it. All of our plates had meat, bone, and skin! Goat skin isn't the most appetizing thing to eat, so we let the kids have our share. Having goat is a special treat, and they enjoyed it! Once dinner was finished, we headed back to GMI. By the time we got back, they were having a family game night! They had a dancing competition, charades, and musical chairs. It was fun getting to watch almost everyone in the house participating in the games.

On Thursday, we had Christmas in Chorkor. It's one of the saddest communities I've ever been in. There is trash piled everywhere, and everything is surrounded by mud and stagnant water. There are three families sponsored by Feeding The Orphans, and we had the privilege of blessing them this Christmas! We delivered food and brought new dresses for all of the children who are sponsored. We also had plenty of candy to pass out to the neighborhood kids.

This small room is a home for a
single mother and her four children.

 At the second house we went to, we discovered that their grandfather had passed away the day before. For most of them, he was a father figure. It was so hard to see children so young suffering such a loss, but we were able to love, bless, and encourage them by God's grace! So thankful Feeding The Orphans is sponsoring this family. At the third house, most of the family wasn't home, so the Beebe's left some Christmas surprises for when they return. While Mrs. Beebe and I were inside helping two of the boys who live in the house, everyone else was outside with the neighborhood kids.

 When we walked out of the house, Seth was kneeling down sharing the gospel, in the sand with a broken shell. It was so awesome to see the Lord using him to share Jesus with those children!

People live here

Thank you, Feeding The Orphans!

This is a home for eight children
and their grandmother

Christmas has been so different this year, but its been so wonderful! I got to spend four days celebrating the birth of Christ by caring for the fatherless and other people in this community, and I got to do all of it with my best friend! So thankful for everything the Lord has blessed me with this Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I can't believe Christmas is tomorrow! This December is going by so quickly. This past week has been so crazy, and it's finally hitting me that Christmas is actually here! All this hot weather is really confusing me about what time of year it is.

This week has been the craziest week since I arrived in Ghana. Sunday, after a morning of worship, we welcomed a family adopting from GMI. They're hoping to take their girls home very soon! On Monday, I celebrated two months in Ghana  by meeting the precious kiddos at another orphanage in town and welcoming my dearest friend into the country. On Tuesday, we welcomed another family adopting from GMI. They brought a ton of donations, so we spent the afternoon sorting through everything. After we finished going through the donations, Pastor John let me drive his car home! It was such a fun experience!

On Wednesday, one of the girls walked up to me and said there was something in her nose. I soon discovered that it was a watch battery. Where it came from and how it got there, I still don't know. But praise Jehovah it was removed successfully without any trouble! After that, it was time to clean out my room. So many donations and Christmas presents were brought in, and there was a huge need for some organization. After spending all morning between the two rooms, I still wasn't done. It was such a chore! We spent the afternoon getting things for Seth and one of the families here for Christmas, and after that it was time to measure and weigh all the kids. So thankful I had extra hands to help with that! 

Thursday, I didn't even get to finish breakfast before 6+ totes/suitcases were brought into my room, and Christmas presents for the children were scattered on my bed. The older boys in the house were getting ready to leave for an outreach, and Richard and I spent the morning at the doctor with one of the children. Once we got back in the afternoon, they were packing up to leave for the outreach, and I had some errands to run. After I got back, everyone had left and I quickly realized there were very few adults left in the house. Almost all the older boys went to the outreach, so it was just me and a few aunties left to run the home. Thankfully, three older boys returned home from school that night, and they have been here to help. Still very crazy, but we're glad they're home!

Friday was very busy. I had to take one of the children to the doctor for another test and to get the results from the blood work. After waiting an hour, they informed me one of the results wasn't ready yet, and we needed to come back in the afternoon. We went back in the afternoon, only to find out the results still weren't ready, and we needed to come back in the morning. That was a really frustrating situation. After we got back in the afternoon, I was hoping to take a nap while the kids had their nap time. Unfortunately, I was quickly called to come care for another sick kiddo in the house. There was still a little bit of nap time left, so I tried to get some rest. But then two of the boys came in a decided it was time for a pillow fight. So much for getting any rest! Seth stopped by to pick up and drop some things off, and he stayed for the rest of the afternoon. The kids spent some time coloring, which allowed me some time to clean up my room. Everything has been so crazy this week, I could never find time to clean it. After dinner, we spent the evening playing hide and seek. The kids don't completely grasp it, but they have a lot of fun.

On Saturday, we had to go back to the doctor for the fourth time in three days. After waiting two hours, we finally got the hear the results from his tests! Everything came back normal. The doctor thinks his liver is trying to recover from malnutrition, and that's what's been causing the pain. He has been feeling better as the days go by, and complaining of pain a lot less! So glad he's feeling better. Once we got back from the doctor, the kids wanted to act out the nativity story. It was pure chaos, but they enjoyed getting to act it out. In the afternoon, we had a tree climbing contest with the boys. Of all the ones who tried, the six year old climbed the highest. He is such a little monkey! Once we finished climbing the tree, it was time to clean up the yard and make things look nice for when Pastor John and the rest of the team returned home. All the kids helped, and it looked great! Seth came over in the evening, so I had some extra help putting the kiddos to bed. Such a blessing!

Sunday, everyone was gone for the outreach, so we didn't have church in the house. They had devotions in the morning, and were done by 7am. Once the kids were all finished taking their baths, I started getting things ready for Christmas. The kids are all looking forward to celebrating! The boys spent the rest of the morning building a fort. Once I put the kids down for their nap, I got to sit down and watch a movie with the older kids. It was nice to have some downtime with them. After that, I headed over to Nyame Dua to take some things to Seth. After walking for thirty minutes out in the sun, my heart took another thirty minutes to slow down. >.< Spent the evening over there, and walked back home. On the way there, we got yelled at in Ga. On the way home, a car accident took place just a few yards in front of us. You never know what to expect around here. =P Once we got back, I put the kiddos to bed and everyone arrived safely from the outreach. Including the cow we're eating for Christmas. Which was butchered and placed in my freezer at 11:30 last night.

So yeah. It's been a chaotic week, but the Lord has brought us through! He has blessed me so much this week, and I'm looking forward to this final month in Ghana!

Thanksgiving Ghana style.

"Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 107:1

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Ghana was such a wonderful experience! In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, I asked people, both young and old, if they knew what Thanksgiving was. The answer was almost a unanimous “no”. Being reminded that Americans are the only people who celebrate the holiday made me realize how thankful I am for it, the history that it holds, and an entire day with my family. This was my first Thanksgiving away from home, and I got to celebrate with three adults who were celebrating Thanksgiving for the very first time in their lives. Can you imagine being twenty-eight and celebrating Thanksgiving for the first time? It was so neat getting to experience my first Thanksgiving in Ghana with other people celebrating their first Thanksgiving ever. 

The Lord blessed our day from start to finish, and I’m so thankful for that! He blessed me with a family to celebrate with, and so much more! After two feasts, playing games, fellowship, and laughter, we got to watch the sunset on the beach. I love how His beauty fills the sky!

Corn hole in Ghana!

Our Thanksgiving feast.

Once we got back to the Beebe’s house that night, I was able to Skype with my family. It was awesome getting to see all of them together. My prayer all day was that I would be able to Skype with them right before they sat down to eat. And sure enough, the Lord answered my prayer! Everyone had arrived, and they were putting the finishing touches on their feast. Once everything was ready, they asked me to pray for them. From Ghana! It was so awesome getting to share that moment with them, even though 6,000 miles stood between us. It was the perfect ending to our Thanksgiving in Ghana. 

I can’t count the many ways God blessed me this Thanksgiving! It was hard not getting to spend the day with my family, but I loved getting to experience Thanksgiving in a whole new way. God is so good!
 

Month one: Complete.

It's hard to believe I left for Ghana one month ago today. I'm so thankful Jehovah has allowed me to spend the past thirty days caring for these precious children. There's no place I'd rather be than where Jehovah takes me, and I'm so glad He has placed me here to live and serve for three months! It's not always fun, it's not always easy, it's not always desirable, but I LOVE getting to share Jesus with these kiddos.

I've had the opportunity to meet several adopting families this month, and I look forward to meeting more in the coming weeks. It's such a wonderful experience getting to see parents meet their new children for the first time. Last week, I saw a father embrace his son with open arms for the first time ever. It's such a gift to see God's glorious picture of adoption put on display. :)

"He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:5-6

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:17-18

This month has been a wonderful adventure, and I'm excited to see what the Lord has planned for the next two! Please be praying He continues to provide strength to make it through each day.

Soli Deo Gloria!