The Ministries Continue

“I'm so glad I'm attending these sessions,” Charles said of our discipleship course after we'd concluded one evening. “It's very important that I learn as much as I can of the Bible, because I'm going to be a pastor one day.” “Oh good,” Joel encouraged him, laying a hand on Charles' shoulders. “I'm glad you realize your calling so early and can prepare for God's plan for your life.” Charles explained to me the next day that he recognizes that his tribe – a “least-reached” people group – needs to hear the gospel, and with his cultural and linguistic background, he is poised to reach them. Furthermore, prior to his conversion to Christianity, Charles was a devout Muslim who had memorized most of the Koran (in fact, when he would accompany us for hospital visitation, he would often ask the patients' names, and would translate for us the meaning of all Arabic names we came across!). His background in all ways has prepared him to be a great Christian worker among his people! Please pray for him as he continues to grow in his relationship with Jesus.

Joel talked to me last week and said that he was able to speak again to the sixth-grade kids in Rashid's school, and in the teacher's absence, he led several of them in a prayer of salvation. Praise God for His continued work in northern Ghana, and please continue to pray that God would supply a friend and ministry partner for Joel now that I've gone.

I may post an occasional entry if I receive any further updates from my friends in Ghana; but otherwise, this blog will probably be pretty quiet until God calls me overseas again. Thanks for all your prayers and support along the way: I have accomplished nothing, but God has accomplished everything through your prayers. Praise His wonderful name!

Rashid's School

“You may have to do most or all of the teaching this morning,” I warned Joel as we approached Rashid's school. “I got about four hours of sleep last night, and may fade quickly.” “We'll see what happens,” he replied unconcernedly.

Well, in Africa, one must always remain flexible...we arrived to find the Muslim teacher from grade six (where we'd taught the previous week) planning to have us speak to grade five instead. “Oh, but this is Leah's last opportunity to speak with the kids in grade six,” Joel pointed out. “What if she teaches grade six and you let me teach grade five?” The teacher readily agreed, and I shot Joel a dirty (sleepy) look and headed into grade six. This week the teacher stayed in the class to hear what I'd say: how intimidating!

Joel was right: it was my last chance to speak with these kids, so after a quick prayer I determined to go ahead and give them the gospel. We reviewed what we'd spoken about the week before, and discussed the need for sacrifice, and for Jesus' in particular, when the teacher broke off any further presentation by telling the kids to start asking their questions.

One of my favorite questions ended up being from a kid who raised his hand and asked “What is Mohammed?” “Lord, why this question?” my tired brain asked – when witnessing to Muslims, it is advisable to praise Jesus and the Bible rather than disparage the Koran or Mohammed. “It's a name,” I replied to my surprise, and we moved on to the next question, no one challenging my simple answer.

My favorite question of all, however, came from a boy who asked, “How do we get Jesus to collect our sins from us?” as the teacher hadn't allowed me to reach that point in my presentation. Although I didn't actually lead the kids to pray in the presence of their Muslim teacher, I did tell them that all we need to do is believe in Jesus' sacrifice, and I told them what they would need to pray if they wanted to accept Him as their Savior from hell.

The teacher interjected his own material from time to time...and always, God used it as a platform for further explaining His truth. For example, once the teacher told the kids that actually, there is very little difference between Islam and Christianity – “the only difference is that we pray five times a day in the mosque: that's all,” he asserted. “Your teacher is right that there are similarities,” I quickly said. “We both believe that there is one true God, and we both want to be acceptable in His sight. But there must be some difference, or we wouldn't have one thing called Islam and another called Christianity. What are those differences?” I explained how Christians also pray and fast and give, but how our motivation is completely different, because Jesus has already secured our way into heaven.

At the end the teacher asked his students to share what they'd learned. Another boy raised his hand and said, “I learned how we can have Jesus collect our sins.” Praise the Lord – that's what it's all about! Please pray for these Muslim students who have heard the truth, and for Joel as he continues to teach alone in the school in my absence.

Oh, by the way: Joel was able to share the Gospel in grade five, so praise God for splitting us up and multiplying our efforts! And praise God for being strong when we are weak. =)

Safely Home

Praise the Lord – He landed me safe and sound on U.S. soil this past Saturday. It was quite the trip: I flew to Accra from northern Ghana on Friday morning and met up with a friend of Joel's (who comes from Accra). Alas, my camera battery was dead, so there are no pictures of my first tro-tro ride (since Accra is so populous, the normal form of transportation is the “tro-tro,” a 19-seat van, instead of the taxi), the Jubilee house (an extravagant mansion that was built by the previous administration, and now lies vacant because the current administration isn't interested in living in what was established by another party), the Kwame Nkrumah memorial (dedicated to the first president of Ghana after Independence), the arts center (window shopping only: my luggage was stuffed), the Independence Square (where schoolchildren march on Ghana's Independence Day), or the ocean (which lies directly behind the Independence Square, and from which you can see “the Castle,” where the president works and possibly lives...my friend wasn't so sure about this latter point).

After that wonderfully full day, I flew out of Accra and into London, and couldn't sleep a wink on the red-eye flight. How I wanted to sleep in the airport, but dared not. And here God's grace intervened, for I went up to the counter to see whether I could switch from an aisle to a window seat, thinking maybe I could sleep on the flight to the U.S., and the gate attendant said, “I'm sorry, the flight is overbooked, so there are no available window seats. We can bump you up to World Traveler class if you'd like, however: I hope that's acceptable.” It was very acceptable, and thanks to a leg rest, foot rest, spacious seat, and several other pleasant factors, I had a lovely sleep before meeting my family in the afternoon.

It was delightful to see so many dear friends at church yesterday. As people asked how it was to make the transition, I had to answer very truthfully, “It was so hard to leave, and so good to come back.”

Praise God for the year in Ghana! Thanks for all your many prayers...and come back later this week to find out what happened when we returned to Rashid's school. ;)

The Other School

One of the reasons we knew it would be a challenge for Rashid to make a decision for Christ is that he lives in the heart of a strongly Islamic community…and actually lives on the grounds of an Islamic school! God has been helping Rashid to grow in confidence, however, so that he is now accompanying us for hospital visitation and evangelism. He recently told Joel and me that because of his connections with the school where he lives, he could arrange for us to have a weekly class section to speak on Christianity…if we were interested, of course. ;)

Last week we had our first session. The Muslim teacher was very gracious in asking the students to put away their books and listen attentively to all we would say. “I will quiz you later on what they taught,” he warned them (“I’m sure you will,” I thought). “You know that we have different religions – Islam, Christianity, traditionalism – and they are here to tell you something about Christianity.” Then he left, and we quickly changed our lesson plan based on his introduction, asking the class how they would define religion, and suggesting that religion is man’s attempt to get back to God. From there we went on to why we are separated from God (sin), how many sins it takes to separate us from God (one – that’s all Adam committed after all his many good deeds in order to be cut off from God), and the fact that when we stand in judgment before God, we stand alone: we can’t tell Him, “But my parents said” or “But my teacher said.” Because our eternal destiny is, well, eternal, and because we can’t go back to earth after death if we realize we’ve made a wrong choice, it is imperative that we carefully examine all of the options for ourselves and make sure we are following God’s truth.

Please pray for Joel and me as we return this week: may God give us the right words and illustrations to use, and open many hearts in this Islamic school to His saving truth. May God also protect Rashid as he’s taken this bold step.

Another Conversion Story (sorry)

“Mustapha” met me on one of my walks and asked for my contact information. As always, I gave him an email address, and he quickly became a regular correspondent. His emails usually consisted of one or two lines asking when and how we could see one another again; my replies were generally as short, reiterating that I can never predict when I’m going to walk through town.

One day I was working away when a stranger came up to my door. Since I’d met him only briefly before, I didn’t recognize Mustapha until he reintroduced himself. Warmly inviting him to take a seat, I began to pray, “Lord, You have brought this man to my office for a reason: please give me an opening to share about You!” This is a prayer I am finding God delights to answer! It wasn’t too long until Mustapha asked me whether I can read in the local language: and I eagerly replied, “You tell me!” and whipped out my local Bible – praise the Lord that the written language is fairly phonetic – and read John 3:16 aloud to him. “Yes,” he said, “You read well. Because God loved the world, He sent His Son to die so that if we believe on Him, we will have eternal life. But do you actually understand the words that you are reading?” “Oh, I understand more words from this verse,” I said, flipping to John 14:6. “You see,” I pointed out after reading it, “I know that these are the words for way, truth, and life.” “No one comes to God except through me,” Mustapha completed for me. From these verses I briefly gave him the gospel, then moved on to lighter subjects. When he came to visit me a couple of weeks later, I felt I should just chat with him on those lighter subjects (such as school and family), and did so.

Well, he came back for a third visit, and this time I barraged him with tracts. “Read these so we’ll have something to discuss if you come again,” I encouraged him. When he came back a fourth time, I asked him whether he’d read what I’d previously given him. He had, and said he understood the booklets’ messages, and was seriously interested in Christianity. “But I’m a student, and my parents are paying my school fees,” he said. “So I think I should wait for a couple of years until I’ve graduated before becoming a Christian: or what do you think?” I encouraged him that today is the day of salvation, and he never knows when death will come. He promised to seriously consider what we’d discussed and to visit a Christian friend of his.

Last week Mustapha showed up for a final visit, and said that he met with the Christian friend, who led him to Christ. What a joy! Furthermore, his friend is willing to meet with him regularly to study the Bible and help him grow in his new faith.

Praise God with me for Mustapha’s conversion, and pray for him as he seeks to hide his new identity from his parents for now. He will still accompany his father to the mosque until he is ready to boldly proclaim his Christianity. May God guard, guide, and grow him in the months and years ahead!

So what ever came of the Arabic?

You may recall that I started learning Arabic in November. Although people don’t walk the streets of Ghana speaking Arabic, Pastor Tirumbu suggested that I learn some in case God might want to have me interact with devout Muslims in that language. At the time, I figured God had one of two reasons for enrolling me in Arabic school: either I would need to understand Arabic at some point in the future, or God wanted to use me in the life of our Muslim instructor, “Rashid.” It didn’t take Mr. Joe and me long to realize that Rashid was actually a very kind and gentle man who had initially avoided eye contact with me out of politeness and shyness rather than out of a Muslim scorn of women.

Well, seeing as we gave up on Arabic after three months, when we were on the third page of our textbook (but I assure you there’s a lot to learn on each page!), I was left with one possibility: God wanted Rashid to become a Christian. Mr. Joe did continue to take lessons from Rashid in the local dialect, and one morning had a long conversation with him about Christ. Rashid listened politely but clearly indicated that Christianity was not for him.

Several times as I walked through town, Rashid would see me and offer me a ride home on his motorbike. I always declined his offer until one day when I was running quite late, and realized that if I continued walking, it would be dark well before I reached home. As we whizzed along, I was looking at the back of his head and felt very strongly, “God, You want this man to become a Christian!” From that day I began to pray with more urgency for his salvation.

The next time I saw him, he and Mr. Joe went out for a meal together, during which Mr. Joe had a chance to re-extend the invitation to accept Christ. When they returned, Rashid sat quietly in our office for some time, then got up and leaned across my desk to whisper, “Leah, I’m now a Christian.” “What?” I exclaimed in partial disbelief. “What do you think I said?” he asked. “It sounded as though you said you are now a Christian: but I wasn’t sure whether I heard correctly!” I laughed. “You heard correctly,” he assured me.

Praise God with me for Rashid’s salvation…and for calling me to learn a little Arabic. =D

The Gypsies of Ghana

When Abba first told me about the Fulani, I couldn’t help thinking that they sounded very gypsy-like. Called “The Forest People,” they are the cattle-herders of northern Ghana, despised nomads who are treated with suspicion by other tribes. They adorn themselves with braids, jewelry, and color, have a reputation for stealing, cast spells, and have lovely ethnic characteristics! To Abba’s knowledge, no one is systematically reaching out to this group.

The Fulani have been on my heart ever since I first heard about them. Imagine my delight to find that there was a troop of them passing through the village where we spent the night. Our group got to spend time interacting with all the children; the university students shared mosquito nets, purses, and other items with the Fulani, and used a Fulani machete to hack at some brush.

Beautiful Fulani girls

I have to warn my dad that it seems there’s a guy who’s seriously interested in me: unfortunately, I didn’t get a good picture of him, but the boy standing second from left couldn’t get enough of me: he was always gazing at me, smiling shyly at me, reaching out to touch me…and when we played Duck-Duck-Goose, he was always bumping out of place whoever was sitting next to me, just so he could occupy that spot. ;)

My little Fulani boyfriend, in blue and white

Please pray with me for the Fulani: may God raise people up to work among them and bring many to salvation in the years to come!

Off to the Villages!

Abba, Amos, this year’s team of university students, and I are off to visit some villages: the last such expedition that I will join before heading home. But these aren’t just any random villages: these are the villages that were evangelized by Abba and Amos in November – they are ones for which I’ve prayed for many months, and which I’ll finally get to see in person!

Please pray for our health and safety. Pastor Tirumbu recently told me that many missionaries who come on a long-term basis let down their guard toward the end of their stay, and end up sick. May God give me wisdom in eating and operating, and divine protection in these remaining few days!

A little vignette

The girl with the big smile, “Amina,” is my self-appointed tour guide whenever I walk through her neighborhood. She always leads me past houses where she wants me to greet people, and calls others’ attention to greet me. =)

One day she was accompanying me when we passed a group of women huddled around something on the ground. “What happened?” I asked my little companion, who called across the field for information. The ladies called back in the local language, which she repeated to me. Of course I couldn’t understand, and smilingly shrugged. Whereat she threw herself to the earth and mimed losing the imaginary basket atop her head, which indeed communicated to me clearly that one of the women had tripped and fallen, losing the load she had been carrying. I rushed across the field and began helping the women pick up the items that had spilled. I exclaimed “I’m so sorry” in the local language, but they corrected me with the words for “Excuse me!” Obviously I’m still missing some meaning in the translation. ;)

It’s always fun trying to communicate in a foreign language, and finding a workaround when words won’t work. How strange it will be to come back to a place where everything in the home, workplace, and church will be intelligible!

Questions and Answers – 15

How receptive are the people to Christ?

“When people in the north [of Ghana] hear about Jesus, they want to receive Him,” Saka said one morning when we were out evangelizing. “It’s only that they are concerned about what their families or communities might say, so that’s why they will hesitate.”

Africans are far more dependent on each another than are Americans. This is one of their great strengths in so many areas: but it does deter some of them from making an individual decision for Christ when those around them are all rejecting Him. Taking a stand alone is much harder for an African than it is for an independent Westerner. How new Christians here need our prayers!

Nevertheless, Ghanaians are much more open to hearing the gospel than are Americans. These days, whenever I’m walking and someone asks to join me, I figure God must want me to present the gospel to him or her, and start praying and watching for an opportunity. I’m amazed at how easily it always comes, and at how conversions are now such a frequent occurrence.

Just last night, for example, a man started walking with me; I was praying for an opening, when he observed that he’s a Muslim and thinks I’m a Christian, but it’s OK: even in his family there are people who are Muslims and people who are Christians. “Maybe you will join them one day,” I suggested. “You know, it’s not about being a Christian or about being a Muslim: all religions are about man reaching out to God, but the amazing thing is that God actually reached out to us,” and from there I presented the whole gospel as he patiently listened and asked questions. “You are making me think,” he said at the end. “I will have to see you again to talk about it more.” So I invited him to visit me at my workplace if he’d like.

This is a fairly common experience now. Part of me is sad that I didn’t realize earlier on how easy it is to introduce Jesus into conversation; but part of me realizes that God was preparing me with an understanding of African culture and – through the example of Daniel and others – with words and methods to present the gospel to Africans, and address the FAQs of local Muslims.

So in answer to the question posed above, people are VERY receptive to Christ. All they need is someone to tell them. God’s harvest is so ripe…He is only looking for laborers to enter into that harvest!

Please pray for Joel

“What do you think the most important thing in life is?” Joel asked a group of high school girls we were evangelizing. “Health?” they guessed. “Education? Friends?” “No, no!” he laughed. “What I’m talking about is really the most important thing in the world: in fact, it’s so important, it’s amazing that more people aren’t talking about it.” Of course, what he was referring to was our life after our death, which will quite overshadow our life here on earth. “Wow, what a way to put it,” I thought, and filed away his wording for future use in evangelistic outreaches.

“We need to start a Bible study in this school!” Joel told our friend “Rashid” and me eagerly. “You know that this is a task for the two of you to take up,” I warned them, “since I’m leaving soon.”

God has led Joel – who is originally from the south, and has just been here on a temporary assignment – to remain in the north when he completes his current obligation. He plans to find a job to support himself while he does ministry “on the side.” He will take over most of the ministries I’ve been involved in: teaching about Christ in the schools (yes, it’s plural now! more on that later), praying with the sick in hospitals once a week, leading discipleship sessions with new believers, and evangelizing in local neighborhoods. Please pray for this passionate, dedicated young man: may God lead him clearly and purposefully in the months to come, and provide for all his needs in HIS good timing.

Ghanaian Cell Phones

I have to say that I love the way cell phones work in Ghana…but the cell phone plans wouldn’t really work for impatient, busy Americans. ;)

The biggest investment is the cell phone itself…and they can be pretty cheap! Mine cost 42 cedis ($30), but many will cost 25 cedis or less. There are five cell phone networks to choose from in Ghana – here are their names, prefixes, and taglines:

020 – Vodafone – “It’s your time”
024 or 054 – MTN – “Everywhere you go”
026 – Zain – “A wonderful world”
027 – Tigo – “Express yourself”
028 – Kasapa – “The power of 028”

(Had to include the prefixes just so you’d understand Kasapa’s tagline…which I find a little lame.)

To sign up for one of these plans, all you have to do is buy a chip from any credit vendor…and there’s a credit vendor on many streets and at many corners! The chip costs 1 cedi, and gets inserted into your phone, and voila! You are signed up for that plan! The ease of switching between networks makes the plans fairly competitive in their pricing and promotions. Now all you have to do is buy cell phone credit from one of the afore-mentioned credit vendors, in 1-cedi, 2-cedi, 5-cedi, or 10-cedi denominations (most people, including me, buy one or two cedis’ worth at a time).

There are two ways to purchase credit: you can buy a scratch card (and then you have to scratch to reveal the code, and dial about 18 figures to call in for the credit to be posted to your account: you think Americans would want to do that?), or you can give your phone number to the credit vendor, and have him transfer the credit from your provider to your account. Most vendors will add a premium for the transfer service, although I’ve been fortunate to make friends with a Christian credit-seller on my walk who will give me two cedis of transfer credit if I pay him two cedis! He’s memorized my phone number, so all I have to do is hand over the money, and he takes care of the rest. =)

Every so often, Tigo (the network I’m using) has a “triple bonus” week, where if you buy two cedi’s worth of credit, you get your credit PLUS four cedis’ worth of bonus credit that expires in two days. The bonus credit can be used for any Tigo calls or for calling the U.S. and Canada. Praise God I don’t come from, say, Belgium! The four cedis give me half an hour of talk time with my family: what a blessing!

Oh, one other great thing about cell phones in Ghana: it doesn’t cost anything to receive a call (even internationally), only to make it. Why can’t we copy this aspect in the States? ;)

God Opens More Hearts to the Gospel

A week after visiting the ladies referenced in the last post, I returned to their neighborhood, accompanied by Saka (who translated for us, and did some of his own preaching too!) and Jeff (one of the university students who recently arrived). As we waited for our evangelism team to assemble, we were assailed by four neighborhood children who were attracted by all the foreigners in our group. When at last the final members of our discipleship study group arrived so that we could form teams and move out, one of my friends asked the children in their language to go home now, as we were ready to move on to our next activity.

After arming ourselves with tracts and praying, we moved out in four different directions: and as Saka and Jeff and I retraced my earlier steps, we were suddenly joined by the children we’d sent away. They crowded around Jeff and me, and I was tempted to ask Saka to repeat what we’d previously told them: we were busy with something else, so now was not a good time to visit with them.

Thank the Lord for intervening and reminding me that if our whole purpose was evangelism, we could always start with these four! We stepped aside to the shade of a tree, and spent ten minutes sharing the gospel with them and then leading all four in a prayer of salvation! They ended up being God’s means for us to conduct our evangelism, as they directed us to their own homes, where we could speak with the women and children in their homes. Four women and a number of children prayed with us to accept Christ.

Just this week, a friend of mine who is a pastor stopped by my office for a visit. As we talked, I realized that his wife’s family is located in the same neighborhood as these new Christian women and children, and asked him whether he thought they could disciple the new believers. Please pray for these women and children as they will be shepherded by mature Christians. May God grow them in their new faith, and may He use them to bring many others in their community to Christ!

Jeff and Saka stand with the women and children of one house where we shared the good news of Jesus Christ

Opening Hearts to the Gospel

In the last few weeks, fellow church members and I have been going out for evangelism outreach in the neighborhoods surrounding the center where I work. One morning I was out with Pastor Tirumbu, who left me to speak with this group of women and children while he pursued conversations with men. I told them we were going around letting people know that Jesus loves them, and then I started asking questions of them, their lives, their health, their families, etc. (all important getting-to-know-you questions in Ghana!). They revealed that the reason they’d come together was to discuss ways to improve their families’ lives by starting small business ventures: all they needed were loans to begin their industries. Of course they asked me whether I could help; but I explained that I didn’t give out such loans. However, the ministry with which I’m working sometimes gives out micro enterprise loans, and the women might apply to see whether they qualified.

The next week I returned to speak with the women, and we again discussed their families, their lives, and the need for micro enterprise loans. I was taking probably 15-20 minutes to hear their hearts and enter into their lives, all the while praying, “Lord, You know the reason I’m here: if you want me to speak about You, show me how and when!” God is so faithful, because suddenly the women talked to the one who was interpreting, and she turned to me and said, “Now we want you to tell us about Jesus.” Praise God! “Did you have a specific question about Jesus?” I asked her, and she instantly replied, “Yes: they say Jesus is the Son of God, but how can that be since God has no wife?” Starting with this question, I ended up presenting the entire gospel to the women, being urged “Go on!” whenever I paused.

Some men joined us toward the end, and because of the pressures women can be under from the men in their lives, I felt God wasn’t leading me to pray a salvation prayer with them at the moment. Instead, I told them what they should tell God from the heart if they wanted to accept Jesus’ sacrifice to open the way into heaven. Please pray for these dear women who have heard the truth: may God be drawing them to Himself, even as He planted the interest and questions in their hearts!

Important note: When I asked Pastor Tirumbu about available loans, he stated that the money they use for such loans is all designated for specific communities, and can’t be used for these women. However, he is willing to administer a separate loan program for them if the funds can be raised, and asked whether I can mention the need on my blog. He estimates that $500 will be needed to get ten women started in small businesses. The exciting thing is that the woman he would choose to administer the loans was herself once a Muslim, and is now a glowing Christian who can speak the women’s language. My ministry has agreed to accept funds for such a project. If you are interested in contributing to such a fund, please contact me at african leah at yahoo dot com (no spaces, of course). Thanks for considering, and for praying for these women!

Memorial Service

Thanks to all for the understanding words and condolences at this time of loss, and especially for all the prayers being offered on my family’s and my behalf. My aunt’s memorial service will take place tomorrow, and I know my family would appreciate your fervent prayers.

There is such a dichotomy between the struggles being faced by my family (and vicariously by me) Stateside, and the amazingly fruitful ministry God is giving here. Two days ago Joel and I and four of our discipleship students teamed up with six of the college students to go out on area evangelism, and half a dozen people prayed to accept Christ! Just an ordinary day here, you know…and apologies to my friend who recently warned me to be “careful how many people get saved over there...you'd hate for your readers to get sick of conversion stories!!” (She did say she was kidding. ;) )

Thanks for your continued prayers.

One month from today

I will land on American soil! Just thought I’d take the opportunity to list some random things that come to mind.

I will miss:

* Waking up at 6 a.m. and feeling as though I’ve slept in
* Being hailed by children everywhere as a celebrity
* Using the bits of African language I’ve learned, and hearing their sounds as I go through my day
* A lifestyle devoted to evangelism and discipleship

But I am looking forward to:

* Gargling in the shower
* Using tap water when brushing my teeth
* Controlling the temperature of my showers
* Using Spanish words and American slang without having to explain myself

It’s the little things, you know? ;) Of course, most of all, I will miss dear Ghanaian friends, and am looking forward to being reunited with all my wonderful family and friends in America.

As Aslan welcomed his friends to his country in C.S. Lewis’ The Last Battle, he told them that their hearts would not always be torn in two between England and Narnia. One day Jesus will take me to heaven, where there will be no pull on the heart from separate lands. My Christian brothers and sisters and I will enjoy eternal reunion in a perfect paradise: all tears will be gone, and Jesus’ tangible presence will never be absent. It’s an awesome thought!

But in the meantime, there’s the new chapter to anticipate…the chapter that starts one month from today.

Full Circle

The Tirumbus’ oldest son, Yaro, is home on summer break, and is once again joining Pastor Tirumbu and me in the morning commute.

A team of students from the same university that sent people to serve with the ministry last year has just arrived. We’ll be going to spend the night in villages together.

It seems my last month of service in Ghana will strangely parallel my first…only when I first arrived in Ghana, I wasn’t praying at the hospital once a week, meeting twice a week for discipleship sessions with young people that I helped lead to Christ, or teaching about God and His Word in an area school thrice a week.

God is very good.

Tragedy

More than eight years ago, a drugged-up driver raced through a park with a 25 mph speed limit at more than 60 mph, slamming into my uncle, and instantly killing him.

Yesterday his widow took her life.

Please pray for my dear and much-loved cousins, V (she just turned 22) and W (he is 19). Please pray for my whole family, and for me as well.

The Discipleship Course - 2

Recently our young friends in the discipleship course (all of whom are in their late teens or early twenties) told us about some of the struggles they’re undergoing. One young man, “Charles,” lives with his brother, a strong Muslim who has said that Charles must leave his home. Charles went back to “the village” for a few days for a change of scene after his brother’s announcement. His family in the village isn’t so happy with his new decision either, however, so his old avenues of retreat are no longer available to him. As he recounted his struggles, the others in attendance echoed that they are also receiving pressure from their families to revert to Islam. So far, however, no one is wavering. We promised to pray for each other as they face these challenges.

Despite the home pressures he’s experiencing, Saka asked us to pray for him as he looks for the words and the way to tell others in his community about Jesus. “They are noticing a difference in my life, and have been asking why I’m a better person now.” The others stated that they have had similar observations made about them. Praise God that their lives are demonstrating the fruits of salvation to all who are watching!

Please join me in praying for our Christian brothers (and sister), and for Joel as he will continue leading these sessions on his own in another month and a half.

The Discipleship Course - 1

You might remember the young teachers Fatawu, Alit, Rahama, and their friends who came to Christ in February. In the intervening months, Mr. Joe and Joel and I have been meeting with them twice a week to encourage them in their new Christian walks. We’re slowly progressing through the Sermon on the Mount together, which Pastor Tirumbu recommends as a wonderful study for new believers from a Muslim background. Islam is full of rules and rituals regarding almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, among other good works, and Matthew 6 outlines how Christ’s followers perform those specific activities. Although Mr. Joe has gone, Joel and I are carrying on for the time being: what a sweet and special time it’s proving to be!

From almost the beginning, we’ve encouraged the young Christians to come prepared to share questions or insights from their personal Bible reading. This portion of our two-hour sessions is gradually expanding, so that our formal lesson time is shrinking. We’re greatly encouraged to see their personal growth in the Lord, however, and welcome the change.

Joel sitting with four members of our discipleship class under a mango tree

Where are you from?

My dad was born in “Alabama,” my mom was born in “Alaska,” and I was born in “Arizona.” Arizona therefore defines my origins in my mind, although when people ask where I’m from, I say “Arkansas,” the state in which I’ve lived for over a decade, and to which I’m returning in June. (I decided to code all state names just in case I ever give one as an answer to a security question at a later time. ;) )

Every Ghanaian, however, comes from “the village.” Some tribes are matriarchal and some are patriarchal, so some people are from their mother’s village and some are from their father’s village (though I’ve found that if you are the child of an intertribal marriage, you are from your father’s village). Those who live in the city will “go home” to “the village” for special events, such as weddings and funerals, or just for a change of scene. Jason was born in the city in which I’m serving, and has lived all his life here, but doesn’t consider himself a resident of this town at all. He used to speak to me quite contemptuously about “the people here,” as if they were in a set that was obviously apart from him.

Ghanaians think my way of determining origins is as funny as I think theirs. All I can say is, praise God for diversity in culture!

In Memory of Mr. Joe

No, Mr. Joe – the other American missionary who’s been working here – hasn’t died; but he has completed his term of service with the ministry here, and is leaving Ghana today. Suddenly I have an office to myself again…and no one to consistently go to the school or hospital with me. Except Jesus: praise God that He never leaves us! Anyway, as Mr. Joe leaves, I thought I’d share a story of how God recently used him in one man's life.

So: Mr. Joe was going to buy Bibles from a shop on the outskirts of town; and as the taxi was about to drop him at the junction, he suddenly thought, “How am I going to get a box full of Bibles back to town? I’d better pay the driver to stay with me and drive me back with my box.” He bartered with the driver, “Suli,” and arrived at a reasonable price…especially reasonable considering that the men had to wait half an hour for the Bibles to be brought out of inventory.

Suli was obviously a devout Muslim, wearing the traditional cap and robe, and driving a taxi that was plastered with Muslim paraphernalia. By way of making light conversation, Mr. Joe asked him what he thought about the Person of Jesus. “Oh, he was a very good man,” Suli brightly replied, “a prophet of God.” Mr. Joe followed up with some of Jesus’ actual words that indicated that He claimed to be God, the Son of God, and the only Way to heaven. “Are you able to obey God’s requirements perfectly?” Mr. Joe asked, receiving the quick reply, “No! I try, but I can’t.” “So the only way we can get to heaven, really, is by a substituted sacrifice…right?” “Right,” Suli said slowly, “but it would have to be a perfect sacrifice.”

Well, this opened up the right opportunity to discuss Jesus’ true purpose in coming, and by the time they’d arrived at their destination, Mr. Joe turned to Suli and recited John 3:16. “Do you want to ask Jesus into your heart right now so you may have eternal life?” he asked. “Yes,” Suli eagerly responded…and bowed his head for prayer just as the wail for prayer sounded from the nearest mosque. And it was even a Friday, the Muslim holy day. God is so good!

“Now you need to tell someone what you’ve just done,” Mr. Joe said, and walked with Suli to our friend John, who heard the news from Suli’s own mouth. As they walked back to the taxi, Suli couldn’t stop exclaiming, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

Hallelujah indeed! =)

Encounter with the Muslim man and the children on the street

(Referred to in my dad’s email in the last post)

So I was walking to catch a taxi, when a young man stepped in front of me and blocked my way. “These are all Muslim children,” he proudly announced as he motioned 15-20 children to gather around us. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I replied. “I wish they were all Christian children.” (Well, what did he expect me to say?!) “We wish you were Muslim,” he retorted. “Then you would have to dress like this,” and he motioned to one of the little girls who was dressed in the full Muslim costume. (Hint: when you are trying to convert a girl to your religion, don’t mention that she’d be forced to dress drably from head to toe when she’s comfortably attired in an attractive African outfit; it’s really not your most persuasive point.)

“Did you know that when we stand before God, He will look at our hearts, not at how we appear on the outside?” I asked the children, turning away from the man. “He wants us to be clean and perfect in our hearts: but can we do that?” “He wants you to dress like this,” interjected the young man. “How can you make your heart clean?” I continued talking to the children. “Imagine that God wants our hearts to be like pure water: but every time we do something wrong, it’s like we are adding poison to our water. We can keep doing good things to add clean water to our cups, but no matter how much clean water we put in, we can never take out the poison that we keep adding.” “Excuse me,” said the young man, “but I have to leave to say my prayers.” “It’s OK,” I said, and continued talking to the children about the need for blood to take away our sins, and Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on our behalf.

It was only afterward that I marveled anew at this chance opportunity God had given, using a devout Muslim who was only trying to harass me to give an opening for preaching the Gospel to children who needed to hear. Praise Him for using ALL circumstances for His glory!

Please keep praying!

My dad sent me an email earlier this week in response to one I’d sent home about some of the discouragement with which I’ve been struggling. In it he said that he and my mom “agree that all of us [the entire family, which is still in much need of prayer!] are under spiritual attack, and that you are the reason… =D By this I mean that God has been using you to bring many people to Christ in what is a Muslim stronghold. I think that a lot of the difficulties we are facing on both sides of the Atlantic, and the temptations to discouragement, are an attack – against us to cause us to lose focus and neglect our prayers for you – and against you to blunt your effective witness. Your encounter with the Muslim man and the children on the street is another evidence of this. Think back to [a number of different people who have come to Christ recently through the school, hospital, and personal friendships], and it’s pretty obvious that Satan must not be pleased.”

My dad seems to have accurately observed what’s happening. Please pray in a special way for me as I continue in the ministry here…and for my family in the States, as they continue to face a number of peculiar challenges that are indeed working to discourage and distract me. It’s NOT all about me, but it is about God’s work, and His perfect plan for so many people in northern Ghana who need to accept His love!

Thanks for praying. =)

Taxi Time – 4

The distance between the Tirumbus’ house (where I’m staying) and the office is at least five miles – approximately two miles from the house to the town, and three miles from the town to the office. Although I often walk one or both of these segments, I can also choose to take a taxi ride for either part of the journey, switching at the taxi junction in town. Each leg of the journey can cost 30 pesewas (21 cents) if I want to walk a bit between the origin and the pickup point, or 40 pesewas (28 cents) if I’d rather drop closer to my destination. Naturally I always choose the 30-pesewa options: why spend seven cents just to save a four-minute walk?! This makes a to-and-from roundtrip each day total a whopping 1.2 cedis, or 84 cents. As often as possible, of course, I do walk to save that fare…and to meet people, practice the language, get exercise, etc. ;)

A section of “Taxi Run” – filled with wrecks, strewn with litter, swarming with little hawkers, and oh-so-familiar!

Last night the second taxi I rode home reeked of gasoline for the entire eight-minute trip home (remember, the taxis don’t go very fast). The smell was so strong that I was literally praying that we wouldn’t burst into flame as we went along! And the night before, I noticed a red light kept flashing on the dash…and realized after a bit that it was the handbrake light: the brake pedal wasn’t working, so the driver was making another option work. Well, we arrived safe and sound!

The driver of this taxi didn’t even use a key to start; he just fiddled with some of the wires, and off we went. Note also the cracked windshield and mirror, missing headrests, and ubiquitous Muslim talisman.

More Instructions on Speaking Ghanaian

* Use the phrase “this thing” instead of “whatchamacallit,” e.g. “Leah, please give me the this thing,” or, “You put it on the this thing.”
* Say “in fact” in lieu of “yes” to affirm something that was just said – e.g., “I guess he was disappointed when he couldn’t come.” “In fact!” or “She told me you were up late on Saturday.” “In fact.”
* Don’t talk of turning water off and on, but of opening and closing water.
* You don’t “turn off” a light or fan, you just “off” it; and you don’t “peel” an egg, you “unpeel” or “open” it.
* What Americans call napkins are called tissue here, and what Americans call dish towels are called napkins in Ghana.
* This one’s my favorite: When asked “How are you doing?” instead of “Fine,” answer “By God’s grace I’m well,” or “By His grace I’m managing.”

One last reminder about living in Ghana: when the internet is down so you can’t post as scheduled…just be patient. =)

Another Ghanaian Recipe

This particular dish isn’t as involved as most Ghanaian meals, so we might actually make this one a lot after I get back to the States. Enjoy. =)

Wachee ~ serves 6

2 cups black-eyed peas, cleaned
4 cups rice, cleaned
1½ cups oil
2 medium onions, chopped into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 medium tomatoes, quartered
2-3 small hot peppers
1 green pepper, chopped into small pieces
½ tsp curry powder
1½ tbsp salt
3 small carrots, chopped (optional)
½ head cabbage, shredded (optional)
Cooked spaghetti (optional)

1. Place beans in large pot; cover with water plus one inch. Cook over medium heat until partially cooked.
2. Add rice; cover with water plus one inch and cook on medium heat until beans and rice are soft and water is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in oil in separate pot. Blend tomatoes with a small amount of water and add to oil. Blend hot peppers with a small amount of water and add to oil. Add green pepper, curry powder, and salt. Cook until everything is soft and flavors are blended.
4. Serve beans and rice with stew and with either spaghetti or cabbage and carrots.

The rest of the hospital visit

We arrived at one station where an old gentleman lay weak and weary on his sickbed. It was my turn to pray aloud, and as I prayed for him, I felt moved to ask God to please send this gentleman someone soon who could share the Gospel with him in his own language.

“Amen,” I concluded, and rose from where I’d knelt by the bed. “John,” Mr. Joe said, “How about if Leah and I move on to other sick folks while you stay behind and give this man the Gospel?” It was obviously outside of John’s comfort zone, but he manfully rose to the challenge and stayed to talk with the sick man while we went on, half of my mind praying for the people we met, and half of my mind praying for John and for the heart of the gentleman with whom he was sharing.

“So how did it go?” we asked John as we left the ward. “It went well,” he rejoiced. “I told him that we were in the hospital not because of any benefit we hoped to get for ourselves, but because we served One Who said to visit the sick and love our neighbors as ourselves. Then I gave him the Gospel, and he said he wanted to believe in Jesus.” “So did you pray with him to accept Christ?” we asked eagerly. “No, I forgot,” he said. “That was a mistake I made.” “It’s not too late!” we urged him. “You can go back and pray with him now! We’ll pray for you as you do so.” He did, and we did, and he came back out glowing…because he’d just led his very first soul to Christ! =D

God’s continued work at the hospital

There was an oppressive spirit at the hospital last week. I can’t quantify what we felt; but there was definitely a dark power against which we were fighting. It was hard to pray, hard to concentrate, hard to see past all the sad situations and mournful faces.

This week we realized that extra prayer was needed before we could go. We prayed against the principalities and powers, and we prayed specifically that we would be able to identify the person God meant to be saved that day.

Our prospects didn’t look so good as we set out, however. Once again our primary translator was gone, and our backup translator was sick. As we prepared to go, we passed our friend “John,” whom we’ve invited in the past, and who has always indicated his reluctance to accompany us. “John, you are welcome to accompany us and translate for us,” I teased as we passed…and to my surprise, he said, “OK, I’ll come.” When it took him nearly 15 minutes to finish his responsibilities and change his clothes, however, I began to wonder whether inviting him to join us had been a mistake.

We arrived at the hospital 15 minutes late, but we could immediately sense a different spirit from the one we’d encountered the week before. There were smiles on faces, and the praying came easily.

Friends from the West had given us some stuffed animals to distribute to area children, and we took them to give to the kids in the children’s ward. How the faces lit up with smiles as each one selected his or her toy!

But the best part of the visit hadn’t yet happened.

“Larensha,” a little burn victim, clutches the animals she chose for herself and for her twin at home

Did you really need to know this?

“Africans have the biggest bathroom in the world,” Pastor Tirumbu has said several times (think outside the box to understand his comment; or at least outside). It is not unusual to be walking down the street and see someone of any age or either gender squatting over a gutter. It’s also not unusual for me to be walking along, see a guy facing a wall or fence…and realize a split second later, “Uh-oh, I need to look the other way!”

Once I was on my cell phone in the middle of a field, and was so involved in the conversation that it took me a while to realize that no matter which direction I faced, I was looking at someone who was using the Great Outdoors. Yipes - there was no “safe” place to look!

Hmm, I quickly thought: it was obvious that no one around me minded taking care of his business in front of a woman. If they weren’t minding, should I?

Guess I’m just too American, ’cause I was minding.

Note: I’d written this yesterday; last night as I was heading home, I rounded a corner and almost tripped over a man who was hugging the building. “Good evening,” he said conversationally in the local dialect. I answered just as casually, but with an inward sigh.

School Stories

After my initial hesitation, I’ve found that teaching in the school three mornings a week is one of the most enjoyable items on my schedule. Usually I teach in three different nursery classes on those mornings; but last week classes were combined, which meant that on the third day, I got to sit in on one of the junior high classes, where my friend “Joel” (an African friend who’s with us now that Daniel has left) was teaching about the temptation of Eve vs. the temptation of Christ. It was a great lesson, but I had to laugh aloud at some of the things the kids said.

* OK, well, this quote was sobering, not funny: a boy stated that “God created the woman out of the man’s lower left rib.” You may have heard, as I have, that God could have used a bone from Adam’s head or foot to create the woman; however, by using a bone from the side, He established the equal standing of man and woman in His sight. However, this boy’s Muslim tradition had subtly twisted the truth and given the woman an origin from the rib with the most despised location.

* “What would you have done if you’d been in Eve’s place and the serpent had tempted you?” Joel asked. The students considered the question; then one bright boy offered, “I would have said, ‘I’ll take a bite if you’ll take one first.’ ”

* “Could you stop sinning from now on?” Joel asked one girl, who quickly assured us she could. “Really?” he pressed her. “From now on no lying, no stealing, no cheating, no gossiping…” “Well,” she admitted when he got to this sin, “it would be difficult.”

* Gossip is a struggle for many Africans. When Joel mentioned a little later how hard it is to stop sinning, one boy piped up, “Yes – especially the gossiping!”

Of course, the junior high students were all willing to admit they’d sinned. When I asked the nursery students in one of my classes whether they’d ever done wrong, they all solemnly shook their heads: “No, never.”

Gotta love it!

A Ghanaian Easter

Several have asked what a Ghanaian Easter is like, as they envision a colorful, rhythmic celebration. I hate to disappoint you, but to my surprise, the Easter service was hardly any different from a regular service. The songs we sang weren’t even Eastery. People dressed up a little more, and that was about it.

However, we did have a Good Friday service on Friday morning – that was exactly like any other church service – and as Ghanaian tradition dictates, the church youth hosted a picnic on Easter Monday. Friday and Monday are both national holidays, so everyone got a bit of a break.

It was sobering to me to realize that even as the Christian world was collectively remembering Christ’s amazing sacrifice and resurrection power, many in northern Ghana were continuing to pray five times a day to a capricious false god. Oh, may many in this region come to know the truth that Jesus alone saves!

My friend “Isaiah” asked me to take a picture of him in his Easter finery

God’s Appointment

Once again, no one was available to accompany Mr. Joe and me to the hospital to ask people in the local tongue whether we could pray with them. The last two times this had occurred, we’d not gone to the hospital after all; but we really hated to miss our commitment yet again. Feeling strongly that God wanted us there even if all we could speak was English, we went armed with the one phrase “May we pray with you?”

There have been some terrible wounds on our more recent visits: burns, open sores (an invitation to flies), amputations. We made our way from bed to bed, motioning when our words didn’t make sense, and securing permission at each place to pray. About halfway through, we noticed a 15-year-old boy was trailing us. He was a family member of one of the people for whom we’d prayed, and it seemed that what we were doing had piqued his interest, as he listened carefully to the intercession we made at each bedside.

Toward the end, we asked his name – “Samed” – and then whether he would be willing to serve as our interpreter, explaining to people more fully that we were Christians who would like permission to pray for the sick. He eagerly agreed to do so, and when our hour was spent, he trailed us out into the corridor. As soon as we reached a quiet place, Mr. Joe began to question him and share the gospel with him, while I stood aside praying fervently. To our joy, Samed understood what was being shared and prayed to accept Jesus into his life!

We walked outside the building and entered a taxi. Just as we were pulling away, we saw Samed running out the doors: his face lit with a big smile when he made eye contact with us, and he waved excitedly. The next morning, he called Mr. Joe twice to see when he would get his Bible.

Praise God for Samed’s new spiritual life! Please be praying for his continued growth in the Lord.

A matter of right and left

(Which, in Ghana, IS a matter of right and wrong!)

“Raise your right hand,” a teacher corrected the preschool student who raised his left hand to indicate he knew the answer to the question I’d just asked. Thus do Ghanaians train their children from an early age to differentiate between right and left. “Our parents all taught us manners when we were growing up,” a lecturer addressed us at Kids Camp. “For example: say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ take your turn, never use your left hand to give or take….” Um, yeah, somehow my parents neglected to pass that rule on to me.

There are a number of different instances in which you can’t use your right hand, however, and the intricacies of right-hand/left-hand etiquette have fascinated me. For example, one should always carry items in one’s right hand…unless the item is rubbish, in which case the left hand is the appropriate choice. Here are some further guidelines for specific situations:

* If your right hand is full or dirty, you may give or take with your left hand if you place your right wrist under your left wrist. This rule is frequently used in the marketplace, where you take your purchase from the seller’s right hand with your right hand, then use your left hand to give his right hand your money.

* If your right wrist is unavailable in the above situation, you may give or take with your left hand if you say, “Sorry for left.”

* If your right hand is full and your mouth is full (guess how I learned the manners for this situation?), don’t wave your left hand at a friend! Simply nod your head to acknowledge you’ve seen and are greeting him.

* If you are driving, you may wave with your left hand – particularly if you are driving a motorbike, since taking your right hand away will cut the power to the engine. This rule I learned from observation, not from personal experience. ;)

The amazing thing is how habitual the right-hand/left-hand rules can become! Believe it or not, I DO subconsciously notice which hand people use to wave at me, give to me, or take from me, and find myself either making excuses for those using their left hands – “She’s a young child and hasn’t yet learned properly,” “He’s a foreigner, so he doesn’t know any better” – or automatically responding in my mind, “Hmm: I guess he doesn’t respect me much!” If I’m noticing and judging after just a few months of practicing this rule, imagine how those raised in this culture feel about the hand used!

“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Ghanaians I became like a Ghanaian, to win the Ghanaians….I do this all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” ~ Leah’s paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

Yet More Mundane Matters

* Electricity, internet, and coolness aren’t the only things in short supply these days. We’re months into the dry season, so the water supply is iffy as well. If I turn on the tap, will anything flow out of the faucet? There can be water at 7 p.m., no water at 8 p.m., and water again at 9 p.m. It’s entirely unpredictable: what an adventure! I’ve learned to keep a bucket full of water in my room so I can wash hands and bathe regardless of the supply. And if I didn’t plan ahead and refill the bucket when water was available, guess what? I get to take a wet-wipe wipe-down in lieu of a shower. Thank the Lord I packed so many wet wipes!

* Everyone at my workplace is my brother, my sister, my uncle, or my auntie; and I am everyone’s “Sister Leah.” If someone wants to be especially endearing toward me, s/he will address me in an affectionate tone, “Leah, Leah,” and I can respond just as affectionately, “Prisla, Prisla” (or whatever is the name of the person who addressed me).

* I actually generally prefer to eat with my hands: there’s less to wash up afterward.

* Ghanaians’ rule of thumb with twins seems to be that their names HAVE to pair up. The twins I’ve seen have had the following names – and I’m not making any of them up!
- Boy/Boy: Elijah/Elisha
- Boy/Girl: Patrick/Patricia; Jesse/Jessie; Wonder/Miracle (yes, they are from a Pentecostal family)
- Girl/Girl: Rosemary/Rosemond; Deborah Sr./Deborah Jr.

* To speak English Twi-style, all you have to do is add “O” or “Krah” to the end of your statements. “O” adds emphasis to what was just said (“I’m sorry-o!” “God bless you-o!” “I’m coming-o!”), and “Krah” means “at all” (“He’s not coming, krah!” “I can’t do it, krah!”). My Twi-speaking friends never notice this until I point it out, and then they laugh heartily and agree that they’re doing it!

More Mundane Matters

* Ghanaians like to eat their beef tough. They’ve cooked it too long for their taste a couple of times, so I know it can come out tender; but the people are really into chewing their meat!

* When I arrived, I was taking cold showers each day: a bit chilly, but I kept comforting myself with the thought that I would really appreciate the coolness when the famed heat arrived in March and April. Well, guess what? The showers these days are hot (as is everything else…have I mentioned that?).

* Americans are big on bottled water, but Ghanaians drink “sachet water” – two-cup servings of allegedly filtered water that come in sealed plastic bags. The sachets sell for five pesewas each, or about 3-½ cents. (Ghanaians call the water filtered, but online sources beg to differ; Pastor Tirumbu has also told me I shouldn’t drink the sachet water, making it all the more suspect.) The empty plastic sachets litter the landscape.

* Africans can carry amazing loads on their heads. Abba, for instance, can carry 50 kilograms (110 pounds) on his head. “You could learn to carry on your head too,” Pastor Tirumbu tells me; but the problem is that no one can teach me how. Africans learn so young that they can’t tell me how to balance. They’ve just always known how: hasn’t everyone?

Little girl casually carrying breakfast drinks on her head in a market strewn with empty water sachets

Mundane Matters

This morning I stood in the still, cool shade (it was probably only about 85 degrees) and contemplated the snapshot of the life I’m living right now: not the ministry, but the raw existence in Africa at present. In no particular order, here are some random observations.

* It’s very hot these days. The daily temperatures soar into the 40s (Celsius – meaning in the 100s Fahrenheit), with hardly any breeze to temper the heat. God is very gracious to me, because my office has working air conditioning, so during the day there’s a little oasis of coolness…when the electricity is working. ;)

* But it’s not unusual for the electricity to be off. Two nights ago there was no power, so I turned off my flashlight and went to bed with no fan to mitigate the warmth of the night (when temperatures are usually in the 80s). Right now I’m composing this blog post with generator power, unsure of when the power will come back on, let alone the internet – which doesn’t work without the regular electricity, since the current from the generator is different and shuts down the so-called Uninterrupted Power Supply.

* Even when there is “regular power,” the internet connection is temperamental. Each morning I arrive uncertain whether the internet will be up or not; I’ve gotten quite adept at resetting our connection, but if that doesn’t work, then our Internet Service Provider is probably at fault. Generally the internet will be available 2-3 hours out of the workday, and I find myself composing emails and blog posts that are sent and posted when there’s actually internet. Sometimes I want to include a picture with my post, but find the connection is too slow; in such a case I need to leave the picture off or choose another topic to report on.

* The first little mangos have been ripe for about ten days: the locals say sweeter ones are on the way, but I’m reveling in the ones I’m eating now. As I walk along, I see children sucking on mangos; mango pits are strewn everywhere. Last week a group of boys hailed me and pointed out a companion of theirs about thirty feet up in a mango tree. “Look how high you are: good job!” I praised him, and they instantly offered me three of the fruits they’d been harvesting. =) Last night I had five little mangos for supper – that’s all I wanted after the delicious and filling rice ball with groundnut soup that I’d had for lunch.

* Sweat is a part of life this time of year. It’s spontaneously generated all over the body, trickling and pouring down, waiting to be mopped away with the handkerchief Africans have taught me by example to carry around for that purpose.

* The people love me and I love them! Last week one of the fellows announced that he would be giving the staff devotion in English, and I would do the translation. Everyone knew me well enough to recognize that I’ve been working hard to learn the language – and to laugh because they all knew I wasn’t nearly that adept! My African friends laugh just as easily now as when I was first getting to know them; but as I know them better, I realize their lives are far more complex than is apparent at first glance. Life is just a struggle here. Period. The more my friends know me, the more they tease me, spoil me in little ways, hold my hand, put their arms around me, and in so many ways demonstrate that they love me – as I do them!

The list of little aspects of current circumstances could go on and on. There will be some things I won’t miss at all when I return to the States…and some things I will miss oh-so-much!

Written Monday…but the internet never came up to post. ;)

The Banku Song

OK, so I’m not such a huge fan of banku itself; but I can’t get enough of the Banku Song that the schoolchildren sing for me. =D

I put my pot on fire
I put the dough inside
I stir and stir and stir it
Now it’s turned to banKU
Now it’s turned to banKU

When interest rates are high…

…people don’t take out mortgages. At nearly 40%, Ghana’s interest rates are the second highest in the world, so borrowing toward a home is pretty much a non-option. Saving for a home is out of the question as well: as has previously been mentioned, extended family members and friends make a number of demands on one’s finances, and if money isn’t immediately spent, it’s generally claimed by others.

How, then, can one ever hope to own one’s own home? The preferred method is to buy building materials as money becomes available and build a house piece by piece. It can take years from when a foundation is laid to when a house becomes habitable: as an example, the Tirumbus just completed their second house (which they constructed to generate rental income which can help to support them in retirement) after seven years of construction.

Ghana’s economic conditions have therefore resulted in a landscape that is cluttered with unfinished houses. No wonder new homes can already be full of cracks!

Church Meetings in Africa

My church family in the States has small groups, which provide a more intimate setting for Bible study and prayer. However, since the church I attend here is already small, Bible study and prayer are done corporately on two separate weeknights.

We begin our Bible Study evening by reading a chapter aloud, and then the leader (we take turns) asks a series of questions to help us think about what we’ve read and understand it better. The discussion always keeps me on my mental toes, as I never know what people will bring to the table! The “health, wealth, and prosperity” gospel is more widespread in Africa than in America – ironic, because there’s less of all three in the former than in the latter – and people’s interpretations and expectations of what we’ve read amazes me at times. Additionally, because Africans are so in tune with spiritual forces, they are intrigued with miracles, tongues, and other supernatural manifestations. Sometimes it’s hard to encourage people to contribute to the discussion, but at other times it’s hard to keep up with all that is being said. =D

The prayer meeting also has a rotating leader, who comes prepared with a list of various praises and requests. A praise or request will be mentioned, and then everyone in the room will start to softly pray aloud, so that the room is full of the murmur of prayer. As the murmur subsides, another praise or request is mentioned. After three or four items have been prayed over, the leader will call on one person to pray aloud and summarize all the requests that have just been shared. Every ten to fifteen minutes, someone breaks out in song, and we all sing together worshipfully. Approximately ten minutes before the session ends, the leader invites others to contribute requests that are on their hearts, and we corporately lift these requests up to God.

I think I’m looking forward to returning to Bible Studies in the States…but I’ll miss African prayer meetings. We have a lot we could learn from them!

Compound Houses

Each family grouping in a village has its own compound of mud huts: a man will live in one of the huts, and his wives and children will occupy the others. The huts are arranged in a circle, with walls closing the spaces between them. A courtyard is thus created – the common family area, where cooking and laundering take place. The main gate can be boarded at night, creating a pen in which the household animals can be kept safe from plunder and, in the past, predators. (“Wait, the animal pen and kitchen and laundry room are all one…?” Yep!)

Compound house in the village

The traditional structure for homes in the villages has been copied in the towns, with concrete taking the place of mud. These are the city’s apartment buildings, with several households occupying the various rooms and living as one family in the shared space. Africans value community and relationship over privacy and individuality, so doing their cooking and washing in public doesn’t faze them as it would Americans. Neither does sharing their space with animals. ;)

Goat in the kitchen

Dreams and Visions

Around the world God is speaking to Muslims and former Muslims through dreams…and God has visited Fatawu, our enthusiastic translator for classes 1-3, with two such dreams.

In the first dream, Fatawu found himself praying amid a great crowd of people. Daniel, Daniel’s friend, Amos, Mr. Joe, and I were with him, and as we prayed, a Man in white clothes appeared in our midst and addressed Himself directly to Fatawu. “Son,” said the great shining One, “I am the Alpha and Omega. Your sins have been forgiven because of your faith.”

At these words, Fatawu awoke trembling; it was 12:30 a.m., but in his fright he called Daniel and told him about the dream. Daniel reassured Fatawu that Jesus Christ had personally appeared to him to confirm his salvation. “What do the words ‘alpha’ and ‘omega’ mean?” Fatawu asked – and Daniel was able to tell Fatawu all about the One Who is the First and the Last!

Fatawu’s enemies carried him to the top of a very high mountain in his second dream, leaving him alone in a desolate forest. He was weeping, when the same Man clothed in white appeared to him and said, “My peace I give to you – not as the world gives, but as I give. I am with you forever.”

Praise God for revealing Himself to His new son. May God continue to reveal Himself around the world to those who need salvation and encouragement!

Just back of the frontline workers

(and more important in fulfilling the actual work) are the frontline prayer warriors. So many people have been praying for me while I’ve been in Ghana, but none as much as my family, I think. My constant absence is a continual reminder to them to pray for me. Almost every email from home ends, “We are praying for your –” and then follows a long list of such things as health, relationships with Ghanaians, different current ministries, wisdom to make a particular decision, even such mundane items such as lost sandals to be found or a cool night so I can catch up on sleep (once it was “grace to endure the heat” – we can’t pray for cooler temperatures all the time ;) ). Sometimes I read through the list in amazement – “Wow, they’re even praying that I’ll have good material for blog posts, or that God will bless tonight’s prayer meeting.” They pray for anything and everything, and God is working through their prayers!

My friends, THEY are the ones standing in need of prayer right now. Since I’ve been in Ghana, so many freaky occurrences have happened that have made it obvious they are under spiritual attack. This last week has been chock-full of very challenging circumstances for them, including two auto accidents and a relational misunderstanding that has broken my heart.

Please be praying for my family at this critical time: may God give them the divine protection and encouragement they need at this moment!

“I was sick, and you visited Me”

One of the new ministries God’s added to my schedule recently (I love how life is getting busier and busier as I’m racing toward the last quarter of my time in Ghana) is hospital visitation. I’m one of two Africans and two Americans who are banding together once a week to visit the sick and pray with them.

On our first day, Amos took us first directly to ICU, past sign after sign reading “No Visitors Allowed” and “Silence Please,” right up to the nurses’ station where he announced, “We are Christians come to pray with the sick,” and before anything could be said about visitors and silence, he continued, “Those in ICU are in the most critical condition, so they need our prayers the most. We need to come in and pray with them.” The staff all obliged, and in we went.

Throughout the hospital we saw people in various stages of undress due to the heat; we saw a boy who was skin and bones; we saw a baby who burst out crying at our approach and screamed at the top of his lungs for the duration of our visit; we saw vacant eyes and listless bodies and hopelessness. One man we visited said that he used to go to church, but had ceased for many years, and was sure God no longer cared for him. We assured him that such was not the case, and led him in a prayer to make his peace with God.

May God lead many more in the hospital to make their peace with Him in the days ahead!

Alit’s Story

“What did you think when you first heard us talking about Jesus in your classroom?” I asked Alit earlier this week. The answer from this formerly Muslim boy was so revealing. “My heart was touched,” he said, “and as I heard what you said, I recognized that it was the truth. I thought about it a lot to make sure, and knew you were speaking the words of God. But if you had never come to tell me, I would have never known.”

Wow – what a visible demonstration of Romans 10:15, where Paul says that faith comes from hearing God’s Word, which people will never hear unless someone goes to share it with them. All Alit needed was to hear the truth, and God’s Spirit took care of the rest. What other people come across our paths who just need us to open our mouths about the treasure in our possession?

Although Alit’s brother, in whose house he lives, knows about Alit’s new faith, and has said “You’re old enough to make your own choices,” Alit knows that his father back in the village will not be pleased to hear of his son’s conversion, and will cut off all support once he does know. “Right now, I’m hiding the news from my father. I don’t want to tell him until I have my own business established so I can support myself.”

In other news, I went to the first session with the nursery classes (ages 3-6), where Rahama counted 96 little ones in attendance! We sang songs, and I related the creation account, while two new teachers took turns translating. At the end, I asked the children why, if God said everything He created was very good, NOT everything is very good today – why are some of them coughing? Why do they cry? Why is there death? “Come back next week to find out,” I smiled. “Oh,” the teachers immediately appealed, “Can’t we go just a little further today?” “No, I have to go. Next week,” I laughed; but please be praying for these teachers, whose interest seems to be piqued. The other teachers have been in their late teens or early twenties, but these two are older women. God’s work in hearts certainly isn’t limited by age, however. May He draw many in this new classroom to Himself, even as He’s been at work in other classrooms at the school!

Doors Wide Open

Last week we brought ten Bibles into the school and presented them to the Muslim headmistress – “Anda” – to use as textbooks for our classes. At this point it’s pretty obvious to everyone in the school that we’re blatantly evangelizing, and we’ve been praying that if God means for us to continue working in the school, HE will keep the doors open for us. It’s been amazing to observe that far from closing the ones already opened, He has opened new ones.

When we arrived to teach grades 4-6 last week, Anda told us of a change of plans: we would actually be assigned to one of the junior high classes that morning. We had been praying for an opening into these classes, but hadn’t been expecting such a sudden invitation. Well – we went for it, and seven of the nine students in the class raised their hands to indicate a commitment to Christ after the gospel presentation! Afterward, Anda asked me whether I would be willing to come teach the preschool classes on a third morning each week; so this week starts the new schedule. Please pray for me as my days are increasingly full. =)

Meanwhile, a few days ago Alit’s friend Saka brought a friend of his, “Kenneth,” to hear about Christ, and Kenneth accepted Jesus! These young teachers and their friends are on fire to spread the good news. May God give them wisdom regarding whom to share with, and boldness when the right openings come.

A Ghanaian Recipe

My friend Sara asked whether I could post a Ghanaian recipe. First of all, there is no such thing as convenience food in Ghana. Africans simply have much more patience than Americans in every area of their lives, and that extends to the kitchen.

Ghanaians tend to use fewer and simpler ingredients than do Americans in their cooking, but they mash their ingredients by hand to release the flavors, and simmer their stews carefully so those flavors can meld. As a result, Ghanaian dishes are usually more savory than American meals. (Oh, by the way, have I mentioned that I’m gaining weight? ;) )

Recently a friend let me take notes as she prepared a traditional Ghanaian meal. She didn’t count or measure, but patiently let me count and estimate at each step. The onga and maggi packets are simply seasoning packets that are used here: they remind me of the ramen seasoning packets available in the States. And she said that Americans can blend instead of mashing if desired, even though the results won’t be quite as good. So without further ado, here is a recipe for:

Jollof Rice (serves 16)

19 small tomatoes, washed and chunked
3 onions, peeled and chunked
3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and chopped (optional)
½ small ginger root, scraped and chunked (optional)
14 small dried hot peppers, washed and stemmed
1½ - 2 cups oil
2½ pounds beef, chopped
½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning powder
Salt to taste
2 medium cans (210 grams each) tomato paste
3 green peppers, washed and cut into small pieces
1 can tuna
1 packet onga stew seasoning
1 packet shrimp maggi
¼ head cabbage, shredded
2½ cups dry rice

Blend tomatoes with water until very smooth; set aside.

Blend onions with water, adding garlic and ginger if desired. Blend a small amount of this mixture with hot peppers; set aside.

Put half of remaining onion/garlic/ginger mixture into large saucepan with 1-1½ cups oil. Simmer on medium heat.

Place beef, all-purpose seasoning powder, remaining onion/garlic/ginger mixture, and 1 tablespoon salt in frying pan; cover until cooked, stirring occasionally.

Add hot pepper mixture to onion/garlic/ginger/oil mixture. Then add blended tomatoes and tomato paste to hot pepper mixture.

Remove beef from frying pan; pour drippings into stew, stirring stew occasionally. Fry beef in ½ cup oil until brown.

Add tuna, onga, and maggi to stew. Add green pepper and meat to stew. Add cabbage to stew. Finally, add rice to stew, adding water and salt as needed, stirring occasionally until rice is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid.

Other optional ingredients that we didn’t have include spring onions, green beans, and carrots. And just as a warning, the 14 hot peppers made the dish VERY peppery! ;)

Questions and Answers – 14

Jason’s family is rejecting him because he is a Christian. What other difficulties do believers face there?

New believers in northern Ghana face all kinds of opposition, from social snubbing all the way to death by poisoning. As you know, Jason was turned out of his father’s house for choosing Christ. A good friend of mine ran away from her family after she was beaten each time she refused to go to the mosque, and after her sister warned her not to eat a poisoned meal. (She recently told me that her grandmother in the village has now become a Christian, but plans to continue to attend the mosque in order to avoid persecution.)

Another friend brought four stepsisters to church a few weeks ago. They haven’t returned, and when we asked after them, we were told that the brothers in the family warned the girls that if they ever go back to church, the brothers will kill the girls. Pastor Tirumbu once led a young man to Christ who was poisoned by his family three weeks later.

So yeah, saying “yes” to Jesus isn’t a step to be taken lightly in this corner of the world. Praise God for each one who has done so!

Quick Updates

A recent comment asked for an update on Jason, Hassan, and Daoud.

Daoud’s holiday ended, and he went back to school in southern Ghana. His mother said that he is doing well and reading his Bible daily, trying to grow in his new faith; but as he is staying with Muslim relatives, he has no opportunity to go to church during the term.

Hassan came every day the week I wrote about him, and then disappeared. We have not seen him since that Friday so many weeks ago. Did he realize that he couldn’t get money from us and thus lose interest? Did he understand that I really couldn’t marry him? Did his father forbid him to have further interaction with us? We’re not sure why we haven’t seen him, but knowing that he has a Christian friend, a Bible, and the Gospel message, we simply continue to pray for him.

Jason found a job that allows him to earn enough to eat, now that his father is no longer providing for him…but the new job doesn’t free him to go to church on Sunday mornings, so he is currently without the support of fellow believers that he needs at this crucial time. Mr. Joe and I have each been visiting with him, however, and we see plenty of evidence that God is at work in his life. Jason continues to read his Bible on his own, but as a new Christian is somewhat confused about what his priorities need to be. “I need to get my financial life in order, and then I can really focus on Christ,” he told me recently. I directed him to Matthew 6:25-34 and he promised to meditate on the verses. May God work in his heart so that he will feel led to return to church as an outward demonstration of the fact that he is choosing to give God priority!

Each of these guys needs lots of prayer – thanks for your concern!

How to Reach African Children

Daniel used all sorts of word images in the classroom that fascinated me, gave me insights into the African culture, and furnished me with ideas for how to present the Gospel to Africans in the future.

* “What would your father do if you ate fruit He’d told you not to?” was a question asked as a follow-up to the account of the fall. American children would give a variety of answers – “He would send me to my room” “He would spank me” “He would yell at me” “He wouldn’t care” – but with one voice the children in the African classroom replied, “He would beat us.” I guess the fact that sin has consequences isn’t a foreign concept here.

* “How does someone atone for a sin against the community?” Well, naturally, the chief and his elders confer and require the offender to present some sort of sacrifice: a hen, a sheep, a goat, a cow. These children knew that blood was a necessity for atoning for sins.

* “If you want to visit the chief, can you go directly to him?” Daniel asked while trying to explain the concept of a Mediator between God and man. No: the children knew that you have to approach the chief through the village elders. There is no other way to gain an audience.

* “Suppose you want to get rich through unlawful means without suffering any consequences. You know that you will have to visit the juju [black magic] man and he will request a sacrifice. It might be as small as a bird, but if you want to commit a really big crime, you will have to bring a human sacrifice: and it can’t be a cripple or a retarded person: it has to be a perfect human!” The children nodded understandingly: yes, they knew that, and so could clearly understand that God would need a perfect human sacrifice.

* “If you have two fetish priests, one of whom has strong spirit powers, and one of whom merely tricks people out of their money, which one will you go to see when you need a miracle?” The children all voted for the first one…so why wouldn’t they follow the God Who has power to bring back from the dead?

* “When someone sins against the entire community, are all his descendants under a curse?” Absolutely – so it’s easy to see why we’re all under a curse as children of Adam.

* “The gods of the land have said that no one in its borders may eat hen; but someone secretly eats a hen, and the gods respond by sending diseases throughout the land that kill many. When the priests enquire of the gods on the community’s behalf, the gods say there is a curse because someone has eaten hen, and that the only way to stop the pestilence is for someone to willingly be sacrificed. If I willingly choose to die so that everyone else in the community will be spared, won’t my sacrifice be acceptable to the gods?”

Wow, I don’t think I’d have come up with all those scenarios. ;) But no one in the classroom questioned or challenged: everyone was familiar with these and other examples. So if you ever come to Africa, have fun witnessing. =)

Cute little boy in the schoolyard