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!