By Angelo
Ghana...what a place to experience in all its fullness. Over here, no two days are alike. You always have to prepare in your schedule for the unexpected. The rhythm of life is like no other. How people think, even in the small stuff of life, is unique in its own way.
Things that we take for granted in the United States becomes a major endeavor to seize it. For the most part you have to go to different locations. One item in one location and then you travel through heavy traffic to get the other. Our pace has been non-stop in order to get ourselves nested properly at our new home. We all have lost weight as a result of it. I count it as a positive effect! In short, your day can go, as the Bible says, in a “vapor.” There is just never an end to all you want to get done.
Water is another issue here. Our water comes to a cistern like reservoir, then you have to pump it to a water tower, and be very frugal with it. Just a couple of days ago I had to purchase water. A water truck came to our home and filled the reservoir. Everyday we pray for water to come in from the city to fill the reservoir. So far none from the city has come in. Electricity is another major issue. In the future I’ll share more.
Do not let the stereotype image of Africa fool you for one second. It’s not cheap. Everything is expensive (except for fruit and vegetables). Today, for example I went out to buy one green outdoor trashcan with wheels. When they told me the price, a whopping $125.00, I went into a state of shock. Just remember, everything has to be imported from abroad. This adds significantly to the cost of daily living.
The other little thing to remember here in Ghana, when shopping, is a basic rule of thumb: here today, gone tomorrow. Re-stocking is not a promise. If you have the type of personality where you like things done right away, then Ghana is not your place.
Wondering about driving? Well, let's just say I have a driver. My most important allie. Safety on the roads is a foreign word. Just last week a missionary and three Ghanaian pastors were killed instantly in a car accident. The missionary left a wife and seven children. It took place at night outside the capital. We leave the house prayed up every morning.
The people in Ghana are for the most part a serene people. There can be a group of people in the same room or office waiting to be seen and there is a deafening silence in the room. In my experience so far, Americans are more casual and informal in their approach with others. Ghanaians have a protocol and even have special introductions when visiting or hosting family or friends.
Today I ordered bunk beds to be built, which should be ready in two weeks, for the US mission teams that will be coming in the future. We are going to begin to prepare a room in our home to be able to host small teams. The idea is to pave the way, so everything can be set up, and the missions teams don’t have to pay expensive middle of the road hotels (average $100.00 a night). It can quickly add up.
Friday was a wonderful day. We went to a place known as “Shai Hills.” It has a beautiful landscape surrounded by rocky mountains. A visit was made to a small village. This particular village, takes you quickly back in time, where time has stood still. Mud brick hut houses, outdoor kitchens, foot trails and of course your goats and chickens roaming freely. This is where a new work is about to begin. An old fashioned prayer camp, where people come with their needs from surrounding villages, will plant the seed for a future local church.
The regional chief and local chiefs welcomed us with open arms. We met in a very formal meeting about the future prospect for planting a new church. This is an ancestral land where the property has been handed down from endless generations. What is so amazing is their willingness to sell us prime land to build a church. They had never sold land to anyone! We are the first. Please make this a matter of prayer for all of us, as we labor, God will give the increase.
There is even the possibility of working the land to grow fruits and vegetables. This task can reap profitable wages for the unemployed. What a great testimony it would be for the local church.
Pastors in Ghana face many great challenges and personal needs. There were times where when the apostle Paul was “with” and “without” basic needs met. We are starting to develop strategies to circumvent some of these areas. Please pray for great wisdom as we soon will start pastor’s training school. Everything God has put into our spirit we will pour it lavishly as the Lord enables us to do so. It's amazing, get to do this! Wow. It is an honor to train God’s servants for the glorious church.
Through the generous giving of many of you, we were able to purchase a portable sound system, to be used for church services and outreach. When we made the announcement to the church, everyone jumped to their feet and clapped hilariously, and we could only be humbled by what we saw. We also have a LCD projector, which will be used to show movies that carries a gospel message. This is going to be a powerful tool to reach many people with good news about Jesus Christ our Lord. It’s just amazing we get to do this!
Often God speaks in unexpected ways. As we arrived in Ghana, a few days later we had the opportunity to listen to evangelist Reinhard Bhonke. The event was commemorating the 1906 Azusa Street Revival. As he began to speak, the word of the Lord poured into our hearts with great joy. His opening words were, fulfilling the Great Commission in our generation. There we sat and felt the Lord saying, “I brought you for this purpose, now win the souls of mankind.” Wow, simply amazing, we get to do this!
People are beyond ripe for the gospel. Today I prayed for a young man on the streets. I felt a strong urge to pray for him. So I asked him, “Can I pray for you.” The answer was a resounding yes! When I begun to pray, the young man was profoundly touched, as the sweet presence of God was hovering with loving care. What a day to serve God. Are you serving God? What would he have you do today? May God empower you.
No comments:
Post a Comment