The Trip Isn't Over

By Jason

I'll admit it was hard to say goodbye to Ghana when we left our hotel the last day there to head to the airport. Especially considering the out of the way place Manny found for us to stay.

However it was a great joy to see everyone who came to welcome us home from the airport when we arrived back in Lexington. I wish I'd had my camera ready to snap a photo of Jan Colbert as I came down the escalator. She was standing right at the bottom and started jumping up and down like an excited kid seeing a long lost relative when she saw us. Somebody snapped this pic just after that moment.

We've been home for just over a week and I'm sure all of us are still processing everything we were a part of in Ghana. We've also been resting and trying to get back into the swing of things. You may have noticed a slight decrease in the number of posts to the blog. Don't let that fool you. The trip isn't over yet! In the coming weeks (and months) we'll continue to post to the blog. We'll be writing about our thoughts and feelings now that we are back and have had time to process. The five of us that went will be meeting to discuss everything we did and we'll post a little about that too I'm sure. We will also be inviting everyone to a church-wide gathering in the near future where we'll tell stories, share some pictures, and open the floor for questions about what we experienced. After that, who knows...this blog doesn't have to end; the trip we embarked on this month could really just be the first of many where more of you will have the opportunity to go and be Christ's witnesses "in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

So stay tuned for more updates! If you don't want to have to check back every day wondering if we've posted a new update you can register your email address in the box on the right side of the blog where it says "follow by email".  If you do that you'll receive an automatic email every time we update the blog which will let you know there is something new out there to read.

Until next time let us remain Knit Together by Love!

Letter from Michael Adjei Poku - Oyoku Methodist Church Pastor

GRATITUDE -

HELLO PASTOR, THE SUPT. MINISTER, THE MINSTERS AND THE ENTIRE MEMBERS OF THE OYOKO SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST CHURCH GHANA, KUMASI DIOCESE JOIN ME IN THE SPIRIT TO EXTEND OUR WARMEST GRATITUDE TO THE ENTIRE EVANGELISM TEAM FOR SUCH A SELFLESS JOB YOU'RE DOING IN THE VINEYARD OF GOD.
IT.S MY UTMOST DESIRE AND PRAYER TO THE LORD IS THAT HE CONTINUE TO EQUIP YOU WITH MORE GRACE AND ABILITY TO WORK MORE IN HIS KINGDOM. BUT PASTOR, WE'RE AWARE THAT THIS WORK WE'VE TAKEN UPON OURSELVES IS NEVER WITHOUT CHALLENGES AND PERSECUTION.THEREFORE I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU CONSTANTLY REMEMBER ME IN YOUR PRAYERS AS I AM DILIGENTLY DOING FOR YOU.
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RESPONDING TO THE CALL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU


- Posted from my iPad

Location:Parasol Dr,Lexington,United States

The Last Night and Morning

Homecoming...

Hello Folks,

By the grace of God we (vision team) are back to Lexington. Jubilant andoverites gave us a warm welcome at the airport. It was a big surprise to us all. Thank you.

The Lord has been good to us. He blessed this trip and is continuing to do great things.

God bless you all for your prayers. Without you, this wouldn't have been possible.

Much Love.

Manny

At the airport

After a wonderful "rest" day touring a rainforest canopy appreciating the glory of God's creation and visiting Elmina Castle to see the realities of our fallenness and sin evidenced by the church sitting in the center of the castle 50 feet away from the dungeons that held the slaves awaiting departure across the ocean separated from family and culture and destined to a lifetime of servitude. We followed by dinner on the Gulf (Todd's Snappers head kept staring at me and baring its teeth at me. We headed to Accra after an overnight at the beach for resting. We are now at the airport using up Manny's data plan and awaiting our flight out at 10:50 tonight.

Blessings and See You Soon!

A thank you to Andover from Joseph and Stella Otsin

Joseph and Stella Otsin from Todd Nelson on Vimeo.

Burden Bearing

Unfinished thoughts as we rush out the door to Cape Coast this morning....

One sign of respect that we have tried to show is that we make an effort to photograph people only with permission (typically adults) or by request (typically children). Because of this, we don't have many photos of one of the sights that has been most intriguing to me: the people (mostly women) carrying everything on their heads. Some carry delicate items - we saw a woman yesterday navigating a very bumpy and crowded and hilly street carring about 6 dozen eggs in crates on her head. Some carry life-giving items for sale - a bowlful of water packets, Bibles, and fruits of all sorts. Some of the items are very heavy. Yesterday we saw a women carrying a tray of 10-15 pineapples on her head. She couldn't lift the tray up there alone, so someone assisted her, but once the tray was situated, she carried it with her head held high. Some carry less essential items - I saw one person with a TV atop his head and a woman with a purse carried ontop of her head rather than with a strap over the shoulder. Some keep their packages on their heads even when they are relaxing. Yesterday we saw a woman sitting in the median with her flip flops kicked off. She was enjoying a snack and a break, but her goods for sale stayed atop her head. When I asked Manny, he said that they don't feel the weight on their heads because they are so used to it and that the strain of picking the burdens back up is much more difficult. The packages or burdens for each person are different, but the streets are overflowing with people carrying them. And the one common denominator is that each of the people holds their head high under the burden. Faces are for the most part proud and smiles are large and as an outsider looking in, I don't see any evidence of strain.

It made me think about the burdens we bear and where we carry them. Do we bear burdens that are heavy? Or life-giving? Are they too heavy in comparison to the benefits to ourselves and others? Do we bear them with heads held high? Did others place burdens on us that we couldn't have picked up on our own? Do we bear them with a smile and offering life to others through them anyway?

The people of Ghana bear their burdens beautifully? What would it mean for us to do the same? How can we help each other bear burdens?

Away We Go - Patiently

It is 7:30am local Kumasi time (3:30am Lexington) and we are preparing to have a final breakfast of oatmeal, eggs, toast and coffee before heading out for a 4 hour (or so) drive to the coast of Ghana. Yesterday we spent time touring a cultural center part of town that had many small shops and then traveled to the post office before ending up touring a museum attached to the King's Palace here in Kumasi.

One thing important to know about our trip is the length of time it takes to travel anyway. Traffic is horrible and the road system is worse. The team has all agreed that we never again will complain about Richmond Rd. in Lexington after traveling some of the roads in and around Kumasi!

The crowded town and congested traffic is just part of life here though. People for the most part stay quite calm on the roads and are content with it taking a while to get places. For me, it is a good reminder that we can either allow the inconveniences of our world to make us anxious and irritable or we can simply enjoy the journey. It is truly a choice. The people of Ghana (for the majority) choose to not let their circumstances dictate their outlook. Another important lesson that I will bring back with me. The Ghanian people have taught me so many things about community, joy, and patience. For that I am grateful.
- Posted from my iPad

Location:Kumasi, Ghana

Real Coke in a bottle

No diet drinks in Ghana. Just the real stuff. Brought many childhood memories for the team of red Coke coolers and ice cold drinks.

Vicki with her friends

Words don't do this picture justice

Shades of Grey

One of the challenges I struggle with here is separating the good and the bad from the different. So many illustrations abound but I will try to narrow down to a few representative ones and break them up into different posts to help us focus and meditate.

City Work
The workings of the Kumasi airport fascinated me. Systems don't flow as they do in the states. You don't need an ID to fly. If available spaces are short, you can get a boarding pass before you buy your ticket to ensure that you get a seat on the plane. But, one of the differences that stuck in my heart was the luggage system. In the states, we have a person driving a truck pulling three trailer-thingies (a very technical term) functioning as a luggage cart.

While (patiently?) waiting for my luggage (hip hip hooray!) to come onto the conveyer belt in Kumasi, I noticed the luggage cart - an oversized wagon (think a hay ride) piled high with luggage (about 30 bags at close to 50 lbs each) pulled using the hard straight metal handle by one man. Repeat this three times. And one of the wagons had a flat tire. He pulled these "carts" accross a hot parking lot in 95 degree weather by himself. At the steep hill coming up to the conveyer belt (which did not run by the way - it was just a sliding tool) someone helped push from behind a bit.

A truck and a wagon. Both move the luggage from one place to another. Both provide a person with one job. Is one way better or worse? Good or bad? Or are the methods just different?

Does the manual labor give more meaning and fulfillment that driving the truck? What about the use of gas and all that goes into producing the truck? Does that provide more jobs than making the wagon? At what environmental cost?

So much of our time here is spent processing the good, the bad, and the different. I can't find a black and white answer. What are your thoughts?

Oyoko Pastor Brings Greetings

Oyoko Pastor Brings Greetings from Todd Nelson on Vimeo.

What To Write?

By Jason I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but we aren't able to share everything with you on this blog. It isn't because we don't want to or because we want to keep anything a secret, but because we just can't get everything out. There are SOOOOOO many things we have experienced during our time here that we would love to post about but are unable to because of time or because we are too tired when we get home in the evenings, because we are still trying to process some of them in our hearts and minds, or because some of the stories are better told in person. Each of us has a wealth of stories from this trip that would take a couple of days to run through in the telling, and each of us has our own perspective about many of the same stories. We really want to share all of them with you and we will do our best to get out as much information as we can. In the meantime if you are curious about something, if you would like to know a little more about what went on, send us a comment here on the blog and we'll try to answer it. We will continue to write and post pics today and tomorrow. We begin our trip toward home tomorrow as we head to the coast. We are not sure if we will have internet where we are staying so our posts may become a little more sporadic. In the meantime please keep checking back. We'll see you all again soon and we can't wait to tell you about everything else. Blessings Jason

Final Days in Ghana by Todd

It is a bittersweet time for the team as we wrap up our work here and make the journey home. The people have been most gracious and the work has gone well. The few setbacks we had were overcome in thanks to large part by the flexibility and perseverance of the team. Our guiding principle has been "GO WITH THE FLOW"! Right now we continue to pray, process and reflect on the great needs around us and the belief that God has called us as a congregation to become engaged with the people here. We are in the idea stage right now and will begin planning and communicating about next steps after we return. But for the next three days we savor our time here and thank God for the opportunity. I am reminded that Jesus taught that we are to focus on today and not get wrapped up in what is to come. For God works in the current moment and if we are too caught up in the moments to come we just might miss God's plan for us and our ability to be of service to others. And so we will stay in the moment and see what else God has in store. Have a great Monday! Please keep praying. Todd

Vicki, Mary and Jason with the Bedaase Methodist Church

Jason presenting a Bible to Kate in Bedaase

Sunday Benediction from Mission Guest House

Sunday Greeting from Ghana Team from Todd Nelson on Vimeo.

Sunday Sermon From Bedaasi, Ghana

Sermon from Ghana from Todd Nelson on Vimeo.

Manny and his mom (Stella) and sister (Esther)

This was too cute to not post. Thanks Amelia!

Vision Clinic In Oyoko

Joseph Otsin (Manny's dad) along with Vicki and Mary

Location of Vision Clinic in Oyoko

Fire Hydrant Experience

Today we mark the halfway point in our journey here in Ghana, Africa.  The people.  The food.  The experiences have proved to be more than I can communicate in a blogpost.  The overused cliche "drinking from an "fire hydrant" applies to all of us. I was given the opportunity to preach last night in Oyoko where the Ghana evangelists are attempting to plant a church.  They do this by having a group like us come and do social services by day and then have "crusades" by  night.  The crusade is an open air service of music, video presentation of the scourging and crucifixion of scene of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ", preaching, and then an altar call where new converts or those who re-dedicate their lives are gathered together so names can be taken for the follow up visits later.  So far, Manny's father, Joseph Otsin, has planted close to 200 churches throughout this area of Ghana.  This recipe has proven not only successful but prolifically so. But back to the preaching.  The difficulty of speaking with a translator is keeping your train of thought (which is tough for me all the time anyway!)  You say a sentence or maybe just a clause and the translator, who was Joseph Otsin last night takes off.  The second difficulty I found is that preaching in Ghana is a passionate and rather loud affair.  So there I am speaking in a calm and measured way and Joseph goes off like I gave the altar calls of all altar calls.  Then the fun began.  What did I just say?  Where was I going with this thought?  Is anybody understanding?  Breath Todd. Breath!  Then I am reminded that the Holy Spirit is involved and that I am called to remain faithful not worry. I don't know the number and wouldn't even want to guess, but many raised their hand at the end of the evening to follow Christ and re-dedicate their lives and a new church began to birth in front of our very eyes.  And the fire-hydrant experience continues.  More to come later.

So thankful for all the letter and prayers

Oyoko day one

Chief of Oyoko fit with glasses

My New Friend Kate

I am particularly struck by the friendliness of the villagers. My new friend Kate
illustrates this exuberant love. She spends a great deal of time hanging around the clinic offering hugs and smiles and handshakes to all who stop by. Kate attends the church in Bedaase and along with Frank has helped to coordinate details such as distribution of the dresses.







Kate has also been one of our best customers. We were able to fit her for readers that not only improved her vision, but also coordinated with her sense of fashion.



Yesterday during the hour between the closing of the clinic and the beginning of the crusade, Kate and Frank accompanied us on a tour of the cocoa farm owned by Kate's husband. About 18 acres is the size estimate provided by Kate. There were two different types of cocoa grown t
here. But the details of the farm aren't what struck me. Kate (and Frank) were so thoughtful to take us on a tour of Kate's husband's farm (I didn't catch his name)and accompany us to "river".





At the crusade, Kate gave me a big handshake and a hug and closed with "I'll see you, my friend?" I certainly hope so!

Fitting Room in Bedaasi

Auto-Refractor and Analysis Room in Bedaasi

Registration and Pre-Screening in Bedaasi

Final Day in Bedaase from Todd

"I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where?" And so the song goes. We remarked today that most of our pictures look like a "Save The Children" advertisement. You know the ones where the sad picture is taken to guilt you into supporting the cause? But what the pictures often do not capture is the true joy that exists in the village among the men, women and children. And that is what we are experiencing firsthand. It has a small town family feel where everyone watches out for the other. Bedaase also has a vision for the future as being the hub of education for the neighboring villages. The chief of the village has his mind set on a Senior High School. Currently the village has what is called nursery and junior high school but not a place to send the older kids. As a matter of fact there is not a Sr. High School near this community which creates hardship in travel to say the least. I had a long conversation with the local Methodist caretaker (ie. lay pastor), Frank Oimsu, who shared his vision for the church and what impact the Methodst church can make in the village. One of his first concerns is a permanent place of worship which usually begins as an outdoor pavilion. Another concern is caring for the people of the village which consists of 400 adults and 200 children. At this point Frank is going door to door a few times of week getting to know the community and witnessing to them. The community has obvious social service type needs such as hygeine education, proper nutrition education, as well as economic development. But you can also see the possiblities which exist because of all the resources available to them as well as its proximity to Kumasi which is a ready market to sell goods and services. I'll say it again and again. Thank you for sending us and coming along via the internet on this journey! Keep up the prayers. Todd

Our Chief Patient

By Jason

Today we had an unexpected visitor to the vision clinic.  The chief of Bedaasi showed up late this afternoon.  We were actually getting ready to shut down for the day when he popped in with a few other people.  Mary and Vicki had to unpack the equipment and reboot the computer but thankfully it wasn’t packed in the van yet.  Before I go too far let me back up a bit and fill you in a little more on what happened yesterday.

We took a tour of the village yesterday after the vision clinic and while we were walking around we came upon the chief’s house.  He had just come back from the fields and wasn’t ready to greet anyone just yet so we waited outside for a few minutes.  When he came out he was wearing a polo shirt and shorts, not the ceremonial attire we see in the movies.  There is a certain protocol for meeting the chief, you don’t just walk up and say hi.  Chairs had been set up for us in a semi-circle in front of him and the local caretaker of the church acted as interpreter.  We walked up to the chief in a line and greeted him individually, then sat down.   The chief then walked around and greeted each of us.   He welcomed us to the village and explained that he had been looking forward to meeting us and was pleased we were doing this work in his village.  Todd said a few words along with one of the other pastors with the group.  Once this ceremony was completed we got up and said goodbye to him and filed out.

So, it came as an unexpected surprise to see the chief come to the vision clinic today.  Turns out he needed some reading glasses.  Todd and I helped to test him and got him fitted for a nice pair of readers.  He chose the style he wanted from the selection we had that worked for him.  As I was cleaning the readers for him I asked Frank (the church caretaker) if it would be appropriate to ask the chief for a picture.  I just wanted to get one of him in the new frames.  The chief loved the idea and said he would do it only if it could be a group picture and if he could wear his ceremonial clothes.  I took this as a great honor and said “of course”!  He went home and returned a few minutes later ready for the pic.

He also requested a copy for himself.

Cocoa Pod

Stunning cocoa grove and little girl

Sunset in Bedaase

Stowaway

Bedaase Village and Well

Chief of Bedaase Gets Glasses!

Wow!

Given our full schedule the last 24 hours, it has been incredibly difficult to process everything into a rational post, but I can say Wow!

The drive from Kumasi to Bedaase - Red clay BUMPY roads through thick vegetation. Asking for directions from village to village. Wow!

Setting up the clinic - Piping electricity from the central source into our clinic space so that we didn't have to run a generator. Wow!

The patients - Beautiful people but so many with thick cataracts that we could not help. Wow.

The successes - The great joy when a person leaves being able to see much more clearly. Wow!

The children - The joy and love and fascination they have with us. Wow!

The village - In the afternoon we walked the village and met people - all with a child holding each finger on each hand. Oh, to have enough hands to hold them all. Wow!

The chief - We actually had a formal introduction ceremony with the village chief. Wow!

If you have ever read Lily's Purple Plastic Purse you'll know how I feel right now. Wow. That's just about all I can say, wow.

I hope to have a chance on our bumpy ride to meditate more and give a more beautiful picture to represent the people here, but for now, I leave you with, Wow!

Passing out the first 15 pillowcase dresses

Day Two Comes Too Quickly from Todd

I am still reeling from yesterday's events and we are already sitting at breakfast awaiting the van for day two. Today we will continue the vision clinic we started yesterday at Bedaase. Most people agree that we will see many more people at the clinic day. We saw 60ish yesterday so that means we will be staying busy during the day. But back to yesterday. Underlying the society in Ghana is a formality that transcends socio-economics. Even in one of the poorest villages we were offered refreshments and even a meal (which we of course respectfully declined!). In addition to the hospitality, the formality includes how the elders of the village are held in respect as well as guests to the village. It reminded me that the currency of hospitality is not money but humility and compassion. The people of Ghana have reminded me of a great lesson for sure. Please keep praying. And let me say it again. Please keep praying. Todd

Team Updates from Bedaase

So thankful for your Ghana team who is currently working after 1am to get posts and pictures updated. We really want you to experience this in as real time as we can get it. The feeling here is both exhilarating and a bit overwhelming with the need in the village we visited today. Those who have been to Ghana on these type of mission trips all said that this was the poorest village conditions they had seen before. We will do some more reflecting a bit later, but just know your prayers are needed and your generosity has already touched lives today.

Warm Welcome in Bedaase (well except for the typos)

I'll forever be Todde Nelson, etc from this day forward!

Vision Clinic Setup

Our first fitted patient

--
Blessings,

MaryA :-)

Children of Bedaase

Children of Bedaase

Children of Bedaase

Children of Bedaase

Day in Bedaase - Much More to Come!

God Moves in mysterious ways….

Manny-

                I am sure that by now most of you know about the circumstances that led to some members of the team travelling through London. If you don’t, please be patient. You will hear about it soonJ. I had planned on meeting the team at the Accra airport on Monday, March 12. I followed through with my plan and arrived at the Accra airport only to learn, by email, of flight changes. I was very glad to see Jason come out of the arrival hall after several hours of uncertainty. The rest of the team arrived later that night. Despite all that happened in the past two days, we are all here, safe and sound in mind and body.

               

It has been a wonderful experience so far and it has all been by the grace of God. From the missed flights, detour to London, impromptu bus ride, bargaining with custom officials and taxi drivers, the hand of God has been our director. His blessings and protection have and will always be with us. I am sure your fervent prayers have something to do with this. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. The journey has really begun J….

Contrasting Cultures by Mary

We arrived in Accra (not exactly on schedule) around 10pm last night. We were so grateful to look over from Baggage Lost and Found to see Manny waving to us from just outside the secure area of the airport. He helped us to navigate reclaiming Vicki and Todd's luggage from Customs and attempted to help me find mine (which Lisa Michelle discovered is in Chicago). Since we had missed the last flight to Kumasi, Manny arranged for two taxis to take us to the Accra Bus Station so that we could take the VIP bus to Kumasi.

The bus was awesome. Vicki mentioned that it reminded her of Belle and Beauty and the Beast. Manny suggested that taking a picture might make some of the passangers uncomfortable so I tried to sketch some of the window decor. Vicki peered over my shoulder and couldn't control her laughing at my poor drawing skills. Our laughs contrasted to the quiet of the other passangers. We alread stuck out -our party contained the only four light-skinned passangers. We were also terribly underdressed. The adorable little 3year old girl wasn't the only one in a bright fancy dress. In fact, Vicki and I were the only women in pants.

We drove through the night with our bus leaving at around 1am and arriving in Kumasi sometime after 6am. Manny's (aka E-Man's)dad met us at the bus stop and we traveled another thirty or so minutes to the guest house.

The long bumpy road provided lots of time for reflection. Contrasts abounded. Skin color, clothing, loudness or lack thereof, language characterized some of the difference between the people, but there were other contrasts as well. The beautiful bus had seats that far outmatched the comfort of any of the airplanes we'd spent the last two days on. The roads did not. We have learned since being here that the development and growth in Ghana is outpacing the ability to manage infrastructure. The people dress beautifully while doing work that we would put on our oldest jeans and stained T-shirts to do. The people are very alive and active. A route to the store to buy water, shaving sticks, and flippers involves stopping to visit people in houses, businesses, and on the streets.

It has been a wonderful day, and I look forward to sharing more of our experience after visiting Bedaasi tomorrow! Thanks for reading and praying!

First Impressions...by Jason

In the weeks leading up to this trip I’d been thinking a lot about what things might be like here in Ghana. I’ve been overseas a few times but never to Africa. Whenever you travel there are always unexpected surprises both good and bad. Sometimes things seem so out of the ordinary you don’t know what to do and at other times you stop and think “that seems just like the way things are at home.” Well, here are a few of my first impressions after arriving in Ghana.

I didn’t have a window seat on the plane so I didn’t get to look at the country side as we approached the airport. My first glimpse of anything was as I came to the door of the plane to descend the steps to the tarmac. Two things struck me right away. One was the amount of smoke in the air. There was (and is) a constant smell of smoke in Accra and Kumasi from the many fires all over the city. These are not fires burning out of control but fires in people’s yards for burning trash and sometimes cooking food. There seemed a constant haze and scent of smoke in the air.

The second thing I noticed was that it felt like I was back home, at least in terms of the temperature. It was only about 86 degrees in Accra when we landed and somewhat humid. I’m from Florida so it felt a lot like what I remember growing up. It seemed comfortable actually. Tuesday we spent the day in Kumasi and it was a little hotter. We checked the temperature at one point just after midday and it was 94 degrees in the shade. It still felt like home in the summer. The evenings cool off a good 10 to 15 degrees and it feels really nice.

There are so many other “first” impressions I could share like having to deal with the folks in customs (had to let one of them have a pair of glasses to get through), the absolute chaos of the traffic (there would be no way any of us could drive here), to the wonderfully friendly people we’ve met. All that will have to come in later posts. For now I just wanted to share these few quick thoughts.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to be here, thankful for Manny and his parents, and thankful for everyone who has supported us on this trip. Please continue to pray for us and the people we meet in the coming days.

To God be the glory in all that we do.

The City Never Sleeps - by Vicki

After arriving into Accra Ghana airport around 10PM, it took us about 2 hours to go through the process of being approved, finding our luggage and getting through customs. Because of the late hour, we had missed our local plane that would take us from Accra to Kumasi and needed to take the bus. We knew it would be a 5 hour ride, but we couldn't lose the day. I am telling these facts as a prelude to our chance to see the city and countryside at night.

Or was it? There was activity everywhere, the streets were buzzing, people were out walking ,making trades, selling goods, sitting along the roadsides.... you name it, they were there... the entire bus trip! Even at 3 and 4 in the morning, people were out walking.

Not only the pedestrians, but lots of traffic especailly trucks, busses, produce trucks packed, etc. They come from all directions literally and directly toward you. It seems if you honk your horn, you are good to go.

This is a very fast growing country bursting at the seams. We are so anxious to start.



We are blessed to be here!

Vicki

Uncertainty...Prime Ground for Building Trust

From Todd... Leaving behind all that we know and heading to a new place can be overwhelming (take that back, is overwhelming). What to take? What to wear? Did I remember everything when I know there is no super-Walmart in driving distance? What do I not know that I need to know? With all that being said and acknowledged, the unknown is not something we need to necessarily fear but rather can be something very freeing even. Our first day in Ghana confirmed some of my overwhelming in some respects and it undermined it in others. For instance, who would have ever of believed that customs officials would threaten tarriffs before eventually asking for a pair of glasses before allowing us through without charge. What I found was a certain freedom in the fact that God did provide safe delivery of the glasses. Who would have ever of believed that a a planned down day on Tuesday turned out to be a necessary travel day due to being re-routed through London, England before Acrra, Ghana? What I found was a certain freedom that I can trust that God is truly working his plan and making provisions for us. Neither of these faith growing experiences would have been possible without stepping into the sometimes overwhelming state that exists just beyond our ability to control. We are heading to the first village tomorrow after I preach in a prayer service at around 7:00am local time. And I am certain that there will be even more opportunity for me to learn more deeply the meaning of freedom that is found in trusting in God's plan. Your prayers are precious to us in these days.

Guest House - Or home for next two weeks as we call it.

Joel, Vicki and Jason

Guest House View

Relaxing at Guest House on Tuesday

Guest House View

-Todd

Monday's Blog Post - Plan A and B

As I experienced sunrise over the UK this morning...no that is not Univ. of Kentucky rather the United Kingdom...no that was not the exact plan rather the plan for today,  I realized that life has a peculiar manner about it at times.  Longer story than we have time for here, but suffice to say we have misplaced Jason for a few hours...well maybe a day as we took separate flights to Ghana.  Jason the direct and expected one while Mary, Vicki and I a longer and more scenic route through Europe.  All should be back to normal later this evening as we re-unite with Jason in Accra and head to Kumasi as planned.  With Tuesday being a get adjusted day, we are still very much on track.  Not going to over-spiritualize this first day of travel.  Just an unfortunate series of events that got us here.  Moving on and in very good spirits after a few hours sleep and the promise of very good coffee at London Heathrow where we will spending about three hours before boarding another flight to Accra. Keep up the prayers and we will update you as we get on the ground in Ghana later today! Todd

Twirly Skirts and Psalm 150

We enjoy sharing our weekly stories on Sunday mornings with the Road Less Traveled group. Together we rejoice in the birthdays, sports victories, promotions, anniversaries, and achievements large and small each week. Together we also share in the disappointments and struggles. Sharing knits our group together in Christian love.

On Sunday, Jason & I shared primarily about our Ghana trip preparations, fears, and expectations. In our discussion on the worship services there, we recounted Manny's description of the Ghanaian custom of dancing down the aisles to give an offering- a bit of a change up from passing the offering plate. A classmate commented, "I'd be more worried about having to dance down the aisle than operating the vision machine."

It struck a chord – with force. The rough idea for this post came to me later Sunday afternoon, but it has taken several days to flesh out. Identifying the notes that made up that chord (self-consiousness, dread, and fear) posed more of a challenge than I had anticipated. I lost my Bible and got a little distracted trying to find a cutesy quote or post title. I found an "old Japanese proverb" that read We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance." I chuckled a little (maybe I was on a caffeine high), but didn't find comfort and hope.

I found my Bible (YAY!) and started flipping through Samuel to see what I could find in the story of David, the notorious wild-dancer and man after God's own heart. I skimmed through David's story:
Jesse presenting son after son before sending for David from the fields to receive Samuel's anointing,
David's music-making calming Saul's soul,
his bravery (and foolishness?) in his defeat of Goliath,
his deep friendship with Saul's son Jonathan,
his marriage to Saul's daughter Michal,
his escape from the wrath of Saul,
his integrity in sparing Saul's life,
his weeping over the capture of his wives,
his lament for the deaths of Saul and Jonathan,
his anointing as King of Judah and later as King of Israel,
his defeat of the Philistines,
and finally to the scene where he brings the Ark to Jerusalem.
And I paused there, in his moment of triumph and celebration, before God refuses his offer to build the temple, before his sin with Bathsheba, before the tragic loss of his child, I stopped to regard his worship, adoration, and celebration.

David really lived. He risked. He loved. He cried. And he danced. Before God. With all his might. But, even his victory did not start up and stay up.

We're up: 2Sam6:5 "David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD,
with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbols."

We're down: 2Sam6:7 "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God."

David is ticked: 2Sam6:8 "And David was angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah."

But, David learned from the mistake. Dr. Arnold's Samuel Commentary says "In a way that seems especially foreign to present-day readers, the unfortuntate Uzzah illustrates the holiness of God present in the ark. To touch the ark is to impinge on God's holiness, to draw too close and presume too much." This leaves David with a question of how he will ever have the LORD dwell with him. David took the ark elsewhere for three months before returning to bring it into Jerusalem. In this second entrance, he danced, still with all his might, but clothed with a linen ephod and sacrificing on the way.

I am self-conscious to a fault. David initally acts apparantly without consciousness frequently. But between verse 5 and 15 David learned to examine his actions and pause. I dread events of which I am fearful. Soren Kierkegaard argued that dread, or angst, is a desire for what one fears and is central to his conception of original sin. I want to dance, but I am afraid of what people with think of it. I want a relationship with God, but I am afraid of what that will require of possible sacrifice. David anticipated. He anticipated the action of God and looked with great joy toward the future. I am afraid. David was fearless. But, David learned to live in awe of God. A healthy fear that respects the holiness of God but does not prevent jubilant praise.

As I was sorting through many of these thoughts, my doorbell rang. The kids ran with wild abandon toward the door to receive the package. A dear sister who has done mission work in Togo had sent a beautiful, colorful, flowy skirt. Erin's eyes lit up. "Mom," she said, "I bet that skirt will twirl." I tried it on and sure enough, it only took a spin or two to achieve great twirly effect. The kids and I danced and twirled all over the living room laughing, filled with joy.

I thought, I bet God really loves when they dance down the aisles to give their gifts to him. He probably doesn't look for bad rhythm but only sees their joy. And as long it is a joy that delights in Him in ALL His holiness, then I bet it brings him great joy, too.

The lesson I learned from my dear Prayer partner: Prayers of the body of Christ change fear and trepidation into celebratory dancing!

Psalm 150
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!
Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn; praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!

A plea for the spiritually poor and needy

Since arriving in Accra, I have been taking in the sights, sounds and scenery this city has to offer whilst waiting for the processing of my visa renewal to be completed. I will pick up my passport from the embassy on Friday (March 9). One keen observation stuck with me; a proliferation of squatters and beggars along the main and auxiliary streets of the city (I am certain it will be similar in Kumasi). It was an occurrence before my departure for the States almost 8 years ago. However, the prevalence of this disturbing trend seems to have increased despite major economic gains by this Country.

In discussing this issue with my mom, she explained to me that one of the reasons for this occurrence was rooted in the spiritual status of the person.  Resistance of one’s mind and soul to the gospel of Jesus allows the devil to take control of a person’s life. Ergo, unexplainable illnesses, unwillingness to fend for oneself and a desire for fellowship with animalistic entities (gods of the tress, rivers, rocks etc) becomes characteristic of such an individual. Thus, they sit by the street side and beg for alms neglecting even the slightest desire and respect for personal cleanliness. It’s a very sad and disheartening scene. It is important to note, however, that a minority of those beggars and squatters are faced with extreme poverty, illiteracy or some form of disability.

One of the missions of this vision project is to allow God to use us (vision team plus the church) to bring lost souls to Christ, using prescribed glasses as a “drawing” tool. It is my earnest prayer that our efforts will go a long way in aiding to mitigate this disturbing aforementioned trend.

As you read this, please pray for those individuals whose life (spiritually and physically) have been bond with cords of iniquity and strings of past transgressions. Please pray for the extrication of such souls from the abyss of destruction into the eternal and everlasting love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray, that those we will be coming into contact, during this mission, with will become receptive and open hearted to the word of God. And finally, please pray for the strength to carry out this mission.

 Let us come together to intercede for lost souls, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore.  Amen and Amen.

***Some people may have differing views, other than the one presented, as a reason for the above issue. They are welcome. Albeit one thing is certain, as Christians we need to pray without ceasing, for family, friends and others.

Travel Notes

As I travelled through the airports jumping from one plane to another, it dawned on me for the first time since the procurement of plane tickets that I was really going back to the land of my birth for the first time since I began my education in the US. It is one thing to “know” you are going home, and another to actually “be” on your way home. It was surreal moment, hastened by the endless array of chatter, clusters of people and bags and loud aircraft engines roaring like thunder on a dark stormy night.

My day began calmly at 5am. Due to some unexplainable circumstance, maybe a mixture of excitement and nervousness, I woke up earlier than my alarm clock would have wanted. After wriggling around for an hour, I began getting ready for my journey. Stephne took me to the airport where I was met with the jubilant facesof Jan, Susan, Marshall, Madelyn and Melissa. After whatseemed like an eternity, the united airlines representative finally printed outmy boarding passes and checked-in my luggage. Due to a weekend merger with Continental airlines, the computer systems of united were not working efficiently as expected. The crew (Stephne, Jan, Susan, Marshall, Madelyn andMelisa) hanged out with me, shared jokes, took silly pictures and ended with a wonderful time of prayer, lead by Susan. It was a beautiful moment and I wish it had not ended. It was at this point that Susan asked me to pick up a rock from a selection she provided (I picked one shaped like a heart). She then instructed me to keep this rock in my pocket at all times in Ghana (the rock signifies something similar to the meaning of Ebenezer). I was also handed a stack of envelops (dated March 5 to March 11) by Melissa at this point and instructed sternly by Susan, not to open them until the date on each envelop becomes. After more hug goodbyes, I proceeded to the TSA checkpoint forsecurity protocol. This went without a glitch. Jan and Stephne stayed

with meuntil I was through with this process.

Thank you guys so much for coming. It meant (still does) a lot to me. You are awesome. J

The flight from Lexington was good. However, the flight from Chicago to Dulles was another story. We were delayed for almost 2 hours due to the aforementioned problem caused by the merger. I was glad I had a 6 hour layover, at Dulles, before my flight to Accra. Eventually, we were able to get on the plane and depart for Dulles. I was worn out, mostly hungry, by the time I arrived at Dulles airport.After locating my boarding gate, I proceeded to the nearest Wendy’s for a spicy chicken sandwich combo (my favorite item on the menu). To my surprise, they did not have sweet tea (I suppose sweet tea is just a southern thing). I was really hoping for some final indulgence in the sweetness of a well brewed tea before departing for Ghana. But, I digress.

At approximately 9:45pm, the boarding process, for flight 990 to Accra, began.Since I was travelling with an economy ticket, I decided to wait until the last minute to get in line for boarding. Seemed like a good Idea at the time but realized, too late, that it was a big mistake. Every traveler is allowed tobring one carry-on luggage and a personal item like a purse or shoulder bag on the plane. However, most Ghanaian economy passengers do not subscribe to this rule. Thus, the overhead compartments were all full due to some passengerscarrying more than the required amount on the plane. Therefore, my carry-on travelled within the cargo compartment, a rather unsettling feeling because my carry-on would have been my only source of survival (clothing, etc) in the unfortunate occurrenceof lost luggage.

The flight to Accra was pleasant. I slept intermittently for 6 hours (thanks to Advil pmand Tom’s noise cancellation head phones). I was not a fan of the dinner(choice of chicken or beef pasta) served on the plane. I think this was due to a conscious effort on my part to avoid any meals (the spicy chicken is excludedJ) in an attempt to prepare my tastebuds for a Ghanaian culinary delight upon arrival. More on Ghanaian culinary delights in upcoming posts. Stay tuned.

We arrived in Accra around 2:23pm local time. I couldn’t contain my excitement anymore and began smiling continuously. I think the lady who sat beside me thought I was nuts (she had observed me taking an Advil pm and my anti-malarial medicine),she looked at me in a funny way when she saw that. The sporadic smiling may have confirmed her suspicions. Anyway, it was a beautiful day in Accra (about 84^oF, semi-cloudy with 11mph winds and negligible humidity).

**After a “quick”immigration process, I proceeded to the baggage claim area for my bags. After about 15 minutes, I began freaking out because none of my bags could be located.I then remembered that things run slowly in Ghana and calmed down (more like God calmed me down). I waited for infinity (seriouslyJ) and finally, noticed the duffle bag containing the glasses. I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank you, Susan Nelson,for making the baggage tags, and Tom and Vicki, for suggesting this idea. It really made it easy to identify my bags. I met my mom shortly after that, took a taxi and checked in at the quest house. She was ecstatic and I believe only a mother could know how to describe her emotional status as she warmly hugged me.By the way, you know you have been westernized (as a Ghanaian) when the firstthing you do after checking-in is to look for the AC.

I’m home.Thank you God, for your protection, grace and favor. And to those who made this possible, Onyame nhyira mo paa (God bless you so much).

And now to Him who is able to do, immeasurably more than what we can ask or imagine, to you be the Praise and Glory.

Love

Manny

**There is a gap that needs to be filled with regards to this paragraph. I will do it once the vision team gets to Ghana.

Just One Week Away! Or Manny Is Home!

By Jason

One week from today the whole team will be in Ghana!  If that seems like a short amount of time let me just say YES IT IS!  I can’t believe how close it is.  The first member of the team, our “advance team” so to speak, should already be there.  Manny left Lexington yesterday morning.  We received a couple of emails from him when he got to Chicago and Washington D.C. and another last night at about 10:00 pm just before he boarded the plane for his 10.5 hour flight to Accra.  Once in Ghana it will take him a little while to get from Accra to Kumasi, but hopefully we’ll hear from him soon.  (By the way I checked the weather just a minute ago and while we have snow on the ground here in Kentucky, it is 86 degrees in Accra and 91 in Kumasi).

Manny at the Lexington airport

I had actually just posted this update to the blog and realized we had just received an email from Manny so I took it down to insert what he wrote:

"Hello,

I made it home safely by the grace of God. My flight arrived at 2:23pm local time.  I am currently staying in a guest house (in accra) with my mom. Going to the US embassy on Wednesday to renew my visa and then heading to Kumasi after that.

I half expected to be blasted by heat waves as soon as I got off the plane. To my surprise, it was pretty cool (for Ghanaian standards), 84 with less than 60% humidity (11mph wind speed). I am so glad for the cooler temperature. I will keep you updated on developments.

Hope all is well with you.
God Bless
Manny"

Manny will be spending this week visiting friends and family, taking care of some paperwork, and hopefully clarifying some of the details of our schedule for when the rest of us arrive.  We are still unsure of our exact itinerary but that isn’t too out of the ordinary.  As we get news from Manny about what is going on in Ghana this week we’ll post it to the blog. 

The rest of us spent time yesterday after church practicing with the vision equipment.  We wanted to do a test run to make sure we knew how to hook up all the equipment and to let Todd and I train on the vision refractor.  We examined our eyes and finished sorting and packing the glasses and putting them into inventory.  If I can find anyone who took pics of this process I’ll get them posted.  Thank you to the volunteers who have come out the last couple of weeks to help us with the glasses, you’ve made the work more much more manageable and enjoyable.

For now we are busy getting the last of our gear together, packing, and all the other last minute things before we fly out on Sunday.  I’ve got to go back to the doctor to get another Hepatitis A & B shot before we leave too.

In the meantime expect to see an uptick in the number of posts this week.  As we gear up for the trip and once we are in Ghana we will be posting a little more often.  At least we hope to post more often.  If you have any questions about what we are doing to prepare, or about the trip in general please feel free to leave a comment here on the blog and we’ll try to answer it in another post.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Money Matters

How much does it cost for us to do a vision clinic and crusade in Ghana? Many of you have asked this important question. Money does matter. Without your generous support, this opportunity to share God's love through providing clear vision and preaching God's word could never happen.

Our budget for this trip is roughly $12,800. In this post, I'd like to break down those costs a bit and thank everyone for their generosity that has enabled Faith Promise to fund a large portion of this trip.

Airfare from Lexington to Accra for the team makes up the largest cost - $6234.50. This amount covers the cost of airfare for Manny, Todd, Vicki, Jason and Mary.

Surprisingly, the next largest category covers the medical costs of the team members - roughly $2000. Included in this budget category are immunizations for Yellow Fever, Hep A & B, and Typhoid. Also included are medications to prevent malaria and the costs for medical appointments at Repointe Medical. Many of us were surprised to find that immunization costs are not covered by our health insurance and so this cost was higher than estimated.

The cost of the vision clinic is the next largest budget item - $1950. This cost includes the money paid to Kendall Optometry ($1782) for the glasses, the inventory software and equipment, shipping costs for the glasses and equipment, and training for Vicky and Mary to learn how to operate the autorefractor and give the exams. Also in this cost is $168 for supplies to run the equipment. This includes the costs incurred for the eye chart, tool kit for glasses repair, cloths and solution for cleaning the glasses, wrist bands to identify the patients, and labels as well as an estimated cost for tarps or other supplies to protect the equipment from extreme heat and the expected rain.

Our next largest expense covers lodging and meals at the Methodist guest house - $1600. This will cover the three rooms ($40/day each) for Todd, Vicki, and Jason/Mary for 8 nights - $960 and meals for 8 days($20/day each) for Todd, Vicki, and Jason/Mary - $640.

In-country travel costs are estimated at $507. The cost for a van and driver to transport the team to and from the vision clinics will be $275. The remaining $232 will cover the flight from Accra to Kumasi for Todd, Vicki, Jason, and Mary.

Finally, we would like to leave a donation of $500 to Joseph Otsin. This will be seed money to help plant churches in the villages we serve.

Note: Not included in this total are the team's excursion to Cape Coast, passports, and Visas.

The money that you have already given to Faith Promise will cover the costs of the vision clinic, guest house accomodations, in-country travel, and the seed money for the church plants. Any additional offerings will go toward the costs of team members' airfare and medical costs.

We are so thankful for the generosity of all of the members of First Church in supporting missions through the Faith Promise campaign. Donations to Faith Promise can be marked "Ghana" if you would like to provide support specifically for this mission.