The New Love of My Life

The boy pictured here is the new love of my life, Eric. When I met Eric in April, he was 10 months old. He had just recovered from maleria, but was not released from the hospital because his family couldn't pay the hospital bill of 45 Ghana cedis which is about $32.

I would visit him at the Ankaase Methodist Faith Healing Hospital and hold him, play with him and pray for him. Unlike most children his age, he readily came to me. Others would cry because of my light colored skin. When I gave him back to his mom, Beatrice, he would reach out to me again. So, we would play more. He even fell asleep in my arms!

Eric reminded me of the trust we need to have in our heavenly Father. We need to constantly reach out to Him, be comfortable in His arms and not waver. We should be able to trust Him to be our security and be able to quietly rest in Him.

Thank you, Eric. I will never forget you!

Things I Learned in Ghana

~Boiled okra is slimy.

~There are different kinds of mangos just like there are different kinds of apples.

~Bananas are sweet, but they are even sweeter given to you by a friend.

~How to tell sheep and goats apart – goats’ tails go up. Sheep tails go down.

~Walking through a herd of cows is a great time to pray for protection.

~Water and electricity should not be taken for granted. They are gifts from God.

~Be prepared – church can last anywhere from two to six hours.

~The Muslim Imam can be VERY loud, especially ay 4 AM.

~Get up at dawn, be home by dark.

~The further north you live, the less food choices you have.

~Fu fu tastes better than teezert.

~There is only one letter difference between the Dagaare word for grace and the word for trouble. So, if you pray for God’s grace, make sure you end the word in an o and not an a.

~The richest people I know have very little material goods.

~Relationships are more important than schedules.

~God has given me a Ghanaian family, Ghanaian friends and a Ghanaian “home town.”

~There are not one, but two Ghanaian Albert Steiners!

~“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15

~ A chief can be enstooled (in the south) or enskinned (in the north.)

~ You can buy anything from your car window while waiting at a red light, especially in Accra. Things for sale include, but are not limited to water, eggs, apples, yams, biscuits, books, belts, ties, toilet paper, shirts, paint brushes, posters of Ghana, stickers for cars, apples, puzzles, super glue...

~ To carry a live chicken, pinch it's wings together behind it's back.

~ You can order hand sewn shrouds made to your specifications AND you can order a coffin any size and shape you want.

~ Trust. I learned that God is teaching me to trust. He used a Ghanaian pastor to open my eyes to this lesson.