Home, Sweet Home

Home, sweet home. It's so nice to be home again. There is something very comforting about being home. It's at home when I am most content. It's at home I can be myself and feel/express whatever emotion I am feeling without having someone wonder about it. Everything at home is familiar-clothes, food, rooms, books, storage, and the veranda...my place where I have my time with the Lord. I can study at home. I can work at home...sometimes. The children come to play at my house. I love to hear them call to me, "Maakum! Maakum!" and see their smiling and expectant faces.I provide an island of familiarity to expats from Europe and the United States. When a respite is needed for these volunteers, I can provide it. But, most of all, being at home means being with "my people." God has given me family and friends for this chapter of my life. They are the people with whom I work and "play," those with whom I live among-the Dagaaba of the Upper West Region of Ghana, in the Lawra area. 

Life can be very challenging at times. I had three different plumbers here for a total of five times before my toilet was fixed! The ATM machine was broken. When it was fixed, it wouldn't take my US bank card. The next closest ATM machine is a two hour one way trip away. I can arrive at church on a Sunday morning, and no one is there, not even at the time the service is supposed to start. Being sick can present it's own set of challenges, too.

Praise God! He has a plan for all of these challenges. I am happy to say that the toilet was fixed before I got sick. And, when I was sick, I had the luxury of soft toilet paper that I bought in Accra, 15 hours away! When I traveled to Wa to use the ATM machine, I was able to buy "soft chicken" and potatoes for Christmas dinner that was shared with Ghanaians and expats alike. The Physician's Assistant is a good friend, and makes house calls! And, even thought it was VERY cold on Christmas Day (80 degrees F)  and no one was in church at 9:30 am, there were 20 people who came to worship Emmanuel, God with us! Even now, there are children's voices coming from my veranda. What a sweet sound. 

Home, sweet home. It's so good to be "home." Yet, I am a stranger here in Lawra because I am not Ghanaian. And, I am a stranger in this world because I am a follower of Jesus. I look forward to someday being in my Heavenly home...just not yet!

...They Are Life

"The words I have spoken to you," Jesus says,"are spirit and

they are life." (John 6:63)

They are life...so, when I feel as if the joy of life is ebbing away, I need Your words, Lord. If I am tempted to give into depression, or a "woe is me" attitude, Your words will give life. When the words or actions of others threaten to suck life out of me, Your words give life. Lord, I need You and Your words. Life has its challenges.. Some days those challenges are small. Other days, those challenges are big. And, once in a while, those challenges are HUGE! But, if I immerse myself in Your word, meditate on it, learn from it, know it, lean on it, draw strength from it, no challenge is too big for us together. Life is You. I am determined not to give in to the pull of the world. Instead, I choose life! - Your life!

Home Again

 

I arrived in Ghana on Tuesday, February 17, 2015. But, I didn't arrive home until Friday, the 20th. Jasper picked me up at the airport. Then, I exchanged money and went meat and cheese shopping before going to the Jackson's house to spend two nights. When we arrived, I discovered one of my suitcases was broken and in a matter of minutes, I dropped my phone which was now beyond repair! I was thankful for the phone that was given me while in the US. I put my stuff in the freezer. Later that night, the electricity went out. (Accra is on a schedule 12 hours on, 24 hours off.) I prayed my food would survive!

 

Wednesday, Charlie took me to Vodafone to buy a new one. (The phone from the US does not support the apps I use. The operating system could not be updated. But, it works great as a second phone!) I also prepared for my trip north. We decided to take two days, not pushing a 14+ hour drive in one day. Jasper and I left Sunyani on Thursday, and on to Lawra, Friday. We stayed with the Methodist bishop in Sunyani. His deep freeze was working fine and the electricity was on, so everything of mine was solid before we left on Friday. On Friday, we stopped in Wa so I could buy vegetables at the market. Lettuce was available! We arrived in Lawra around 1:00 in the afternoon. There were things to be done before going to my house...greet the pastor, drop off donations to the Lawra Methodist Children's Centre and buy fuel.

 

Finally, home! Sydney was there to greet me and unlock the door. The truck was unloaded and Jasper was on his way back to Accra. I was greeted with dust...EVERYWHERE! I had to clean as I started to unpack and put things away. Even so, it was good to be home!

 

Since Friday, I have had my motorcycle serviced, twice. Once for an oil change and a new battery and once for a flat tire. The tube was spoiled. The plumber is here for the second time. Yesterday, he fixed the kitchen sink. Today, he is fixing the wash sink. The clothes line was spoiled and needed replaced. Monday, the laundry was done and floors were well cleaned. I also found out that I needed to buy a new SIM card for my internet. the one I had was too old! I have worshipped in Kalsagri, visited the pastor, the Lawra Methodist Primary School, and the Tea Shop. I visited daily market and saw some of the ladies from Kalsagri selling their shea butter. (See above picture.) Now, I am trying to catch up on church work, emails, etc. Even though the pastor told me to rest this week, it hasn't happened much. I am just so glad to be home! I thank God for bringing me back safely. 

Frustrations and Joys

Life in Lawra can be challenging in many ways. But, to me, the most challenging things have to do with electronics. The electricity is not stable, it is not always available ("lights off" happens more frequently than I'd like), the internet is slow, some web pages cannot be viewed with a VPN...even this blog post has taken me more than two weeks to write and post, because putting a picture on it has caused me more challenges than I have been ready to face...and...without my morning coffee!!! When I first moved to Lawra, MTN was the internet provider to use...when it worked. Then, Vodafone was amazingly fast! I no longer had to start dinner or do dishes while waiting for a web page to load. That worked for a while. Last year, I heard that airtel worked even better. So, I tried it. I could upload pictures without growing old! WOW! How nice. This year, MTN upgraded their towers. 3G is now available in Lawra! YAY! I can be on my computer, email, use my VPN without everything freezing up and...wait...there is no connection...it was fine a minute ago...oh, airtel will work...hmmm...It's back on! Let me try Skype...I video Skyped my brother in Pennsylvania. It was the first time in a long time that I saw him with my own eyes...and his wife...and his grand dogs...what a blessing. Yes, electronics can be a real challenge at times, but, "joy comes in the morning!" (Ps. 30:5b)

Still Learning....

 

Today is market day in Lawra. So, in Kalsagri, we have our worship service at 7:00 am so people will have plenty of time to buy and sell. Several times, even many times over the last two weeks, we have announced this fact. I even told the congregation on Wednesday, Sunday, when it gets light outside, get up, bath, get dressed, eat fast and come to church. I had hopes that people would do so...it happened in the past.

 

I left my house around 6:35 am. The air was crisp. I almost expected to see frost on the ground. My arms were cold as I zipped (did I really "zip"?) along the road to Kalsagri. The sun was low and beautiful. What a lovely drive! Yet, when I arrived in Kalsagri, "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." No one was at church. It was locked. No benches were set out. The drum was still locked inside. No one was around. 7:00 came and went. No one. 7:10 came and went. No one. 7:20 came and went. Still, nada. 7:30 came and went...should I go home? The first person arrived at 7:33. Then, another person, a cripples man, walking on his hands, arrived. By 8:00, there were seven (7) of us. So, we started the service.

 

Little by little people did come. It was cold outside. The sun does not come up as early this time of year. Some people were out late last night. Whatever the reason, they did not come at 7:00 am, but they did come. By 9:00, there were 80 people there. And, by the time the service was over, there were over one hundred in attendance.

 

During the testimony time, I stood up to speak. I asked for forgiveness for thinking like an American. I am living in a country, in an area, where people do not have clocks. They do not have watches. They do not have cell phones on which the time is displayed. What they do have is the sun. When a person wakes up, they look at the position of the sun. And, that is how time is marked...by the sun. So, when the sun rises late during this time of year, I need to be sensitive to that fact. People did come to church. But, they came according to the clock in the sky, not the one on my wrist. I hope I learned this lesson today. The lesson? It would be that I am not living in America. The lesson that telling time by the sun is not wrong only different. And, the lesson that God calls people to His house, not me!

A Bend in the Road...the Journey Continues

 

This past Wednesday, I traveled to Kumasi. I was hoping to see Naamal at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. The last I heard was that she needed surgery for an additional benign tumor and her father was "dragging his feet" to return her to KATH. Plenty of people here in Ghana and throughout the world we praying that he would bring her back for the needed surgery. Well, Dad did bring her to the hospital this week. I, along with Rev. Job, went to see her and her father.

 

We were able to talk with Naamal's father and to see Naamal. She is looking fine except for that huge tumor in her mouth. It was cute to see her wave & smile at Rev. Job. She has gotten to know him during her visits to KATH.

 

While we were at KATH, we were able to talk with one of Naamal's doctors. This is what he said, "Naamal's tumor is NOT benign. It is malignant. This type does not respond to chemotherapy. Naamal will have to have surgery. They will open her up, from her bottom lip down and remove as much of the tumor as possible. And, since her jaw has been destroyed by the growing of this tumor, the jaw will have to be removed. Either a mesh or a plate will be inserted to keep her face from caving in. Either now, or later, a plate will be put in that will be permanent. Then reconstructive surgery will have to be done when she has finished growing. A feeding tube will have to be inserted for awhile. But, the doctors won't know until the surgery if it will be able to be inserted through the mouth or not. They may have to make an incision in the throat and insert it that way. When it is all over and done, the only deformity she will have is that her mouth will be a bit wider than normal." The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, 29 October 2013.

Prior to surgery, Naamal's father, Joseph, has to find at least two people to donate blood for use during surgery. Plus, any tubes, mesh, plates etc, that will be needed for surgery will have to be bought since the health insurance does not cover these costs.

 

As I left the hospital, I was about to cry. I knew that Naamal would need extensive work done. But, hearing it made it so much more real. My heart was crying, even if my eyes weren't. "O, LORD. please be with Naamal as she travels this road. My heart hurts for her as I think of removing the jaw. I pray that Joseph, her father, will still agree to the surgery when he realises what it involves. Father God, watch over this small one of Yours, give her peace. Somehow, let her know that she is safe in Your hands. And, when it is over and done, may Naamal and Joseph praise Your name and give You thanks for Naamal's health. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

A Broken Front Tooth and Thankfulness

Early this afternoon, my front tooth felt a little weird...something wasn't right. So, I called my dentist and made an appointment for Wednesday afternoon. No problem. Then, I sat down to watch numb3rs. As I was watching, I was eating pretzel Combos with cheddar cheese. Mmmmm...until I felt a filling in my mouth instead of a pretzel. Now what? I called my dentist again, pleaded with the receptionist, called another doctor and rescheduled that appointment and finally made an appointment with my dentist at 1:30 Monday afternoon, and put the broken filling back in place. That leaves me with a loose filling in my front tooth that can come out again at any time. Agh! My Sunday School class is having breakfast for me on Sunday! I am with a compromised tooth for four days! Ugh!

 

Yet, I am thankful to God. I am thankful that I was able to replace the filling. I am thankful that I can see my dentist on Monday afternoon. I am thankful that I was able to call my friend, Tula, and whine for awhile. I am thankful that I don't have to travel 18 hours to a dentist. I am thankful that I was able to reschedule my other doctor appointment. Things didn't work out the way I wanted them to, they rarely do. But, I have a choice. Do I let the circumstances drag me down, or do I say, "Thank You, Jesus for this opportunity to trust You." and go on with my life. I choose to say, "Thank You!" in the midst of circumstances that I don't necessarily like. How about you? 

Challenges

Lord, sometimes I wish
you'd quit challenging me.
You're always at it.
Everytime I turn around,
You've got a new one
for me.
And your challenges
have a way
of turning everything
upside down.

They force me to change things
I'd like to leave alone.
They make me do things
I've never done before.
They knock all of the
complacency
out of me.
They're unsettling.

Forgive me, Lord,
for wishing you to stop
daring me
to learn,
to grow,
to give myself away,
to love,
to live.
Without those challenges
of yours
I'd die.

~ From Souveniers of Solitude by Brennan Manning