Making New Memories

Today would have been my 40th wedding anniversary. Life happened and it is not my 40th wedding anniversary. I get thinking each year when it rolls around. What would life be like today if I were still married? All the wondering and speculation. The reality is my life is VERY different than what I imagines 40 years ago. That doesn't stop me from wondering...

So, this morning during my quiet time, I decided today's theme would be, "Making New Memories." I try to do something nice for myself around this time of year. Well, due to the illness of my friends, I cancelled my plans for this weekend. I had a "stay-cation" instead. I pulled out my card making things yesterday and started working in Craft Central, Lawra Campus. It is still open for business.

When a friend of mine, Leela, heard it was my ex-anniversary today, she decided on the spot that we would go for a brunch picnic this morning. She rode her bicycle to my house, I put the last odds and ends in my backpack and away we went to picnic at the Lawra stadium.

There isn't much to the stadium except a wall and grass. Oh, and grazing animals and stuff that animals leave behind...if you know what I mean. We carefully looked at the ground and found a spot on which to place our cloths. As we unpacked our bags, we created quite a stir. What were these two white women doing? The sun is strong and they are sitting in it! Elvis and his friend kept a watch on us, hoping to reap the left over food. We had a lot of entertainment...sheep grazing, a man urinating, a farmer weeding, one of the boys mooning us, and then, they serenaded us. Oh, and I must not forget the women who stopped by to tell us we shouldn't sit there because people sh__ there. Such fun! 

As we packed up, we shared our left overs with the boys and let them take a spin on our bicycles. As we were leaving, Elvis told us, "Good bye and good luck!" What a lovely morning! New memories that make me smile were definitely made today! Isn't it just like God to take a day that could be filled with regrets and turn it into something beautiful. Thank You, Jesus! (And Leela!)

Lessons Learned from a Coloring Book

My dear friend, Tula, sent me a coloring book, a set of colored pencils and the accessories. I have to admit, when I looked at some of the pictures, I thought that I would never color something so tedious. Then, I became almost addicted! 

Coloring does relax me. It is good therapy! And, I don't need to pull out as much stuff to color as I do when I make cards.I feel so good when I finally finish a picture. But, I had to learn to "think outside the box." Leaves don't always have to be green. Flowers can be a variety of colors, not just the "normal" ones. Don't look close, Sometimes, I don't stay in the lines very well...when I am tired, if I try to hurry, or when the pencil point isn't very sharp, or, when I am not being careful!

Isn't that like our Christian life, too? We hurry. We aren't careful. We don't take time to be with God. We aren't as "sharp" because we haven't drawn our strength from Him. And, as we live out our daily lives, we are not showing a good reflection of him. 

As I was working on the above picture this morning, I thought, "What a mess I have made!" when I looked at a particular spot. I got out the eraser and managed to fix it. But, still, there are places that are "messy." Life gets messy, too. My God is the God of second chances. He forgives. I can try again, not in my strength, not with what I want to do, but with His strength, leading and guiding me. Sometimes life stays messy for a spell. God uses those times to glorify Himself, too, if we allow Him. 

My coloring isn't perfect. Never was. Never will be. And, that's OK. I won't stop coloring. It is a reflection of who I am. My life isn't perfect. Never was. Never will be. And that's OK. Because, I have a God, the Father, who loves me anyway. He leads me, gives me strength, gives me mercy and grace. And, because of His everlasting love, my life can be a reflection of Him.

He Loves Me!

 

Being Caretaker of a small village church in Ghana means that I don't often attend a worship service "just being part of the congregation." I am always busy...making sure things get done (which, they usually have been done.) I preach. Sometimes, on a Sunday morning, I will also teach Sunday School. Then, there are all of those books in which we keep church records...attendance by age and sex, collection, special collection...are people interested in a Baptism class? A visitor two might happen before I ride my motorcycle home. Even when the pastor comes to preach and to give communion, it is a busy day for me. So, even though I am able to see God work in many ways before, during, and after the service, I don't often personally feel the renewal of my spirit after a time of morning worship in Kalsagri. It is hard work! I guess that is where personal devotion time steps in to meet that need.

 

Anyway, while in the States this fall, I have been attending worship at a variety of Methodist churches. And, what I discovered is something I already knew. HE LOVES ME. I could put the "He" in a bold font, because the Lord God almighty, maker of the universe loves me. Or, I could put the "loves" in a bold font because that one supreme God, sent His Son to earth to live as a human being and teach me the Father's love...and to die an ugly death on the cross so that I could be in Heaven with Him, face to face one day. Or I could put "me" in a bold print because, even if I were the only person on earth, He would still do everything possible, everything needed so that one day I could be rejoicing in His kingdom.

 

The first four Sundays I was in Pennsylvania, I went to four different United Methodist churches. Each one of them celebrated the Lord's Supper on the Sunday I was there. It was almost too good to be true...to "just be part of the congregation," to worship, pray, listen to the message, and then to receive communion and meditate on the love of God. Ahhh! Balm for the soul.

 

Last Sunday, I attended Glenwood UMC. It was a communion Sunday. I went up front with everyone else to receive the elements...and as I ate the bread and drank the fruit of the vine, tears formed in my eyes. HE LOVES ME!

Celebrations

 

The people of Lawra Methodist Church can teach us all something about celebration and praising God! Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. Most everyone came to church with palm leaves or other types of leaves to wave during the "official" Palm Sunday type of song. Palm branches were in a variety of shapes and sizes, some branches came "as is," others were woven into numerous intricate designs. At the end of the service, when the "Hosanna" song was sung, the church really came alive with singing, dancing, jumping and praising King Jesus.It was definitely a "party" type atmosphere. Yes, Friday was coming, but this day, celebrating our King was in order.





 

Today is Easter Sunday. We remember that Jesus conquered sin and death and that "up from the grave He arose." As part of remembering the first Easter, our church went "looking for Jesus," just as the three women did so many years ago. The good news is that the tomb is empty! We met at 5 am at the community center and began a trek of singing praises (complete with drums) and preaching. Along our 1 1/2 hour route, we stopped five times for the word of God to be proclaimed to the nearby residents. The final sermon was at the center of town, at the traffic circle. There was preaching, singing, dancing, drumming, praying and proclaiming that our God is ALIVE. Three and a half hours later, we met for our regular Easter morning service. It has been a day of celebration and gratefulness to our Heavenly Father for His great love and mercy.

 

1 Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! Praise him in his Temple and in the heavens he made with mighty power. 2 Praise him for his mighty works. Praise his unequaled greatness. 3 Praise him with the trumpet and with lute and harp. 4 Praise him with the drums and dancing. Praise him with stringed instruments and horns. 5 Praise him with the cymbals, yes, loud clanging cymbals. 6 Let everything alive give praises to the Lord! You praise him! Hallelujah!

Psalms 150:1-6 (TLB)

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,  for his steadfast love endures forever.

2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.

3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;

4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;

5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;

6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;

7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;

8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;

9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;

10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;

11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;

12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;

13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;

14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;

15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;

16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;

17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;

18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;

19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;

20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;

21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;

22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.

23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever; 24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;

25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.

26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endure s forever.

Psalms 136:1-26 (NRSV)

 

Afraid to Dream...but God Knows

 

When I was a child, I had plenty of dreams. My biggest dreams were that someday "my prince would come" and I would be a wife and a mother. I dreamt of being a teacher, too...life would be wonderful. But, in the reality of my life, those dreams never unfolded in the same way they did in my mind. As a result, I have often found it difficult to dream and to dream big. While at Missionary Training International in August 2010, one of the hardest and most emotional exercises for me was to dream about where I would be living when I moved to Ghana. Dreaming was hard because I had already seen where I was to live. It was a lot different than if I could have asked for a few things and actually received them. I knew the reality and harshness of life where I was going.

 

God had other plans. He found me a house which has become my home. It is much nicer than I would have ever imagined or hoped for. All I had to do was pay the rent. And, over the course of my time in Ghana, God has truly surprised me in many ways, fulfilling some unspoken dreams.

 

Now, I am in the US, speaking about the mission I am doing in Ghana raising funding, being on the road almost constantly so far. It is VERY wearing on body, mind and, at times, spirit. Yet, God has been amazing me. Read on...

 

I had no vehicle to drive while in the US. How would I get around? Borrow my brother's car? Use my sister's car from time to time? Try to line up some rides? Then, while speaking to a friend, she said, "I have a car you can use until January." It was a Jeep Compass with 12,500 miles on it! When I left for Ghana, I had a 17 year old Honda civic! God knew what I needed. He provided.

 

One of the hopes for this trip was to raise enough money to buy a motorcycle, a small one, so I could more easily travel to villages to visit my special needs kids and to work in the village of Kasalgri. Last Sunday, I was at Cornwall UMC in Cornwall, PA and mentioned this. After church a young man came up to me and asked me about the motorcycle. He told me, "Don't worry, you will have your motorcycle." WOW! It ends up that this man is not only a state policeman, but a motorcycle instructor.

Last night, I was in Alum Bank, PA. After I was done speaking, someone came up to me and asked if I had a special need. I hesitantly replied, "Well, I don't have a NEED, I have a WANT...and it is very self serving. I'd like to buy an air conditioner that can withstand the fluctuations in the electricity in the north, one that would work well." She stood there and wrote out the check. I told her what a blessing she was to me...(I had gotten to know her some over the previous 2 days)...and said I feel "funny" asking for something like a/c. She said, "Why? You're a daughter of the King. You have not because you ask not." and she laid the check in my hand.

Today, in Chambersburg, I was told I would be on the receiving end of devotional/Christian growth books that will be bought when we have an outing to the Christian bookstore, something that I don't get much of in Ghana. 

 

God is showing me that it IS okay for me to dream, to ask, and, there will be times that the answer may be "no" or "not now." But, there are many, many more time that He wants to lavish His love on me, one of His beloved children!

Wioso

Each day with the Gandy's Cove team was different than all the other days. Each seemed to have it's own focus, even though three days were clinics, they were all different.

The first medical clinic was in Wioso, about an hour or so away from Kumasi. We set up the clinic at the Methodist church. As you can see from the pictures, the building of the church is a work in progress. When we arrived, already people were waiting to see the medical professionals. We set up the consulting areas, pharmacy, and OPD. Then, we were ready to begin.

The entire day was not about us, but about the love of Jesus Christ, so we began the clinic with prayer.

Then, we started seeing patients. At the Out Patient Department (OPD), names and symptoms were recorded as well as temperatures and blood pressures. Then, the patient entered the queue to see the doctor or the nurse.

The patient was seen by the medical professional, taking as much time as needed, rechecking vitals when needed, asking questions, prescribing meds and telling about the love of Jesus.

Everyone that came to the clinic received gentle touches from those working...a touch of a shoulder, holding of hands, a pat on the back, just to let them know that we care for them. Prayer was a major part of the day, clients being prayed for individually and as a group.

In the midst of all that was going on, we took a break. Pastor John shared the salvation message to all who were there.

Many people asked Jesus into their heart for the first time. Others recommitted their lives to Him.

As we continued with the clinic, a children's program was held. Games and songs and "holy hanging around time" was part of the agenda. 



Back at the clinic, patients were seen until the medicines that we brought were finished. 

One of the heartbreaks was turning away so many people because we didn't have the medicines to give them.

I pray that the seeds that were sown, the harvest that was reaped would not be in vain. I pray that these people would continue to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and they would bring others to Him. I pray that God will be glorified!





Barka, Gandy's Cove

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of being a part of a team from Gandy's Cove, AL. They came to Ghana to share the love of God through a medical mission trip. The pastor of their church led the group...he had lived in Ghana with his family for four years and was taking the group to places he had been in the past.

What a blessing this group of eight had been, not only to me, but to the people of the villages where they worked. I was able to see first hand how a team in Ghana can work. I had been a part of several teams in Russia, but doing the same type of thing in Ghana can be a nightmare! First of all, travel for a large group can cause one's hair to go grey and can be very expensive. Eight was the perfect size! Next, sleeping arrangements for a large group, especially when away from the large cities can be a challenge. The size of this group made accommodations reasonable.

The Gandy's Cove group showed me how a medical clinic can, and in many ways, should be run on a day to day basis. All patients were treated with love and dignity. Waiting time was as short as possible, with people working constantly until the medicine ran out. And, the team prayed with and for the patients. Each morning, we prayed for those who would be seen. And, the doctor and nurse, as well as others, prayed for individuals as the Spirit led them. People were so grateful for that! Sometimes, I think they appreciated the prayer more than the meds. Also, clients were touched, a hand on a shoulder, a touch of an arm, holding a hand or a child. Most Ghanaians are not demonstrative when it comes to affection. And, the human touch an be a source of healing. So, we made sure that people were touched on the arm, back, shoulder, head...just to let them know that they were special, not forgotten and that they are loved!

Most of all, I was blessed by being part of God's family who happen to live in Alabama. Life and especially work can be very demanding, with challenges that most Americans can't imagine. So, God used these dear people to put His salve on my spirit, to renew and energize me, to remind me that He is here in the midst of all the turmoil I face and He is watching over me. I have ideas that hopefully can be put into practice at our clinic, ways that can point to Jesus. And, I have a bit more courage to do and say the things that are needed. May God be glorified!

Barka, Gandy's Cove! (Thank You, Gandy's Cove.)