2017 - a Year of Hope

2016 is history. 2017 is full of possibilities. It is right before me. What are my hopes? What dreams do I have? What goals have I set? What choices will I make? All of this remains to be seen. The one thing I am sure of is my commitment to be available to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today I pray the words of John Wesley:

I am no longer my own, but thine.Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.Put me to doing, put me to suffering.Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,exalted for thee or brought low for thee.Let me be full, let me be empty.Let me have all things, let me have nothing.I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,thou art mine, and I am thine.So be it.And the covenant which I have made on earth,let it be ratified in heaven.Amen.

On the Way to My Dream

My last blog talked about a dream I have...a dream that, at times seems impossible. My dream is to have a week when everything works and I don't have to call a repairman. Well, I am on the way to that dream! My trousers were altered by a seamstress. An electrician came and fixed the outlet that was incorrectly installed in my wall. And, he took apart my ceiling fan (again) and fixed that. Joe came and fixed my toilet. Now, it flushes like a normal toilet and you don't have to wait four hours for the tank to fill. Even more exciting than a fixed toilet, is a fixed air conditioner! (I have been thanking God for three days now.) When I woke up Thursday morning, it was a nippy 66 degrees in my bedroom. Even now, it is 76 degrees. Abraham and his crew came at dusk on Wednesday. They held flashlights in their mouths as they cut a pipe and welded it back together, fixing the place where the gas was escaping. A nice sleep, with slipper socks, long sleeved t shirt, long pajama pants and a blanket (along with Slake, my stuffed giraffe) makes so many things go so much better. And, the fact that I have been spending more intentional time with the Lord doesn't hurt either. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It will happen. My dream will come true!

It Could Happen!

I have a dream. No, it is nothing like Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's dream. My dream is quite selfish! I dream of a week when I will not have to call a repairman, when everything in my house works and is not broken or leaking or in need of any kind of repair or maintenance. These past few weeks, I have had my ceiling fan worked on five times. It still makes noises and after an hour has an electrical burn smell. Yesterday, I had an outlet and a plug replaced. The outlet is not usable. I refuse to force a plug into it because I don't want to break a plug off of something I use. It rained last night. I felt a drip drip on my foot. My roof is leaking through the ceiling and onto my bed. I had my motorcycle serviced and when I picked it up, the speedometer wasn't working. I took cloth to the seamstress who took my measurements and told me when to pick up my clothes. They weren't ready on the specified day. When they were ready, they didn't fit. I had to have them altered. My toilet tank takes 4-5 hours to refill drop by drop. (Maybe I should put it under the leak in the bedroom.) And, the air conditioner...don't get me started on that! I have had someone here at least six times to work on it. Yesterday, I had someone new. He found the problem. So, maybe today it will get fixed. I don't know. I do have two electricians and a plumber who are supposed to be coming today. I have a called a carpenter. When people will actually come, I don't know.

These are the things that make me weary. Make me tired. Make me want to get lost in a god book. I know things break. I know things wear out. I know things aren't perfect and need repaired or replaced. I know getting things repaired here is a challenge. There are only a couple of people who are plumbers or electricians. (There are a few more carpenters.) The Dagaare language does not have a word for maintenance. And, sometimes, it is just easier replacing the item instead of getting it fixed. (That is, if the item is available in the community in which you live.) But, for now, I am holding onto that dream...

I have a dream....there will be one week in which I will not have to call a repairman and nothing will break or leak or fall apart. It could happen! Just like the refreshing rains could come...it could happen!

Hope for the Future

 

Last Thursday, my close friend, Cathy, received her Master's Degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. (Cathy is one of those very creative geek types. I wish I could do even a fraction of what she can do.) There were hundreds of people receiving their diplomas, each had earned a Bachelor, Master or Doctorate Degree. And, I sat there and thought about all the opportunities that lay in the future for these men and women. The possibilities are endless. They all have such hope for their futures.

 

I couldn't help but think of the people I know in Ghana, people who struggle to receive even a secondary education. It is costly for them. Many families cannot afford it. Then, on to a post secondary education...it is hard for most people, it is hard for everyone I know. It seems as if people who live in my area, if they want further education, go to school on weekends, working during the week. That way, they can support their family while pursuing an education. Only 5% of Ghana's population has a post secondary education. Again, in my area, most people can look forward to farming the rest of their lives, trying to eek out a living by selling whatever they might have extra. Possibilities for the future? Not for many. Hope for a better life? Not much. Opportunities for a job? Nope. They just aren't available.

 

I am so happy for Cathy. Excited about her future. But, my heart breaks for those in Lawra who struggle just to feed their families. Cathy is sharing in the work of God in Ghana and in other places in the world, providing some hope for those who are hopeless about their future. What about you?



With Hope

In the words of Steven Curtis Chapman:

 

This was not how we thought it was supposed to be.

We had so many plans for you, we had so many dreams.

And now you’ve gone away and left us with the memories of your smile.
And nothing we can say and nothing we can do
Can take away the pain, the pain of losing you, but…

 We cry with hope, we say good-bye with hope,

‘Cause we know that our good bye is not the end, oh no.
And we can grieve with hope, ‘cause we believe with hope
(There’s a place by God’s grace)
There’s a place where we’ll see your face again, we’ll see your face again.

And never have I know anything so hard to understand,

And never have I questioned more the wisdom of God’s plan.
But through the cloud of tears, I see the Father’s smile and say well done.
And I imagine you where you most wanted to be,
Seeing all your dreams come true,
‘Cause now your home, and now your free and…

We cry with hope, we say good-bye with hope,

‘Cause we know that our good bye is not the end, oh no.
And we can grieve with hope, ‘cause we believe with hope
(There’s a place by God’s grace)
There’s a place where we’ll see your face again, we’ll see your face again.

 We have this hope as an anchor

‘Cause we believe that everything God promised is true, so…

We cry with hope, we say good-bye with hope,

‘Cause we know that our good bye is not the end, oh no.
And we can grieve with hope, ‘cause we believe with hope
(There’s a place by God’s grace)
There’s a place where we’ll see your face again, we’ll see your face again.

We wait with hope…
And we ache with hope…
We hold on with hope…
We let go with hope…

                                                                  ~With Hope by Steven Curtis Chapman

Staggering Statistics

I recently read a book, AIDS Is Real and it's in our CHURCH by Jean Garland and Dr. Mike Blyth. (First published in 2003.) It is an excellent book, especially if you are working anyplace in Africa. I especially liked the true life stories and the cultural facts. It opened my eyes to a lot of things...

~ 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide and 29.4 million live in sub-Saharan Africa.
~ In 16 countries in Africa, more than 1 in 10 adults is living with HIV.
~ In seven countries in the south of Africa, one in five adults are living with HIV.
~ 13 million children worldwide are orphans due to AIDS.
~ 2/3 of all people living with HIV/AIDS are in sub-Saharan Africa, although only 10% of the world's population lives there.
~ Many, if not most, African women living with HIV/AIDS were infected by their husbands.
~ 800,000 African children were newly infected in 2001.
3.5 million Africans were newly infected in 2002.
~ 9 out of ten people infected with HIV are unaware that they have it.
~ HIV test can read positive for the first three months the person is infected.
~ 80% - 90% HIV infections in Africa occur through sexual intercourse.
~ 10% of all HIV infections are passed on from mother to child.
~ You cannot know if a baby is HIV positive until 18 months after birth.
~ 5% - 10% HIV infections in Africa are from blood transfusions.
~ About 5% of HIV infections are from sharing needles, blades & other sharp objects.
~There are some cases of the HIV virus surviving in water for up to 2 weeks and up to 7 days in a dry, dusty climate.
~ Half the sex workers in Ghana are HIV positive.
~ Most people who are HIV positive in Africa are in the 20 - 40 year old age bracket.
~ Condoms are only 80% effective in preventing HIV.
~ AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa.
~ In Sub-Saharan Africa, life expectancy has dropped from 62 years to 47 years because of HIV.
~ In Zambia, teacher deaths from AIDS is equal to half the total of new teachers trained annually in the country.
~ Ghana has a relatively low HIV rate, 1.5%. In the Upper West Region, it is 6%.
~ In the last 20 years, AIDS has killed ten times more people than all of the wars in Africa in the last 100 years.

These statistics show that, as Christians, we have a job to do. If we believe as John Wesley did, "The world is my parish", what are we doing to be Christ to those who desperately need Him? I have read that HIV has another meaning, one that is so very important to those who are HIV positive...

HIV...HOPE IS VITAL!

A Rough Two Weeks

It's been a rough couple of weeks. We have been very short handed at the clinic because of staff being on leave. Plus, the two people posted to out clinic from the district assembly are on strike. I am grateful that one of them has come to help out anyway. May God bless her. And, then there is Razak who has been manning the registration at the OPD and taking vital signs. What would we do if he wasn't flexible?

Since the Gandy's Cove team has left, I haven't felt well. I haven't been sick enough to stay in bed, but I am not feeling well enough to give 100%. I have acquired a cough I can't shake. Then, when I went to Tamale, I found out I had malaria. It wasn't as bad as last year (thank You, Jesus), but, it was still malaria.

Then, I found out that a sixteen year old mother of a one year old boy was raped by someone much older than herself. And,then to find out she is pregnant as a result of the rape. (She is also HIV positive.)

Add to all of that, in Wa, there was an attempted robbery of two Americans at "machete point." They reacted in self defense with the ultimate end that one of the robbers died due to stab wounds inflicted by one of the Americans. I know one of the people involved. That person did not have the knife. So, all the foreign NGO's (non government organizations) pulled out of the Upper West Region except for VSO. They only pulled out of Wa. And, the US State Dept. put a "ban" on any unnecessary travel in the Upper West for American citizens.

A good friend of mine, Lawrence, who lives in Tamale, was here in Lawra for several days. His father was sick and in the hospital. Lawrence made it to Lawra the day before his father died. Now, his extended family has to prepare for a three day funeral with hundreds of people attending, most expecting to be fed for three days. That on top of the cost of a coffin, renting chairs and canopies (the funeral will be at the family house or land. Where do people who live in such a poor area come up for the funds for all of this? 

Another friend has a small boy who was in the hospital for several days. She was asking several people to donate blood for her son.

VSO has called their people back to Wa, but the others are still away. Add to the mixture situations I can't even begin to get into.

In a world with so much sickness, so much death, so much turmoil, so much sadness...how do people survive without the hope of Christ? We NEED to be Christ to them and to speak Christ to them.

Don't worry, I am not going off the deep end. I need a few days to sleep, relax, rest, pray. I need a Sabbath rest that lasts for more than a few hours. Then, I will be strong in the strength of Christ. Now, I need to rest in Him.

The Smell of Hope

Harmatan is ending. I have enjoyed the cooler temperatures during the night and early morning. I've enjoyed the cooler winds, except when I have to ride my bicycle against it! But, Harmatan is very dusty since there has not been rain since the beginning of October. Floors and windows need to be cleaned often. The table tops and chairs need wiped off every day. And, when riding a bicycle, I often feel like I have been eating dust. I even had to wash the inside of my oven before I baked because there was so much dust in there!

As I ride my bicycle to the office or to see the children or to town, I sweat because even though it is cooler, to me, it is still hot! I've been here a year and it is still summer. I ride against the wind, and "chew" the dust that follows behind cars and buses, and it is not pleasant. The goats have eaten all my flowers. Everything is brown unless it has deep roots. Then, I feel a slight breeze. I smell something WONDERFUL that reminds me of the smell of tulips or daffodils. It is the flower of the nyɛm tree. It reminds me that rain and flowers and green things are coming. And, they will...in time.

I chose to believe in the things I cannot see. I am hoping for a better day as far as climate goes. I know there will be a better day in heaven, too. HOPE. That's what it is about. I HOPE seeds are being planted. I HOPE they will will be watered. I HOPE they will bloom and grow. I HOPE my kids will know their heavenly Father. I HOPE my kids will grow up to be men and women of God. I HOPE that things that I don't see, that I don't understand will one day make sense to me. I HOPE I will remain faithful. I HOPE to be with Jesus one day. I HOPE that many others will be there, too. This sweet smell reminds me of HOPE. And I will hang onto HOPE all the days of my life.  

  

All Hope is Gone!

This is a picture of Bernice when she was 4 years old. She was a happy child, walking, talking, playing, even going to preschool! She was a typical little girl, the joy of her parents.

Then, about a year ago, when Bernice was 10 years old, something happened. Her mother doesn't know what. It seems that almost overnight, Bernice could not walk, could not talk, was not able to play or do any of the things she had been doing. She can't even bend her right leg at all. Who or what robbed her of the rest of her childhood? No one knows. There are not any medical personnel in the Lawra area that can give her parents any help, any hope for their child.

I know that "Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness..." But, How does that answer questions of a parent, especially if they don't know Jesus? How do parents deal with "malformed children" (the term used here in Lawra) in an area where there is such a stigma placed on families and children such as these? It is believed that if a child becomes like this, the spirits have been spoken about wrongly or the parents or child did something to displease the spirits and this is the result.

My God is bigger than all of that. My God could heal Bernice, if He so chose. He could do it immediately. He could do it through medicine and therapy. Or, He may do even a bigger miracle and give this family the hope of Jesus Christ. He may become their first love, their Lord and Savior. My prayer is that God will use me and others to help Bernice and her family not only physically, but would give them a spiritual healing also. May the Father be glorified!

Hope

hope verb to wish for something with the expectation of its fulfillment; to have confidence, trust

-The Free Online Dictionary

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and

certain of what we do not see.

-Hebrews 11:1

Future with a Hope

I just finished reading a blog post by Bishop Bickerton of the United Methodist Church. He used the phrase "a future with a hope." I really like that phrase with the reference to Jer. 29:11. Usually I hear, "a hope and a future." But, the kids I work with, whether they are in Russia, Central Asia, Ghana, the jungles and mountain villages of Peru really need a future with a hope. They need blessings for today and the hope that their future will be better, along with the hope that we have in Jesus Christ! What a timely reminder! Thank you, Bishop!