Disturb Us, Lord

Disturb us, Lord when we are too pleased with ourselves,

When our Dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, with the abundance of things we possess

We have lost the thirst for the waters of life

Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity.

And, in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas where storms will show Your mastery;

Where loosing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes,

And to push into the future in stregnth, courage, hope and love.

Attributed to Sir Francis Drake, 1577

Gaurenteed Dividends

I'm sure most people have been watching what has been happening on Wall Street during the last two weeks. People have lost more money than I'll ever see in a lifetime.

But, there IS good news!

When you invest in Missions, in spreading the Word of God throughout the world, you will always have dividends. There WILL be great rewards.

Invest in Missions today. You won't be disappointed!

Blessed to be Born in the USA

I am so blessed. So are you.

This week I have been working on lessons for the Children's Program for a week long Mission Festival. I am focusing on Bibleless people groups. And, I am overwhelmed at how blessed I am just because I was born in the United States of America. I own at least 8 Bibles of various translations in my heart language. Some have footnotes and some are study Bibles and some are annotated.

Do I appreciate this blessing? Rarely. Yes, I read Scripture. Yes, I study Scripture. Not as much as I should. I have become accustomed to having Bibles around. The Word of God is easy to access. Yet, I don't always take advantage of it. Most times the child like wonder of it all is missing. I get caught up in "stuff to do" instead of getting caught in the Word of God.

Ghana has 79 languages not counting the dialects. Only a couple of these languages have a complete Bible. People there hunger and thirst for the Word of God in their heart language. I should, too.

This IS a Test

This IS a test. I think it has somethig to do with that "5 letter 'T' word" again.

I had excruciating pain on Tuesday night. It lasted for hours. Of course, I didn't call anyone. The good news is, it was not a heart attack. It may be gall bladder trouble. So, I am in the midst of tests. some which aren't scheduled for 3 weeks.

Trust is the key word here. I have knee replacement surgery scheduled for Dec. 9. I am traveling all over PA during the next 3 weeks, speaking at churches and communing with God and driving back home in the midst of it all for tests and doctors appointments. I have to admit, I'm not thrilled about all the driving. But, things need to be done. And I need to trust God to keep me safe and awake as I drive. I need to trust Him as the Great Physician, trusting that all will be well in time for my knee surgery.

The Girl Effect

In most of the world, girls are denied education. Or, at best, their families cannot afford to send them to school. Families have to pay for the education of their children. Many countries do not provide secondary education that is underwrited by the government/taxes. So, since girls are thought of as being of less worth than a boy, they oftentimes do not get an education.

Girls can change the world!
(With Christ's help. of course!)

Bibleless People

Most people in Ghana's Upper West Region are illiterate. Less than 5% of the population can read their first or heart language. These men are watching and listening to a Pastor during a sermon. It was the first time a Pastor was ever at their church. The leadership of the church is given by a young man that recently finished Senior Secondary School and can read English. There is NO Bible in the language of these people.




Rev. John Russell visited this church that meets under a tree in the middle of a corn field. He gave a salvation message to the people in attendance. He used word pictures and demonstrated what he could. In this picture he was demonstrating the weight of sin. People listened. Seeds were planted. Only the Lord of the Harvest knows what will happen next.

Pray that the Bible will become available in all 79 languages of Ghana and in all the numerous dialects.

In what language would Jesus speak to these people?
In their own.

Friend or Foe?

This monkey is a pet of one of the churches in the Upper West Region of Ghana that I have visited. Most of the kids are afraid of him. Monkeys can sense fear just like dogs do, which doesn't help. But, if you at least try to act like you are not afraid, the monkey will allow you to pet it and feed it. (I did both.)

Many people in this region of Ghana believe if you have a pet whatever, that the animal will keep the evil spirits away. I can't help but wonder...is this monkey a friend or a foe? Is he just a pet (friend) that is tied in a tree and taken care of by people in the church? Or is he a foe and used as an animal to keep away evil spirits - a part of the ethnic religions that are so prevalant in the north?

Where do you put your trust? Is it in your job? your health? Your bank account? Your 401K? or is your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Reading Town Library Dedicated

Reading Town Library, Ankaase, Ghana

Hannah, Assistant Librarian (L), Julie, Head Librarian (R)

Books Needed to be Catalogued

Entering Data, Cataloguing Books

Children Enjoying Books

Reading Town Library, in the village of Ankaase, Ghana, was dedicated to the glory of God on Sat., Sept. 20. It has been in the process of being built for the last four years. The purpose of this library is to give the people of Ankaase a chance to improve their lives by reading, studying, literacy and computer classes.

A Gift from the Heart

What is the most memorable gift that you have ever received? (Other than the gift of salvation.) Perhaps it was a diamond, the promise of love and a life together. A child is definately a memorable gift from God. Maybe it was a family heirloom. Up to this point for me, it had been a teddy bear given to me by an orphan in Russia. But, I'm thinking the gift I received in Ghana will top that. I was given a live chicken - a rooster to be exact - by the people of the Lawra Methodist Integrated Health Ministries.

Now, what did I do with that live rooster? Well, I graciously accepted it and took it back to Wa where my friends live. I blessed their night watchman with it. I imagine it has been dinner by now.

What impressed me most, both by the teddy bear in Russia and the chicken in Ghana, is that the gift was given not out of the giver's excess, but out of the giver's meager possessions. They both were given sacrificially. The chicken was badly needed food, yet it was given with a grateful heart.

When was the last time you gave sacrificially? When was the last time I gave sacrificially? May God forgive us for being "spoiled Americans" in an "it's all about what I want or what I think I need" type of society.

Someone Who Has Touched My Life

This young boy's name is Kwabana. He lives in an orphanage in Lawra, in the north western part of Ghana. And, he has TB in his bones. He's the oldest child in the orphanage, yet smaller than most. When he smiles, he can light up the whole country. He doesn't have a "Woe is me" attitude. His attitude is one of servanthood, wanting to help. When I was there two weeks ago, I had taken some fruit for the children with me. Kwabana wanted to help, so he took a bag from me. It was filled with oranges! The poor dear tried to lift the bag and put it on his head to carry the oranges. His arm was shaking because of the weight of it. My friend, very politely said, "Here, Kwabana, let me carry that for you. You can carry this for me." and gave him a small, lightweight package. Kwabana held out both his hands and cradled the package as if it were priceless crystal. He carried it safely to it's destination, then went outside to be with the other children.

Sometimes, I, too, try to carry a load that is just too big for me to bear. And, my heavenly Father says, "Here, Sue, let Me carry that for you. You can carry this instead." And, what He gives me is something I can handle because He has taught me how to carry that type of load.

I pray that I will always be open to what the Lord has to teach me through others. I'm grateful for the lessons He has taught me and still continues to teach me. May I always have a teachable spirit.

God Heals Computers!

Yesterday, after church, a couple of friends came over for dinner and to work on my computer. Four hours later, after using the gifts God gave him, Chuck retrieved my pictures & videos from my trip, rebooted my computer a few times and retriieved all my data. God is good! I still will do whatever is suggested by the tech people at the office to insure the health and working condition of my computer. But, for now, I am so thankful to have the pictures back! Praise God!

Kolongo

Kolongo Methodist Society

Sharing God's Word

One of the opportunities I had while in Ghana was to visit several village churches. This church, in the village of Kolongo, meets under a tree since they have no building. They have no pastor, either. The people of the village wanted to worship the One, True God, so they drcided to start meeting together. The person who provides leadership for this church is Abraham, a young man who recently finished Senior Secondary School. We found out about the existance of this church only a few days before we visited. It was the first time they had an ordained minister at their service.

That's what it is like in the northern region. People have nothing, yet they want to worship, and they band together. Many give up the opportunity to earn a few cedis so they can attend worship. The caretakers (the people who provide leadership for the village churches) are barely paid. But, they do what they do because of their love of Jesus Christ. The worship at this church was incredible. Let me just say, God was definately there!

Back in the USA

I arrived back in the USA yesterday. Ghana was amazing again. I fell more and more in love with the country and it's people, especially with the children in the north who have been orphaned by AIDS. I would love to show you pictures. Hopefully, those will come. (My computer crashed while there and the pictures are on the computer.) The north is a poverty filled area where nobody chooses to live. There are no opportunities there. Children don't get the good education they need because teachers don't want to live in the north. The area where I was doesn't even have a doctor at the hospital.

I'll get off my soap box. Just know that there are many in the northern part of Ghana that need prayer, support and people who are willing to put their faith into action and go there to help people with their immediate needs and help them learn how to provide for themselves in the future.