Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. It's the day when we Americans honor our fathers, for who they are, their impact on our lives and the love they have for their children.

During our prayer time in Sunday School, I couldn't help but pray for those children who don't have fathers. I prayed for those whose fathers are dead or have chosen not to be a part of their child's life. And, I prayed for those who take the time to be a father figure or a Godly male influence to the countless orphans throughout the world. It isn't an easy job.

I pray that God would give wisdom, patience and unconditional love to all fathers. And, I pray that God would send men out into the world to "step up" to fill in the gaps where fathers should be. Every child needs to know the love of a father.

It's That 5 Letter "T" Word Again

It's that 5 letter "T" word again - TRUST. I have tickets to go to Brazil on July 2nd, but my visa has not arrived yet. And, I am getting a little concerned. I am so used to sending my passport overnight to a consulate for a visa on Monday and having it in my hand by Thursday. But, that's not how it is working this time. First of all, the Consulate of Brazil does not accept requests for visas by mail. So, I had to use a travel document agency. It's been over two weeks now. And, I won't be home most of the week (again) to sign for it. Ugh! So, what can I do? TRUST God that all will happen in His perfect timing. Until then, I'll stay home as much as I can (two days), hoping that it will come and I will be here to sign for it.

God Knows

Today is the day before the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church begins. It was a day of prayer and healing. Tonight there was a healing service in the chapel. And, as I was sitting there praying and thinking, God knew...He just knew. He knew what I needed! I never voiced it, but He knew. A friend came up to me and said, "Sue, I'd like to pray for you. I'd like to pray something specific that the Lord has put on my heart. As this friend spoke to me and prayed, we both were crying. I was crying because every word of that prayer was what I needed, was what I was thinking, was where in my spirit I needed to be touched. And, I praise God that He knew and He took care of everything even beter than I could have imagined. Thank You, Jesus!

What is It Really About?

Kolongo Church (Under the Tree,) Ghana

My Church, Concord UMC

Today I attended a meeting at my church. One of the things we talked about was how we do church & how should we be doing church Our speaker was very serious when she said there was a group of 20 somethings in her church that were very pregnant and were trying to impress on the decision making body of the church that they needed lounge chairs in the back of the sanctuary for the pregnant women and even little refrigerator/freezers between them equipped with ice cream.

I had a really hard time with this. I guess I'm becoming more and more Ghanain. My favorite church is the Kolongo church in the upper west region of Ghana. It meets under a tree in the midst of a cornfield, but during the dry season there is no cornfield. There are no creature comforts - no bathrooms, no cold water, no padded pews or air conditioning, no hymnals and no Bible in their own heart language. Mothers come to worship, pregnant or not, some nursing babies during the service. People bring benches, stools or whatever they have at home on which to sit. They don't argue that there is no building to worship in during the rainy season. They come to worship, not to be entertained. It's about God, not about me.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for going to where the people are and meeting them on their ground. We need to put aside our comfort zone to reach out to others at the point of their need. But, I have to admit, I had a rough time with this one!

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.

Safe In Ghana

I safely arrived in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday morning after forgetting what time I was being picked up for the airport and my luggage attacking my big toe. Going through immagration, my passport was stamped for 30 days and not 60, so I had to get a visa for Burkina Faso where I will go and re-enter. Then I attended a Bible study with about a dozen of ladies from different backgrounds and countries. It was a Beth Moore study and the discussion was great! Then, we went out to lunch and each of us shared about our ministries and what brought us to Ghana. I ended up at a friend's house for the night. At 7 PM, the husband kept harping, "Go to bed, Sue" because I was so tired from traveling. So, at 7:30 I went to bed. At 8:30, they were robbed at gun point in another area of the house. Everyone was safe, no one was hurt and I slept through it. Praise God! It was His grace that kept me safe.

Thursday, I met the presiding bishop and went to get my Burkina visa, went out for lunch and to another friends office. I spent the night at their house and went to the bus station this morning to go to Ankaase. But, I had stomach issues, so I went back "home" to rest, relax and sleep. I'll go to Ankaase tomorrow.

I may not have internet for several weeks. Be blessed! I will update when able.

Hanging Out with Friends

Tonight I'm hanging out with friends. I've been doing that a lot lately. I was in Corry, PA and spent 3 wonderful days with friends up there. Plus, I spent three days in Erie, PA with my sister who is my friend, too. I had dinner with my brother, another friend. This afternoon, I spent time with a friend from Ohio whom I haven't seen in at least three years Now, I'm in Cranberry Township, PA spending time with teenaged friends. Tomorrow, I'll be having home made waffles with other friends. God is so good to me!

I'm leaving on Tuesday for Ghana. I'll be gone for two months, so it has been wonderful to see all these people before I leave. They have been a blessing and an encouragement to me, as I hope I have been to them. I'll miss them, while at the same time I look forward to seeing my Ghanaian friends.

Isn't it nice to know that we are never far from each other when we are connected by the love of the Lord?

Remember Where You Came From

Yesterday & today I have been working on a talk that I am giving Sunday. It is for a Sunday School Class and it is my testimony. And, I am having a really hard time concentrating and staying on task. I find my mind wandering. Sometimes things I write have been such a good part of my life and other times, not so good. When that happens, I get teary eyed and want to walk away from my computer.

The carving pictured above is an Ashante symbol, a Ghanaian symblol. It is "Sankofa" which is a symbol for remembering where you have come from and learning from it. I have learned so much from my life. God has been so gracious and merciful, at times I am overwhelmed by it all.

I think right now, I will thank God for life, His life and keep on typing. And I pray that He will be glorified as I share where I have come from and the lessons tat I have learned from it.

I Finished It!

I just finished an online course in grantwritng. I took it in hopes to someday write a grant that would be awarded to Lawra Methodist Orphanage in Lawra, Ghana. It breaks my heart that these kids don't even have fresh meat, fresh fruit or fresh vegetables to eat. They live a VERY modest lifestyle because there is no money for extra clothes, shoes, toys, etc. At times there isn't even money for the necessities like dried fish or rice or school supplies. So, my prayer is that someday, they will have more than enough, that their cups will be overflowing!

To learn more about the orphanage, check out my web site at www.suekolljeski.com

Seasons of Life

Seasons of life...I've seen so many of them lately. I have been invited to a baby shower. I went to a wedding. Friends of mine have died. Others have had surgery, some doing well, others having a harder time. New neighbors are moving in.

As I prepare to travel to Ghana, I wonder how different life will be when I return. Life is always different, for one cannot be the same person after experiencing the joys and sorrows of life in a poverty stricken area. But, I wonder...who will be married when I return? Who will have died? Who might be expecting a child? Who will be preparing to move?

Our lives are always in the midst of change. There is only One who stays the same, no matter what season of life we are in at the moment. Scripture says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

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

Teenage Friends

I just returned from having lunch with two teenage friends. I almost didn't go because I had "stuff to do." I am so glad I went. I feel so privileged to have teenagers in my life that aren't embarrassed to be seen in public with a 55 year old woman. I did a couple of errands with them in addition to eating out. I am so glad I went. They keep me young. And, in some small way, I am impacting their lives. One of these two - the boy - even called me up on Saturday to wish me "Happy Valentine's Day!" How sweet is that?

Also this week I had the opportunity to shop with another teenager. I needed something for my trip to Ghana and needed her input. We stopped at three stores to find the best item, then went to Starbucks. It was such a good couple of hours.

So often I tend to stay home by myself. Once I'm out, I'm ok, but it's getting out that's hard. Maybe it's because right now it's so cold out. Maybe it's because I travel so much I like to stay home when I can. The problem comes when I don't go out to be among friends for more than a week or so. Then, depression can set in. I tend to sleep too much at those times, and shun others.

That's not how God made us. God made us to be relational beings. And, even though it might be hard to step outside some days, I'm always grateful I did. So, to my "Favorite Four Teenages"...keep calling!