Baby Snakes or Gifts from God?

Kristabel, 3 1/2 years old

There are a number of children in the Lawra who have been born with major developmental delays. No one seems to be able to give definitive answers to questions such as, "Why did this happen?" "What could have been done differently?" "What do we do to help this child?" The closest thing that I get to an answer is there was poor nutrition of the mother during pregnancy & no prenatal care. The children have no muscle control when born. They are like a wet wash rag, very limp. Most of these children are not welcome in their home villages. The Traditional beliefs are that these children are born as snakes and they should live as snakes...in the woods, where, some are actually left to die.

Linda, age 2 1/2

Praise God that He doesn't see these children that way. And, neither do some of the parents. You have met Ebenezer in the past. He has the biggest smile in the world!And, Kristabel's parent's see her as a gift from God! Many of these children do learn to move by themselves, using their arms and many do learn to walk, but years later than normal.

Kopog, 4 years old

Pray that God will give wisdom & understanding as we try to help these children in whatever way possible. They are unique, unrepeatable miracles of God. Their lives have meaning and purpose. I pray that others will see God in them!

Gifty, 6 years old

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!

Imagine No Malaria

As an American, living in the United States most of my life, I never gave malaria much thought. But, now I live in Ghana. And, malaria is a deadly disease, sucking the life out of children and adults every day of every week of every month of every year. Taking preventative medication is not 100% preventative. Neither is sleeping with a treated mosquito net. They definitely reduce the risk of the disease, but they are not 100% fool proof. I know from experience. I had malaria last week. Before I realized I had malaria, I thought I just had a bad attitude, I was being lazy. I needed to "suck it up" and write my sermon, do my laundry, etc. I was sick for 2 1/2 days before I realized what was going on.

I live in an area where when the outside temperature is in the mid 90's, it is a cool day. I have often wondered if I would ever be cold again. Then, malaria struck. I was freezing! And, an hour later, I was sweating so much, my clothes were drenched. I didn't want to do anything, just lay around. Food just did not sound appetizing. Then, I'd feel fine for awhile. The next thing I knew, my temp was over 103 degrees.

I have access to medicines, to mosquito nets, to clean drinking water, to ice when I was so hot, to medical care if I need it. So many of the people I live around do not. They don't have so many things that I take for granted because I do have access to them just because I was born in America.

Please, please, I beg you, pray for the elimination of this disease. Provide nets and medical care for those who can't afford it. And, do it all in the name of Jesus, so the Father may be glorified in all we do for the eradication of malaria.

Imagine...no malaria!

Annual Conference - Ghanaian Style

This week is the Annual Conference of the Western Pennsylvania United Methodist Church. I have always loved going to Annual Conference. Yep, I'm one of those "weird ones" that enjoyed it. I like the fellowship, the worship & doing the business of the church. What I don't like is long winded speakers and just attending to "rubber stamp" items that have already been decided.

In Ghana, things are a lot different. We met at at a church, not a college campus. There were 100+ people, not 1800. Seats were assigned for each "society" (church) or circuit. Laity meetings were held outside. We stayed at local guest houses (hotels), many with shared toilet & shower facilities. And, when a person was speaking, he/she must be ready to answer some very pointed questions asked by the bishop!

Meal preparation was done by members of the church...three meals a day, for over 100 people everything cut, sliced, diced, stirred, prepared by hand and cooked over a wood fire.

The pastor spouses met every day, too. They are so spread apart in the Northern Diocese that this was an opportunity for them for fellowship, study and to learn a few new skills. Here, it is widely accepted that if you are traveling & need a place to stay, you can find a place to sleep at the pastor's house. So, hospitality is expected from the pastor's family!

Some days were hot & the meetings long. These two young boys did what most of us wished we could do! Imagine being relaxed enough to sleep on the hard ground!

So, to my friends at Grove City this week, enjoy! Do the business of the church without getting involved in the "politics" of the church. And, in it all, may Christ be gloified!

No Picture Necessary

Little by little I have been realizing my life has changed. I do things and wonder about things that I wouldn't do or wonder about while living in Pennsylvania. I hope to "enlighten" you about some of those things.
~About two months ago, a roll of toilet paper fell into the toilet. It was a new roll & the toilet water was clean, so I let it dry and then I used it!
~When traveling, rest stops are few & far between. Oh, and there are usually no "facilities." I have peed behind bushes, out in the open along side of the road, in between buses in a parking lot, behind a building, and a few other places I'd rather not think about!
~There is no place for toilet paper when you stop at the above mentioned rest stops.
~When I buy meat, it is in small hunks. So, when I bring it home, I look them over & bag them to freeze. And I wonder...is this tongue? What is this? Hmmm...I don't want to know. Some pieces never get eaten. They get frozen only to be burned in the rubbish! (Like the chicken head & feet.)
~I have left my luggage at "the bus station" while going shopping. Nothing was stolen!
~I have accepted rides from people I had just met.
~When I see something black on the floor I wonder if it is or ever had been alive. Or maybe it is left behind by something that was alive. Or maybe it is just dirt.
~Last night, I wanted to cook rice for dinner. The rice was teeming with ants. So, I rinsed it about six times & then cooked it. Yum!
~Every time the power goes out, I can hear my mother telling me not to refreeze meat. I have no control over these things. Prayer before meals and thanking God for food eaten is very important!
~After being away from Lawra for almost 2 weeks, I have been told that my skin is very white and that I have "grown fat." I guess I better put walking into my schedule when I return to Accra.
~While washing clothes by hand, I have noticed how quickly the rinse water becomes dirty. Do you ever wonder about the rinse water in your washing machine? Look at it...do you want to wear clothes that have been in that?
~Ghanaian dresses don't have pockets. So, when traveling or even just walking around, the best place to put a cell phone or money is in your bra.

On the Road

This past month I have done a lot of traveling. I have come to the realization that I am way too American when it comes to travel. I want to know the answers to all the questions: When? How? with Whom? Where? How much? How long? Will there be a bathroom stop? All those important kinds of things. Well, here is what I have learned:

• If your bus of choice is full, take a tro tro.
• When wanting a specific Metro bus, be at the station by 4 AM, no matter what time the bus is scheduled to leave.
• It is acceptable to show up at a friend's house at 3:30 AM to spend "the rest of the night."
• Shopping at road side stands can be done along the way
• My idea of a bathroom stop is quite different than reality, but, when in Ghana, do as the Ghanaians do!
• There are no pockets in typical Ghanaian women's clothing. Your cell phone can tucked into your bra.
• On a Metro bus, there is no such thing as a center isle. It fills up quickly with everything!
• When traveling through the night on an OA bus, try not to get a seat directly below the speaker.
• Most people are quite friendly and very helpful.

Dirty Feet

In case you were wondering, yes, these are my feet. Pretty disgusting, aren't they? I had walked to market and back home before I took this picture. All the dirt and dust of the market, animals walking around, rubbish everywhere and, of course, animal droppings. I couldn't wait to wash my feet. As I washed them, I couldn't help but think of Jesus' taking the role of a servant, washing the feet of the disciples. I can't imagine someone else washing my feet when they are this dirty. When we have a foot washing service, peoples' feet are pretty clean. But, here, in everyday life, clean feet isn't always reality. What a humbling experience it must have been to have the Lord of Lords wash your feet. Imagine the humility of Jesus as He did this act of love.

Lord, give me Your humble spirit.

Gifty

This is Gifty. Isn't she cute? I have her picture on my computer desktop. She is one of the children who live at the Lawra Methodist Orphan and Vulnerable Children Centre. She is here because her grandmother is one of the HIV patients. Her grandmother has no one to take care of her, so, Matilda, Gifty's mother takes care of the grandmother. And, of course, Gifty goes where mom goes. The father isn't part of their lives right now. When Gifty arrived at the Centre, she was moderately malnourished. As you can see, she is doing much better now. Her sister also lives at the center.

The reason why I have Gifty's picture on my desktop is to remind me to pray for her. Do you see the beads and amulets around Gifty? Those are signs that someone in her family practices the Traditional Religion that is in the area. They are to protect her from the evil spirits. Someone in Gifty's family has claimed her for evil. I have claimed her for Jesus Christ! As I hold her, I tell her, "Jesus loves you." I pray against the enemy. I pray that one day Gifty will claim Christ for her own. I pray that one day Gifty's family will know Christ as their Savior. Won't you join me in praying for Gifty and her family?

Blessed are the Poor

"Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of God." Luke 6:20

Lord, I never really noticed before today that this verse doesn't say "poor in spirit." The poor, those who live in poverty, are about 90% of the world's population.You included them in Your Word.They are important to You, their lives matter, they mean some thing to You. What are You saying to me, Lord? Do I need to become "poor"? Here, in Lawra, Ghana, I am considered as and looked at as being "rich." Back in Pennsylvania, I live a very simple life. It isn't easy to going from having whatever I need and want to not being able to fill my needs and wants, at least not being able to fill them with any measure of ease. Does that mean I need to trust You more fully? Does that mean I should be satisfied with what I have? Lord, I want sheets for my beds, yet, most people here don't even have beds. What does that say about me? Am I a spoiled American? Or does that say that I want to have a comfortable resting place for a weary traveler? I hope it is the latter. I know that the food items I miss are definitely wants. There is no question whether or not I can live without chicken breast meat or cheese or crystal lite or even marshmallow peeps. You have blessed me with those things from time to time, and I am grateful for those times. But, Lord, the people here are living in poverty. They have no one but You. Those who believe have such a strong faith, they depend on You for everything. Bless them and keep them close to You. Show me what my part is to be in their lives.

Words of Wisdom

This morning after church and after the church meeting, I had the opportunity to talk with two different people. It has been a difficult time for both of these people, both facing hard to deal with issues. The thought that kept coming to mind was one that a dear friend, Ava Steiner, always gave when I was in similiar situations. When you pray for a situation pray: 1. That Truth will arise 2. Pray blessing on the person/situation 3. Pay that God's will will be done. This is the way I have been praying for years. I thank God for these words of wisdom!

God Knows and God Cares

Last week, I was really feeling the lack of women friends. I prayed that God would fill this void in my life. I know I've only been in Lawra a short time, but, women need women friends! Oh, I know some women here - Gifty, Edith, Marjorie...but most of the people who spend time with are guys...Dery my language teacher and Razak, who works at the clinic.

God heard my prayer. This past weekend the annual Methodist Women's Fellowship Conference for the Wa Circuit was held in Lawra. Although I only spent a relatively short time there because of other committments, God filled a void. Sophia, a pastor's wife from Boro and I were "kindred spirits." Then, there was Matillia, who was walking behind the rest because of her bad knees. I walked and talked with her as I pushed my bicycle. She lives in Lawra near the market. I will visit her this week. And, there were others, all very welcoming. I cried out to God and He answered me. Barka Naangmen!

A Touch of Home

Last week I received two packages from "home." I received a delivery slip in my post office box. I took it inside to the postal worker who filled out some forms for me to sign. Then, I paid 3 Ghana cedis to pick up my package. Next, I got on my bicycle and took the packages to the district office where customs is located. There I had to open the packages. More writing was done on the forms. I left one form there and took the other one back to the post office and left it with the postal worker. Then, I rode home on my bicycle, one package in my basket, one package in my small backpack.

One box was from a friend in Erie who sent some Tupperware that I could not pack, an extra hose for my CPAP machine, zip lock bags, my shower curtain and kitchen towels. The other was an envelope from a friend who lives in Wexford...Twizzlers, Crystal Lite and chicken soup. Both packages were welcomed with open arms and greatly appreciated!

When I use the towels, the Tupperware and even the edible stuff, I get a smile on my face and remember with loving gratefulness those back in the USA. We may be miles apart physically, but as Michael W. Smith wrote...we are "Friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them..." Thank you, friends, for thinking of me and praying for me and watching over me, even from thousands of miles away!

A Different Way of Banking

Banking, like everything else here in Lawra, is a lot different than at home. When most people enter the bank, they give the man who is at the computer closest to the door their account number and name on a small piece of paper so they can check their balance. After their name is called and their balance is written down, then, if they have to make a withdrawal, they enter the queue. If the person already knows there is money in their account, then this step is skipped.

Last week, when I was waiting my turn at the bank, I watched as an older gentleman "played" with an ink pad. I thought, "Doesn't he realize that he is getting ink all over his fingers?" Then, I saw it. The bank teller had done his part in the transaction and it was the man's turn to sign a check. Except the man could not write. So, he carefully "signed" his check with his fingerprints. I was in awe...How many times do I take writing for granted? How many times do I take the privilege of banking for granted? These are gifts given to me, gifts given to me by the grace of God.

Father, I pray that you continue to open my eyes and let me see how self absorbed I have been. May I never take the "simple privileges" of life for granted.