I loved playing with the children. We visited Ochripey School near Salaga in northern Ghana. I had so much fun playing football (soccer) with the kids I didn’t stop playing until I got dehydrated and threw up EVERYWHERE. I would still play with them if i could, but i was told to sit down and rest. On our last day there, Mike and I told the story of Nebuchadnezzar throwing Shadrach, Mesach, and Abendago into the fiery furnace. We started discussing about many beliefs in Christianity and various stories in the bible. I hope I helped plant the seed of faith in these kids and helped others grow their faith. I love these kids!
– Conner Phillips
At one of our nightly devotionals, Enoch talked about the verse in Psalms 23..my cup runs over and how JESUS fills our cup and anything else is overflow. No matter circumstances happen in our life our JESUS cup is always full and that is what gets us through this life. I am living in the overflow as I reflect on the first part of our stay in Ghana. Since most of the team has shared with me what they were going to blog about, I think I will use my few minutes to share about my teammates. The bus rides are long, really long, on unpaved roads. The heat has been a challenge. We have been sick. Yet they never, never, not one time complain about ANYTHING. They serve with reckless abandon with no thought of being uncomfortable. They laugh and find joy in what we have no control over. In our nightly devotional time we have shared our life stories and prayed for one another. My teammates are mostly young people who have shown me by example what the body of Christ really looks like when the masks come off… messy, broken people who love Jesus and want to serve him. I look forward with great anticipation the next leg of this journey. I am drinking from the overflow.
– Kelli Mahany
Hello family and friends!
As day 8 in Ghana is coming to a close, I finally have an opportunity to share just a small bit of many incredible moments and stories. Although our time in the small, rural, school is up, the stories of love and sacrifice will forever be in my heart. Half of the joy I found in the last few days has come by way of waving back to the smiling village kids as we made our way to the school. You would never believe the happiness these kids had from us simply smiling and waving back to them! Not only were the village kids full of smiles and friendliness, but what seemed to be an entire village would come out to smile and wave. This made me feel so at ease and welcomed in this foreign land. Perhaps my most favorite time so far has been hearing the stories of sacrifice and love. One that stands out to me is the story of George, the founder of the rural school we visited. George was forced to drop out of secondary school when his father died, leaving behind 13 kids. He sacrificed his own education and future for the love and well-being of his family. George’s servant heart did not stop there. When George began Orchipey School, he sold yams to pay the teachers- something he still does- and charges students very little for the private school education that proves better than what kids receive at the local public school. George continues to look after his community and students, and his love for both is apparent. His heart for the future of the students puts a smile on my face. I am so honored to be able to serve George and his students these past few days. George’s story, as well as many others, humbles me and gives me a new perspective on how blessed I am and how beautiful the love of God truly is. Please continue to pray for our team as we travel back to Accra tomorrow. Pray for the work that we will do in Faithway School, the people we will encounter, and our own hearts as well! See you soon!
Love, Aby
This is my second time to Ghana. Last year I came, fell in love with the country and the people, and knew I was going to be back. This year, I knew we were going to be working in the schools, which was what I was most interested in since I am a teacher. While the schools and the children have been wonderful, I have mostly been impacted by my team that I am traveling with. In the short time I have been here and with them, I have been reminded over and over the power of calling upon God, the power of God’s word, and the freedom in being real and sharing your struggles, weaknesses, and your stories. It is only through that realness and transparency can you see God’s work and glory in someone’s life. I think that is what has impacted me the most- just the strength and growth that can come in someone’s walk with the Lord if they allow themselves to be real and honest and share what’s going on in their heart.
We head back to Faithway this afternoon, so I am excited to work in another school and support and encourage another group of teachers.
– Elise Tanner
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