Glimpses of Life

This last few weeks has been very busy, but also very rewarding. There is no way to describe the joy and contentment of a life with purpose. Lately it has been to busy to find time for journals, but finally after a few weeks of silence I am able to record some interesting events again.

About two weeks ago it was Eid-Al-Fitr. A major Muslim holiday. On Friday all the mosques were full and everyone was wearing their finery. While visiting with one of our converts I heard the prayer calls and decided to walk over to the local mosque. I got there a little early and was able to talk with the malim (equivalent to the sexton of a church, he takes care of the building and grounds). After talking he allowed me to take some pictures of the people coming and going. Finally he asked me what I do. After I told him that I was a missionary he was interested to know why I wanted to learn about Islam. Pray for this man, I hope to be able to give him an Arabic Bible some time in the future. I pray that he will read it and start to seek the truth.

This last few weeks have been great. I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with a young man that really wants to learn more about the Bible, and also wants to help with the ministry. About two weeks ago Nat, cooked some really good local food for Andrew and I. If was boiled ripened plantain with a spicy vegetable stew. It was great! The next week I surprised him with food that my wife and I made. It was pepper chicken stew and ripened plantain. It has been great to sit in his house cooking over the charcoal grill and fellow shipping. After eating and while cooking we have lots of time to discuss life and Bible teaching.

After Andrew and his wife went to the capital to wait for their baby to arrive, Nat and I did all the visiting together on Fridays. It was nice to see how God worked things out. I have been working hard not to build dependency in our people. I want to them to trust God, and look at us as equals. This is very hard to do in African culture when you are foreign. But, it was so nice to see God working in all these Friday visitation times. Nat asked if we could walk the 2 kilometers instead of taking a car, so that I would not have to pay. (In Ghana the older person always pays when people travel as a group). I was ready and happy to do this, but he do not want to be a burden so he ask for us to walk. Also last Friday Nat bought my food, when we went to the local chop bar. I was very grateful. I had gone off to get a bottle of coke and a little water and when I returned the food was on the table and ready. Nat and I sat down and eat together, from the same bowl. (This is how good friends eat here). When I went to pay, he told me that he had already paid. It has been so amazing to watch.

Also while we were walking back from visiting last Friday, Nat told me this. "You have taught me alot about how to appreciate Ghana!" I looked at him kind of shocked and said, "What do you mean?" He looked at me and said, "My whole life I have heard people talk bad about Ghana, and tell me that a person must travel to have a good life, but you are different. You always say good things about Ghana. I have heard you say it so much, I believe it. It has helped me to see that Ghana is also a good place, and if a person follows God, he can enjoy life here."

I was pretty overcome with emotion. The old saying proves true. Little pitcher have big ears. People are always listening. I wish that I have always had a good attitude about Ghana, but I have not. I think that my first term I must have made most people think that Ghana was one of the worst places in the world. But God worked in my heart. After hearing another missionary that was an African talk, the Lord convicted me. He always talked to the people like this, "You do this..., you are like this... my people do it like that... and so on." After hearing this and seeing how the people seemed to react to it, I saw what must be done. It was no longer you, but us. Not them but we. After identify myself with the people God had called me to, I started to look for hopefully things. (No one wants to be part of the losing team, everyone want to be a winner). It was amazing how this like change of focus helped so much. I am glad that God has gotten glory and helped others.

On Thursday of last week I say something it Ghana that I have never seen before. Ghana is very peaceful and pretty crime free, but this was a real shock. I was in a taxi on my way back from town. I was sitting in the front seat of the car, when we reached the hill called Oforikrom new side, when everything happened. At this spot the main road passes over the hill and right at the top is a taxi/bus stop. Must of the time the traffic bottle necks here and creates a traffic jam. While the car approached the top of the hill and sat in this traffic I saw it.

One of the tro-tro mates (the guys that tell the passengers where the car is going and collects money) came walking around his car. There on the side of the road, in broad daylight, he pulled out a small plastic bag. As he began to unroll it, he called all the other mates. Soon about five of them were all huddled around him. And right their between the stopped tro-tros and the traffic they began to snort cocaine. They looked like kids in a candy story. Everyone was just walking past them, and they each took about three or four snuffs each. I was shocked!

As our car drove off the driver and I talked about it. He was pretty angry, but told me that most of the mates that work out of one of the main stations in town snort cocaine. They are young men that collect a lot of money through their work and then buy cocaine when they finish work. I have to admit that as I sat in the car I was pretty dumb-founded. What might I see next? The next seven years could be interesting!

The last glimpses of life these last few weeks is one of mixed emotion. Patty and I went out on visitation on Saturday. After taking a few taxis we walked to one of the wood shanty villages that we work in. There we began to greet Bible study attenders and witnessed to Joseph and Cynthia. They are a young couple that attends are Wednesday night services. Well, I took Joseph and Patty took Cynthia. The two and half hours went well, but the understanding is not all their. IT was sad that they were not ready to trust Christ, but it was so wonderful to sit under that small shanty roof, with all the children and chickens around, and have the chance to explain the story of Christ in our local language. Though they have not trusted Christ as Savior yet, I can think of no better way to spend two hours in all the world.

Well, here are a few glimpses of our last three weeks.