A Pictures Worth a Thousand Words

The last week has been very busy! Activities, preaching, visiting, preparing, disciplining, living, sleeping... no wait that one did not happen that much!

It would take years to describe all of these things to the reader, photos just seem to fit better. Lately, I have been trying to take my camera with me more as I go places. It is challenging at times to remember to pull out the old camera and take pictures, but I find that I am glad I did when I get home.

Here are a few photos from the last week.

Pictures- 1. just some splashes of yellow from around town. 2. A Muslim man and his daughters that we meet out visiting on Friday. They where on the same tro-tro heading to one of the big Mosques in town for prayers. 3. A Rastafarian lottery ticket seller. 4. The view on our way to Matilda and Bismark's house. These people are smoking cow heads. 5/6. Some more splashes of yellow. 7. Andrew eating at our local chop bar (fast food). He and I lovingly call this place Nat's Dinner, since our good friend Nat took us there for the first time. 8. A nice serving of black-eyed peas, white rice, tomato stew, avocado, and chicken! YUMMMY! 9/10. Our two little bronis at the Botanical Gardens. 11. The road near the saw mills, after visiting church people.

Easter Monday Activities- A Photo Essay

Easter Monday was a wonderful time, here are a few pictures.

The first game that was played after eating all the fried eggs, bread, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate was great! Everyone was split into two teams. Here they can be seen playing our first game, "Frozen t-shirts".

Fred, Dennis, Moses, Bismark trying to pull their frozen t-shirt apart.

Nat and Fred competing in egg race.

Carey doing a surprisingly good job in the egg race!

She was the youngest person on her team.

John giving out instructions.

Peter getting ready to listen to Pastor Andrew preach.
(This was the man that was brave enough to pull a hair from a cow's tail in our scavenger hunt!)

During preaching

The contest decider. A drink off! Nat against Peter.

Who can drink that large bowl of hot chocolate first???

AND THE WINNER IS.... Peter!

Should we ever pull back?

As a young missionary, I think that the one thing that we (young missionaries) always struggle with is the feeling that we must always be advancing. Whether this feeling stems from our enthusiasum or the press that we feel from our supporting churches, I am not sure. But, it is real. I remember how I first felt when we arrived in Ghana. I wanted to hit the ground running, and I am sure that it is that way for most people.

The problem is that we confuse activity and advance with productivity and success. God has been trying to teach me this truth the last two weeks. I tend to think that just because I am active, it means that I am moving forward. But, you know, activity does not mean that the direction I'm going is forward. I had to admit a really hard thing today. I think that God wants me to reverse a little bit and redirect. I know. I know. As a Baptist, that is a dirty word! Going back means defeat; it means weakness; it means giving up! But does it always? Many times in Christ's earthly ministry things were busy, the crowds were great, the work was expanding, and then.....Christ would leave it all, go to another city, or a desert place to teach His disciples.

If you have ever read War and Peace, you know that sometimes pulling back is the key to victory. It was the year 1812. Napolean had 800,000 men marching through Russia, and all there was to face them was the small Russian army. General Barclay did the unthinkable. He kept moving back. He even gave up Moscow! But the funny thing is, he won the war!

I am not saying that I should quit, but today God showed me something. I have been fighting to advance, fighting to do more visiting, but that is not what He wants right now. He wants me to spend some time sharpening my ax. When we came to Ghana I was thrown into the ministry. I have strived to learn the language, but it is not easy to do without full-time school. Now is my chance. If I can use the time I have now, to learn the language and be totally free from needing translators... than this time of stepping back will really be a victory.

It can be a fearful thing to pull back and wait, but God is showing me that real faith and courage are in doing the right thing, not the easy thing!