Ghana: Day 3 - Enyan Abaasa

Rather than share bits and pieces of the trip in short posts, I've decided to just pour it out journal style for now, and reflect more on individual moments later when I have a little more time to process thoughts and feelings and share the experience in greater detail. I know that long posts break all rules of blogging -- oh well.

The photos will be added to this post later, as we have limited time right now. We did place a few photos on Facebook for now.

Here’s how things go in Africa:

Make plans.

God smiles. 

Watch plans go fly out the window at breakneck speed. 

We smile.

Welcome (Akwaaba) to Ghana!

Our initial plans were to land at 12:50pm on Sunday afternoon, purchase a cell phone to use while in the country, and head to the Cape Coast area, where we would stay on Monday and Tuesday nights and travel to/from the Compassion areas during the day. This would also allow us some time to prepare all the gifts we had brought for the Compassion children.

Thanks to the issues with the United flights, we did not land in Ghana until 8am Monday morning.

Our saving grace was that we were able to reach Compassion in Ghana from the airport in Washington D.C. just before our flight finally left, and let them know we needed to change our plans.

The new plan was for Compassion to take us directly to Enyan Abaasa, where Tahameena and Ato Sam’s Compassion center is located. Missing this visit was out of the question.

We had also planned to purchase a cell phone when we landed, but the flight had further delays and landed an hour late, so we were not able to purchase one, which left us without a way to communicate with anyone for the first two days we were in Ghana.

We easily found our driver, Sylvanos, at the Accra airport once we went through the various security checks. He swiftly and expertly drove from the airport in direction of Enyan Abaasa; we felt completely safe in his hands.

The drive provided to us an amazing glimpse as to the life and culture in Ghana; the open markets, the stray goats and chickens, the poverty, the lack of sanitation, the traffic, but most of all, the people. While there was such a profound contrast between this and Canada, it felt like home to me in ways I can not yet put into words. I hope to explore and share this feeling further in the coming days or weeks.

As we arrived in Enyan Abaasa, we did our best to dig through 7 large pieces of luggage stacked in the back of the van in search of all the specific gift items we had brought for Tahameena and Ato Sam, as well as their siblings/families. It was difficult, as we had little time to do this with, considering the delays.

While on the way to the Enyan Abaasa, Samuel, one of the Compassion staff who would accompany us for entire time we were with Compassion here in Ghana, flagged down our van from his taxi, and jumped on board with us. It was great to meet him and learn more about what Compassion is doing in Ghana. He was able to answer many of our questions, including explaining to us at what point the children had been told we were coming. They’d only known for approximately one week, although they were warned the night before that there were issues with the flights.

With less than 25 minutes to go until we reached Enyan Abaasa, the excitement was building up considerably. The adrenaline rush made up for only having slept 4 hours out of the past 48. Would we see Ato Sam and Tahameena right away? We had no idea what to expect, aside from my experiences with Compassion visits in Honduras in 2010.

As we drove through the Enyan Abaasa community, children and adults alike waved to us and smiled, and the children began to run alongside the van as they waved. I imagine we were quite a sight – the four of us were likely some of the very few white people they had ever seen.

Our van slowed down and pulled to a stop in front of Greater Grace Development Center, where Tahameena and Ato Sam both attend church and the Compassion Project. The front yard was filled with children who were very excited as the van pulled up and came to the edge of the property to have a closer look at us.

It is then that I was introduced to Ebenezer, the man who has assisted with Ato Sam’s letters and has taken such great care of our sponsorship. It was like meeting a brother – and much like being welcomed home. What a joy it was to finally meet him!

The children were curious about us and excited to lead us into the church, where there were easily over 100 children and parents waiting to greet us. It was very difficult for me, emotionally and spiritually, to be a guest of honor – I am simply a sponsor, a vessel for God’s love – all that I am in life that is good I owe to God first.

As the room began to fill, children climbed into the windows to watch.

Compassion had a program that we followed as we sat at the altar. We were introduced to all the Compassion staff, and were treated to a dance that a group of children had prepared for us. Although Ato Sam and Tahameena were not in this group, I would later learn that we had a special connection to one of the children in the dance group.

Ebenezer shared anecdotes from our sponsorship of Ato Sam and Tahameena, how many children we sponsor in Ghana and throughout the world, our frequent letters and how God had led us to Ghana through Ato Sam’s letters. All of this received a generous round of applause.

More and more people came to take part in the celebration. 

The Compassion staff asked me to speak to those who had gathered on behalf of our team as well as on behalf of Compassion sponsors. What a precious gift and honor, and at the same time, a heavy burden – how can one convey in mere moments how grateful we are to these people, who share their children with us and pray for us every day... to the staff who work tirelessly to provide for the holistic... and to convey that it was not of our own doing that we were here in their presence – that it was God’s provision, His answer to prayers that were inspired by the faith of a child. It was also important for me to express that without God’s provision of Compassion or these workers, we would not be able to sponsor these children – the praise needed to be to God for making this possible.

I prayed that my words would be enough, but sitting here now, I do not remember most of what I shared. It comes to me through foggy bits and pieces. I remember delivering a message to the children who may believe they may not be able to change the world, to please reconsider the impact and potential they had – they need only look at the example of Ato Sam, who shared not only his request for us to come to Ghana, but the faith that God had already answered his prayers in past tense. God had used this boy and his faith to bring us here to build a school in their country.

I also shared with them what a celebration it was for us to receive letters, and how much sponsorship helps us as sponsors. 

 

The staff of the project presented Kente Cloth to us all, which they draped ceremoniously around our necks, and they also presented me with a traditional necklace and bracelet set, and sandals. They also gave each of us a hankerchief, which we used to wipe the sweat from our faces, and soon, the tears.

At this point, I hadn’t yet seen Ato Sam, but I was asked if I could identify him if they brought a group of children to me that included Ato Sam. I assured them that a mother knows her son, that I would not have any problems identifying him.

They explained to the crowd that they would be bringing out the Compassion Choir, which included Ato Sam, and that they would see if I could identify him correctly. From the excited murmur in the crowd, I sensed the people were unsure of whether or not I could do this, it felt as though they were about to hold their breath in anticipation.

They brought out the Compassion Project choir, who began to sing as they walked down the aisle, and the tears began to flow... As they reached the front of the altar, the choir turned their backs to us. Ebenezer leaned over to me and asked “Do you see your son?”

Ato Sam, second from right.

I grinned through tears and lifted my hand to point to Ato Sam`s back.

Ebenezer was amazed that even with Ato Sam turned away from us, I knew him and had no doubt.

When they finished singing, they asked me to approach the choir and identify Ato Sam for all to see. I didn’t need a second invitation – I wasted no time in walking (flying?) off the altar and wrapping my arms around him, a moment I had longed to experience for what seemed like a lifetime.

There was no hiding the tears flowing down my face, something that must have affected everyone present, as it was talked about often in the following days.

Seen from the parents and children’s perspective, had they any doubts that sponsors love and care deeply for these children, these doubts would have dissipated for anyone who witnessed the love that I have for Ato Sam.

Amid cheers, we both came up on the altar to sit with the rest of our team. As they begun taking photos, I leaned in closer to him, and he picked up my arm, placed it very deliberately around his shoulder, and then told them he was now ready to proceed. I had thought my joy couldn’t possibly increase, oh how I was wrong – every moment with him just got better and better. Oh how I love this boy!!

(Would now be a good time to say that since I was so focused on spending time with Ato Sam, I have very few photos of him?  This one was on Tia's camera, Debra may have some as well.)

A group of children performed a tribal dance for us.  We have some video of it that is sweet to see -- amazing... amazing....  we will share once we return from Kete Krachi.

We gave the parents and children in attendance an opportunity to ask questions, and one mother stood and shared that her child named Prince wanted to know what he could say in his letters to his sponsor that would lead his sponsor to come to Ghana to see him. My heart broke, as this is such a heavy question to answer and I wanted to answer it very carefully, as words have much weight in Ghana (as they should everywhere!) He was invited to come and see me where we were seated, and the Compassion staff translated my words to him... That he should be encouraged to continue writing letters, to share much detail about his life, his family, his community, his challenges and victories, and that more that is shared, the more the relationship grows. As the relationship grows, pray for God to provide for your sponsor to come, knowing that it may or may not be in God’s will, but if it does not happen, it does not mean that you are loved any less or that you are any less special.

While I was speaking to Prince, children had gravitated to the rest of our team. I looked up to see Tia’s face glowing with joy as she held a tiny baby in her arms as children gathered around her to pet her arms and touch her blond hair. A little boy climbed into Debra’s lap and refused to let her go.

Debra with "Bright"  

Meanwhile, Joshua, who had my camera, was mobbed by a group of curious children who all wanted their photo taken. In no time, he was standing on a chair trying to include as many children in the photo as possible. The delight on his face told me that the rest of the world had faded, and that he was in his element.

Once we finished speaking to Prince, they brought Tahameena to us, and we were able to meet her and include her in our team. She is even more beautiful in person; very regal and poised, quiet and reserved. I can only imagine how overwhelming this all may have been for both her and Ato Sam.

They brought to us the file for Ato Sam, and said it was easily the biggest file there, and it included all the correspondence records as well as health checks, school records and various reports, much as in the Compassion centers in Honduras. In this area of Ghana, they photo copy every letter received, every letter sent, as well as a photocopy of any and all photos or items sent. The original copies are given to the child to take home. We explained to them that we also have a copy of all our letters to our Compassion children at home, and that we cherish them very much.

I shared with Ebenezer that there was also a child in this Compassion center who had been sponsored through encouragement from Ato Sam, a boy named Prince Nyarko who is sponsored by my friend Stephanie and her family. They asked if we wanted to meet him – and by this point, I was about ready to pass out from sheer joy. Is it possible to have too much joy?

Stephanie and her family had sent a gift for Prince to us, so that we could give it to the Compassion staff to give to Prince on their behalf. God had bigger plans.

Within minutes, Prince Nyarko was brought forward to meet with us! I was beside myself, seriously.

Prince Nyarko

With Prince, Tahameena and Ato Sam in tow, we proceeded to make our way to the van, so that we could travel to the children’s homes together.

Children crowding around the van to interact with Joshua.

Since Prince’s visit was not planned in advance, we visited his home first so that he could stay with his family after we were done.

We stopped along the street filled with vendors attending to their carts and stalls, and proceeded to walk down a little alley toward a courtyard where we were invited to sit.

Child watching us passing by in the alley.

I saw the seat of honor, a traditional Akan tribal stool, and knew not to sit there, as this would be for Prince’s family elders, but much to my surprise, they had reserved this seat for me. I accepted as to not offend them in refusing this privilege, but it was hard to accept.

We met Prince’s mom as well as his brother, and explained to them that we were here on behalf of their sponsors, to express to them how much joy their sponsor receives from them, and how blessed and honoured they feel to be a part of Prince’s life.

We presented the gifts Stephanie had sent as well as a soccer ball and school supplies, and it was great to see the joy on their faces. We asked the mother if Prince had a father in his life, and learned that Prince’s father had not acknowledged him or support his family once Prince was born. This was heartbreaking, as I could sense how difficult a life his mother had in light of this; the emotion that displayed on her face could be felt to the core.

I asked her if sponsorship had made a difference in the life of Prince and their family, and she could barely speak, offering that it had made a tremendous difference to them in every way, and that they were immensely grateful to Stephanie and her family for all that they had done, for their love and prayers and for having chosen Prince as their sponsored child. They pray for Stephanie’s family every single day, and I know that they mean this literally.

Prince’s older brother had been working hard, he was painting when we arrived and I sensed that he holds much responsibility in this family as the oldest son, and I could tell that although it was difficult, he carried this weight well. He was confident, humble, hard working and very polite.

After a handful of photos, in which we did our best to get the children to crack a smile, since Ghanaians are very serious in their photos, we prepared to leave. A crowd had gathered to witness this curious celebration, likely wondering what had brought us to see this precious boy.

I couldn’t wait to tell Stephanie about the day, and to share the photos we had captured!

Child outside of Prince's home.  Joshua handed out a soccer ball to him from the van's window.

 

We proceeded to Tahameena’s house, where we met in the yard in front of her house, and met with her mother, father, and siblings.

T

Tahameena's kitchen area.

Our team with Tahameena's family.

 We shared a brief message with them, explaining that although my name was on the sponsorship records, her sponsorship is supported by our church’s children’s ministry, and that the children and our church pray for Tahameena, her family and her community.

We presented gifts we had brought for their family, including a doll for Tahameena (her first doll), and the blanket the church had given us for her.

 

 Her father really appreciated the tools we had brought him, including the small axe and multi-tool, and the mother appreciated her gifts as well – handmade soap, a photo frame, a sewing kit and a scarf. We gave the children a soccer ball as well as extra school supplies.

Standing room only in the courtyard!

 Tahameena and her mamma!

The family presented a gift of beautiful Akan cloth to me, which they likely made themselves. It is beautiful and is what is often used in this region to make clothing for the families. I may need to find myself a seamstress!

Tahameena joined us in the van to Ato Sam’s house, where I was finally able to meet his family. The first family member I was introduced to was his father, and I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him for dear life! I then looked around to all the people who had gathered, easily 30-40 in their small courtyard, and was touched by the sense of community we once again witnessed in this culture.

I couldn’t see Ato Sam’s mother, and was really eager to meet her, so I asked Ato Sam’s father where she was, and he pointed to a woman who was hanging clothing on the clothesline off to the side, and motioned to her to come see us... as she walked toward me, I hurried to her, wrapping her up in a heartfelt hug. I then looked into her eyes and told her how grateful I am for her, and how much I love her. I had always wondered how she felt about sharing her son, and if she realized how much I loved her, but I think that in that moment, all of this was answered without words.

We were introduced to Ato Sam’s family – his siblings and his grandmother, who is 99 and nearly blind. We all sat together to share conversations and express to them what a great blessing this sponsorship had been, and how thankful we were to be here amongst them.

The family presented gifts to us – a basket full of freshly picked bananas and oranges, as well as Akan cloth from the family and from the project. Given how much they had already blessed us through this sponsorship, it was humbling to be on the receiving end of even more blessings.

As seen in Ato Sam's courtyard...

The project had arranged for a soccer match between Ato Sam’s Compassion team and the team from George & George’s Compassion center, so we proceeded to the community soccer field to watch our soccer star in action – he did not disappoint. It was a great match, with both displaying impressive skills. Ato Sam’s team won 1-0, bringing the spectators to their feet.

Prince Nyarko, who we had left at his house a while ago, had made his way to the soccer field and made a beeline for the seat next to me. He was so sweet as he smiled and said “I am Prince, do you remember me?”

Prince on the left, one of his great friends on the right. 

I thought of Jenna and Claire, Stephanie’s two girls, and how much they would have enjoyed his company.

 He was such a little character! (and so was his friend, LOL!)  :D 

 He didn’t leave my side as we watched the game, and every time the children crowding at our feet distracted me from watching Ato Sam, he gently reminded me to keep watching my boy, #13. It was precious! 

 The spectators!

I taught Prince how to use my camera, and he delighted in trying to take photos of Ato Sam in action. He did a great job!

Once we finished, we headed back to Ato Sam’s home, trailed by dozens of children chasing after the van with more vim and vigor than a gaggle of Justin Bieber fans. Joshua was mesmerized by this, that the children would get so excited by our presence in their community. His face just lit up with joy. I have little doubt that this did some good for Joshua, the middle child who tends to have an insatiable need for attention. Once we got out of the van, we were trying to prepare the gifts to present to Ato Sam and his family, and the children kept crowding around us, much to Joshua’s delight and bewilderment as we tried to do our task and pay attention to them at the same time – not easy! Seeing Joshua in his element, interacting with the children, brought even more joy to my heart... it was such an incredible experience to witness. Being in Africa with Joshua and experiencing it through his eyes has been truly delightful.

We presented the gifts to Ato Sam to him and his family, and expressed to them that although these gifts had been provided to them with love, it was our love for them that was the most important gift we could give them.

We prepared to leave with Ato Sam and Tahameena for our meal together, but had some difficulty finding food in a nearby town, so we drove to a few places until we could find a restaurant that would be able to accommodate our group. The rice and chicken were wonderful – so flavourful.

We had a chance to quietly talk with Ato Sam and Tahameena while we were eating, and were able to answer some of their questions. Ato Sam asked me once again how he was chosen out of all the available children, so we shared this with him in more detail. He appreciated this.

It was hard for Ato Sam to express himself in the moment. He, like me, likes to withdraw and process things in time, as he writes out his experiences.

Tahameena, in contrast, spoke very little. She is very shy and seemed to still be overwhelmed by the attention and activities. I don’t believe she has ever been to a restaurant before, and she seemed a little anxious. She was very sweet, though.

Parting after the meal was difficult, and yet I knew with certainty that we would see them again, so it softened the separation a little. I told Ato Sam and Tahameena to stay strong, to love the Lord with their lives, and to study hard. I made Ato Sam show me how big his bicep muscles were to see if he could lift the extra gift bag we had for him, and he thought this was funny!

Since Ebenezer would accompany the children back to their homes by taxi while we traveled to our accommodations, we said our goodbyes to this great man also. I presented him with a few small gifts for he and his wife, only to learn that he is not married. I told him that should he find a wife, she will be blessed beyond measure to have him.

Our initial plans to drive back to Cape Coast evaporated when we realized that there was a guest house available in the same community that we would be visiting tomorrow, and that this was only minutes away from Enyan Abaasa.

Given how exhausted we were, and how much time and funds we could save by doing this, it was an easy choice. The air conditioning was an added blessing!

The little girl whose parents worked at the guest house helped us bring our luggage upstairs, so eager to help and asking nothing in return. Her name was Fatima, her parents are muslim but her mother has been reading the Bible. Fatima attends a nearby school. We presented her with a doll, which she cradled tenderly in her arms while thanking us ever so politely. Her English was surprisingly great for a child her age.

I spent the next hour or so re-organizing all of our luggage and gifts for the following day, and then crashed for the night from sheer exhaustion and exhileration

Ghana: Day 4 -- Double The Joy!

(This is one of several posts written before we left for Ghana, and is scheduled to post while we're away.

If we happen to be able to access the internet while in Ghana, we will post in addition to these posts.

If you happen to be reading this while we're in Africa, please take a moment to pray for our team, for the children we will be working with, and for our hands and feet to be those of Christ for His glory.)

Today's plans really do include double the joy, in more ways than one two! We'll be vising two Compassion centers today:

GH880, where we will be meeting the twins we sponsor, George & George (aka Thing 1 & Thing 2). To see children available from this project, look here.

GH220, where we will be meeting Precious on behalf of her sponsor, my friend Michelle from Blogging From The Boonies as well as many of her blog readers who also sponsor children here.

My boss purchased gorgeous Thing 1 & Thing 2 t-shirts for the twins. Since the boys are so incredibly identical, we plan on giving them the shirts right away so that perhaps they'll wear them and help us determine which George is George and which one is the other... George. :D

We couldn't help ourselves... we also brought along the Curious George book and two stuffed Curious George monkeys complete with giggling bellies.

Oh, the places we will go!

After sharing a meal with the twins and their family, we will travel to GH220 where many children are sponsored by Michelle and her friends. It is our hope to meet as many of the sponsored children as possible, in addition to the pre-arranged meeting of Precious and her family on behalf of Michelle, who will be meeting them in June of 2012 (God said it would come to pass, amen!)

At the end of the day, we will return to the capital in order to prepare for our travel to Lake Volta the following day. Please pray for safe travels, as transportation in Ghana has been known to be dangerous.

Dear Ato Sam, Son Of My Heart

(This is one of several posts written before we left for Ghana, and is scheduled to post while we're away.

If we happen to be able to access the internet while in Ghana, we will post in addition to these posts.

If you happen to be reading this while we're in Africa, please take a moment to pray for our team, for the children we will be working with, and for our hands and feet to be those of Christ for His glory.)

(God willing, we will be at GH316 today, meeting Ato Sam and Tahameena. In celebration of this day, I chose to share my letter to Ato Sam, written in September, in which I announce our visit to him. Please note the letter was addressed to the Project Director so that it could be given to him at the appropriate time.)

My precious and beloved Sam Sam! Sept 14^th 2011

A year ago today, on Sept 14^th 2010, you prayed that God would grant me a double portion of health and that I would be well again. At the time, you had no way of knowing that my health had not been well, but God led your prayers and God answered them that very same day. It was obvious from the beginning that your life had been anointed by God and that He was doing great things through you, I didn’t need proof to see how special you were, but God loved me enough to show me in such a powerful way… That very day, on Sept 14^th 2010, I began to run in response to the prayers that you prayed that day, not knowing God would use you to make me whole in health and to change my life in incredible ways. I still run, but now I run in worship of God and in honor of you and Tia, who inspire me to keep outrunning the enemy’s attacks so that I can live my best life for God.

There are so many ways God has changed my life for the better through this most special sponsorship, and through you and your family, your church, your community and your country. He has filled my heart to overflowing with blessings upon blessings – I have learned much from you, and I love you more than could ever be contained in this simple letter. It is sometimes so amazing to me that God joined our families less than 2 years ago – it seems that I have known you my entire life.

I loved you from the moment that God placed your name upon my heart, and He has grown that love beyond what I could have ever imagined. What you and I also may not have imagined was how many lives God would touch through this sponsorship, through your faith, heart and beautiful spirit, Ato Sam. You have been a leader in so many ways, son.

From the very first letters, you demonstrated a passion for your community and your country, and your desire for your nation to rise up above its challenges, to become a nation that serves God through the heart and soul of its people. When you heard that Tia had served in Africa before, rather than simply expressing your desire that we serve in Ghana, you expressed your faith that God would bring us there, that we would meet face to face, and you had the pure faith it took to believe that “God will let it come to pass, Amen!” Your faith and heart are so pure and beautiful, Ato Sam, and we were so moved by your faith, by your heart for your country and community, and by your steadfast prayers for us to serve in Ghana. You never gave up hope, and neither did we.

We were not the only ones moved by your faith. Remember the mustard seed of faith that can move mountains? (Matthew 17:20) That kind of faith can also erase physical distance. God heard the prayers of a wise, faithful and brilliant leader, a young man of God who never gave up praying that we would someday meet face to face. God used your love and prayers, Ato Sam, to lead Tia and I to research ways that we could serve the children of Ghana in person, in honor of you and your family and in honor of the God who chose us to be a part of your lives. We researched a way to serve the children in your country who needed help the most, who were in danger and whose lives God wanted us to touch, and we found these children in the heart of Ghana, in the Lake Volta region where children as young as four years old are sold into slavery.

When we learned this, Ato Sam, our heart broke for the children of your nation, your brothers and sisters in Christ, the very same children God Himself commands us all to protect, feed, clothe and love… Our lives changed in that very instant when we were faced with the heartbreaking reality that children so young and so full of potential were trapped into this terrible situation. We knew how much this hurt our hearts – we asked ourselves how much more it would break God’s heart and yours to know that this is happening right there, in the nation He loves so much, to His precious children, to children just like you. I tried to imagine for a moment how I would feel if that happened to you or your siblings or any children in your community, Ato, and I knew… In that moment, I knew that God was answering your prayers. It overwhelmed my heart with awe, love and praise to Him who loves children so much that He would use the prayers of a child to help save the lives of many children.

There is a scripture in James that says “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." It would have been sin for me to walk away without responding to the knowledge that God had placed these children and this situation on my heart, to act and be His hands and feet, to share the hope and love of Christ with them and help them in their time of trouble.

You shared in a recent letter that you were proud of me for the love I have not only for you and your family, but because of the concern that I have for your church, your school, your community and your country. It is an honor to be serving Him in your country, Ato Sam, and just as you recently earned that award in school and shared it with me, I’m sharing the honor of this with you, Sam Sam, because God has used you to lead me to Ghana. I want you to remember, always, how powerful your prayers are and how much God loves you and cares for the desires of your heart… how much influence you have in this world and how much Glory you bless God with when you love & serve God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength. (Luke 10:27)

In November of 2011, Tia and I along with a friend will be traveling to the Lake Volta region of Ghana. God gave us the task of fundraising to build a school for children who have been rescued from slavery. They need this school so that they will be able to rescue more children once they have the classroom space to provide them with an education. We know that we alone can not raise the funds necessary for the school building, but God never asked us if we could, God was only concerned with whether or not we trusted that HE could. We trust Him. At the moment of this letter, we have raised 12% of the necessary funds for the school to be built, it may not seem like enough, but remember the faith the size of the smallest seed? Faith that size was enough, and God will use the funds we’ve raised like the loaves and the fish in the Bible -- we have faith that God will continue to provide for the school, stone by stone, team by team, people by people, prayer by prayer, dollar by dollar, much as He did for Nehemiah in the Bible (do you know this story?). Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, God used Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in only 52 days. Nehemiah alone could not rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore the city and provide it with protection once again, but when God is our strength and our leader and when we serve Him with our life, He can do what seems impossible to man.

When God builds this school, it will provide for the education of these children, most of whom have never attended school or do not know how to read or write. Some of them have never played or do not remember what it is like to have freedom. While we are in Ghana, God will use us to help teach the children and to assist in their rescues, but we know in our hearts that it is the children who will teach us, and us who will be rescued from spiritual poverty through our time with these children, much as I have been the one who has been taught by you and whose faith has grown through my relationship with you and your family.

It is our prayer that through God’s provision to these children and through their rescues, they, too, can have the opportunity to become all that God desires for their lives, and so that they can be adopted into loving families like yours and grow into great Godly leaders for Ghana someday. I want them to have every opportunity you have and to know the love of the God who promises to set the captives free. We pray God will use us to rescue as many children from slavery as possible, that they will serve Him with their lives, and that one day, slavery will not exist in Ghana or anywhere else in the world.

As a blessing, part of this travel to Ghana will include meeting you and your family face to face. There are no words that could describe the emotion I feel and how much this means to me. God will fulfill the dream of running and playing soccer as you laugh at my weak soccer skills and playfully ask me if I really have been practicing running because I’m still not very fast compared to you, son! I am so eager to laugh with you and have you tease me! We shall talk face to face, so that we can share all the stories that God simply can not contain in these letters… I will see you, hear your voice, spend time with you, your parents, your siblings… My joy and gratitude can not be contained.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) – God does care, He knows our hearts and He does answer the prayers of a precious and faithful young man in Ghana who so loves God and believes in the mountains that can be moved with a small seed of faith.

Please forgive us for not being able to share these news with you sooner -- God had answered your prayer all along, but we were not given permission to share with you what God’s plans were because Compassion requires that we do not tell you in advance so that if something were to happen and plans were changed, you would not experience terrible disappointment. It was important to me to be able to share with you as soon as I was able to, so I am writing this letter to you today.

I can not help but praise God for all that He has done through your life, through mine, but most of all, through our lives combined, together…

With all our love and prayers,

JD

Ghana: Day 2 - "The Adventure Continues"

Previous Updates
Day 1

Night 1

Nov 6th: Washington D.C.

7am:

From the moment I opened my eyes, I felt disoriented. Given the fact that the walls were not made of mud blocks and it wasn't 105F, I knew I was still stateside, and that this all hadn't been a nightmare. Even though I had only slept about 4 hours, I felt strangely rested.

I called the front desk to obtain the WiFi password since we would need internet access to make some more changes to our accommodations & transportation. That's when I learned the reason we didn't have access to the internet in the lobby while we were waiting to check-in the night before... Internet access cost $12/day. Uhm, notgoingtohappen thankyouverymuch.

I knew that the Sheraton had an internet kiosk, so I decided to walk down to the Sheraton and do our online business at that time.

When I got to the lobby of the Westin, though, I decided to ask if they had an internet kiosk here at the hotel, and learned that they did. No one was using the small business center, so I logged in, made some arrangements to have my mom or brother call to cancel our room for the night of the 6th, and advise our driver not to attempt to pick us up at the airport this afternoon.

I gave my mom the phone number to the hotel and our room number, so that she could call us directly to keep us posted on how things went with the changes in Ghana.

While I waited to hear back from her, I blogged about our adventures to date.

My inbox indicates an incoming email... it's mom. Our hotel, the Westin, would not put the call through, as they indicated that room # 523 did not have our names listed. They did, however, list an Emmanuel and a Jacob -- the men from the shuttle area from the night before. I can assure you that they did NOT stay in our room!

9am:

We are getting ready to leave. Joshua indicates that he'd like to go for a swim in the hotel pool before we go. Unfortunately, that wasn't about to happen. We gather up in the lobby only to learn that there are some issues with the food vouchers given to us by United. Not only did the hotel take the food voucher from me last night instead of the accommodations voucher, they could not find my food voucher and could not return it to me.

NOT that it would have done us any good... apparently, they would not honor the food voucher because United had issued "Dinner" food vouchers rather than "Lunch" or "Breakfast" vouchers.

United impresses us yet again! Bravo!

10am:

We take the shuttle to the airport, and begin the process all over again. The check-in process took roughly an hour, after which we proceeded to the security area. The check-in agents were great... we told them about our issues from the night before, and told them we appreciated how nice and professional they were, how well they handle all the complaints of issues that should be solved at the management level in order to make the process smoother and more efficient, but with management not flying economy and having access to by-pass most of these hurdles, would they ever learn what the average passenger experience?

We spoke about the issues at the Westin & Sheraton, and they were surprised, saying the Westin & Sheraton were very "nice" hotels. I told them that Westin & Sheraton were indeed *very* nice hotels, and the employees were very nice too -- very politely unhelpful. She thought that was funny and said "I love that!"

When we arrived in security, we were told that Tia and Debra's passes were acceptable, but that mine and Josh's were not.

The reason?

The check-in agent forgot to take her pen and draw two lines across the boarding pass. Perhaps we had distracted her with our sense of humor. We had to return to check-in and start all over again.

We debated doing an experiment and getting a blue pen to do this ourselves to prove that the process really was ridiculous and pointless, but we couldn't bring ourselves to do it -- we felt it was our duty to entertain the check-in agents who work very hard to process thousands of passengers a day while hearing complain after complaint from every passenger.

We arrived and pointed out that we had failed the security test because the agent had used invisible ink :D They apologized profusely, but we laughed and said "No, no, thank YOU, this really adds to our adventure, and we do appreciate how politely helpful you've been!" That agent was brilliant and brought the best out in passengers. Every airport needs agents like these!

12:30pm:

Dragging alllll our carry-on baggage, we once again head to the gate area so that we could look for something to eat. We were weak from not having eaten since arriving in Washington the day before.

We all unload our stuff at a table in the Subway restaurant, only to learn that they also do not accept our food vouchers -- not including the one we didn't have, of course.

We have to walk another mile or so (no, not exagerating) to Wendy's, which finally accepted to let us use our vouchers.

1:30pm:

We walk back to our gate area and make attempts to contact Compassion Ghana. We were brainstorming today, and realized that rather than heading to our accomodations in Cape Coast and then connect with Compassion to head to the project, we should instead ask Compassion to bring us directly to the project from the airport, saving us much precious time and possibly quite a bit of funds too. Even more ideal, would be to switch the days of the two visits, as we planned on spending less time at each of those and it's closer. But, if we can't get a hold of someone before we leave the chances of making these adjustments greatly diminishes.

Our attempts to contact them did not work.

3:00pm

We sit and wait to board the plane... praying this time it might actually take off and land in Ghana and not have to suddenly detour to elsewhere like Timbuktu. Although I've always wanted to say I've been to Timbuktu, literally speaking.

3:15pm

We pray, and make another attempt to reach our Compassion contact in Ghana works -- praise the Lord, we reached our contact, explained the situation, and he will hire us the transportation we need to go directly to the project from the airport.

3:20pm

We get the blanket back from the woman we lent it (?!) to last night at the shuttle area. After yet another bathroom break, we'll wait for boarding call, and pray that this time, our flight brings us safely to Ghana -- perhaps even a little earlier than anticipated.

3:22pm:

GREAT NEWS!!!!! They just made an exciting announcement! Since they already checked our passports and yellow fever documents last night, we don't need to haul out our passports again!!!

I clapped and cheered!

Comic Relief:

Magnet in the Gift Shop:

Flight attendant on Tia's Flight from Detroit to Washington D.C. "Welcome aboard! Your pilot will be flying you sober into Washington Dulles today." Is it a rare thing for him to fly sober?

Ghana: Night 1: "Altitude, 0m"

Previous Updates:
Day 1



Nov 5th, 2011

When we arrived in Washington D.C. on Saturday afternoon, after the *adventures* in Portland, Maine, we were greeted by Tia with the news that Debra's flight had been delayed by several hours due to the mechanical failure of the plane's hydraulic system. We were praying that she would not only arrive on time to catch the flight, but also that her checked-in luggage would still have time to make the connection.

We may have prayed a little too hard.

Oops.



9:40pm:

Debra arrives at Gate C14.



10:00pm:

Boarding call for Flight 990 to Accra, Ghana. Departure scheduled for 10:48pm.



10:55pm:

Attention passengers, we are experiencing mechanical failure in the plane's hydraulic system. At this time, we ask that you exit the aircraft. Please take all your belongings with you. Your checked-in luggage will remain on board. Please proceed to Gate C14 and await further updates. United Airlines thanks you for your patience.

All throughout the plane, groans could be heard. I rolled my eyes and thought of having an ice cream party with my Small Group ladies!



11:45pm:

Attention passengers, Flight 990 will now be departing at 4pm, Sunday, November 6th. At this time, we ask that you proceed to the boarding desk to receive accomodation vouchers.



12:30am, Nov 6th:

Forty five minutes later, vouchers in hand, we proceed to walk the half marathon it takes to reach the shuttle area, with all our carry-on luggage in tow. By this point, I've been awake for 19 hours, and running on 3 hours of sleep. Tia is equally tired. Joshua is getting his second wind and using the structure above the shuttles waiting area as monkey bars, swinging around and doing pull-ups while Debra chats with people in the crowd.


1:00am:

It's cold. We're standing outside on the sidewalk waiting in the shuttles area for the one shuttle that will take us to the Sheraton, for which we've been given vouchers.

We see the Marriott shuttle pass by.

Then the Hilton.

And the Westin.


And the Marriott. Again.


Another Hilton shuttle...



No sign of the Sheraton shuttle.




1:40am

Every ten minutes, it seems another hotel's shuttle arrives, but not the Sheraton's. We are getting increasingly cold. Our saving grace is 3 fleece blankets we have received from our church to give to our Compassion children (the 4th blanket is in checked luggage).

A lady with a newborn baby is near us, and the baby only has a thin blanket. We offer one of ours to keep mom and baby warm as they wait. Minutes later, they leave in a taxi, and so does our blanket. The twins can share one blanket, right? Right.

While we wait, Debra is on the phone with the Sheraton, advising them that we still haven't seen a shuttle, and since there are 40+ people waiting wtih us, they may want to consider sending more than one shuttle.



1:50am:

The Sheraton advises that the shuttle is on the way. It arrives ten minutes later, and takes the first load of passengers. We wait for the next shuttle, our minds on the scriptures on being last being a great thing. We're experiencing great things tonight!!

A group of men from Ghana are waiting with us, and they know four languages: English, Twi, Fante, and Flirting. In less than five minutes, they've sung me happy birthday, read my emails over my shoulder, given me their phone numbers, asking us to drop by when we're driving through their area this coming week. Even though it's a little awkward, they are jovial and entertaining, and the time seems to pass a little less painfully as we fall in love with the Ghanaian accents and the expressive flow of conversation.



2am:

We finally board the second shuttle, and make our way to the Sheraton. When we arrive, we realize that there are at least 40 people lined up in the lobby waiting for rooms. There is no free WiFi for soon-to-be (or not) guests, so we can not update our family members on the situation.

Josh falls asleep on a bench with our luggage while we continue to freeze even though we're indoors, because we're lined up past the automatic doors and each time someone moves, the doors open and the cold air blasts in.

At this point, Tia's silent from semi-slumber, I'm at a loss for words (stranger things have happened, in fact, they've been happening all day long!), and I'm convinced that Debra runs on an Energizer Cell Pack.



2:15am:

"Attention, this hotel is now full. Please proceed to the Westin, the shuttle is waiting outside the lobby doors."



2:30am:

We're in the Westin lobby, again without internet access to provide updates to our friends back home. The line is moving faster than it was at the Sheraton, and we're warm. There are roughly 20-25 people ahead of us. We realize that the food vouchers that United gave us, each at a 15 dollar value to be used at the hotel or at the airport, can not be used since they indicate "Dinner" rather than breakfast or lunch. The hotel will not be honoring them.

A lady ahead of us, in an attempt to move forward with the line as we approach the front desk, drops her Duty Free bags on the floor, cracking open the two bottles of wine she had bought. The spilled wine creates a pool on the floor that resembles blood. The sight of it is unsettling, the smell of it not much more pleasant. It missed the carpet by roughly 8 inches. We watch it spread as we wait.



2:40am:

People are arguing with the hotel clerk about the vouchers, and we're wondering why this can't be dealt with in the morning.



2:55am:

Hotel key and toothbrushes in hand, we head to the elevators. Joshua, standing by the buttons to select the floors, tries to select floor 4 for Debra, and floor 5 for us. We're so sleep deprived it takes us a while to realize that in this elevator, you need to insert your room key in order to activate the floor selection.


3:00am:

Joshua leaps into the bed and immediately falls asleep. We follow not too much further behind. The last thing I remember hearing was Tia telling me that Stephen said "Don't worry, God has this all under control, He has a plan" and her responding to him with something like "I know but right now that all sounds like a bunch of hoooey."

In my experience, the worse it seems like "hoooey" (what is that anyway?), the better the outcome. Imagine something better than our plane departing on time and being in Ghana today? I can't wait to see what God has in store for us!



9:00am:

I head downstairs to the internet kiosk to make arrangements to get our accomodations and travel arrangements changed, and I try to call the room from the internet kiosk, and the hotel lobby tells me that I am not registered for my room. In fact, there is no one by the name of Kollar or Richardson there. Apparently, United took our identity too. Nice. The adventure continues, read here!...

In the wise words of my beloved brother Sebastien, "Just be content
that the mechanical failure was discovered at an altitude of 0 meters!"

Amen.


My birthday gift this year -- the adventure of a lifetime!



Prayers: Please pray that the flight later today goes smoothly so that we can begin our journey in Ghana. Also pray for the Compassion visits -- at this point we do not know what will happen in light of all these delays and I'm praying Ato Sam will not be disappointed by the disruption of plans and that we will still be able to have the visits with the four children.

Ghana: Day 1 - "Ticket Revoked?"

Portland Airport, 1pm. Boarding scheduled for 1:55 for a 2:20pm departure.

"Joshua, here are your boarding passes, and here are your checked luggage receipts."

The check-in agent then gets a look that I've nicknamed "hereitcomesnowbraceyourself!"

"Ma'am, your ticket shows as having been revoked."

Me: "No, it is confirmed, we are going to Ghana, and that's the only available option, thank you."

Kyle S, United Agent: "Actually, ma'am, it has been revoked. Our system shows this ticket as having been revoked for credit card fraud."

Me: "Clearly, this is a mistake. The flight was purchased, the charge appeared on the credit card and has been paid in full."

Kyle S, United Agent: "Ma'am, the reservation is here, but the e-ticket itself has been flagged for fraud and we can not proceed with your check-in process unless another ticket is purchased."

Me: "So, let me get this straight. I am Canadian, and as such, when it came time to pay United nearly $3000 for his ticket and mine, you would not accept a Canadian credit card, even though you accept Canadian passengers.... so you forced us to have an American citizen purchase the tickets on our behalf... an American traveller who is also paying $1500 to fly on United today, with us, and then you accuse us of fraud?"

Kyle S, United Agent: "I can understand your frustration."

Me: "And I understand that you'll be doing everything to rectify this situation, because we are going to Ghana, that's the only option."

They suggested we call Tia to have her call her card company, as they stated the problem was on the credit card company's end, not on United's end.

I looked at him and said... "Go ahead and call her."

Kyle S, United Agent: "Ma'am, we can't do that directly from here."

Joshua, who has been watching this unfold, turns to me and hangs his head. "Mom, this should have happened to my ticket, not yours -- you need to go to Ghana, you can't miss this."

Me: "Joshua, we will be going to Ghana. Period. There is no other option."

Me: "Sir, I can not call her, but you can, and you will."

Kyle S, United Agent, pulls out his personal cell phone and slides it across the counter. I call Tia, long distance, and explain the situation. She's floored. Not only did the charge go through on her credit card, but she paid it off completely. Kyle advises me to tell her to call her credit card company. She does not have her credit card on her, as we were advised not to travel with credit cards. She's going to try anyway.

Tia to me: "How do I call you back?"

I look at Kyle questioningly and asked what number she needs to call back on. He looks at the United phone and knows that he is not permitted to disclose that number. Having worked at an airline, I understand, but being on this end of the dilemma, I'm expecting a solution from him.

He writes his cell phone number on a piece of paper and passes it to me.

I give it to Tia, hang up, and hang my head down into my folded hands, leaning against the counter, and I begin to pray. It went something like this: "Father, the enemy's being ridiculous. Creative, but ridiculous. We know he has no power over you... let's remind him, ok?"

Joshua is getting a bit concerned and goes to sit against the wall near the check in desk with my laptop to keep himself distracted.

Tia calls back, and explains that the credit card company told her that there was no issue on her credit card, the charge went through, was paid, and there was no fraud flagged on her account. They said the error appears to be on United's end because all is well according to what they can see.

1:25pm:

I relay this information to Kyle, who then brings in his supervisor, Jen D. I explain, calmly and kindly, that we can not be expected to cough up $1400 out of thin air when we have already paid this money in full. They said "Well, actually, you would have to pay whatever the current price is, as this price is no longer valid. The current price states closer to $3000."

I shook my head, closed my eyes and tried to envision having to turn around and drive back home empty handed, and I looked at Kyle and Jen and said "No, absolutely not. I just can not accept that. I understand that this issue was not your fault, but as a company, United must make it right. You can't do this to a customer, it's just not right."

I explained where we were going, and why, and how much effort and prayer had been invested, and that whatever they had to do to solve this problem, it had to be done.

We had two options.

1. Find a Canadian willing to call United to purchase the ticket over the phone, since Kyle and Jen weren't sure that they could process a Canadian card directly at their counter.

2. Have an American contact Kyle's cell phone and attempt to pay for it over the phone.

United issued an order for a refund on October 3rd and it hadn't yet appeared on Tia's credit card. Uhm, wow.

1:40pm:

Tia decided to call her boyfriend, Stephen, and ask if this is something he could take care of... fully knowing he'd be getting to the bottom of this with United and getting the refund straightened out. There's just something about him finding out someone has caused issues for Tia that makes him turn into even more of an awesome guy :D

We tried that option, Stephen called, but it didn't work.

1:50pm:

As he was trying to contact someone else to work it out, I grabbed the phone on the counter, called my mom's cell directly, and said "Mom, long story, but can you buy me a ticket to Ghana with you credit card over the phone, I'll explain later." Or something. Can't quite remember what I said, but I was looking at my watch as I said it, knowing we still had to process our checked-in luggage, go through security, and proceed to the furthest gate in the airport (of course!).

She gave them her credit card number, and somehow, by the grace and mercy of God, it accepted it without issues.

By then, Kyle had left to go to the gate to start the boarding process. He left his cell phone with Jen in case we still needed it. He had put tags on two of our pieces of checked in luggage, but not the third, since we didn't know for sure whether or not we'd both be boarding. Well, HE didn't know for sure. I can't say I felt the same way. There was only one option -- it's that simple.

Jen issued our boarding passes, only to realize that our luggage hadn't been put through security. She called over the luggage guy, and had him personally take care of getting our luggage through and brought directly to the plane... by hand.

1:55pm:

I took Jen's name and asked her for Kyle's name, and thanked her for not taking the typical approach to "customer service" which usually translates to "Oh well, not my problem." I told her that I was impressed at how well she handled the situation, given the frustration level involved, and the pressure of having this done in time.

She stopped me and said "Actually, thank you, you handled this very well and you were very polite through this entire situation, I wish all passengers were as patient and polite when problems occur!"

I smiled and said "I can't profess to be a Christian and treat someone with anything less than respect and gratitude. You handled this beautifully, and we truly appreciate it. We will be writing a customer service letter for both of you... the GOOD kind of letter!"

We ran to security, nearly stripping down to next-to-nothing to ensure there were no extra beeps, whistles or alarms to slow us down, and then put ourselves back together and ran like mad to Gate 1, which couldn't possibly be further away from security! Who was there to greet us, Kyle S, the "S" is for Super Agent...

"Kyle! Fancy meeting you here!"

As we boarded the plane, Jen took our carry-on luggage, and I handed her a $20 to give to Kyle for any cell phone charges he may have occurred.

Jen: "Have a great flight!"

Us: "That's the only option!"

4:10pm:

Washington, Dulles airport... we walk off the plane and into the terminal, and Tia is waiting there for us with the news that something's come up with Debra's flight, and it will be delayed by several hours. She may not be able to make the connection in Dulles unless God intervenes. Will you pray?

(United Problems Continue, Part#2)

Comic Relief:

Flight attendant on Tia's flight:

"We will proceed shortly with our in-flight safety instructions. Please pay attention to these important instructions. I know it's not the most exciting show ever, but you did pay a lot of money to see it!"

Male flight attendant on our flight:

Walking up to a toddler seated comfortably and sucking her thumb, he said in his most enjoyable Jamaican accent: "Miss, that looks mighty good, what flavor is it? I had one as a child, and it tasted like cherry. Does yours taste like cherry?" He then proceeded to ask if he could have some of her candy, and when she nodded, he took one orange flavored piece and stuck it to his thumb, then put his thumb in his mouth and said "Now, it is orange flavored, see? Awesome."

Had us all cheering him!

We don't know that we will be able to connect to the internet in Ghana, but we have several posts pre-scheduled. You can also look for updates on Facebook (Like "Child Slave Rescue Mission").

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Going, Going, Ghana!

Many have asked us what our prayer needs are as we leave today en route to Ghana. Our biggest prayer need isn't for us, but for George Achibra Sr., who has suffered a great loss several weeks ago. George's beloved wife, Hanna, passed away unexpectedly. His family's hearts are broken at the loss of a wonderful wife, mother and friend. The children at the Village of Life are feeling this loss deeply as well, she was a mother to many.

George and his family have become very, very dear to us as we walked this journey. Please surround this family in prayer during this difficult time, and pray that we can minister to them as we come alongside of them during the next two weeks.

Trouble Language?

Jillian (10): "What if the kids speak trouble language?"

Mommy: "You mean like Josh?"

Jillian: "No, like African. You don't speak African."

Mommy: "Oh, do you mean *tribal* language?"

Jillian: "Yeah!"

Mommy: "We'll draw pictures."

Jillian: "What if they aren't good at drawing and they draw a cat that looks like an elephant?"

Mommy: "Then, I guess we'll be talking about elephants instead of cats!"

Eager Anticipation

We are presently two sleeps away from leaving for Ghana! It's been a busy time of preparations, packing, and praying.

Our itin will be as follows:

Nov 5th - Departure

Nov 6th - Arrival in Ghana

Nov 7th - GH316 all day, with Ato Sam and Tahameena

Nov 8th - GH880 with George & George (the twins), and GH220 with Precious, on behalf of Michelle Wright & Friends from Blogging From The Boonies

Nov 9th - Travel to Lake Volta region, where we will be working with the children who have been rescued, going out on the lake to meet the children still enslaved, visiting villages on the islands to meet with the slave masters and see where the children are kept.

Nov 16th or 17th - Travel to greater Accra area where we will be working more rescued children.

Nov 20th (late evening) - Flight home.

Nov 21st - Arrive home (late evening)

Nov 22nd (for me) - back to work. Can't promise I'll be coherent, though!

We do not know what to expect as far as having internet access at any point during our travels, but it is my plan to bring my laptop and prepare posts/photos so that once I have access, they can be posted efficiently.

While we are awaiting in eager anticipation

for our journey to Ghana,

7 precious children from Ghana wait too.

They are waiting for their sponsor to choose them.

These 7 children are the only children available for sponsorship from the Compassion Centers we will be visiting, all are from GH880 where George & George attend. They write their letters in English, as English is the language that is learned in the schools in Ghana. We are on a waiting list for available children from the other two centers, and will share as children become available.

Please take a moment to look through these profiles and see if one of them is the child you have been chosen for.

If you are interested in one particular child, simply comment below letting me know which child, and I will respond to make arrangements.

If anyone reading this speaks up for these children and becomes their sponsor before we leave for Ghana on Saturday morning, there is a possibility that we will be able to present the news of sponsorship to your child while we're there -- imagine the joy!?

(Click on the photos to see them in full size)

Perpetual, Dec 27 2001

Bright, March 11 2002

Portia, June 25 2003

Esther (Kukua), May 19 2004

Godfred (Kweku), May 18 2005

Mavis (Ama), April 1 2006

Deborah, July 2 2007

As always, if you'd like more information or you have any questions, feel free to email me at Africa@beyondmeasure.me.