If The Lord Does Not Build The House

From the beginning, although I knew that God would provide for the literacy center construction, I have to admit that when it came to filling the literacy center with books once the construction was completed, it felt as though I was staring at a blank page.  

I couldn't imagine it, couldn't visualize it, didn't know what we would do to obtain the books, what He had planned, how He would provide...   it was a complete mystery.  All I knew was that He was asking me to simply focus on the construction, and when the time came to fill the library, He would reveal His plan.  Well, maybe that's not all I knew -- I also knew that I felt completely inadequate for the task ahead and that was perhaps why He chose me for this yet again.  Like I said, a complete mystery.

In reality, it wasn't any different than any other callings He has placed upon my heart.  The child slavery rescue mission in 2011 was much the same -- I came to the table empty handed aside from my belief and understanding that God had promised it in full, and that it was my calling, my purpose.  I had no idea what we could do, individually or as a whole, that would ever amount to enough.  Picking up recycling bottles wouldn't be enough.  Neither would mowing lawns or selling photo sessions.  That's because the only "enough" was Him.

I have vivid memories from 2011 of how it felt when we were scheduled to leave for Ghana in 53 days and we had only managed to raise 12% of the $30,000 needed, not including travel costs.  

It looked impossible.  If we'd had a dollar for every person who had told us that we'd never reach our goal, well, we would have been much closer to reaching our goal!  We all felt it.  The pressure, the weight of the calling, the awareness of what stood in the balance for the children who were waiting to be rescued, and those who had been rescued and needed the resources we were gathering for them.  

The only reason I didn't get discouraged is because I knew from experience that God works best when we've come to the end of ourselves, when we've exhausted all other possibilities.  When the only success possible is the kind where He steps in and does the impossible.

He did just that in 2011 by providing the funds in full before we stepped foot on that plane, as He had promised, and in ways we can't explain to this day.  I still choke up when I think back to what we experienced that year when we simply said "Yes!" to whatever He would do through us and in spite of us.  

Before we left Ghana to come home, I gave Him that "Yes!" again, this time for the literacy center, and once again, I'm finding myself in that place where we are up against a wall, and the only success possible is the kind where He steps in and does the impossible.

I feel the pressure, the weight of the calling, the awareness of what stands in the balance.  I refuse to get discouraged, as I know that what He has started, He will finish, but I feel weak in the knees just trying to wrap my mind around this.  Maybe that's part of the problem -- I should stop trying to wrap my mind around this, because I know I can't.

Remember when I mentioned that at first, I did not know the logistics of getting the literacy center filled with books?  I didn't know, but now I do, and that's what has me completely bursting at the seems with excitement, and trembling at the knees when I see the gap between where we are, and where we need to be to receive these books for the literacy center.

A short while ago, I came across a book that caught my attention.  It was a book about a Christian couple whose calling was to create a non-profit that would provide books to rural communities in Ghana.  (I know, I was speechless for a good long while as I read this book and could relate so much to their ministry!)  The communities interested in receiving books had to fund and construct a library with certain specifications, including having a minimum of 300 linear feet of bookshelves, a board of directors to oversee the library, the library being available to the entire community, and someone that could be trained to become the community's paid librarian.  Once the community met those qualifications, they could apply on a first come, first serve basis, with preferences given to rural libraries, and if accepted by this non-profit organization, they could receive a large shipments of books all sorted by the Dewey Decimal System, with a variety of books from all the different categories, and proper training.    

As I read the last page, I felt as though I'd been holding my breath.  

FIVE YEARS.  

FIVE YEARS, I prayed for God to provide a way for the books to be brought into Enyan Abaasa somehow.  

Five years of not knowing how God would provide, and as I finished reading this book, I knew.  

I flipped to the beginning of the book again, and realized that since the book had been written in 2013, there was a possibility that they were no longer providing books.  I pleaded with God as I did some research, "Please, Lord, if there is any way..."  I found some information, and reached out to them, providing information about our calling to help provide a literacy center to the community of Enyan Abaasa, and received the confirmation that they are still in a position to provide for one last library this coming spring while they are in Ghana.

To be clear, after years of providing books to libraries throughout Ghana, they are only planning on providing books for one last library in the foreseeable future, so that they can focus instead on supporting the libraries that have already been established through their ministry. Having read about their experiences, I completely understand and support their decision to focus on the libraries they have already established until the Lord directs them otherwise.  

When they received my email about the literacy center, they encouraged us to apply as soon as possible, preferably by December, since this will be their last library provision.  However, in order to apply and qualify, we must include with our application photos of finished bookshelves, along with the list of board of directors, and plans on how the librarian's salary will be provided for. The first community to apply and qualify will receive the last of the book resources they have at their warehouse.  They have confirmed that they have just what we need in terms of books (and exactly what we prayed for!!!), and that the literacy center has many things going in its favor in terms of being well supported, but until we provide proof of bookshelves being completed and fulfill the other requirements, we are at risk of losing our opportunity to receive this immense blessing, this precious shipment of books. 

The challenge is time, funds, and, well, bookshelves.  Bookshelves?  Why is that so complicated?

Given that we're in the midst of fundraising and haven't reached the required funds yet to start the interior work, we're simply not ready - the bookshelves haven't been started yet.   I can probably guess what you're thinking -- how long does it take to build bookshelves?   It may not take long to build bookshelves, but it takes a lot longer to raise the funds to provide for the bookshelf material and the labor, it takes 4-6 weeks minimum for them to receive the funds and our instructions, and if they understand that we need photos of the bookshelves and they send the photos to us, it will still take another 4-6 weeks for the photos to reach us.  

As of today, October 12th, we have raised 8.25% ($751) of the funds needed to finish the interior of the literacy center.  

In order to get the shelves started so that they can be built and photographed for the application process, we need to have at least $2000 raised and sent without delay along with instructions for the bookshelves and the need for the bookshelves to be built first.  Sending $4000 would be even better, as they could make more progress as we raise the rest, and work on the tables, benches, floors, plumbing and electricity.  (We always try to send the funds in $2000 increments, since $2000 is the limit per transaction for this project, and we are limited to two transactions per year).

I feel so utterly overwhelmed by the sense of relief at the answer to our prayers, the gratitude in being called to do this, all while all at the same time, the sense of the impossibility of it all.  With one simple communication or transaction taking 4-6 weeks or longer, and with us not quite having reached the initial $2000 for the first transaction... the timing looks nothing short of impossible.  

Have I mentioned that it's October?

This is the point in which my kids would say "can't.even".  I'm tempted to join them, but I can't, and won't -- this is not impossible for the God we serve, the God who has promised us that He would see this through.  In fact, my heart knows that place that seems impossible is typically when God shows up in all His glory and everything falls into place at the touch of His hand.

So, yes, I know that God's got this -- He alone can do this...  but it still requires something of me, and I'm willing, if only I knew how!

I know from His word that if the Lord Himself does not build the house (or library, as it were), then those who build it labor in vain.  Psalm 127:1 

The Lord HAS built this literacy center.  He IS finishing it.  We have NOT labored in vain.

That being said, I have reached the end of me -- I honestly do not know how to take the next step, in which direction, what to do or how...  and so I am doing the one thing I know to do...  ask you to join me in prayer and in action.  Prayer for the Lord to light our steps as He promises to, for me to have the clarity to see the ways He lights my steps (because sometimes I don't see too well!), for the funds to come together miraculously and in time, for communication to be fast and efficient, for Him to provide His people to come alongside of us, help us on this calling, and help see this through.  

There's room at His table -- won't you join us?

 

JD

Ghana@beyondmeasure.me

India By Way of Nehemiah: 2013

In November of 2011, days before we were set to leave for Ghana, I received the news that I would be joining a mission team in Cameroon the following February.  Having used all my vacation time for Ghana, and having very little time to fundraise the necessary travel costs, saying yes was still an easy act of faith.

In November of 2012, days before we were set to leave for Haiti, I received the news that I would be joining a mission team in India the following February.  Having used all my vacation time for Haiti, and having much less time to fundraise the necessary travel costs, I wanted my yes to be just as simple, but it required more prayer and consideration.


I'll be honest, when my spiritual leader and role model, one of God's amazing disciples, Jamie Charles, reached out and extended the invitation to join her as she leads this trip, I wanted nothing more than to say yes at any cost.  The opportunity to join His Hands Ministries in India is overwhelmingly great, both in terms of the blessing to serve Him and His people there, but also in terms of spiritual and personal growth.  That being said, to some, I had every reason to say no.

It's no secret that it's been a tough year.  Some would say that alone makes it the wrong time to be doing another mission trip, so close on the heels of the Haiti trip and all the changes here at home.  Few would say all the more reason to go now, even though serving, spending of ourselves to save the life of someone else, brings healing and restoration to the spirit.  Most would say the cost was too high, the time not right, that I had "too much on the go", "too much on my hands", that I needed a break, that I needed to be there for my kids.  While I understood their concern, what I really wanted to know was God's perspective, not ours.  I don't want what the world offers, I don't want easy or comfortable, I want what He wants.

I responded to the invitation by taking the time to pray.  The conversation with God went something like this:

"Father, I have this blessed opportunity in front of me to serve Your people in India, but I do not know if I am the best person for Your work there...  if You can really use me right now, as I am, with the present circumstances.  I need to know Your heart on this..."

I sensed God asking me why I felt this way, why I felt He might not send me...  I answered:  "Daddy, there seem to be so many reasons I should not go... My marriage has ended, I am on my own.  People will tell me I should stay home and take care of my family.  I only have one income now, I have to be very careful with my financial resources, I need to protect my ability to sponsor these 17 children I have committed to, and to provide for mine as well.  I do not have vacation time from my work so that I can take the time to go, this means that I would not be paid for my time while I travel.  I am trying to prepare the house to sell, it is a lot of work and I have so little time left for much else.  I am tired, and worn, and although I greatly desire to go, I do not want to hinder Your Kingdom by being the weakest person for You to send."

His response was yet another question, asking me how I felt He would respond to these reasons...  and it came to me swiftly and strongly -- "Father, You would remind me that although my marriage has ended, I am not on my own, I am never alone for You are with me always... and You have provided me with people who support and love me and are by my side... You are the one Who takes care of my family when I serve You first.  You would also remind me that my income is limited, but Your provisions are endless, and all that I have comes from You and belongs to You.  You'd also point out that You have protected my ability to provide for the sponsorships and for my children for the past two years while reduced to practically one income.  You would tell me that You created time and Your provisions are endless, and that You provided for the same circumstances last February when I was in Cameroon, and it's certainly within Your power to do it again.  You would probably laugh at me and remind me that the house will sell in Your time, not mine, and ask my why I do not simply let You take care of that and not be concerned?  And last but not least, You would remind me that You often choose the weak, the most unexpected, the worn, the old, the tired, the ones the world would not send...  You came to earth for the sick, the poor, the lonely, the orphans, the widows -- You promised that in our weaknesses, You are made strong, Lord, and as such, I should not question Your reasons for sending me, that perhaps it is not only to serve others, but so that I may grow in You, or lead by example for someone here... I don't know Your purposes and plans, Lord, but I trust You...  Yes, I may be weak in the eyes of the world, but You equip the called and I hear Your call on my heart.  I am willing, and that is my answer...  I am willing.  May it be done as You have planned."

I am willing, always.

I gave my answer to the trip leader, and told her that should all the pieces fit and the Lord be willing, she could proceed and book my ticket while I was in Haiti. I would learn upon my return whether or not I would be going to India.  Either way, I would accept His answer.

When I returned, God had answered... my tickets were booked.

If you are familiar with how the fundraising went for our mission work in Ghana, you will remember that I compared it to Nehemiah, who had been given the task to rebuild Jerusalem's walls in 52 days.  It seemed impossible.  The same was true of our fundraising efforts.  We needed to raise $30,000 by November of 2011...  we started in March of 2011, and by September of 2011, we were at 12%.  How would God do it?  We trusted explicitly that He would.  With less than 53 days to go, He provided, all of it, in full, as well as our own travel costs.

All it took was faith in a God that could, and would.

That's what it will take this time too, in abundance.

I have until Monday, December 17th to pay my airfare to India.  $1563.  A mere six days.  I have until February to raise the in-country travel costs ($500).  Seems so little in light of the $30,000 we raised for Ghana, or the $3300 we raised for Haiti... but on a human level, it seems just as impossible.  The amount has never, ever been the issue.  Whether $30,000 or $3300, or $1563, it always comes down to the fact that I come to the table with empty hands, only able to spend of myself, pour out my life as an offering, but coming short of the miracle it will take.  I have nothing to offer but absolute faith in the God I serve.

Nehemiah built the walls in 52 days.

I have 6 days.

That might just be why God picks me time and time again -- He delights in doing the seemingly impossible through the least likely.


If you would like to sow seeds into this miracle in the making, into this ministry, donations can be made by Paypal (link on sidebar or jd@beyondmeasure.me) or in person, through online banking (Canada) in any amount, no amount too small, as our God multiplies the blessings.  Your support is a blessing, not only to the people we will serve in India, but to people whose lives I touch here back home, and to my spiritual growth too.

Most of all, please pray, and keep watching to see what God will do...

River of Redemption

In the beginning, I ran ahead and skipped down the path, blissfully unaware of the impending weight of my vow. Seems ironic perhaps that the God who warns the world against this choice would have also protected me from His warning and of knowing the weight of the choice, lest I forgo the journey before it even began.

He knew.

Yet here I stand on this path, the years of this journey creeping painstakingly to the halfway mark of my life, the road behind me torn between the picture perfect redemption of God, and the ravaged rubble of human nature. All one needs to do is tilt the angle of perception to see the contrasting views.

You can glance back to gain wisdom, but you must keep walking forward in faith.

His provision is faithfully present at each morning milestone, the mystery of spiritual sustenance that brings with it the daily dawn of hope. It is there for the taking, always enough provided you greet it with gratitude and partake in it with praise.

The ground under my feet is parched and scorched by the heat of the fires that have tested the foundations of faith.

The further in time along the journey, the more the width of the gates narrow at each turn, filtering out a number of travelers in direct proportion to the size of the gates. The smaller the size, the less one can see past the gate. Blessed are they who see through the eyes of peace in Him, they won’t be held back by the difficult passage...

They shall enter further into the... desert?

Yes.

Consider it joy to be here.

The God who promised to lead me to still waters knows that I have watched the river alongside my path dwindle down to a trickle so faint. It is I who needs to be still in order for my ocean of faith to be heard above the roar of voices saying “flee from the drought, flee from the famine lest you perish right here alongside this dying stream, the life sucked out of you.”

The one who brought me here is the one who breathes life into me. Life cannot be sucked out of you but from the enemy.

God has brought me alongside this dying stream for a purpose. He knows that even though my body is resting wearily where He has placed me on the dry shore, my faith is quenched by Living Water, and I hunger only for Him.

He alone is sufficient for me.

No, He has not brought me here to die or to suffer, He has brought me here to refine my faith as in the days of Elijah the prophet.

He has brought me here not to be destroyed by the battle, but to provide for me a front row seat to witness His hand at work, just as He did for Jehosaphat.

In this world of rushing around obstacles with impatience, being content in the stillness and through the trials can seem so foreign and unsettling; uncomfortable, inconvenient. His ways are not our ways.

He has commanded me to be still and believe in what the world cannot see but through the filter of faith that puts God between itself and any circumstance.

The journey here has filtered my eyesight -- my focus is clear.

I am here to stay until He moves me, waiting patiently for God as He prepares the river of redemption He has promised me.

Isaiah 35 ** 1 Kings 17 ** Isaiah 40:28-31 ** James 1:12 ** 2 Chron 20:15-17 ** Joel 2:25

King's Daughter, King's Ransom

It's rare for me to be at a loss for words... this is one of those times.


Please pray for Liliana's family to find her.

http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2011/08/because-it-is-our-problem.html

Ghoing, Ghoing, Ghana!!

Although things have been quiet on the blog, things behind the scenes of our Ghana Child Slavery Rescue Mission are anything but quiet.

With only 104 days to go (!!!!!!) until we head to Ghana, we're finding ourselves in a flurry of activity here in New Brunswick (Canada) as well as in Michigan and Illinois.

While the school construction fundraising has always been our priority (with 100% of the school funds going to the school construction) we had to take some time to focus some of our efforts on raising the necessary funds for the travel expenses so that we could book our flights.

At my youngest brother’s suggestion, I launched a photography auction on Facebook in June as well to help us reach our separate fundraising goal for the travel. We had such an encouraging and positive response to this that we may do another one in the fall.

Debra had an auction in June in which half the proceeds went to her travel costs, and half went to the school. This auction raised over $600 for the school construction fund, increasing the school fund by 2 percentage points! So many people and businesses contributed their time, energy and items to this great event, we’re so grateful for the tremendous support.

Thanks to the success of those specific fundraisers, along with countless lawn mowing jobs, bottle recycling refunds, car detailing and various other odd-jobs, we purchased our plane tickets. What a surreal feeling!! This is really happening!!!

We have since resumed 100% of our focus to the school fundraising by continuing with various jobs and event fundraisers.

We still have much to do in order to reach our goal,

and we need your help.

Much of our fundraising successes have come by word of mouth, simply from sharing about this project, what we’re doing, where the funds are going and what a difference it will make... people are inspired to help in any way that they can.

Share our button on your blog, place our project url in your email signature, post it on Facebook... every single contact is a seed planted, and we can not afford to underestimate how important each of those seeds are. www.tinyurl.com/Ghana2011 -- easy to remember!

If you are able to donate $5, $10, $20 or more, please do so and know that your contribution WILL make a difference. There is no amount too small. Every dollar will bring us closer to providing the school for these rescued children. Every dollar will greatly affect the future for generations to come. Every dollar counts.

Last but not least... your prayers. Your prayers for us as we walk this journey have made an impact beyond what can be seen. Your prayers have helped keep us energized, encouraged and uplifted when the road gets tough and our hearts are heavy from the reminders of the children we're doing this for. As well, your prayers for George and his ministry, as well as the children of Lake Volta, both those who are awaiting rescue and those who have gained freedom.... those prayers are life changing and crucial -- please continue to support them in prayer.

THANK YOU for your support!

Beyond The Photo

Every few months, I receive the information on a few Compassion children that are in need of a sponsor. These children are not available anywhere else but through me, their Advocate.

Right now, I have 14 of these precious children in my care, all of them living in extreme poverty, all of them waiting for a sponsor to call their own.


Even though I care and pray for each and every one of these children, and I work hard to find them a great sponsor... this time, I am searching for a particular kind of sponsor for a specific little girl.

Meet Berling De Los Angeles, a precious 4 year old girl from Nicaragua. Berling helps her family by carrying water, gathering firewood, and running errands. She lives with her mother, and her mother isn't employed. She has two siblings. She loves to play with dolls.

The information on Berling is fairly typical, but her photo isn't. Not to me.

When I looked at Berling's photo, it hit me immediately.

Something's not right.

In the first glance, perhaps what struck me the most was the juxtaposition of her pure white bride-like wedding dress against the desolate backdrop of poverty.

I took a closer look.

Take a look with me, beyond the photo... look at this child. What do you see? (For a closer look, click on the photo.)



I am startled to see hair that I would expect to be jet black... I know from when we sponsored Emily that just as Compassion can change a child's hair color, so can poverty and malnutrition.

It would be tempting to assume that perhaps this child is simply a blonde haired little girl, and that nothing's amiss...


Then...


You see her face.


Compare it to 3 year old Belen from Peru, also in my care until July 31st...



Do you see the difference?


Not only is Belen more healthy in terms of proportionate body size for her age, but Belen's countenance is completely different.


The hopelessness is missing.


I feel very strongly about finding each and every one of these deserving children a sponsor who will care for them, help provide for them, build a relationship with them, and most of all, love them...

... but I need something more for Berling. I need a sponsor who will be very attentive and proactive, a sponsor who will write faithfully and regularly, a sponsor who will advocate for her and watch carefully for signs that may point to something deeper affecting her health and wellbeing, including the potential that she may be abused.


I know that this sounds like a lot to draw from a photo... but there is a reason I feel so strongly about this.

Beyond the photo, there is something heartbreakingly familiar about her.


That look on her face, without words, describes exactly how I felt as a victim of child abuse. I could be wrong -- but how many people didn't advocate for me on the chance that they might have been wrong on their suspicions? So many people suspected or knew, and backed away from the responsibility. Even the police. Am I willing to make that mistake with her? NO.


Whether you're already an active sponsor or have never sponsored a child before... if you can see beyond the photo to what I see, and feel a burden on your heart for Berling, please contact me before the end of July. If you are not in Canada, I will have her file transferred to you.

I have already committed to another sponsorship this month, so it may very well be that God doesn't intend for me to sponsor Berling, even though I feel so very strongly about her.

Perhaps He is simply asking me to advocate for her because of how strongly I feel.

Perhaps she will be my 14th sponsorship.

Perhaps, you have read this and already know that she is yours.

Perhaps, like Michelle's sponsorship of Kwagala (check out the story here!), the CompassionCan blog family can come together in a group sponsorship of Berling.


I don't know yet what His answer is. Our role is to advocate and pray for all children at all times. Beyond that, it becomes a question of whether we will keep praying for them, or whether we will be the answer to their prayers.

Ghana Update: May 2011

Less than 170 days until we leave for Ghana!!

Our application with a non-profit organization Interlink Ministries has been approved. This will allow U.S. donors to make tax-deductible donations to our project through a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Please check with your employer to see if they have a funds matching program for double the blessings!


If you've been waiting to donate... Here is the information you need:

Make checks payable to Interlink Ministries, attaching a note stating that the funds are for the Ghana Orphans Project.

Mail to:
Interlink Ministries
P.O. Box 460
Apple Creek, OH 44606.


Support letters will be going out to friends and family. Please pray that these letters will find favor and that the fundraising efforts will be blessed. Your prayers are a crucial part of this mission trip, please continue to pray.



Stay tuned for an important update on the progress being made in breaking the cycle of child trafficking in Ghana.

Africa 2011: Child Slavery Rescue

Preface:

In 2009, I joined the Bloom Book Club, where I met Tia. She and I had a lot in common, including our love of God, Africa, and our sponsored children. We soon became best friends. Tia had served in Africa twice, and when one of our Compassion children learned this, he began to pray that we would serve in his country of Ghana.

When we began to research the possibility, we were shocked by what we learned. We knew our lives would never be the same. When we announced where we would go in November of 2011 and why, another Bloom member decided to join us, as did my 13 year old son.

Never would I have imagined that God would have combined a book club, a Compassion child, and modern day slavery to turn three women and a 13 year old boy into abolitionists.

As you read the rest of this post, you too may decide to join us.

Welcome to Lake Volta, located in eastern Ghana, West Africa.

Hope begins on Lake Volta, but at first glance, the hope is hard to see. Lake Volta is home to a very lucrative fishing industry, but the fishing industry has a very dark and dangerous side.

There are no employees in the Lake Volta fishing industry. Only slave masters, and slaves.

Child slaves.

With false promises of an education and a future, something so many families feel no hope of reaching in Ghana, children as young as 4 years old are unwittingly sold by their parents to cunning slave masters, and then forced to work under cruel and inhumane conditions.

Imagine poverty so desperate that selling your child might be the only choice you feel you have?

Which of your children would you sell in hopes of giving them a future?

In some cases, it's an "easy" choice of which children are sold. Many of these children were orphaned and left in the care of relatives, who struggled to provide for them and opted out at the first "opportunity". Imagine the rejection these orphans experience? Do they even know that God commands us to care for the orphans and protect them? Do they even know how much God loves them, especially them?

The boys are used as slaves in the fishing industry, their childhood vanishing as they spend their days trapped on the lake, endlessly fishing, hauling and mending nets, and diving to the bottom of the lake when nets become tangled. If they refuse, the slave masters may chose not to beat them, but instead force the other child slaves to beat them into submission.

The visible scars they bear are horrific; one can barely fathom the seemingly invisible scars that shred the heart of these precious children. It only takes a look into their eyes, and the scars on their souls can be seen.

The days are long and dangerous. Working up to 18 hours a day, sometimes getting one meal, sometimes not... these young boys are not only facing cruelty, hunger and exhaustion, but environmental dangers such as drowning, crocodiles and electric eels. Children who die are buried by their fellow child slaves on the shores of the Lake Volta islands without their parents ever learning their fate.

Even though the boys are used in the fishing industry, young girls aren’t spared. The girls are initially used as slave servants for the slave masters’ families. The slave master’s own children go to school while the slave children are denied an education as they are made to do all the domestic labor as well as cleaning and preparing the fish caught that day. The work is literally endless.

As they get older, the girls’ future becomes even more desperate. The girls are eventually used as sex slaves, often ending up pregnant before reaching their teenage years.

Escapes are rare. These islands are isolated, with few opportunities for the children to flee. Fear and terror is enough to keep them from attempting an escape.

While it would seem as though these children have lost all hope, God knows each of them by name, and so does the man God has sent to rescue them.

His name is George Achibra Sr, a modern day Moses living on the shores of Lake Volta in Ghana. George has dedicated his life to negotiating for the release of these child slaves and has rescued several hundred of these children from slavery on Lake Volta.

One by one.

George demonstrates a capacity to love that is rare, refreshing, and breathtakingly beautiful. I see evidence of Jesus in his heart not only in how he devotes his life to these children, but also in the way he has compassion and concern for the slave masters. It’s not enough to rescue the children peacefully and respectfully, George loves God enough to provide alternate means for the slave masters to earn incomes that do not rely on these children. His goal is not only to give the children a better future; he strives to do the same for the men who enslave them. He builds a relationship with them, treats them with respect, and works hard to change their future and their hearts.

Does that not have the fingerprints of God all over it?

Our trip to Africa will be in support of George and his team at PACODEP. We will serve alongside of him while he tends to the child slaves on the islands of Lake Volta and negotiates rescues. Working with George, his team and these children will help us gain a better understanding of their situation so that we can in turn advocate for the release and freedom of these children.

On the mainland, we will work alongside of George and his team at the Village of Life, the campus built to accommodate the children who have been rescued. Love will be poured onto these children as they adjust to their new freedom and learn to read and write, learn the basics of hygiene, get proper nutrition and care… even as they learn to play. Although we will be teaching the children, it is likely us that will learn far greater from each and every one of them.

There is no need too small to fill,

and one need larger than the others.

George’s success in rescuing these precious children poses a challenge. The current three-classroom unit is at max capacity, and without more space, George’s team cannot accommodate and rehabilitate more rescued children. They currently have 51 children living at the Village of Life, and thousands still waiting to be rescued. The construction of a new classroom unit would enable them to bring in more children from the islands of Lake Volta.

Education is crucial at the Village of Life. The children’s rehabilitation and future depend on it… breaking the cycle of poverty and hopelessness depends on it…

...and George’s success depends on us.

In America, it would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to build a school. In Ghana, it’s considerably less. The cost of a three-classroom unit for the Village of Life is $30,000.

$30,000 that George does not have.

I’ll be honest, I don’t have $30,000. It's likely the neither of us have $30,000. So, to you and I, building the school may seem like an insurmountable challenge. What matters is that we serve a God for Whom nothing is impossible, a God who has gathered us together to make a difference for these children. What an amazing opportunity to make a difference!


Alone, we can't. Together, we can.

We will be spending the next 7 months working hard to raise the necessary funds for our trip expenses, the school construction, as well as collecting school and educational supplies, malaria nets, toys and treats for the children. Every penny counts, every bake sale and yard sale important, every donation precious and life changing. It may seem overwhelming through the world’s eyes, but if enough of us gather generously in His name, we CAN succeed in providing this gift to the children of Lake Volta.

We need people like George, who stand in the gap for these children… and George and these children need us to stand in the gap too.

Will you be the answer to this child's prayers?

Your prayers and your support are greatly needed and appreciated.

For updates on our work in Ghana, 

please check blog updates here:  November 2011

For tax deductible receipts in the U.S., please send donation to:

Interlink Ministries

P.O. Box 460

Apple Creek, Ohio

44606

USA

(Earmark all donations to "Ghana Child Slave Rescue")

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

For more information or for Canadian Interac email fund transfers, please contact Africa@BeyondMeasure.me

For more information on George’s team, visit PACODEP’s website http://pacodep.com/index.php

Unforgettable video of the children of Lake Volta and the work that George and his team have devoted their lives to: http://www.touchalifekids.org/lake-volta-video

NY Times articles on the Lake Volta slavery: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/29/world/africa/29ghana.html?_r=1

Extreme Heart Makeover: Submit Or Suffocate?

With one single observation, she changed everything.

"How can your husband learn to be the leader and head of the family if you give him no say and no opportunity?"

We should all have a best friend brave enough to speak the truth boldly.

__________________________________________

The truth hurts. I had done it again... I hadn't been respectful of my husband's role as the leader and given him an opportunity to learn to lead, and she was calling me on it. She knew me inside and out.


A few weeks back, I had expressed my concern to her about my need to become more disciplined with my priorities and my time. Balancing family/kids/adoption, church & Bible Study, a full time job, mission work & fundraising, advocacy and writing/photography... it's a challenge many of us face, and one I had been praying about.

So imagine her surprise when I excitedly called her last Thursday to tell her about a ministry opportunity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Africa, where we both feel led to work. This organization covered so many interesting opportunities; micro-finance, sponsorship, orphans & widows, education, health care, and so much more. They needed someone bilingual to help create a Canadian chapter of their organization. I understood their vision, loved their Christian foundation, I already had a heart for Africa, I knew how sponsorship worked, and I speak fluently in French and English. Perfect, right? They thought so.


My husband had been away on business for a few days, and I hadn't had much of a chance to talk to him about this opportunity. In the meantime, I decided to keep meeting with the head of this organization to learn more while my husband was away. The more I learned, the better it sounded, and the more my excitement grew.


Until her statement stopped me dead in my tracks.


I'll admit that I felt a little defensive initially. If I talked to my husband about it, would he actually listen? Most of the time, he didn't seem to, so was there much point? Would he really understand? What if he said no? Is this something he'd consult me about if the tables were turned? I'll be honest, getting involved with this organization was something I wanted to do, and I briefly felt somewhat resentful that I had to ask his permission.

The more I prayed about it, the more I realized she was right. My attitude and actions in this did not honor my husband or our marriage. What I needed to do was to submit to his leadership and yet lead by example -- needless to say, it's a very delicate balance that requires an incredible amount of faith and courage for a woman like me.

Ask any abuse victim -- they'll tell you that the word submit is a difficult one for them to swallow; a word that until a few years ago sent chills down my spine. I could die to self for God, for my children, for my friends... but for a man?

I spent the first 18 years of my life controlled by a man determined to destroy me, I was forced to die to self for him until I died on the inside... and that led me to spend most of the next 18 years determined never to trust another man with my life -- my husband included. As you can imagine, that has made for a very difficult marriage. Being under his secular leadership has been very difficult, and my reaction was to attempt to protect myself by keeping him at arm's length and digging my heels in even more. In the end, my determination to not be hurt had managed to hurt me by robbing me of a healthy marriage.


By not submitting to my husband, I was seizing the life out of our marriage, suffocating his potential as a leader. Men need to feel respected and adequate in order to feel loved and wanted, and my actions did the opposite. I felt remorse.

I desperately wanted a husband I could trust to lead me in the ways I needed to be led, but I kept getting in his way. How can I complain about his leadership when I haven't led him in the way I want to be led? When I haven't respected him the way I want to be respected?

When I haven't given him a chance?

Wouldn't he be more responsive to my needs if he knew that I had his best interests at heart too? It had to begin with me, again.

If I want him to be a Godly husband and leader, it starts with me. I need to become a Godly wife in every aspect of my life.

"Change ME, Lord, into the woman you need me to be for him, so that you can change him into the man You need him to be for You."

I knew the "change me" prayer very well. It's been a process I've been walking for the past few years. God has been generous with opportunities to put it into practice, and I recognized this as yet another opportunity. I'm not worthy of the patience He bestows, and yet He richly blesses me... I didn't want to waste this precious lesson.


I called my husband and specifically told him that I wanted to talk to him about this opportunity when he returned home. On the way home from the airport, he honored his word. We talked... and he listened. Really listened. I explained what I knew of the organization, how it worked, what they needed, what our potential roles might be... there was an opportunity for him to do some architectural design work, and for me to work in various roles. I asked him if he had any thoughts, concerns or objections. He agreed to meet with them about the architectural project, and voiced his concern about the investment of time. He pointed out that he already struggled with my commitments to various Christian activities, such as two Bible studies and church on Sundays, and add to that time at the gym, he felt I was away from home quite a bit already and that he would find it difficult for me to spend even more time away from home.


Taking time to pray over our conversation, I began to realize that not only would I need to meet with this organization several times a week, but once it took off, it would require even more of my time.

How much time would that take away from our three children? Would it be fair to our family for me to continue with this commitment? What would become of this commitment once we got the call about our adoption? Would it be fair for the head of this organization to keep investing time in me when I may have to drop everything in a a few weeks/months when we finally get that call?


Thinking back to the conversation I'd had with my best friend a few weeks ago about praying and surrendering my time to God and let Him help me set my priorities, I realized that by speaking to my husband about this, God was helping me answer those prayers.

What would I have missed out on if I had refused to submit?


I approached my husband about it, and explained that although I had a passion for what this organization was doing and that I knew I had a lot to offer, I had made the decision to heed to his leadership and step down as a potential candidate. It was important to me to honor his feelings and respect his concerns about time commitments, and I made sure to let him know that this was a decision made intentionally with him and our family in mind. I needed him to know that he was right, and that I agreed with him. (I may or may not have grinned and told him he might want to have that in writing...) I also explained that I wanted to be careful not to give him a negative impression of Christian mission work, that there were ways to be involved in Christian mission work without it compromising our family relationships. Last but not least, I told him that if I wanted him to be a good leader, if I wanted him to also respect me, I had to be the one to lead by example. It was important to me to communicate all this to him because I wanted him to understand the reasons for my decisions.


It was obvious by his response that he was appreciative of how I had handle this and of my decision. I could tell that he didn't take it lightly, and that he understood how significant a turning point this was.


In the end, God showed me that when I struggle to trust others, I need only to remember to trust Him. When I struggle to submit, I need only to remember that by submitting to my husband, I am submitting to God's plans for my life. I saw evidence once again that leading my husband to become a leader by submitting to him is possible, and the only way I'll lead is by example -- by changing myself so that He can change everything else through me.


Submitting to him had answered my prayer to protect establish priorities and protect the time I was given to take care of those priorities.


Ironically, where submitting once felt suffocating, like a death sentence... it has become the extreme opposite. It has given life to my marriage and liberated me from the chains of my past.


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Eternal Nesting

The emotional intensity of the adoption journey had recently been replaced with a calm period of time, a calm that soothed the spirit and brought peace, a stillness much appreciated.

The all too brief stillness has given way to restlessness. I immediately knew it felt different from the intensity of the past few months, a different kind of urgency, but I didn't understand why right away. I couldn't explain it.

Reaching out to a few close friends, I began to recognize the familiar in the unfamiliar... this restlessness, this new sensation, was one I had felt before, long ago.

It was the urge to do something, to mark the time in significant ways, the urge to move forward in preparation.

Nesting.

An urge that animals and humans have by instinct to prepare a home for the upcoming arrival of their newborn(s).

It left me dumbfounded.


The only experience I had as a mother was in preparing for newborns, babies, and for the most part, I had the advantage of knowing when the time would come, what I would need, and how to prepare.

How do you prepare for a child who won't be needing a crib or a car seat, a child whose size and age you won't know until the day comes, a child whose homecoming is so... nebulous?

When I was pregnant with Jillian, I began to put together the nursery with an urgency in mid-July. She wasn't due until late October... but my spirit knew, my heart knew.


Jillian was born five weeks earlier than her anticipated due date.


Nesting is a preparation for what's to come. I think of a nest, and I think of home, comfort, protection, nurturing, love.

Nesting also brings to mind sparrows and God's promise that we are more valuable to Him than these, and yet His eyes are on the sparrow at all times, and when sparrows made nests in the temple, they weren't turned away. God welcomed them into His presence. So how much more than this must God welcome us into His presence?

³ Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
LORD Almighty, my King and my God. (Psalm 84:3)

What was significant about sparrows building nests in the temple? The sparrows were only doing what they did by nature; preparing a nest, laying eggs, taking care of the eggs, raising her babies, singing in worship... but all of this was done in the presence of God. Near the altar of the Lord Almighty.

Just as we long to welcome this child into our presence and into our family, God longs to draw us into His presence and His family. He too is nesting. He wants us Home, and as such, He is always preparing our hearts for our homecoming and preparing a place for us in His Heavenly Home.

What a beautiful picture of God the Father, restlessly nesting to bring His adopted children home.



While our hearts are being prepared, both for our homecoming and for our child's homecoming, I find comfort in trusting my God-given instincts. Nesting comes near the impending arrival, at a time when the long wait bears fruit.


She'll be home soon.


Soon, the days that seemed like thousands will turn into a thousand that seems like one.



We are choosing to wait until she's home to completely makeover the room that she and Jillian will share. This will give her ownership and help her feel included, and it will be a bonding experience all around. We're choosing to wait until she's home to purchase clothes, we don't know yet what she'll need or what she'd prefer, and the fun of shopping together will be yet another positive experience.


There is little else to do.


We certainly won't be needing these for a five year old...




Or this....




There is something she'll need, though, something so important that it is the very first thing I chose to purchase for her. This one-size-fits-all treasure will help us in this journey, bring comfort through the transition, and it will do what the sparrows of the temple did... it will prepare a nest close to His altar, close to His presence, preparing our hearts for our ultimate Homecoming.

Just like her big sister's.




As several close friends suggested, I'll also begin to write letters to her regularly until we welcome her home, a way to journal my heart as the day approaches. Someday, I will give those to her to let her know how much we longed for her and loved her, long before she came home to us.

In similar ways, God provided letters to us in His gift of the Bible, showing us that He longed for us and loved us, long before we come Home to Him.

African Awakening

Spring of 2005...

The seed was initially dormant, much like a bulb planted in the autumn of life, buried deeply and needing the cold of winter to force life to the surface. As winter’s harshness eased and spring’s thaw approached, the seed’s heart stirred, faintly aware of the growing longing to be the Shepherd’s hands and feet in far away places.

Although it felt the growing missionary beat in its heart, it knew it wasn’t time.

Some bulbs spring to life in the first season, some need a longer winter of death to self before giving rise to the awakening of life.

For years, I knew my heart was being called to the mission fields in developing countries, even though I had my own mission field here at home. I also knew that I simply hadn’t been ready – not emotionally, spiritually, financially, physically, or even from a marriage or maturity standpoint. I had a lot to work through so that He could use me as His servant this way.

Sometimes, it was hard to wait, much like dreaming for something you’re not sure will be yours to have. It's a risk to open your heart to that dream, but unless your heart is open, your heart can never fully receive the opportunity. Deep down, I knew that the process of working through the challenges was still worth it, even if the fruits of my labor weren’t what I had envisioned. God is faithful.

I knew by the end of the spring of 2009 that the seed was awakening from deep slumber, and that the season of winter growth would produce much fruit. In little time, I felt the first unmistakable calling to Africa when my best friend Tia shared her experiences from her mission trip to Africa. This was more than vicariously living through a friend, or simply having an interest in her experiences. My heart knew.

Not Afraid To Squeak Up!

My heart knows nothing quite like being a witness to the passionate prayers of another Christian... it stirs my heart in ways I struggle to describe.

I didn't grow up in an evangelical church / household and as such, prayers were rarely heard out loud and even reading the Bible was not openly practiced nor encouraged. This left me feeling as though spirituality was something privately shared between an individual and God, and to be honest, it left me with more questions than answers.

Years later when I began to see people praying out loud, I was surprised. People did this? And not just out of a book or a text in front of the church?

I fell in love with hearing others pray, especially my friend Michelle, with her prayers so tender, eloquently simple and beautiful. Being witness to someone's prayer seems like an intimate glimpse into their passionate love for Christ, and it often left me feeling overwhelmed but also in awe.

Even though I loved to hear others pray out loud, I dreaded being asked to do the same. I felt completely inadequate! Up to that point, my prayer life took the most direct path, from my heart to God's. I was quite comfortable with the status quo, feeling free to pray intensely, gently, joyfully, tearfully, gently, brokenly and every way in between, every prayer wrapped in passion and love for the Lord who would receive those prayers. Sometimes my prayers were felt, prayers I couldn't describe or put words to. I knew that regardless of how I prayed, God would stand in the gap of whatever I failed to express... that even without words, He would hear what my heart brought to Him.

I felt it wouldn't be the same if I prayed in front of someone else, someone who'd simply hear my meager words and offerings for Him. My gift is for the written word; speaking comes less naturally. Someone may be disappointed by the little I had to offer when they asked me to speak up. It felt more like a stage than an altar when prayer had an audience of more than One, and that left me very uncomfortable.


Then last November while visiting with two of my best friends, Tia and Elizabeth, Tia asked me to pray out loud with her. I knew this was important to her, so I braved it and did the best I could. She took it a step further and encouraged me to continue doing so daily. She has heard me pray countless times since and keeps encouraging me.


Tia's lessons reminded me of a gift I'd been given long ago. Elizabeth had prayed out loud for me back on February 18th, 2005, at a time of critical need. It was one of the very few things I remembered from being in the hospital that week, and it left an indelible imprint on my heart. Beyond that, her prayers had led to an unforgettable and humanly inexplicable healing that very night. What if she had not been willing to pray out loud? What if my reluctance to pray out loud robbed someone else of the same gift she had given me?


God brought it all together in His perfect time. Our week in Honduras was filled with prayer time and I knew that praying out loud would be inevitable. Still, in the presence of those whose prayers seemed like a sacred spiritual symphony, I felt as though mine were meager and weak. I'll never forget holding hands with Damary and Maria while Bessy and I listened to their powerful, passionate, intense time of prayer, and feeling as though I had been witness to a sacred, intimate moment between these women and God... which both left me in awe and unsure of my own prayers.

Why couldn't I pray out loud the same way I pray when it's just Jesus and I? Why won't the words and the passion flow the same way they're felt? Is that an indication of my prayer life, my faith and my relationship with God? The enemy wanted nothing more than to let the doubt creep in.


Not wanting the enemy to continue to whisper this uncertainty to me and to take away from my time with the people of Honduras, I came home asking myself "what should a prayer sound like, look like, feel like?" It wasn't about learning to pray exactly like them, or being "good enough", it was about understanding what God expected from me personally. I've spent the last few weeks seeking answers and refocusing on what prayer means to me.

Prayer means conversation -- it isn't necessarily something one sided! Imagine your child coming to you, pouring their heart out in a passionate prayer of gratefulness and of heartfelt cries, and not being given the opportunity to respond to your child? Imagine how God feels when we do this!? What if it's not that God isn't responding to our prayers, it's that we're getting in the way of His attempts to respond to us? Are we truly listening to Him?

Prayers shouldn't be put in a box, forced into a peg hole, nor are they one size fits all. They are unique to the individual, to the circumstances, to the emotion, and to the relationship between God and the person praying. If a certain level of prayer had to be attained in order for God to take note of our prayers, if prayers were measured and put on a scale... we'd all be in serious trouble because the responses may be pro-rated in accordance with our proficiency. What a fine mess that would be. In reality, God hears them all, from the unabashed prayer of a young child to the bold prayers for the "sun to stand still" (Joshua 10:12)... from the awkward and simple prayers of the inexperienced to the intense and passionate prayer of the broken hearted... the quiet prayerful meditation spent in silence.... even the prayers without words.

What the enemy wanted to steal from me, he inadvertently made stronger through this introspective experience. Does he realize how counterproductive that is for him? Shhhh!




Whether out loud or inaudible, prayer is as personal and individual as we are.



In the wise words of my friend Tia:

"When God created the mouse, He didn't expect it to roar like a lion... and when He created the lion, He didn't expect it to squeak like a mouse."

It's perfectly OK if I feel more like a mouse when I pray out loud than a majestic lion... I'm going to speak squeak up and pray as He created me to.


In the end, what matters to Him is that I continue to pray intentionally from the heart in a way that's personal and meaningful, and that I grow in my prayer life, always giving Him my best and never settling for just squeaking by.


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