Feb 27

It's been a long, hot, sweaty three weeks...but that's not what we are going to remember. What we will remember is, the faces and hearts of the Ghanaian people, the smiles of the kids and the waves when they see an "Abroni" walking down the street, the relationships between the team members, the 3000 pateints that we provided medical care for, the two new christian radio stations that we dedicated, the bright faces of the ghanaian contruction team when we came back to see them one last time, the new friends from Ecuador (Doctors and Nurses), our new Twi words, and the list goes on and on and on. Each person has their own memories that they will never forget. Each person created a story for somebody to tell and for somebody in Ghana to remember. What we must remember is that God has a plan and a purpose for each one of us. He handpicked each of us to be a part of this team and to make contact with the people and culter of Ghana. We all have different backgrounds and different stories, yet we ended up on the same trip together with one purpose in mind...to follow God's direction. It's been amazing to see the gifts of each of the members on this trip and see how we all complement each other to create a team that has accomplished so many things. Gifts of medicine, leadership, passion for kids, music, love, direction, and many more. Through all the challenges, obstacles, victories and cheers we grew together and became more of a force to spread the love of Jesus through our words and our actions.

Psalm 1:1-3 says "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

Although we all are sinners, we still need to try our best to delight in the Law of the Lord. We all need to be like a tree which yields fruit and leaf doesn't wither. We hope that we have yielded fruit here in Africa. Some that we know about and others that we will never know about until we get to heaven. At the same time, we have each grown stronger in the Lord than we were when we got here. We must also remember that a three week trip to Africa does not mean that our work is done. There is much more to be done here! There is much more to be done within each of our hearts and there is much more to be done at home in Colorado! Our mission continues with each day as we interact with our families, friends and co-workers. Our mission goes on! As this mission trip comes to an end, we look forward to continuing our lifelong mission. We embrace our Lord and his commandments. We look to the heavens for guidance and direction. For he is the light along our path...we follow you Lord! We love you! And we thank you!

For those of you who have followed this journey, we thank you for your prayers and support! You have been just as important in this trip and those who travelled. We thank you for being a part of our lives and we look forward to being able to share this experience with you when we get back. God bless!

Feb. 25

Well, we are finally out of the villages. After two weeks of being the outskirts of villages and jungle we have arrived back in Accra. We finished up with the final village this morning, seeing another 225 patients. It's amazing how many we are seeing and how many lives we are touching. Even thos that we have not provided medical care to, we have been engaging with and building relationships...that's the best part. It's a two part mission. The whole project here in Africa is called the Voice and Hands of Jesus. It's unbelievable to see both of those happening each day. Not only are we providing a much needed medical service (wounds, malaria, breast cancer, tuberculosis, anxiety, hypertension, alcohol) but we are also engaging with the people, just as Jesus did over 2000 years ago. Sometimes, he preached to thousands, and other times it was a small group of individuals. Here we are, half way around the world from what we know as home, and we are engaging with a culture that is so far away from our own. Yet, here we are, together, hand in hand, finding some shade under a tree so that we can tell our stories. I was touched today by three girls who were all in their early teen years. They had aspirations to become nurses, lawyers and teachers. They are in a place that we find hard to understand...living in mud huts, drinking water from a small stream, eating whatever they went out to garden today...and they still have dreams of becoming somebody and going places. Sometimes, those are hard things for American teens to aspire to, with all of the opportunity that they have. Can you imagine the obstacles that are in front of them? It's amazing. God is truly in this place and in the hearts of these people. You should see them pray and sing and dance!! It's a celebration each time...something that we could learn from them!!!!

Now that we are back into a city (African city that is...little different standards), we get to go to a good restraunt tonight (pizza and hamburgers!!!). We are really looking forward to that. Another day of medical outreach tomorrow in Accra and then to home on Saturday. It's been a great three weeks and we are looking forward to a wonderful finish. We would all recommend that all of our friends and loved ones get the opportunity someday to experience and adventure, like the one that we have so far. See you tomorrow.

New Latrine:

Mike drawing pictures with 12- year old Isaac:

Kris loves the little ones:

Local villagers:

Kris and Jon playing Duck-Duck-Goose with the kids:

Drilling the Well:

Chief of the village:

Feb. 23 blog- by Mike

Today was the last day in the village that we started at this week. This village was much smaller with much less people. Although it was a smaller village, we enjoyed ourselves very much. Because there weren't as many people, we got to spend more time with the local people and develop some relationships. Kris immediately found a couple of kids that followed her around for the two days. They cried when we left...it was sad. They didn't want to say goodbye. We played with the school kids a lot today. We built an obstacle course for them to go through, told the creation story and drew pictures on the chalk board and even got the adults to play "Duck, duck, goose!" We also saw over 400 patients today...which is amazing! This village has a long way to go but their new latrine and fresh water well that were dedicated over these last two days will be the first steps in bring better health to these people. The village was so grateful when we left. They sang songs to the Lord and danced and clapped with joy over the treatment that they have received. As a departing gift, they gave us a Goat, some plaintains and oranges.

On our way back to our hotels, a small group of us got dropped off downtown in the market. We bought some fabric and joked and laughed with the locals all the way back. We even stopped at a local Ice Cream vendor and cooled ourselves down with some vanilla ice cream...YUMMY! It's amazing to see how the local people treat us. They are so kind. We get lots of smiles and waves. All of the little kids start yelling "Abroni!" which means "white person." It's really cute. They want to come up to us and touch our skin. There are some that have never seen anybody like us before. We also got a good little rain storm to cool us off this afternoon...it was fantastic. As we get closer to the end of the trip, every moment becomes something to remember. We also have to be careful to look ahead towards returning home. Sometimes we get tired and drained and have to remind ourselves that we have a lot left to give. We have had an individual with us these last two days from Sierra Leon. He is a radio guy that is also looking to do some medical work so he is shadowing us to see what we are doing so that he can take back some ideas. He shared something with us last night that struck me as very special. He said that when he was a boy, he grew up in a similar village to what we are going to now and he was in elementary school. He remembers a group of missionaries that visited his village, just like us. Although it was a long time ago, he still remembers that those people came and that they had a significant impact on his life and a part of who he is today. He emphasized that "the things we are doing now will have everlasting effects on the lives of those that we are in contact with!" What a reminder to us to make sure that we start each day with the same energy that we did when we got here over 2 weeks ago. Each day, there is a new soul that we will touch. God is giving us amazing opportunities and we need to make the effort to take advantage of those.

Prayer - Lord, it has been a great day. Please give us a great nights sleep so that we are ready to start in a new village tomorrow with a new energy and passion for these people. Continue to keep us safe and open the hearts of those that we will be in contact with for the next couple of days. Your will be done. Amen.

Ghana Day 15

Louis, Donelles, and I are leaving today to go back home...

With our hearts half split - excited to go home and see our families, but leaving behind so much accomplished and yet so much to do...

We envy a little the ones that will be here for another week - we know now that God has amazing rhings planned for them in Asamakasee and the villages around the town.

Before departing to Accra and the airport, we had the chance to participate at the dedication of the first ever radio station in the town of Assin Foso - which happened to be Theovision's Community Radio NKWA 88.1 FM - with live Christian gospel for all within the listening area.

Many people came to the dedication and many of them were muslims, tribal chiefs, or town officials.

Such a marvelous work done by God in a place where video cameras are made of old car radiators and water is drank from 1/2 liter bags.

We stand in awe, we bow, and we feel so blessed to be a part of this... even for a little time... that has already passed and seems to have been but a blink of an eye... Great work - wonderful team !!! We love you, Africa !! Till we meet again...

Lord, thank you again for being a live God that never ceases to love His people and have mercy on the spiritually unborn. We love you so much and thank you so much for what you are doing in Africa. Thank you for helping us see it and seeing the people here through your eyes, not ours. Thank you for the welcome that we have received - please continue to bless this place and use us as necessary to accomplish your will in Africa... Some of us are ready and waiting for you to open the gates and say "Go!". We cannot wait to follow. In our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray - Amen.

PS. Mike and John will send the updates for next week and I will post them as I receive them.

Ghana Day 14

Resting in the Lord

Since some of us are going to leave tomorrow, Lee and Michelle from the local HCJB office decided to give us a day off and give us a quick tour of the main attractions in the area.

So, we started the day at the Kakum National Park with a nature/jungle stroll and a walk on the seven suspended rope bridges (called canopies).

The forest was thick, lush, and almost equatorial with a little mist of humidity floating above the trees... We had not expected to see many animals as the walk took place close to lunch time, but some of us were lucky enough to see monkeys in the forest below. The walk on the suspended bridges, although challenging, was much easier than expected. Some of us brave enough to swing the canopies got yelled at by the other visitors as the height between the trees is 60 feet to the ground.

As we left the park and drove towards the Cape Coast area to have lunch at the beach, we were mesmerized by the creativity displayed by the locals in choosing the right names for their businesses. As the African superstitions believe that invoking the name God or passages of the Bible will bring luck to the owner of the enterprise, you end up seeing God Our Redeemer Machine Shop, or In His Time Meat Shop, or With God Carpentry Work... It would be worth it one day to just stop and walk through the various shops hunting for the most amusing name.

We ended up at a quaint beach restaurant eating various fish dishes and body-surfing the waves for a couple of hours.

Very close to the beach, rises the most famous castle in the centuries-long history of African slave trade - the Elimina Castle.

Established in the 15th century by the Dutch traders, the castle has the fame of processing 60 million slaves over the years. Only a third survived the most inhuman treatment imaginable provided by the people, to people in the name of God or power. The castle still smells like death. We spent an hour in the castle and we were all moved by the stories we heard and read.

So ended a beautiful and relaxing day of refreshment and recollection - not before we got struck by a power outage for a good chunk of the evening.... But this is Africa - love it or leave it. We love it.

Father, thank you for giving us the opportunity to have such an amazing time today - all of us together, one last time before some of us have to return home. We have been moved to the deepest corners of our souls by your amazing grace, love, and power here in Ghana - thank you for blessing us beyond limits with these two weeks together. Many of us will never be the same after this trip. Please continue to open doors of amazement to us and show us where we can begin to marvel at your goodness - Amen.

Petting Crocodiles:

Grilled Grouper and Fried Plantain:

Donelles found a Triangular Tree:

Canopy Walk:

Jungle Walk:

The Fish Harbor:

Elimina Castle:

Male Slave Dungeon:

Lunch at the Beach:

Swimming:

Our Guesthouse:

Ready To Go:

"God Our Redeemer" Enterprise:

More Good Luck Enterprises: