Ghana Update: Thursday, Day 10

This is the final update, which we sent from an airport on our return trip. Thank you for reading these! Normal blogpostery will resume shortly.

I can't thank you dear readers enough for all times you prayed on behalf of our team. Visiting Ghana was a truly phenomenal experience and I'd heartily recommend traveling there with Crusades for Christ. Just be sure to take along some beef jerky for Pastor Isaac.
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Day 10

Today was bittersweet.  We started out by packing up this morning.  Shopping was on the agenda as well and we all piled into the bus after devouring breakfast pizza and pineapple.  The first market we went to was called Wild Gecko and the prices were set so we didn’t have to worry about haggling (or we didn’t GET to, depending on who you ask).  The prices were quite a bit higher too so most of the actual purchasing was done later.

Next we drove to a very large open air flea market with rows of stalls and shop owners standing out front inviting us in.  Actually, it was more like urging or demanding.  They could get quite aggressive and more than one team member became frustrated with the African system. It seemed that “just looking” was not an option and even casual interest prompted much pressuring and begging and bartering directed toward us unsuspecting Americans. Some really enjoyed bartering, however, because there’s just something satisfying about knowing that you got a good deal.  Or at least thinking you did. =)

Quite a few people purchased drums. The quality of the drums made them a great purchase, and the price was very reasonable.  Jon had talked with the shop owner and said that he promised to bring back more buyers if he gave us a special deal.  I bought a medium-sized drum for about twenty dollars; much cheaper than anything for sale in the states and authentic too.  Other popular purchases today included figurines, dresses/shirts, paintings and baskets.

After the market experience we were hot and tired and very sweaty so we headed back to Leon and Barb’s for a light lunch.  All of us, that is but Shawn and Jared and Jaxon.  They chose to have an adventure of their own which I will not attempt to recount.  We heard the full story when they finally did return, just shortly before we were scheduled to depart for the airport.

-The Scribe

Jared, Jaxon and I had quite the adventure indeed.  But I’ll begin with some background information. 

“Shawn, I haven’t forgotten about Tema.” Jon said as he greeted us on the day we arrived.

Our earth is tidily organized by coordinates.  Zero degrees latitude puts you right down on the equator.  Zero degrees longitude places you on the vertical equator:  the Prime Meridian.  This imaginary line was cooked up by the British when they devised the coordinate system.  They had to place the beginning point SOMEWHERE, so why not straight through London?  Follow that line perfectly south, and you’ll soon end up in Ghana.

Ghana is the closest country to the intersection of the equator and the Prime Meridian.  The exact intersection is in the ocean roughly 400 miles below Ghana.  When I visited Ghana last year with a work project team, I discovered that the Prime Meridian runs right through Tema, a town located only a handful of kilometers from Accra.  I had wanted to go visit the line so I could stand in two hemispheres at the same time, but the rest of the work team didn’t share my enthusiasm for the detour, so I didn’t go.

“If you ever return to Ghana, we will be sure to take you to Tema.” Jon said.

Good to his word, Jon organized my little side quest.  The only time it worked to go would be while the group did their shopping in the marketplace.  The group needed Jon’s honed bartering skills so he stayed behind with them and ordered a taxi to take me to Tema, a large town roughly 30 minutes away from our shopping area.  Jared Bontrager and Jaxon Weaver offered to accompany me on the trip.  We hopped into that taxi and took off, planning to rendezvous with the team an hour later at the marketplace.  Jon had loaned me his cell phone for the trip, to help with navigation but also provide a means of communication.

We cruised halfway to Tema before hitting the first traffic jam.  Roundabouts are common in Ghana and they seem to work fairly well in comparison to normal intersections with traffic lights.  But cram enough vehicles into one and nightmares get crafted real quick.  The road to Tema had four roundabouts, and each one was completely wedged bumper-to-bumper with cars, trucks, vans, semis, and motorcycles.  Each access road was packed as well, so we would crawl along as we jockeyed for position.  Our 30-minute schedule was out the window before we had gotten through the first roundabout.  But our spirits were still high, because we were about to go witness one of the most significant manmade boundaries ever devised.

We got to Tema after sitting on the road for two and a half hours.  During that time, we witnessed some of the most astonishing feats of driving prowess I’ve seen in my entire life.  We snuck past vehicles with precious few inches to spare.  Semis made alternate lanes for themselves by driving over medians.  Motorcycles were getting shoved around by the merciless stream of vehicles, but getting their revenge later when they zipped between vehicles during traffic jams.  Pedestrians were leisurely crossing the street in front of cars and trucks traveling at high rates of speed.  Meanwhile, we cooked.  The sun was out in full force as we sat in a small taxi with no air conditioning.  Jared and I got unique tans on our right arms since we sat with our arms draped on the window sill for 2 hours.  At certain points, we could have gauged our progress by measuring beard growth.  To break the monotony (and to capitalize on a captive audience), sellers ran up and down the road to offer snacks, toys, and beverages.  Jaxon bought a chicken gizzard kebab, Jared bought a bottled beverage, the taxi driver bought some biscuit-like cookies, and we all bought some bags of water. (Except for the driver, who claimed he could drive all day without drinking water.

Once we got to Tema, I directed the taxi driver to take us to the Meridian Hotel.  From what I had researched online, the hotel had an engraved line in the ground where we could take our photos.  But when we got to the location, there were only unfinished buildings and a vast construction site.  We asked some locals, who kindly informed us that the Meridian Hotel had collapsed years ago.  Evidently no one had thought to insert that nugget of wisdom in the hotel website biography. “We’re located in beautiful Tema near the Atlantic Coast. Oh, and our building collapsed years ago and we’re out of business.”  

I had been hoping for a well-marked Meridian line, like you can find in England.

But I would have settled for a signpost.

We asked some locals if they knew where to find the Prime Meridian.  It took a bit of effort to explain what the crazy American tourists had in mind. The locals understood what we were after and said that there was indeed an engraved line for the Prime Meridian.  It could be found in the Meridian Plaza, only a few blocks away.  We journeyed uptown to the plaza and searched around for a bit before we asked some locals where the line was.  They stated that in order to see the line, we’d have to travel to the Meridian Hotel, the location we had just come from.

At that point, we gave up.  We took a few photos in the area we suspected was near the line, but we had no way to check for sure.  The line is very, very close to where the hotel had once stood.  Within 20 feet, said one source.  During our treks across town, we crossed the Prime Meridian multiple times, so we called that good. 

After they heard we were stuck in traffic, the group didn’t wait for us at the marketplace.  So we instructed our taxi driver to drop us off at Leon’s.  We were snarled in traffic a few times but the return trip was definitely quicker.  We got back to Leon’s and scarfed down a quick supper while double-checking that everything had been packed.  What had been planned as a one-hour trip had devolved into a fairly-disappointing four-hour detour.  I felt like I had thrown an unnecessary wrench into the team’s gears. “Ah well, that’s okay. We had no idea the traffic would be bad. Besides, we’re still on schedule, so you’re alright.” said Jon, Barb, and Leon, trying to cheer me up.

I learned a lot from the trip, and I was grateful for the opportunity.  Ghanaians live busy lives and adequately marking the location of the Prime Meridian is very far down on their to-do list.

When we had been stuck in traffic, I had been praying for deliverance.  “God, please just get us there quickly.”  After we returned and I was reading the daily letter sent to me by Joy Gerber, I was shocked to see her letter matched what I was experiencing exactly:  selfish prayers asking for immediate deliverance from troubles don’t teach us anything.  Alternatively, realizing that God is with us and has a plan for each circumstance helps us to grow in our relationship with Him.

Thank You, Father, for giving me opportunities to grow in my relationship with You.

-The Scribe’s Proofreader

Ghana Update: Wednesday, Day 9

Day 9

“How marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful, is my Savior’s love for me.” This was the last rousing rendition sung by the group just now on the bus as we came home from the crusade.  It’s the last night here and singing hymns in glorious four-part harmony seemed like a good way to wrap up the time here.

The group set out around 12:45pm for the village of Kotoku to set up the clinic.  It didn’t seem to matter much that they weren’t expecting us because we still helped around 120 people.  One lady that came through asked us to pray for her husband.  We asked about her story and she shared that they had both been Muslims but she had converted to Christianity.  Apparently he didn’t care that she went to a Christian church, which is pretty rare.  She asked that we’d pray that her husband would accept Jesus too. 

Praise and worship starts every service and lasts from 45 minutes to an hour.  Dancing is always a part of the service and every Ghanaian does it well.  They all seem to be born with rhythm.  We, on the other hand, could use a few (or a lot) of lessons.   I’m sure the locals at least get a good laugh out of our awkward attempts to keep step with the beat.  You can’t accuse us of lacking in enthusiasm since Dan was dancing before the Lord with many of the children.  A few others formed a line and tried to mimic Pastor Isaac’s varied steps.  Needless to say we all enjoyed ourselves.

Marion preached the sermon tonight and Pastor Isaac translated.  Afterwards we greeted each other in Twi, then loaded up and headed for home. The singing started soon after we left and about halfway through Light the Fire when we hit a traffic jam.  Literally “hit”.  Our bus driver started cutting off a large semi and we all saw it coming. The semi’s side mirror broke and fell right in front of me outside my window.  The distinctive sound of crunching glass effectively stopped the singing.  The bus driver didn’t seem terribly bothered by it.  Leon commented that Ghanaians don’t use mirrors anyway so it was no problem.

–The Scribe, Janae Horst

 

Today was a riot of sensory overload.  The team seemed exhausted as we traveled back to Leon’s after the crusade. “We’re not necessarily tired from today, just drained from the week.” Marie explained.  People’s thoughts were definitely on sleep, so I kept the interrogation to a minimum.

“Describe today in three words.” –The Scribe’s Proofreader

“Inspired. Grateful.”
–Jaxon Weaver, sharing how today changed his outlook.

“Bittersweet. Humorous. Memorable. Soul-satisfying.”
 –Rachel Bauman, who I told could use 4 words.


“Meaningful. Productive. Fun.”
 –Carolyn Nisley

“Hectic. Productive. Fun.”
–Kayla Jenkins

“Entertaining. Enlightening. Unforgettable.”
–Marie Borkholder

“Fantabulous. Enjoyable. Inspiring.”
 –Dan Borntreger

“I’m surprised with how well we threw together an impromptu crusade, clinic, the whole village visit.  It turned out beyond expectation.”
–Jon Sauder, totally ignoring the “three word” limit.
               
“Inspiring. Stretching. Empowered.”
–Luetta Borkholder

“Super. Fun. Excellent.”
–Carissa Geigley

“Fulfilling. Joyful. Addicting.”
–Theresa Yoder

“Joyful. Excitementforhelpingpeople. Rewarding.”
–Maudeen Chupp, bending the boundaries of grammar.

“Perfect. Singing. Bus.”
–Travis Jenkins

“Frickin’ AMAZING.”
 –Adrian Myer

“Good. Life-learning. Loud.”
 –Brianna Eggleston

Ghana Update: Tuesday, Day 8

Day 8

Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day... like when we leave for America.  Today we were faced with a lot of unexpected free time due to the rain.  Our clinic was scheduled to begin at 2:30 and go until 4:30, but just about as soon as we stepped off the bus, the downpour began.  We set up under a small open shelter and sat on the low wooden benches as the rain pounded around us.  When we finally did open up for service, there weren’t many people that came out to receive the help.  Jon said that out of around 225 tickets that had been handed out, precious few turned up.  Even after counting those without tickets, we only saw 73 people in all.

A few days earlier in this same village, a man in his forties passed away, leaving behind a wife and children.  Everyone seemed to be related to him or at least knew him in some way so the village was grieving. The rain wasn’t the only thing that kept people from our clinic. Apparently there was a wake being held for the deceased with plans for a funeral tomorrow.  Our leaders decided that we should move to a different village tomorrow for the last clinic and crusade. The people will be focused on the funeral and a busload of “obrunies” rolling in would be an insensitive distraction.  So tomorrow we will head to a different location. Africa gives you lots of opportunities to practice flexibility.

The crusade was held in the center of the village and more than once a truck or motorcycle drove right through the middle of the service.  Our group contributed some special singing and a few testimonies. However, the rest of the night we were clueless as to what was said. The local pastor preached the sermon in Gaa and it was translated in Ewe, so we sat and listened without understanding a word. The most widespread language in Ghana is Twi, and even some of the local pastors were clueless.

Another authentic Ghanaian meal awaited our return and we enjoyed a type of “haystack” called watchi. It’s made up of rice and beans, meat, spaghetti , and coleslaw. There were more pouches of Fan Ice to enjoy in sundae form for dessert and after dishes a bunch of us sat around and played some games.

The Scribe

Ghana Update: Monday, Day 7

Day 7

I’m currently writing and eating frozen chocolate milk from a bag. This is what I will attempt tonight as I reflect on the day and finish my dessert. The day was full so we returned ready to eat the burritos and fan ice prepared by the cooks.  And now with a full stomach I will attempt to re-cap the events that occurred.

We ventured off to a more remote village called Ayaa this morning, bouncing along and bottoming out a few times. So far we haven’t had to get out and push the massive bus, though with the downpour of rain today, I wouldn’t have been surprised.  Leon and Jon split us into around six groups each with a guide/translator and we headed out to evangelize. They gave us three hours to walk from village to village handing out tracks and inviting people to the service.  About an hour and a half into the trek, rain began to pour.  Everyone quickly found some sort of shelter and we waited and waited for it to stop.  My group was invited to sit in a man’s hut to wait it out.  We noted that beyond the mud walls and metal roof sat televisions and speakers systems sitting on nice tile floors.  After half an hour, it finally let up and we returned to the school and snacked on tasty chicken salad sandwiches.

Marion had a good story to share when their group returned.  Apparently it’s not just women that get proposed to.  He said that his translator introduced him to his sister in one of the villages and said, “She wants to go home with you.” When it became known that Carolyn was his wife of 12 years, there was much apologizing.  

Jon preached the sermon tonight to our biggest crowd yet.  Another highlight was when our group got up to share some songs. Earlier today, we all learned how to sing ‘Jesus is a Friend’ in Twi.  So tonight when we sang it to the people scattered across the grass, a roar of shouts and cheers rose and some started to dance.  I think we all had fun with it as well, although I’m sure the language was butchered as we attempted to pronounce the foreign tongue.
 –The Scribe      

What a good day.  A full day, for sure. The villages surrounding Ayaa have a very difficult dialect that many of the local pastors struggled with.  Jon’s message and the team member’s testimonies were so powerful, I hope that the locals understood them but I’m afraid they didn’t catch much.  We are praying that God will do the translating for us because the Words that were shared are able to change lives in the hearts of the people that hear.

It was late in the evening (early in the morning?) when I got around to interviewing and since the group was a little quieter, I had to pry information out of some of them before they shuffled off to bed.  So instead of just one question, I sat them down for a full-out interrogation and wrote their responses.

“Tell me about today.  What stood out to you?  Was the crusade service different than last week’s services?”
–The Scribe’s Proofreader

“Today was good! It was nice to see the large crowd in attendance at the crusade.”
–Travis Jenkins

“Evidently there’s a popular village trend that, with kids 5 and under, underwear is optional.”
 –Rachel Bauman

“When we stepped off the bus at the crusade, a local man asked me, “How many of your women have husbands?” One of the cutest things is when the little girls would curtsey when we handed them tracts.  I loved the freedom and excitement the people had during the worship tonight.”
–Jared Bontrager

“I had a good day today.  He most fun was when I read to the children before the crusade.  They all gathered around me and started singing.  One girl raised her hand like she had a question, and when I asked her what she needed, she recited Jeremiah 33:3 to me.”
–Theresa Yoder

“Today was good!  I’m tired. At the crusade, I sat beside a drunk who wanted to look at my watch.  The worship session was very, very loud, and my ears have just recently stopped ringing.”
–Marion Nisley

“I have discovered that whatever group I join, we walk the longest. J Jared and I figured that our group walked roughly 5 miles.  We got a 45-minute break due to the downpour, thank the Lord!  The service was excellent.  The worship was a bit different, but I can’t explain it.  I was impressed with the size of the crowd that showed up.  We praise the Lord for eight new souls that were added to the kingdom of God tonight.  In summary, it was a good day.”
 –Leon Geigley

Ghana Update: Sunday, Day 6

Day 6 (Sunday)

Today was another relaxing day. After breakfast, we journeyed to a small outdoor church in an equally small village. The members of the congregation were already sitting under the small canopy and had started the service.  I can’t describe the worship in words very well but I really loved it.  The singing was beautiful and sincere.  The women danced and sang at the top of their lungs.  You could hear their voices just above the drums and tambourines.  One thing I think we all really appreciated were the few songs that were sung in English.  Worship seems to be a lot more meaningful when you know what you are saying to God, though even with the language barrier I could worship because the Holy Spirit was present and brought unity.

Dan Borntreger preached the sermon and did an excellent job talking about grace and sharing his testimony.  Marion and Carolyn Nisley both shared their testimony for the sharing time.  The people responded enthusiastically shouting out many “Amen’s!” and clapping when the Nisleys were finished.  It was awesome to see the joy in these brothers and sisters, fellowshipping with them as we spent the morning together in a metal-roofed shelter under the hot sun.

Rest is wonderful and a few team members took naps when we returned.  God did a great thing when He created a day for rest. The game cupboard was opened for the first time and little groups of Americans laughed and played the afternoon away. 

For supper, we were served an authentic Ghanaian meal prepared by some local women that Barb knows.  We ate balls of mashed rice with our choice of either ground-nut stew or a light soup.  The stew contained peanut butter and chicken, and it was far better-tasting than it sounds.  It had some kick to it, and reminded me of Thai Peanut sauce.  The light soup also contained chicken. It also contained some major spices and left your tongue wondering what hit it. Another bowl contained fufu which is cassava mashed with plantains. It tasted like a bland, spongy, starchy paste.  For dessert we were served watermelon, and I was relieved to finally taste ONE FRUIT that isn’t better than the fruit in the states.  It was refreshing but not as sweet as the melons in the Midwest.

At around 10pm, several team members called it a night, while others stayed up to talk and connect. I’m writing this as I sit on the porch with about eight others while we play the Ungame.  It’s very sticky and humid but the conversation is great.  It’s nice to talk instead of crowd around a TV or movie.  I’ll end with this: take some time to rest. In the busyness of America, we have some things to learn from the slower pace of Africa.  Take a few minutes to stop and breathe deep this Monday.  Thanks again for reading and praying!

-The Scribe

"What did you think of this morning’s church service?” -The Scribe's Proofreader
 

“I liked the singing. The church service was really fun, but my hands got tired of clapping.”
 –Isabel Weaver

“Church was lots of fun.  The clapping stuff was my favorite part.”
–Ellie Sauder, Jon’s 5 year-old daughter.

“I thought it was exceptionally cool.  It was hot and the sun cooked my head because the roof didn’t cover where I was sitting.  I liked the greeting session and the open-air service.  I liked Pastor Samuel, who was awesome and friendly.  The singing had a lot of rhythm and motion, and I liked it.  I also liked that the people aren’t afraid of what others think of them when they worship.”
 –Jaxon Weaver

“I taught Sunday school at the service that I went to.  It went very well. I was in charge of roughly 35 kids today.”
–Adrian Myer, who attended Pastor Felix’s church in Boi.

“I liked the church member’s genuine emotion, which showed on their faces when they worshipped.”
–Mary Weaver

“I thought church was very good.  I especially liked Dan’s sermon.”
 –Kayla Jenkins

“I enjoyed church.  The preacher’s sermon was a little shaky…*laughs* Preaching is nice in that it stretches me and gets me in the Word.  But public speaking is not my most favorite thing.  You won’t hear me say ‘Preach in front of a bunch of people? Oh yes!!’”
–Dan Borntreger

Ghana Update: Saturday, Day 5

Day 5

“Tell me about your day.” –The Scribe’s Proofreader

Jared Bontrager: “Well, the bus ride was a little long, but the ocean was nice.  I floated out there for a while.”
Dan Borntreger:  “You were WAY out there, for a couple of hours!  We were wondering if you were okay.”
Jared Bontrager:  “Oh? Well once you get past the waves, you don’t have to worry about undercurrents.  You rise and fall on the swells. It’s nice.

“It was very relaxing.  I always love being by the ocean.  It’s soothing to the spirit. Our minds are full from taking in new things from the culture, so it was nice to relax.  I loved it.” –Maudeen Chupp

“It was a wonderful day.  The slave castle was beautiful but gave me a sick feeling in my stomach for the way the slaves were treated.  The ocean was beautiful, and I was glad the fish on my dinner plate didn’t have eyes.” –Luetta Borkholder

“I don’t know how to describe it. I had one of the better days of my life!  About the slave castle, I thank God for a savior because without Him, man is nothing but the devil inside him.  The ocean…hmm.  Today for the first time, I wished I was a poet.  Did King David see the oceans when he wrote about the power of the seas?  I don’t have words for the ocean.  It’s too beautiful.” –Theresa Yoder

“Today was very interesting. I knew slave trade was brutal at times, but I didn’t realize the extent of it. Kiki’s was very relaxing.  I took a nap in a hammock, swallowed enough salt from the ocean to last a few days…very relaxing.” –Dan Borntreger

“It was a very relaxing day.  It was nice to be with the group.  The slave castle really makes you face the reality of slave trade.  The beach was SO relaxing, and the fish for supper was amazing.” –Barb Geigley

As you can see from the Proofreader’s interviewing, this day was different than usual.  The break from crusading was needed and much appreciated.  Unlike the clinic days, which started at 10am, our Saturday started pretty early. The team awoke at 5:30am, hopped on the bus at 6am, and ate breakfast on the way to save some time. Once we got our first destination, we split up a bit. The Slave Castle located right off the ocean and has been open to the public for tours.  A few people had been on the tour already, so they opted to explore the town.  The rest of us went on a very eye-opening and saddening hour-long tour.

We started off in a room called “The Room of No Return”. If any captive slaves were caught escaping, they would be put in there to die. Our tour guide was very good and had a lot of details for us to ponder. He shared that the men in the room would be chained together until they all died. So if the men beside you had died, you would be left there chained to them until the same fate claimed you as well. The bodies were then taken out by other captives to be thrown into the sea. This duty also served as a warning to the slaves as they disposed of their fellow Africans: this will happen to you as well if you try to escape.  I was struck by the cruelty and inhumane treatment that was deeply ingrained in the history of the castle.

 As we toured the upper level, we were shown a room that had been used as the church building for the British soldiers.  Directly outside the door was a trap door that dropped to the male slave dungeon below.  On Sundays, worship services and Scripture readings were held in that same room right above the hundreds suffering below.  Our tour guide commented that it was heaven above, hell below. “It is ironic” he said, “that the Word was preached to ‘love your neighbor’ right above those living through hell below.”

As the tour progressed, so did the sick feeling in our stomachs. You could almost feel the group grieving together.  Our guide shared about how women were brutally raped by the soldiers. If the women refused or fought back, they were taken to a punishment room (a cramped, 8’x4’ cell), chained to the wall, and then were starved and beaten until they submitted.  After these disturbing details, the guide ended our tour with a challenge.  He simply stated that slavery is still going on today in many different ways, most of which are illegal. We need to be aware of it and do our part to bring it to an end.

Heavy hearted, we left for our next stop for the day: the beach. We had much to consider as we drove the long distance to Kiki’s resort. We arrived and there it was…the ocean; crashing and powerful yet somehow cleansing and peaceful. I can’t speak for everyone but after such a sorrowful beginning to the day, the water washed away the sick feeling as well as allowed reflection. Swimming was delightful, though I quickly realized that salt water does not make a good mouth wash. =) We enjoyed a meal at the resort and packed up to leave.  After two hours on the road, we arrived back home at 9pm, which is the earliest we’ve returned.

I’ll end this update with the plaque inscribed at the Cape Coast slave castle, which definitely left an impression on our team.

-The Scribe

In Everlasting Memory
Of the anguish of our ancestors
May those who died rest in peace
May those who return find their roots
May humanity never again perpetrate
Such injustice against humanity
We, the living, vow to uphold this.

Ghana Update: Friday, Day 4

Day 4

Today marks the halfway point of our time here and the end of our time in the first village. We set up for another clinic and were prepared for more people than yesterday. There was a steady flow of people and we got a little worn out by the end but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle.  

There was a point after we wrapped up when the men pulled out some soccer balls and pumped them up for the children. I asked Dan what happened and this is what he had to say. “There were about 3 different groups playing in separate areas. They seemed fairly excited about it. There was one group of children that said they really liked the ball and wanted to keep it. I told them it was for the village and the church there…but it just kinda disappeared then.”

For the Crusade tonight we sang rousing renditions of I’ve got the Joy Joy Joy Joy and Lord I lift Your Name on High. The crowd clapped and danced along and cheered for us to continue. Marion preached the sermon and Pastor Isaac translated. He talked about how God’s love bridged the gap between Himself and mankind. At the alter call, two women went up for prayer. Marion did an excellent job. “His first of many” Jon said.

We arrived back home just in time to consume some wonderful pizza, salad and more Fan Ice. This time with chocolate cake. Thank you Arline and Barb! Most people have gone to bed in preparation for tomorrow’s big day. Leon announced that the bus will be leaving at 6 o’clock so if for some reason we are not there, it will just free up some leg room for the rest of us. Considering that it is already 1 am and I’d really like to enjoy tomorrow’s trek to the sea side, I will sign out for tonight…uh, this morning.

-The Scribe

Ghana Update: Thursday, Day 3

Day 3

What is the first thing that you picture when you hear the word ‘clinic’? Probably not a long line of villagers standing under a metal roof during a thunderous downpour, waiting for some small help to their large problems.  Today that’s exactly what it meant as young and old filed through our system and received a few pills or some glasses. Each villager checked in at a table and explained their health issue(s) to a translator. They were then directed to the nurses’ station or the glasses station. Leroy Cross was one of the nurses and he shared this, “Everyone was helped in some way and the most common pills given out at your station would have been the ibuprofen.  I thought the day went really well, and things seemed to go smoothly.”

After the medications were given, the people waited in yet another line for some prayer and encouragement from the various team members set up in the counseling area. Each counselor was paired with a translator to meet with the patients.  I was actually able to sit as one of the counselors with Pastor Isaac translating for me.  Since I’m a lady, they only sent women our way.  I was able to pray with quite a few over the few hours that we were there. The second girl that came said she didn’t know Jesus at all. I asked her if she believed in God and she said “yes”, so Pastor Isaac decided to take it from there. He did an excellent job of witnessing to her in the common language and after about five minutes he looked at me and said, “Okay you can lead her. She wants to dedicate her life to Christ.” I wasn’t quite sure how to begin but talking to Jesus comes natural so I just went for it. He translated and she repeated after him. When we were through, we wrote down some contact information so the local pastor can follow up with her. I felt very privileged to minister in this way and I ask that you could all pray for the new converts.

We ended the evening with another crusade where we sang and danced during the worship time.  Our group sang a few songs for them as well. I played keyboard and the team filed up on stage where we belted out “Alive, Alive” yet again. I was surprised that the small keyboard even worked because just a few hours earlier I observed as one of the men unloading turned the keyboard on its side and water poured out from between the keys. The service ended earlier that last night’s and we headed home to devour yet another scrumptious meal of stuffed chicken casserole and seven-layer salad.

The group is holding up pretty well, but there is some sickness setting in from the new circumstances we’ve been exposed to. So we would really appreciate prayers for physical wellness and safety. Thanks so much for reading and caring!

-The Scribe

“Tell me all about your experiences at the clinic today.” –The Scribe’s Proofreader

“It was interesting.  The eyeglass section that I was working in wasn’t very busy, so I got to stand back and observe things.  I entertained a group of young boys for a while.  One man came to the eye clinic and started testing his vision by reading a tract.  “Can you see clearly?” I asked.  He got a huge smile and exclaimed, “I can see SO CLEARLY!” He was overjoyed.” –Maudeen Chupp

“The clinics were great.  We were able to counsel a young Muslim lady.  Pastor Foster was our translator and since his dad was a Muslim, he was able to witness to the young lady.  She gave her life to Jesus right there.  She was holding a baby, and that baby’s future might be different now.  That was a highlight for me.” –Sam Blank

“I helped out with the children. At first there were half a dozen kids, but later when school let out, a bunch of kids arrived.  We read stories to them and played football.  While they played, we took pictures of the kids and showed the pictures to them.  They were really excited.” –Carissa Geigley

“I was working at the registration table.  The language barrier was difficult as usual, but things went really well.  It’s amazing how well you can communicate with a smile.” –Marie Borkholder

We have developed an acronym for our experiences in Ghana: “Tiana”. It stands for “This Is Africa, Not America”.  It’s surprising how often we come across experiences that prompt this phrase.  No bathrooms?  Tiana.  Cats chasing lizards and eating them?  Tiana. 

The team was given some local cuisine before the evening service began.  Pastor Joseph’s wife Lydia graciously prepared some fufu for us to sample. Fufu is a gelatinous blob of whitish material made from smashed-up cassava roots.  The vegetable paste is boiled and then served with a spicy soup-like dipping sauce.  You eat fufu by pinching the sticky orb, tearing off a small chunk, dipping it in the paste, and then swallowing the entire bite whole.

“5 parts sauce to 1 part fufu is the best, so if you figure out how to do that, you’ll be set. You may just need to cup your hands and fill them with sauce.” –Travis Jenkins

“I like to chew the fufu.  Swallowing it whole just isn’t right.” –Kayla Jenkins
“Don’t chew the fufu. It just gets larger and larger in your mouth.  The taste isn’t anything special, so it really isn’t rewarding to chew.” –Jon Sauder

“Jon was right. Chewing the fufu was an awful idea.” –Shawn Graber

The fufu tasted excellent, despite all preconceived notions to the contrary. Lydia is known for making the best fufu in all the land.  I much prefer fufu to banku, a similar blob of starch prepared with fermented corn and served with a peppery fish soup.  Most of the group tried the fufu and were pleasantly surprised that it didn’t taste as awful as it looked.

Tiana.

Thank you for all of your prayers.  Satan is upset with what we’re doing here.  Pray that his efforts would be confounded, pray that our team would have strength mentally and physically for tomorrow’s (Friday’s) clinics and crusade, and pray that God would receive maximum glory for all that is said and done here. May we leave Africa with many new brothers and sisters in the faith.

-The Scribe’s Proofreader

Ghana Update: Wednesday, Day 2

The updates continue. For this day, I summarized the day's activities and Janae collected quotes and anecdotes from members of the team.

Day 2

If this email is randomly scattered and doesn’t make much sense, it’s because I’m writing this at 12:50am. You may think that’s because I’ve procrastinated to write up the summary of the day, but the truth is we’ve just returned from our first crusade.  Most days on our trip will follow today’s schedule: travel to a village, evangelize, and end the day with a crusade, the last of which stretches into the next morning.

Our first crusade location is the village of Asamankese, where we will be stationed for the next few days.  The town is not far from Leon’s as the crow flies, but in Ghana crows have to slow down for potholes so it was an hour and a half trip, crawling slowly over roads that had seen better days.  The bus is fairly new and the seats are soft, so the team gamely bantered with each other as they got tossed around like a tumbleweed in a tornado.

The town’s name is quite the mouthful, but the locals were very forgiving of our butchered pronunciations.  We split up into six teams and ventured out into the jungle to invite the local villagers to the evening service.  The United States is severely lacking in jungles, especially the ones so far removed from society that all you can hear is the twitter of birds and bugs in the trees.  We had a Ghanaian tour guide helping us find the remote villages, and as we passed a tree with strange-looking fruit pods on it, he grabbed one and cracked it open.  Inside was an exotic cluster of large seeds, covered in a sugary slime.  He told us to try some of the pods, explaining that we should suck on the gooey seeds and then spit them out once we got past the goo to the seed itself.  “What is this fruit?” I asked as I tossed a gelatinous blob into my mouth. “It’s cocoa.” The guide said.  “What! You mean the stuff chocolate is made from??”  Sure enough, the fruit was cocoa.  The seeds were bitter and bright purple.  One of the villages we stopped at was busy harvesting the fruits.  Their makeshift table held several hundred pounds of seeds in various stages of drying.  The fully-dried seeds were brown and looked more like traditional cocoa.  “It tastes sorta like mango, except it feels like a mouthful of snot.” Janae said, and we all agreed.

The remote jungle villages were tiny. The ones we visited had roughly half a dozen occupants each.  They would cease their work and gather wooden benches for their American guests to sit on.  With the help of our guide translating our words, we would invite the villagers to our evening service.  We told them that we were there to spread the Good News of Jesus, and the locals responded favorably.  They thanked us for coming and promised to attend the evening service.

We were scheduled to begin at 6:30pm.  The team ate a packed supper of egg-salad sandwiches, popcorn, and cookies in the bus to hold off the pangs of hunger until we could return to the supper waiting for us back at Leon’s.  At 6:15pm there were hardly any villagers present, but by 7pm we had quite the crowd.

The evening service began with worship led by the locals, then a festive offering where we danced our way to the collection basket in front of the stage. Following the offering, there were testimonies given by team members Brianna, Adrian, and Jared.  The team assembled on the stage to sing several songs together, and then Leon gave a message entitled “Holy, Holy, Holy”, interpreted by Pastor Felix.  When his message concluded, the locals led a few more songs and then Pastor Felix and Pastor Joseph opened up an invitation.  Many of the Ghanaian adults responded by quickly moving to the front, while many of the Ghanaian children responded by shifting slightly in their seats and falling back asleep.  The local pastors, along with Jon Sauder and Leon Geigley, prayed for the individuals that had responded to the invitation.  After the prayer, we dismissed the group.

At this point, it was well past 10pm.  We tore down the stage, benches, and chairs and packed them on top of the bus. We put away the sound equipment and instruments in the van, and then headed out.

We arrived back at Leon & Barb’s around 12:30am and began to eat the delicious feast she had prepared in our absence.  We immediately inhaled large quantities of spaghetti, garlic bread, Caesar salad, pineapple crisp, and Fan Ice, which are little pouches of “Vanilla Ice cream”. (Personally, I love Fan Ices because they’re cold, refreshing, and remind me of marshmallow cream.)

Jon decided to postpone our debriefing until “tomorrow”, but Leon corrected him by saying that it would actually be “later today, after we’ve gotten some sleep.”

It has been a long day. Thank you very much for your continued prayers, we have certainly felt God’s protection and providence.  Although the roads were practically nonexistent, God spiritually paved the way for us by working in the hearts of the Asamankese villagers.  Please pray that our next few days with them would be fruitful, and that the team would be able to quickly rebound after a long day/short night.

-The Scribe’s Proofreader

“How was the Crusade tonight?” –The Scribe

“I enjoyed the evening.  I had a hard time reading the genuineness of the response, because I wasn’t sure if they were responding due to the call of the Holy Spirit, or if they were responding because of the white people present.  I’m not sure how to explain it, but overall the evening went very well.  If this response is going into the prayer email, I’d request prayer for the people we ministered to, that God would work in their hearts and become more real to them.” –Marie Borkholder

“It was a culture shock.  Very interesting to see the way the people worshipped.  It was very loud but that’s okay.  I believe it was very sincere.” –Marion Nisley

“I was very grateful for the turnout and the response.  I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to hang with me for that long.  Pastor Steven thought it was a very good and sincere response.  They comprehended it and the fourteen that came up at the altar call were serious.” –Leon Geigley

“There were a bunch of little girls sitting around me. One was six years old and she was starting to fall asleep.  I asked if I could pick her up and when I did, she was out in seconds.  I was really surprised how she could sleep with the loud noise and I thought about covering her ears but then I realized she’d been sound asleep for a while.  The whole evening was a great experience.  I love how the children are so open.” –Luetta Borkholder

Ghana Update: Monday & Tuesday, Days 0 and 1.

Our team has just survived our first week in Ghana, Africa. Each day Janae Horst and I have been writing updates to keep the churches, families, friends, and prayer warriors informed. That includes you, dear readers. In order to preserve these emailed updates (which have been fraught with snafus), I am posting them here. The internet is egregiously slow here so I will not be sharing photos until I return.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Please continue to pray for our team. Pray for health and strength and God's joy to shine through us.

P.S. Janae and I created pseudonyms for the updates to create an air of mystery, but our cover was blown in the first email due to some miscommunication about our desire for anonymity. Janae is "The Scribe", and I am "The Scribe's Proofreader".

 

Day 1

Well we’re in Africa that’s for sure! And what a trip it was too. We started off weighing bags and saying goodbyes at Robert’s. With a last sending prayer we were on the way to South Bend to begin our journey. The flights were long and there were a few hic-cups along the way, but God is good and we all survived.*

 Once we got to the airport in Accra, we were whisked through customs without so much as one bag being rummaged through. Probably in part to the fact that we said we were missionaries but I suspect they also just wanted 22 untamed weary travelers out of their hair.

With that blessing behind us we headed out into the dark night to the vehicles with many a friendly native offering to “assist us” with our bags and many totes. A few of the girls learned quickly to be more rude than they were accustomed to as they were approached by the Ghanaian men.  While we were collecting our bags we realized that one tote was missing. A claim was made so that when it does come through it will be sent to Crusades for Christ. Thank the Lord it wasn’t the tote with the giant horn of cheese in it! After we loaded up and arrived at Leon’s house. Reuniting with Leon’s and Jon’s was a very happy moment. Barb had prepared a delicious snack for us all and by the time we all crawled into our beds it was well after midnight. I think I speak for all of us when I say we are relieved to be done with traveling for a while.

Well, we are ready to begin our first day so I will sign off and give you a full report tonight!

–The Scribe

*The last 45 minutes of the flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was fraught with “bumpy air”, which is the new phrase for turbulence. (Think “Fertilizer” vs “Manure”). It was enough to make some of the passengers revisit their lunches (or have their lunches revisit them?).  Our group fared well in comparison, but it was still an unpleasant ride.  I asked several team members “What was the turbulence like?”

“It felt like getting car-sick. I’ve never dropped like that on an airplane.” –Luetta Borkholder

“It was VERY rough. You could feel the wind as it hit the plane and as we circled, it was doing extremely strange things to my stomach.” –Carolyn Nisley

“It was turbulent.” –Travis Jenkins

“I don’t know. I was asleep the whole time.” –Dan Borntreger

The pilots put us down safely on the tarmac but that wasn’t quite the end of our troubles. We had to wait for our gate to clear, and as we parked in the holding lot, the wind rocked the airplane and made it feel like our very own Jonah in the Whale adventure.

Truly, God watched over us as we traveled.  We all arrived in one piece, and I’m excited to see what God has in store for our team.

-The Scribe’s Proofreader

This was written in the morning on Monday since we were too exhausted on Sunday to write the update. Therefore, we also wrote an update Monday evening, which I will include here.

Day 1 (the real official first day)

At the start of each day over these next two weeks our schedule will begin with two important essentials: group devotions and breakfast. On this particular day, Leon fed us with some spiritual truth which was followed by Barb feeding us a delicious meal of baked oatmeal and pineapple (the best pineapple anyone has ever tasted by the way).

Next on the agenda was a crash course in Ghanaian culture led by Jon Sauder. We learned or were reminded of a few important things.

-Ghanaians love to dress well and look nice. Therefore we will do the same as we minister.

-Don’t use your left hand to give out tracts or interact. It’s considered the bathroom hand and it’s offensive to extend it towards someone.

-Don’t drink the water. You’ll regret it. Enough said.

-Ladies be warned…you will receive multiple marriage proposals. Say no. (At this point Jon also informed us that Carissa is thinking about printing shirts that say, “My dad says no!”

-Ghanaians are very friendly and when they see you they will most certainly want to talk to you or sell you their wares. To get your attention they will hiss at you.

After being fully educated, we headed to the giant market in Accra to hand out tracts. Most people were pretty eager to take a tract and some even helped us distribute when they saw what we were giving out. Marion shared that when he went into the pharmacy to pick up more malaria pills, the owner asked if he could have a stack to hand out to his customers. Sure enough, when a man walked in to fill a prescription, he handed him a booklet and then went to fill the order. The customer had nothing else to do while he waited so he opened it up and began to read. After it was all said and done, it was estimated that around 4,000 scripture booklets had been handed out and there were a few stories to share from the experience as well.*

Supper was a treat and I think we all over-ate. We were treated by Jon at a restaurant called Marwakos. As we entered, we passed the chickens cooking slowly on multiple rotisseries. It was delicious. They served us half a chicken with either rice or chips (fries) in the biggest heaping portions we’d ever seen.

-The Scribe

*When you have a group of rambunctious missionaries running around crowded streets in central Accra, many different viewpoints emerge. I asked a few members to elaborate.

"How was the Central Market?" -The Scribe's Proofreader

“It smelled like a rose…in a dump.” –Rachel Bauman

“I got in a discussion with a group of Muslim Men, and it was a test of my own beliefs.  It was definitely a challenge.” –Jared Bontrager

“It was awesome to see how receptive the Ghanaians were to the tracts.  They would grab a few extra to pass to their friends and families.  After we ran out of tracts, I bought some spicy meat kebabs that really cleaned my sinus passages out.” –Shawn Graber

“We went into the market. I took some of the ladies with me to get food.  We lost one of them, but I don’t want to talk about it. J” –Barb Geigley

“I got proposed to twice while I was in the Market. I had been told to expect it, so it didn’t surprise me. I wanted to take all the little Ghana babies home with me, though.” –Brianna Eggleston

Okay! That concludes the first update sent out. We're putting the finishing touches on Day 5's update so stay tuned, I'll be uploading these to my blog as quickly as I can.

On the Eve of Departure

"Where's that Shawn character? Iowa has gotten pretty quiet, lately."
-Various Humans on October 28th, 2013

I leave for Ghana tomorrow morning.

I can't express how grateful and excited I am about this opportunity. God has really shown His providence in this trip, and I haven't even left yet.

The trip was originally scheduled to take place in September, during my roommate Shane's wedding. I wasn't about to miss his marriage to Alaynna, so I just resigned myself to the fact that I'd be missing the trip to Ghana. God had other plans and ended up changing the dates for the trip. Awesome sauce. The trip dates are now October 27th through November 8th. For those of you too lazy to do the math, I will be gone for two weeks. (For those of you having difficulties knowing when you should use "two", "too", and "to", please use my previous sentence as an example.)

While in Ghana, West Africa, my team and I will be doing ministry outreach in several local villages. We'll do some rudimentary clinic work along with counseling in the day, and in the evening we'll be hosting crusades. (The revival-and-worship type of crusade, not the stabby-torture crusade.) The parent organization that we will be going with is Crusades for Christ, a ministry that has been pouring its heart and soul into Ghana's capitol, Accra. Missionaries live there for three-year terms, and I have the privilege of knowing both families that currently live there. I met Jon & Sara Sauder last year when I visited Ghana. Sara cooked delicious food for me and gave our team of rambunctious youth some valuable relationship advice. Jon coordinated the building project with Ron Bontrager. More recently, Jon saved my proverbial bacon by visiting the local medical clinic and getting me a copy of the Yellow Fever immunization card that I misplaced.

The other missionary family is Leon & Barb Geigley, who left for Ghana shortly after directing Prairie Camp in Indiana this summer. I worked as a counselor under them, and it was a serious quantity of fun. They tolerated my antics and didn't kick me out, so I took that as a sign of a prosperous friendship.

I keep saying "We" when referring to the mission team going over. Here are the others I'll be traveling with:

To Ghana, West Africa

October 27, 2013 to November 8, 2013

From Griner in Indiana                                         From Milford Chapel in Indiana

      Rachel Bauman                                                     Leroy Cross

      Arline Bontrager

      Jared Bontrager                                              From Sunnyside in Iowa

      Luetta Borkholder                                                 Shawn Graber

      Marie Borkholder

      Dan Borntreger                                               From New Covenant in Pennsylvania

      Maudeen Chupp                                                   Mary Weaver (Sara Sauder’s sister)

      Brianna Eggleston                                                Isabel Weaver (niece)

      Janae Horst                                                           Jaxon Weaver (nephew)

      Travis & Kayla Jenkins                                        Drake Weaver (nephew)

      Marion & Carolyn Nisley                                     Adrian Myer (former staff member)

      Theresa Yoder                                                      

I know a portion of these humans already, but I'm quite certain I'll know all of them by the time I return. You may pray that they aren't overpowered by my Graberish personality.

In all seriousness, please keep our team in your thoughts and prayers as we go! A large-sized thanks goes to my prayer warriors, Floyd Y., Leon S., John K., and Floyd H. Here are some prayer requests that were written up by Arline Bontrager, a wonderful woman doing a stupendous job of organizing our mass exodus.

Prayer Requests

1.       Pray for a hedge or a wall around each of us and our families, as we are preparing for ministry, that the angels of God will keep each of us safe, here in the U.S. and there in Ghana.

2.       Pray that Satan is bound, that he not be able to blind the eyes or close the ears of people that need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

3.       Pray that God prepares the hearts of the people that we are to minister to, that they will be open and receive Christ as their savior.

4.       Pray for the missionaries in Ghana as they prepare for us, as they host us, and as they lead us in our experiences in Ghana:    Leon & Barb Geigley and Carissa; and,  Jon & Sara Sauder and Max, Rory, Elle, Leila.


Thank you for all the intercessory prayers you have already spoken. I have definitely felt God's hand in this endeavor. I'm nervous. I've never done mission work like this before, and it's a decent jaunt outside of my comfort zone. I'm praying that God would use me how He sees fit, and that I won't get in the way of his awesome plot.

I'm also grateful that my Dad has blessed this trip and clearly expressed his enthusiasm for me going, even though he longs to go to Africa himself. With this recent cold snap, our family business is getting very, very busy. His permission to let me leave for two weeks promises a larger workload for himself. Save the prickly customers for me, Dad. I'll be right back!

Normally, each team member packs one check-in bag and lets the local churches pack the other full of much-needed supplies for the missionaries. The team is letting me use the mission-designated tote to pack a whole mountain of my food to take along. I'm taking some gluten free mixes, loaves of bread, and other assorted snackeries. My master plan is to live off the indescribable fruits over there, so I feel this food-packing is slightly unnecessary. I always pack too much on trips but 100 lbs of check-in is just too colossal for even me. So the tote contains some supplies for the missionaries, packed with care by Floyd and Charlene. I had just enough room left over to smuggle some bottles of delicious Frostop root beer for Jon, in thanks for going to all the hassle of getting my Yellow Fever card. Jon, seriously, I owe you big-time. Way more than just some top-quality suds. I've done quite a bit of research prior to this trip, with the research primarily focusing on the query "Do carbonated beverages explode in check-in bags?"

I'm fairly glad that it's getting cold here in Iowa, so I can enjoy the heat of Ghana. Yes, I possess an evil little grinchy heart.

Well, time to go look at my luggage and worry I've forgotten to pack something.