"You're life is too easy... I wanna test you"

The above was stated by Ramonna,

founder of the beacon house orphanage previously written about. The test she was talking about was 2 weeks spent in a small village called Namolgo in the upper-east region of Ghana about 45 min from the Burkina Faso border. While this did test our immunities breeding a minor case of malaria which caused us to cut our visit 2 days short, our spirits were raised far beyond expectations. Here are some highlights.

This is Yen and his children Esther, Yendine, Yenbil, Wunmahme, and Marlukgardya. Ramonna has been helping to send these kids to school, and gave us the chance to come and get to know these kids by bringing them school supplies trying to build profiles for them so she can seek outside sponsorship for their schooling. Possibly the most grateful man we've ever known. He gave us a chicken.

Buug Primary School is where Yen's children attend school. We spent 4 days here teaching and footballing. There is sooo much to be done here. One is desk-building. The class you see here is P4, the highest class, and therefore the best supplied room. As the grade level decreases so does the number of desks. The P1 room had 15 students with 2 usable desks and 3 broken ones in the corner 2 of which we were able to salvage with a hammer and some ingenuity. That still leaves half the class on the floor along with half of the P2 class and the entire KG class (appr. 30 students on the floor from 8 to 2 every day). I found it quite exhilerating to hear the kids start chanting as we rode up on our bikes each day.

The gold mines in Obuasi.
Ben and I agree this was the sketchiest thing either of us has ever done... That shaft was the most cramped place I've ever been and about 60m straight down this make shift ladder made of strategically placed sticks and foot holds carved out of the rock. The men who work here are fiercely manly, though they are often looked down upon as greedy men willing to do anything for a buck. What Ben and I soon learned, however is that these men, some boys really no older than 14, don't really have a choice. If you're from the north, your choices are:

1.farm your families land
-due to LARGE families, the land is usually already crowded and over-farmed. some men walk

hours one way to find an open patch of land in the bush, spend the week camping on the plot, then come home to their families on Sundays.
2.go to find work in kumasi
-this would be the equivalent of moving from mississippi to anchorage to find work with no way to contact home once you got there. if you don't find work in kumasi, you end up begging.
3.work in the mines
-VERY dangerous work. Just 2 weeks before we went north, a smaller mine collapsed killing 18 miners. many of the men who escape incidents contract tuberculosis from the constant moisture and blasting dust they breathe. it does, however, promise work and allows the men to stay relatively close to home.

One day we talked the school superintendent for the area to take us on his rounds with him. If I haven't mentioned before, there are very few cars in this region in Ghana so transport is done by motorcycle. I was astonished when we went to schools in villages basically inaccessible by car. Seriously. This is the last school we visited that day, and despite appearances the best supplied with notebooks, desks, etc. By this time in the day, the super and I were pretty close as I had been straddling him for about 5 hours.

This is Bertilda, the best village host ever(the one holding the fufu, not the one with the big stick.... i don't know that lady). She took amazing care to supply our every need and translate us and arrange for our moto transport for all our after school endeavors.

This is where we spent both weekends we were in Bolgatanga, including the weekend Ben and I were both sick with food poisoning and malaria. The most miserable weekend of my life in about 8 years, but this lady(Mama Laadi) was a-mazing. She actually slept on the dining table outside our door so she wouldn't be far if we needed help. It seems to be her natural response to the sick and hurting to stay by their side no matter what. She told us the story of how this all started. It started with her as a medical assistant in Bolga starting to treat some of the sick street kids(kids who sleep and beg in the markets) in her own house. As it went she lived out 1 cor. 9:19 as she was evicted by several landlords because of the children and became homeless just as those she was treating. A lady from the UK came in and started hanging out with the street kids and started hearing of this Mama Laadi. This Brit lady started raising money, and soon had Mama Laadi her very own foster home and also started Afrikids, an organization with several clinics and a couple of foster homes in Bolgatanga now. Mama Laadi, as Ben so accurately put it, is an African Mother Theresa. I love you, Mama Laadi!

Northbound

Possibilities

For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which god has prepared in advance for us to do

What happens when we break out of a set plan?

Is God's elaborate plan for out life thrown off when we deviate from our own hope and peers' expectations?

Through a life of changed directions and objectives, God has shown me that no matter what, we are living according to his plan

in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were FORMED for me, when as yet there was none of them

His plan is unavoidable by all men good or evil, for he knows how every breath of this world will happen; it is worldwide.. ALL things are ordained by God

in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose

His purpose is salvation for the nations
Those he called are believers worldwide

for those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son

His Son lived a life with no set residence or occupation and a sole ambition synonymous with the purpose mentioned earlier... salvation for the nations

foxes have their wholes, birds have their nest, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head

By these things, I don't mean we should be whimsical, just willing to break status quo no matter how unsure the next 7 months may be

in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose; for those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that HE might be the firstborn among MANY brothers

God, if changing my plan can bring one more brother into your inheritance, I ask you to shake my world. Make my life like that of Your Son, and Paul; that I follow you wherever you lead.

From Birmingham to Accra to You!I

So made believe I was back in Birmingham today and spent some time studying with Dr. David Platt. This is a couple of weeks behind, but oh so applicable!

I'm a Real African Man!

Today was spent in Kitosi with Auntie Jean, an amazing kiwi lady, clearing land for her charity called Children of Light-an after school program to introduce the gospel to kids through continued learning. She's clearing land to put up a place other than her driveway to host the programs, and to give us Accranians some sense of Africanism and manism! Seriously, breaking stumps and picking up large stones really boosts testosterone(my apologies to the ladies that help).  Something about machetes, and so-sos, and pick-axes that just feels masculine! There is, however, something about scorpions crawling out from under the rock you just tried to pick up that takes all that man juice right out of oneself and causes you to jump and scream like a little girl. I do feel before judgement is passed on any involved parties you should understand that these scorpions were the size of housecats with pruning shear pincers and stingers they could fence with. That's possibly an exaggeration, but seriously, every oburoni there agreed those were the 2 largest scorpions we've ever seen- zoo or elsewhere, and Ben's and my hands had been under that boulder trying to move it 10 seconds earlier! The picture and video are actually from a previous visit to the land, but you get the point. The video shows the land we were able to clear in one morning. This jungle bush grows thick and fast. The land has to be cleared of all brush, stumps, and stones using primitive tools, which takes a lot longer than the blitzkrieg tractor approach taught me by my papaw back in Mississippi(ramsack everything in sight and make repairs to the tractor later). After cleaning the land, grass has to be planted within the week to prevent more bush plants from taking over. We've managed to clear about 90 sq. ft. each day we've worked. Two days of work brings us to a patch of cleared land similar to the size of an average living room, and we are thankful! Pictures of the scorpions will be posted later!

I'm not the best blogger, but I think I have giardia. (that's not a learning disability)

Ok, so I haven't blogged in a llloooonnnnggggg time, and there has been way too much to catch you up on now, so instead I will leave you with a promise for a post tomorrow after some bush work in Oburi and some inspiration for No Shave November.

YEEENNNNUUUU GHANA BLACKSTARS!!!!

Let me start off by saying if there were any man in Ghana from which I would accept a marriage proposal, that man would be Daniel Agyie! Ok, that's a bit much, but seriously this guy has more manliness in his body than all of Rhode Island(He still has a long way to go to catch up to Bear Grylls who recently surpassed the state of Texas). Agyie led the Black Sattellites (Ghana's U20 team) to a victory in penalty kicks over B.R.A.Z.I.L in the U20 World Cup!!!! Accra went crrrrazy!! Ben and I watched the game at some friends' house just across East Legon (~3 mi from our house). The game was intense, but the walk home was even more memorable! We were hoarded by Ghanaian fans yelling the title of this post, taking shirts off, and dancing and jumping.  One specific group with about 15 guys all yelling and jumping around wildly came up and I automatically joined in the jubilation. A guy grabbed me by the shoulder and yelled, "Ben!" I turned around and noticed Isaac, the gatekeeper from the Beacon House Orphanage. "Awesome!" I thought, then I looked down and noticed not only did Isaac not have a shirt, but this guy had taken the trousers too to reveal way-too-skimpy draurs. To make it worse, Isaac immediately pulled me in for a World Cup jubilant hug.............................

Akward

Saturday, we went with a couple of friends, Kofe and Devine, to Caprice Road towards Center Accra. This place is lined with bicycle and motorcycle shops......  HEAVEN  ....... though the 1200cc crotch rockets were really appealing, we stuck to the plan to get some bicycles.  Bartering was not one of my favorite things to do back home, but here it is almost like a game. The merchant gives you the obroni price, and you see just how low you can get it until it matches the obibini price.  The great thing about it here, is that once a price is agreed on, the whole thing is put aside, handshakes are given, and it's like chatting with a good friend.  The guy in this picture was the toughest, He wouldn't budge over 30 cedies below his original price of 220 cedies, which we were told was still too much, but I got a blooming $800 kona mountain bike for the equivalent of about $120 and Ben got a $600 Giant for $90! Anyways, I needed to supplement my cedi supply with some USD, so this guy took us to the back, to confirm the exchange rate. He took us to an alley behind the bike shop where about half a dozen guys were all standing around this one guy with a roll of bills, and gucci shades on. Godfather. After checking the exchange rate, the godfather turned to me and asked, "Do you buy slaves, too?"  Akward silence ensued on my part, then the whole group started laughing and trying to sell each other to us jokingly.  Haha! Joke on the obroni...... punks! 

We chatted with them for a while, and they turned out to be the typical laid back Ghanaians I've come to endear.  You have to love the attitude of the people here!

Ben with Gabriel and Grace.. both spoken for by adoptive families.  That's a really good feeling! I've loved meeting the few adopters I've had the chance to run into at Beacon House. It's fun to see the fresh relationships of adopters and adoptees and imagine how they will be in 5 years and the love that will develop there. (I don't know about Grace, but Gabriel's moving to Washington State..... I'm jealous)

Sleepy in Accra!

Seriously, I feel as if I've neglected those bored enough to actually read this.  Please understand, guys, I haven't been this tired since wrestling from the womb!  You hear people say "but it's a good tired". I am here to tell you there is no such thing! Granted you may be tired from doing good things, but the tiredness in and of itself has as much good in it as a Michael W. Smith album! (that's for you, chris) My foot is sprained! How do you sprain a foot?!  That's like overextending your femur.. it just shouldn't happen! 

Ok, so I left off Friday... 

Saturday:

Saturday, we slept in till 8! That's the latest morning yet! We were due for a trip to GCUC (Ghana Christian University College). It was great! We went to Mr. and Mrs. Cobbs house for brunch, a tour of the university and guy stuff....

GCUC:

Then we went to a bead factory where beads for all sorts of uses are made, baked, and painted. The beads are made of glass bottles melted down and poured into clay molds. I tried talking to some of these fellows, but they weren't in a mood for words. Can't blame them seeing as it was 567 degrees under that hut! Seriously, those guys were tough.

We arrived back at AIS that afternoon to resume the task of moving freight from the giant container we off-loaded Friday night. It was a fun day of work with AIS faculty and some of the local guys.  KILLER UNO! that night with teachers. If you haven't played this stuff, google it, wikipedia it, look it up in webster's, just do what you gotta do to get in on some of that action! 

Sunday:

Instead of attending Church of the Pentecost in Nungua with the Agyapongs again, we elected to go with some faculty to KICC. This was the nail in the coffin of my realization of just how serious the preaching of a health, wealth, and prosperity "gospel" is in this place! Let me say that God has blessed me with many things earthly, but none compare to the blessing of Christ crucified and ressurrected.  If God took all my possessions, people, health, anything, my hope is still in Christ crucified and ressurrected and if I glory in anything else, it is idolatry!  The title of the message Sunday was "My Story Will Change", and it was based on the story of Jabez and various other Old Testament characters. I've noticed that in most of these messages, they speak only of Old Covenant people, and not of New Testament believers.  They speak of kings and those who conquered, not of converted beggars who remain beggars, not of martyred young men, not of shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned apostles, not of beaten, cursed, crucified saviors. All those stories were changed too... drastically. God set the story of these kings and conquerors before us for a reason: to show us that we fail, that we cannot uphold a fair covenant with Him no matter how great our kingdom or wisdom may be. Even Abraham could not uphold this covenant, but his faith was credited as righteousness.(Rom. 4:18) God made the covenant unfair by upholding our side for us.(2 Cor. 5:21)  Jesus is here to "Change Stories", but not by means of a new house for the impoverished, but by means of a hope which immeasurably transcends poverty. (Phil. 4:13,14) I just read Colossians 2:13-15! It is for this and this alone that we worship God! 

I encourage you to read the story of Job.... 

Were it you, would you worship?

Rock the mic like a Dolomite!

So had to kind of slow things down a bit the last few days just to have enough energy to blog at night.  Seems like God finds humor in piling things into schedules that we try to empty.  I'm just getting in @ 10:00 pm, which doesn't seem late, except for the ghanaian national bedtime is 8; it's the law(please note use of the oh-so-elusive semicolon). The sad part is as I look back, I don't see much accomplished, but I will rejoice in the small things!  This weekend is going to be no less busy as the school just received a semi load of furniture, electronics, and books from the Accra port which we unloaded into the school tonight, and over the next 2 days must deliver to the correct homes and buildings.  Much fun! Also a brunch with the teachers tomorrow at Ghana Christian University just outside of Accra, which will be my first time outside of this city! It'll be good to see some open country again!

As for tonight, we celebrated Jonathan Fortune's birthday in true style with the best Ghanaian French food money can buy! And Amanda and Alyse's wonderful ice cream cake... seriously good!! The crew of AIS is truly a great group diverse personalities and great people. And they like Jesus.

Here's the whole crew at La Galette:

And here's Mr. Fortune himself!

CooCoo for Cocoa Beach!!! (cheesy, but catchy)

So I write this from the children's library in the Agyapongs' main quarters as the internet is down in our guest quarters.  I have, however become quite well acquainted and comfortable with the interior of such childish establishments since being here. Hopefully, however, tomorrow the internet will be fixed and I can update on a more regular schedule. 

Now, about the weekend!

Saturday:

After a full morning of sleep (9 o'clock is ridiculously late to wake up in Ghana because everyone is in bed by 9) Ann Clair came over so we could all make a trip to the Beacon House. The Beacon House is the orphanage just next to the school. I have quickly grown to love this place and the amazing children that live there.  All of the children there have been brought in for very specific reasons varying from abuse at other orphanages to Hep A to HIV. At first, those last 3 letters scare you just as they did me, but when you spend time with these kids, all that goes away and you see that joy in life is possible through very dark circumstance. My heart fills up just typing this! (Ethel, the Agyapong's 4 year old girl just walked in.... distraction)  Later, the Agyapongs' took Ben, AnnClair, and I to a live music venue called Fiesta. A good night spent with a wonderful family!

Sunday:

We woke up to go to church with the A's (Agyapong really is too long to type at this time of night.. I mean come on, it's 8 o'clock here folks!) @ 7:00! People, I'm BAPTIST!!!!! There at 11 gone at 12:15 if the preacher's lucky!!! We got out @ 10:30, but the singing made the time fly.  I mean, that was the worst singing I've ever heard come from a black mouth (thanks to people like Aretha Franklin and Candace Parker), but they were so sincere! And singing louder than any person should for 3 hours! I recognized several old english hymns like "What a Friend We Have In Jesus" and "Just As I Am". A-mazing!  

This is a pic in the car on the way from church

We ate lunch after church at the Cocoa Beach Ramada! Cha-Ching!

Agnita, Ben, AnnClair, and Nona Adua walking on the beach

Nona Adua!!!!

Internet is BOKO!!!!!!!

Ok, so we've been in Accra, Ghana for 3 days now and not a single blog update. Some of you think we have forgotten, or maybe we've been kidnapped by mad Ghanaian gorillas (the animal kind). But no, the truth is that internet in Ghana is very shy at our apartment. It works for the Ghanaians, but when it sees an abroni (white person) coming through the wire, it gets scared and can't talk. But finally we found abroni friendly internet at our friends Ryan and Melissa's house. So an update:

Accommodations....

WOW! My mom told me I would miss hot showers and a/c and a house with no bugs. Eat your heart out Mamisita!!!!!

We are staying with an amazing Ghanaian family, the Agyapongs who happen to own the biggest trash pickup service in Ghana and Cote de Ivoire! Here we are known as Uncle Ben

AIS...

This is American International School, the place we are working in Accra. For the past 2 days, we have helped kids with spelling and reading and the art of baseball. We're both batting at thousand... just saying. Bring it on 2nd graders

Beacon House...

The orphanage just across from the school. The world's best trampoline wrestling team resides here (Ben and I have discussed the resulting soreness of certain muscle groups) and some pretty cool kids too

1 day and some cheerios

First of all, we're close. We're really close! In 35 hours Ben and I will be boarding our winged carriage bound to Accra, Ghana! Can you feel the anxiety excreting from my pores? While singing praise at Kilmichael Baptist Church this morning, I was thinking of the kids' faces I could be seeing singing these praises in the near future, and I think I wet myself a little! I am so thankful for all of the prayers and support I've recieved! Seriously, I've been prayed over more than a Thanksgiving turkey. My family, churches, friends, random believers I've never met in my life, all praying over me! So tomorrow, we finish packing, and then we fly to NY then to the big G-HANA!! Hope we have movies...

Bacon!

Just finished this, and I've got to go to bed! More packing tomorrow.


Disclaimer:
Future posts will have more substance and pizazz