Words can not express the last two days of action packed Ghanian fun that Kelli and I have had. We will try to give you a glimpse of what has been going on.
Orphanage
We went to an orphanage on Saturday and again we were reminded of how much of life we take for granted. This is an orphanage supported by the Adakum Foundation who Kelli has partnered with to build the health clinic. This orphanage had babies to high school students staying there. The babies were the first room we visited and there were at least 20 babies lying all over the floor. We immediately began to hold each baby and it brought tears to our eyes. One of the babies that I will never forget was two years old, but looked like she was 4 months old. Her mother had taken drugs that someone told her would help her abort the baby. The drugs were not successful and so her baby was born unhealthy. The mother brought the baby to the orphanage and the orphanage had been taking care of the baby ever since. Even writing this post, I cry thinking of these children who are so precious to God, who are abandoned by the world.
As a small child I made a poster for school about my three wishes. The first one is that no one would go hungry. My second one was that every child would have a mom and a dad. My last one was for world peace. If you asked me my three wishes today, they would be the same. My prayer would be that no one in the world would die from starvation. Coming from a county where food is available for many, it is hard to be in a country and continent where people are literally starving to death. My prayer would be that every child would have a mom and a dad that they deserve to have. Working in the US with homeless youth and youth in the foster care system and working with orphans in Africa has really given me the chance to see the effects that the break down of the family structure has had on our children world wide. My last prayer for this continent would be that countries would have peaceful governments that took care of their people and lead in a way that put their people first.
These three wishes are big wishes, but I will dedicate my life to doing what I can to help out with these problems. It has been amazing to be with my sister in Africa and see her passionate about the same thing. It is an honor to be a part of this mission and a blessing to be on this continent yet again.
Benin Soccer Team:
We are staying at the same hotel as the Benin soccer team. We were sitting eating dinner one day at the hotel and all the sudden there was a large commotion out in the hall and then in walked the soccer team. We were told immediately that they were playing Ghana on Sunday and that it was the first game on the way to the World Cup. Kelli and I immediately knew that we were in for an adventure.
We were befriended immediately by a Benin man who spoke no English; they speak French. He wanted to be our friend and so he sat by us and smiled and told us to come to the game. We originally thought he was the team manager because he seemed to always be telling everyone what to do. We later found out he was the team driver. He then introduced us to the team treasurer and this is the man that gave us the tickets.
We met the team today in the hotel lobby and were escorted by the police to the stadium. The game was unbelievable. The fans were unlike any other fans we have ever seen and the enthusiasm was tremendous. Things got crazy when the two teams were arguing and screaming when they didn’t even speak the same language. There were also fans that were shooting off fireworks from the stands; lucky for us we were not close.
The game ended and we our friend that speaks no English found us a ride. We were immediately concerned because no one on the bus spoke English and there was a lot of commotion going on outside the bus. People were pounding on the bus and Kelli and I had no idea if we were even on the right bus. Finally the Ghana police got the people to move and we found a man on the bus that told us they were angry because they wanted to be treated special like the Benin fans that were on our bus. We thankfully made it back to the hotel and ate dinner with the team. Many of these players play in Europe and come back to Africa to compete on their national team for the World Cup.
African Mine
In Ghana there is a huge mining industry for gold. We visited the underground mines and were given a tour. The outfits were interesting to say the least. They had us wear long sleeve blue button up shirts, helmets with lights on it, large oxygen tanks that we never got trained how to use, and a large battery that powered the light. The most important part of our outfit was the knee high boots that we also got to wear. We hiked into the mine and went under ground 850 feet. I looked at Kelli and said, “What goes down must come up.” We were in for a real hike on our way out of the mine.
My favorite part of the trip was Kelli’s first interaction with the tour guide. Everywhere we go Kelli speaks to whoever she can find and asks them questions. The tour guide spoke very good English and so Kelli asked him to tell her all about the history of the mine. He responded, “we do it to make money.” And that’s all he said. I had to laugh because knowing my sister she wanted all the facts and this was a funny answer. She then did not give up and asked more questions and we found out all about the mining process. We were very impressed with their concern for their worker’s safety. This would be a VERY hard job and we admire the men who are willing to do this job to support themselves and their family.
African Church
We originally got dressed for church in our American dresses, but the hotel workers convinced us to wear our traditional Ghanian dresses that were made for us. Kelli and I changed into the dresses and were ready for church.
The church we went to was similar to American church in a lot of ways. We knew all the worship songs that they sang; there was more dancing, but the same songs. They also did the service in English, which was much different from when I went to 8 hour church services in Uganda and the pastor did not speak in English. The one big difference from America is that the service did last three hours and there was a book sell done by the pastor in front of the entire congregation. The pastor was getting ready to release us when all the sudden he began to ask the church who wanted to buy a book and had people raise their hand and pay money to him. We then found out that the books were not written by him. He said that although he was not the author of the book, he would autograph the books because he was licensed to do this. J There was also a baby dedication and everything was just like the USA until the pastor asked the mother to promise to make food and not send her kids to get “take away food” AKA fast food in Ghana. I do not know any American family that could promise that.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Out in the Field Again
Kelli and I wanted to give you a quick update on some recent occurrences that have happened while in Ghana:
Number 1: Every single African we talk to asks about President Barack Obama. They call us Obama's people. The other night we talked to two men about the President and they explained that they were excited that someone that was black was able to hold the highest office in the most powerful country in the world. They then said that America named it the White House because only white people could be president. Kelli quickly jumped in and said that a woman had never been president. I added that the white house was not called the "man house."
Number 2: There are custom checks everywhere in Ghana. Today we saw three and our favorite one included a rope across the street that they would pull up and have you stop if they wanted to check your vehicle. We never had the rope pulled so we didn't get to see how it officially worked.
Number 3: There is NO African standard time in Ghana. Every single person arrives on time, or ten minutes early. This has been an adjustment for me since I am used to being in Africa and running at least two or three hours behind schedule.
Number 4: There are actually prices marked on some items in small street market stores. Today we went to buy some African medicine for my mouth and there was a price that was on the item. There was no negotiation or higher price for me.
Number 5: School buses in Ghana still can fit at least 80 children in the buses, only these are large white vans with closed doors, not a truck with bars you hang onto. I still enjoy riding on the bus to school.
Number 6: Today we went to a large meeting with SAT and there was 29 groups making repayments on their loans. This took a long time so Kelli and I had a lot of time to interact with women from the village. I have named myself Health and Safety Manager for the Trip and so I was spraying but spray all over myself and encouraging Kelli to do the same. I look up and see at least 15 African women staring at me and laughing. Finally, I figure out that they think it is perfume and want a spray. I sprayed it on the women and they were happy.
Our trip today started out by us zooming down a road at 125 km per hour on a Ghana highway. This road was actually very well constructed and had few pot holes. There are no rules on when it is appropriate to pass and everyone in Ghana has the right away. Kelli and I braced ourselves and were relieved when we made it safely to the village.
We shadowed a loan officer that held multiple group meetings at one location. There was a total of 29 groups of women and men at the meeting and the place was packed. Kelli gave a short presentation on Malaria prevention and the audience loved it.
Everywhere we go we are greeted with smiles, hugs, and hand shakes. I was able to hold an African baby for a long time and this brought great joy to my heart. We were also able to talk to women who have been able to do amazing things thanks to the loans they have received from SAT bank. It is amazing to watch this whole process unfold. The loan officer collected over $12,000 today and all the groups re payed.
We met one woman that we spoke to for a long time. She had a small business where she sold cloth at a local stand. She once only sold four pieces of cloth and she now has hundreds to sell. This is all thanks to a loan she was able to get from SAT.
Kelli and I are enjoying our sister bonding and this exciting adventure. We are currently at the SAT main office and Kelli and our friend from Kenya (The Technology Man) are busy trying to get the POS machines working. These are the machines that Kelli is doing her research on and trying to find out if implementing this new technology makes since from a business stand point. These machines are remarkable and are able to identify loan officer and client finger prints and can work in remote villages.
There is something remarkable about how the Lord works on your heart when you are away from your normal life and forced into a new situation. I know that the African people have made far more of an impact on my life then I will ever make on theirs. I have learned so much about myself from this trip. I am excited to see what all the Lord has planned for Kelli and I.
I am currently thinking that I might need to help, but enjoying updating all of you! Please continue to read our blog and make comments! Please continue to pray for our trip.
Number 1: Every single African we talk to asks about President Barack Obama. They call us Obama's people. The other night we talked to two men about the President and they explained that they were excited that someone that was black was able to hold the highest office in the most powerful country in the world. They then said that America named it the White House because only white people could be president. Kelli quickly jumped in and said that a woman had never been president. I added that the white house was not called the "man house."
Number 2: There are custom checks everywhere in Ghana. Today we saw three and our favorite one included a rope across the street that they would pull up and have you stop if they wanted to check your vehicle. We never had the rope pulled so we didn't get to see how it officially worked.
Number 3: There is NO African standard time in Ghana. Every single person arrives on time, or ten minutes early. This has been an adjustment for me since I am used to being in Africa and running at least two or three hours behind schedule.
Number 4: There are actually prices marked on some items in small street market stores. Today we went to buy some African medicine for my mouth and there was a price that was on the item. There was no negotiation or higher price for me.
Number 5: School buses in Ghana still can fit at least 80 children in the buses, only these are large white vans with closed doors, not a truck with bars you hang onto. I still enjoy riding on the bus to school.
Number 6: Today we went to a large meeting with SAT and there was 29 groups making repayments on their loans. This took a long time so Kelli and I had a lot of time to interact with women from the village. I have named myself Health and Safety Manager for the Trip and so I was spraying but spray all over myself and encouraging Kelli to do the same. I look up and see at least 15 African women staring at me and laughing. Finally, I figure out that they think it is perfume and want a spray. I sprayed it on the women and they were happy.
Our trip today started out by us zooming down a road at 125 km per hour on a Ghana highway. This road was actually very well constructed and had few pot holes. There are no rules on when it is appropriate to pass and everyone in Ghana has the right away. Kelli and I braced ourselves and were relieved when we made it safely to the village.
We shadowed a loan officer that held multiple group meetings at one location. There was a total of 29 groups of women and men at the meeting and the place was packed. Kelli gave a short presentation on Malaria prevention and the audience loved it.
Everywhere we go we are greeted with smiles, hugs, and hand shakes. I was able to hold an African baby for a long time and this brought great joy to my heart. We were also able to talk to women who have been able to do amazing things thanks to the loans they have received from SAT bank. It is amazing to watch this whole process unfold. The loan officer collected over $12,000 today and all the groups re payed.
We met one woman that we spoke to for a long time. She had a small business where she sold cloth at a local stand. She once only sold four pieces of cloth and she now has hundreds to sell. This is all thanks to a loan she was able to get from SAT.
Kelli and I are enjoying our sister bonding and this exciting adventure. We are currently at the SAT main office and Kelli and our friend from Kenya (The Technology Man) are busy trying to get the POS machines working. These are the machines that Kelli is doing her research on and trying to find out if implementing this new technology makes since from a business stand point. These machines are remarkable and are able to identify loan officer and client finger prints and can work in remote villages.
There is something remarkable about how the Lord works on your heart when you are away from your normal life and forced into a new situation. I know that the African people have made far more of an impact on my life then I will ever make on theirs. I have learned so much about myself from this trip. I am excited to see what all the Lord has planned for Kelli and I.
I am currently thinking that I might need to help, but enjoying updating all of you! Please continue to read our blog and make comments! Please continue to pray for our trip.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Market, Paparazzi, and Noah, O My!
Market Adventure
As promised, it is time to share briefly about the market experience. Kelli and I decided to venture out into the market place and get a small taste of what Ghana is all about. The market is the second largest in all of Africa, and so we knew we were in for a treat. We had no idea the sights and smells we would encounter. Our first shock was a large basket filled with the largest snails you have ever seen. If that is not enough, the snails were still alive, crawling around. The lady was convinced that since Kelli and I lingered that we wanted to purchase one of these tasteful creatures. We did not purchase one, but she allowed us to take a picture of her and these enormous creatures.
Paparazzi Kelli
Speaking of pictures, we have tried to take as many photos and video of the market place as possible, but our endeavors have been cut short several times by people shouting and police officers threatening to arrest us. Kelli would not give up and kept sneaking around the corner and on top of buildings to get footage. I would describer her as the paparazzi, African style.
Amy’s Experiences
There are moments in your life that you will never forget, moments that change your life and heart forever. I have had many moments like that, when I became a Christian, married Eric, met Tony (little boy adopted from Uganda by Linda), and now when I met the woman I am about ready to talk about.
This woman is a founder of a school that currently has around 200 students. She worked in Israel for a while and saved her money and came back to Ghana and put all of her money into building a school. She is an honest, hard working, wonderful woman of God who in a few short hours changed my life.
She has a son with a man that is an American citizen and works for the UN. Her son is American and she could come and stay in America. She has chosen to start this school and make a difference in the country she was born in.
We began to discuss the differences between America and Ghana. I asked her questions about “black power” and the Ashanti Empire. She began to talk about how her pastor and church had a week long debate on whether Africans were decedents of Ham, Noah’s youngest son. If you do not know the story it can be found in Genesis 9 and it is about Noah being drunk and Ham walking in on him being naked. Instead of covering his father up, he went and told his two older brothers, Shem and Japheth. The older brothers then went and covered up their father Noah without looking at him. Noah then cursed Ham. He blessed Shem (Europe and the USA), and Japheth (Middle East). She asked me, is Africa cursed because of Ham?
I then talked to her about how when sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve, suffering began to happen. I told her that people in America suffer in different ways, but still suffer. I told her that although we are a nation that has many things available to us, we are a depressed nation in many ways. I described how many people are not satisfied with their life and live in bondage. I told her about poor people in America, sick people in America, violence in America, and corruption in America. I explained to her we all suffer because of sin. Africa is not the only continent suffering and they should not give up and believe they are cursed.
We then discussed how in Africa they still worship Idols and perform black magic. I explained to her that in America, we also worship idols such as money, body image, power, and fame. I told her it was the same on both continents. We both disappoint God in different ways.
She smiled at me and said we are sisters; we are all children of God. She then said that she had promised God she would go into full time ministry and then started the school and felt a heavy burden on her heart. She asked, "Am I disappointing God." Here I am in front of a woman who has sacrificed a lot of things to provide education in a county that desperately needs amazing teachers. Here is a woman who has given up a promised more comfortable life in America for one of hard work and dedication in Africa. When she asked that question, I was almost knocked off my feet.
I explained to her that in the world we have enough people telling others about Jesus. We have plenty of pastors, evangelists, and people doing full time ministry. I told her that what we need more of is people being like Jesus and serving people the way that Jesus did. This woman is being more like Jesus then I could only dream of being one day, and she doubts her service to the Lord. It opened my eyes to how much more I could be doing with the resources and talents the Lord has given me.
I was reminded today again of the joy and resilience that African people have. Although many live in poverty and conditions we would never be able to survive, at the end of the day they find Joy and their strength in the Lord. There is something about this continent that stretches you and brings you to a whole new level with the Lord. I feel so alive in my heart when I touch the soil of this continent and am surrounded by the beautiful children.
As promised, it is time to share briefly about the market experience. Kelli and I decided to venture out into the market place and get a small taste of what Ghana is all about. The market is the second largest in all of Africa, and so we knew we were in for a treat. We had no idea the sights and smells we would encounter. Our first shock was a large basket filled with the largest snails you have ever seen. If that is not enough, the snails were still alive, crawling around. The lady was convinced that since Kelli and I lingered that we wanted to purchase one of these tasteful creatures. We did not purchase one, but she allowed us to take a picture of her and these enormous creatures.
Paparazzi Kelli
Speaking of pictures, we have tried to take as many photos and video of the market place as possible, but our endeavors have been cut short several times by people shouting and police officers threatening to arrest us. Kelli would not give up and kept sneaking around the corner and on top of buildings to get footage. I would describer her as the paparazzi, African style.
Amy’s Experiences
There are moments in your life that you will never forget, moments that change your life and heart forever. I have had many moments like that, when I became a Christian, married Eric, met Tony (little boy adopted from Uganda by Linda), and now when I met the woman I am about ready to talk about.
This woman is a founder of a school that currently has around 200 students. She worked in Israel for a while and saved her money and came back to Ghana and put all of her money into building a school. She is an honest, hard working, wonderful woman of God who in a few short hours changed my life.
She has a son with a man that is an American citizen and works for the UN. Her son is American and she could come and stay in America. She has chosen to start this school and make a difference in the country she was born in.
We began to discuss the differences between America and Ghana. I asked her questions about “black power” and the Ashanti Empire. She began to talk about how her pastor and church had a week long debate on whether Africans were decedents of Ham, Noah’s youngest son. If you do not know the story it can be found in Genesis 9 and it is about Noah being drunk and Ham walking in on him being naked. Instead of covering his father up, he went and told his two older brothers, Shem and Japheth. The older brothers then went and covered up their father Noah without looking at him. Noah then cursed Ham. He blessed Shem (Europe and the USA), and Japheth (Middle East). She asked me, is Africa cursed because of Ham?
I then talked to her about how when sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve, suffering began to happen. I told her that people in America suffer in different ways, but still suffer. I told her that although we are a nation that has many things available to us, we are a depressed nation in many ways. I described how many people are not satisfied with their life and live in bondage. I told her about poor people in America, sick people in America, violence in America, and corruption in America. I explained to her we all suffer because of sin. Africa is not the only continent suffering and they should not give up and believe they are cursed.
We then discussed how in Africa they still worship Idols and perform black magic. I explained to her that in America, we also worship idols such as money, body image, power, and fame. I told her it was the same on both continents. We both disappoint God in different ways.
She smiled at me and said we are sisters; we are all children of God. She then said that she had promised God she would go into full time ministry and then started the school and felt a heavy burden on her heart. She asked, "Am I disappointing God." Here I am in front of a woman who has sacrificed a lot of things to provide education in a county that desperately needs amazing teachers. Here is a woman who has given up a promised more comfortable life in America for one of hard work and dedication in Africa. When she asked that question, I was almost knocked off my feet.
I explained to her that in the world we have enough people telling others about Jesus. We have plenty of pastors, evangelists, and people doing full time ministry. I told her that what we need more of is people being like Jesus and serving people the way that Jesus did. This woman is being more like Jesus then I could only dream of being one day, and she doubts her service to the Lord. It opened my eyes to how much more I could be doing with the resources and talents the Lord has given me.
I was reminded today again of the joy and resilience that African people have. Although many live in poverty and conditions we would never be able to survive, at the end of the day they find Joy and their strength in the Lord. There is something about this continent that stretches you and brings you to a whole new level with the Lord. I feel so alive in my heart when I touch the soil of this continent and am surrounded by the beautiful children.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Kelli's Project
Amy's Thoughts on Kelli's Project:
Yesterday I got the chance to "shadow" my sister on her project with the Grameen Foundation. I am going to explain what is going on so that everyone reading understands. I have learned that the banking profession has a language of their own that can sometimes be hard for outsiders to understand. This includes myself.
I like Ghana banking, because it is much simpler to understand. I can sit down with their loan officers and understand how they track data and accounts. We spent most of our time yesterday with one of the female loan officers. I will give you a run down of our day and the interesting things that we encountered.
The first thing that we did was go out into the "field" with the loan officers. The loan officers have a really fun job and have a chance to really impact lives. They have to have a combination of skills in order for them to be successful. They must have finance, marketing, communication, and social work skills. They deal a lot with money and simple spread sheets and so they have to have a finance back ground. They are in charge of getting more clients and spreading the word and so that is marketing. They have to be able to communicate with all types of people, which is communication. Last but not least, they have to have a passion to work with the poor of their country and the ability to teach the people how to run successful businesses and have good stewardship of the loans.
We went to three different group meetings that the loan officer had. This loan officer we shadowed specifically worked with group loans. This is when the women have group accountability for paying back the loan. If one woman is struggling, the other women are responsible to step in and help her out financially. This is very similar to support groups in America. Each group consisted of anywhere between 8 to 15 women.
The groups met and the meetings were always opened in prayer. The SAT bank is a very Christian organization and they see microfinance as a way they can minister to the poor. I have been very impressed with the faith of the leaders and the loan officers of this organization. The women are constantly challenged to be good stewards of finances and money. The SAT bank uses the parable of the master and the talents to explain stewardship. I even understood this when they spoke their language.
We met women with all types of businesses. We met everyone from a bread maker to a natural medicine maker. The women all had a special spirit about them. They were survivors and were willing to do whatever it took to provide for their family. The loan officer told us that the women of Ghana were the "bread winners" of the family. She said that they were the ones that were most likely to provide for their families, and that is why they loaned to women.
The loan officers have to really get to know the people that they loan to. They go to their houses, businesses, and get to know their family. They put their heart and soul into making sure that they do whatever they can to help these women fight poverty one loan at a time.
It was a humbling experience to be able to watch the loan officers really invest their time into the people.
Stay tuned for a blog on our market place adventure where we saw HUGE live snails and many other interesting things. I am off to school today. I will update you when I get home. I will also tell you more about Kelli's project!
Yesterday I got the chance to "shadow" my sister on her project with the Grameen Foundation. I am going to explain what is going on so that everyone reading understands. I have learned that the banking profession has a language of their own that can sometimes be hard for outsiders to understand. This includes myself.
I like Ghana banking, because it is much simpler to understand. I can sit down with their loan officers and understand how they track data and accounts. We spent most of our time yesterday with one of the female loan officers. I will give you a run down of our day and the interesting things that we encountered.
The first thing that we did was go out into the "field" with the loan officers. The loan officers have a really fun job and have a chance to really impact lives. They have to have a combination of skills in order for them to be successful. They must have finance, marketing, communication, and social work skills. They deal a lot with money and simple spread sheets and so they have to have a finance back ground. They are in charge of getting more clients and spreading the word and so that is marketing. They have to be able to communicate with all types of people, which is communication. Last but not least, they have to have a passion to work with the poor of their country and the ability to teach the people how to run successful businesses and have good stewardship of the loans.
We went to three different group meetings that the loan officer had. This loan officer we shadowed specifically worked with group loans. This is when the women have group accountability for paying back the loan. If one woman is struggling, the other women are responsible to step in and help her out financially. This is very similar to support groups in America. Each group consisted of anywhere between 8 to 15 women.
The groups met and the meetings were always opened in prayer. The SAT bank is a very Christian organization and they see microfinance as a way they can minister to the poor. I have been very impressed with the faith of the leaders and the loan officers of this organization. The women are constantly challenged to be good stewards of finances and money. The SAT bank uses the parable of the master and the talents to explain stewardship. I even understood this when they spoke their language.
We met women with all types of businesses. We met everyone from a bread maker to a natural medicine maker. The women all had a special spirit about them. They were survivors and were willing to do whatever it took to provide for their family. The loan officer told us that the women of Ghana were the "bread winners" of the family. She said that they were the ones that were most likely to provide for their families, and that is why they loaned to women.
The loan officers have to really get to know the people that they loan to. They go to their houses, businesses, and get to know their family. They put their heart and soul into making sure that they do whatever they can to help these women fight poverty one loan at a time.
It was a humbling experience to be able to watch the loan officers really invest their time into the people.
Stay tuned for a blog on our market place adventure where we saw HUGE live snails and many other interesting things. I am off to school today. I will update you when I get home. I will also tell you more about Kelli's project!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Day 1
From Amy's Point of View:
What an adventure I had in Ghana today! I will give everybody the highlights:
1. Running Out of Gas:
This is a new first for me. I haven't been in a car that has ran out of gas in a long time.....and this was in a VERY crowded street in a country I am new to. We were stuck in traffic and all the sudden the car stopped. After sitting there for a few minutes I asked what was wrong. My friends told me that we were out of gas. We then sat at the side of the road while many people passed by on foot and by car until a friend came and bought us gas.
2. Signs of Ghana
Now for those of you who have read the blog of when I went to Uganda, I can't help but fill you in on some of my new favorite signs in Africa.
-Day of Grace Rasta Do Hair Salon
-Double-F Pharmacy- Would not want to get medicine there, would you?
These are my only two new ones, but my eyes will be peeled tomorrow to update readers on new discoveries.
3. Visiting School in Ghana
I went to an orphanage and a school today. I will be volunteering at the school when I am not assisting Kelli with her project. I loved the orphanage and my heart broke for the kids that were there. I saw one little girl who was just brought to the home that was suffering from malnutrition and looked close to losing her life. Again it brought me back to why I am so passionate about helping the poor in Africa. There is something about looking at a baby starving to death that changes the way you look at what we are given in America and what we can do to be a blessing to our country and the world. This image will stick with me for the rest of my life. Although I was drawn there, I noticed there were already 8+ volunteers working there for the summer. I went to the school and many of the children had never seen a white person before. They wanted to learn English and are getting ready to teach phonics to the kids. They were very excited about me coming and said that they had plenty for me to do to help. The kids were amazing and I can't wait to spend some time there!
4. Tribal Dancing Festival:
This is perhaps the most interesting thing I have ever been to in all my African travels. This is a tradition that the Ashanti Empire in Ghana has every year. The priests of the empire dance and thousands of people come and watch the event. I have never been somewhere with so many people moving so fast. There were hundreds of dancer performing all different types of ancient dance. The friends that I met in Ghana that were with me told me that this was "black power."
I sat back and watched the people get so excited when a man was changing leaves into money (never got close enough to see it, only heard people shouting). They started a stampede and were chasing after the man and screaming.
I kept thinking how sad this was, but how I can often compare this to my life and the lives of so many people I know. The people in the crowd were so excited about something that could never satisfy them. They were chasing after things that could never give them the life that they could have if they were walking with the Lord.
The second thing I saw was a man that was carrying water on his head, but the water would never fall out of the basket, even though the basket had holes in it. The people were shouting that the water was not coming out and were jumping up and down so excited by this event. Again it humbled me and broke my heart to think that in John 7:38 Jesus spoke to the woman at the well and said, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." These people were so excited about this event and this 'black power" that was keeping them from experiencing the Living Water, which is Jesus Christ.
5. Being Able to Talk about my faith with my new friends in Ghana!
I woke up this morning and asked the Lord to give me an opportunity to share my faith today. Before going on this trip I asked that everyday I would be able to share Jesus at least once. God already answered my prayer and I am excited to see what the Lord will do in the hearts of my new friends!
I have been BLOWN away by the hospitality and the kindness of the Ghanaian people. They have made the trip enjoyable so far. I would recommend coming to this country to anyone!!! This day has been filled with eating fried bananas, drinking coconut juice right out of the coconut, festivals, friendship, and having my heart opened once again to how the Lord is moving on this continent.
Please continue to pray for the Lord's Guidance on our trip. Kelli will update the blog tomorrow she is too busy doing banking stuff! :)
What an adventure I had in Ghana today! I will give everybody the highlights:
1. Running Out of Gas:
This is a new first for me. I haven't been in a car that has ran out of gas in a long time.....and this was in a VERY crowded street in a country I am new to. We were stuck in traffic and all the sudden the car stopped. After sitting there for a few minutes I asked what was wrong. My friends told me that we were out of gas. We then sat at the side of the road while many people passed by on foot and by car until a friend came and bought us gas.
2. Signs of Ghana
Now for those of you who have read the blog of when I went to Uganda, I can't help but fill you in on some of my new favorite signs in Africa.
-Day of Grace Rasta Do Hair Salon
-Double-F Pharmacy- Would not want to get medicine there, would you?
These are my only two new ones, but my eyes will be peeled tomorrow to update readers on new discoveries.
3. Visiting School in Ghana
I went to an orphanage and a school today. I will be volunteering at the school when I am not assisting Kelli with her project. I loved the orphanage and my heart broke for the kids that were there. I saw one little girl who was just brought to the home that was suffering from malnutrition and looked close to losing her life. Again it brought me back to why I am so passionate about helping the poor in Africa. There is something about looking at a baby starving to death that changes the way you look at what we are given in America and what we can do to be a blessing to our country and the world. This image will stick with me for the rest of my life. Although I was drawn there, I noticed there were already 8+ volunteers working there for the summer. I went to the school and many of the children had never seen a white person before. They wanted to learn English and are getting ready to teach phonics to the kids. They were very excited about me coming and said that they had plenty for me to do to help. The kids were amazing and I can't wait to spend some time there!
4. Tribal Dancing Festival:
This is perhaps the most interesting thing I have ever been to in all my African travels. This is a tradition that the Ashanti Empire in Ghana has every year. The priests of the empire dance and thousands of people come and watch the event. I have never been somewhere with so many people moving so fast. There were hundreds of dancer performing all different types of ancient dance. The friends that I met in Ghana that were with me told me that this was "black power."
I sat back and watched the people get so excited when a man was changing leaves into money (never got close enough to see it, only heard people shouting). They started a stampede and were chasing after the man and screaming.
I kept thinking how sad this was, but how I can often compare this to my life and the lives of so many people I know. The people in the crowd were so excited about something that could never satisfy them. They were chasing after things that could never give them the life that they could have if they were walking with the Lord.
The second thing I saw was a man that was carrying water on his head, but the water would never fall out of the basket, even though the basket had holes in it. The people were shouting that the water was not coming out and were jumping up and down so excited by this event. Again it humbled me and broke my heart to think that in John 7:38 Jesus spoke to the woman at the well and said, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." These people were so excited about this event and this 'black power" that was keeping them from experiencing the Living Water, which is Jesus Christ.
5. Being Able to Talk about my faith with my new friends in Ghana!
I woke up this morning and asked the Lord to give me an opportunity to share my faith today. Before going on this trip I asked that everyday I would be able to share Jesus at least once. God already answered my prayer and I am excited to see what the Lord will do in the hearts of my new friends!
I have been BLOWN away by the hospitality and the kindness of the Ghanaian people. They have made the trip enjoyable so far. I would recommend coming to this country to anyone!!! This day has been filled with eating fried bananas, drinking coconut juice right out of the coconut, festivals, friendship, and having my heart opened once again to how the Lord is moving on this continent.
Please continue to pray for the Lord's Guidance on our trip. Kelli will update the blog tomorrow she is too busy doing banking stuff! :)
We have Arrived!
We have arrived safely and wanted to give everyone a quick update...we will write more tonight. The flight to Accra was a memorable one with lots of interesting people on board. We then took a 5 hour bus ride to Kumasi and met up with a Japhet's sister, Grace. Japhet is with the Adakum Foundation that Kelli worked with to build the health clinic.
It is so good to be back in Africa. The people are friendly, the weather is warm, and the markets are alive! Just seeing all of the sights brings a big smile to our faces. Our hotel includes breakfast, running water, air conditioning, a giant bed, and wireless internet. These are all special treats for Africa! We made friends with a very nice guy who served us breakfast.
Please stay tuned for more updates in 10 hours. I am sure we will have lots to report on. Kelli will be going to the microfinance bank today and Amy is off to an orphanage and school. Please comment on our blog, and feel free to email us! Love from Ghana!
It is so good to be back in Africa. The people are friendly, the weather is warm, and the markets are alive! Just seeing all of the sights brings a big smile to our faces. Our hotel includes breakfast, running water, air conditioning, a giant bed, and wireless internet. These are all special treats for Africa! We made friends with a very nice guy who served us breakfast.
Please stay tuned for more updates in 10 hours. I am sure we will have lots to report on. Kelli will be going to the microfinance bank today and Amy is off to an orphanage and school. Please comment on our blog, and feel free to email us! Love from Ghana!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Introducing the Sisters
Kelli MolesKelli Moles is currently living in New York City, and her heart for Africa began when Kyle and Kelli decided to do what few couples would do and spend their honeymoon in Africa. The first week of the honeymoon was spent in Kenya on a safari, and then they joined Kelli’s sister (Amy Shackelford) and her three friends for a week and volunteered in an orphanage in Uganda, Africa. Kyle and Kelli began their marriage serving some of the world’s poorest people together.
Seven months after her return to the states, if Kelli had forgotten Africa, it hadn’t forgotten her. Inside Kelli’s body was a disease called Malaria that had been dormant for seven months
. After twelve scary days of battling for her life, the disease was identified and Kelli was given the medicine to fight it.
As Kelli lay in intensive care, she began to think of the small children she had met in Africa that had fought this disease and were not given the medical attention they deserved. Her heart began to break for the people in our world who do not get their basic needs met. Kelli vowed that day to fight for people who deserve a chance to fight a treatable disease.
. After twelve scary days of battling for her life, the disease was identified and Kelli was given the medicine to fight it.As Kelli lay in intensive care, she began to think of the small children she had met in Africa that had fought this disease and were not given the medical attention they deserved. Her heart began to break for the people in our world who do not get their basic needs met. Kelli vowed that day to fight for people who deserve a chance to fight a treatable disease.
The following Spring, Kelli organized multiple fundraisers and raised $6,000 to provide medicine and mosquito nets to people in Africa. She found joy in joining people together to see change in the world. Her husband Kyle and her decided, “We haven’t done enough, there is still more we can do.” This is when the dream of building a health clinic was born.
Kelli talked with her friends and coworkers to brainstorm ideas for events. Ultimately, the team planned six events, from a three-on-three basketball tournament to a cocktail hour. The team ended up raising $38,000. Kyle and Kelli’s first trip to Africa changed their lives, so they decided to organize a trip to Africa so others could have the same. In September of 2008, thirteen of their friends traveled back to Ghana to work on construction of the health clinic.
Kelli believes that God will continue to use her in Africa. When the opportunity came around for her to apply for “Bankers without Borders,” a project that partners her company, J.P. Morgan, and the Grameen Foundation, she jumped at the chance. Please see the website for more information about the foundation: http://www.grameenfoundation.org/
The Grameen foundation focuses on fighting poverty through microfinance. The foundation focuses on mainly women and loans them small amounts of money so that they can start small businesses.
Kelli will combine her finance skills and her passion for Africa together to work on this project.
Kelli talked with her friends and coworkers to brainstorm ideas for events. Ultimately, the team planned six events, from a three-on-three basketball tournament to a cocktail hour. The team ended up raising $38,000. Kyle and Kelli’s first trip to Africa changed their lives, so they decided to organize a trip to Africa so others could have the same. In September of 2008, thirteen of their friends traveled back to Ghana to work on construction of the health clinic.
Kelli believes that God will continue to use her in Africa. When the opportunity came around for her to apply for “Bankers without Borders,” a project that partners her company, J.P. Morgan, and the Grameen Foundation, she jumped at the chance. Please see the website for more information about the foundation: http://www.grameenfoundation.org/
The Grameen foundation focuses on fighting poverty through microfinance. The foundation focuses on mainly women and loans them small amounts of money so that they can start small businesses.
Kelli will combine her finance skills and her passion for Africa together to work on this project.
Amy Shackelford
Amy Shackelford went with three of her best friends to Uganda, Africa for nine week
s in the summer of 2006. The girls served at an orphanage and taught at a local school. It was that summer that the girls founded a women’s ministry called Unveiled Women’s Ministry that is in operation today. It is also that summer that Amy fell in love with a little boy named Tony and her life was forever changed. She had promised herself that she would never fall in love with one kid; because she knew it would make the reality of poverty so much more clearly to her. She knew that her world would never be the same if she had a clear face to poverty. To learn more about the "Four Hearts" trip to Uganda visit http://www.xanga.com/fourheartsforafrica
s in the summer of 2006. The girls served at an orphanage and taught at a local school. It was that summer that the girls founded a women’s ministry called Unveiled Women’s Ministry that is in operation today. It is also that summer that Amy fell in love with a little boy named Tony and her life was forever changed. She had promised herself that she would never fall in love with one kid; because she knew it would make the reality of poverty so much more clearly to her. She knew that her world would never be the same if she had a clear face to poverty. To learn more about the "Four Hearts" trip to Uganda visit http://www.xanga.com/fourheartsforafrica
The four girls dreamed of doing more in Africa and the Lord opened up the doors for the girls to facilitate adoptions out of the orphanage they were working at. The adoptions were a miracle because in the past people had to live in Uganda for three years before they were allowed to adopt. Through the grace of God the doors were opened and the new adventure began.
The process was not easy and if it weren’t for the brave men and women that took these children into their homes, there is no telling where the children would be today. The first three children were brought home and then another one followed. In the summer of 2007, Amy and her friend Bethany went back to help with four more adoptions. This trip was extra special because this time it was Tony’s turn to have a family. Eight children later and her heart completely changed, Amy is forever connected to Africa.
Unveiled Women’s Ministry has continued to work in Uganda and currently has two girls in Africa for six months. To read about their mission you can visit: http://loveforugandanorphans.blogspot.com/. Two more girls will be joining them for two months in May. The Director of Missions, Stacie Shaw, is currently researching opportunities for Unveiled Women’s Ministry to make the biggest impact possible in Uganda, Africa. To read more about Unveiled Women’s Ministry go to: http://www.unveiledwomensministry.org/ensministry.org/.
Amy is excited about the opportunity to assist her sister with this new project in Ghana Africa. She can’t wait to get back on the continent and do the work the Lord has called her to do.
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