If you know me at all then you know how big a role music has played in my life. It can evoke emotions & inspire in a way that words alone can’t. To steal from Music & Lyrics, “nothing will make you feel as good as fast as, ‘I’ve got sunshine, on a cloudy day’.” Similarly, there are songs, like “The Great Adventure” or “For The Sake of the Call” by Steven Curtis Chapman, that bring certain people to my mind (in this case my Dad <3) and simultaneously make me want to leave all my possessions behind to trail blaze with God. I could go on and on about songs that make me cry (for various reasons), jump for joy, feel ready to take on the world, etc.
Maybe you’ve never had those moments with music, where a song sums up your feelings perfectly. I hope that you understand what I’m talking about, because that odd phenomenon is exactly where I am at the moment. While preparing to leave Ghana words have seemed to fail me. Instead Expression of Gratitude, a song that I sang with Chamber Singers on our Scandinavian tour, pops into my mind.
The song is based off of Philippians 1:3-6 & 9-11. Here are the lyrics (Click Here for the video):
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always with joy in every prayer for you. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, in every prayer, with joy, I thank my God. I thank my God for your fellowship in the gospel, from the very first day till now I thank my God for you. And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more; abound in knowledge, in judgement that you may approve what is excellent to the glory of God. That you may be pure and blameless filled with the fruits of righteousness which comes through Christ Jesus. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always with joy in every prayer for you. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, in every pray, with joy, I thank my God.
When we were in Scandinavia this song, while lovely, didn’t carry a whole lot of meaning for me. I always enjoyed singing it, but we traveled to six countries in two weeks. Between concerts, sightseeing and hopping on various modes of transportation we didn’t stay in one place long enough to make lasting relationships. The closest we came was with our first (and only) host families in Holland who we stayed with for 2-3 days.
Here…it’s different. We’ve been here a full three weeks and in that time have had a billion meaningful interactions with Pastor Calvary and his family, the Father, and the school children. Our meals with Osofo Calvary, Osofo Mame, and the kids are always a blast. They have introduced us to traditional Ghanaian food, we have wonderful conversations, and occasionally I get the privilege of holding their kitten (ok…nearly every night :-P).
They have blessed us more than they know by opening their home to us & teaching us about their culture! Not to mention how Osofo has taken time out of his busy schedule to show us Accra, take us to Tema to visit Logos Hope while it was in port, visit the botanical gardens, the market, and escort us to the internet café. I feel like part of their family; we even have nicknames (mine is Asore Ba- which means church child)!
One of the things I will miss most are the children. I’ve learned who takes notes the fastest (Susan, Dominic, and Patience) who likes to talk while the teacher gives a lesson (Benjamin, Bentil, and Hafiz), and who are reserved (Sylvester, Ishabel, and Mary). These kids make my heart swell!
I love sitting with them and working out why they are having difficulty with an assignment and seeing their faces light up when they understand. I love the way their teacher, Auntie Shiella, effortlessly commands their attention and how she can go from super serious to laughing with the children in a split second. I also love/am exhausted by how much energy they have; they ask to lay Heads Up 7-Up a lot (even though they are stinkers and peek!). Sometimes the only way to get their attention is to tell them to put their hands in the air and act like a tree blowing in the wind. Of course I have to do it with them and then it turns into a mini-work out with hopping on one foot while waving your arms and spinning around. That may not be the most effective way to get them quiet…but it works and gets them to use some pent-up energy.
So leaving Ghana, our gracious hosts, and the joyful children is more difficult than I anticipated. Whether I am ready or not our squad leaves Accra on Tuesday. And now I think I have a small understanding of how Paul felt when writing to Philippi. I thank God that Grace Life Ministries is in this community. I thank God that they see the value in each of these children. Osofo said at assembly Tuesday, “Do not let anyone tell you that you are nothing. If they say that tell them, ‘Do not multiply me by zero. Add 1 to my zero.’ You are the addition of 1, 1 is not nothing.”
My prayer as we head over to Nepal is that their ministry continues to prosper. I thank God for the life-bringing work that Grace Life Ministries and Royal Oaks Academy are doing and pray that their love would continue to grow and spread to this community. Basically, all I could ever want to say to them can be summed up in “Expression of Grattitude”.
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Thank you for coming to read about how God is moving across the world! If you are prayer warrior (or even if you aren’t) would you please keep these items on your list?
-First and foremost that me, my team (Worthy Warriors), my squad (K!), and all those who are currently on the World Race would be living in Christ, growing & being attentive to the Spirit. That we would be the willing and obedient tools God uses (let’s be honest, he doesn’t need us to work). That we would take up our crosses daily & follow Christ down any road at any cost.
-Pray for Ghana and its leaders. They are in an election year. Pray that whoever wins would be wealthy in wisdom and have a God’s hand in their lives.
-Grace Life Ministries and Royal Oaks Academy are truly a beacon of light here! Please pray that God continues to provide for all their needs and that the teachers are refreshed.
-Our next country is Nepal and we head out October 4th! Pray for safe travels and that God would prepare our hearts for ministry there.
