Keta
After a 15 hour bus ride, a night spent pitching our tents in Accra, and three hours in a van, my team and I finally arrived in Keta, Ghana. Located in the southeast portion of the country, Keta is sandwiched between a large lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean. While there are many industries present throughout Keta, fishing is by far the largest and most common. People of every age come out to the beach to pull in the nets each day and receive their portion of the catch. Between the Ghanain English being spoken, the palm trees everywhere, and the beaches on every side, Keta has felt just a little bit like home.
Host Family
This month we have the privilege of staying with Paul and Angela Doe, as well as their children Sena, Sela, JP, and Joshua. Though Angela originally came from California on a short term mission trip, her love for the people of Ghana (and Pastor Paul in particular) brought her back to stay. The couple has been living in Ghana for over ten years now and currently runs a multi-faceted ministry called “Center for Africa Missions”. Missional living is so integral to both Angela and Paul’s lives that every chat on the back porch and walk home from the beach becomes a time of discipleship in one form or another. Their home is a place full of love, life, and people. They truly exemplify Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received; freely give.”
Ministry
Children’s Home
While Paul and Angie have four children of their own, God has also brought a handful of children into their home from various other households. These children range in age from seven to twenty-two and each carry a unique story as to how they were brought into the Paul Doe family. Most mornings, our team wakes up to the children singing during their morning devotionals, sometimes starting as early at 5 o’clock in the morning. They fill the house with a mixture of languages, laughter, household chores, homework, and card games.
Lord’s Gym
A short walk from the house, on the ocean side of Keta, is The Lord’s Gym, a gym facility utilized to encourage healthy living and community in a Christ centered environment. The land surrounding the gym has also become a local ministry base and central location where events and community development initiatives are launched.
Youth Ministry
Paul and Angie are both passionate about investing in the youth of Ghana. This passion has translated into supporting/starting churches and schools in multiple villages in/around Keta, Ghana. However, their investment does not stop there! They also do their best to connect these communities with as many physical resources as finances will allow (even installing water towers and building school facilities when possible).
Daddy’s Girls
While Angie spends the majority of her time managing the children’s home and homeschooling her biological children, she also leads a ministry for girls age 13-18 called Daddy’s Girls. In a community where father figures are rare and young women are encouraged to seek their identity in most anything other than God’s love, Daddy’s Girls is a space for truth to be spoken and discipleship/community to take place.
Pastor Paul and Angela have invited us into their home and ministry with open arms. They have allowed us to minister in our areas of strength, while still pushing us to step outside of our comfort zones. They have expanded my understanding of what it means to live a missional lifestyle and will forever serve as examples of what God can do with lives surrendered to Him.
If you are interested in learning more about Center for Africa Missions, please check out their page at www.Facebook.com/CenterForAfricaMissions or contact Paul directly at [email protected]. I’m sure he would love to hear from you and answer any questions you might have.
Please check out my latest prayer requests in the “About” section …and rest assured that many stories from my time here in Ghana will be coming in future blogs 🙂
Thank you for continuing to journey with me on this adventure!
Love you all!
