Well we made the transition from Asia to Africa with relative ease! Everyone made it in one piece and with all our luggage. No one was left behind, although plenty of people donated quite a bit of stuff to Asia. And with lightened loads we entered the long anticipated continent of Africa!!! We arrived to the open arms of all our contacts and members of their church. We could not have imagined the welcome even if we had tried. They stood waiting for us holding a picture of our squad. Many had taken the time to memorize faces and names, and all rushed forward to embrace us and to welcome us to Ghana. It was so amazing. We’ve only been at our ministry site for just over a week now and already so much has happened… like
48 hours in a hospital bed…
I’ve spent some time in the hospital before, but always as a
visiting family or friend, never the patient. However, I did get to spend the
past 48 hours in the hospital as a patient. The diagnosis was chest infection/
malaria.I don’tfeel that it was that serious, but then again I’m not a doctor
and after working for the two best podiatrists in the US J I learned never
challenge doctor. They did not spend all that time in med school for nothing
right? . But that Is neither here nor there… I wanted to share my experience:
While I was there I saw God show up in many many ways. First
He appeared through His people at the hospital. There were many evangelists who
came through to pray with patients and to share the gospel with them. A man
named Thomas came to speak with me. It was a huge blessing to speak with him.
After a few moments of our conversation he learned that I am a missionary, and
smiled deeply. “May I share something with you?” He asked.
“Please do.” I said sitting up in bed.
“You being here is no accident. If you had not been here you
would not have met this old man,” he smiled laughing a bit., ” and this old man
would not have been overjoyed to hear that brothers and sisters from other
nations are coming to his country to partner with them in sharing the gospel!”
He went on to share with me Romans 8:28 which talks about all things working
together for good. I was greatly encouraged by those words because laying in a
hospital bed was the last thing I wanted to be doing… Had I chosen, I would
have been at the house on my bunk bed so I could at least be with my team to
hear what God was doing in their ministry on campus. I think somewhere between
being sick and being on medication I
forgot that God is not limited to the planned world race ministry… There
were many others who came through to share words with me which were a rich
blessing and an encouragement to spur me on in what God called us to on the
Race and as Christians in general. They all said it was encouraging to them to
know that God was bringing people here to share the word of God because they so
desperately desire their nation to not only know God but to believe in Him.
God also appeared by allowing me the opportunity to pray for
some of the staff there as well as to share some of God’s word with a few as
well. Sitting here now I can only laugh at myself for how I felt inside… I just
wanted to go back to my team and back to our ministry, but God kept making it
obvious that if I wanted ministry I was more than capable to do it there.
Because every few minutes someone would walk by to ask how I was doing, what
was I doing here in Ghana, etc. I think I just wanted to be back with my team
because usually someone else is able to better explain things or I can tag team
it with them. I don’t think that I have not ever really been able to share the
gospel one on one with someone… But apparently it was about time, hence the 48
hours in a hospital bed… so while I would have chosen to not get a “chest
infection/malaria”, God knew what was best as He usually does and for that I
can’t praise Him enough!
Please pray many blessings for the staff of the UCC Hospital
as they took excellent care me!
Also Please pray many blessing for Gina and Forson who
helped us figure out where to take me, payment, medicine, and so much more!
