Last Wednesday, we were making our way to the marketplace for Market Day, handing out information and invitations to Elim City Church. It was the sunniest day we’d experienced yet, and I was relishing (okay, LIVING FOR) the brief moments of shade we got as we worked our way down the streets, stepping under the overhangs of various shops and businesses to strike up conversations with the strangers. We invited each shopkeeper (and many random passersby) to Elim City for church and told them about the various Bible studies and prayer nights we would be at. But we were there to give more than an invitation; we often asked if they had a relationship with Jesus, answered questions, gave insight, and prayed. I was in a group with a translator/local ministry helper, Charles, and my teammate, Meagan.
We were praying for a woman with a headache, and after we finished, I looked around and noticed Meagan wasn’t there. Charles and I headed away from the street, looking for Meagan and the other group that had been working down the street with us. When we rounded the corner on the next street over, I saw a beautiful story unfolding.
Courtney, our Squad Leader, had been talking to a family at their business stall. Three women and their brother, Akwabi (I might have to double check on that name!) run the business. Akwabi is deaf and Courtney was trying to sign a few things to start a conversation with him when she remembered that Meagan is fluent in sign language. She got Meagan’s attention and waved her over.
Meagan walked to the group and signed the word for “church” to the man, and the entire day changed.
Akwabi got SO EXCITED.
His face completely lit up with a giant smile that made us all smile, too. He excitedly signed and laughed with Meagan as she was able to sign back. His joy was written all over his face: She can talk to me! She is talking with me! His sisters told Meagan that they didn’t sign, and although it was obvious that he could read their lips as they spoke Twi, a local language of Ghana, there was an especially radiant joy at Meagan’s ability to sign to him.
He took her hand and bounded over to the neighboring stalls and business, introducing Meagan to all of his friends and neighbors. His smile and laughter followed them and was infectious to everyone who saw Akwabi and his new friend.
When they came back to us, who had been watching from the stall, we prayed with Akwabi and his sisters. From the street passersby, we may have looked odd: a circle of 12 people praying, all at once, in the doorway of their shop.
And one voice carried over the others, made louder with shouts of joy and a giddy tone: Akwabi’s.
As we walked to the road to continue our way to the market, Akwabi followed us, walking and talking with Meagan the whole way. He stopped at various stalls and introduced her to more and more people, and pointed out the family’s home.
Akwabi’s joy was overflowing and refreshed me on that hot afternoon where I would have loved nothing better than to hide in the shade. As we walked, we all agreed: seeing God use Meagan and Akwabi’s radiance was something we’d all needed to see after having spent a week inviting people to church with no responses.
God used Meagan’s passion for American Sign Language to bring unexpected joy to Akwabi. “I’ve been praying for a chance to be able to use this!” Meagan told me as we continued towards the market. And God did use her! I know that God sent her to Akwabi that day to show Akwabi his searching and intentional love for him. The pure joy and obvious hand God had in arranging this meeting lifted my eyes and heart.
It was simply her ability to be able to have a conversation with him that made him feel loved in the very personal way that our very personal God works.
Thanks for reading!
PS. Sunyani is amazing but the wifi sitch is NOT! So I apologize for the non-regular updating! Hopefully, our wifi situation becomes a bit better so I can share some more stories from Ghana with you! I’ll try to come back and add pictures to this blog, because I have a beautiful picture of Meagan and Akwabi that I want to share BUT the wifi situation is not going to support it right now! You can see them in Facebook though!
