It’s Month 2 for the World Race, West Africa bound again for K Squad. This month, our teams are spread out throughout the country and serving in different cities. My team, Worthy Warriors, is serving in the city of Accra with a wonderful ministry whom we fell in love with the moment we all met face to face. This is Pioneer Month again for us, first for the World Race to serve in Ghana and marking the grounds for future racers. It all started at 5am after our first squad debrief, waking up and getting on a bus with our squad of 52 for 15 hours, and crossing the border from Ivory Coast to Ghana. Jamming out to awesome tunes and watching some flicks as we snack on our traveling food, many of us were sleeping off and on and enjoying the bumpy African roads on a very comfy A/C bus!
For the first night with our ministry host for this month, we were able to pull out our tents! I was actually excited because the last time that tent was used was for training camp. Waking the next morning in our tents that were set up in the church, which is also used as a school, we were greeted by the teachers and children as they were eager to start their first day of school. It was such a treat to walk outside and watch them raise their country’s flag and sing the morning song. Afterwards, the pastor had asked if my team would come and introduce ourselves to the students. I was then asked to pray over them for the day. I love that when I am introduced, my name is spelled out and then there are some giggles and meow sounds! I have officially been titled as Auntie Cat by the school children. So far, we have had the treat of drinking coffee every morning which just makes me so happy inside! HAHA It was a great first day, sitting and meeting with the pastor and his wife and hearing about what ministry will look like this month.
We were making arrangements for lodging and it turned into such a blessing! We are currently staying in a very comfy and quiet community home. The rooms are set up like in a hotel, with the owners living just next to us in their own home, and a priest from Holland having his own home next door. The layout is beautiful, so much green and a perfect view of the mountains and city in the distance. We have an awesome shower and running toilet system, oh so grateful!!!
Our first morning here, I woke up and did my morning workout, then took an awesome cold shower! Afterwards, I decided to walk over and visit the priest, who has welcomed us anytime to come over for a cup of coffee at 5am or just whenever we wake up. I pulled up a chair and had a nice chat with him, he shared some stories and what brought him to Ghana. Throughout our conversation, I was so encouraged by his willingness to just go and serve as he lives with such little, seeing that you don’t need much to be content and live a full life. I couldn’t help but think of Mother Teresa, she left behind a life she knew to serve others and love people to the fullest. I’m excited about all the people we will meet along the way during this journey, hearing stories and being encouraged to follow our passions and dreams.
Our ministry host has been so hospitable, showing us around the city and taking us to some great attractions. A few days ago, we visited botanical gardens and the view driving up the mountain was breathtaking. Already we have had a few small market experiences, definitely brings us back to the scenarios we went through at training camp…. Super helpful they were! 😉
Our team is so excited to be serving in the classrooms, we will each be in a different grade class serving alongside the teachers. We have been able to meet the children from those classes and they’re absolutely precious, so excited to have us this month! I’m really looking forward to building relationships and learning as much as I can about the culture and country here in Ghana, it’s a beautiful place and the people are amazing. I’m incredibly humbled by the way we’ve been accepted and loved, and it hasn’t even been a week yet. Our host has expressed multiple times how happy and blessed they feel to have us here to serve with them and love Christ together.
Going into our first week of assisting in the classrooms, many of us have been asked to step up and teach. Personally, I’ve mostly felt comfortable with it. The teacher stays in the room and asks me if I have anything to add to what he has already taught. Encouraging myself to just step up with confidence, I never decline. I step out of my comfort zone a little and just start talking. The class is very alert and respectful towards me as I speak, and very responsive. I have chosen to help in the Class 5 and 6 for the month, the two grades are combined because currently there isn’t enough space to spread them out. I am learning a lot about Math and Science, so much is coming back from when I was in middle school… which definitely feels like oh so long ago! HAH I’m learning all the names of the children, most are ones I’ll be able to easily remember because they’re American names! It’s so neat to walk outside between classes during the breaks and lunch, and have the children from other classes run over yelling out my name and grabbing my hands.
It’s hard to believe we’re already into the second month of the race, but also totally seeing why I hear so much that it’ll go by so fast! God showed me a lot in the Ivory Coast, a lot about myself in Him and building relationships with my teammates. This month we will have a set schedule of what we’ll be doing and I’m excited for the team to now build relationships with the ministry and the locals around us, sharing Christ together and building the Kingdom! I love learning about the history of Ghana, why things are the way they are, the food, and adapting to a place nothing like what I know as my own home.
Unfortunately, I am unable to upload photos for this month. I sure hope you can get a glimpse visually of what this month has been like for us. I’m so excited to be living life on the race with my squad and team. I am most definitely where I should be right now. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, we have about two weeks left of ministry before moving on to month 3. Pray that we open our hearts so wide to all that God wants to teach us and do through us this month, build relationships with the ministry and beautiful people of Ghana, and make memories that will affect us so much and make us grow!
Also, I am still around $3,000 away from being fully funded! Please prayerfully consider supporting me financially to reach my goal! Thanks!!!!!!!
