Akwabaa (welcome) to Ghana!! Home of the tallest and longest
Canopy Walk in a national rainforest, and Elmina Castle, which was a main slave
exporting port.
My team is located in Cape Coast, Ghana for the next two
months. We will be working with Campus Crusade for Christ ministry here at Cape
Coast University. From what I understand we will be going from dorm room to
dorm room spreading the gospel amongst the students. We are also supposed to be
attending church on the campus and possibly be hosting bible studies and sports
events.
Just reading about what is on our schedule for this month
reminds me of what awesome things God has used me for in the past and at times
I never realized it. When I was 17 I became one of the youth leaders at the
church I attended in South Carolina called Columbia Crossroads. I had
previously been part of the youth group but since I was about to graduate from
High school they chose to make me one the leaders. It was during this point in
my life that I realized how much influence amongst men God had given me. It was
really weird having people look to me for answers or just look up to me in
general. It was crazy to me that God would use me to be a positive and Godly
influence in my peer’s lives.
I moved to North Carolina to attend Nascar Technical
University and found a new church to be a part of while in college. My best
friend Tyson and I would spend almost every weekend at this church just
volunteering and helping in any way possible. Seeing our dedication the
leadership asked us if we would head up a team that would help set up the
building for the new contemporary service. Tyson and I did this every weekend
for a year and it was through this role at church that I got to known many of
the college age people in our church. About a year before the World Race
started my mentor Brent Edwards had thrown out the idea of starting a college
age bible study group. I had rejected the idea at first, at the time I didn’t
feel like I was in a place to lead anything or anybody. I didn’t feel like I
was good enough to lead a college age bible study, I didn’t think I could lead
them to righteousness. About a month later I agreed to go to the training
course on “life groups” after a lot of prayer and confirmation from the Lord.
My Life Group started out small for about 2 weeks, only
about 3 guys and 1 girl showed up for a while. Which was fine for me, I figured
less people meant less responsibility. Well I guess God had different plans and
made my group grow to about 15 people at one point after only 1 month of
starting it. More than half of the people there were older than me, so I struggled with feeling worthy to speak
in front of them and being their leader. We would meet at my apartment since I
lived by myself, have dinner there sometimes and start the night off with a
game or conversation. We eventually came to a point where we needed a change of
scenery so we went out at least once a month as a group to either someplace in
town or on camping trips. We had a lot of fun and it blew me away that God was
making this work and that he was using me to facilitate it. I eventually really
enjoyed preparing our study and loved talking about how incredible our God is.
My group eventually disbanded, I was preparing for this trip
around the world and nobody had wanted to keep it going. Looking back on it
now, that time in my life really set me up for this time in my life. It was
leading that bible study that God showed me that I’ am worthy to speak in front
of people young or old, leaders and those being led. God gave me a confidence
that I didn’t have before; he gave me a passion for speaking about Him. Now
once again He has placed me in a position to have a voice for Him amongst men
and women. He has given me another opportunity to help bring people out darkness
and into light. So maybe this month I will have the opportunity to lead a bible
study group or sports ministry. If anything this will be even more practice for
when I come back home and restart my life in the States, the people speak
English here to so that a plus.
It’s amazing how what seems like small non-important
decisions in life really shape who you are. If I hadn’t agreed to be placed in
these positions of influence in life I would have never been stretched out of
my comfort zone, and maybe never known what gifts God had for me. If it wasn’t
for Brent Edwards believing in me, and trusting the God in me I would have
never led that Life Group and possibly would not have felt capable to handle
the situations God has me in now. What freedom God brings!! I LOVE James 1:2-4
“My brothers and sisters consider it nothing but Joy when you fall into all
sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces
endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect so that you will be
perfect and complete, not deficient in anything”. So my brothers and sisters in
Christ I urge you to run head first into the things that God has called you to.
Cast aside fear of not being worthy or not being able to perform, you have the
Holy Spirit who is capable of doing far greater things than Christ did in his
ministry on earth. The things that are hard for you now will prepare you for
what the Lord has for you down the road.
