We enjoyed a real African church service yesterday, but there was one problem. The language was in Tree and Gah. We still enjoyed seeing the freedom they enjoyed in worshipping God! One day we'll all be dancing and praising God in heaven where there are no language barriers.
At the church service in Accra - men sit on one side and the women on the other.
Two little boys at the church.
Jackie holding a baby.
Marsha and Jackie in their African dresses.
Our driver, George's, family.
In summary, here is what God enabled us to do these past 2 weeks:
GHANA:
*met several times with people from the Buduburam Refugee Camp
*paid all sponsorship fees in Ghana for the second term (until May) for 40 students
*visited an orphanage
*helped our friend Terrie with some of the legwork with her adoption
*visited the Liberian Embassy several times
LIBERIA:
*visited 5 sponsored students in their schools
*visited all 10 sponsored students in their homes
*visited all the widows we helped over the past 2 years
*enrolled 2 men for university
*set up 8 small businesses for sponsor families
*helped Oldman Nelson with purchasing cement bags and sand so he can put cement in some of the bedrooms in his home; also purchased a mattress for him to sleep on
*blessed Joma with a wheelchair and some food
*set up 2 of the poorest families we know in other homes, paying for their rent for 12 months (you can't get any shorter terms in Liberia)
*visited with 3 of the birth families of Canadian adopted children
*spent time at Diana E. Davies Orphanage
*paid all sponsorship fees for Liberian sponsored students (10) for the entire year (up to July)
*set up Chris with a medium-sized business of selling concrete bricks which involved purchasing some cement blocks and molds for the bricks
*purchased a small piece of land for Chris and someone donated money for him to build a house - he will make his own bricks for his house
*distributed donated gifts, clothing and treats to many people
We plan to put a well on Chris's new village in the next few months (so stay tuned for a fundraiser for this!).
Some sponsor families in Canada have requested to continue helping their sponsored children/families either through sending their children to school or providing for other urgent
needs they have. We will help with the connections to make this possible.
We are so grateful for all of your prayers and emails or comments of encouragement. We have really felt God's hand of direction and protection on our lives during this time away from our families. We feel so blessed that God has allowed us to be a very small part of what He is doing in Liberia by being His hands and feet these past two weeks.
On that note, I am very eager to see my husband and children again! Integration into North American is going to be extremely difficult again. I pray we won't easily forget what God has shown us and I pray for conviction for simple living so that others can receive more. The gap between the rich and poor in this world is far too great! "To whom much is given, much will be required."
For a radically changed life in the area of missions, money and simple living, I challenge you to read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan or pick up any of KP Yohannen's books from Gospel For Asia.
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY, FOR GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!!
With love,
Jackie, Marsha and Ariel
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