Glimpses of our Life in Ghana

   I was reading a book and came across a phrase that has stuck with me and come to mind again and again.           There, but for the grace of God, go I.   The phrase is supposedly traced back to an English Reformer, John Bradford. As he watched criminals led to their execution he would say; There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford. Eventually he was burned at the stake. It is thought he referenced Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:10. But for the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Some people also say it was a quote from John Newton. But no matter the source, the message is the same.   The moment I read this quote my mind went to a young girl I had seen a few days before. She was a young teen, dressed to attract attention, with a beautiful face. She had an attitude and didn't need anything fro...

  Greetings on a lovely morning! The house is quiet. The children are off to school, Kenny went to do banking in Cape Coast. I love my mornings of quiet where I can just tick things off my list for the day while listening to an audio book or music or just in silence with my own thoughts. Life has found a happy routine where the days fly by too fast and we crawl into bed tired. I know it won't last but we will make the most of it while we can. When I went through the pictures from the last month I decided if I sent them all to you, you would think we just look at sunsets and the beach. But actually it is a sign of normal life where nothing exciting happens. Or the exciting things aren't things pictures can capture. The above pictures are taken along the main road along the beach. They are putting in a sea defense wall out quite a ways in preparation for the four lane high way that will eventually go through here. It is a pretty big gap between the sea wall and what the shore was...

   This story is one Kenny came across and it was at a time that I needed to hear it. I did some research and even though some accounts of the story say it was Theodore Roosevelt that was the politician and Henry Morrison was the missionary, I also found places that it is a fictional story. For that reason, I am going to tell the story as we first heard it, without any names.         A missionary and his wife were sailing home from serving most of their lives on the mission field in Africa. They were tired, worn out and discouraged from the many hard things they had faced over the past 40 years. They had given their all and were coming home with nothing to show for it.   On this same boat was a politician who had just spent ten days in Africa hunting big game. He had been very successful and was coming home, proud of his trophies. He had a group of men with him and they were all jubilant with their success.   As the boat neared the port...

   There have been several short stories and quotes that have touched me in some way and that I wish I could remember better when I need their lessons. You have probably heard all of them before, or at least one of them. But maybe you, like me, need to be reminded occasionally. Loren Eisely wrote a essay called The Star Thrower. Many people have told and wrote versions of his story since then. Instead of copying one from another source, I will give you my version.     An old man was walking along the seashore just as the sun was rising. As he walked he noticed a young man ahead of him. The young man was stooping over repeatedly, and as the man drew nearer he could see him pick something up and throw it into the water. When he reached the young man he saw him pick up a stranded star fish and throw it out to sea. The man watched him throw a few more and then looked around. The shore was littered with star fish. Hundreds, thousands of them.    "Young man," he ...

It has been so good to be back home in our village. It can be hard to find a normal again, but it is still good to be home! Our lime tree gave abundantly! Kenny loves squeezing a half into his cup of water. We also used quite a few to make limeade. It's still a little tree, so it will be interesting to see how it produces next year. The children started school again. Kelsey is in 9th grade and technically I am teaching her at home although she works at school in the mornings. Austin is in 5th and Brent in 3rd grade. We celebrated Kelsey and Andrea's birthdays from August since we weren't around then. Patricia and her family came as well and we made fufu. An ant trail that went right in front of our steps one morning. We let them there undisturbed and they were gone by evening.  Austin turned 11! Where has time gone. He still has moments of boy but is definitely growing into a young man. He has been really enjoying his farming, most people would call it gardening. Our patch ...

  Pictures in this post are "fields", maybe battlefields, maybe not.                                   There was one thing on furlough that surprised me and concerned me…..     I wasn’t ready to come back to Ghana for a very long time.                                  I had no desire even to see friends there again. No wishing for my own bed, cooking in my kitchen, or walking down dusty trails. The last week our minds started making the shift back to Ghana but there wasn’t the excitement and joy. It was more like knowing we need to go back. And that bothered me.                                I prayed while we packed. Prayed while we drove to the airport, as we left US soil, and many times through the hours of flying. I w...

  Furlough….. the word brings images and fond memories. But it is also bittersweet.   Shortly before we left for furlough a new missionary asked me, What do you do on furlough? How do you do furlough? While we were on furlough people asked, So what do you want to do most while you are in the US? And as we left people asked, Did you get done what you wanted to do? These questions have been swirling in my brain. I don’t know if I have the answers but I will try.    How do you do in one month what you have missed out on for a year and a half? How do you see everyone you want to? Have intentional conversations that catch you up on your family and friends lives? Hear their heart cries from the time you were apart and allow them to see yours? How do you refresh and truly reconnect?   What we want most on furlough is to reconnect with people. We want those intimate conversations that only happen face to face. They can’t be planned or forced. But they happen. Ofte...

                                     Everyday they pass me by, I can see it in their eyes. Empty people filled with care, Headed who knows where? On they go through private pain, Living fear to fear. Laughter hides their silent cries, Only Jesus hears. People need the Lord, people need the Lord. At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door. People need the Lord, people need the Lord. When will we realize, people need the Lord? We are called to take His light To a world where wrong seems right. What could be too great a cost For sharing Life with one who's lost? Through His love our hearts can feel All the grief they bear. They must hear the Words of Life Only we can share. People need the Lord.   This song has long been a favorite of mine. So many times I sing it in my head. When I sit with a friend and hear her story of being trained in traditional spiritual worship as a child. (We pr...

   I meant to do this closer to Christmas but I still wanted to say thank you to each of you who pray for us and support us. We would not be able to do this work on our own strength!