Sunday, October 25, 2009

Clearing the Land and Filling our Hearts














































Rich, green leaves surrounding the countryside. Large rolling hills cover the background as the defining white clouds stamp sponge over the inviting blue sky. Oh the life of Accra, how I love it!
Okay, if you have been reading any of my blogs, I hope you won’t believe any of this nonsense because they are not synonyms of Accra. To experience real life, you must travel out of the city which I did yesterday to help at Children of the Light. If you haven’t read my other blogs, no need to fear because I will tell you right now that it was started by the lady who teaches the preschool program at school. She is originally from New Zealand but married a Ghanaian so has been living here for 15 years. She started this ministry for the children in her village who are not getting a proper education in the public schools. The students in the area can come to her house Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday after school to get extra help and learn about the Bible. I have pictures below that show the kids sprawled out in her driveway with a container that has many books for them to use. She is running out of room here so she is in the process of buying land down the hill from her. It is all bush there so she is working on clearing the land so she can hopefully start building on it.
Yesterday, some of us went to help clear the land: move rocks, clean up weeks, and rake the soil. This is where I saw nature which I don’t get much in the city and where I realized that I belong out in the bush, living with the people. I love hearing Auntie Jean’s vision for the land. She talks about all the things she will do, like put a road to it since there is only a small rocky path that connects it to the town. She doesn’t even have all of the land purchased yet but she knows the money will come and the plans will be set in stone as she has full complete in Christ. After all, she did start this ngo on her own from nothing so I don’t think anything can stop her. Her testimony is extraordinary as there are many times in my life that I don’t try to accomplish something because I know it isn’t possible. Here is a lady who is taking nothing and turning it into the impossible! I wish you could all see the land, oh yeah, I included some pictures so you can get a small glimpse of what is to come. See if you can picture the grass where the dirt is, a pavilion in the background, containers lined with thousand of books. If you can’t, don’t worry because Auntie Jean can see it and believe it.
After we worked for awhile, we ventured down the hill to the small stream at the bottom. We came across a man who had a palm wine distillery set up underneath his palm leave hut. Yes, you heard me, he was making palm wine! You never know what you will come across if you look for it. They showed us the process of how they chop the tree down, cut a bowl shape whole in the side of it, and then let the sap pour into a can. We were surrounded by palm trees being ripped of their sweet sap but the process was amazing to watch. So yes, they are making wine, but this is how they make a living. They are not begging on the side of the road but yet using their resources to provide for their family as they are proud of their work. I enjoy being out of the city as life is much more simple and it is freeing. I have more opportunities to interact with the people and be amazed at how they can turn nothing into there own business. Through that time with the men, we met his son and Auntie Jean invited him to come to Children of the Light which will be a resource for him to gain more English and here about our Savior. Through this small adventure, God might be able to use Auntie Jean to reach this family for Christ. I am learning to take every opportunity to explore the land and the people as you never know what you might come across.

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