It is hard to tell, but this is me in the midst of children waiting to get their feet washed! Look at the nice use to be clean water! They really were shocked that I was willing to wash their feet!I love these children in my neighborhood.
Alright, what I am about to tell you will shock and amaze most of you who have known me for awhile. I promise what will be written next is the truth and I didn't even have to change names to protect the innocent! On Tuesday, we had our usual Tuesday kid's club and as usual, we were scrambling last minute to think of a bible story to tell the kids. The other teacher suggest Christ being a servant by washing the disciples' feet. I agreed and then being the hands on, I mean hands on teacher that I am, I suggest we actually washed them. I didn't just suggest the idea, I volunteered to wash them! I warned you it was shocking information but you can pick you jaw off the floor now. Yes, I Christy Sopcisak washed 24 pairs of feet that have been in gutters, on the sand, and in places I don't want to think about. The kids loved sticking their feet in the bucket of water as I wiped them with a towel. It doesn't take much to entertain them. They were really quite fascinated as a white girl was willing to wash all of their dusty feet with any fuss. I was quite amazed at my self since before this would bother me but it truly was remarkable to be able to share Christ's example of serving others with these kids. It was a great reminder for me as well. Yes, I am here for Christ but am I serving him with all my heart all the time? Am I willing to stoop down and wash the dirtiest feet on the street for my Jesus? Afterall, Jesus died on the cross for my sins, the least I could do is serve others in any capacity to show the Love of Christ. Noone pays attention to these kids but they are special and they need to know that.
A concept I have been trying to wrap my head around is how expats treat the Ghanaian population. We don't mean to but in a sense we talk down to them to help them understand or when they ask us to marry them and we tell them we are already engaged. I am not lying as I am engaged to Jesus. Anyways, it is hard because we understand things in a diffrent way than they do and it makes them seem not as superior but at the same time they are just as important than the rest of us. In the market, I go with an other teacher to get supplies for school. It is too much for us to carry so there are ladies with bowls looking to carry people's purchases. We hate using these ladies as it seems like they are a servant carrying our things but at the same time we are giving them some income. We tip them when we start and then when they drop us to the destination. It is also our tradition to get cut up pineapples on our way to the trotro station so we always buy one for the lady carrying our things. You should see how their eyes light up when they receive this free gift, it is a pineapple for crying aloud but for someone to think about them personally, it is something more than that. So again, I am not sure how I feel about this place, where there is wealth and poverty galore. Yes, it is in America, but the lines are very distinct here. I do know, I am called to love and show love to all and treat them as an equal. Those who are called by the Lord are called to serve.
Psalm 40:2He lifted me out of the pit of despair,out of the mud and the mire.He set my feet on solid groundand steadied me as I walked along.
Psalm 56:13For you have rescued me from death;you have kept my feet from slipping.So now I can walk in your presence, O God,in your life-giving light.
After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them John 13:12-17
For chapel on Wednesday, the speaker was a friend of mine who my roommate and I had met in the story last year for two consecutive weeks. He is here with a baptist mission and his job is to befriend the Songhai people from Niger. They are the poorest people group in Niger so the young men are moving down to Accra to sell onions. When I say young men, I should actually tell you they are boys as the majority of them are around 14 years old. These boys move to Accra without knowing the language to sell a crop that is cooked with a lot but not highly looked upon. They come illiterate as they have never had the chance to go to school. I am so glad that this man came to share with our kids as the kids at school have it so good to compare to others. They don't even realize there are kids out there who can't go to school, never had electricity, and must work for a living. Their eyes need to be open to the world around them so we can reach out to our brothers and sisters. There are so many people groups out there that I haven't even heard of that need to know the Lord and need to be shown love. Our friend is the only one who actually takes the time to get to know these boys and they are so shocked by his friendship. Please pray for the Shonghai people and all the people groups who have not yet used the good news.
Soccer, Soccer, and more Soccer!
This upcoming week will prove to be busy as the boys' team plays on Monday, girls' on Wednesday and both of them on Saturday. It has been a full month but exciting as this is more games in a month than we have had ever in the history of AIS. I just want to win one of them now! I am really proud of them though and we are starting to be a real team! I am even getting tougher and making them work harder We are a work in progress but if we are going to be successful we have to pick up the level. I made practice on Saturday at 9 a.m. Of course, there was a lot of unhappy players but it was the only time I had and next week we have a game at 9:00 a.m. they have to get use to it. The big shocker was I actually had 20 players show up! Most of them were only couple of minutes late which i amazing considering we are in Africa and noone ever shows up on time. That many players showing up proved to me that they are actually serious about playing and want to do their best! Even better, someone bought me a whistle so I cold actually get their attention better! You know what? It actually works! I was practicing using it, and they came! Who knew? Anyways, pray for them all to play their best this week.
With being in an international school and having 30 countries represented, you hear a lot about the world news. A couple of weeks ago, there was an earthquake in New Zealand where one of my kids and Auntie Jean is from. Now, there was an earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I tutora Japanese family and we have two other families in our school from Japan. We even have two teachers from last year who are teaching in Japan. Everyone who has family there is okay but still we need to be in prayer for all the destruction and lives lost. The world is getting worst and good thing Jesus is coming back but that means we need to share the GOOD NEWS without hesitation so all can party with Jesus someday soon.
Every week in church, I am blown away by God's goodness in all of our lives. What a blessing it is to worship with Christ's internatonal church, all praising God together. I miss my church back home, there is no doubt about it, but I do love worshipping with people of all color and natonalities, there are no bounadaries!
Enjoy this week as God reveals himself more and more to us! God is good all the time!
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