Whizz Kids

One of my great joys this year has been working with the “Whizz Kids” at my church, Hope City. Several of us are on the rota (British translation: rotation), so my friend Lindsay and I teach once every three weeks. On Whizz Kids Sundays, this is becoming the pattern: we go to church early and drop John off for worship team, then Lindsay and I go to Deli France to get a coffee and talk. We head back to church and get set up for the lesson, then herd in ten or more neighborhood kids that would live in the church building if they could. Last week we actually had 25 total. These wild and lovable little ones want to hug, color, and get toffees (translation: candy). They also often hit each other, but we’re working on that... Most of our kids are from the streets around Osu, but recently several families have been coming to church, so we’re getting more kids whose parents are actually sitting in the service, praise God! When the service starts, we put away the crayons and clap and sign along before we are dismissed. In the Whizz Kids room we work on our monthly memory verse, eat snacks, hear a Bible lesson, play a game, and do a craft. This picture is one of Lindsay’s instagrams of us doing a trust fall a few weeks ago. 

God has so many insights to give us through little children. I often hear whispers from Him the most on Whizz Kids days. Like when I’m holding a tiny napping girl and we’re both drenched in sweat and her body is completely relaxed and heavy and I don’t mind because she’s that precious - isn’t that how God holds me and is that how I rest in Him? Or when one kid comes to me concerned because another kid has come to church in dirty clothes and slippers (translation: flip-flops) and he doesn’t think that should be allowed and I remind him that God doesn’t look at our clothes, but at our hearts - and His Spirit reminds me of James 2:1-13. Or last week when we were talking about how and why God made us and I was repeating their names, “God made Derek, God made Comfort, God made Ellie...” and the child next in line absolutely gasps and beams with happiness because she knows she’s next - do I get that excited about God’s purpose and love for me? Thank you, God, for Whizz Kids. Thank you for all kids! 

J Term

This semester started off strong with special two-week electives called “J-term” (January Term). This was a new venture for our school and we’ve been anticipating it for months. It’s a chance for students to learn about a non-traditional topic in more depth and with more hands-on experience. A very positive side effect is some special bonding among students and teachers and many spiritual conversations and experiences that wouldn’t happen in a traditional classroom setting. 

Middle and high school students chose from a list of courses including cooking and nutrition, drums and piano, internships around the city, and more. There were also two mission trips: one to a village church in northern Ghana and another to a Christian school and medical mission in our neighboring country, Togo. I’m excited to talk more to my friends and students about these trips - I’ve already heard some great stories of fun and growth. 

John is teaching a building and construction class. He of course loves the topic, but he also loves seeing his middle school boys come alive with power tools and outdoor activity and unique projects. They have done perspective drawing, a field trip to a factory that makes structurally insulated panels, and they are currently building tables based on their own designs or things they found on the internet. The tables look great! I’ve told the boys I would spend money on things like that and they are so proud.

I’m teaching a class on child development. Even after living here for a year and a half, I still have little culture shock moments. My friend Helina came to my class to be interviewed by my students about what it is like to be a new mother. She brought her 3-month-old son along and graciously allowed him to be passed around and cuddled and bottle fed, but he started getting fussy and she mentioned he needed a nap. I immediately thought about where we could put him down that would be quiet and comfortable, while one of my Ghanian students piped up and said, “I will”. I was thinking, “I will what?”. Helina promptly helped her wrap Blessing (the baby) on her back  and he was asleep in moments and we went on about our business. Very different from the way most American babies take naps . We’ve also observed and taught and played in almost every elementary classroom, taken a field trip to a medical clinic to take a pediatric first aid course, and taken care of egg babies. We’re going to the Beacon House orphanage next week. 

One last thing. I have to mention the Survivor course. My friends Andy and Karen and Tonya have given those students some absolutely unforgettable experiences. They have built fires from scratch, multiplied money by selling items in the market, killed and ate a chicken, camped at the school, and rappelled off the balcony of our six-story school building. They are going camping in the Kakum rainforest next week. 

We have been so pleased to give these students these classes and have the opportunities to talk more about God and a Biblical worldview in our lives, whether how to share the Gospel or the importance Jesus placed on children or the courage He gives in scary situations.

Many Happy Returns

The New Year is an important holiday in Ghana. Banners everywhere declare “Watch Nights” and all-night prayer services on New Year’s Eve as people expect growth and blessing in the coming year. Greeting someone with, “Happy New Year,” merits the reply, “Many happy returns”. This common phrase strikes me this January as we return to Ghana again after visiting with family and friends in the States. There are many happy returns in our lives. Each time we return to Colorado or Texas, there is happiness. We return to unlimited cheese and coffee, to our old home with Karen and Brent, to new relatives like baby Joshua and sweet Morgan, to our Meridian Point Church family, and to our loving parents and siblings. Then there is the painful leaving and the 24-hour trans-Atlantic journey and another series of happy returns. We return to warm air, our very own apartment, an enthusiastic Doberman, our Hope City Church family (one of the things I missed the most), a committed team of teachers and administrators, and the reason for it all: our students.

I look forward to blogging more in 2013 and keeping you updated on what God is doing at AIS and in our lives. Many of you have heard our positive stories from last semester, including discipleship groups at school, serving at church through music and teaching and loving on kids, growing bonds with good friends, and some fun like camping on the beach. We have also experienced some unfortunate conflict and ongoing uncertainty at our school. But we continue to testify to God’s goodness and faithfulness in the midst of human imperfection. We look forward to this semester and the many happy returns we will experience this year. 

Fresh Start

A fresh new school year brings a fresh new blog! Our first year in Ghana was definitely challenging (probably an understatement). Sometimes I feel like I am in one of those seed-planting ministries where the only water I have is sweat and tears and the soil I’m working is rocky clay. Well I am proud to announce that God can make things grow no matter what! We don’t have any dramatic conversion stories (yet), but I have been privileged to witness some of God’s work in the lives of my students and co-workers and I know that things are growing in my own heart that I didn’t even know God planted there. He is full of love and surprises.

We had a wonderful summer in Colorado Springs. I did some child care and took two graduate courses, and John worked long and fun hours with a handy man. I loved on my family, I sipped Starbucks with friends, and I cried with my precious state over the fire and the shooting. We returned to a Ghana in mourning over the loss of her president, but also rejoicing over a peaceful and orderly transition. We’ve had some “only in Africa” moments like when a little gecko fell in the spaghetti sauce last night and we ate it anyway (the sauce, not the gecko). It is good to be laughing with friends, cooling off with Coke in a glass bottle, and high-fiving the neighborhood kids who call out, “Obruni,” or even our names because they remember us.

Now that we are back in Ghana, I am experiencing a joy and excitement that I honestly didn’t expect. I was looking forward to a new school year in my nerdy way, armed with my school supplies and new ideas from classes this summer. But then we had the first day of orientation, and I was infused with a different kind of excitement. The guidance of our leaders, the faces and personalities of some new staff, and especially the Word of God encouraged me more than I can express. I feel like I have a real watering can and some tilled soil now! I can’t wait to tell you more about this school year and what God does in the hearts of students, teachers, and staff. Keep praying and thanks for your support!

Mole National Park

Two weeks ago we had the awesome privilege of visiting Mole National Park in northern Ghana over a long weekend. We took the trip with Barb and Roy, two other teachers from school, and a driver. After 9 hours of highways (with only one minor brake problem) and 3 hours of a bumpy dirt road, we arrived at the Mole Hotel overlooking a vast plain of trees and clearings and small bodies of water where wild animals gather at one of the only wildlife preserves in Ghana. 

Early the next morning we took a walking safari down into the valley. Along the way we saw warthogs, bush bucks, and many different kinds of birds. But the highlight was definitely the elephants at the water hole! Our guide, who carried a gun, said we could keep getting closer until they (meaning the elephants) let us know to stop. So we did. If you’re wondering, an elephant’s sign to stop is a low thundering growl as he shakes his head from side to side. I kept thinking: they would never let you do anything like this in America...this is so dangerous...this is so awesome.

That afternoon, the grounds of the hotel were suddenly covered with monkeys - mostly baboons. They snatched food off people’s tables and hung out on the back porches. It was so incredible. We took a driving safari at dusk and saw a herd of female elephants with a baby and more varieties of bucks.

God is so powerful and creative and we feel humbled that he is allowing us these kinds of once-in-a-lifetime experiences while we are here.

Our driver, William

No zoom - I was actually this close

Ugly alien baby monkey!

We were staying in D3.
You can see this was the porch of D5.

Sleepover

There is nothing like a sleepover to bring a group of girls together. Tanya and I hosted 18 high school girls and various teachers to spend the night in our compound last weekend. There is one apartment empty in our complex right now, so we pulled in couches and some extra cushions (although no one really planned on sleeping), set up a projector, broke out myriads of nail polish, and began a photo/video scavenger hunt. It will probably be one of my favorite memories with these girls. It was a great chance for some shy ones to show their wild side and for people to interact with others they didn’t know very well. One of their photo assignments involved John. He hid on the compound and jumped out to scare the searchers every once in a while, resulting in shrieks and giggles. 

Probably because of my lovely Denali and Desiree, I usually see students as little brothers and sisters. I admit that I carefully walk the line between authority and camaraderie as a teacher.  The value of a teacher having fun with her students outside the classroom is priceless. It can lead to so much more trust and even learning inside the classroom. More importantly though, the love that is growing among us is opening doors to the important conversations: Why is it such a big deal to wait for marriage to have sex? How can I get along with my Mom? Why does God let bad things happen? Are you afraid to die? We also just started discipleship groups at school (Yea!!!!). We’ve been planning them for a while. I have a group of middle school girls. I don’t know them well yet, but I can wait to change that! 

The boys will get their turn. John and Josiah and some others are planning a camping trip. They also have discipleship groups. Please pray especially for our discipleship groups: we need wisdom. I often feel inadequate in the face of their questions and their needs. The fact that I am growing to love them so much just adds to my distress at times. But God loves them more and is worthy our trust. 

The Church

We are blessed this year to experience The Church in a new way. Somewhere in the midst of theological differences, a cultural gap, hailing cabs, feeling like a carnival side show everywhere we go, and missing my comfortable excitement at Meridian Point, I despaired of finding a church here. Which goes to show you that I forgot what it meant. But now I remember: He said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” So let me show you around my Church here in Ghana:

Every other Sunday night we gather at Chris and Nichole’s down the street with a handful of believers to eat, talk, read the Word, sing some praises, and love each other.

Every Tuesday night John goes to the coffee lounge to get deeper with a small group of men. They are getting ready to learn from 1 Peter. 

Every Thursday night Daesha meets with a group of women. We cook dinner for each other and study King David, the ancient Israelites, and women of the Bible.

Sundays you can find us all over the city: visiting the congregation at Ghana Christian University with Barb and Roy, taking our students to lead Sunday School at Pram-Pram (a children’s home), meeting with the international congregations of Elim or Hope City, tagging along with Mrs. T. and her husband to the Churches of Christ, and sometimes sitting on our couch, holding hands, Bibles in our laps, Hillsong music on iTunes, and a sermon from Barry or my Dad on the internet.

We do most of our foot washing and Gospel sharing at school on a daily basis. 

I am learning to love The Church here with a deeper understanding. I am also reading a book right now called Safely Home by Randy Alcorn (highly recommend it) about the underground church in China. Everywhere I look, there seems to be reminders that The Church is everywhere: a living room, a classroom, an auditorium, a coffee shop. We pray that God continues to show us how He wants to fill us spiritually so that we can pour ourselves out for others. We long to Be The Church, this week and every week.

Anti-Bullying Week and International Day

This past week we had a school-wide anti-bullying campaign. Surveys, a poster contest, Bible lessons, essays, a focused chapel, skits from the student drama team, and lots of discussion made this one of the best anti-bullying strategies I’ve seen.

January 27th was probably one of my (Daesha) favorite days at AIS so far: International Day. Students were invited to wear the traditional clothing of their nation. When they came to school, each student was given a passport and then “traveled” to different countries throughout the school. Teachers, parents, and students presented different cultures through video clips, food, Tai-Kwan-Do, power points, crafts, pictures, artifacts, and anything else you can imagine. I (Daesha) led the presentation on Spain because John and I will be taking the seniors there in May for their senior trip. They helped me create a video for the presentation (for a grade, of course :-)). I taught some Spanish words. We also watched some YouTube flamenco, cranked up the volume, and danced along. We all gathered to eat lunch off of tables piled high with things I couldn’t pronounce. We watched a Korean drum performance and Ghanian dancing. Then the name of each country represented at our school was called out while anyone who claimed the country marched, skipped, or danced across the stage while carrying their flag. Below are just a few of the flags waved during this ceremony. I was awestruck by the privilege I have to be in this place and see so many beautiful people. I don’t know how I’ll go back to sameness after this. I LOVE the diversity of God’s world. 

John's board (students' words) after a
Bible lesson during Anti-Bullying Week.
(Eph. 4:29, 1 Thes. 5:11)

Elementary students representing
England and the USA.

I love to hear this talented Scottish student
read Shakespeare in class. :-)

Even the Pre-K students got involved.

A teacher (from Burkina Faso) prepares the
flags for the ceremony at the end of the day.

Traditional Ghanian Dance.

Ghana

Our beautiful and brilliant Indian.

The Japanese student on the far left
is one of the most talented young men
we have ever taught.

Our sweet-hearted, all-smiles Kenyans.

U ! S ! A !

Spiritual Emphasis Week (SEW)

In December, we were able to travel back to the States and see family and friends in Colorado, Texas, Kansas, and Missouri. The time was filled with laughter, joy, pain, and some tears - all normal emotions for missionaries (or anyone) in transitional phases of life. We got our fixes of Chipotle, Starbucks, cheddar cheese, hugs, and encouraging words, then headed back to Ghana on January 8th. 

We hit the ground running with Spiritual Emphasis Week, January 16th-20th. Rick and Mick, twin brothers from Alabama, began each morning of the week with comedy, games, worship music, and teaching on faith, parents, purity, and more. Friday morning was “Say So” (“Let the redeemed of the Lord SAY SO) and we were blessed to hear testimonies from students. Many of our students are from Christian families, but they talked about making the decision for themselves. Other students, in tears, admitted the need to forgive, obey, and express love to their parents. One young man stood up and said, “I don’t want to confuse anyone...I am a Muslim...But what you said...about eternity...I’ve been thinking about that a lot.” At the end of the week some of us teachers were convicted about the need for intentional discipleship for our students. We are using the spiritual high of this week as a springboard and starting our AIS small groups next Friday. Please pray for openness, authenticity, and spiritual hunger among our student body.

Teachers and students prayed in groups
one morning during SEW.

Mick and Rick were our
speakers/entertainers/leaders.

Fun, games, and worship all at the same time!

Fires, Farmers, and Fairy Tales, oh my!

Last weekend was packed with adventure.  It all started on Thursday before lunch when the fire alarm sent all of us outside into the midday sun.  A pretty serious electrical fire had started in the main building.  After many rounds of the quiet game, lost and found distribution, then ninja tag - thank you MPC youth group and JI kids - they declared the building unsafe and school cancelled for the rest of the day.  However, students were not allowed in the building; we spent our afternoon taking orders for textbooks and then lugging backpacks and lunches and gym bags down three flights of stairs.  Everyone had fantastic attitudes about the inconvenience, we are grateful no one was hurt, and the students were of course elated by their spontaneous freedom.

Update

It has been shamefully too long, and we have no good excuse.  Perhaps this new life is becoming too busy or too normal to write about, but we write this update with fresh resolve to be more consistent!

Events of note in the last month:

1. We have a new principal at our school.  Her name is Sheree Haley and she is filling a position that has heretofore been empty and sorely needed.  She has already made some extremely helpful changes and filled in some of the gaps in administrative policy and procedure.  We thank God for her.
2. Volleyball ended.  I hesitate to call it a season, because we only played one true game; however, I consider it a huge success because we learned, improved, had fun, and grew closer to God and each other.
3. Soccer continues.  Two more games.
4. Finals approach.  This is our last week to teach before one week of review and one week of final exams.  Everyone is ready for a break.
5. A few weeks ago we got to visit a church where Roy has a contact and was scheduled to speak.  He asked us to sing and we were reticent at first, but when we did so, it blessed both the church and us.  It was one of those moments where you connect in Christ across a huge cultural gap.  Afterwards, we enjoyed a traditional Ghanaian meal where we were treated like guests of honor and the pastor gave us a big wooden stool (very valuable) as a gift.  
6. We had field day at school.  The kids played both indoor and outdoor games, learned a memory verse to earn points for their team, and got to shave the PE teacher’s head.  
7. We had teachers and their families over to our compound for Thanksgiving Day to grill turkey and listen to Christmas music.  It was definitely a unique way to practice some American traditions.

We are looking forward to next semester and the tasks that lay before us.  We have discovered a need for discipleship among the students at AIS and are trying to find ways to challenge the students to grow in their personal faith, whether they have grown up in a Christian home or have yet to take the first step.  Our chapels have been phenomenal, and we are throwing ideas around about how to get kids even deeper.  We also want to see students grow in their leadership skills as we recognize the enormous potential they have to influence the world in the future.  We are starting the first AIS Student Council in January and planning for the unique AIS tradition of a service project senior trip (By the way, Does anyone have Christian contacts in Spain?!  The kids have set their sights there.)

All-school picture on field day.

One of John's team members attempts his verse on field day. 

One of the messier outdoor games on field day.

The winning team took turns on Josiah's new haircut.

Yummy American Thanksgiving food!
Someone even brought crunchy onions
from the States for green bean casserole.

Post-feast games:
Pin the feather on the turkey.

Post-feast games:
Tonya and Adowa play slapjack (Tonya won).

Carving Watermelons

When life gives you lemons, carve watermelons!  Or something like that...

Christy, one of the many great teachers we work with, hosted a watermelon carving party last weekend.  The kids in these pictures belong to Chris and Nichole, two other great staff members at the school.  The whole idea just made me think about how challenging, and sometimes even fun, it can be to come up with creative solutions to some of the problems we face here:

• Non-English speaking student can’t understand what you’re saying?  Say it differently.  Still can’t?  Get a dictionary or another kid to translate.  Still having trouble?  Gesticulate wildly and at least get a smile.
• Kids aren’t getting to class on time?  Leave mints on their desk and collect them off empty desks when class starts.  
• Books being left all over the school?  Open a book jail and charge bail (proceeds to benefit the senior class, of course).  
• Craving Chick-fil-a?  Go to Peter Pan.  
• No electricity?  Turn on your headlamp.  Dropped your headlamp and broke it?  Light a candle.  Can’t find one?  Go to bed.  
• Don’t have pumpkins to carve in October?  Carve watermelons!

Coaching

One of the most rewarding and challenging roles we have here is coaching.  John is coaching soccer with three other teachers and Daesha is coaching volleyball with one other teacher.  The school is relatively young and the sports program is even more so.  One of the soccer coaches is the unofficial athletic director and she works very hard at scheduling games with other schools and setting up practice schedules and a variety of other behind-the-scenes tasks.  Everyone involved is learning much about the importance of academic eligibility, personal discipline, positive attitudes, and good teamwork.  Pictures appear at the end of this post.

A Time to Celebrate

(By Daesha) I’m usually not keen for my own birthday, and this year was no exception.  My reluctance to celebrate has a little to do with getting older and a lot to do with a distaste for being the center of undivided attention.  However, this year God taught me that birthdays can be an important time to allow a deflated spirit to be filled back up.  The occasion left me feeling happy, loved, and refreshed.  My birthday gifts:

• the sign and friendly face of its creator in the above picture
• chocolate and cookies from students
• an explosion of Facebook greetings from those I love and miss
• kitchen supplies, a woven basket, and a beautiful necklace from my in-laws
• brownies and ice cream
• a date with my husband to “The Living Room” where we ate our meal of traditional meat and rice in a private room while watching a movie projected on the wall
• a night out for SUSHI :-) with some of the other teachers (tonight, actually)
• the arrival of my first package from the States (not an intentional birthday present because it was sent many moons ago, but I’m counting it as one)

In Remembrance

Cape Coast Castle was a sobering experience.  It was originally built as a trading post for gold and other goods, but as the slave trade become more profitable, it became a holding ground for countless men, women, and children in slavery.  Three different times our tour guide asked us to tell others what we had seen in order to make sure it never happens again.  That is what we are doing: asking you to remember a dark time in human history.  Human slavery has existed in almost all eras and on every continent and it sadly still exists today.  However, nothing quite compares to the large-scale depravity and suffering of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.  There are some difficult truths in this post.

The entrance to the men's dungeon is on the bottom left. A church is above it.
The sounds of music and teaching mixed with the sounds of crying and groaning.

Entering the men's dungeon.

The original floor has been excavated, but this raised square was left behind as a memorial.
It is composed of human blood, bones, and other organic materials.

This is a drain in the cells, which were designed in such a way to allow rainwater to enter and wash
away the human waste that gathered all over the floor.
Many slaves died from disease.

This is one of the four rooms in the men's dungeon. The dungeon could hold up to a thousand people.
The guide turned off the lights and we stood in the darkness in silence for a few moments.

Captives were taken out of the dungeon one at a time.

In and near the women's dungeon, women were assaulted by guards and traders.
Those found to be pregnant were taken to a separate area until the baby was born, then returned to the dungeon.  The babies usually died.
If women were found pregnant on slave ships, they were thrown overboard and fed to sharks which followed the "floating coffins".
Sometimes the sharks were caught and fed to the slaves.

The "door of no return" ushered captives who survived months in the castle to the canoes that took them to horrible conditions on slave shapes, and then to lives of slavery in the West.

The area is now a dock for fishermen.

Captives who tried to escape were kept in total darkness in this small cell where they were usually starved to death as an example to others.

Habakuk chapter 2 has some powerful things to say about social injustice and our Only Source of true hope.  Verse 11 is especially poignant: "The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it."