tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17101560964083228302024-03-14T14:10:02.226-04:00GBC is Gung Ho for Ghana!Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-31039225841888476072009-07-11T08:40:00.002-04:002009-07-11T08:46:01.598-04:00A Few More PicturesAnd just in case you didn't have enough, here are just a few more pictures...<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimN-P3KMfvghZVTL7IZHcQzowju6W7xWxkvmDWtYA0Ep2y6ut70j9szEgWzpP2C6mTwxmZX7DTZhmuYdh522tFtaWjqBk7imCuN28Lbu3O6soYt3SAnfZpPu7A1XQzGMdQ7QGiZgs6NSY4/s1600-h/IMG_1700.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357181963674299906" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimN-P3KMfvghZVTL7IZHcQzowju6W7xWxkvmDWtYA0Ep2y6ut70j9szEgWzpP2C6mTwxmZX7DTZhmuYdh522tFtaWjqBk7imCuN28Lbu3O6soYt3SAnfZpPu7A1XQzGMdQ7QGiZgs6NSY4/s320/IMG_1700.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is Barb, Vicki and Lynn Ann, excitedly looking over some of the goodies that GBC sent them.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSoHZl0E0wI60uvPilG21GUe4AzWbJ8V73s33CpyF3dx8byrqP_JZpaKJE6vhii6n4H5N-H68O8zj9Kh3nzgTXxu_mVdAkq9oEvoAyVEclrerLZ05V-YiaYhuSOiHhPhM3b_GA55rHWjb/s1600-h/IMG_0373.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357181959168489186" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSoHZl0E0wI60uvPilG21GUe4AzWbJ8V73s33CpyF3dx8byrqP_JZpaKJE6vhii6n4H5N-H68O8zj9Kh3nzgTXxu_mVdAkq9oEvoAyVEclrerLZ05V-YiaYhuSOiHhPhM3b_GA55rHWjb/s320/IMG_0373.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is the GBC team saying goodbye to our new, very good friend, Kossi, or Joy. He is from Togo and a student at the Bible college in Accra. Kurt invited him to come out and help with VBS and youth camp. He was a blessing to all of us, and we were sad to see him go, but he needed to get home to recuperate before going back to school.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH4ivzpw6sOtQukrRKWYKUPTXghQfEfYXZIeWDabcsieCnFZoYNatLvxcF97x-xcTtl72bPdG5TC1ctnK2SEOLpJnF2zjQ-RWAYmt7wAg5gO2SVhUSFKI84O6veS-AjKPVNubYzqyd6wB/s1600-h/IMG_0642.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357181955192845666" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH4ivzpw6sOtQukrRKWYKUPTXghQfEfYXZIeWDabcsieCnFZoYNatLvxcF97x-xcTtl72bPdG5TC1ctnK2SEOLpJnF2zjQ-RWAYmt7wAg5gO2SVhUSFKI84O6veS-AjKPVNubYzqyd6wB/s320/IMG_0642.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />GBC team with the entire Mathews family, including the puppy, Suzuki, and the cat, Ashes.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRI6O9NGQhvUSKuMXsaO010U58fhyphenhyphen4ZvK6tUOr2GIY6KQ-fndsWuxRIiEUD9876nE3EfxcKXYRamV-0gLbgS2ULv1ASeSetU_dUppyJ3LXB2nokRaw5FjJFDfSiM0IgisbREtb_-Dt6Ks/s1600-h/IMG_0809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357181951250690962" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRI6O9NGQhvUSKuMXsaO010U58fhyphenhyphen4ZvK6tUOr2GIY6KQ-fndsWuxRIiEUD9876nE3EfxcKXYRamV-0gLbgS2ULv1ASeSetU_dUppyJ3LXB2nokRaw5FjJFDfSiM0IgisbREtb_-Dt6Ks/s320/IMG_0809.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Home!!! Our arrival at Dulles Airport.</div>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-17410480942447394052009-07-11T08:22:00.004-04:002009-07-11T08:40:20.523-04:00Pictures from Life in the VillageHere are some more pictures from life in the village.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3XuQRiBpje7HKFEOGGegxAZjNgfkRtZrxdJTInw7LzG9uD6MMuZNNMUPv6UcMW1cRzYdVjZuaxoHiSeqhO4Ze9fHUKXF6IX5R8iwnN9R40TTMRwvv1hko1Kd1g7fd2lubnazeqt465BH/s1600-h/IMG_0646.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357178411495781890" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3XuQRiBpje7HKFEOGGegxAZjNgfkRtZrxdJTInw7LzG9uD6MMuZNNMUPv6UcMW1cRzYdVjZuaxoHiSeqhO4Ze9fHUKXF6IX5R8iwnN9R40TTMRwvv1hko1Kd1g7fd2lubnazeqt465BH/s320/IMG_0646.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHRCDivLTpCX1XsyAMmtgA6AMK8aTosF7svY8T8gQsIxoy_vMQPSUitbFCkDHpXEUhm4fZ7eED0e8foewEdHJPPcRix25vQiuRUce_ZAlPYFu2FSFrTHBtF5NTIicjU-_S9YGPnDZSsoI/s1600-h/IMG_0648.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357178400237464850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHRCDivLTpCX1XsyAMmtgA6AMK8aTosF7svY8T8gQsIxoy_vMQPSUitbFCkDHpXEUhm4fZ7eED0e8foewEdHJPPcRix25vQiuRUce_ZAlPYFu2FSFrTHBtF5NTIicjU-_S9YGPnDZSsoI/s320/IMG_0648.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_E3UH1YxSrGG6ItMWfm0GQLrfLEpsWPn0dnHG0vqid-9SCgmCgfR2rjJeHTHeeuNt_BFh-9Q8XPg3icLZJxIprO2ra9dGGWxCLgbSLHCed10KdMqDMSz6OW4JQlZGhTwFBktXtrbOEes/s1600-h/IMG_0674.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357178396711013954" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_E3UH1YxSrGG6ItMWfm0GQLrfLEpsWPn0dnHG0vqid-9SCgmCgfR2rjJeHTHeeuNt_BFh-9Q8XPg3icLZJxIprO2ra9dGGWxCLgbSLHCed10KdMqDMSz6OW4JQlZGhTwFBktXtrbOEes/s320/IMG_0674.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>The climb and the view from atop Adaklu Mountain.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImqQAdDNq7-AeME1T7sa3UJOjaqWuVh7SlXjb5BAyCTwxKR2cLK3uvdVxbMAy9PckNMq9DdOUaXjItOvouMXE2v3_sl8qSAtjgI2aEHoPg3HD7xi_ayVoLKtGHGVtoL4EkLq5O-H2jQf-/s1600-h/IMG_0556.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177958276926562" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImqQAdDNq7-AeME1T7sa3UJOjaqWuVh7SlXjb5BAyCTwxKR2cLK3uvdVxbMAy9PckNMq9DdOUaXjItOvouMXE2v3_sl8qSAtjgI2aEHoPg3HD7xi_ayVoLKtGHGVtoL4EkLq5O-H2jQf-/s320/IMG_0556.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />This is a termite mound. You see these all along the roadside. I wish you could get an idea for just how big it is - They stand much taller than a man, and as you can see, this one is very wide. Kurt says that if you were to run into it with a vehicle, you would probably total the car!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>The following are pictures from around the village of Helekpe, just to show you the homes that they live in.</div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglApOK1bzTs2GPIMUix0mk4iPMx5fhWd1ylvVYSrt1ATBXPFfJtelU34JrnG4wuIOfCebCdsmogkGZlRlHdsuRtdIL6kZ9fl6ToBTshVkvN_cHqtpQheUYFcmZJ4B2KrAMDZnbHpVtMbmn/s1600-h/IMG_0220.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177969404314850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglApOK1bzTs2GPIMUix0mk4iPMx5fhWd1ylvVYSrt1ATBXPFfJtelU34JrnG4wuIOfCebCdsmogkGZlRlHdsuRtdIL6kZ9fl6ToBTshVkvN_cHqtpQheUYFcmZJ4B2KrAMDZnbHpVtMbmn/s320/IMG_0220.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzxRdXL9afiRapDQbozl081Jl-cUVM4fLP_y6wTl7dMiTlxgx-rCUm6ANSpi1SR2uZhck_luV22iJV9i_IHiwoY3xjdt1ZgpaN5B1e4Fviw0cyZk_ShyXBDSRg10CoWzSr7umiMAWAOdy/s1600-h/IMG_0234.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177962022023314" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzxRdXL9afiRapDQbozl081Jl-cUVM4fLP_y6wTl7dMiTlxgx-rCUm6ANSpi1SR2uZhck_luV22iJV9i_IHiwoY3xjdt1ZgpaN5B1e4Fviw0cyZk_ShyXBDSRg10CoWzSr7umiMAWAOdy/s320/IMG_0234.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCclX5bdH9euvG35ZNYw_uJ6ZKlu-Me6MEc0wYFCYMwiZ_JA9pjYF7SC8lPzoxkcKJOAawWmwcZ-nSsOnbxGgpwfxIQE5O3Lp1O_OUbWO0XNnFUYeoPlsO7tDcwId326KxaGwZqp7hvcuj/s1600-h/IMG_0572.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177955994666850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCclX5bdH9euvG35ZNYw_uJ6ZKlu-Me6MEc0wYFCYMwiZ_JA9pjYF7SC8lPzoxkcKJOAawWmwcZ-nSsOnbxGgpwfxIQE5O3Lp1O_OUbWO0XNnFUYeoPlsO7tDcwId326KxaGwZqp7hvcuj/s320/IMG_0572.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjCL0F4-qF0hdKjin1DOBBSWV8FD2EbpwK74sfAolmrJafZuIBFlMKnpzd94TQkA3YEUcuIiEc13oKkaXEhXfwipjLvKDQjDbKa4vNLVa9UUc4YKRWm49I2Xy_qQ0hyphenhyphenFXtJ66fEiOFsz7/s1600-h/IMG_0575.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177954273691986" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjCL0F4-qF0hdKjin1DOBBSWV8FD2EbpwK74sfAolmrJafZuIBFlMKnpzd94TQkA3YEUcuIiEc13oKkaXEhXfwipjLvKDQjDbKa4vNLVa9UUc4YKRWm49I2Xy_qQ0hyphenhyphenFXtJ66fEiOFsz7/s320/IMG_0575.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuV9DhZofpAOYFroFI8Ige6Vj0ftnemgVX0JT1g3RpcR-px9bGXjDdh30XyIajclBt46OKrHjJWk48SkMJuslFf1pa9SgsAzrLqTNTkcAVc_AEruf-6DopWcutdfDi3k5h2l69neMc6Qa/s1600-h/IMG_0604.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177714867420306" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuV9DhZofpAOYFroFI8Ige6Vj0ftnemgVX0JT1g3RpcR-px9bGXjDdh30XyIajclBt46OKrHjJWk48SkMJuslFf1pa9SgsAzrLqTNTkcAVc_AEruf-6DopWcutdfDi3k5h2l69neMc6Qa/s320/IMG_0604.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhQQV6xUQP0n7PLbO2uwmxlgdaXGf6q7s2SK9ZtKqOMlroNf5ICF_0OPrKB_lxmnXKR6uIr46UBtwgzEel9UaRJPwcE0WbyfC2HRWoKRcuMfZ30SAE0mU4yT5mU6myxmhXHJ_CVIhT6ex/s1600-h/IMG_2168.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177468076328578" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhQQV6xUQP0n7PLbO2uwmxlgdaXGf6q7s2SK9ZtKqOMlroNf5ICF_0OPrKB_lxmnXKR6uIr46UBtwgzEel9UaRJPwcE0WbyfC2HRWoKRcuMfZ30SAE0mU4yT5mU6myxmhXHJ_CVIhT6ex/s320/IMG_2168.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaLT3sAvU0L2fogdnpHcZP_OtBxNc-HVJ2V2Q2UJ7FxsOym6csW268A9_3S8tbo3gXiyy_JSfp9DeIxyvzTdrcZMbTTYho3Gssrka4hws2tU3dN8W8QxM06429Nbd-N_nzzayAVITRXuT/s1600-h/IMG_1737.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177713438341522" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaLT3sAvU0L2fogdnpHcZP_OtBxNc-HVJ2V2Q2UJ7FxsOym6csW268A9_3S8tbo3gXiyy_JSfp9DeIxyvzTdrcZMbTTYho3Gssrka4hws2tU3dN8W8QxM06429Nbd-N_nzzayAVITRXuT/s320/IMG_1737.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Some of the GBC group posing on the main road in front of Adaklu Mountain.<br /><br /><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON3oO9KWTYwKhgVQ3GIBnNNaKLIX_74nFB-6_N4BXhSP9J-6uIVvZS09eGbRW0GrjCtakWdNEG3ZJCrRNxMh45n650Kq2rubt6SoiM3_a79RTgWGKhlXpa3nGu6fdcAk0R4kmrmR9mBn9/s1600-h/IMG_1986.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177704375664882" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON3oO9KWTYwKhgVQ3GIBnNNaKLIX_74nFB-6_N4BXhSP9J-6uIVvZS09eGbRW0GrjCtakWdNEG3ZJCrRNxMh45n650Kq2rubt6SoiM3_a79RTgWGKhlXpa3nGu6fdcAk0R4kmrmR9mBn9/s320/IMG_1986.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>This is one of my favorite moments - Jim became good friends with this little boy, Brite. I couldn't find Jim one night anywhere. Then, Christopher came up to me and asked if he could use my camera because he had found Mr. Bice. Jim had gone outside to read and this little boy came up to him and they began drawing pictures together in the ground - it was a fun game for Brite. After this, Brite came around often and followed Jim around, and always helped him to carry something.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkrZKbIRFxUK18fb9OVHeTHOnSUkmiQ1ybs1YqtC61tZxRCSZOx6efvNlTZjreNxfHi85pRyRlfXtKDASn2m50w4mnivYRD7_h_V7ab0zQ6AsSjMEPuMLFL9N-ppg4qTaH8hkj-nPggv_/s1600-h/IMG_2151.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177695585065618" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkrZKbIRFxUK18fb9OVHeTHOnSUkmiQ1ybs1YqtC61tZxRCSZOx6efvNlTZjreNxfHi85pRyRlfXtKDASn2m50w4mnivYRD7_h_V7ab0zQ6AsSjMEPuMLFL9N-ppg4qTaH8hkj-nPggv_/s320/IMG_2151.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is Kafui in her kitchen. She invited us all down to her home for lunch and she cooked banku and ground nut soup for us. It was a tremendous effort on her part, and we were humbled by all her hard work to serve us. It also made me very thankful for the kitchen that I have here at home.<br /><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCP6CtIELQe9R9mrphLfljEy8MwbTeOIQSVNokuSvGJ9G04XUb6toV7xvDw73Gp2EhuTkDAE9eT_fLQkACN2XnHvc9pDAruajR0HlJWovdRHYHXW7sH48evcCsf6kq2f_01O3ztuhpong4/s1600-h/IMG_2154.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177691503224882" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCP6CtIELQe9R9mrphLfljEy8MwbTeOIQSVNokuSvGJ9G04XUb6toV7xvDw73Gp2EhuTkDAE9eT_fLQkACN2XnHvc9pDAruajR0HlJWovdRHYHXW7sH48evcCsf6kq2f_01O3ztuhpong4/s320/IMG_2154.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is Sister Bertha (pronounced Beta), Kafui's mother. She is stirring the banku over an outdoor clay stove.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfSW843kN5MbJKWbuhbOIbqxswOthCu7y3YUSq3Sql9t0kHwBIB098yflyO80tyg-Xd7TnqGWE-YqnORC2VhHeHOKzl2oSLVlSLMNIIV3qLe-J-4Adb_KZHO9Yp-paooPif7RbWy0OtRY/s1600-h/IMG_2169.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177466894575618" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfSW843kN5MbJKWbuhbOIbqxswOthCu7y3YUSq3Sql9t0kHwBIB098yflyO80tyg-Xd7TnqGWE-YqnORC2VhHeHOKzl2oSLVlSLMNIIV3qLe-J-4Adb_KZHO9Yp-paooPif7RbWy0OtRY/s320/IMG_2169.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is the store in Helekpe, right on the corner of the main road.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoXgzx3XjbryTz2orNCkPeRMAeGeuArW3K_ivIElrc5uzXfBIN-eRsNQ1pXa9l3x7BYYmJ3VMYKsYt3f_aBcLOeAil559FEsDwxf9O3-xAd91KDykphHatDLR5ipX9lrIP8iAAJUd2lf2/s1600-h/IMG_2171.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177461986302930" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoXgzx3XjbryTz2orNCkPeRMAeGeuArW3K_ivIElrc5uzXfBIN-eRsNQ1pXa9l3x7BYYmJ3VMYKsYt3f_aBcLOeAil559FEsDwxf9O3-xAd91KDykphHatDLR5ipX9lrIP8iAAJUd2lf2/s320/IMG_2171.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>This man is weaving Kenti, the traditional Ghanaian strips of cloth. This was a fascinating process to watch - I could have stayed for hours watching him weave.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7zcIvYKW29V0qDbguwnW2Rp7hY9txK71MjKWXvoDfiHgtDegIRmT-bA3D81lqxtQ9asJrw-pcx2wRMYmgM2B6XTBkhCdEz4Kv2PnbLO06Ap2tv7SRZiHxYhMSkdewCS72QdFvv1Xbbt7/s1600-h/IMG_0528.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177454039580162" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7zcIvYKW29V0qDbguwnW2Rp7hY9txK71MjKWXvoDfiHgtDegIRmT-bA3D81lqxtQ9asJrw-pcx2wRMYmgM2B6XTBkhCdEz4Kv2PnbLO06Ap2tv7SRZiHxYhMSkdewCS72QdFvv1Xbbt7/s320/IMG_0528.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwLJYlURQRZ-xqo53c_KyssmDoFi1qq5VLHOIb-NXDfsjEM0ngEg8El1rjbXGICGSbcvBJcpYTLYE3WWg_511eKa584sHXsJ3_kcY-whRoOQH0JiIfVFpZh9T0DhFz_8Q0U6rPbk4UwKo/s1600-h/IMG_0524.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357177457169645618" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwLJYlURQRZ-xqo53c_KyssmDoFi1qq5VLHOIb-NXDfsjEM0ngEg8El1rjbXGICGSbcvBJcpYTLYE3WWg_511eKa584sHXsJ3_kcY-whRoOQH0JiIfVFpZh9T0DhFz_8Q0U6rPbk4UwKo/s320/IMG_0524.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These last two pictures are from market in Ho. I am posing with two ladies at one of the fabric stands, where I purchased MUCH fabric!!!<br /></div><div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-34029525073210988492009-07-11T08:00:00.005-04:002009-07-11T08:22:19.213-04:00Pictures from Youth Camp<div>Youth camp was a very rewarding experience for all involved. This is where we really built our friendships with the Ghanaian youth. It is the first time they have ever had a youth camp in Helekpe, and I know all the teens really enjoyed it. Here are just a few highlights.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5fXFdzRVlvaBmTisYkggnBoNKpODm0cG_L5Ov1N76BkI53ICc_QWA31bWHto8TVGczyMPdKrR9ngGhoA62APkY7H6edvleKLS6_uvz07ykLaIgQh7KWcfJ4BVVEDTTq-ObnbcG2WVqpY/s1600-h/IMG_0149.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357173281949187234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5fXFdzRVlvaBmTisYkggnBoNKpODm0cG_L5Ov1N76BkI53ICc_QWA31bWHto8TVGczyMPdKrR9ngGhoA62APkY7H6edvleKLS6_uvz07ykLaIgQh7KWcfJ4BVVEDTTq-ObnbcG2WVqpY/s320/IMG_0149.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><br />Mikey did an excellent job leading the music for both VBS and youth camp. Christopher jumped in with much enthusiasm to help sing a few of the songs.</div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsklyy8IKuHHMziPsUECkrZ0yKuyPXhbbsO_sK__8n4OqYC1tTL2xU4GCjLVmPCzvY2jev0Na1T2bOsxQ5ALi_SqdzUB3dqpUhkOTz-lgG2mj218VTt-_G_KgzjsFcVayMw4XemiHc1-86/s1600-h/IMG_0078.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357172217318303602" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsklyy8IKuHHMziPsUECkrZ0yKuyPXhbbsO_sK__8n4OqYC1tTL2xU4GCjLVmPCzvY2jev0Na1T2bOsxQ5ALi_SqdzUB3dqpUhkOTz-lgG2mj218VTt-_G_KgzjsFcVayMw4XemiHc1-86/s320/IMG_0078.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>The three ladies in the back are church members who fixed all of our meals for camp. They worked very hard to keep 42 people fed. In the foreground is Kafui, a teen who attended camp and also helped with the food. Kafui also helps the Mathews at their home, and became a very special friend to us all.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4azBbiX7zCWcgHaPyZv1XwgrVNsKPz-8n8ykqvMwdECQlFydwkavflShn7W1F8W8YEV7Ze8uUzJFL8YSPQRKrdjzeciGRLpQTPqnHePzD5GP4nKiAKi_6I97p2406o9fDoS2QCYfkuhpg/s1600-h/IMG_0118.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357172211097724514" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4azBbiX7zCWcgHaPyZv1XwgrVNsKPz-8n8ykqvMwdECQlFydwkavflShn7W1F8W8YEV7Ze8uUzJFL8YSPQRKrdjzeciGRLpQTPqnHePzD5GP4nKiAKi_6I97p2406o9fDoS2QCYfkuhpg/s320/IMG_0118.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_g70kclygh6SlGBS7OihZ4k3O3f6Y1zNr2fKTMrwiTFFo3jx8TQD4HdQGcWhAXxWGPFnNceS-QpkQqS4ui3QkwD5JW3PoC58Abj2Gbl1ecvVhwkmza2d1ZyWh99o7Z-Htz5LMhyphenhyphenc-eUU/s1600-h/IMG_0125.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357172204466634754" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_g70kclygh6SlGBS7OihZ4k3O3f6Y1zNr2fKTMrwiTFFo3jx8TQD4HdQGcWhAXxWGPFnNceS-QpkQqS4ui3QkwD5JW3PoC58Abj2Gbl1ecvVhwkmza2d1ZyWh99o7Z-Htz5LMhyphenhyphenc-eUU/s320/IMG_0125.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Our first camp craft was friendship bracelets. We broke into five groups and taught them how to make different styles. Several of them picked it up very quickly and continued to make bracelets during their free time at camp. We were surprised how excited they were to make them, but we had a lot of fun with it!<br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgg7cwbSEKdpMOcMpuQAE4h7oLe8vxMoZv_RjOrBl-27c2OoglNIdQtg2xd_FFSAkVpZRBjQcHfoFdQQIZL5tLuEnN7DEL2ce6aunt5INbzqZsO0bSn5eWb21pEzJWkyYheEO9thBKyNt4/s1600-h/IMG_0120.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357172210158989026" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgg7cwbSEKdpMOcMpuQAE4h7oLe8vxMoZv_RjOrBl-27c2OoglNIdQtg2xd_FFSAkVpZRBjQcHfoFdQQIZL5tLuEnN7DEL2ce6aunt5INbzqZsO0bSn5eWb21pEzJWkyYheEO9thBKyNt4/s320/IMG_0120.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>This is Pastor George, deep in concentration as he works on a friendship bracelet.</div><div> </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWIdT2BI4apPpqUmCgTh1GPnsss8r6nyQ3BAZECO6UfuABtX-jCQuhVBpvjUya2hjwi82oq2v-xvAZmEkzQ7iNWKFGWl3SVJ9ad6Snc2CHxvTLFGR5yr16s8d2QqdcgS2eEs6kQQje-lP/s1600-h/IMG_0325.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171728905278882" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWIdT2BI4apPpqUmCgTh1GPnsss8r6nyQ3BAZECO6UfuABtX-jCQuhVBpvjUya2hjwi82oq2v-xvAZmEkzQ7iNWKFGWl3SVJ9ad6Snc2CHxvTLFGR5yr16s8d2QqdcgS2eEs6kQQje-lP/s320/IMG_0325.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>The end result - lots and lots of friendship bracelets!!! The nicest part was to see someone making a bracelet and then promptly giving it to a new friend.</div><div><br /> </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILzo6Wf4gW7VQssyIZds66_qALtCyyf6WuoKpao9Ar-coTPCETIwhQviiVTctm4bhbK_U9Z4au8-gYv7WwNVYJVyiuTqOl98IWI8TAku2V4nBhtkcy2BcwA6pk83PfPlHK0nYoCPWtwia/s1600-h/IMG_0142.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357172199111090066" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILzo6Wf4gW7VQssyIZds66_qALtCyyf6WuoKpao9Ar-coTPCETIwhQviiVTctm4bhbK_U9Z4au8-gYv7WwNVYJVyiuTqOl98IWI8TAku2V4nBhtkcy2BcwA6pk83PfPlHK0nYoCPWtwia/s320/IMG_0142.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>A friendly game of Win, Lose or Draw - everyone shouted so loudly with excitement that it was very difficult for our judges to determine the winners!<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wH23NlQvev7OT50k5osIMeqfoUV0B6iSUQmayIMLexn-9qc-6tU45xOUUlOOsaPfjlUdTC0aGdTHS3YXOeIg-ag-fppGAII61WIH6zGACSVGkmKKfNHOxLiBvXQWcPX9zCboLlnXpiXp/s1600-h/IMG_0237.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171985933761650" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wH23NlQvev7OT50k5osIMeqfoUV0B6iSUQmayIMLexn-9qc-6tU45xOUUlOOsaPfjlUdTC0aGdTHS3YXOeIg-ag-fppGAII61WIH6zGACSVGkmKKfNHOxLiBvXQWcPX9zCboLlnXpiXp/s320/IMG_0237.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwra_zmE06TRc4k8rFSvDLrx6KrgvjDaeb34LwLfk3SP0HcnUQCnrH6icPBifwWmYJih75GeySBgSTsZsyI-bj9h9lT9d5sDdxy_2xE6e0qgLl9M-W5JyZeNRsBba9vu1iRB2fP7IVnVmA/s1600-h/IMG_0280.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171977623383490" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwra_zmE06TRc4k8rFSvDLrx6KrgvjDaeb34LwLfk3SP0HcnUQCnrH6icPBifwWmYJih75GeySBgSTsZsyI-bj9h9lT9d5sDdxy_2xE6e0qgLl9M-W5JyZeNRsBba9vu1iRB2fP7IVnVmA/s320/IMG_0280.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Rock climbing up the hill behind the Mathews' home.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HXbH1DQI0TSePIxFlY0XUSCknFLTtb_z4Zmr2abiy0kdoRDeJIQ6_HGIqe8YHDPegQ8_pfhH4i8jhSfjeYTszOtiYAWDjfmZ9Rs0d5GcfL4RBG3D9ADdVIXajDJUUQuXDUdzGIgjON6w/s1600-h/IMG_0299.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171974733165874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HXbH1DQI0TSePIxFlY0XUSCknFLTtb_z4Zmr2abiy0kdoRDeJIQ6_HGIqe8YHDPegQ8_pfhH4i8jhSfjeYTszOtiYAWDjfmZ9Rs0d5GcfL4RBG3D9ADdVIXajDJUUQuXDUdzGIgjON6w/s320/IMG_0299.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2ImtnaGrLlE7-WmPz55TIb5uFZ8CURpUo2NztoyNg9RyuSD5DR6AG-kXLAEd1WPBK_JFXWsAUw2itehOABwZrP8dzcZwNKnIXmVoENrqPslYjE1oUycrpXzdkHOo4LAH3KzgDTXyTC2w/s1600-h/IMG_0297.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357173284598481250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2ImtnaGrLlE7-WmPz55TIb5uFZ8CURpUo2NztoyNg9RyuSD5DR6AG-kXLAEd1WPBK_JFXWsAUw2itehOABwZrP8dzcZwNKnIXmVoENrqPslYjE1oUycrpXzdkHOo4LAH3KzgDTXyTC2w/s320/IMG_0297.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Morning devotion time<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikja6c5LjsNuP93l1u7Eavk1w_nKCVjhikbC1XtMhZ2j_IGAqtl_0JN9KrGmTeczHQyzNKifJbrCSW-m6XkOTXJgOHA1Vs9DYRXHZMonbcR9tE_G945OnHQvoKJQ1qsUpTXKvWo9PsLmVo/s1600-h/IMG_0312.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171973133517794" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikja6c5LjsNuP93l1u7Eavk1w_nKCVjhikbC1XtMhZ2j_IGAqtl_0JN9KrGmTeczHQyzNKifJbrCSW-m6XkOTXJgOHA1Vs9DYRXHZMonbcR9tE_G945OnHQvoKJQ1qsUpTXKvWo9PsLmVo/s320/IMG_0312.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>Our 3 ladies who cooked for us sporting their new GBC Ghana team t-shirts. They received HUGE applause during recognition!<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>With our new friends:<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-aMTXIgzVOHxz3AEWLlNWQKPk8IXkNS9UD1Md0kQB9QkTyk5T2D98-4uMQKs_MIr0iL4IQ23ZwIf0kYP_CkxAqSxfTqJPo3PtG3liZp6ciL2qtePQNjwXEtRu5X2jdx9o5SK3NhwZVuB/s1600-h/IMG_0321.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171967887964882" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-aMTXIgzVOHxz3AEWLlNWQKPk8IXkNS9UD1Md0kQB9QkTyk5T2D98-4uMQKs_MIr0iL4IQ23ZwIf0kYP_CkxAqSxfTqJPo3PtG3liZp6ciL2qtePQNjwXEtRu5X2jdx9o5SK3NhwZVuB/s320/IMG_0321.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTxG34JX5JkcaKjTlHFoUrTeBxHg0SyDrPzPx8c69WqgJThG3QTFK4nlPiDCr3BGMQzl7uqf2w0MCU0tVNZTAOR6s_hpqZpfhBIeLE9QVF4kG4n9_3dOZz6TeVticAIb_TV-LlipJY2lJ/s1600-h/IMG_0348.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171721931062690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTxG34JX5JkcaKjTlHFoUrTeBxHg0SyDrPzPx8c69WqgJThG3QTFK4nlPiDCr3BGMQzl7uqf2w0MCU0tVNZTAOR6s_hpqZpfhBIeLE9QVF4kG4n9_3dOZz6TeVticAIb_TV-LlipJY2lJ/s320/IMG_0348.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjPpPGeER6__bJ7iu_N-tvAaSHKyIikfedFYFvdYcgjspY9aWk7J8Zr_V5TlEtr_wMSSd_bpRncC0tBwXsRPFAppTwF2n1YlMvlJKQFtzmk-aVfatZCCsFrrKSfCtYGCMRlGOWDm50LJu/s1600-h/IMG_0355.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171720755793538" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjPpPGeER6__bJ7iu_N-tvAaSHKyIikfedFYFvdYcgjspY9aWk7J8Zr_V5TlEtr_wMSSd_bpRncC0tBwXsRPFAppTwF2n1YlMvlJKQFtzmk-aVfatZCCsFrrKSfCtYGCMRlGOWDm50LJu/s320/IMG_0355.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUn37RGk6iMwQcrTeYwQ8SOWFddDP3ZV1u3OZFax9gote6bqlMff6L9BPJJFIJBmNkhyphenhyphenN94jMRudXo9Tbr5d3i071fvVGOxhC-WHbAF_cfeT8kVEwtBMTXyZ4gqD01nR9-PeH4wKZ0Bgs/s1600-h/IMG_0730.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171715525231010" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUn37RGk6iMwQcrTeYwQ8SOWFddDP3ZV1u3OZFax9gote6bqlMff6L9BPJJFIJBmNkhyphenhyphenN94jMRudXo9Tbr5d3i071fvVGOxhC-WHbAF_cfeT8kVEwtBMTXyZ4gqD01nR9-PeH4wKZ0Bgs/s320/IMG_0730.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLCi11HKW_nw1A9no3X5r7lNzOXUeU6FWj57gAEeIjhKMOFzh155cFpqXK-U85u8Pzj-RR3yCfC3QapbXMVYphQTDw4dx6MMDkKJxm0Q4aUxpisGxD9Ybvh1bvwTi_mX9Br8lKZ5zC9Ql/s1600-h/IMG_2281.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357171708370126722" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLCi11HKW_nw1A9no3X5r7lNzOXUeU6FWj57gAEeIjhKMOFzh155cFpqXK-U85u8Pzj-RR3yCfC3QapbXMVYphQTDw4dx6MMDkKJxm0Q4aUxpisGxD9Ybvh1bvwTi_mX9Br8lKZ5zC9Ql/s320/IMG_2281.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-81776652260097927762009-07-11T07:42:00.004-04:002009-07-11T08:00:23.620-04:00Pictures from VBSHere are some pictures from Vacation Bible School. We averaged over 200 kids per day!<br /><br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsd5ogmD9VeAfBJRBvJTLlOAnUwQQEIOtqNtGgegwT2P38ewTYUNu9pduO0nS3P_Hfx5fushPBar6tRgSM_La3dp2JAjunkCfg8i1-PmHxh7fyK3HkcPM-XnXIq0pAziww4daT43wbttN/s1600-h/IMG_1975.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357169006424756866" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsd5ogmD9VeAfBJRBvJTLlOAnUwQQEIOtqNtGgegwT2P38ewTYUNu9pduO0nS3P_Hfx5fushPBar6tRgSM_La3dp2JAjunkCfg8i1-PmHxh7fyK3HkcPM-XnXIq0pAziww4daT43wbttN/s320/IMG_1975.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHN5gSUc4QwsfTQcXffTjdrfGMu0hWf7Yxup-uWLFCb4-Ebu6bPI1REG3VqP5GkhuUpE74MEZVNU7Xb6fOEeIzle99FYOTMVgZgkNIyrSEJJcszbpX2gp3vZMON2jA-864g85afjs7DP1/s1600-h/IMG_2048.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357169000824399026" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHN5gSUc4QwsfTQcXffTjdrfGMu0hWf7Yxup-uWLFCb4-Ebu6bPI1REG3VqP5GkhuUpE74MEZVNU7Xb6fOEeIzle99FYOTMVgZgkNIyrSEJJcszbpX2gp3vZMON2jA-864g85afjs7DP1/s320/IMG_2048.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Craft time - it was very interesting having crafts for 70 - 80 kids at a time!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1TYIR_7D0TZHrz1BCqqJQMppDtBDQMNHLNlRlduTeBHTnssLHbmhxh6wXSU8eSVxNy95Q-5bzdzz667TBow66tPzykOFCXS0uQ3mtlg6VlFKAfz8a0UwPRJzvXFe-chTkmLGtN5EiHmT/s1600-h/IMG_2076.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357168999801987250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1TYIR_7D0TZHrz1BCqqJQMppDtBDQMNHLNlRlduTeBHTnssLHbmhxh6wXSU8eSVxNy95Q-5bzdzz667TBow66tPzykOFCXS0uQ3mtlg6VlFKAfz8a0UwPRJzvXFe-chTkmLGtN5EiHmT/s320/IMG_2076.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Christopher organized all the games for VBS. Here, you see him singlehandedly take on a group of Ghanaian kids....who do you think will win???<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhMjcu4skOeJVHWJfVDNNxCLKLrXYhfeb4PMfjkDzaIFE17QjfVHSJr2-jAgzJAWR1LRbV1iJL5Br1XJlPd332X706BzfkERJHn0ZSBQT1ku2FUEn6c9SFj941ZaMMBjUHwsmkf0pAf30/s1600-h/IMG_2111.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357168990943043794" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhMjcu4skOeJVHWJfVDNNxCLKLrXYhfeb4PMfjkDzaIFE17QjfVHSJr2-jAgzJAWR1LRbV1iJL5Br1XJlPd332X706BzfkERJHn0ZSBQT1ku2FUEn6c9SFj941ZaMMBjUHwsmkf0pAf30/s320/IMG_2111.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DTDgDt8FMh5MExJ94WGU5fa6zDNoAtBGvsqIYMgEyCP1xJ5Ed0d08CWEPmrMlJhONj9FLt3p0Wtn0tz_Ero917KFSBJbJWc-K3d_Vusf6_cUFLH6qHe8oXH-Mi7QdRurvj8PDpa8RUIx/s1600-h/IMG_2112.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357168987430208418" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DTDgDt8FMh5MExJ94WGU5fa6zDNoAtBGvsqIYMgEyCP1xJ5Ed0d08CWEPmrMlJhONj9FLt3p0Wtn0tz_Ero917KFSBJbJWc-K3d_Vusf6_cUFLH6qHe8oXH-Mi7QdRurvj8PDpa8RUIx/s320/IMG_2112.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1nd5UJOnLfPxJoukCf34Hwqo72KW7Vo7-I6cjq38SsGG8JjUn95oOG2raAkTCcJ2iWbE_CoT2Z7Hy9dCQuWfPqdGSKE3FBHTzPcVVDR7YuN44Ye_zHIEgLV4N_CMyggqf_39Xlvuvn6S/s1600-h/IMG_2122.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357168769861346178" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1nd5UJOnLfPxJoukCf34Hwqo72KW7Vo7-I6cjq38SsGG8JjUn95oOG2raAkTCcJ2iWbE_CoT2Z7Hy9dCQuWfPqdGSKE3FBHTzPcVVDR7YuN44Ye_zHIEgLV4N_CMyggqf_39Xlvuvn6S/s320/IMG_2122.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Can you spot the yevus (non-African people) in this picture? There are three!!! If you are wondering why all the kids are laughing - it was tough at first trying to get them to smile for pictures. They loved to pose for the pictures, but they would just stand there with straight faces. We would try to tell them to smile, and we'd point to our teeth to indicate that we wanted them to smile and show their teeth. Nothing seemed to work, until we figured out that if we said, "ha ha ha," then all of them would immediately break into laughter and repeat, "ha ha ha" as we snapped our pictures full of smiling faces. They also loved to see the picture after you had taken it, and they would crowd around you and shriek with excitement at the sight of their faces. It was so much fun to see their reaction, I spent a while just taking pictures and showing it to the kids.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhye_BbP_d2CxfVGF6wWOzUfE8wpWeAupEOQKC8ZwSzx-WZMb8NMxoY-fEh46KlNVdSHfSrH4yNaDrufDoz_vuua1MMQ9so9n2PXeyJqdIxzvftWZmNtXdXg0I029Um8d5j6mTpJZcRld1V/s1600-h/IMG_2212.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357168762530614850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhye_BbP_d2CxfVGF6wWOzUfE8wpWeAupEOQKC8ZwSzx-WZMb8NMxoY-fEh46KlNVdSHfSrH4yNaDrufDoz_vuua1MMQ9so9n2PXeyJqdIxzvftWZmNtXdXg0I029Um8d5j6mTpJZcRld1V/s320/IMG_2212.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This little girl captured my attention one morning in church. She very gently cared for her little sister, sitting beside her with her arm wrapped around her.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIn48htWjWaeVPcMQzmOwt2LraYOIbRa8ysXwyxYghh87WQXpVWHx-0GhmHRbQ_p-OE-U9zwcYnmCf_W6UMUd1_vCK5qFPq2L9z9VDHfxX-92vSyhhUayOBF39KKT2XyR4YNTupqF08P3n/s1600-h/IMG_2220.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357168764738889410" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIn48htWjWaeVPcMQzmOwt2LraYOIbRa8ysXwyxYghh87WQXpVWHx-0GhmHRbQ_p-OE-U9zwcYnmCf_W6UMUd1_vCK5qFPq2L9z9VDHfxX-92vSyhhUayOBF39KKT2XyR4YNTupqF08P3n/s320/IMG_2220.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Ghanaian youth are singing a song that they learned at VBS during church time.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOLAtqIesjxK1aW8X9TCP17K1NX1KXE1p5KaN86PR2Qh6zfbnlMj6buqkke6IGwRxOGqlBP-ojwz1_RUozStEgrNlTpfBWlpCwY9Rnyo3YT_cUDHmJSTeQvq5lO3Eo4pFTaH2r_3BW4_3/s1600-h/IMG_2236.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357168758415067714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOLAtqIesjxK1aW8X9TCP17K1NX1KXE1p5KaN86PR2Qh6zfbnlMj6buqkke6IGwRxOGqlBP-ojwz1_RUozStEgrNlTpfBWlpCwY9Rnyo3YT_cUDHmJSTeQvq5lO3Eo4pFTaH2r_3BW4_3/s320/IMG_2236.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDI6RLhgKldpUThWluHLJPR0rykWBOzC1UMDXlY588Mn8B2ugOXQyi20Ia3zbgsD1_72hofF5rAGEzLNb-0I7I_l_Q5vsnX72dJ-d9mFrl9ebf1JL6iKH534nnaomXSRx9niIxlbtBG1D/s1600-h/IMG_2278.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357168753388743954" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDI6RLhgKldpUThWluHLJPR0rykWBOzC1UMDXlY588Mn8B2ugOXQyi20Ia3zbgsD1_72hofF5rAGEzLNb-0I7I_l_Q5vsnX72dJ-d9mFrl9ebf1JL6iKH534nnaomXSRx9niIxlbtBG1D/s320/IMG_2278.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />More happy faces!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-64639851799339309572009-07-11T07:25:00.006-04:002009-07-11T07:41:45.381-04:00Pictures from Wli Falls<div><br /><div><div><div>Finally, some long-awaited pictures. Hope that you all enjoy seeing just a little bit of what we experienced. This first group is from our trip to Wli Falls.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBitiDGblfA-mKvujhgXzdn5MQ7lQyQ6KNqz4A6UHv2wbTst_kizx0LIXj5ZW4HVVVRH74ytIaGjn7iRRxcBBXrEITzOMM5a9bzV2N-Jvx397lloCKKrlaxLvlh9kZXYiPk-z9r_lUspZh/s1600-h/IMG_0377.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357164699585054626" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBitiDGblfA-mKvujhgXzdn5MQ7lQyQ6KNqz4A6UHv2wbTst_kizx0LIXj5ZW4HVVVRH74ytIaGjn7iRRxcBBXrEITzOMM5a9bzV2N-Jvx397lloCKKrlaxLvlh9kZXYiPk-z9r_lUspZh/s320/IMG_0377.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div></div><br /><div>The bus ride to Wli Falls</div><div><br /><br /><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJ9qdmf6r1G6zCUxC7wPLzG0qhakL3s31U6QV2EuU7r33I06q1Ntjx6YtCQHDEx-0bqIFq_a8W5Ldh76-zPbhiN8l_4lIUo6QMNmw-KmeIOYibH_EG_x2jaHS79veLEFQa8HegwgX_cyM/s1600-h/IMG_0382.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357164698749645074" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJ9qdmf6r1G6zCUxC7wPLzG0qhakL3s31U6QV2EuU7r33I06q1Ntjx6YtCQHDEx-0bqIFq_a8W5Ldh76-zPbhiN8l_4lIUo6QMNmw-KmeIOYibH_EG_x2jaHS79veLEFQa8HegwgX_cyM/s320/IMG_0382.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoxuaMJfgSDNhGWVLWaKJ_TePPJr4WtpptbptijbLbSQhSHV89mMfIKHDtADIIZ5X1EqZcvfmNq9lfdHQN_-QnBUjcVx11bgY9-DcJAqqZTG8Ifkjwv8FKUd5DkyX6-uwU7XzrPFpUhYl/s1600-h/IMG_0391.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357164694890817970" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoxuaMJfgSDNhGWVLWaKJ_TePPJr4WtpptbptijbLbSQhSHV89mMfIKHDtADIIZ5X1EqZcvfmNq9lfdHQN_-QnBUjcVx11bgY9-DcJAqqZTG8Ifkjwv8FKUd5DkyX6-uwU7XzrPFpUhYl/s320/IMG_0391.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>This is the road between Helekpe and Ho!<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaYbaQkhSJiNda5Yw45XK0yHcVYP_YniXcDMdTRend_lKJFLE-kVj25KCllNRNi8EMFkH9aNDXvEVN7rNEq0TQLe_WuWyUVj0pGIIgvLQnv660faRFZ8Pf2xpEvIykTH2GjSBw8ae5T4x/s1600-h/IMG_0416.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357164693841594770" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaYbaQkhSJiNda5Yw45XK0yHcVYP_YniXcDMdTRend_lKJFLE-kVj25KCllNRNi8EMFkH9aNDXvEVN7rNEq0TQLe_WuWyUVj0pGIIgvLQnv660faRFZ8Pf2xpEvIykTH2GjSBw8ae5T4x/s320/IMG_0416.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSy5b_KeRMXL_IZL-hm1dvEBnCCtrXgOHGIoVEo70ZlTNODPnME4F-TEvCKZSS0dad6nEpT9cTwORG7fkPOXecellR4xC1vN43NUXGH7RAl6G-CjDrkKI1uqwchuAY9IZeSuwuVxd3u5Q/s1600-h/IMG_0433.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357164666797051570" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSy5b_KeRMXL_IZL-hm1dvEBnCCtrXgOHGIoVEo70ZlTNODPnME4F-TEvCKZSS0dad6nEpT9cTwORG7fkPOXecellR4xC1vN43NUXGH7RAl6G-CjDrkKI1uqwchuAY9IZeSuwuVxd3u5Q/s320/IMG_0433.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmHaxt4JISZJVmjVHCPadrpRibLzkurWIdTLmOzrKAQRVed5QxyBGNcaqKL7HXR39uhoKEE9USImJFpKhrUD-4YYXiUeqW47gWoNVQ29A5Wfk7YFN6Zcg6j_g7KBu3XztpEds_YCWuapk/s1600-h/IMG_0382.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDe7Fe-dF3PRFe84TTyyEuIdVwslzt98HmOsw0ms5xg6Ehrj4bEF5ODgLWvDu-u4Kxx4TkFZ0CdMKZdOG5rQJudXuX0Haw2FuubkqTObssViuGhf76zMdBJftQersEdWov2HnySEHziGn/s1600-h/IMG_0436.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357165569985904594" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDe7Fe-dF3PRFe84TTyyEuIdVwslzt98HmOsw0ms5xg6Ehrj4bEF5ODgLWvDu-u4Kxx4TkFZ0CdMKZdOG5rQJudXuX0Haw2FuubkqTObssViuGhf76zMdBJftQersEdWov2HnySEHziGn/s320/IMG_0436.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQnEIiqins0xmtk9wc_zir0YY_NP1aPKNBpKjNdLqqyL6T9Iyg_RrKiGsHpdiPLwVGenwm98Qp70FMkGXbLn1XHseFQZHTElt0bWwHCydMy2GcSpru9z6qoBcfp3DKl7VOC8LKLnFMi_K/s1600-h/IMG_0439.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357165564545835490" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQnEIiqins0xmtk9wc_zir0YY_NP1aPKNBpKjNdLqqyL6T9Iyg_RrKiGsHpdiPLwVGenwm98Qp70FMkGXbLn1XHseFQZHTElt0bWwHCydMy2GcSpru9z6qoBcfp3DKl7VOC8LKLnFMi_K/s320/IMG_0439.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4t7oxoi8-CfNoIgRKWxeuf09XjDuNY6aK35TixKeJiemKuKKjMlrAMn4yXM5ApAo6C786XI5hga5-4KC5UoiQ9K8pQHyVLGQmiEJa5vAQvAxXDX0FHJoqnmWhR5IsRGLT3yUpUrNPr6XC/s1600-h/IMG_0468.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357165560175344354" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4t7oxoi8-CfNoIgRKWxeuf09XjDuNY6aK35TixKeJiemKuKKjMlrAMn4yXM5ApAo6C786XI5hga5-4KC5UoiQ9K8pQHyVLGQmiEJa5vAQvAxXDX0FHJoqnmWhR5IsRGLT3yUpUrNPr6XC/s320/IMG_0468.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZAD9TnOoV7WscEjLFvxKZ6xkxtoy2IGdaQaTJqCXNX_PPRCp3Ajd-H7SXRENg_4fbGLXwBK5ZTbbIc2AO9yP66ZD_flOC72vK0NpacZt7voYV4_H769TInDMng6hvYp6zUEhW3XX2qxF/s1600-h/IMG_0470.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357165557660644706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZAD9TnOoV7WscEjLFvxKZ6xkxtoy2IGdaQaTJqCXNX_PPRCp3Ajd-H7SXRENg_4fbGLXwBK5ZTbbIc2AO9yP66ZD_flOC72vK0NpacZt7voYV4_H769TInDMng6hvYp6zUEhW3XX2qxF/s320/IMG_0470.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGBQVw1cTriGvLg_Lf4IluAsNfupLQOW9jDZvgHQpTcShOTjHwWMikvhActIPyIHaMK84abz8I9GnK_O3DdEjFXrD3JRQT5tihjAdsKs_Rf_glETkCAj1i0K2Ys6C9YUMXXP5w_HBnX5-/s1600-h/IMG_0377.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-64226914244693326252009-07-07T22:07:00.002-04:002009-07-07T22:53:23.535-04:00Back from Ghana!Greetings to all! We returned safely home this afternoon. Here is a little update with our last couple of days in Ghana.<br /><br />Sunday was our last full day in the village of Helekpe. We went to church in the morning, where the camp kids were able to give their camp testimonies again. After church, most of the group went hiking up the mountain right behind Kurt and Barb's house. It is called Adaklu Mountain and is the tallest free standing mountain in Ghana. The climb takes about 3 to 4 hours roundtrip. Amber and I chose to stay back at the house, along with a couple of others, to get our packing done. It is custom to yell once you reach the top platform of the mountain, and so a couple of hours after the group left, we were able to hear them yelling and cheering. I couldn't see where they were standing, but it was fun to be able to hear that they had made it to the top.<br /><br />We also visited the local seamstress to pick up some skirts that we were having made. I think our girls alone gave her a month's worth of business! She did a great job - we purchased fabric in Ho last week and took them to the seamstress to make skirts. She can copy any exising skirt that you already have, and she is happy to make headwraps with any extra fabric that she has. For a couple of the girls, she even made little handbags with the extra fabric - it was very creative and a nice surprise. We all enjoyed going to visit her and to see what she had made for us.<br /><br />The evening church service had a lot of us shedding tears. Barb put together a slide show from camp and also another shorter one from our trip to Wli Falls. All the Ghanaian youth enjoyed seeing their pictures - the people here, particularly the children and the teens, really love to have their picture taken. After the slide shows, we (the GBC team) were invited to share some thoughts. That really got the tears rolling! Afterwards, we all went around exchanging hugs and posing for lots of pictures with different people. No one really wanted to leave, and I could not stop crying. Finally, someone turned the lights out at the church and that was our cue to head home.<br /><br />Once we arrived home, several of the youth continued to hang around and talk. They stayed outside and sat on the doorsteps and around the yard and just chatted. A few of us adults were sitting in the living room talking and it was great to hear the chatter and laughter. Kurt said that it was so unusual for the Ghanaian kids to hang around so late (usually they go to bed by about 8:45, and they stayed well past 10pm), but he was encouraged to see it because it meant that friendships had indeed been formed. No one wanted to leave the house!<br /><br />The GBC kids did such a nice job leaving many of their clothes behind for the people in the village. Some of them even had piles ready to give to specific kids that they had bonded with or where they saw a particular need. It was really heartwarming to see how freely they gave of their personal belongings.<br /><br />On Monday morning, we got up early and took the suitcases down from the Mathews' home to the main road, outside Pastor George's house, where our tro tro (bus) was waiting for us. Several of the Ghanaian youth showed up to see us off, so it was another round of tears and hugs and goodbyes. While all of us were excited at the thought of getting home, seeing our families, taking a nice hot shower, etc, it was very difficult to leave all of our new friends behind. Each one of them has touched our hearts and changed our lives. I never imagined that I would want to go back, but I truly would love to be able to go back and visit them all again!<br /><br />We finally finished our goodbyes and headed out. On the way to Ho, there is a spot in the road that has a huge cement block that you have to drive over. As the bus went over it, we got a little bit stuck and heard a very loud crunching noise. The driver got out to take a look, then we continued on our way. Occasionally, we would still hear a very loud noise that we knew could not be a good thing. Thankfully, we were not far from Ho, and once we reached the paved road, the driver stopped again and got out to assess the damage. It turns out that three out of the four u-clips on the rear axle had cracked. The driver had one spare with him, so he replaced one. Then, he had someone else drive him into town to get the other parts and returned to replace the others. All told, it probably delayed us about 45 minutes, and we were very thankful that the Lord answered our prayer for a quick and minor repair!<br /><br />We reached Accra shortly after 1pm and made our way to the cultural center, a huge, artisinal marketplace. There, we split up into groups and spent close to two hours wandering around and bartering with the different vendors. There was so much to look at; I think we only got through a very small portion of the market. Kurt helped us get the hang of the bartering, and gave us several good tips. I think that most of us really enjoyed the bartering. I didn't think that I would like it at all, but I actually had quite a bit of fun going back and forth with the different vendors. I was very pleased with my purchases, and Jim was very pleased to carry them.<br /><br />After we finished our shopping, we headed over to the airport. We had dinner at a restaurant called The Landing, just outside of the airport. We walked in to be greeted by air conditioning, the first we had experienced since we arrived in Ghana. They also had fairly nice bathrooms with flushing toilets and running water! It was very nice to be able to wash your hands in a sink with running water again. The dinner was interesting - it took quite a long time to get our food, and they brought each dish out as it was ready. The first two people to get their food finished eating about an hour and fifteen minutes before the last person received their food! It took about 2 hours for the last one of us to be served. Most of the food was fairly good, although a few dishes could be described as interesting. I'll just say that a cheeseburger in Ghana tastes different than a cheeseburger in America.<br /><br />After dinner, the bus drove us to the entrance of the airport where we unloaded all our bags. Mr. Sannie, the same person who helped us with our arrival, was waiting to help us again, and it was just another blessing that the Lord gave us. He breezed us through check in, security, and immigration, and we found ourselves waiting at the gate within about 40 minutes of arriving at the airport. He made things so easy for us, which helped us to relax a bit.<br /><br />The flight from Accra to Frankfurt was fairly uneventful. Other than being really cold on the plane - and we're not sure if it was so very cold or if we were just having trouble re-adjusting to air conditioning - it was quite comfortable. I personally was able to sleep about 90% of this leg of the trip. When we arrived in Frankfurt, things went very smoothly with one small, minor hitch. As we passed through security just outside our boarding gate, the security personnel saw something of interest in Jim's backpack. Turns out he forgot to check his small pocketknife and had it in a small pocket of his backpack. They pulled him to the side and had to call security to come over and write up a report before they would let him proceed to the gate! Thankfully, they did not make a huge issue of it, and after taking his knife and writing up their report, let him go on his merry way. I, of course, stayed as cool as a cucumber throughout the entire process.<br /><br />We had another comfortable flight from Frankfurt to Dulles. This time, we were all spread out over the plane, rather than sitting close together in the same area. Somehow, the adults and a couple of the kids ended up in the front and the other kids all ended up in the back of the plane! I got up several times to walk back and check on them. Most of them were able to rest for at least a little while on the plane.<br /><br />We were able to get through immigration and customs at Dulles very quickly, and all of our luggage made it safely except for one piece, which was left behind in Frankfurt. We were able to make arrangements to have that piece delivered when it arrives. Then, as we exited the customs area, our families were lined up cheering for us, and it was hugs all around. We got in early enough that we were able to make it around the Beltway with no traffic problems at all, and we were very thankful for that.<br /><br />Four of the youth and at least one leader were craving Chipotle for their first meal back, so several of us headed to the Laurel store after we returned. It was nice to see how excited the kids were to be back and to see their families. And they really enjoyed their meal, too!!!<br /><br />Now we're home, and we are thankful to be here. Thank you all for your prayers as we traveled. Please continue to pray for us as we adjust back to our normal lives. We want to take our experiences in Ghana and not let them be just a memory, but to change our lives. We promised these kids in Ghana that we would lift them up in prayer and not forget them, that we would try to come back. We must keep that promise and pray for them as much as we can. I believe that we had an impact on their lives, just as they did on ours. I believe that we were placed in each others' lives for a purpose that only God knows, and I just pray that each of us would be able to discern God's will for us coming out of this trip.<br /><br />Please also continue to pray for the Mathews family, who poured out everything that they have to us while we visited, and who pour out everything that they have on a daily basis to the people of Helekpe. It was humbling to see their ministry there, and one of the best things that we can do for them is to keep them in our prayers.<br /><br />I will take some time over the next couple of days to post some pictures from the trip, now that I am back to broadband internet!!! Thank you all for following along on our journey. God has richly blessed us with this opportunity.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-11197868725997993532009-07-04T19:20:00.000-04:002009-07-04T19:21:45.176-04:00Happy 4th of July!Happy 4th of July from Helekpe! We’ve had a couple of very busy days since I last blogged. Thursday was the last morning of youth camp. Several teens shared testimonies of what they learned from camp and what they would like to work on. I thought it would be great for you all to know the outcome of camp, as well as be able to continue to pray for the youth here, so I am including the list here. I know it is a little long, but well worth it!<br /><br />Victor – God wants him to memorize and meditate on His Word.<br />Augustina – she was really impressed by the lesson on memorization and meditation. She never really understood the importance of this before camp.<br />Edwin – he learned the importance of each person doing their part; if one person doesn’t do their part, it affects everyone.<br />Stephen – he learned many new things from the Bible, including the memory verses<br />Kafui – she learned how important it is to support her church leaders, particularly Pastor George, so that he can equip the church body.<br />Robert – he wants to manage his time well and memorize God’s Word.<br />Innocent – while academics are important, he has learned that God’s Word is also so important.<br />Godwin – it really impressed him that brothers and sisters in Christ came all the way from Maryland to help them, and that love showed him that in Christ, we are all one.<br />Dzidzeme – he learned that lying is very wrong, and it is sin before God.<br />Eyome – he wasn’t clear about God, but now he understands so much more.<br />Mary – she learned how important it is that she invite others to attend church and youth group with her, to have a greater impact.<br />Daniel – we need to not only study God’s Word, we need to teach it to others.<br />Mawuter – whether others are obeying or not, it is his responsibility to obey God.<br />Harry – it is not necessarily money that you should give God, but your abilities.<br />Mr. Elias – he was thankful for the Lord bringing the team here and keeping them healthy. He was particularly impacted watching some of our youth helping the young girls.<br />Faruck – he learned a lot about God’s word and made new friends that he was thankful for (Daniel and Mikey)<br />Frank – God’s Word is everlasting, but academics will end.<br />Mawuli – God led him here and was preparing him for camp. He got a lot out of the lesson on meditation and memorization of God’s Word.<br />Pastor George – he said that God’s call for him to the ministry was confirmed by camp.<br />Kurt – he was thankful that the GBC team did not complain, and he was also encouraged by camp and that the Helekpe youth stayed and participated.<br /><br />From the GBC group:<br /><br />Christopher – he learned patience, particularly with not understanding Ewe.<br />Daniel – he felt that God really allowed him to minister in different ways.<br />Anna – she really saw how important it is to pull your weight. When one person doesn’t do his part, the church doesn’t function well.<br />Ambri – God always prepares us for what He has for us. She realized that some challenges that she has gone through in the past have been in preparation for this trip.<br />Stephanie – she has committed to spending more time with God in prayer.<br />Mikey – he has learned a lot about leadership. Sometimes you have to stand alone, when it is not easy.<br /><br />I hope that this gives you a good idea of how camp went. The Mathews have said that they are so pleased and encouraged with how camp went. It actually went better than they had ever expected, and we are so thankful for that, since our prayer from the very beginning was to be an encouragement to their ministry here in Ghana.<br /><br />Camp finished up around noon. After camp ended, the rest of the day was a free for all. Some people took some short naps. We also did laundry, which is no small task when you do not have a washer and dryer! We quickly ran out of line to hang the laundry to dry. Three girls that attended youth camp did a very nice thing – they fetched enough water for us to fill one large barrel. It took them three trips to the well to fill the barrel! It was a real blessing to see them serve.<br /><br />In the evening, we had a special treat – we had a movie night at the house. We watched Prince Caspian, as a follow-up to Narnia from camp. We also popped popcorn and had ourselves a very nice evening. Some people fell asleep during the movie, including me, but it was a really fun, relaxing evening.<br /><br />Yesterday, we headed to Wli Falls. It was about a 3 hour bus ride northeast from Helekpe, right on the border of Togo. The bus ride was a little uncomfortable – it was a supposed 38 passenger bus, with tiny seats, but it was really more like a 25 seat bus. They just cram as many people as they can into the vehicles here! We actually had 39 onboard, and it felt like a very long ride. Once we arrived at the park entrance, it was about a 45 minute walk through the bush to get to the falls. For almost all of the Ghanaian youths, this was their first trip to the falls, and they were so excited. It was great to hear the shouts of laughter as I rounded the last corner and reached the falls. Everyone was playing in the water, and we all swam under the waterfall so that we could touch the wall behind the falls. The force of the water pouring down and the swirl of the mists literally took your breath away, but it was so beautiful and just a really fun time for the kids. Wli Falls is the highest waterfall in West Africa. The section that we were able to walk to was about 200 meters high. There was a higher section of waterfalls, but we didn’t have time to hike all the way up to the top.<br /><br />After we left the falls, we headed to the Volta Home, a local orphanage that ABWE has a partnership with. Mr. Esa Annabi runs the orphanage, along with his wife. We were able to visit for a short time with the kids. They sang some songs for us, and then we were able to return the favor. Mr. Annabi then walked us around their grounds and showed us some of the buildings, as well as their new yam farm. They currently have about a 1,000 yam plants.<br /><br />We headed back to Helekpe. A few of us jumped out in Ho to help Efo Kurt run a few errands before we returned home. It was a long, but fun day for all of us.<br /><br />Today, we celebrated Independence Day in Ho. First, we all headed to the market, a large, open area market that seems endless. Everyone had fun walking around, mingling, and making some purchases. Then, we headed to the Freedom Hotel, where we spent the day swimming in the pool. The kids had a blast just having a fun day to relax and unwind. We returned to Helekpe just in time to eat dinner and head to youth group, where we had about 45 kids show up. Jonnie, Cassie and I shared our testimonies tonight, and Kurt taught a great lesson on salvation.<br />We ended the night with a team meeting to debrief. It was a nice time where we could share our thoughts about the time that we have spent here.<br /><br />The time has flown by – two weeks ago, it seemed like our return home was so far away. Now, we find ourselves with one day left here. Tomorrow, we have church, a hike up the mountain behind the Mathews, a soccer tournament, and packing. Monday, we head to Accra at 8am and will spend the day there at the cultural center, a huge, artisanal market. Kurt says that there are probably upwards of 500 vendors there. Before we know it, we’ll be home. While we are all excited to come home, it will be very sad to leave the friends that we have made here. We are so thankful for the opportunity to come here and to serve. We have really fallen in love with the Ghanaian people, and it has been so rewarding to see a totally different way of life. On this 4th of July, I am especially thankful to be an American and to enjoy the freedoms that I have, particularly after seeing the culture and lifestyle here.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-62474477655807956832009-07-03T18:03:00.002-04:002009-07-03T18:09:53.611-04:00Messages from the YouthHello, church family! Thought you'd like to hear from the youth, so I asked them to write a little something. Here it is:<br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal">Hey Everyone!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m so excited to be coming home, but very sad to be leaving :[<span style=""> </span>While in Ghana, I’ve learned to be content in my life at home. I never truly realized how much we cherish material things as Americans until I saw how the people live here. They cycle through 2 or 3 out fits total, when I use that many, in one day. I’m glad I came on this trip and look forward to seeing you soon.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">- Anna </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Hello everyone! <p class="MsoNormal">The Lord is working in so many ways here.<span style=""> </span>We just finished camp today which has been going on since Tuesday.<span style=""> </span>Many great relationships were made and God helped us with the language barrier.<span style=""> </span>I had many teaching opportunities and led the music in almost every session.<span style=""> </span>The week before I taught many times at HBC (VBS) and led the music then as well.<span style=""> </span>God has helped me so much with the cultural differences of which I have some knowledge from NYC.<span style=""> </span>The Matthews have been amazing to us.<span style=""> </span>We are constantly in their house and they are extremely patient and hospitable.<span style=""> </span>The Lord has been working in my heart and giving me a constant love for the Ghanaians. I love all of you and can feel your prayers.<span style=""> </span>The cultural inconveniences fade away when one Ghanaian grows in Christ or understands and practices a core Christian principle.<span style=""> </span>I love you all and miss you all.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Michael J. Hammons</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My time here in Africa has been long and tiring but there are still some redeemable qualities about our time on this trip.<span style=""> </span>God has really used this trip to work not only in the hearts of the people we ministered to here, but also in mine as well.<span style=""> </span>I have had many opportunities not only to share and teach the gospel to the people here, but also to experience his love firsthand.<span style=""> </span>God has worked really well in the hearts of the people involved in this trip.<span style=""> </span>I am very thankful for all your support and prayers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Daniel DMac McDonald</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><o:p></o:p>God has truly been working in my life during this trip.<span style=""> </span>He has impressed upon me the importance of memorization and meditation on His word.<span style=""> </span>If you carry His word with you in your heart, it will help you in the times you need it the most.<span style=""> </span>Many of the children here do not own a bible or cannot read, but they have learned that they can carry God’s word with them wherever they go.<span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal">This morning, (July 2), was the last day of youth camp.<span style=""> </span>We had a session where people shared things that God had been doing in their life during the camp.<span style=""> </span>It was so awesome to see so many of the Youth of Hasu Baptist Church stand up and give their testimonies.<span style=""> </span>So many of them have learned new things this week that I hope they never forget.<span style=""> </span>I pray that our Youth group is forever changed by this experience and all that God has taught them this week. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have made friends here that I will never forget.<span style=""> </span>So many of the girls here are so willing to help out and show much eagerness to learn about God’s word.<span style=""> </span>Despite the language barrier at times, a simple smile can show that you like someone and are their friend.<span style=""> </span>I will miss many of them, especially a girl name Kafui.<span style=""> </span>She has worked with the Mathews to help prepare meals while we have been here.<span style=""> </span>She shows a true desire to know God and to live for Him alone.<span style=""> </span>During our group discussions with Ms. Amber, She is constantly asking questions and paying close attention.<span style=""> </span>She has been a huge encouragement to me.<span style=""> </span>I will miss her a great deal.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Towards the beginning of the trip, I struggled adjusting to the change of environment.<span style=""> </span>There were so many times when I just wanted to cry and feel sorry for myself.<span style=""> </span>But God is able to do anything, and He has given me the strength to overcome the things which are hard for me. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We still have a couple days left and I want to make the best of it. I can’t wait to come home and see family and friends!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-Cassie</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hello folks of the blogging society of the <st1:country-region st="on">United States</st1:country-region>, this is Jonathan Winkert giving his first and final update of the venture to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>As Jonathan was wrestling Daniel, they became quite filthy.<span style=""> </span>Jonathan has enjoyed the wonderful food he has consumed while his stay in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region> has carried on.<span style=""> </span>Jonathan’s new friends Frank and Faruc are a lot better at soccer (football as the people here call it) than he is.<span style=""> </span>Jonathan has greatly appreciated Christopher’s Indian accent and his quotes of the day.<span style=""> </span>David, if you are reading this don’t forget to brush your teeth and make your bed because Jonathan would not be happy.<span style=""> </span>Jonathan has spoken.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is Ambri, speaking, well writing, I suppose. It has been a very eventful 1 ½ weeks. It was most definitely busy. We have done an HBC, which was very interesting. I got to teach one of the lessons with help from Mr. Bice and Jonny. <span style=""> </span>It was the first true VBS that I have been in involved in. Last Sunday, I shared my testimony in front of the entire HASU church, whose children attendance tripled or so that Sunday due to HBC. <span style=""> </span>I am terrified of public speaking but I could not really say no to Pastor George so I sucked it up and spoke. Hopefully, it impacted them positively. The Mathews’ said that it helped because the HASU kids may believe that America does not have problems. I apparently helped pull down that belief by showing that America has problems and some of those problems are very similar to Ghanaian problems. All I know is that I was relieved when I finished and everybody’s eyes went back to Pastor George. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This week, we have been participating in the ‘Standing In the Gap’ Camp for youth. <span style=""> </span>I stayed the first two nights of the camp at the church with the HASU kids. The girls had a separate room. Unlike most American girls, they will go to sleep when the leaders say ‘lights out’. <span style=""> </span>The third night I spent back at the Mathews’ as I was sick. I have been resting now that camp is over and feel much better.</p> Ambri<br /><br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Dear GBC,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ghana is so amazing and beautiful there are so many different things that I miss though.<span style=""> </span>I think I miss Chipotle the most out of everything other then people… if you know what I mean.<span style=""> </span>Everybody is having such a good time.<span style=""> </span>The first week went very well.<span style=""> </span>HBC was really nice too (the days that ii attended).<span style=""> </span>Most of the week was spent in bed. <span style=""> </span>I got sick so I had to stay home for about 2 days.<span style=""> </span>I eventually got better.<span style=""> </span>This week at church was very different though because we were required to come very early and stay very late.<span style=""> </span>Yesterday I came at 7:00 AM and left at 10:50 PM because it was the last full day of camp.<span style=""> </span>Every other day I did not have to wake up or stay up as late.<span style=""> </span>We want to think that we are in our home stretch now because the rest of the time we are here it is very very easy.<span style=""> </span>I think this trip has made me appreciate the essentials in life such as the dishwasher and washing machine… I miss them…I miss you all.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Love, Elizabeth</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dear people of the <span style="font-size: 20pt;">BLOG,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Everybody is too serious so I’m here to make this fun. I have many names here; they are Chris Chris, Christopher Colombo, .Christopher kpakpa (Bach-pa/Duck), Fuzz, Gandhi, Fer. As you can tell the people love me here so I will never come back…Ha Ha Ha. The one thing I think is very funny was in Jonnie’s journal - he said “Thursday We Ate FuFu.” That is all he wrote that day. <span style=""> </span>Bye bye!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-Christopher</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-61471098011376111772009-07-01T06:00:00.002-04:002009-07-01T06:26:18.526-04:00Standing in the Gap at CampGreetings! It is Wednesday morning here in Helekpe. Sorry it has been so long since we had a post - we've been full swing at camp. We started camp Monday afternoon. The better part of the morning was spent preparing for camp. Our theme is Standing in the Gap. There are 42 youth here at camp, including the GBC teens. We're responsible for six of the nine lessons; Mike has been organizing the lessons and then Amber, Jim, Mikey and I are in charge of discussion groups after the lesson.<br /><br />The kids are also working on memory verses. Yesterday, we had a block of free time in the afternoon, and many of the kids spent most of that time working on their verses. Everyone is having a great time at camp. During their free time, the kids play ping pong, box hockey, volleyball, and soccer. Last night, there was a hardcore game of dodgeball. They all seemed to really enjoy that.<br /><br />For our craft session yesterday, we made friendship bracelets. We had no idea that it would be so popular! Everyone, even the guys, were making them all day long. There were five of us that broke them up into smaller groups, and we each taught them a different style of bracelet. It turned out to be a really great time - some of them got the hang of it right away and made some beautiful bracelets. The great thing was that even if they were not quite getting it right, the bracelets still looked great! Barb has said that some of them could make them and sell them in the village to make a little bit of money. I predict that the whole village of Helekpe will soon be sporting friendship bracelets! Many of the teens made several bracelets - every time I turned around, Eyome was pulling out more string to make another one. I joked that he was going to have bracelets from his wrist all the way up to his elbow!<br /><br />We also introduced the kids to ice cream floats last night. Barb got ice cream and sodas as a special treat, and our kids showed the Ghanaians how we make floats. They seemed a little reluctant to mix their ice cream with their soda at first, but we didn't give them a choice - we put ice cream in a cup and added a little soda. They seemed to really enjoy it! They had a little bit of a sugar rush afterwards, but after a long day of activities, they were able to settle down for bed nicely.<br /><br />I think the food at camp has been really good. We've been eating primarily Ghanaian food this week. I am really enjoying it, as are the other leaders. Some of the kids are having a little bit of a tough time with it, because the dishes are so similar that it seems like we are always eating the same thing. They have been bringing some of their snacks with them and eating them discreetly. I am really proud of them for trying all the new food and eating it even when they don't really want to!<br /><br />God has blessed us with cooler than normal temperatures while we are here. We've had a lot of cloud coverage and a decent amount of rain, which has helped to keep things cool. It's been in the 80's for most of this week. The rain is great, because we don't have to fetch water, but it makes the paths very, very muddy, which makes the walk to church very interesting. To my knowledge, we've only had one wipeout in the mud....and it was me!!!<br /><br />Please continue to pray for the health of the group. There appears to be a virus running through the group. In most cases, it is pretty minor and runs for about 24 hours.<br /><br />I was talking to some of the girls last night and we all agreed that as we head into the home stretch, we are very conflicted. On the one hand, it will be so nice to come home and have running water, a hot shower, and nice clean clothes again. On the other hand, it will be really hard for us to leave, because we have just fallen in love with the people here. We're building some great relationships, and it is exciting to see how the Lord is working at camp. Please pray that the Ghanaian kids will leave camp and use all that they have learned in their lives.<br /><br />We love you all and thank you for your prayers! Still haven't been able to post pictures - the internet is so slow here that it takes way too long to download the pictures. I'll try again tomorrow night after we finish up camp. More to come soon!Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-11606298825048439192009-06-28T12:23:00.004-04:002009-06-28T12:55:31.242-04:00Ever Tasted Banku?Hello from Ghana! It's Sunday afternoon - a cool, comfortable 75 degrees. It poured this morning in church - it rained so hard that the sound of the rain falling on the metal roof drowned out Pastor George speaking or the kids sharing about VBS. But we are thankful for the rain, since it fills the water barrels and means we don't have to go fetch water. The cool weather is also a relief - people around here act as if it is 30 degrees. I saw one person wearing a fleece jacket!<br /><br />Yesterday started out a pretty quiet day. We spent most of the morning at the house. We were invited to Kafui's house for lunch. Kafui (which means Praise Him) is the girl who helps the Mathews with their washing and cooking. She invited her new friends to her home for banku and ground nut soup. Banku is a mixture of corn flour and cassava flour, cooked until it is sort of a firm dough texture. The ground nut soup was poured over the ball of banku. You eat with your hands, breaking off pieces of banku and dipping it in the soup. It is VERY hot, so you have to be careful not to burn your fingers. Ground nut is what the Ghanaians call peanuts. The soup was slightly spicy, and delicious. Kafui's version had dried fish and okra in it. Kafui showed us her home - a simple, block structure with a metal roof and only two rooms; one bedroom is for her parents, and one for her and her siblings. There was no electricity, that I could see. They cook outside in a small, three-sided hut made out of palm branches. There was also an open dirt area that had a little clay circle that served as a stove. Kafui's mother is Sister Bertha (pronounced Beta), the Sunday school teacher at HASU Baptist Church. It was so interesting to watch them cook. I love to cook, and I can't imagine cooking in those conditions. The banku was an adventure for us. It was slightly sour, similar to sourdough. When they work so hard to prepare a meal for you, the last thing you want to do is insult them if you don't like the food. But they served HUGE portions of the banku! Some of us really liked it - especially Jim and Jonnie. Others had a difficult time; I looked over at Anna at one point and I could tell she was struggling. She said to me, "I want to cry, but I'm not going to" and she just sat there smiling and kept eating it. I was really proud of her!<br /><br />On the walk back from lunch, we saw the local man who weaves Kente, cloth that is native to the Ghanaian people. It was fascinating watching him work with the string and the weaving loom! We hope to buy some pieces from him if he is able to get more string.<br /><br />We had a meeting at the church at 2pm with Pastor George. He was so kind and really encouraged us. We had the church doors closed during our meeting, but as soon as we opened them, the kids came pouring in. They were at least 20 minutes early! We had over 200 kids at VBS again, which was really encouraging.<br /><br />We also had youth group tonight. I had to stay back at the house (due to a minor stomach issue), so I'll have to share Anna's perspective. They watched a movie about William Tindale and sang. There were some youth visiting from another village. There were about 50 youth in attendance.<br /><br />Today is Sunday - and Sundays seem very busy around here. We started church at 8am - Sunday school first, then the service. As I said earlier, it rained really hard during the service. Kurt says that we had a higher number of kids attend today than they usually do. Normally, they have 20 kids for Sunday school; today, they had at least twice the number. During church, they usually have 40 adults and 40 kids; today, it was about 60 adults and 80 kids in attendance.<br /><br />Amber, Stephanie and I went back to church at 1pm for AWANA. On average attended by about 45 kids, we had 120+ kids today! It was a little tricky with games with a group this size, and a wet, muddy field outside. Vicki did a modifed AWANA schedule today and did a great job juggling everything.<br /><br />At 2pm, the guys went down to the JSS to have another soccer tournament. They had about 30 players and played six games. There were about 200 people that came out to watch! Mike was able to share the gospel with the players in between games.<br /><br />We're back at the house now, waiting to head back to church at 6pm for evening service. Tomorrow, youth camp starts. Please be in prayer for us as we prepare, especially for Mike, as he is handling the bulk of the lessons. All the kids are doing well. We've had a few minor cuts and scrapes, a slight fever here and there, a little stomach bug, some diarrhea, but overall, we're healthy and doing well. It has been a tough adjustment, but I have been pleased and thankful with how they have been handling things. I'll try to post some pictures soon!Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-929298229316595422009-06-26T18:32:00.001-04:002009-06-26T18:35:32.448-04:00Adjusting to Life in the Village/VBS has started!<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal">Greetings from Helekpe! Today was our third day of VBS, and it was awesome. On Wednesday, we had<span style=""> </span>about 100 kids; Thursday and today we had over 200 show up! Word is quickly spreading in the village that the yevu (white people) are holding a bible camp. It will be interesting to see what kind of prizes and crafts we can come up with if we have 400 kids come tomorrow!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>For our first day of VBS, the children were split into three groups and rotated through games, crafts, and lesson time. All of the leaders and youth had different duties. Hannah Mathews told us afterwards that this was the most organized VBS that she has seen in Ghana. The kids didn’t seem to want to leave afterwards, as many of them hung around to watch us, play with some of our youth, and follow us home. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We went back to the house for dinner, and returned to church at 7pm for the prayer service. It is about a five minute walk to the church, along dirt paths that get quite narrow and brushy, for lack of a better word. I must admit that walking the path in the dark is a bit unsettling for a non-nature girl like me (Nina), but all the others did just fine. Barba took me back to the house by the main road and a much wider path, much to my relief.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Walking through the village is an eye-opener. The “houses” are simple structures, most with mud walls and roofs made out of either metal or palm fronds. The people spend all their time outside; their house is simply a place for them to sleep. Most do not have electricity, and certainly no running water. They go to fetch water either at the wells or a small pond. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">On Thursday, we met the chief of the neighboring village, Avanyaviwofe. This is the village where the HASU Baptist Church is located. It was an interesting experience, since the chief will not directly address you. Instead, he speaks to his tsame (linguist), who then asks “Did you hear him?” He heard we were visiting and wanted to know why we were there. It is really just a formality. The chief welcomed us and asked us to return to the villages, and not to make this a one time visit.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We also visited the schools to observe the lessons. We split up into groups so that we could visit the primary school, the JSS and the SS. I can only speak for the class that we visited – we observed an economics class at the high school. While their resources and facilities were certainly not what we are accustomed to, it was very comparable to an economics curriculum in the U.S. The teacher was knowledgeable and engaging, and the students responded well. Nearly all of the teaching was conducted in English. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thursday’s VBS was really exciting. There were about 20 small children hanging around outside the Mathews’s house; as soon as we left the house, they immediately crowded around us and followed us to church. We arrived about 20 minutes prior to the start of the VBS, and there were already about 100 kids there, waiting to start. They had started singing some songs, and it was just really neat to see how excited they were to be there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After dinner, we had a team devotion and then a planning meeting for camp. Mike also spent quite a bit of time planning a soccer tournament with Kurt and Pastor George. They met with the teachers at the school to get their approval to run the tournament. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today, we split into two groups. The girls headed to Ho for market day and the guys ran the soccer tournament. The teachers selected the teams. There were four teams and each team got to play each other in a mini world cup tournament. They played two games, then had a gospel presentation before playing the third game. There were about 50 to 100 people in attendance (adults and children). They left 5 new soccer balls and 30+ soccer jerseys for the school. For the school, this was an huge gift and very well received. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The girls traveled in the Mathews’ truck to Ho. The ride was very interesting – bumpy, to say the least. We first went to the Stadium Market, which is a small grocery store, where Barb picked up some food for camp. Then we went to the market – an open air market that is pretty hard to describe. It is an open-air market with many, many vendors and tiny little paths that weave between the different “stores.” They sell just about anything you can imagine there, but the big thing we were looking for was fabric. We were very successful in our shopping!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today’s VBS also had over 200 kids in attendance. The teens took the lead in teaching the lessons today. Mikey taught the pre-primaries, Daniel had the primaries, and Jonnie taught the middler/junior group. Christopher has done a great job with the games; today he had the fun task or organizing a tug-of-war with 80+ kids. It was so cute to see them all lined up and pulling as hard as they could on the rope!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">A huge storm rolled in at the end of VBS, so we had to hold some of the kids until the rain died down. The walk back to the house was quite muddy. It is still raining now, which is good, because water was low in the barrels. Now, we don’t have to go fetch water! Barb made pizza for dinner tonight – it was delicious, and the kids pretty much demolished it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Mathews have been so accommodating and thoughtful. They have been tremendous hosts, and we just hope that we can continue to serve them and be a blessing to their ministry. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Continue to pray for us and for the people here. Pray for wisdom and strength as we build relationships with the Ghanaian people. We are praising the Lord for the work that He is doing here. More to come soon… </p>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-17728415908190935242009-06-24T09:36:00.002-04:002009-06-24T10:15:14.900-04:00Settling in to Village LifeGreetings from Helekpe! It is currently 1:30 pm on Wednesday afternoon, and this has been our first chance to post. We'll try to keep posting as often as possible, but it doesn't seem that we'll be able to post every single day.<br /><br />We arrived in the village after a four hour bus ride yesterday at 1pm. The ride was definitely interesting - street vendors along the way, selling anything from fruit (watermelon, mango) to coffins. Once we passed Ho, the road was not paved. It was a very rutted, and at times muddy, dirt road. The bus weebled and wobbled, and more than once, Amber and I wondered if we had lost any suitcases from the top of the bus.<br /><br />Mike and the boys are staying on the main road at Pastor George's house. Amber and the girls are staying at the Mathews' house, and Jim and Nina are right next door at a neighbor's house. We all meet together for meals at the Mathews.<br /><br />After settling in yesterday, the first thing we did was unload all the suitcases to give the Mathews all the gifts from the church. The kids kept saying that it was like Christmas, and Barb was speechless (which is really something for Barb!) at the church family's generosity.<br /><br />We met with the church helpers to plan for VBS, and then met several church members who came especially to welcome us. We then returned to the Mathews for dinner and a cultural briefing from Kurt. For the rest of the evening, some of the kids practiced songs, while others were outside playing with the Mathews kids and also many neighbors. Mike and Kurt had a little engineering pow-wow. The kids also had their first experience with the "shower." It is a small, block structure with a roof, and there is a shower head connected to a barrel of water. However, there is very little water pressure, so there are also a few buckets to use.<br /><br />This morning, we split up into three groups and visited the schools. Amber, Stephanie, Christopher and Elizabeth went to the primary school with Barb, which is equivalent to our K-6 grade. There were about 200 kids. Christopher played guitar and they sang several songs, and Amber spoke to the children. Stephanie and Christopher gave their testimonies. Elizabeth talked about America. Amber was very overwhelmed watching the children sing their songs, pledge their flag, and say the Lord's prayer.<br /><br />Jim, Nina, Daniel, Anna and Ambri went to the JSS, which is the equivalent of of our junior high. Pastor George and Kossi, a student from the Bible college in Accra who is on break and here to help us with camps, also attended the JSS session. When we first arrived, we were waiting for the teachers to arrive, so we walked over to the SS, the senior high, and got to observe the other group sing. Then, we returned to the JSS and sang some songs, with Kossi playing the guitar. Then, Daniel and Ambri gave their testimonies, with a translator. Jim also spoke for a few minutes about why we were in Ghana, and encouraged the kids to attend VBS.<br /><br />Mike, Cassie, Jonnie, and Mikey went to the SS with Kurt and Lynn Anne, a young lady who is here in Helekpe to help Barb homeschool. Mikey gave his testimony, and then they sang several songs. Mike McDonald spoke to the students as well.<br /><br />We met the Zimmermans and Butlers, two other missionary families living on the outskirts of Ho. We've spent the rest of the morning/early afternoon planning for VBS, which starts at 3pm this afternoon.<br /><br />Please continue to pray for all of us! While all the kids are really doing a great job, things are so different here and it is a very difficult adjustment to the living conditions. Probably the hardest thing to deal with is the bathroom and shower issue. The heat is also an issue. While it is not nearly as hot as we anticipated, especially today after the rain, it is still fairly hot and humid, and there is no escape from it. Dealing with all of these things can make it difficult to keep a good attitude. The kids are doing good so far, so please keep praying that we can put our personal discomforts aside in order to really focus on our mission.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-75154910594442661762009-06-22T15:51:00.003-04:002009-06-22T16:10:05.391-04:00Arrival in Ghana<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHpYxOtsWKbSVcl7IL9DI7L_42eFNNby9ApTOnYbyZPX0SDWT2pSsLv7WvlDW389SBONXgJEixpXfoB83mp77q0RWZFVE-g5pz2xEjEP1k8CqDNw9EHIzkBu9G6lnS8RjVr6lZKAfLi4h/s1600-h/IMG_1643.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350246592458489234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHpYxOtsWKbSVcl7IL9DI7L_42eFNNby9ApTOnYbyZPX0SDWT2pSsLv7WvlDW389SBONXgJEixpXfoB83mp77q0RWZFVE-g5pz2xEjEP1k8CqDNw9EHIzkBu9G6lnS8RjVr6lZKAfLi4h/s320/IMG_1643.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxTZsEYpSwsfwuzTFakl_0n9dOExTeCawWNTWcmcXOo2k77j9onlcPH5yWbGvGVfsFRwS3lLUpkA3ApCcHL4qAzarasjTyVx8IymlJ3wgHnhyyvI3zjZ4_9XuyqkOQr9gjl0juNjpnnV5/s1600-h/IMG_1644.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350245295056170786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxTZsEYpSwsfwuzTFakl_0n9dOExTeCawWNTWcmcXOo2k77j9onlcPH5yWbGvGVfsFRwS3lLUpkA3ApCcHL4qAzarasjTyVx8IymlJ3wgHnhyyvI3zjZ4_9XuyqkOQr9gjl0juNjpnnV5/s320/IMG_1644.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The GBC Ghana team has arrived in Accra! Every step of the process was smooth sailing. God answered so many of our prayers. No waiting at Dulles, straight through check-in process and security. In Frankfurt, one of the 10 largest in the world, we arrived at gate B22 and only had to walk a few steps to gate B26 for our connection. We were able to have devotions and pray together in Frankfurt during our layover. The security guard at Nina's office is from Ghana, and contacted a friend who works at the airport in Accra to meet us and help us through customs. Upon arriving in Accra, Mr. Sanni was waiting there to meet us, and took care of all our paperwork, helped us gather our luggage, walked us right past customs, helped Kurt and the guys load our bus, and said he'd be waiting to help us for our flight home. Every single piece of luggage arrived safely. Peggy - thanks for the prayers; the fruit and vegetables were undamaged! Blessing after blessing was revealed to us. Kurt and Barb brought their daughters Hannah and Sarah, plus Pastor George, a college student, and four of the Ghanaian youth to meet us. Steven has already made an attachment to Jonnie, and Mikey has a new best friend, Daniel. The kids are tired, will go to bed early tonight. Breakfast at 7:30 am and off to Helekpe shortly thereafter!</div></div>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710156096408322830.post-78494749594644124562009-06-20T17:04:00.000-04:002009-06-20T17:11:18.086-04:00Final Countdown...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2VfQl6vmOJGiO7VTnZgeyD8r92EJC1drKtCZaaHsMACRH2NciwJDh8H82veIMn29niIyovgWMxNAzMGCv2B42z7Rk8BPR1HCX40V9SdAcEu6xxlZBK3MvF3MkUa6Y0Xoe_Q7zlO4P-HY/s1600-h/DSC_0136.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349520338946300706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2VfQl6vmOJGiO7VTnZgeyD8r92EJC1drKtCZaaHsMACRH2NciwJDh8H82veIMn29niIyovgWMxNAzMGCv2B42z7Rk8BPR1HCX40V9SdAcEu6xxlZBK3MvF3MkUa6Y0Xoe_Q7zlO4P-HY/s320/DSC_0136.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It is hard to believe that the GBC Ghana team leaves tomorrow! It seemed so far away when we first started planning last fall. Time has certainly flown by. Still plenty left to do, which is why this post will be so short. Check back often for updates on how the Lord is using us as we serve the Mathews!</div>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00454450318281765197noreply@blogger.com