Folks, I'm not sure there are sufficient words to describe how I am feeling. My heart has been ripped from my body and planted here in Ghana. As Rev James (RJ) said in a sermon, "For MamaAnita, there is no Ghana without Logba Tota."
Wanna take a trip to the mountain top? Wanna talk about GOD taking you to another level? Wanna talk about a peace that surpasses all understanding? WOW!!!!!
That's what we've named this three-day, two-night mission trip to Logba Tota. The WOW mission! Everybody is just saying WOW! A lot of unexpected spiritual highs were experienced by all. I mean, laid out on the floor, laughing uncontrollably, praise and worship at a level that is as near to what heaven MUST be like as I have ever experienced in nearly 30,000 miles of travels from S.E. Asia, accross the Pacific, coast to coast in the USA and now here, accross the Atlantic in Ghana at a hilltop village called "Logba Tota."
I will NEVER be the same and I will miss this place Always!
We started out late as I indicated in my last blog post. We visited the dam that provides most of the power to the entire country of Ghana. Fascinating info on the tour and beautiful vistas of Lake Volta.
We arrived at Kpeve (k-PEV-ey) and worshipped at a CHNM church plant just two years old, led by Pastor Johnson. The church met in a tent constructed from wooden poles and plastic tarps with one light buld hanging. Drums and everybody, (lots of kids) singing. Anita and I preached again, interpreted by Pastor Johnson. RJ got everybody fired up as the Spirit hit him and we made it to our lodging for the night.
Which had HOT WATER !!!!!!!
It was the first warm shower we've had this trip. RJ's house has not had the hot water heaters installed yet and the water has not been tepid but down right cold. Not to fear though, they will be ready for when you join us next yer!
The next morning we had our brought-along Sweet Bread, Jam, Milo, Cappucino and my favorite Pineapple! I'm telling you folks, the pineapple here is not only incredibly inexpensive, but superbly delicious. Better than in Hawaii. And these people are sure to please you at home and in the field. Usually we would have a woman along to cook, but this time, Richie did all the cooking with some help from Ben. Both very good men indeed!
Interesting that I say that because when Anita and I went to Hawaii to be married, I shared wiht her my Spiritual birthplace and it is as beautiful land as I've ever seen and the people so near to my heart. I just "Feel" home there.
Well, Anita has always told me about things here and I've had no real idea what she was "Really" saying. Now I do, and you too will need to come here and "Experience" Ghana, especially Logba to know what I mean. I've always found it interesting that from a tiny island in the middle of the pacific that Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay is having an effect on the rest of the world for the kingdom. And now I find a similar mission occuring from the remote village in the hills of Ghana. At Christ Harvests in Logba Tota, they are planting churches and leading missions and praying and worshipping and sending out and discipling and having an effect that is rippling through mankind for the kingdom all the way around the world. RJ goes to the Netherlands and we lead teams here from the USA. Man-o-Man, I'm telling ya', it's sooooo "WOW!"
Three hours after leaving home we made it to our first village that we were to see about putting in a well, named Adigbo Tornu (pronounced an-di-BO-ton). Incredible, have I used that word yet? probably have and will more :o) !!!!!!! WOW !!!
This tiny and very remote village is near a river. The people literally live in mud huts with thatched roofs. The kids attend school in a similar dwelling with half-high walls and slate or plastic for black boards melded into the mud wall that separates the age groups. Some donated old desks that were used somewhere in the 1930's maybe. It really makes you think about how good you have it in an indistrialized country that provides a free education. These kids have to pay for their uniform and for the schooling.
We met with the Chief and Elders, as is custom and after the general greetings and politenesses, we got down to the how's and why's of intentionally being there. I told them I am there as a reuslt of prayer and if they wanted for us to be able to place a well in their village, they would need to keep us in prayer. They whole-heartedly agreed.
This village is very much in need of a well. They oftend suffer blood in their urine from drinking water from the stream. The entire village looked on as we discussed needs and wants and prayed. The children were very self disciplined and polite. We passed out candy and each one gave a sincere thank you in English. I "Believe" in my heart that GOD going to meet the need for this, no wait, GOD is going to "Exceed" the need for this village and we will see them again.
Please seek GOD if you're to accompany us next year. I promise you, you'll never be the same.
So, after a lunch of rice, beef in a spicy tomato-based sauce and some pineapple, we went on to another village with a long and difficult to pronounce name: Goviefe Kowuu (go-VEE-peh kow, more or less). It is much larger and more modern. I personally felt, this much larger community should utilize rain capturing methods in the interim while we see if we can obtain a $6900 sponsor for a well here. They have buildings that rain is running off of that could be contained and used. They showed us that the stream bed of their forefathers had dried up and they dug a hole to capture rain water but it is not deep enough. It is muddy and mosquitos are breeding in it. Malaria is so common here it's like the flu virus back home but it feels like pneumonia. Deathly no fun.
We packed up and headed for Logba. About a 45 minute drive, up, up and further up. GOD lives there. It is breathtakingly beautiful. We unpacked and rested from the long day, ate some supper and prepared for a night at the first daughter church plant of CHNM (Christ Harvests the Nations Ministry). We had to drive down and accross shallow ravine, then up to a village from Chief Takyi's Eagles Nest named "Fount Hill" on top of a hill where you can survey all Logba's villages. The chief told me, "As far as you can see, is mine. You point and it's yours." I was floored. He was absolutely serious.
We arrived at the church and the praise & worship began in this tiny wooden structure with a galvenized / corrugated metal roof with one flourescent light. The drums started and I remmebered Anita writing about them in her book and recalling them many times in conversations with me. I really had no idea until now what she was trying to say.
Two girls joined the drums with a hand held dried gourd that has a net around it with buttons on it, called "Shakeres" making a rattling noise in perfect timing. People began to move about and dance. The women, some with babies tied to their backs. (I have lots of video of all this to share, so please invite us to come and speak at your church or for your group as we will love experiencing it over and over.) We'll probably make some DVD's to raise funds for these wells.
The drums and dancing and shakeres rattling blended perfectly with voices lifted intensified and you were unable to NOT joine the dancing. You found yourself lost in a "Tribal" process in side of you, like early mankind, giving thanks for enjoying life in the favor of the Lord.
I'll Never forget it and will look forward to returning here to do it again and again and see their faces and pray and worship with them until late into the night. WOW !!! I'm laughing as I type this, an uncontrollable and joyful laugh that reflects the Spirit as I feel it's warmth and my eyes mist and my heart aches to run, run, run until I reach the summit of this place. It's people. It's incredible life os worship and thanksgiving. It's genuine refelction of the Father through Jesus in their every action. WOW !!
Anita and I preached again and RJ got everybody fired up again and asked for one more song and we danced AGAIN !!! WOW !!
A good nights' rest and the some breakfast of bread & jam with Cappucino or Milo or Tea and some Pineapple! Yea Pineapple !
We had a mid-morning leadership meeting that took us into the afternoon. This meeting was about the direction that RJ feels GOD is leading them. He was all in the book of Acts, much like Ralph Moore. It was great. There were about 16 of us in a tiled floor living room. We listened and we prayed and we sang and asked for the Holy Spirit to come and we apologized for being in the way and we surrendered EVERYTHING. People began to hit the floor, there was singing and laughing and crying and toungues and it was WOW! It just lingered and I wondered when it would end but never wanted it to leave. I felt led to wash their feet, but I was reluctant to leave the room and disturb any one amidst thier worship and I didn't want to lose the fire we were in!
But I obeyed and returned with a huge bowl of water, soap, and towels, placed strategically outside the door of the room. When the worship cooled down, eyes still closed, gentle singing still praising HIS name, I brought in the bowl and began to wash their feet. People were crying with tears streaming down their faces and I prayed and gave thanks for the vessel of Jesus' love that they each are and for their safety with boldness to share the testimony of Christ in their lives.
It was an intense meeting with people sharing visions and messages from the Lord they'd recived along the way. One man said as he came up the hill to the house, he saw a vision of feet being washed and had no idea it would be his that would be washed. This moved him deeply and confirmed a feeling he'd had about joining CHNM to serve along side a people he feels to be authentically seeking the Spirit's guidance. Some women who were in attendance and quite submissive (common in this society) also spoke and it was great stuff. A lot of folks were scrambling (afterwards) to write down what had happened to them. No cameras no cell phones, no instruments, other than our voices, no traffic noises, nothing but... WOW !!
Then we ate. FuFu !! WOW !! I loved it !!! It's made from the Casava plant, a tubor/root with white flesh. They peel, clean, boil and then pound it in a wooden bowl with what resembles a baseball bat. Old women with a rhythm that causes you to feel it deeper than you knew existed inside you. Somehow bring once again a link to early man and primitive ways that work the way it was meant to.
Fufu, is a ball-shaped (I'll post pictures later of all this stuff) gooey/douhgy like starchy food that is placed in a bowl of some soup. Ours was with a gifted goat. And though Anita wanted no part of it, she tried it years ago, I LOVED IT !!
FUFU Rocks !! And that goat soup, OMG !!!! Totally, incredibly, absolutely the best food I've had here and anywhere, including my own cooking. You think I really dig this stuff?
Ya know every time we eat, RJ and I are served first, most times Anita is with us, not on this occassion though. She waited for the yams, and hash/stew. RJ and I just about went for super-uncomfortable and we ate fingerful after finger full.
Yes we use our hands to eat this and most stuff. They do and I do, because I want to experience cultures, sights, sounds and smells of new places.
After this we visited a village elder. A sweet and gentle soul who has dedicated his life to serving the Lord in this community and we laid hands on and prayed for his healing. He has developed a problem with his walking. He still hobbles about with a staff. His family is lovely and their faces, in their humble surroundings, reveal peace in Christ. What a joy to have met them and Anita remembered their son, who has Down Syndrome son from previous trips her. He's now a joyfully pleasant young man. You shoulda seen him dancing the night before at the church with his face all lit up!
It's been a journey and I need a shower and some rest. I promise to get some photos and another video or two posted.
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I'm not the same, I never will be. I have a task. You're part of it.
You're all in my heart and in my prayers, I love each of you and I pray for you and I give thanks for you.
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Thank you Tam and Jamie for your encouraging words, as you follw our journey through this blog.
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I couldn't sleep, I'm still WOW'd, so as I promised, some pics -
This is a video of some AWESOME worship in Logba Tota!
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Tomorrow -
We're taking the grand kids, Richie's kids, lil' Anita and Christabel and Jr. to the beach tomorrow and getting ice cream !
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Peace Out --
David Lee Waters Sr.,
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