Sharing Jesus with a soccer ball

POP! HISSSSSSSSS…..

I felt the pop beneath my feet more than I actually heard it. And by the sound and the reaction of the driver, I knew it was not good.

Kofi (the driver) eased the bus to a stop, got out, and took a look. The bus had blown a compressor -- needed to operate the brakes.

So there we were, stranded on a muddy, pot-holed road, right beside the Tema dump.

Why were we there? Read on….

********

It rained a lot in the night, and the skies this morning were overcast. An intermittent mist of rain kept the air and everything else quite damp. Our team slept in; our original plans to travel to Keta had to be changed. So after breakfast we developed “Plan B” -- we wanted to return to the dump.

Christine & Auntie Aggie packed a light lunch of pb&j sandwiches, bananas, and bottled water. We boarded the bus, and headed off across town. Many of our teammates play soccer -- a couple of them played in college -- and yesterday they had purchased some brand new soccer balls. It was time to try them out!

We arrived at the dump. Kids remembered our visit earlier this week, and began to cluster around. A few adults joined them. We all walked to the big field where the kids play their games. It didn’t take long before there were plenty of folks to make up two teams. GAME ON!!!

Soon the air was filled with the sounds of cheers, clapping, laughter, and pounding feet as the Americans vs. Ghana Mission Match was played! One particularly impressive player was a fellow playing goalie. He was deeply into the game, and worked hard to block the opposing team’s attempts to score. Julia & John asked if he went to school. He answered yes, that he attended Jerusalem Gates -- he is one of Waters Edge Ministries sponsored kids.

Final score: Ghana 2, USA 1. It was a great game!

Dottie drew a hopscotch game in the wet dirt and soon several kids were playing hopscotch, using a flattened plastic bottle as a marker. David & I talked with some of the residents of the dump (more on their stories will come at a later time).

David & John trekked over to take a look at the main dump area. People scrambled for the trash as it poured from the backs of the dump trucks. They grappled for items they might use or recycle as the garbage poured over their heads. Acrid smoke hung in the air. Goats and pigs rooted in the piles of refuse alongside the humans. Birds circled overhead.

Soon, it was time for us to go. The team shared lollipops with the children, then we boarded the bus to leave. As the bus doors closed, many of the kids who’d played soccer gathered around. They were asking us a question in Twi , so we asked Richie to translate for us. They wanted to know if we wanted the soccer balls back. When we told them it was theirs to keep, they cheered and waved.

Our bus lurched out of the dump village area, and turned back toward town. We hadn’t gone very far when the compressor blew. We were right beside the edge of one of the dump mountains. Kofi (our driver) put on a long jacket to protect his clothing, rolled out a mat underneath the bus, grabbed some tools and went to work. Richie flagged down a small van, and half of our crew got on it and rode to the church, where they ate some of the picnic lunch the ladies packed for us.

A youth meeting was in progress, and Christi and Dottie gave a program there on evangelism.

Meanwhile, back on the bus, the rest of us waited, hoping for another van to come get us. Kofi continued to work on the bus. We couldn’t open the windows because of the flies; it was really kind of hot and sticky. Each time the doors opened, flies swarmed inside the bus. Soon the guys began a fly-killing contest.

FWAP! “That’s 32 for me!” FWAP!! “No way! I’ve got 35” FWAP!! “Three in one! That gives me 41!” And so it went. For the record, John Cromer is champion fly killer, with a whopping 50 flies! Bobby Brown and Joe Chen were runners-up!

After a while, Emmanuel (another friend from the church) arrived with two taxis to pick us up. We got off the bus and into the cabs -- then Kofi let us know he’d repaired the bus! THANK GOD!! Off to the church we headed -- we wanted some pb&j sandwiches too!

Once Christi & Dottie finished their program, the group hit the streets to share about Jesus. Four people accepted Christ today in Community 4, Tema, and we are thankful for their lives and looking forward to seeing them at church tomorrow.

David, Richie, & I attempted to find a battery to purchase -- we need it for the new water purification system we are installing next week. However, many of the stalls and shops were closed and we could not get the kind we needed. We’ll just have to pick it up Monday before we head to the Volta region.

At the end of the day, we had Dinner for dinner. Yep -- goat and fufu, on the table when we walked in. Most of the folks tried the fufu. The ladies also served rice, salad, and fresh fruit.

*****

As I think back over the day, I see many things that transcend the barriers of race, language, age, nationality, color, and creed:

• A smile
• A handshake
• A rousing game of “futbol” (soccer)
• The playful laughter of children playing
• An appreciation for a job well done
• Genuine interest in someone just because you want to know them
• A sharing of beliefs and our personal “God stories”
• A prayer in any language
• A prayer request in any language

Each one of us has the potential to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. Each one of us has different talents and gifts; different ways of expressing our feelings and beliefs; different purposes ordained by God. We who are followers of Christ may have different ways, different tactics to accomplish these purposes, and sometimes we might even disagree about some things. But ultimately, we are all concerned and charged with sharing the Gospel with others. Sometimes we share with others who are also believers, in order to encourage them. And others, we share with non-believers so that they also might feel the joy and passion that a surrendered heart can bring.

In Jesus’ name, we press on….

(written by Anita, 7.10.10)

Hitting the ground running!

July 7, 2010

The photos from Wednesday's activities were posted earlier -- here's a bit of what we did that day! (I am posting this to both blogs, Silver Lining and Waters Edge Ministries.)

After a night of trying to sleep off jet-lag, we feasted on a huge breakfast of rice water (mmm my favorite!), bread and jam, and fresh pineapple. Our group’s morning devotion included some tips about evangelizing from Christi, who works with Campus Crusade for Christ.

Our first stop was at the Tema dump. Something new I noticed was a thick brick wall, several feet high had been erected around parts of the dump; We were told that families were being “discouraged” from moving there with small children -- but there are many kids living there anyway. Christ Harvests the Nations had requested permission for us to visit with some of the residents prior to our arrival. However -- someone contacted the local police when they saw a busload of American obrunis wandering around. Within minutes of our arrival, we were visited by three officers, clad in blue/gray camoflage. Richard and Ben talked with them a few moments, explained the purposes of our visit and that we’d obtained permission to be there, and they eventually waved us on.

It does not take long for children to give in to their curiosity and begin following us. A small sackful of lollipops or “toffees” brought smiles to their faces. Zach and Sydney helped the kids tear open the packages so they could enjoy the sticky sweetness of the suckers. I think they made some friends for life!

We recognized one boy as a child we’d seen at Jerusalem Gates, and we asked him about his mother. He shortly brought her to speak with us, with another small child holding her hand and a baby on her back. She said her son had attended school, but lately money and transportation to and from the school had been a problem. It is families such as this that tug at the heart. The little boy wants to go to school -- but they lack the resources to make that entirely possible.

Soon the group of children had grown into a fair-sized team -- literally! They led us to a large open field and soon a rousing soccer match was in full play! Our girls Julia and Christi were OUTSTANDING!! Soon laughter filled the air as the kids and our team members ran up and down the field, kicking the ball, cheering for each other whenever goals were made or blocked.

Our time at the dump flew by fast -- we made our way back to the bus, followed by a handful of the children and some of the mothers. The team brought long, skinny balloons and much to the delight of the kids, they twisted them into animal shapes -- dogs, elephants, giraffes -- and gave them to the kids. Pastor John Cromer shared some cookies with kids before we all loaded back into the bus and waved goodbye.

It is sobering to see the vivid evidence of “needs vs. wants” and as we leave, each of us carry in our minds images of the life we’ve witnessed here. Amidst the smoke, the grayness, the ashes, the piles of refuse trucked in from across the city -- there are yet touches of God’s grace. The laughter of children fills the air; a mother’s face shows pride in her children; a colorful butterfly drifts through the air. And I am reminded of God’s promise to give us beauty for ashes.

******

We drove to the home of Bishop James Godlly and his wife Mary. After lunch, we walked across the road to a local school, Manye Foundation. While David and Rev. James and I met with the headmaster to talk about educating some of the kids at the dump, our teammates spent some time in the classrooms, talking with the kids, sharing more balloon animals, and seeing what life in a Ghanaian school might be like. Joe soon had a couple of the classes shouting “GO GAMECOCKS!” and “WE WANT A TOUCHDOWN!” He drew a picture of an American football (as opposed to their “football“ -- which is a soccer ball) on the board for them!

The team spent some time in Community 25 with Emmanuel, evangelizing in the area. Sharing their testimonies, hearing other testimonies, helps us all to realize that we are all God‘s children no matter the circumstances of our birth, our color, our nationality, or our economic status.

*****

Big bowls of spaghetti, rice, meat sauce, steamed vegetables, and fresh mangos were on the table when we arrived back at the house. Delicious!!! We ate, freshened up a bit, then headed to church for the Wednesday night service.

Christ Harvests the Nations is growing and moving. When they began worshipping together, they met in a field in Tema. After much prayer, they were able to begin renting part of a building in Community 4, sharing it with a small clothing manufacturer. Eventually, they leased all of the building. From this home base, Bishop Godlly trained many pastors, and as a result there are several small churches throughout Ghana that have been established . Again, after much prayer, they acquired some land in Comm. 25 Tema, and are working on erecting their own permanent church building on that site.

Tonight’s service was held in the old Comm. 4 site, and I was glad to see many familiar faces among the worshippers there. We introduced our teammates and each of them gave a brief greeting before our own Pastor John Cromer brought the message. He reminded us that God’s love is freely available, freely given, and available to ALL -- and that while the Gift of Love is wonderful, the GIVER of that love is even better!

We ended the service singing praises -- what a glorious way to wind up our day!

Blessings from Anita & David and Ghana Team 2010!