Merry Christmas!

As I write this now, small beads of sweat are building up on my face and the closest thing to a Christmas tree is the green construction paper that is taped to our wall. Instead of being near friends and family, I am surrounded by 45 little black kids which 4 months ago were strangers, but now feel like my own. By all typical standards, it does not “feel” like Christmas. However, in many ways, separated from the inundation of the commercialization of the holidays in America, it feels more like Christmas than ever. The calm atmosphere of our remote village, the animals everywhere, the innocence of the children, the warm weather, and the brightness of the stars are all great indications of what it might have been like that first Christmas night. I am thankful for this new perspective I have been given on a holiday whose very origin defines my faith. That being said, please understand that I do not think that decorations, sugar cookies, and shopping are terrible things; we have strung snowflakes from the ceilings, poured sprinkles on doughy reindeers, and were able to purchase a variety of gifts for the children, thanks to the generosity of people at home. The only issue arises when their emphasis minimizes the importance of the baby in a manger. Needless to say, despite those that I miss at home, I am so appreciative of the opportunity to share in this Christmas season with these kids I cherish so much!

This week I ask that you pray for Bless, our second oldest in the home, at 16. I introduced her to you only a couple of weeks ago as she joined us on our excursion to the Volta Region. She is energetic, sarcastic, and has the most contagious laughter! In addition, she thoroughly enjoys attacking and tickling me until I can hardly breathe. I have loved getting to know this amazing girl and look forward to Christmas morning with her and the rest of the family!

Now…

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Love,
Lindsay

Success?

This week I fully intended to write a blog inviting you all to a huge pity party I was throwing for myself. After administering the student’s final exams this week I was ultimately very frustrated; however, on Thursday night I got a glimpse of my real purpose here and was again reminded of all that I have to be thankful for and those once insurmountable aggravations were quickly forgotten.

Every Thursday evening in November and December, we have been teaching the kids Christmas songs in the hopes that they may perform them for their mothers if they are able to visit during the holiday season. This week, after feeling emotionally drained and not desiring to teach a new song at all, I trudged down to the dining hall and set up the stereo. My spirits were lifted somewhat as I began to read them the words to “Do You Hear What I Hear”, traditionally one of my favorites. But the real joy came when I watched them sing the words themselves. Encircled by such beautiful children enthusiastically singing about the goodness and light that is brought to us by a sleeping child was more fulfilling than anything I could have asked for. Witnessing that was more rewarding to me than if every student of mine had passed their exams! I suppose I should learn to evaluate success by the standards of the Lord and the knowledge of His love, rather than the standards of the world such as wealth, fame..… and grades.

I want to introduce you to and ask for prayer for Bismark. I guess it is fitting that he be yet another one of my students! He really is a joy and I love him dearly, but he is an 8 year old boy and would much prefer running around catching lizards or playing hot wheels to sitting in school. When forced to sit in class however, he excels in math. He and Richmond are the dynamic duo in P3 and never allow for a dull moment in my class!

I am thinking of you all this Christmas season.

Love,
Lindsay

The REST of the Big Picture

Last weekend I spent a few days traveling through a part of eastern Ghana called the Volta Region. It is in this region as well as other parts of West Africa including Togo and Benin, that the practice of Trokosi slavery is widespread. It is this region that four of our children at Haven of Hope used to call home.

Trokosi is a belief system in which entire villages believe in and worship a variety of gods. However, in addition to idol worship, this religion requires that in order to atone for sins and appease the gods, one must offer a child, preferably a virgin daughter to the Trokosi priest over the local shrine. That child is then enslaved for a lifetime, at the will and whim of the priest. They are his, for work or for pleasure. There are hundreds of these shrines throughout West Africa, but thanks to the concern and efforts of Every Child Ministries and its full time employees in the Volta Region, three shrines have agreed to the liberation of their slaves just in the past few years and another is being negotiated at this time, hoping for another liberation ceremony in the summer of 2009!

As I mentioned, four of our children come from this region of the country and our mission last weekend, at their request, was to take them to their former homes in order to greet what may remain of their families. While each reunion had its own unique circumstance, their commonality was a lack of attachment, emotion, and love in each instance. As we passed from Sogokopie to Aflau over countless rivers and through soaring coconut trees, I began to ask myself what it was that made these reunions different from those we had witnessed previously in Accra. As much as I tried to avoid the Sunday school answer, it was the only answer that made any sense. The difference was God. Even though they have struggled through poverty, prostitution, and despair, many of the mothers in the streets of Accra know God and believe in the sacrifice of His son. These families in the Volta Region, who participate in an idol worshipping, child enslaving religion completely devoid of the knowledge of the one true God, know nothing of love because God is love. Today I ask that you pray for ECM and its employees in the Volta Region ministering daily to those trapped in the Trokosi traditions, that they may radiate Christ’s love in a land where there is very little.

Additionally, I ask that you pray for our child of the week, or in this case, children. Grace is a 17 year old girl with a beautiful one year old baby boy named Seyram. She and her baby accompanied us on our venture to the east. Once a Trokosi slave herself, she now bares the scars of her tribe etched on her face, a constant reminder of her thorny past. Please pray the she will be able to see herself as a desirable young woman and not something that has been simply used and discarded. Pray that she will be encouraged as she cares for her child and sees the miracle of life that she has been blessed with.

Thanks!

Love,
Yevu (the word for white girl in yet another tribal language of Ghana!)