Poverty

Sometimes poverty is difficult to grasp when it’s such a far cry from the comfort and ease of the places we call home. Sometimes the idea of 22 percent unemployment leaves you speechless. This whole concept and what we can do about it is something that I have thought much about and struggled with for a long time, but even more so being here. Strangely enough I keep being brought back to a handful of lyrics from a couple different songs that coincide with scripture. Just something to think about…

Solution – Hillsong United
“It is not a human right to stare not fight, while broken nations dream. Open up our eyes so blind that we might find the Mercy for the need! It is not too far a cry, too much to try to help the least of these. Politics will not decide if we should rise and be Your hands and feet!

Singing, hey now fill our hearts with your compassion. Hey now as we hold to our confession. God be the solution, we will be your hands and be your feet…

Only You can mend the broken heart, and cause the blind to see, erase complete the sinners past and set the captives free. Only You can take the widow's cry and cause her heart to sing, Be a Father to the fatherless, our Savior and our King. We will be Your hands, we will be Your feet, we will run this race for the least of these. In the darkest place, we will be Your light, we will be Your light!”


And believe it or not:

Man In the Mirror – Michael Jackson
I’m gonna make a change for once in my life.
It’s gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference, gonna make it right.

As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat this wind is blowing my mind
I see the kids in the street without enough to eat.
Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their need?

A summer’s disregard, a broken bottle top, and one man’s soul,
They follow each other on the wind you know, cause they got nowhere to go.
That’s why I want you to know…

I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways.
And no message could have been any clearer: If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change!

I’ve been a victim of a selfish kind of love, it’s time that I realize.
There are some with no home, not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me, pretending that they’re not alone?
A widow deeply scarred, somebody’s broken heart, and a washed out dream.
They follow the pattern of the wind you see, cause they’ve got no place to be.
That’s why I’m starting with ME!


Please pray this week for Christian, who is an incredibly handsome 14-year old boy from the Volta Region of Ghana. From his positive attitude and huge smile, you would find it hard to believe that he was formerly enslaved in the Trokosi traditions, his father being a Trokosi priest. He has come so far and exudes such a joy that you are simply drawn to him! Lift him up this week, praising God for the young boy that he is and for the young man that he will soon become.

Love,
Lindsay

Tricks and Treats!

Well friends, on Monday of this week I experienced a setback as far as the progress of my students. As usual, we have been getting a lot of rain, but this day we could see the clouds very dark and low in the sky for the majority of the morning. Reminding you of the fact that I teach in an open activity center with a tin roof and no walls, you can only imagine the kind of work that is (or is not) completed during times of rain. However, this particular day not only did we lose valuable class time, but a lot of our supplies as well. Sure enough at about 1:30, the rain came pouring down. Combined with the wind, the rain more or less flew in sideways through the activity center, showering my class, all of our textbooks, and many of the notebooks we use for exam notes. I was so frustrated! It wasn’t like we had much to begin with, and now what we did have was either damaged or ruined! I stood there soaked and defeated.

The next morning, I was able to gain some perspective on my situation as my devotional referred to the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with just a few loaves and fish. At first glance I thought little of it since it was a story that I had heard a “million” times and I “obviously” knew everything about it. But after a little thought I realized the stupidity of my assumption and discovered much more. I so often limit God by not truly believing that He can do all He promises to do. If He was able to feed 5,000 hungry people with very little food, who am I to say that He can’t simply help educate 15 eager students with very little supplies? The rest of the week went well and much was accomplished with very little. Praise Him!

Other highlights of the week included teaching some of the boys how to play baseball, having a candlelit dinner club with our older kids due to power outages, trick or treating as ghosts at the other missionary’s homes, and enjoying our second of many dance parties in the dining hall (it would have made my roommates so proud)!

To finish, Bernice is our woman of the week! She is a beautiful 15 year old girl who is very gifted academically and has read nearly every book that I brought with me! Additionally, she displays a sincerity in her faith and a passion for her Savior that is unmatched by any girl her age that I have ever met, and even more so than most adults. Please lift her up this week, praising God for her life and asking him to utilize those gifts that she has been blessed with.

Love,
Lindsay

Facing the Waves

It is true that God chooses to speak to his children through a variety of avenues. He may choose to reveal Himself through a piece of art, literature, or music, through His creation, or even in silence. I have never in my life experienced His majesty so great though, as I have here through the lives of these kids. I am constantly being taught more and more about the character of God through tiny moments with the children.

This week at the beach was just as amazing as I had hoped. The kids were well behaved and we all had a blast. Besides sparing the Obrunis from our sunburns, we couldn’t have asked for anything more! There was one peculiar behavior that I noticed was common among all the children though. They all stayed in only inches of water and flopped around enjoying themselves wildly, remaining where they were comfortable, fearing the unknown. However, I decided to take one child at a time further out into larger waves. I have never felt such an unyielding grip on my arms as I did when they saw a wave, bigger than they were used to, heading towards us. There were seconds of terror followed by shouts of laughter and glee! All the while, the grip on my arms never loosened. After those first couple waves, they had full trust in me that I would not let them go. That is real faith! Clinging to the only one who can keep you from harm and trusting that they know what is best for you. More eloquently put, Oswald Chambers said, “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the one who is leading.”

Hebrews chapter 11 tells countless stories of regular people who, by faith, “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions , quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength” (33-34). However, it also tells stories of numerous others who “were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection” (35). I pray that, while we may be clueless as to what our futures have in store, we will press on with full faith in our Creator, facing the waves and clinging tight to His arm!

This week, the child I want to share with you about is one that I have been particularly drawn to. His name is Stephen and he is 11 years old. He is an extremely lively and passionate boy with great artistic ability, leadership, and an unbelievable stubborn streak! Somehow I have been able to fight stubbornness with stubbornness and connect with him in a rewarding little friendship. He is very dear to me because I see that if his energy is directed at something positive, he has incredible potential! Please pray that God will continue to bless our friendship and guide him as he develops his various talents!

Thanks!

Love,
Lindsay

Break Time!

I am writing today having just completed the first half of the first term of my school year here at Haven of Hope! Only 4 more to go! I can’t believe how fast the time is going and can’t possibly comprehend how difficult it is going to be to leave these kids when the time comes. It has been such a joy, in just the two short months that we have been here, to see each one of the children begin to display their individual personalities with their funny quirks and attitudes. Even though the time has gone quickly, it has not been easy. This coming week we are receiving a much needed rest from the daily frustrations, the ups and downs of being in the classroom with these needy children!

School will be not be in session for the midterm break this coming week and we will have a chance to relax and do some fun things with the kids. One thing in particular, I am just as excited about as they are. On Wednesday, we are taking a trek to the beach! I am looking so forward to enjoying one of God’s most awe inspiring creations with them, some of whom have never seen the ocean before. It will be an amazing time of soccer playing, swimming, learning, and worship… and I can’t wait. And because I can’t wait, I have already begun preparations for our grand adventure. How? You may ask. Well, by painting all of the girls toenails of course! For the past few days in the afternoon, I have become the town pedicurist and I have enjoyed every tiny toe! It has been a great time to spend with the girls, pampering them and reassuring them that they are beautiful, loved by me and by God! They have just been eating it up, enjoying the one on one time and showing off their freshly colored toes to anyone who cares to listen. I know that I have enjoyed the one on one time just as much though. Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said, “The soul is healed by being with children”, and I think he nailed it! The sound of their laughter and the joyous chatter between themselves somehow helps to bring clarity to your thoughts, and delight to your heart.

Finally, this week’s child is Georgina. She is a gorgeous 10 year old girl who is a talented artist with a gentle spirit. She is a quiet leader among the girls and I pray that she will continue to grow spiritually and academically, setting a great example for the other children!

Thanks!

Love,
Lindsay

Let That Be Enough

Some moments in time stick out in your mind much more than others. It always seems that those moments, no matter how far removed from the present they become, are never any less vivid as you replay them in your head. This week, I experienced several of those moments, but the circumstances of one seemed especially precious. On Wednesday night, Elise and I headed to the boys dorm to read their nightly story. Only a couple of minutes after stepping foot in their room at about 7:30, the lights turned off for the evening. We thought about just waiting until the next evening, but due to the desperate pleas of the boys, decided to read the chapter by the light of a torch (what they call a flashlight). It was Elise’s turn to read, so I took my place along one of the other walls and was instantly surrounded by little white eyes and bright white smiles amidst the darkness. The boys in particular are always affectionate, but the extent to which they longed to be right by my side was greater than usual. As she began to read, some placed their heads on my legs, my hands, my shoulders, and stomach. They just wanted to be near, to be held, to be loved. One of the boys actually took my arm and placed it around his shoulders so my hand rested gently on his chest. I couldn’t decide whether I should cry out of joy at the privilege of being with these kids, or cry out of sorrow at the fact that the reason these boys longed to be touched so badly is because it was something they were deprived of for so long. I still don’t know which reason it was, but my eyes welled up and eventually streamed down, landing on one of the boy’s cheeks. He didn’t move. Neither did anyone else. All of them had fallen fast asleep.

Needless to say, I have been learning a lot since my arrival here. One of the lessons I keep being brought back to, is what it means to really rest in Him and not need anything more. I think that moment on the evening of October 8th was a beautiful picture of the contentment that can be found in Christ. Those boys wanted nothing from me, but to be near me. They didn’t ask for anything, not even a back rub or a blanket. They simply nuzzled themselves as close as they could and rested. I mean really rested. The Psalmist writes “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him” (62:5). Being literally hurled out of my comfort zone, there has been little to find rest in. My friends and family are many miles away and my intellect, abilities, and even my college education continually leave me longing. Thankfully, after my many failed attempts at success by my own might, I crawl back to Him and find a place to lay my head on His shoulder. There I find rest. It is only there that I find hope.

“Let me know that you hear me
Let me know your touch
Let me know that you love me
And let that be enough”
~Switchfoot

This week’s kid is the oldest boy at our home. His name is Sylvester and he is 14 years old, but cannot read at all. For most of his life, he worked small jobs on the street and tried hard to survive along with his siblings. As can be imagined, school was never really a priority. He is a passionate and caring boy who has big dreams and aspirations. He often talks of his goal to be a lawyer one day, but right now we are starting small. Please pray that progress in his academic subjects would be quick as he has much catching up to do, but more importantly that he will not lose hope in the process!

Please also continue to pray for Abdul as we attempt to contact authorities and social welfare in order to locate his father and bring about his return.

Thanks!

Love,
Lindsay

(we are now becoming recognized faces in many of the places we frequent, so the cries to Obruni are heard less often)