Thyonomys swinderianus, aka "grasscutter"

Webster's online defines animal husbandry as "a branch of agriculture concerned with the production and care of domestic animals". Part of my job here is to find creative and new ways for our Pastor's to become self supported. In order to do that, I need to figure out how it is done so I can in turn teach them. So I guess that part of my job includes animal husbandry, as I care for these creatures, and I am highly concerned that my investment yields production.

They are shy. Remember picture day at school when you were in kindergarten?

My interest in raising grasscutter began with a visit to the animal research facility in Pokuase. I didn't know where it was exactly, so after several kilometers of walking, I finally was directed to the correct building where I met Yram, a college educated worker who was willing to sit down and talk with me about the details of raising these delightful creatures. Grasscutter is a delicacy, prized here for its sweet, high protein meat. On the road to Cape Coast you will often see grasscutter for sale, stretched out and grilled for a delicious meal. He told me that in years past grasscutter was caught in the wild, as hunters would burn brush in order to flush them out. Due to over-harvesting, the demand for the meat is not being met, and many a farmer has begun to raise them in captivity. Local grasscutter "societies" have sprung up in here, with meetings the first Tuesday of every month.


My curiosity piqued, I ordered a 12 partition cage from the local welder and waited patiently for it to be completed. And waited. Several months later, my cage was done and we were ready to buy the grasscutters.


My grasscutters were purchased when they were 4 months old, and in several months they will be ready to multiply. I purchased 4 females and 2 males, and am hoping that each female will bear an average of 8 babies twice a year. Each little critter set me back GH 40, so it adds up. The kids thought that maybe we should name them after people we know, like aunts, cousins, and even Grandma! I know, flattering.

Meet Maddie and Jaxson

Yram has helped me get started by showing me which grass to cut for them, how to tie it up so they can eat it, and answered a host of other questions I had. Now you can probably imagine from the name that they eat mainly grass, although you can supplement their diet with many things. My guys tend to love sugarcane, pineapple tops (always a winner), and maize, but I also throw in cabbage and lettuce scraps, cucumber peels, and cassava pieces. All the local staff have been advised to keep these items aside for later feedings. I also try to put in about 400 grams of grass for each animal, although right now I have them all in a big open space as they grow and adjust to this new environment. My sister has made my life easier as she has brought me rabbit water bottles, since they tip over the dish of water I have in the cage.

Looks like it's getting close to feeding time

Daily I spend about 15 minutes feeding them and cleaning out the cage. The cage is well designed with trays that slide out from under the pen to make clean up easy. I try to feed them at 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM, although sometimes the timing gets a little off. Yram told me the grasscutters get very nervous and stressed if the feeding is not kept to a close schedule (sounds like my children), so I do my best. I have found a wonderful source of grass at the land site, and often our caretaker will be weeding and send a bundle or two of grass home with us.


I don't know how well this endeavour will go, but I am hoping that we can grow them and provide them at low cost to the Pastor's so they can start farming at their homes. Together, may we eliminate the high demand for this quality meat! A lofty goal? Perhaps. But for each tuft of grass that is eaten, each pineapple top that doesn't go to waste, each family that can now afford this healthy treat, we are making progress.

Oh Christmas Tree

We've been delighting in friends & sisters, American chocolate & dairy, Grandma & Grandpa, doll babies & motorcycles, Christmas pretties & kitchen scrubbies. We've been breathing in that familiar song in the air, that Christmas spirit that has been transported to us by our beloved guests. Though they couldn't bring us snow or a chilly breeze, we settled for homemade snowflakes & the dull haze of harmattan. Though they couldn't bring us the family Christmas party, their dear faces now decorate our mini tree.

My parents, Dale & Lucille, are ending their 2 weeks with us. We've taken to all the places we normally go, made for them the food we usually eat & filled in every spare moment with book reading, craft making & time spent renewing that precious relationship with Max, Elle & Rory.

The holiday season has been very different for us this year.

The past month has twirled by in a rush of meetings, sermons, a newsletter for Jon, preparation for visitors, canning tomatoes, & fitting in as many school days as possible for Max as prepared ourselves & our home for the Outreach team & a visit from my parents.

We have already received several Christmas cards in the mail. So sweet of you...you know who you are. It is a gesture that is appreciated so much. It will be exciting to hang all the new pictures.
That familiar feeling of Christmas joy. You know it. Brought on by time with extended family, that perfect little gift found for the one you love, getting to sing "I Heard The Bells" that one time a year the chorister dares to try it. The smell of evergreens, the shopping trip with a sweet friend, a red sweater (;)

Finding the Christmas spirit seems tough in the heat, the dirt, in the saying goodbye to our beloved visitors. This year we are making new traditions like this amazing advent calendar my sisters & Mom put together for me. And helping host a Christmas dinner for the pastors & their families. And making cookies for the neighbors.

And, above all, living in the knowledge that this dusty sweaty land with so many physically & emotionally needy people, is very much like the town of Bethlehem that God, Adonai El Elyon, chose as the place to bring His Son into this dirty, weary world.

Familiar traditions & holiday bustle are far from us here. My spirit is being challenged to live aware that the plan of redemption for my sin stained soul to be changed for the glory of Adonai El Elyon, began at the birth of my Saviour. What a worthy reason to celebrate Christmas!

In Everything...

This is my husband's humble submission to the CFC newsletter. I'm thankful for his clarity & thoroughness in writing & especially for his willingness to share it here.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances.. (ESV)” , and as the group gathered for orientation at Ron’s house, it was declared our theme for the November 2011 Team Visit. Anybody who has visited Ghana knows that many times things don’t go as planned, but in those situations we are going to trust God’s timing.
The team came from Indiana, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, and a large majority had never visited Ghana before. There was a lot of excitement as we looked at the schedule, realizing that God was taking us places we had never gone before, to be stretched in many areas. We spent time praying for the villages we were going to visit and for the seeds that were going to be sown, asking the God to bring people to us who needed to hear His Word.
Our week started out in Pastor Joseph’s village of Asamankese. The team broke into three groups and went to surrounding areas and villages to hand out tracts and invite them to the service that evening. Although the rain was threatening, many prayers and the hand of God allowed the service to continue. Pastor Floyd preached on our choice to accept God’s love, and as the invitation was given, souls were saved and the rejoicing started in Heaven.
Friday saw us in Adesio, working with Pastor Steven. This was our first health clinic, and people were waiting with their coupon when we arrived


Setting up for the evening service in Adesio.

We had three health stations and an eye glass station, and soon the room was filled with talking as patients came in and explained their problems through an interpreter. Following being seen at either the health or eye station, the people were then taking to a counseling area where one of the team explained the plan of salvation, and personally invited them to the crusade that night. Although it is great to be able to assist in a physical need, the real goal was to assist in the spiritual needs of those who didn’t know Jesus. The counselors were able to pray for each person before they left, committing the time spent to God. That night, Pastor Robert preached on the one way to God and our need to accept him, and many came forward in surrender to Christ.

Saturday we traveled to Central Accra and went to market, where the team handed out hundreds of tracts to the swarming crowds. The people here are very receptive to a tract, even sitting down and reading it right away. You could see the streets where team members had passed, since people were all reading “The Way to God”! Many had their hands full, but made a way to receive a tract. One lady asked Donna to put the tract in her mouth since her hands were full! We pray that God will work in the hearts of those people who read the tract, to allow them to understand and receive His saving grace.

Sunday found our bus load of people in Ayaa, which is Pastor Emmanuel’s church. This was a special service for all involved with Crusades for Christ, as Field Director Ron Bontrager was ordained by his home church, Griner Mennonite, for his work here in Ghana. Pastor Robert preached the message, followed by a special time of prayer and anointing with oil. Many hugs and tears were the result of this special service.

Monday found us working with Pastor John, who leads the church in Kotoku. Pastor John was married to Cynthia on October 30! We did our second health clinic here, followed by a crusade in the evening. To make sure we weren’t overwhelmed, we had given out about 125 coupons to each village where we were doing a clinic. While we did the clinic, Robert, Floyd, and Elmer walked through the village handing out tracts and inviting people to the crusade in the evening. Many mistakenly thought these were coupons for the clinic, and in a short time we had a large crowd of people begging to be seen. It is very difficult to turn people away when you can see such an obvious need for physical help. Pastor John had reserved about 20 tickets to hand out in a situation like this, so we were able to help some of those who needed it most.
That night, Floyd preached the message on the good Samaritan. The Holy Spirit was moving and many went forward for the alter call. We arrive home tired but excited about the work the Lord did in these hearts.
Tuesday we did something that we had never done as a group. We spent the day looking back at how God led a group of young people here in 1997, and from that trip a mission was formed, a Bible School started, and churches planted. Robert shared pictures from those early trips, and you could see the hand of God in bringing CFCI to Ghana. Floyd spoke on how we need to allow the Holy Spirit to continue to lead us as a mission, but in our own hearts as well. It was an exciting day, as we saw God working in our hearts, and to spend time focusing on what He has done in us and as a mission. We said farewell to Floyd in the evening, so grateful for his work and service to us here in Ghana.
We did our final clinic and crusade on Wednesday night in Dobro, which is under the leadership of Pastor Isaac and Pastor Samuel. We did the health clinic in the unfinished part of the Bible Institute, and were blessed to have the students assist with the translating for the stations and in the counseling stations. Pastor Isaac is currently studying at Ghana Christian University College, so he was able to bring some of his classmates along to also assist wherever needed. The clinic went very well, and again many had the Gospel explained to them in clear way which they could understand.

Sara giving paracetamol (acetaminophen) for a football injury. Malaria, neck & back pain, & football injuries were the common complaints.


Jeremy Weaver sharing the love of Jesus.


Robert brought the message, which took place in the village of Terno, across the highway from the Bible Institute. God again touched hearts and many people responded to the message. We pray they will continue their relationship with Him, and walk across the highway to meet with the other members of the Dobro church family.
Thursday was a difficult day as we said farewell to Robert and Lily as they left to return to the States. We didn’t have the staff to do another clinic or crusade, but we traveled to Ayaa to do a film show. When we arrived in the afternoon, we split into 4 groups who walked miles to visit remote villages to hand out tracts and invite them to the film show in the evening. One group walked for almost 3 hours and visited 6 villages! That night there were again a few sprinkles, but God held off the rain and we were able to show the film as scheduled. Many people came to see the film “Heaven’s Gates, Hell’s Flames”, a video of the popular drama held all across American and beyond. The response was incredible, with more people up front than in the seats! God was working and souls were being saved. We had a long way home that night, but knew that we had been part of something incredible and life changing.
Friday we boarded the bus by 6 AM and traveled to Cape Coast to tour the slave castle, shop, and see the ocean. The long journey was broken up by stopping at Jonathan and Juanita Groff’s home near Apam. The Groff’s are managing a farm where young men who have aged out of the Lighthouse Children’s Home receive job training & mentoring . Since all the Pennsylvania people go to the same church as the Groff’s, we had a good time as we toured their property and farm. The day ended with a meal at staff favorite Marwako’s, although with the traffic we wondered if we were ever going to get there! A good meal, even at 7:30 PM, rounded off a long but enjoyable journey.
On Saturday Pastor Isaac shared his amazing testimony with the group, who were very encouraged by it. Pastor Isaac is a former Muslim who gave it all up, including a high paying job, residence at the family house, and the support of his family, to follow Christ. God is using Isaac in many ways, and is opening up opportunities for him to share his testimony. Isaac has written a tract for Muslim, and is looking for an opportunity to print it. Isaac also joined the group for some shopping in the afternoon. Again, traffic made things interesting, but everybody returned home with something to remind them of their time here in Africa.
We were excited to be able to take part in the service Sunday morning at Elim Christian Center, where Pastor Felix is the senior pastor. Pastor Felix is on the Ghana board of directors, our main translator on crusades, and a valuable part of the ministry. The group was able to sing two songs which the congregation really enjoyed. They showed us great hospitality by giving us minerals (Cokes) to round out the service. We then traveled home so people could pack for the evening flight.
We left for the airport at 5 PM, and arrived at 6 PM thanks to light traffic. People who came as strangers left as friends, and it was a sad goodbye. Our weary workers unloaded totes of clothes, pineapples, juice, bread, even a unicycle, from the van to be taken back to the States.
God has been so faithful to our ministry, and we want to give Him thanks for the work that He did during these busy 11 days. But this wasn’t about us, it was about Him. 1 Peter 4:11 states “…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” (ESV). It is Him we are here to praise, to lift up, and we are so grateful He puts the treasure in these earthen vessels to carry His Good News to villages that don’t have a church, who maybe never have even heard the name of Jesus. So our mission was in everything give thanks, and in everything give the glory to Whom it rightfully belongs, and that is God our Father. We humbly bow down before Him in worship, awed at the way He moved during this time. We are so thankful for His hand in keeping us safe as we traveled and returned to the States, that we remained healthy to do His work, and for the work He did in each of our hearts.





Please join us in prayer for:



1. The souls who were won to the kingdom, that they may grow in grace and knowledge.
2. Our pastors as they follow up with those who responded.
3. The thousands of tracts that were distributed.
4. The seeds that were sown from the tracts, clinics, and those who listened in their houses during the crusades.
5. God to continue to multiply what He started here.


Here is the team! Please pardon the photography. The waiter did his best...but there just isn't much to do with a night time, flash photo of a big ol' group of sweaty faced obruni's!

Faith~full Friday

Jehovah sets the prisoners free,
Jehovah opens the eyes of the blind.
Jehovah lifts up those who are bowed down;
Jehovah loves the righteous.
Jehovah watches over the sojourners;
He upholds the widow & the fatherless.
He heals the broken hearted
& binds up their wounds.
Great is our Jehovah, & abundant in power.
His understanding is beyond measure.
Ps 146:8&9, 147: 3-5

Settin' the Stage

God has been working on both sides of the Atlantic on behalf of Crusades for Christ International. A group of 16 from Iowa, Indiana & Pennsylvania will join us this week for a time of outreach through testimony, preaching, literature & health clinics.

This year the group will be hosted by the CFCI churches in Asamankese, Ayaa, Adesio, Terno & Kotoku. Two of the days will be given in sweat equity to the continuing Bible School buildings.

Please take a look at this picture of the building last year. A lot has changed, and a lot remains to be done! You can see more pictures at the website, http://www.cfcint.com/, under the land development tab. Our electrician finally got the transformer connected, so there is power, power, wonder working power at CFCBI!
Audrey & Ron Bontrager have been tutoring us along the way in all the preparation details. Audrey will feed the masses. She has a delightful menu planned, mixing Ghanaian & American food to make sure no one misses the cultural flavors available. Okra stew, gizzard kabobs, grasscutter roast....Well, maybe not quite that far...but I had better check that menu list again!

Here is a sample of Jon's list.

For the good of the group:

fill the schedule, but not too much!

Mini-bus transportation & driver

meal location & cleanup lists

sleeping assignments (mats & pillows for all!)

sight seeing/shopping

vaccinations!

For each of the pastors, a visit to confirm dates, times & supplies.

flat area suitable for the service

drums and keyboard

microphones & speakers

chairs and benches

interpreters

singers/worship leaders

For the health clinics

tickets to hand out ( 125 for each village)

tables & chairs for counseling outreach

for some areas, a time of children's ministry while the adult visit the clinic

As Jon has chased down details, guided by Ron, he has learned that while things are done simply here, simple does not mean easy! This stage was reported ready to use. ;) While the supports took the work of a master jigsaw puzzle addict (Jon & Adrian), the supporting boards were even more difficult. Below is Pastor Felix lending his agile mind to the process. They are working in the newest end of the CFC school building, where graduation for the 2011 class will be held.

Taking over the health clinic list was exciting & challenging. The list (Thanks, Marilyn!) was updated & revised as we visited many pharmacies gathering the medications. Truly, our goal is a health clinic, not a medical clinic. We do not dispense medical diagnosis, but aid in treatment if we can. Medications are purchased at a pharmacy with no prescriptions needed. They generally cost 1/3 or less of what we are accustomed to pay in the U.S. Two exceptions? Triple Antibiotic cream (not available) & eye drops. The drops, for general irritation/redness) were GHc 14 for one tiny bottle. I shall note here for you skeptics (such as I was) these meds are unexpired & generally made in Europe or South Africa.

The process looks something like this. A ticket, given out by the pastors, gets you in line. The line leads to a team member writing down the reason you have come. Glasses? This way. Pain & suffering;) ? This way. And then head to the prayer/counseling area. Everyone ends with this. It is a powerful way to share in their pain & pray, not just for healing, but for a new beginning or increased authenticity in Jesus.

Everything from oral wormers to antifungal creams to multivitamins are counted & prepared for dispensing. This will be done by myself, an LPN coming from Indiana & a Ghanaian nurse. We also have wound care supplies if they are needed.

A funny kind of joy bubbles up in me as I touch & organize these familiar items. Nurses, you know it! (It's been almost a year since I was "gainfully employed" at HMC...I'll admit to suffering from a strange kind of medical withdraw! )

In this way, year after year we plant, God waters, allowing needs to be met, & pastors to be encouraged. Just like the climate here, these blessings are soaked up to sustain through the dry times.

And the stage is set for it to happen again.

O God, we invite You. Though You are already here, we invite You anew to work through each of us. Amen-o.

October 2~9 2011

It seems a thousand things have kept me from this place of sharing with you. Alas, a quick check of facebook is a much easier way to peak into your life, while my days spin by unreported. I am happy to report they have been increasingly hot, full of fun (the Bontragers have returned from Indiana!) & full of sweat labor keeping the dirt & bugs at bay.
I feel as though I have lost my sense of just how little time there is until the holidays & the new year. Those thoughts are still triggered by cooler weather, apple cider & a new cardigan. Sigh. Not here. Wet or dry, hot or hotter.
Please enjoy that cup of cider and those long sleeves for us!
Missing from these views into our week are the preparation Jon is doing for the outreach/clinic team coming in November in addition to a pastor meeting & many phone calls. As he cares for the pastors, he works with them in many things from wedding invitations to broken toilets & dishonest landlords.
Also missing ( on purpose!) is the preparation we are doing for the team. Cleaning up the debris of life that seems to collect in every corner does not rate a picture! If you are one of the lovely ones we are to soon see, know we are excited to have you. The though of seeing all these Americans...and not just Americans, but ones we know & love!

Here are my willing helpers digging in to sift flour. Below you can see the results of sifting flour while sweating. It made a sticky mess. But I could not persuade them that there was anything else as fun as digging into that big bag. Please click on the picture & see the little friend we found in the bag. He wasn't alone, either! The children were very impressed. :)

So tech support can leave help desk, but help desk will not leave the techy. Jon & our friend Irvin are sorting out some issues Irvin was having. Jon has also done some small work for a mission in a town close by. What a confirmation that we serve a God who knows our every desire & delights in showing Himself...if we are looking!

The return of daily (almost) hot sun brings out the creativity. They are cooling off while making boats out of tinker toys.

Grilling chicken for supper draws a crowd. :) My apologies for the odd picture of Adrian. He may be taste tesing the chicken.

Richmond & Max love to make paper airplanes. Richmond is our neighbor & Max's good friend. They are usually found riding bike in the street (sound dangerous, it's really not!), skateboarding or playing ball.

This is the road between the Bontrager's house & ours. Several years of rainy seasons had left huge craters in it. This grader was a short distance away working on another road. Jon offered them minerals (soda) to make an extra loop to smooth out our road. We appreciate the wider road & smoother surface.

Hello friends!

This blog comes as a result of several unusual circumstances. First, we actually have some internet left at the end of the month so we can upload some pictures! This is somewhat of a rarity, and sometimes we don't actually know how accurate our record-keeper, MTN, really is. Secondly, we were able to take a break and head out to Elmina, which is just past Cape Coast, and spend some time at our friends house right by the beach! Conrad and Katie are home on furlough right now, and were so generous to allow us to stay there for a few days. Also, our good friends and fellow NCMFer's Jon and Juantia Groff were able to join us for several days of fellowship, fun, and memories. So, here are some pictures.


After arriving at the house, we were treated to a Pennsylvania favorite, puppy chow! With the sound of the surf in the background, good books, and new toys for the children, it was a delightful start.






One of the special things at the house, aside from being right by the sea, is this amazing play set. This was well used by the children while we were there.




On Monday, we traveled to Coconut Grove, a resort in Elmina, and spent the day at the pool. Although it seemed quite expensive, it was worth it to see happy children enjoying a pool for the first time in a long time.

We were able to walk down the beach to this amazing little cove, where an abundance of life appeared when the tide was out. As well as gathering nice shells and sand dollars (or, as Max says, "sand cedis" or "sea money"), it appeared that a ship had wrecked recently as many pieces of wood, nets, and oars had floated in.




This little fellow was attached to a rock shortly before being poked off with a stick and put on a board so many little people could observe it. When prodded, it would release this purple fluid to cloud the water.

There was an abundance of hermit crabs. It was fun to pick them up and put them in a bucket, only to see them crawling out in an escape attempt.

My little scientist. I tell him he can be whatever he wants to be. He feels at this stage in his life he has narrowed it down to three options, and he admits it is hard to choose; to play ball for the Phillies, to work at Pawpaw's feed mill, or to work on computers like dad. It is exciting to see him learning, reading, and just enjoying exploring God's creation.

On our final day, I woke up early to go down to the beach to see what treasures the high tide had washed up. It so happened that Max was also up at 6:00, so we walked down to the water in the early morning light. I was hoping for a beach littered with unbroken shells and sand dollars, and instead we found the beach just, well, littered. We poked around the trash, and without finding much headed back to pack up and head home. It brought back many memories of doing these things with my dad. We would wake up early and go fishing in some remote stream feeding Pine Creek, and it was a special time, just me and my dad.

Going home provided us with another first experience. As we traveled out of Cape Coast, the police at the barrier proceeded to stop me because the van did not have reflective tape on the sides. This is a new rule that has gone into effect to create more visibility on the roadway, especially at night. Most trotros (public transportation, think minivan loaded with 27 people) spurn the idea of elaborate electronics like tail or brake lights, so this was an obvious way to enhance public awareness of your position on the roadway. I had been hassled before by the police, but never to the point where they had me pull over and take my license to hold until I would appear in court. The police officer showed me a paper explaining the new law, and that it was to go in effect the beginning of September. However, the powers that be only chose to notify the transportation companies, not private individuals like myself. After telling me what a serious offense this was, we proceeded to talk it out, and I showed him all the commercial vans that were going through the checkpoint at that very moment, without tape, who they chose not to stop. I told that unless they were planning on stopping everybody, I would be on my way and would go to DVLA and put the proper tape on the car. I then asked him if he goes to church, and he said he goes to the Apostolic church in Cape Coast. I promised to bring him a Bible the next time I am through, and although they would have liked a small "gift", what he will get is the inspired Word of God! Sounds like a good deal, right?! I wrote down the mans name and number, hoping that he didn't see my hands were shaking so badly I could hardly write! But as I got in the van to continue the trip, Sara told me how she was praying for me the whole time, and God was there and caring for us.

The rest of the trip home was uneventful, and we arrived home, happy with a break but also ready to get back to work. I did go to DVLA the following Monday and get the proper tape put on the van.
This last picture is of the pavilion, by the sea, where we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs Sunday evening. Sara did a great job of making special food that we don't get often, and I don't know, these burgers were almost as good as the one I had at Red Robin before we left! A cup of Starbucks (instant, of course) with laughter of friends closed the day very nicely. We so enjoyed going to the Groff's church, where we had a wonderful time of praise and worship, so good that we could have enjoyed it for hours.

Juanita & Elliot are headed for the gazebo.

God has carried us through some tough times in the previous months, and this was a time where we could slow down a bit and focus on each other, our family, and spending time with Him. It was so peaceful to fall asleep to the sound of the surf crashing into the rocks, or to stand out on the rocks at night, to see the foamy surf in the moonlight, smell the salt in the air, and feel the mist on your face. We are trying to make this place our home away from home, and that is easier said than done, but we are doing small things, like getting the kittens, to make it happen. Also we are super excited to be invited to the Accra baseball league, where I will be helping to coach Max and up to 30 other youngsters in t-ball! This isn't just an outing for Max and I, but Sara will also come along and fellowship with the other expats and missionary families there. We are excited to get to know more missionaries and some of the people who work at the U.S. Embassy, who we have phoned on numerous occasions but have never met face to face. We want to allow God to mold us and teach us during this time, and we are continuing to trust in His grace and mercy.

simple little pleasures

I believe the nicest and sweetest days
are not those on which anything very splendid
or wonderful
or exciting happens,
but just those that bring simple little pleasures,
following one another softly,
like pearls slipping off a string.

- L.M. Montgomery


Sunny left village life in Cape Coast to join us in Pokuase. She is sweet, sassy & entirely spoiled. Max, like his father before him, has a soft spot for little creatures. It is a pleasure to me to see a nurturing spirit in my son.
He will be my little boy for not much longer & I purpose to enjoy the simple pleasures of being his mommy, teacher & faithful outfielder for all our courtyard ball games.

Green & Growing

Green & growing things are important to me. This week I've potted my first house plant & filled my first flowerbeds here in Ghana. While I'm no master gardener, I enjoy the simple pleasure of growing plants & left brain focus it gives me. I've sorted out all types of issues in my mind while potting, weeding & digging. Not to mention every mother of young children knows working in the dirt pleases children of all sizes!

It would seem I'm not the only one feeling that way. A study shows that exposure to Mycobaccterium vaccinae in soil seems to increase release of serotonin. This hormone is secreted in the brain & increases happiness, relaxation & the ability to sleep well. (alive.com)
That is enough to keep me diggin' in the dirt.

Here we are after planting 10 bougainvillea , 4 vines & one tiny impatient. I am interested to see how large this annual, turned perennial in this climate, will get.

Having a good thing crossed off a to do list isn't a great feeling. But having one less thing on that to do list is almost always a welcome subtraction. And having one less thing on the to do list that falls into the quiet, uninterrupted, clean living room, meal prepared, time of day is a VERY welcome subtraction. So when our internet issues imposed an email only limit on computer time, I crossed this little blog off the list. All that said, we are back to business as usual & I have added this bit of communication back onto the list.

We are enjoying a sense of relief that August is over. The milestone of 6 months is behind us, our much missed coworkers Ron & Audrey Bontrager will return from furlough this month, we'll see family (Mary & Chloe) in just 2 months, & we have distance from those terrible feelings after the robbery. We have continued to take our feelings of frustration to Jesus. We trust His care of us & are so thankful no further damage was done.
(The story is that someone climbed our wall at night, stole things out of our vehicles & used a long stick & reachable power cables to steal Adrian's laptop & our dvd player & usb modem. They were unable to get anything else as all our other windows are louvered with more bars. The living room is slider windows with larger bar grids.
The landlord will complete the razor wire on top of the wall this week. Our dog was useless, we don't know how they kept him quiet. He has barked so loud over small reptiles in the past that we wake up in the middle of the night. Truly, it is God who is our safety.)

September is going to hold some good things for us. While most of you are preparing for fall, we are trading grey skies for the hot sun. And while most of you are leaving summer vacation behind, we are packing up this week for a vacation with Jonathan & Juanita Groff.

Pastor John & Pastor Jon

Sunday morning, 7th August, found the river Dansu taking part in a Holy moment. Pastor John Nuledo of the Crusades Kotoku/Abbaman fellowship baptized 10 souls in repentance, & joy. Mud & rain showers did not delay or discourage. Alongside us, a local man continued his bath & wash day. But, as you all know, a Holy moment does not depend on us or our imperfect earth, but on the presence of the Spirit of the One who was present with fresh forgiveness & joy.

The man being baptized is the village chief, Emmanuel.

As he hobbled on swollen feet down the rocky bank holding onto Adrian, he looked weary & old. And he is by Ghana standards. But as I gave him a hand back up the bank after baptism the look on his face, the twinkle in his eyes, was weary no more! He has difficult decisions to make. He & his wife sell alcohol for a living. He has gone from observer of the village church to devotee of Jesus. He is very respected & his choices will impact many lives. Pastor John will be discipling him. We are praying he will see with new eyes all areas of his life & have the courage in the name of Jesus to deny Satan.

A young worship leader kept the singing going.

If you are thinking I was planted on that muddy bank thinking lofty thoughts, you do not know my children. Adrian took this of us during the baptism. Elle is considering sliding down the bank to Adrian. I had told her no. She is the least sure footed one of us & an obruni landing in the water was not the impression I wanted to leave. Max was darting around, poking Rory & trying to see everything that was happening. Rory, placed firmly on my hip for a very good reason. He is the one to take off running the minute I'm distracted.

This moment captures John & Jon in prayer over the baptisms that have just taken place & the coming spiritual warfare over true change in the life of each one. As they lifted up their voices in prayer, I was again in awe of the hand of God. To see the work of the Spirit in the life of your husband is a beautiful thing. He has come here, taken the unofficial title of pastor & become a minister of the gospel. He feels inadequate in life experience & in classroom training. But he is a minister of the gospel . How thankful we are that God has chosen to qualify the called. His Spirit is leading the way through this new territory.
Pastor John Nuledo graduated from CFC Bible School after one year, picked up his chain reference Bible & concordance to begin a church. In his small congregation, he deals with alcoholism, abortion, abuse & divorce. He is not perfect. He feels inadequate. But he too is a minister of the gospel. He too is learning as he goes along. He too daily needs the Holy Spirit to lead the way through new territory.
And so the sight of these two men unified in fervent prayer was a beautiful contrast to all the brokenness in the body of Christ.

For Anna T....

Long ago ago in a far away land, I had some comrades at PSHMC Cancer Institute who asked, listened & lifted me up in prayer as we began this journey more than a year ago. Anna T sent me a most special note by mail! Having lived in Namibia for 2 years she knows much & wants to know more about what life is like for us. I hope to answer a few of her questions!

To Angie, Margaret, Jen C., Amylea & Anna T. from PSCI & Margeau, Bethany, Lucinda & Jamie from the floor ( & many, many more!) , I think of you often walking those (or others by now) halls, doing that work & sigh to join you. This role fits in a different way, in some ways a better way. The nurse & the mom now have a single focus as we settle into our new home. We all know the "nurse' inside is never really without work. Malaria, & more have proven that! I prayin' those hospital skills are only dormant, not dead & will resurface later. :)
God has graciously protected us from disease. In more rural areas, things like typhoid, cerebral meningitis & even rumors of cholera are prominent. Here in the suburbs of the big city we feel safer from that due to clean (er) water, better sanitation & the many clinics handing out immunizations.
I've had an infection that gave pus filled blisters on my palms & fingers, a mango fly that kindly layed a tiny egg on my skin. No need to describe that one more!! I was new here & quite impressed at the specimen that ended up on my finger. :)
The children have had some odd itchy rashes that respond to hydrocortisone, more than their share of vomiting & respiratory viruses with fevers. They have not had malaria although Jon & I have. Let's just say all they say about malaria is true. And more.
I'm still learning about malaria. There are many types, the best treatment covers more than one type. Best defense is mosquito nets for beds, bug spray & fans. Even the Ghanaians get malaria. They can afford the treatment. What we've taken is European made & is about GHc 4 ($2.50).

I promise to fill you all in on the hospital/clinic scene around here as soon as I can. But at the moment I've only gotten glimpses inside as a visitor. I'm very, very thankful for that! Patients here are admitted not until well, but until the bill is paid. Some of the larger, private hospitals have ambulance service, but we see them stuck along with everyone else in traffic. Or, even worse, driving straight down the opposite lane of traffic! The smaller local hospitals & clinics are plentiful & mostly affordable. Poorly paid doctors & nurses leave doubts over the quality of those choosing to stay. Many people have bought the National Health Insurance card which allows them all routine care & tests & even some surgeries. We have met up with roving teams of healthcare workers giving routine vaccines.

A few months ago I met up with a medical student who was about to spend 6 weeks in the far northern town of Saboba. She would be working with Dr. Jean, the 60 yo American who is the hospital's surgeon, specialist & gen practitioner all in one. Her blog is full of heart rending adventure in this rural hospital that has no electricity during the day, no oxygen for patients, & very limited testing capacity. Patient care is done by family, food is provided by family & often those folks make the decisions for the person in the bed. That sounds familiar!

Please read her back entries!
http://kristi-lifeisajourney.blogspot.com/

A few of Anna's questions.....
On confirmation that we are where God wants us to be:

I believe that my life has been redeemed with a price.
Don't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. (1Cor 6:19,20)

Jon & have purposed to live with that before our eyes. Those words are easy coming out my mouth, but when it means selling, packing & leaving ... We both felt deep in our spirits peace in God's prompting in the last year & a half. No shouts from heaven, folks, just a gut feeling & thoughts sharply focused on this, primarily by spending time in God's Word & prayer. While our surface emotions were turbulent daily, we accepted that this difficult task, the very nature of its difficulty, confirmed it was from God. If we were going to defer to our emotions above obedience to God, we knew it would blunt our spiritual passion & even shame the testimony we want so much to live out.
On arrival we experienced in a very real way, our presence lightening the load of the families working here with the Bible school. God had timed our arrival.The absolute best confirmation has been when those we love share how our obedience has prodded them to evaluate their own. Yes, that means right at home, wherever He has placed you. God may have changed the location of our ministry, but, people, God has ministry for you next door! Don't neglect it.

On to earthly matters....
The coastal capital city of Accra is surrounded by small towns. We live about 20 k north of the city in Pokuase/Amasaman. Past the Fise bus stop, at the Israel junction, opposite the Pokuase Magistrate Court House to be exact. Road names or numbers are very few. Directions are done landmarks. It was a challenge to learn to drive here! Take look at the google satellite!

View Larger Map

Here is our street! We are standing outside the court house. The black van at the back of the picture is on the Nsawam/Accra highway. On the right, behind the stacks of block is our wall & our house. A small street & a small courtyard make our pictures either up close or far away! (please click on the picture & make it larger!) Almost all the unfinished houses you see are inhabited. They are worked until money runs out, lived in without power, running water or wells or furnishings. A coalpot, a cook pot, a wash tub & a mattress are all they need to move in! My friend Abigail lives just behind where Max is standing in the house with red doors. She works full time at a large juice company peeling papaya for 8 hr shifts, has her son in pre school & lives just as I described above. She is a wonderful, vibrant woman, who, although she loves to snoop in my fridge, is not unhappy about life.
Our house is a very normal 4 bedroom 2 & 1/2 bathroom concrete & tile house surrounded by a wall with a gate for vehicles & a small one for people. We occasionally have visitors climbing the wall as we do not have barbed wire on top. . Bars on the windows & metal gates inside the doors took getting used to. All doors/gates have padlocks. Every inside door & closet door has a key lock. All those keys took some getting used to.

Currency is called cedis, coins pesawa. The exchange rate is about 1.5. Or 66.6 cents equals 1 cedi. The cost of living is, in many ways similar. Our diesel for the vehicle costs GHc1.52/liter. 3.78 liters equals 1 gallon. In the realm of groceries, the biggest difference is dairy. While meat like ground beef & chicken can be bought at the large grocery stores for about the same price as in Pennsylvania, cheese, butter & cream cheese are about 4 times the price. Milk is all powdered. Max & Rory say they love it & want to tell everyone in Pennsylvania that you can buy milk in powder, isn't that cool? ! :)

Deli type meat & cheese are even worse. I saw a case full cold cuts for 50-80 GHc per kilo! Even with 2.2lbs per kilo that is a bad deal! I am always happy to buy apples at Shoprite for GHc5.80 for 1.5 kilo. They taste, to us, so American! Staples like sugar, flour, oatmeal & oil are also similar in price, but not cheaper. We spend plenty on these staples as we make our snack food. Snacks are very costly. I made some crackers this week that Jon declard were just like Wheat Thins. :)

That is a most incomplete summary. Short story is we try to combine stores like Shoprite & things like apples with buying all the rest as local veggies & fruits. I realize I haven't even mentioned Ghanaian food. It is a typical poverty diet, high in carbs, low in perishable food like dairy, fresh fruits & veggies & meat. I hope to do many posts on this in the future as a friend is cooking local food for us once a week.
Language:
Officially it is English. The longer a child has been in school, the more they will know. Most parents speak their tribal language in the house. Most of our neighbors speak Twi. There are many other dialects. As English is not always their heart language, an important part of what Jon does is make sure the pastor's have Bibles in other dialects to give their congregations. As in all English speaking nations, the Ghanaians have added their own flair to it. Once we learned ( & are still learning) the way they say things, it got easier to understand & be understood.
Small-- instead of little, bit or short
finished-- instead of empty, all out, gone
spoiled -- instead of broken, damaged or just not working!
fine-- good, well This one is tricky. Our fine is similar to okay. This fine covers it all from almost bad, to excellent.
sweet-- not meaning sugary-sweet, usually means they like it
nice-- means very good, they like it
toilet-- covers all bathroom needs
in the house--means at home
Tourists:
Ghana University & other well known universities here draw many international students. Ghanaians are very proud of the long standing peace in their country. We meet students here on holiday or studying. Ghana's one mall seems to be the hub of all this. The cross section of people scene there is amazing. Middle eastern, Asian, white &, of course, Ghana's own citizens. We see visitors in our little towns too. Sneakers, backpacks & cameras give them away. Oh, & their shining white skin. Ours is not quite as white thanks to sunshine. :) And we don't feel like visitors anymore. If someone asks, we say we live in Amasaman/Pokuase. No, they say where are you from. :)

Baby wrapping:
From tiny infant to wiggly toddler, a Ghanaian woman or girl uses a large approximately 2 yard piece of fabric to tie that child on her back. Without help. And the kids love it. They prefer it over walking or being hip carried. On our flight here in February, a young mother beside us stood much of the flight with her fussy 2 yr old son on her back. Tied on tight, he was asleep. If she sat down, the wailing began.
And it's not just for transport. It's the designated quiet & nap spot. One of the worship leaders this Sunday had a sturdy little boy on her back. With a microphone in one hand, her other hand lifted in praise & her feet dancing, that little guy was coming loose! Like we see over & over, a sister ran up to lend a hand & tighten the fabric. :)
Tiny ones get their arms tucked in. The fabric is pulled evenly around to the front, one side pulled under the other tight to the armpit. The top piece is pulled tight tucked in over the top edge of the wrap. The bottom corners are pulled tight under the babies bottom, twisted together & tucked under or tied together in a knot in the front. A missionary friend who ventured out with her son tied on said on one street 3 women stopped her to "fix" the way it was done!

Here is my baby. How far down the street do you think I'd get?

Children adjusting:
While children are, in many ways, more flexible than adults, they have their delights & their downfalls about living here. Elle is my routine lover. She is at her worst when that routine altered. Most days we are home & she gets to have hat routine & is loving it.

All of them have had no problem with spending days barefoot, & being able to play outside every day. The cold rain of rainy season chases them in these days, but they are always happy with the puddles left behind. When dry season returns (any day now) they will happily play in the rain to cool off. We've been known to join them. :)

They have learned to be good nappers in the car, good waiters in the car & good packed lunch eaters in the car. Without car seats keeping ones hands to oneself is quite a challenge. One they are still learning! They enjoy our neighborhood walks & the friends they have made here, Ghanaian & otherwise.

Max, at 5 years, remembers most everything about living in Pennsylvania. Houses, family friends, good breakfast cereal & strawberries. Many times we sit down together, get teary over feeling far from home. Though his age makes this tough, it also means he is starting to grasp our real purpose for being here. And,like a 5 year old, he accepts it. Childlike faith!

Church is the most difficult for them. 2 or 3 Sundays of the month we attend the village churches of the pastors Jon works with. Benches or plastic chairs, dirt floors under a metal canopy, farm animals wandering through all make for a challenge. A minimum of small toys is all we can take or we completely distract everyone! Even the adults love to see American storybooks or stickers. Although everything is translated for us, to their little ears, nothing is making sense. They are starting to do better, even enjoying the boisterous worship times & getting their turn to dance to the offering bucket up front. Actually, they are shy about it & go up as quickly as they can!

I begin each Sunday praying we would be an encouragement, not a distraction. May it be so!

I have left gaping holes in so many of these areas. But, as no one needs a book to add to their reading list, I will feel no shame at my overview. All these things are just what I've learned so far.

Thanks, Anna, for giving direction to this blog writers wandering mind. I welcome more questions, anytime!

July 15-22

Having your Dad be in charge of sorting a container (...a shipping container!) of donated books has some great advantages! Musty smell aside, Max has scored some very nice books. Monkeys, rockets a huge Richard Scarry & even one of wood projects for boys. He told me that one needed to be put somewhere safe. "Me & Dad will need this soon. " My personal favorite? A 1970 pattern book for sewing kids clothes. :) Shortie smock, anyone? With knee socks?
Pepper the puppy needs a, shall we say, time out space? He is always looking for a friend & many of our Ghanaian friends won't come in the gate til he is restrained. Sorry, friend, but the leader of the Pastors Association cannot conduct his meetings on the sidewalk!


Jon & Rory are working in a misty rain. Jon is excited to be using re-purposed bamboo (not pictured) from the school building project for some of the pen. Next on the list is a fort for the boys. These boys, like so many, in the desire to conqueror something end up climbing the window bars. A fort with a ladder is just what they need. Sunday took us again down the highway, past Accra & into Tema. This coastal children's school is a delight to visit once a month. The little girls love the swings & so does Adrian!

Comm-Ci Beach Resort gives us a place to eat a packed lunch, buy cold drinks & hot spicy sausages. Audrey & I love picking up shells & rocks. The things we find are really different than the other side of the Atlantic. Shells are scarce, rocks aplenty, & a large dose of trash thrown in. We were thankful for this clear spot for the children to play.

Not bad for a Monday morning snack! I'm a late-coming believer in banana bread. This humble recipe trades glamour for practical & is almost always gone the same day. I shared a bit with Hannah, who sells me fruit, & she told me that I could give her some next time she comes. :) Their polite way of saying" I really do like it & please make me more." :) For the cheerful lady who brings me a headpan full of pineapple, mango & banana every Monday & Thursday, I'll try to oblige.

Oh! Obruni, what are you wanting? Pastor Jon is awaiting Pastor Gary's ride. They were going to a conference for staff of Bible Schools. The tro-tro in the picture was offering Jon a ride. Beside me, the children & Adrian were shouting at Jon & making quite a scene. In a quiet moment on the busy 4 lane highway (the Accra-Nsawam highway, right at our street), Jon shouted "obruni!" at us. To which my 5 y/o white-ish brown son hollered back, "Where, Dad, where?!"

Our week was made more enjoyable by a small visitor! Elliot Groff stayed for two nights while his parents enjoyed time off in town. I heard all about nachos, a grill, & plenty of cable channels to surf. Elliot fit right in, zooming around on the bikes & playing, of course, tractors. Above shows us outside our front gate finishing juice boxes. A store at the end of our street sells them for GHp 70. They were worth it! We continued on for a walk. Four white children attract plenty of attention. So did the scrape on Elle's knee. :)

Traffic, Jon would tell you, is his least liked thing here. It varies so much that we have, to date, been 90 minutes early for our appointment, missed it completely stuck bumper to bumper, & once, made it right on time. Jungle Jams in the cd player & snacks keep the little ones in good spirits while Jon tries to keep his temper in check.

This day was smooth & we are so thankful! Arriving early for the appointment, we stopped at a bike seller. We found this little beauty for less than we paid for the smaller bikes. The rack & training wheels sealed the deal! Max was ever so proud. Now he has set upon the task of riding his "wiggly" bike. The dental work went very well. I'm happy to say Dr. Jihad seems to have, with patience & good humor, turned Max's dentophobia into confidence. When Max feels shy & won't answer his questions, Dr. Jihad teases him that he must speak French, that is why he cannot answer. Max keeps asking me why that Dr. thinks he speaks French. :) I stay inside with Max while the rest enjoy the shade trees in the yard. The sterile white-ness of the rooms & the cold air conditioning seem a familiar medical presence to me. The tile is so shiny clean, the assistants work in their socks & the dentist in white clogs that have clearly never been worn outside the building.

We celebrated Audrey's birthday a day early. She got to fly home to Indiana for a seven week visit on her birthday!! They were all so excited to go. While we will miss our fabulous neighbors, we are thankful they can have this time of rest. Audrey & Ron have become mentors, friends, & co-conspirators. We have cried together & , much more often, chosen to laugh until we cry. We send mighty blessings on them as they settle in to Indiana for a time.

We baked chocolate bread for snack as we played with our Bontrager pals one more time before they boarded a plane Friday night.

Rory is almost always at my elbow when I'm working at the sink. He is rather good at our sink rules. :0) No licking spoons & redipping, stirring ingredients means they should not be sloshing onto the floor, No licking out of the sugar container & NO fair eating all the chocolate chips before we put them in the bread. They were sent from Pennsylvania!

A side note for the Grandma's: We end up saying that a lot. Be careful, use only a little: it came the whole way from Pennsylvania!! Rory said to me the other week, " Mom, I know where God lives. In Pennsylvania!"

Though the weather is grey these days, we are enjoying the coolness. It rains often. The children claim to be cold at times & love their fleece blankets. I have actually worn a long sleeve shirt to start the day twice so far. But it is no where near cold, just cooler! I think our internal thermometers have been adjusted. :)

As we battle mold on clothes & shoes, damp laundry & feeling a little "grey" ourselves, we know dry season is just around the corner when we'll be wishin' for a few clouds.

Love to all of you!