Faith-Full Friday

Jon's sister Andrea gave much of her 5 weeks in Ghana to serving the children at the Beacon House. Here she is with Helen. She is an example to us of livin' every day ready!

1 John 3:2
But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own.

Guess who's coming for dinner...

Cinnamon rolls for a Christmas party
So the chicken is in the crockpot, relieved of its skin & a few feathers (blech!) & hacked into pieces. The salad & dessert are chillin' in the fridge. The ants have been removed from their meal of crumbs under the dining room table. Saturday night company is coming & we are learning the art of hospitality.
I always knew how much I had to learn. Having guests when we lived in Pennsylvania meant some serious cleaning & food prep. Not that my visitors couldn't've put up with scattered toys & dirty dishes, but I allowed untidy to reach chaos & dishes to reach towering peaks far too often. Shall I give myself grace for having a few small children? Shall I give myself a break for just not having the gift of hospitality? No siree, I should not.
Picture perfect is not the goal, nor is an aseptic shine on the kitchen sink. The goal for me is to be able to tidy, wipe & cook in a reasonable amount of time, leaving my husband free to invite guests without his wife having an anxiety attack & his children lining up for orders on top to bottom cleaning.
Here in Pokuase, the toys are less, the dirt is more, & there are fewer choices on the menu but guests to our home are much more frequent.
God has taught me a lesson about hospitality. Laziness too often got in the way of not inviting someone to our house. I'm ashamed of the opportunities I missed to bless & minister to people around my own kitchen table. The very simple matter of a family prayer, meal & boistrous conversation around the dinner table is something we take for granted. One young man who often joins us is learning to pray with us & join in the fun we have. His father, like so many men here is long gone & we pray God is reaching his heart through the example of godly men like Jon & Adrian.
Here in Pokuase I've learned ( & am learning!), a simple banana bread is enough. I'm using what's in the fridge to serve others, not feeling pressure to create something new & amazing in order to feel like having company.
Hospitality to a Ghanaian is very important. Serving guests & sharing what they have with someone is ingrained in them. Sylvia sells fried yam & smoked fish at a stand down the street from us. She has often said to me " You are invited!" as she holds out her lunch.
Many of our guests are fellow missionaries & good friends. We've also been blessed to host more than a few of you that have been able to travel to see us. We love the laughter & lasting encouragement we feel after an evening with friends.
But our newest brothers & sisters in Christ, the ones we have come to serve, are teaching us the most about hospitality in way that reaches beyond the comfortable fit of our own cultural norms to true hospitality. A gracious & welcoming spirit that shows-despite my faux paux- the love of Christ

Here's a few things on hospitality:
~always welcome a guest with a handshake & inquiries about their health & the well being of their family. They expect it even if they are only coming to see Jon- & if I don't go, have asked later why I didn't come out to greet them.
~ They will wait to be told where to sit around the table.
~ Our guests would rarely sit around a table or require utensils, & rarely does a household share a meal together. In their homes, they are served whenever they arrive, eat with their fingers, using a doughy starch to scoop up soup or stew, then go. The cook serves, stays by the charcoal fire to tend the food & then cleans up. Often the women & children eat early to finish clean up by dark.
All that to say, our humble dining room table, chairs & place settings are not their normal.
~They all expect me to serve them the food. Encouraging them to help themselves doesn't seem to translate well & they just like the one who cooked to serve the food!
~ Left hands are considered dirty. Don't touch their child with your left hand, give them change, serve their food or give a friendly wave. All things I've done!
~ They are hesitant to take second helpings unless you offer & serve them.
~ If Ghanaian food is served, several bowls of water are needed for cleaning hands while eating. I forgot this the first time! One of the women graciously dumped her water glass into an extra bowl without ever complaining. :)
~ Speaking of water, cold water is not the best. They are not used to ice water. I guess that is one less thing to worry about. Unless, of course, our guests come from Pennsylvania. :)
~Certain stews or soups are only served with certain starches...I have started the meal by apologizing for knowingly serving the "wrong" foods as I try to please my (sometimes) finicky children & spicy pepper loving guests.
~Many of our friends love to try baked items. An oven is very rare in their communities, so it is a treat for them. They just love banana bread, or a chocolate cake. But most cookies, any icing or sweeter recipes are left unfinished, just too sweet for their palate. Remember chewing on sugar cane is sweet thing to them! If you've never tried it, think about gnawing on a slightly sweet tasting piece of stringy wood. :)

We have many more things to learn. And we are learning to laugh at our mistakes along the way.
How hospitable are you? I know many of you checked this lesson off the list & are a wlling servant to minister to guests. Those of you who are more like me ;), let's hold each other accountable as sisters. Join me on this journey!
I better get off this chair & get to work...company's coming!

family pictures

We are very thankful that Miss Judith, soon to be Mrs. Martin, visited us here in Pokuase & used her skills to turn an unfinished concrete block church into a some beautiful photography. Biased I may be, but she captured the sweet joy of each of my children. Heat & hunger stopped us but not before we got some great shots. Visit Judy at http://judithnicolephotography.com/.

Judy's months of staying with her sister Juanita in Cape Coast are over & she has returned home to chilly Pennsylvania to plan a wedding! We wish Judy & Delton a joyful few months before they say "I do"! By the looks of her pinterest, it will be a delightful summer wedding. Enjoy every minute! Best wishes & much love sent in our absence.

Faith-Full Friday

So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy.” 1 Peter 1:13 MSG

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!