OK, play on words. We are home. And we are sick. Actually, most are well by now, but please pray for those who are still a little under the weather. We had quite an adventure on the way home with our crew falling ill as we landed at JFK in NYC. It interrupted our travel and we had to rebook. Luckily we were all able to get home on Monday as scheduled with several groups going several different routes from JFK and Laguardia via Cincy and ATL. Crazy day I would never want to relive. Crazy two days actually. But thank you, Lord, for seeing us through!
Best mission trip I've ever been a part of. Hope to go back soon. Plans are to probably return in 2 years. Hopefully we can send a team out earlier than that as well as send some college students back there very soon. Pray as we consider how we can partner with MPM in the future.
Come this Sunday, Aug 10 to hear all about our trip. We will be presenting a 10 minute slot in addition to a skit that we did in Ghana during the worship service. Afterward, we are having lunch in the gym to give a full presentation of the trip. Lunch is provided for a mere $5. Please come! Make your reservations in the church office.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Nope, there's one more...at least
Hey, this is Christy. It's about 2:55 AM here, and despite my better judgement I am still sitting on Steve's and Will's couch. Steve insists that I sit on the sofa rather than his bed, due to the fact that I have been wearing the same pair of jeans for the past 4 1/2 days (and because Will is now in it). I seem to have a sort of sentimental attachement to these jeans. They've been through a lot this past week. They've seen the dust of dirt roads, tasted the rain and mud of rural villages, felt the spray of the Atlantic Ocean, and hoped in vain for the smell of laundry detergent. Tonight they will hear the rustling of plastic as I throw them in the trash.
I hope and pray that this trip has not been wasted on me. I feel like I didn't learn very much this week. I know we made a huge difference here, and I know we've obeyed God's call to be his witnesses "to the ends of the earth," but I get the sinking feeling that I missed something. I prayed every day leading up to this trip that it would change my life; that with my first step on American soil I would be a different person. I don't know at this moment whether or not that will be the case.
Steve says (and I hope he's right) that we're in "sensory overload" right now, and we probably won't be able to make sense of the things we've done until after we return home. We have a lot to process. God will most likely continue to teach us from this trip for many years to come. So I have that hope to cling to.
If I could ask you all to pray for one thing, it is that God will reveal to us what he has for us to learn from this past week. Not one of us wants this trip to be just an experience; we want it to be an experience of God.
And so, now that Steve has finished clipping his fingernails, I am off to bed. I hope to squeeze in a good 3 hours of sleep, if possible. Goodnight to all, I look forward to seeing you soon!
I hope and pray that this trip has not been wasted on me. I feel like I didn't learn very much this week. I know we made a huge difference here, and I know we've obeyed God's call to be his witnesses "to the ends of the earth," but I get the sinking feeling that I missed something. I prayed every day leading up to this trip that it would change my life; that with my first step on American soil I would be a different person. I don't know at this moment whether or not that will be the case.
Steve says (and I hope he's right) that we're in "sensory overload" right now, and we probably won't be able to make sense of the things we've done until after we return home. We have a lot to process. God will most likely continue to teach us from this trip for many years to come. So I have that hope to cling to.
If I could ask you all to pray for one thing, it is that God will reveal to us what he has for us to learn from this past week. Not one of us wants this trip to be just an experience; we want it to be an experience of God.
And so, now that Steve has finished clipping his fingernails, I am off to bed. I hope to squeeze in a good 3 hours of sleep, if possible. Goodnight to all, I look forward to seeing you soon!
The Final Entry, maybe
Kathryn- ok so ... today was our last day here in AFRICA!!!! it was amazing. some of my favorite memories would be being scared to death when we first got here and apostle Odai had us all stand up in front of his church and we all had to sing.. well he kept handing me the mic. for some reason .. it was terifying . . . ok and also getting to learn a flippen awesome tribal dance with some of the locals. I LOVE RIDING IN THE BUS its like a ride everytime you get in it but i feel bad for the people who got motion sickness easily. also i loved going to the SHRUBS (bush) i felt so adventurous especially when it started to rain and i was out evangelising and my enterpreter would be talking to some people converting them to christianity in another language and then out of no where he would say "now the americans will tell you something" and i guess he expected us to just jump in. luckly stephanie was with me and she was a big help. I LOVED the medical mission stuff. i saw so many miraculous things that i probably will never see again and just the power of god to satify the needs of these people who dont have anything and have to rely on him for everything. oh and just for the record. apostle odai intimidates the crap out of me. over all this trip has been awesome and i know i havent fully comprehended everything i have learned here but I LOVE AFRICA (and i want to smuggle an african baby back home) theres not one ugly african baby here!! LOVE YOU MOM DAD AND SETH see ya when we get back. (you better not be over feeding lola):)..but really
Will M- I dont think I could put into words how incredible this trip has been and I am still trying to comprehend what has happened this week. Thank you for your prayers!
Stephanie - Well guys this is our last blog until we get home (unless something inspiring happens on the plane) and ya never know. Our final day was spent doing medical mission, feeding the elderly, and just hanging out with the kiddos. Allie and Christie inspired the elderly. Ghana vs. America in futbol. America held their own (4-3) (really 3-3 cause Adam scored for Ghana...we will forgive him eventually). We enjoyed the serene breeze of the ocean during dinner. AO also treated us to the best Ghanian ice cream ever! We shared eight scoops between each pair. Yes we are Americans and will eat anything put in front of us. What a perfect end to a busy week. Well we can't say it enough what amazing young men and women each of you have helped to raise. All of our lives will be changed. Thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes. We will see you on the flip side (i.e Tulsa).
Will M- I dont think I could put into words how incredible this trip has been and I am still trying to comprehend what has happened this week. Thank you for your prayers!
Stephanie - Well guys this is our last blog until we get home (unless something inspiring happens on the plane) and ya never know. Our final day was spent doing medical mission, feeding the elderly, and just hanging out with the kiddos. Allie and Christie inspired the elderly. Ghana vs. America in futbol. America held their own (4-3) (really 3-3 cause Adam scored for Ghana...we will forgive him eventually). We enjoyed the serene breeze of the ocean during dinner. AO also treated us to the best Ghanian ice cream ever! We shared eight scoops between each pair. Yes we are Americans and will eat anything put in front of us. What a perfect end to a busy week. Well we can't say it enough what amazing young men and women each of you have helped to raise. All of our lives will be changed. Thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes. We will see you on the flip side (i.e Tulsa).
Last Day of Ministry
Hi Everyone,
I didn't post with the kids last night because I wanted to let them all get their turn and I am old and went to do my journal and go to bed!! I wanted to let you hear from the "mama" of the group. I know that is my role here. All of you would be so blessed to see how your kids are following Gods leading and giving so tirelessly of themselves. They are bold and go without fear into all situations. That being said, we as sponsors are watching over them closely and making sure they are wise. They are truly doing great, a few tummy aches, but regardless of sometimes not feeling up to task they jump in head first and die to self and serve without a thought for their needs. The sponsors are great. They are the most generous and selfless group of people I have ever seen. Thanks for all the prayers and love. If you haven't sent your loved one a post please do so. We also eagerly look at these each day and each of us waits to see if someone we know has sent us one. Love you all,
Jamie
Steve,
Sara, Will and I love you so much and miss you. Cannot wait to see you Monday,
Love you all,
Jamie
I didn't post with the kids last night because I wanted to let them all get their turn and I am old and went to do my journal and go to bed!! I wanted to let you hear from the "mama" of the group. I know that is my role here. All of you would be so blessed to see how your kids are following Gods leading and giving so tirelessly of themselves. They are bold and go without fear into all situations. That being said, we as sponsors are watching over them closely and making sure they are wise. They are truly doing great, a few tummy aches, but regardless of sometimes not feeling up to task they jump in head first and die to self and serve without a thought for their needs. The sponsors are great. They are the most generous and selfless group of people I have ever seen. Thanks for all the prayers and love. If you haven't sent your loved one a post please do so. We also eagerly look at these each day and each of us waits to see if someone we know has sent us one. Love you all,
Jamie
Steve,
Sara, Will and I love you so much and miss you. Cannot wait to see you Monday,
Love you all,
Jamie
Friday, August 1, 2008
The Long-Awaited Friday Blog
We are back from the bush. You will be glad to know that we didn’t stay in the mud and straw huts, but in a motel in the next town over. The people there are beautiful. We performed medical missions and blessed the children with food and several soccer balls. In Aserakrum, the first community we worked in, we gave the pastor there 2 balls. He told us he had been praying for soccer balls for 5 years. These people are simple, yet so blessed. So, thank you VBS kids and workers and Patrick for sending these over. The next day (Thursday) we worked in Quashie, about 5km from Aserakrum. This is a larger village and the need that tops their list will astound you. They just want a toilet. They don’t have one. And, no, they don’t just hold it. So you can imagine the sickness that runs through that community. But they were all beautiful people. Our kids and adults were able to work both communities, walking the street, while the medical team worked feverishly to see more needs than time would allow. You just can’t imagine. No matter how much you have seen on Discovery, nothing does it justice. It is just horrible there. But we loved it and loved the people. And our girls “held it” all day!
Last night (Thurs) we helped with a crusade there. Greg, Amanda, Sara, and Christy shared their testimonies and some encouragement that God had laid on their hearts. Jason Myers preached and all 5 of them did incredibly well. Several people came forward to receive Christ, probably over 30. In addition, there were many more that came to Jesus through our street teams over the 2 days. God was moving in a mighty way. These people out in the bush whose very existence most of the world refuses to acknowledge are truly God’s children. And Dr. Morris was the very first doctor to ever visit the village.
As Stephanie said, we stayed in a motel about one hour away. It was not the best place in the world, but it sure beat sleeping in a mudhole. And their food was good (we have eaten well all week).
Today, we toured a slave castle at Elmina. It was very interesting. We learned a lot about the history of Ghana and slave trade. Quiz your child when he/she gets home. I’m sure you’ll learn something…unless they weren’t listening!
Thanks for your prayers and keep them coming stronger than ever. Tomorrow (Sat) we finish up medical outreach (you have got to see this in action), we will feed the aged people in the area, and dedicate the new children’s building. Thanks to all for donations as well. It helped us build the barn, do the crusades in the bush, and buy much, much more anti-malarial medications and mosquito nets.
This has been Stephanie and Steve and that’s all for now, time for bed! Enjoy the comments from your kids below:
Anna: I love you all and miss you so much can’t wait to see you!
Beth: HI FAMILIA AND FRIENDS!!!!!! Love you lots! I’m having the time of my life!!! Everyone is so nice! I love it here! God has done some amazing things! I taught the village children how to disco, and the chicken dance!!!!
Allie: Thanks for all your prayers and comments on the blog!!! You guys are wonderful and I can’t wait to be able to share my experiences with you all! I love you with all my heart- (mom—I’ve been taking plenty of pictures!!! I already had to delete pictures on my camera because I ran out of memory….don’t worry…they were old pictures that are already on the compy!!!) Love you!
Rachel: Thank You so much for your love and prayers! God has done some incredible things here and I can’t wait to share them with you all! Continue to pray for everyone here! It has definitely been a trip to have complete faith in God and he has been faithful to us! Love you guys!!!
Alison: Hi people! I do miss you all mom, Katie, Alex, Dad haha. Mom just to prepare you I need you to know that I may take off this spring semester and come back here to Ghana… I know you’re probably confused and that’s ok you’ll come around… love you lots, I wish you guys could just come here so I would get to share this place and these people with you plus I wouldn’t have to leave! Ok see ya soon!
Amanda: HI MOM!:) AND LINDSAY! I love you two very much, thank you for all the prayers, you wouldn’t believe this place. I have lots of stories! Love you!
Steve: Thanks for your prayers. We are not really looking forward to leaving, but we all miss our loved ones. The week is going great. You have much to be proud of, parents and grandparents and sibs. They have gone well above what is expected and hoped for. See you all Monday! Love you! (esp. Courtney!!)
Christy: Dad, I know you’re pacing the halls right now, wringing your hands in nervousness over my leg. I’m fine! Stop worrying!
Sara: Hey everyone!! I love you all so much and miss you. Especially you daddy!! I miss you and can’t wait to see you when we get home. All of your prayers have helped in ways you cannot imagine. This week has truly been amazing and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. See you Monday!! Love you and miss you dad!
Caitlin: Hey there! First of all, I want to say thank you so much for all of your prayers and thoughts because they are greatly needed in this place and God is working in powerful ways. He has taken many of us out of our Baptist comfort zone, which I am so completely excited about. Also, hello to Mom, Dad, Erica, Tara, and Philip. Cant wait to fill you all in on how God has worked here and in all of our lives. Thanks for your support. Night for now and Ill see you soon <3
Zach: HEY dad, mom, jenn, and becca I love you all so much I cant wait to c you again I miss you all its been a crazy experience see you in 2 days.
Dani: hey everyone back home your letters to us have been lifting us up every day. I know that we cant wait to tell you all the amazing stories that have happened to us to far so I hope that your ready to get a ear full. O ya and jen don’t worry about us it was different then what we expected. In fact, seeing all those people just filled all of our hearts. We could see all the love that had for us they were so happy I wish you could’ve saw us special beth she was the bomb with those kids is was just amazing, like awww. well I love all the prays and I can feel them just give all of us strength so I love you all cant wait to see you when we get home. But there is a piece of me that just wants to stay here it is so beautiful…well I guess I should stop typing because I have gone passed the word count lol! I love you all!!!! P.s. ryan how is pewee???
Greg: So, normal construction processes apply in Ghana…we’re behind! Rain, and jokes have slowed progress (these guys are very funny) but the most important work is going and the project will be complete before our departure! The bush was straight from the telethons. They need medical and spiritual help, and that’s exactly what God brought through us and you at home who are and have supported us. Thank you! God is awakening Ghana!
William W: Hi all… This has been such an amazing experience! I cant wait to tell all of you guys about it when we get home… love you dad… jon jon and seth don’t forget I love you jk
Jason M.: Wow! The bush was amazing. I had no idea how amazing it would really be. We got to walk down a road to little villages and shared Christ with them. Then the next day we went to another village and we walked in the African Rain. That was really an experience. Thank you for all your prayers.
Sponsors: Adam we love you so much!!! In fact you are our favorite sponsor, besides ourselves of course. So keep the faith and stop your whining. Proud of you little Pastor.
Stephanie
Phyllis
Jason
David
Steve
Jamie
Last night (Thurs) we helped with a crusade there. Greg, Amanda, Sara, and Christy shared their testimonies and some encouragement that God had laid on their hearts. Jason Myers preached and all 5 of them did incredibly well. Several people came forward to receive Christ, probably over 30. In addition, there were many more that came to Jesus through our street teams over the 2 days. God was moving in a mighty way. These people out in the bush whose very existence most of the world refuses to acknowledge are truly God’s children. And Dr. Morris was the very first doctor to ever visit the village.
As Stephanie said, we stayed in a motel about one hour away. It was not the best place in the world, but it sure beat sleeping in a mudhole. And their food was good (we have eaten well all week).
Today, we toured a slave castle at Elmina. It was very interesting. We learned a lot about the history of Ghana and slave trade. Quiz your child when he/she gets home. I’m sure you’ll learn something…unless they weren’t listening!
Thanks for your prayers and keep them coming stronger than ever. Tomorrow (Sat) we finish up medical outreach (you have got to see this in action), we will feed the aged people in the area, and dedicate the new children’s building. Thanks to all for donations as well. It helped us build the barn, do the crusades in the bush, and buy much, much more anti-malarial medications and mosquito nets.
This has been Stephanie and Steve and that’s all for now, time for bed! Enjoy the comments from your kids below:
Anna: I love you all and miss you so much can’t wait to see you!
Beth: HI FAMILIA AND FRIENDS!!!!!! Love you lots! I’m having the time of my life!!! Everyone is so nice! I love it here! God has done some amazing things! I taught the village children how to disco, and the chicken dance!!!!
Allie: Thanks for all your prayers and comments on the blog!!! You guys are wonderful and I can’t wait to be able to share my experiences with you all! I love you with all my heart- (mom—I’ve been taking plenty of pictures!!! I already had to delete pictures on my camera because I ran out of memory….don’t worry…they were old pictures that are already on the compy!!!) Love you!
Rachel: Thank You so much for your love and prayers! God has done some incredible things here and I can’t wait to share them with you all! Continue to pray for everyone here! It has definitely been a trip to have complete faith in God and he has been faithful to us! Love you guys!!!
Alison: Hi people! I do miss you all mom, Katie, Alex, Dad haha. Mom just to prepare you I need you to know that I may take off this spring semester and come back here to Ghana… I know you’re probably confused and that’s ok you’ll come around… love you lots, I wish you guys could just come here so I would get to share this place and these people with you plus I wouldn’t have to leave! Ok see ya soon!
Amanda: HI MOM!:) AND LINDSAY! I love you two very much, thank you for all the prayers, you wouldn’t believe this place. I have lots of stories! Love you!
Steve: Thanks for your prayers. We are not really looking forward to leaving, but we all miss our loved ones. The week is going great. You have much to be proud of, parents and grandparents and sibs. They have gone well above what is expected and hoped for. See you all Monday! Love you! (esp. Courtney!!)
Christy: Dad, I know you’re pacing the halls right now, wringing your hands in nervousness over my leg. I’m fine! Stop worrying!
Sara: Hey everyone!! I love you all so much and miss you. Especially you daddy!! I miss you and can’t wait to see you when we get home. All of your prayers have helped in ways you cannot imagine. This week has truly been amazing and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. See you Monday!! Love you and miss you dad!
Caitlin: Hey there! First of all, I want to say thank you so much for all of your prayers and thoughts because they are greatly needed in this place and God is working in powerful ways. He has taken many of us out of our Baptist comfort zone, which I am so completely excited about. Also, hello to Mom, Dad, Erica, Tara, and Philip. Cant wait to fill you all in on how God has worked here and in all of our lives. Thanks for your support. Night for now and Ill see you soon <3
Zach: HEY dad, mom, jenn, and becca I love you all so much I cant wait to c you again I miss you all its been a crazy experience see you in 2 days.
Dani: hey everyone back home your letters to us have been lifting us up every day. I know that we cant wait to tell you all the amazing stories that have happened to us to far so I hope that your ready to get a ear full. O ya and jen don’t worry about us it was different then what we expected. In fact, seeing all those people just filled all of our hearts. We could see all the love that had for us they were so happy I wish you could’ve saw us special beth she was the bomb with those kids is was just amazing, like awww. well I love all the prays and I can feel them just give all of us strength so I love you all cant wait to see you when we get home. But there is a piece of me that just wants to stay here it is so beautiful…well I guess I should stop typing because I have gone passed the word count lol! I love you all!!!! P.s. ryan how is pewee???
Greg: So, normal construction processes apply in Ghana…we’re behind! Rain, and jokes have slowed progress (these guys are very funny) but the most important work is going and the project will be complete before our departure! The bush was straight from the telethons. They need medical and spiritual help, and that’s exactly what God brought through us and you at home who are and have supported us. Thank you! God is awakening Ghana!
William W: Hi all… This has been such an amazing experience! I cant wait to tell all of you guys about it when we get home… love you dad… jon jon and seth don’t forget I love you jk
Jason M.: Wow! The bush was amazing. I had no idea how amazing it would really be. We got to walk down a road to little villages and shared Christ with them. Then the next day we went to another village and we walked in the African Rain. That was really an experience. Thank you for all your prayers.
Sponsors: Adam we love you so much!!! In fact you are our favorite sponsor, besides ourselves of course. So keep the faith and stop your whining. Proud of you little Pastor.
Stephanie
Phyllis
Jason
David
Steve
Jamie
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
untitled
hey everyone, this is jeffrey gunter, and this group has had a very exciting week so far, and we're only half done.
well, i am very lonely, because only 4 of our group (myself, will mortenson, shaun, and greg) have remained in accra today while the rest of the group has moved on to a village 3 hours away. we will join them early in the morning.
wow, there is so much to say here, God has done SO many amazing things this week and we look forward to many more. i have so many stories running through my head right now that there is no way i will remember all of them when i get home. we have seen God move in so many ways this week, and everyone, in and out of our group, has felt his presence with us. We thank you so much for all your prayers, and your comments have been very helpful to us as well. every one of us is feeling the effects of the trip, but i can say without a doubt that not a single person in this group has allowed that to get in the way of what they came here to do.
the four of us left in accra spent the day working on the construction of the pole barn children's building for Pastor Odai's church. i must say it is coming on quite nicely; however, our own building skills are not. for some reason every piece of wood one of us tries to cut with a saw suddenly turns to stone and refuses to cut...while the african workers could cut it blindfolded with a bread knife.
It is a completely different world here in africa. we could tell from the minute we got off the plane. it is a completely different experiance to watch videos and look at pictures of people who live off of 3 dollars a day, it is another to spend those days with them. everyone here is amazing. all anyone here does is help others, no one is out for himself. there is so much trust and love between the ghanaian people i only wish that everyone in america could experiance it.
also, there is the small issue of the language barrier. when the people around you finally decide to speak english, you are lucky to make two or three words out of what they are saying. it is a difficult thing to talk slowly, without an accent, and leave out american slang. it is also difficult to play soccer (futbol) with kids who have no problem hitting a 4 foot wide goal with a soccer ball from 20 yards away. in fact, it is hard to play soccer when every single person on the continent is better than you. this includes men walking by in business suits, young children who pick up a stray ball...anyone.
dad, mom, ty and carter i miss you guys so much, i wish you could be here to see all this. i will be home soon. bye!!!
well, i am very lonely, because only 4 of our group (myself, will mortenson, shaun, and greg) have remained in accra today while the rest of the group has moved on to a village 3 hours away. we will join them early in the morning.
wow, there is so much to say here, God has done SO many amazing things this week and we look forward to many more. i have so many stories running through my head right now that there is no way i will remember all of them when i get home. we have seen God move in so many ways this week, and everyone, in and out of our group, has felt his presence with us. We thank you so much for all your prayers, and your comments have been very helpful to us as well. every one of us is feeling the effects of the trip, but i can say without a doubt that not a single person in this group has allowed that to get in the way of what they came here to do.
the four of us left in accra spent the day working on the construction of the pole barn children's building for Pastor Odai's church. i must say it is coming on quite nicely; however, our own building skills are not. for some reason every piece of wood one of us tries to cut with a saw suddenly turns to stone and refuses to cut...while the african workers could cut it blindfolded with a bread knife.
It is a completely different world here in africa. we could tell from the minute we got off the plane. it is a completely different experiance to watch videos and look at pictures of people who live off of 3 dollars a day, it is another to spend those days with them. everyone here is amazing. all anyone here does is help others, no one is out for himself. there is so much trust and love between the ghanaian people i only wish that everyone in america could experiance it.
also, there is the small issue of the language barrier. when the people around you finally decide to speak english, you are lucky to make two or three words out of what they are saying. it is a difficult thing to talk slowly, without an accent, and leave out american slang. it is also difficult to play soccer (futbol) with kids who have no problem hitting a 4 foot wide goal with a soccer ball from 20 yards away. in fact, it is hard to play soccer when every single person on the continent is better than you. this includes men walking by in business suits, young children who pick up a stray ball...anyone.
dad, mom, ty and carter i miss you guys so much, i wish you could be here to see all this. i will be home soon. bye!!!
Hey everyone reading at home, This is shaun and someone left the computer out so i thought id do some damage. Didnt read any posts put before mine so sorry if i repeat anything. Me Will Mortensen Jeffery Gunter and Greg Grunewald are the only people here at the hotel right now on account of we went to work at the construction site while the rest headed out on a three hour buss trip to the bush... We will be joining him tomrrow. The construction on the Pole barn is coming very well. Alot of white people not knowing what they are doing + 1 greg mixes suprisingly well with abunch of bossy african workers that enjoy the extra help and company. I am enjoying my time here and learning so much. I want to thank everyone for their prayers. Its kinda weird to drive down the street and have every single person staring at you because they dont EVER see white people running around, but you get used to it. Some things i have learnd thus far:
1 you want a mob start kincking the soccer ball around (obvious)
2 make sure you have extra memory on your phone/camera before giving it out to children.
3 dont throw your toilet paper in the toilet after use (learnt from reading the sign not experiance)
4 give small amounts of sleep aids out at begining of trip. Charge at the end.
5 Setting work gloves on the ground results in them being permently borrowed (took me a whole five minutes to learn that one
6 Balls-O-Chicken are not boneless
7 dont leave your snacks out in the open (i am eating will w's yum yums at this very moment)
8 Hammering nails is harder than it looks (although i, of course, am an expert)
9 Real food is kinda good.
Want to say hey to mom, dad and seth. Hope everythings going well at home. Love you all, see you soon.
Shaun
1 you want a mob start kincking the soccer ball around (obvious)
2 make sure you have extra memory on your phone/camera before giving it out to children.
3 dont throw your toilet paper in the toilet after use (learnt from reading the sign not experiance)
4 give small amounts of sleep aids out at begining of trip. Charge at the end.
5 Setting work gloves on the ground results in them being permently borrowed (took me a whole five minutes to learn that one
6 Balls-O-Chicken are not boneless
7 dont leave your snacks out in the open (i am eating will w's yum yums at this very moment)
8 Hammering nails is harder than it looks (although i, of course, am an expert)
9 Real food is kinda good.
Want to say hey to mom, dad and seth. Hope everythings going well at home. Love you all, see you soon.
Shaun
Wed. night, oh so tired! Things went well today in the bush we've heard. They went equally as well in the capital city of Accra on the construction project. Neither projects are complete, but we will be headed to join the rest of the group early tomorrow. Last night the group gathered fresh supplies of Malaria medication with hopes of seeing as many as 400 children over the next couple days. That's huge considering 1/3 of all children who die in Ghana, do so from Malaria. Pray for the ministry that will continue when we are gone. These people are so genuine. They are working to change their world and are a total inspiration.
Laura, Max, and Sus-I miss you and think about you as I watch these families work and worship together. Love you and am so thankful for the opportunity to come. The children's worship area/ pole barn will literally be a place thousands will meet the Lord!
We love you, goodnight-Greg Grunewald
Laura, Max, and Sus-I miss you and think about you as I watch these families work and worship together. Love you and am so thankful for the opportunity to come. The children's worship area/ pole barn will literally be a place thousands will meet the Lord!
We love you, goodnight-Greg Grunewald
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Evening Greetings from Ghana!
Dancing and singing into the night, we wrapped up our Tuesday. Excellent skits and song with a differnet worship experience will be etched in our memories forever. These people love the Lord and are so passionate about their forgiveness and new life in Christ, that it really helps adjust our perspective. Tomorrow our group splits into two sections, a small construction section will stay with me, and the others will head to the "bush." I fully expect more stories and growth experiences! I will post again tomorrow night hopefully with a report that the new children's building is complete! We will post again Friday night as we will all be in the "bush" Thursday night. Please continue to pray for strength and influence in these communities. We love you all. Greg Grunewald-offical two day blog updater!
Amazing Afternoon
What an amazing afternoon!!! We were trying to upload images(not working at this moment), the kids are practicing their skit. The children from the area came and sat with them and watched them perform. God is Good and truely with us. We will blog again after the Youth service tonight. Please pray for all of those who will participate in song, skit, and testimonies. We will not be able to write much after tonight as we will be traveling into the bush to minister the people in the villages. I can not express how faithful the young men and women on this trip are. They are such a blessing. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support. We will try to upload some more pics before we leave. May God bless you as he is blessing us. - Stephanie
PS - Miss you babe ;-)
PS - Miss you babe ;-)
Day 3...entry 1
We just finished at the healing service. What a blessing! In the service they offered each team member a gift. They also had one for Lauren. We were very moved. They did not connect immediately that she was the one from our team that had died. Will Mortensen had just talked about her in his testimony. Then Pastor Odai talked about her. But when he called her name, he didn't recognize the name immediately. Then when he did. He held it up, and said "She is here in spirit. We are saving souls for you, Lauren!" We were all very moved. The entire experience was overwhelming. In addtion to Will, Rachel and Julia also shared their testimonies. All 3 of them as well as David (preaching) and Skip did absolutely incredible this morning. All the testimonies flowed into each other seamlessly. God truly controlled everything that happened today. If you could only have seen our students laying hands on people, ministering and praying. You would have been touched in a tremendous way. More tonight. Thank you for your prayers. We begin our "Youth Explosion" in a couple of hours.
Monday, July 28, 2008
2nd Day Bonus Posting....
This day has just had even more amazing things happen. While the group was at the crusade sharing, Steve, Will Watkins, and I (Jason) went with Pastor Odai to do his Monday night radio broadcast. The power of God is amazing. We walked in and before we could sit down were on the air. Pastor Odai shared who we were and that we would be sharing the word with them this evening. He asked Steve to share first, and as he shared about God not condemning us, but giving us life it lead right into what Will shared. With out us ever telling each other what we were going to say it moved as only God could make it. Will continued to share how God would forgive our sins. Will did an amazing job as well. As a side note, our students are some of the most amazing young people, you should be very proud of them. I know that I am. Back to the radio station... After will Pastor asked me to share the word with the people. I shared about Jesus being the only way,truth, and life. After I finished he asked me to lead the people on the radio to accept Jesus.
We then took phone calls and people would call and ask for prayer about things. We prayed for people who were having nightmares about different issues, many of them we life and death matters. We did this hour long radio broadcast that felt like we were there 20 minutes. All that I know really know to say is WOW! what an amazing God.
Tomorrow is a very big day and we really need you to pray for us. At 10:00 am our time (5:00 am at home) we will be doing a Healing service. David is preaching and then we will be taking part in praying for people with needs. I can't even begin to tell you what they might be, because I know I would not even come close to all that there could be. We do really ask that you pray earnestly for our group at that time. Satan is trying to keep these people from knowing Jesus, and we have only just begun to see what is taking place. But as Pastor Odai and we all have seen and know, Jesus is more powerful than anything hear and what a power it is.
Thank you for you prayers and diligence to read these posts. We have read them to the group so keep the posts coming.
We then took phone calls and people would call and ask for prayer about things. We prayed for people who were having nightmares about different issues, many of them we life and death matters. We did this hour long radio broadcast that felt like we were there 20 minutes. All that I know really know to say is WOW! what an amazing God.
Tomorrow is a very big day and we really need you to pray for us. At 10:00 am our time (5:00 am at home) we will be doing a Healing service. David is preaching and then we will be taking part in praying for people with needs. I can't even begin to tell you what they might be, because I know I would not even come close to all that there could be. We do really ask that you pray earnestly for our group at that time. Satan is trying to keep these people from knowing Jesus, and we have only just begun to see what is taking place. But as Pastor Odai and we all have seen and know, Jesus is more powerful than anything hear and what a power it is.
Thank you for you prayers and diligence to read these posts. We have read them to the group so keep the posts coming.
Hi HRC,
I really wish you guys were here. We could use so much help! Today we saw patients from 1000 - 1330. During that time we saw and treated about 100 patients, but left several still waiting. Duing the final time, I went to the person that was helping me and told him to bring us all the children and babies. We were able to treat all the children.
Pray for David today. He is PREACHING in the chuch service Tuesday. The topic is healing.
Love you guys and all of my church family
Phyllis
I really wish you guys were here. We could use so much help! Today we saw patients from 1000 - 1330. During that time we saw and treated about 100 patients, but left several still waiting. Duing the final time, I went to the person that was helping me and told him to bring us all the children and babies. We were able to treat all the children.
Pray for David today. He is PREACHING in the chuch service Tuesday. The topic is healing.
Love you guys and all of my church family
Phyllis
Wish You Were Here!!!
WOW!!! There are no words to describe the amazing day TWO we have had here. So much to say and so little time. We are so blessed and humbled.
Our team split today as most of the fellas stayed to help build the pole barn church and the other went to the square and helped Phyllis and David treat the sick and witness to the people in the square. We treated over 100 people with diseases from malaria to infections and needed to help so many more. They need so much more than we had to give. Our hearts broke as we had to leave and there were still people needing treatment. We are so blessed to have Phyllis and David on this trip with us. They did an amazing job today. Please keep them in your prayers as we will be performing more medical missions on Wednesday and Saturday.
As the people waited for treatment we prayed with them and talked to them about the gospel. A group also had a chance to go to the market and witness to the vendors on the street. The people here are amazingly receptive to listen and hear the word of God. Many of these people have lost their hope in God as they believe God abandoned them. We pray that God will give us his words and his eyes as we speak with them. Although we do not always have enough earthly things to provide, the most amazing gift we can give them is Jesus and the hope we have in him.
This was just the morning.....
In the afternoon we sang with the Children and Amanda taught and amazing story. Kids are the same everywhere full of joy and love and giggles. As we get on and off of the bus, it almost seems as we are rock stars. The children enveloped us with hugs and song and follow us around EVERYWHERE. These children are so precious.
Again tonight we had a Crusade. The passion these people have for God is amazing. We Carol Katlyn and Sara performed a dance and several people gave their testimonies. Adam preached the word of God and did an amazing job. During the day several of our girls also learned an African dance and performed at the Crusade with the African youth(We have video!!!). Dance is involved in pretty much everything. They even play a song and dance up to the front to give their offering.
Tomorrow we will be having a healing service and helping with a Youth Crusade. David is preaching tommorow. Pray that God will speak through his words to these people and that they may no Jesus is the Greatest Healer of all.
Everyone says hello and we miss all of our loved ones. We wish you could have this life changing experience with us!!!
No words or pictures can describe the people and places we have seen and the amazing things that are happening. God is moving in this place and we are thankful that we can be a part of it.
XOXOX to you all!!!!!
PS I will try to write more often but the internet is slow, finicky, and we are so busy!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Day 1 "continued" "continued"
Crusade just ended. Came back ate dinner, now time for bed! Finally! We are sooooo tired.
Great night. Incredible service. It was held at a stage in a very crowded section of Accra where there is much drug use and lots of youth and young adults. So it was an interesting crowd. Several of our kids were involved, with Karol, Beth, and Jeff sharing. Jeff preached and the girls shared their testimonies. At the end about 12 people came forward to give their lives to Jesus Christ.
Praise God!
Keep praying! There is much spiritual warfare here but God is moving. Wow...can't believe that was just one day. Feels like Wednesday...
Great night. Incredible service. It was held at a stage in a very crowded section of Accra where there is much drug use and lots of youth and young adults. So it was an interesting crowd. Several of our kids were involved, with Karol, Beth, and Jeff sharing. Jeff preached and the girls shared their testimonies. At the end about 12 people came forward to give their lives to Jesus Christ.
Praise God!
Keep praying! There is much spiritual warfare here but God is moving. Wow...can't believe that was just one day. Feels like Wednesday...
Day 1 "continued"
We have flown 20 hours and hit the ground running. We arrived at the Hotel Beauty and immediately made our way to the church for the 10 oclock service. Steve preached an inspiring sermon on Phillip and Eunich with only a few hours of sleep no less (read: 3). The kidos even joined the band and sang in front of the entire church. AO (Apostle Odai) is keeping us on our toes. Lunch was from Papaye. Chicken and Rice...and no one sick yet. Keep our health in your prayers. This afternoon we helped with Children's outreach. We are about to leave for our crusade. Pray for us! It begins at 7 GMT. These children are so precious. Their gleeming smiles can't make you do anything, but smile yourself. Tomorrow half of us will be putting on our truth belts and peace shoes on and doing medical mission/street evangelism. The rest of us will be helping build the pole barn. We miss you all and wish you could see all the amazing colors here. I will write more soon!!!
Friday, July 25, 2008
And We Are Off....almost.
Aren't we a good lookin bunch! We have less than 24 hours left until we leave. Thanks everyone for your continued prayers and support as we have prepared for this wonderful journey God is taking us on. We will miss you while we are gone, but will be back soon.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Date of Departure
Get Excited...We are leaving for Accra, Ghana (6,315 mi away from T-town) on July 26th @ 8:40!!! 13 Days to go.
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