I love these kids!

It is 4:30 in the morning and I am awakened either by the smothering humidity and heat or the Muslim call to prayer.  Immediately I begin to remind myself that I must crucify my flesh and not become angry or desperate because I long for some relief from the heat.  I also begin to think about the billions of souls that are lost.  The man’s voice crying out in the wee hours of the morning, when it is still to dark to get up and move around, reminds me that the harvest field is ripe.  For me it is a call to prayer that he and the young Muslim mom I met in the market today will find Jesus.

I spent the day with two French ladies shopping.  They asked me to take them to Mokola, a huge market in Accra, and be their guide.  I can’t help but smile thinking about  how many people I have met from all over the world during my time here in Ghana.  It is beautiful how God places the right people together, people having the same heart and goals. Three foreigners searching the streets of Ghana  for gifts for the children at the orphanage. I think about Linn and Ellen from Sweden and Elien from Finland and others that I have had similar experiences with. 

It is now 5:00 and I hear the familiar sound of brooms sweeping.  They stir the dust as they sweep and I can smell and taste it.  Next the smoke from the cooking pots outside will flow through my room with any breeze I might be fortunate enough to feel.  Precious water is flowing from the tap and the women and older girls are filling their buckets for cooking, washing clothes, bathing and drinking. How can I love this place so much that is missing all of the comforts of home.

 

I am stretched here.  I run to the Word for comfort and I find it.  I read something each day that will bring tears to my eyes as I feel awe that the God of Heaven loves me so much.  I know that in an hour or so the children will be pounding on my door and yelling Grandma caw caw caw, Grandma caw caw caw, their way of knocking.  I will answer back yes and they will begin speaking so fast and so many at one time that I will not get a word of it.  But I know when I open my door they will struggle to grab and hug me.  I am hot and sticky and some mornings just want to sit and not be bothered.  Doesn’t sound very missionary like I know, but it is the truth.  Instead, once again I will open the door and give hugs back as I pray and ask Jesus to love them through me.  I will say go and bath and eat your food knowing they will be back as soon as they have finished begging for pencils for school.

There is a small girl of 10 years that is the size of a 6 year old from lack of proper nutrition.  She has told me stories of her village and a thing in the water that has bitten off the leg of a friend and I believe she is talking about a crocodile.  She is called mama quookwi, which means grandma in Twi.  It is very funny because I learned this when I told her, Esinom you remind me of a 90 year old woman.  She just does the Ghanaian tisk and says Ah, you are lying. So funny!

 There is a young boy Ryzack that is nine and actually pretty healthy looking.  He does not speak much except with his face.  He will catch my eyes and give this big grin and it melts my heart.   One of the things that makes him so endearing is his ability to forgive and be so light hearted.  He moves on and is soon laughing and playing with someone who has just insulted him.  They are use to different forms of discipline so as I force Esinom and Ryzack to sit next to one another for punishment, they both began giggling.  I know they think this obruni Grandma is nuts. 

There are 37 children here and I could go on for days about each one of them and how special they are. They fill my day with laughter, frustration, challenges and plenty of love.

There are many things that stir the deep places of your heart here.  Today, a mother  brought her young daughter and her two month old baby to leave at the orphanage.  The mother is mentally challenged and cannot take care of the baby.  The mother/grandmother works and cannot be home to care for him.  The mommy fed the baby Banku which caused vomiting and diarriah so severely that he had to be taken to the hospital. The grandmother tried to explain to her daughter that she could not feed the baby but awoke the next morning to the girl feeding the baby banku again.  She said that she cannot be there to make sure she does not hurt the baby or leave it alone.  They handed me the baby and the young mother asked me if I would take good care of him.  I told her as long as I was here I would.  I noticed that she was wiping a tear from her eye and I began to ball.  I could not control it as my heart was braking for hers.  The baby has been with us three days and has shown so much improvement.  He is squealing, making little goo sounds, and smiling.  I know God has a plan for this beautiful little boy.