Friday, July 3, 2009

4 Days to Africa

Becky writes:

The reality is settling in that I am really going to Ghana. Africa has been in my heart since I was 14 years old and went to a preview weekend at CIU (then Columbia Bible College). There was a missionary there who shared about the needs of the African people. I guess a little piece of my heart has been in Africa all these years.

I met Anita and David Waters a couple of months ago. They became a part of LifeNet (our house church in Columbia) while we were away on our trip and living in Huntersville. Right after we returned to Columbia, they shared their ministry with our group. They go to Ghana to install water purification systems in villages, encourage children who live in the city dump at Tema, Ghana and most of all to share the love of Jesus with everyone they come in contact with. As I watched the video from their previous trips and felt the tug at my heart, I realized that God was re-awakening that part of my heart I had given to Africa so many years ago.

So now, six weeks later, I find myself just 4 days from leaving for Africa!

I've been reading Matthew 5-7, in preparation for the trip. These chapters are referred to as the Sermon on the Mount and are three chapters of Jesus' teachings. I found these teachings to be particularly encouraging and helpful before my trips to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and so have been concentrating on this reading for the past couple of weeks. But tonight I was reading in Psalms and just amazed at some verses in Psalm 113 and in Psalm 116.

Psalm 113:4-7 "For the Lord is high above the nations; His glory is higher than the heavens. Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high?
He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump."

I was so blown away - Here one of the main purposes of the trip is to minister to the children who live in this dump and these verses actually talk about the very people we are going to minister to. I love the word picture in these verses - the picture of God actually stooping over to look down on us - I am reminded of when I am speaking with my grandchildren, I lean over to get on their level and talk with them - to show them how interested I am in what they are saying and doing. It just blows my mind the God of the Universe cares enough about me and the children in the dump in Tema to stoop down and check on us!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Tears stream down my face as I read your words. Thank you for sharing the scripture and making us aware of being vessels through which GOD awakened a part of you for service in the kingdom to the "least of these."

LU

David W