No Shaking

What I had planned today:

9:30 get picked up and go to the bank

9:45 get a receipt for the transfer of money due for our rent

11 meet with the lawyer, sign the lease, get keys

1pm take one load of furniture to Winneba and get back in time for church

What happened today: 

8am read Jesus Calling with the theme God lives outside of time .... Uh oh

10:45 my ride to the bank and lawyer shows up

12:10 arrive at lawyer's office, he's gone to the meeting he had scheduled at noon

12:45 receive a text from someone in Memphis that is praying for me

1:15 meet with the lawyer and then plead with the homeowner to give us house keys. Because tomorrow is the only day I have a truck 

2 homeowner agrees, lawyer prints and signs lease

3:45 get additional letter required for the money transfer typed and signed

4:30 arrive at bank after closing, security guard recognizes bishop, lets us in. See manager, hand over paperwork, transfer will be done. 

Most days here don't go according to plan. Your choices are to not make a plan, which usually results in getting nothing done, or to make a plan with full knowledge that it will change. Most days I am completely fine with adjusting along the way. Some days it is incredibly difficult. Today I was frustrated and fighting back tears from about 10am to 1pm. All I want is keys to the house. I'm ready to make a home for these sweet girls. By Gods grace it is almost done. Tomorrow morning I plan to meet the lawyer at the house. We will inspect the house and he will hand over the keys. We'll see what happens!

On the way home from the bank I was talking to bishop about a project he is working on. He said "life has never been handed to me on a silver platter, I know how to struggle. But in the end God always wins." ...I told him that my silver platters must be in in the luggage lost and found somewhere between here and the USA. 

So I am learning. I am learning what it means to rely on God in the big and the small. I am learning how to fight to get things done. I am learning when to fight and when to trust. I am learning just how powerful it is to have people all over the world praying for you. 

There will be "go slows" along the way. (That's what they call light traffic) but I am learning that in Christ, there's "no shaking". No need to get stressed out, I know who holds the future. Jehovah has the final say!

Miracles Happen Every Day

In my last post I asked you to pray that God would work things out for us to meet with the family members of all 6 girls. I said it would be a miracle. I asked you to pray and to believe. 

Thank you. Thank you for praying. And thank you for believing. Yesterday we met with aunts, an uncle and older sisters of the girls. All the girls and the guardians were there. They gave consent for their girls to enter a Christian facility. It took no convincing. They were ready and they were excited. I have many more stories to share, but for now I will just say thank you. 

We hope to move furniture into the house this weekend and get things all set up next week. Then we hope to bring the girls to their new home very soon. Continue in prayer to the Mighty One who can do all things!

Zero to Sixty

I started out this week with a list and with some determination. Y'all know the power of a list in my hands, right? Well, it seems that the processes of Africa are enough to defeat my list-fulfillment abilities.  But, by God's grace we are making progress this week!!! Here's a rundown .... 

Hired a house mom! A talented lady named Tina, we'll give her a proper and full introduction before too much longer. 

NGO Registration paperwork is turned in and we are waiting for a response. 

Stopped by the National Vocational Training Institute office to find out requirements and the registration process. Went to several other social welfare and NGO offices to find out if they have records on the street girls. There aren't any that we can find. Learned where a lot of different government businesses in Accra are. 

The house. The house has been undergoing repairs, and they are almost done. They should finish up tomorrow!!! It is a beautiful house and I am so excited for it to soon be a home!! Pictures a plenty will be coming soon. I've ordered lots of beautiful furniture this week too. 

Got consent forms ready to go. Met with 3 of the girls today to tell them it's time to start talking to their family and getting permission. We hope to meet with all 6 girls and representative family members to get their consent on Sunday. It will be a miracle to accomplish this goal in one day. So pray for it and believe it - God can do it! 

I'm so very thankful for all of these things. It took me a while to figure out how to move things along in this system. I'm starting to learn. One necessary thing is transportation. I thank God every day for our partnership with Maranatha Church here in Accra. This would not have been possible without their wisdom, prayers and support. They have provided me with transportation for all of these crazy errands. We are going to miss that tremendously once we are out in Winneba. So if anyone has an extra vehicle they want to ship to Ghana, let me know!! 

What's next? Signing the lease, consent from the girls' families, buy appliances,etc. and move in!!!

I'm hoping to be in the house with the girls by July 1st. Pray God continues to clear the path and make a way. Pray for God to continue His work of preparation in me. Pray God's protection over the girls and pray He will give us favor with their families. 

That's the quick rundown, I know everyone was ready for an update. Thank you for the prayers and encouragement. God is alive and moving in the big and the small.

Everything Changes

I've been in Ghana almost a month now. 

There's a whole lot I don't know. 

Here's what I do know ...

Things that have changed: 

I eat fruit everyday. 

I have had about 5 cokes in the last month. (Rather than 5 a day)

I believe in the power of prayer more than ever before. God wants us to believe He can do great things. He can surprise us ... Daily

I go to bed at 10, or before if possible. 

I have mastered the "expert" level of sudoku. 

Things that haven't changed: 

Africa is hot. 

My rhythm, or lack thereof. 

My inability to remember vocabulary in a new language. 

Friends, family and their incredible support. 

God.