Simply Having A Wonderful Christmastime

If you are in a crowd of people in Ghana and say the name "Emmanuel", you are guaranteed to have a few men turn and look your way. It would be difficult to find a name that is more common here. The other night in devotion I asked the girls if they know the meaning of "Emmanuel". They told me it means "God with us." We then talked about how through Jesus, God came to be with us on this Earth. He came to show us and help us experience the love of God in ways that would never be possible without Him. And now, here we are at Christmas, where people all over the world stop to celebrate the arrival of "God with us".

Every year our partner church, Maranatha Power Ministries, celebrates Christmas in a big way. Thousands of meals are prepared and distributed in several different villages. This year, the Pearl House family got to join in on two of those celebrations.

At our recent fundraisers three of you purchased a Christmas party. Through those donations we were able to rent transportation and serve at two different parties. On Thursday we went to a village called Mankesim here in the Central Region of Ghana. And yesterday we traveled several hours to the Eastern Region to celebrate with the people of Kraboa Coaltar. Maranatha prepares hundreds of meals and packages them on the day of the party. Meanwhile, a program is put on letting the children have fun and learn about Jesus. The Pearl House girls were able to help package the food, assist in the program and share the food.

This all originated from a conversation I had with Bishop Odai, the leader of Maranatha. I was telling him I wanted to find ways for our girls to serve. They are being given so much now that they are at the Pearl House. It is important that they remember their blessings and live in gratitude for God's daily provision. He suggested that they participate in the Christmas parties this year. And I am oh so glad that He did. It is the perfect way for the Pearls to proclaim the arrival of the Savior on Earth. Jesus is God with us. And when God's children choose to serve others in the name of Jesus, they too are proclaiming "Emmanuel".

God is indeed with us!

 For more pictures from these parties, please see The Pearl House page on Facebook.

Family Reunion

Have you ever looked at a picture and been absolutely overwhelmed with all that it represents?  As previously mentioned, we were able to receive the youth group from my home church this past June. They were in Ghana for two weeks working with the Village of Hope. While here they came over to visit The Pearl House for a few days. After working on Thursday and Friday they came back to the house again on Saturday. This time, the girls were out of school and ready to play. As they were coming, the White Station group also brought along some of the older children from the Village of Hope. 

The Village of Hope is a well-established organization here in Ghana. They have an orphanage, several schools, a hospital and a vocational training center. The number of people they impact daily is in the thousands. This place was my doorway to Ghana. I started taking students there on short-term missions in 2003. Every year I grew to love Ghana more and more and eventually that love changed the course of my life. The “children” from the VOH that came to visit that day are now well-educated and independent adults in their twenties.

Once everyone arrived we sat down to share a time of worship together. The Pearls, the White Station Group and the Village of Hope children all sang together and uttered prayers for one another. To say I was overwhelmed is a gross understatement. It is amazing to see how God works so faithfully in our lives. I was sitting in a room worshipping with members from the church that ushered me into adulthood and created opportunities for me to meet the people of Ghana. To pray with and for the young adults that made me want to live and serve here long term. And to see the 20 girls that I now call my daughters sitting in the very same room. All of us together, worshipping one God. It is truly amazing to see how God weaves our lives together with others for the joy of His Kingdom. What a joy it is to be part of the family of God.

Summer with Friends

In Ghana we have two seasons…Rainy and dry. “Summer” is not a familiar term in this part of the world. However, we do get to experience the joy of summer here with the many wonderful visitors from the U.S. that come through our doors. The end of May found us blessed with a visit from my mom and sister. They have both traveled quite a bit, but never to Africa. It was incredible to share the African experience and my new family with them. We made some great memories and the girls enjoyed meeting Grandmom Toni and Mama Aimee.

We were also blessed with a visit from the youth group at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ. This church has overwhelmed me and The Pearl House with their love and support. While here, they did several painting and organizing projects. Their work transformed our house into a home as they painted Truth onto our walls.

 

Harpeth Hills Church of Christ, Nashville TN

Soon afterwards we received my home church’s youth group. Their work brightened up our compound and even created some opportunities for us to relax. I absolutely loved getting to see these familiar faces. I am so encouraged by the support and love I have received from White Station over and over and over again.

White Station Church of Christ, Memphis TN

After several more visitors from family and friends, our “summer” season drew to a close. We truly enjoy having new friends around. The children, our staff and the missionaries all end up receiving encouragement from their presence. 

There are a lot of theories about short-term missions. As a youth minister I did quite a bit of reading on the topic. Wasting money and doing damage in the Kingdom are two things I never want to find myself doing. I was convinced then and am even more convinced now that short term missions are a good thing if done well. Within the context of meaningful relationships, both the mission and the missionaries can be impacted positively. I thank God for all of those that support me personally and the organization as a whole with their presence here.

Kingdom Weapons

Life is a roller coaster no matter where you live. There are sweet, wonderful times and there are challenging times. I am finding the same to be true here in Ghana. Most days are great and some of them are absolutely fantastic. Then there are those tough days, weeks or months. I knew those times would be difficult without longtime friends nearby for encouragement and support. In times of trial I often think about my dear friend and college roommate Sara who gained victory over death and has been rejoicing in Heaven for two years as of today. She lived her battle against cancer with such grace and Truth. 

Sara comes to mind often. With a new school year starting up, I love seeing pictures of people moving back onto campus and getting settled into their dorms. I think of the 3 years I was blessed to live and laugh with Sara. When I hear people talk about their college experiences I think of her with a smile. Recently someone at the house had no-bake cookies and I of course thought of her and my other post-college roommates as this was one of our four main food groups (puppy chow being a close second). Life lessons from Sara/The Little Rascals, often come to mind throughout the day. "Do you have a dollar? And how! What's mine is yours and what's yours is ours." I also think about the way thousands have been touched by the way she lived and died.

Hard times reveal a person's character. Will you stand up and fight or will you curl up in a ball and surrender? To be honest, I'd say we all have moments of both. Those of us following her fight against cancer were all inspired by Sara's courage and strength. But I am quite certain Sara also had her moments of wanting to quit the fight. 

Evil comes to us in different forms. There are the things outside of our control like cancer, natural disasters and accidents. Then there are the daily struggles like greed, lust, pride, envy, unbelief, selfishness ... the list goes on and on. From my experience in the USA, evil is usually pretty sneaky and I often did not notice it. 

Satan seems to use different tactics here in Ghana. It is very real. I would even venture to say it is tangible. Honestly, I have a hard time understanding and explaining it myself. God is doing a mighty work in the Pearl House and I am confident the enemy does not want to see it completed. At times it feels like satan has decided to set up camp outside of our house and throw every arrow imaginable. 

The terrain and the tactics may be different, but I praise God the weapon is the same. The weapon God has given us in warfare will always be His powerful and mighty Word. Those three powerful words "It is written" (Matthew 4:4) can fight most every battle against the enemy that we face.  From the time I met Sara to her very last days I have been challenged by her knowledge of God's word. Throughout her battle with cancer, her writings were full of scripture. She drew close to the heart of God through His Word and that gave her the strength to fight.

So my friends, in whatever battles we face today, may we face them with the knowledge that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him." (Rom 8:28) May we hold His powerful Word near to our hearts. And may we fully focus on Him as we seek to live faithfully and be found standing in Victory on that glorious day of His return. 

To learn more about Sara's story and the ongoing work of the Foundation in her honor, please go to http://www.savoringtheday.com. 

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like ...

Not too long ago we were at the beach with the girls for the day. Late in the afternoon a group of about 20 children showed up with several American friends about 100 yards down the beach. Our girls are used to being the ones hanging out with the Americans, so they were surprised and curious. As we stood there watching them, Dina turned to me and said “Mama, are they Pearls too?”

Her question stirred in my heart for several moments. I’m not entirely sure I know what she was specifically asking. But I know the answer to her question is one of God’s absolute and beautiful truths. “YES!” Those boys and girls are Pearls. In fact, we are all Pearls. Every single one of us was created out of nothing with the specific purpose of being a child of God. A child that was created to love and to be loved.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. And when he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46

Many of you reading this blog have made sacrifices for the Pearl House. You send money each month. You sacrifice time and money to come and visit us. You sacrifice your heart and your energy by praying for us. Let this be a reminder that your sacrifice is well-placed. These pearls are worthy of your love. And they are worthy of your sacrifice. But we must remember, the girls of the Pearl House are not the only Pearls out there. They are many many more. Living in the Northern region of Ghana, the slums of India, the streets of China. In the war-torn countries, in the peace-filled cities. Amongst the rich and the poor, the black and the white. Wherever we find ourselves. In plenty or in want. With an empty nest or one that has just begun to hatch – our task is singular. It is to love, no matter the cost. 

Thank you for being part of the solution. 

Thank you for being an extension of the loving arms of God.

Adventures in May

May has been a month full of fun activity. The girls were on vacation at the beginning of the month so we took them to the beach one day and to Kakum National Park another day. The third and final term of the school year is now in it’s second week. We had a super fun group from Memorial Rd Church of Christ in Edmond, OK here visiting. AND we had our May birthday party. Whew. No wonder I have been a little tired!

The beach is always a fun little outing. It is nice to get out of the house and explore new territory. We played all kinds of games and enjoyed walking around. So thankful to live in a city with such a beautiful landscape.

Then there was Kakum. Another example of God’s great creation. I have been there more times than I can count on two hands, so the newness has worn off for me a bit. But it was a whole new experience for the Pearls, and they were SCARED! Kakum has a walkway of seven swinging bridges that allows you to walk through the canopy of the rainforest. There’s not many like it in the world and it is a pretty cool opportunity to go. However, those that have a fear of heights tend not to enjoy the experience. Most of our girls fall in the latter category. I think my favorite comment was “You mean, we could be at Papaye (their favorite restaurant) and we are doing this instead?” We made some great memories and the day was full of laughter.

Last week we were encouraged by our time with the University students from Memorial Rd Church of Christ and Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, OK.  They were full of energy, fun and Christ. Their visit was brief but packed. They poured supplies and gifts over us; they played, prayed, worshiped and encouraged. We could not have asked any more from them.  The girls enjoyed their many new friends. As the team’s bus pulled away from the house singing “… what can make me feel this way, nothing but my pearls, my pearls, my pearls”, we were all filled with joy.

Up next, a visit from my mom and sister!

Sisters

One of the things I have recently enjoyed seeing is how much these girls have grown to love each other. Since moving into the house, our staff has all gotten to have some time off, so the girls are used to us coming and going. But they have not been apart from each other hardly at all. They eat, sleep, study and work together – they are rarely separated.

Thirteen of the girls all came from their hometown on a Wednesday. The last seven were delayed an extra day, so I went to Accra to pick them up in the Highlander. This is the scene from when we pulled into the driveway.

These girls are from different regions of Ghana. They are from different tribes. They speak different languages. They came into the house with deep prejudices against one another. But they are learning to love. They are learning that God’s love is greater than any other identifier man can give us. Our experiences make us who we are, but that does not define who we should or should not love.

Every tribe has its’ distinct dances. On numerous occasions the girls from different regions have done a few of their dances. We all enjoy watching the variety that comes from the various groups. When we have done this in the past, it was either one group or the other, but when we had some dancing a few nights after their arrival back in the house there was a difference.

The girls were joining in on each other’s dances, willing to participate in each other’s culture. For me, that was a turning point. They still get mad at each other. They still hold prejudices. But they appreciate one another and they even support one another. It is truly amazing to witness God’s transformative work, day by day.

Easter Sabbath

April has been a busy and exciting month. We had a visit from dear friends, I traveled to some of the girls' hometowns and had a few days of quiet while the girls were away visiting their hometowns. I am excited to tell you all about our experiences. But, since the girls are home from school on break for two more weeks, I would not describe the house full of 24 people as a conducive writing environment. In fact, within the span of writing these first four sentences I have been interrupted three times. Good thing it's beautiful pearls that are interrupting me! 

Many of you know that the Pearl House is just a 15 minute drive from the beach. Unfortunately, other than the occasional drive-by with visitors, I have not been to the beach for the purposes of relaxation since the girls moved in. That is, until Easter Sunday. My new intern, Emilie and I decided to try out our hammocks on the palm trees of Ghana. It is an experiment that will be repeated, hopefully often! Here are a few pictures of our beautiful beach.

Until I find another quiet moment .... God bless you all! 

Drawn Out of Water

Introducing the girls to Old Testament stories of God’s faithfulness has been one of my favorite things to do. Over and over we see God creating, the children of God falling and God recreating. 

One Saturday morning last November, we learned the story of Moses. A new king came to power in Egypt and decided that there were too many Israelites. He ordered that every boy that is born must be killed. One mother did not have the heart to let her child be killed, so she found a basket on the riverside and placed her three month old baby boy inside. Downstream he was found by the daughter of the king. She rescued the baby and took him as her own. The king’s daughter named the child Moses which means “I drew him out of the water.” Not only did the baby boy survive the king's edict, but he grew up in the king’s palace. 

As we told the details of the story, I realized that the girls were not getting it. We tend to understand things better when there’s a visual around the Pearl House. Language barriers will get you every time! I got a big plastic bowl and put it in the middle of the room. Then I asked our smallest girl, Olivia, to sit in the bowl. I showed them our imaginary river with the bowl floating along. Then I went to the bowl, took Olivia by the hand and raised her up out of the bowl giving her a hug. 

And that is the moment when I understood. That moment is when God made clear to me what He is doing in the lives of the Pearl House girls.

These young ladies were in the water, headed toward death, a death of some form. They were in extreme poverty, often going hungry, without basic needs. Without empowerment. Without hope. Without a dream for the future.  But God has raised them up out of the water. He has taken them one by one and walked them out of the imprisonment that poverty so readily provides. And He is walking them into a life of safety, freedom, hope and light. They are truly daughter of the King.  

To the God whose faithfulness never ends. 

To the God who never ceases to recreate the lives of His children. 

To Him we give all the praise. Amen. 

Freedom to Create

The first girls came to the Pearl House on a Saturday night in July. After church that next day the older girls helped Tina and Rita in the kitchen preparing lunch. That left 3 Americans with 7 Ghanaian girls that speak no English. After several attempts at learning one other's names, we spent a few minutes just staring at one another. It did not take long to realize that we had to figure out something to do. I went to get paper and crayons and set them on the floor. The staring was then transferred to the paper and the crayons.

So I picked up a crayon and drew a rainbow. The girls picked up a crayon and did the same. We continued on like this for a while. For weeks the girls would only color or draw if they were copying Clara or I's artwork. If given a coloring sheet, the whole page would end up one color.

Recently one of the girls brought this piece of artwork to show me. It stopped me in my tracks and brought me to tears. In July this child did not speak English. She did not know how to write her letters. She had never picked up a crayon and colored before. And now it is eight months later. Now she is writing full sentences, expressing gratitude, and creating beautiful artwork all on her own.

Day by day I am in awe as I witness the transformation of 20 beautiful girls as they are nurtured in a safe Christ-centered environment. May God be praised! 

Keep to the Old Roads

"So keep to the old roads

Keep to the old roads

And you’ll find your way."

I did not drive at all during my first six months in Ghana. We had no car and I was learning my way around. Anytime we wanted to go somewhere it meant a 10 minute walk down the road to catch a cab. It was all part of the experience, but I must admit it was not my favorite part. So you can easily imagine that when I set foot on American soil last November, I was elated to get behind the wheel of a car. I felt a sense of freedom in driving that reminded me of the months just after I turned 16. In Memphis I drove on familiar roads that led me to people and places I cherish. I drove across Tennessee a couple of times and it reminded me of the trips I took home during college. While in East TN I was able to drive up in the mountains a bit and experience the joy that only mountain scenery can provide. Going back to those familiar places filled me with peace and comfort.

I am finding my "roads" here in Ghana. At first we were strangers in Winneba, stumbling in how to accomplish simple tasks. But now we have gotten to know many friends and neighbors in our community. A trip down the street is filled with greetings to familiar faces. We know where to buy the good bread. We know who has the best stock of phone minutes. We have found a good seamstress. We have our drivers that we call when transportation is needed. These small steps help so much in feeling settled and comfortable. 

Comfort and familiarity in our community is a blessing. But I am learning, for the 15,438th time in my life, that our true comfort and familiarity is found in God alone. You see, I am convinced that Satan likes to keep to the familiar as well. He uses the same tricks over and over again to mess me up. He knows my weaknesses, the lies I believe and he goes for them every single time. In the US, I knew how to cope with this. I would spend time with dear friends and mentors that speak the Truth to me or I would go for a long drive and listen to music that is filled with God's Truth. In a new place with new relationships and no car (until recently!) I have had a hard time figuring out how to process the battle in my mind and stand up to fight back. But then I remember, the thing that always brings me back is the Truth. 

The other day I was listening to music and a familiar song came on. It was Andrew Peterson's "You'll Find Your Way." In this song written to his son he sends the reminder that no matter where you find yourself, you keep to the old roads.

So every day, I go back. I go back to what I know is True. I keep to the old roads until I find my way to the Truth. And then I hold fast. 

May we all be found holding fast to the Truth.

From the Inside Out

Spiritual formation in teenagers has been my heart and passion for many years now. It was what I was hungry for as a teenager and I don't think I ever grew out of it. I love watching God transform someone's identity from an awkward and uncomfortable child to a stumbling, yet beautiful creation of the King. 

The story is no different here in Ghana. The stresses and the drama are different, but the heart is still the same. I would venture to say that the heart of all creation is the same. We want to be known and we want to be loved. Even Jesus received those words from His Father. The voice of God shouted affirmation over the God man as He was buried in baptism. God said, "This is my son, I love him and I am super happy with what He just did." If Jesus was blessed by that affirmation, how much more do we need that encouragement as children of God?

The girls of the Pearl House are learning about the heart of God - who He is and what he cares about. When they came to the house, they knew who Jesus was, but their knowledge of God did not extend much beyond that. As a staff we are working hard to lay a good foundation for the girls, but there is a lot of work ahead. They have memorized several scriptures so that Truth will be hidden in their hearts. They have memorized the 10 Commandments and are working on the books of the Bible. Every morning we study wisdom from Proverbs. We spend time in prayer and worship every morning and every night. We have several hours of prayer and fasting on Saturday mornings. We sing song after song. We teach about right and wrong. We teach the Old Testament Bible stories, all new to the girls. At times they are literally on the edge of their seats, asking questions like, "Did Pharoah's firstborn die too?" They are appalled that Joseph's brothers would sell him off and tell their father of his death. We are teaching them who Jesus is and what his life on earth was all about. We are talking about the Holy Spirit and about how with Him at work in us we can overcome the temptation to fight and cheat. 

Through these daily moments of teaching and worship, I'm reminded and the girls are learning for the first time that God's word is Truth.  I thank God for what He is doing at the Pearl House.  Please join us in praying that His mighty transformational work of grace will be done in us all. Pray that we will all be consumed completely by the heart of God and live a life that bring others to the foot of the cross. May God be made known throughout Ghana through these girls.  

Celebrating Six Months

Saturday was a particularly hard day for me. I'm the only American on the ground here right now. Things are going on well, but it gets a little lonely at times. A medical mission team from my home church was in the country and came by to visit our home for a few hours. It was a blessing to spend time talking and praying with them. After they left I was pretty sad. Then, the girls decided it was time for World War 3. They haven't fought like that since their first few days in the house. And it wasn't just one girl being moody, it had almost everyone involved. We dealt with that and moved on with our day, but it sure was a rough one for me.

On Sunday night as we sat down for devotion I informed the girls that the next day was January 13th, the 6 month anniversary of when our first Pearls moved in. I asked the girls to share some of their memories from the first days in the Pearl House. There are some stories I knew, but there were many I had not heard. Most of their stories involved being afraid of the bathroom or the white people. Both brand new things they had never been around before. 

Their bathroom has a detachable shower head with a long cord. One girl was afraid of the shower head because it looked like a snake to her. So she wouldn't put soap on her face while bathing, just to keep an eye on that shower head. Most of them would keep the door to the bathroom open so they could run out as soon as they flushed because they were scared. One of our smaller girls actually fell into the pot, it took quite a while to get her to go back in there on her own.

On the day the second group arrived there were balloons and decorations on the gate for our dedication. One girl thought all the decorations were edible, basically thinking she had come to live in Candy Land. 

We also had girls that would sleep with their flip flops under their pillow. They were not taking any chances of their shoes getting lost. 

It was encouraging to listen to all of their stories. Laughing together reminded me of how many experiences our new family has shared over the last six months. As a good friend of mine always says, "shared experiences create unity". 

We then took a few minutes to honor Tina and Rita for their hard work these past 6 months. I am so thankful for their example. They can do something I will never be able to do, and that is teach these girls how to be Christian Ghanaian women. 

Next we issued a challenge to the girls. A lot has changed in the past six months. They look healthy and they have new clothes. Their legs are no longer covered in cuts, scrapes and boils. Many of them did not know letters and sounds when they came, and now they can read. The external changes are obvious. But now it is time for internal transformation. Time for them to allow God to work on their hearts. For their words and thoughts to be seasoned by the Spirit. In honor of this goal each girl was given their very own Bible. Their faces lit up with excitement at the sight of their very own Bible. It brought great joy to my heart to see their elation.

We have a long way to go. A long way before the unity of God will overcome the differences of their individual tribes. A long way before the spirit of God tames their tongue in the midst of fighting. A long way before selflessness overcomes the instinct to do whatever it takes to survive.

But things always look better in the light of God's truth ... 

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness.

He is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ever ask or imagine.

The power that raised Christ from the dead is dwelling in us. 

I think that kind of power will do the trick! Please join us in prayer as we thank God for 6 incredible months and as we seek His presence on this journey of transformation. 

**Many thanks go to the Murphy's and the Celebrate Recovery Group at Southern Hills Baptist Church for donating the Bibles. 

While I Was Out

Over the past several weeks I was blessed with the opportunity to spend time with friends and family in the US. It was a whirlwind of cities and cherished relationships, all a blessing, all exhausting! I came back to the Pearl House a week ago today. In my return I found that many things have stayed the same and some have even changed for the better. This adventure is still new, so being gone for a month is fairly significant when we have been in existence for less than six months. In my New Year's resolution attempt at being a better blogger, I thought I would go ahead and post in the moment so I don't let it pass. There is a lot to catch you up on, but that is for another day. 

Every Sunday afternoon Momma Tina hosts a neighborhood Bible club for children. Kids from our church and our neighborhood come over from 4 to 5 for a Bible story, singing, prayer and of course ... treats! In addition to our 20 girls, there are anywhere from 4 to 15 other children that come. I love this program. I love that it shares the Good News of Jesus Christ. I love that it enables us to serve our community and develop roots. When walking around our area I get to see fellow church members, school workers and store employees as we are going. It is nice to feel a sense of community in the midst of our physical community. 

While I was out, the neighborhood moved in. Before I left we would see these little friends walking down the street or at church and that was it outside of Sundays. But while school has been on holiday, the Pearl House has become the place to be. Little Kenny has been running around in our house all week. Jessica comes over to color. And for some reason the family that has six children sends at least 4 of theirs over quite regularly. At this point, all I can say, is the more the merrier. 

This is good for our girls. Many of them were surrounded by children before they came here. They don't get to see little ones as much anymore. I hope this is teaching the Pearls about hospitality. I hope they are learning the importance of sharing the gospel. I hope they are learning the importance of sharing what you have been given. 

I hope we are all learning these lessons.