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.