African Sabbath

With the strength of God in us, we can change Lake Bosomtwe.
from Reverend Jernigan’s sermon

Today we stepped back from work to join a group worship service of several villages, lead by local ministers and Reverend Jernigan. The praise was from the whole person: mind, body, voice and spirit. We’re on lunch break now, and this afternoon we’re conducting Kid’s Camp, a field day of games, crafts, singing, and dancing. Like yesterday, this post will be short, since I’ve got to get ready for the PM activities, but I do want to add a personal note, then more later. I had a couple of children in my lap, and as I put my arm around one, I felt a protrusion a little smaller than a tennis ball on her stomach. There’s so much to be done here. Thanks for all your support.

The Peace Troopers have landed

Thy neighbor as thyself.

We’ve arrived and I now have my first opportunity to post a message (the clinic has an internet connection). The flight was overnight & therefore exhausting but uneventful. Getting through the airport at Accra went smoothly – generally, the officials made an effort to be helpful, but we had a brief bit of excitement when a young man ran through a security point and the police had to chase him down – but no weapons drawn, no one hurt, and the crowd seemed to find it more comical than frightening. The road from Accra to Lake Bosomtwe was degraded hard surface, very slow, very crowded in Accra, with lots of vendors coming up to the bus, including women balancing trays of wares on their heads. We had a nice lunch with some very interesting dishes I’ll describe later (must rush back to help at the pharmacy in a minute). We got unpacked at the lodge, then this morning took a boat across the lake to meet the Queen Mother at a village close to the clinic. Then on the work site. Everyone’s working hard, so much need here, so much lack of simple things, from clean water to medicine.

More later – we feel your prayers.

We can't do it alone.

As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.
John 20:21

We were commissioned at both services the Sunday before departure. Our team wouldn't exist without the practical and spiritual support of the church. We're grateful to be given this opportunity, flying on the prayers of so many, to serve in challenging conditions. And besides, we get cool T-shirts.

Our bond with Ghana

And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

The Jernigan's website is a treasure trove of information about Ghana, and you may enjoy visiting to learn more. Reverend Jernigan writes of "a painful history, a time of trade in gold with the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, followed in the seventeenth century by slave trade involving the Portuguese, Dutch, British, Danish, French, and Spanish." This reminds us of our fallible nature, that we do not always act justly and love mercy. But with Jesus's lessons as our guide, Ghana offers us an opportunity to renew our obedience to God’s commandment to do justice and love mercy.

We have a special relationship with Ghana on several levels: as a church, a community, as human beings, and as children of God. First, Dunwoody UMC is the home church of the Jacksons, our missionaries in Accra, and our mission team supports the Jernigans as well. As a community and nation, Ghana is an important source of our diverse “melting pot,” an especially important factor in our region, with its high African American population. Ghana was at the heart of the transatlantic slave trade. Cape Coast Castle, which we plan to visit, was one of the largest slave holding facilities in the world and is now a World Heritage Site. And as human beings, we are all Africans, all related through our earliest ancestors on that continent.

Finally, one of the most fascinating things I discovered while studying about Ghana is the religious feeling of its people. Ghanaian culture has the reputation of being God-centered. The population is roughly 60% Christian, 25% traditional African, and 15% Muslim. So three fourths are of Abrahamic faiths. But this isn't the whole story. The traditional religion accepts one supreme God, Nyame. I like to imagine that the ancient Ghanaians felt in their souls something akin to what Abraham felt when he sensed one unifying Creator. “Nyame nshe ra wo” – God bless you.

lots of planning

And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of least of these my bretheren, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40

There's a lot to do getting ready for the mission. Shots and oral meds to deal with yellow fever, malaria and all the other realities of Ghana . . . putting together medical supplies . . . visas, flights, ground transportation in Ghana, lodging . . . what tools the construction team needs to carry . . . vacation Bible School materials & plans for activities . . . So our gratitude to mission leader Dick and everyone who has put so much time and energy into this.

why we're going

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me." Isaiah 6:8

The Challenge:

Ghana, in equatorial West Africa, is blessed with a friendly people and a stable society. But Ghana also faces huge challenges. One in every nineteen children dies in infancy, primarily from bad water or malaria. Per capita gross domestic product is around $1,400. The Ghanaians are working to improve their homeland: Ghana was the first sub-Saharan nation in colonial Africa to gain independence, the first nation to host the United States Peace Corps, and is free from civil unrest.

Our Response:

Dunwoody United Methodist Church helps support missionaries in Ghana and is sending a short-team mission team for 2008. The Jackson missionary family is based on the coast in Accra, the capitol. Charlie teaches at Methodist University and Mary Kay works for Methodist Development and Relief Services in Community Development. The Jernigan missionary family works in the interior at Lake Bosomtwe. Andrew is a pastor and Juliana is a physician. Together they operate the Lake Bosomtwe Methodist Clinic, which serves numerous villages in the area.

Our mission team for 2008 goes to support the Lake Bosomtwe Methodist Clinic with the guidance and aid of the Jernigans and Jacksons. The team is divided into two task groups: medical and construction. Our medical professionals assist with treatment at the clinic, and our construction team helps with expansion of the clinic. We, the mission team, thank God for the Jacksons and Jernigans, our guides through the jungle of Africa, with faith as our compass.