Monday

On Monday we conducted our first VBS program in the lower primary school at Tarikpaa village.  The team divided the children into three groups:  Bible storytelling, songs and games.  It was such a blessing to hear the children singing "Da Na Se" a song they learned from Audrey, Elizabeth, Birgitte and other previous team members.  It is a song in another language (Twi) and is similar to our song, Jesus Loves Me.  The team did a great job!  Joseph taught the children how to do "Hook Em Horns".  I looked up and he had about 50 children with their hands in the air.

In the afternoon, we had the incredible privilege to accompany team member Richard Newman to the village of his World Vision sponsored child, Moses.  We met the Chief and then went to the school.  Richard and I were taken into a classroom full of children and Richard was told he had to identify the child.  It really wasn't that hard to identify Moses because he was grinning like a cheshire cat, but trying to cover it.  After introductions and lots of pictures, we all went to Moses' mud hut to meet the parents.  Richard and his grandson Andrew received  beautiful Ghanaian smocks and guinea eggs as gifts.  I (Cheryl) had a run-in with a rather large gecko (lizard, chameleon?) that fell out of the tree and landed in the dirt beside me.  It was funny later....much later.

In the evening we accompanied the members of FBC Shalom to the remote village of Faandu for a crusade.  Pastor Mohammed and others have been working in this village for quite some time and have planted a small church there.  It is a Muslim village.  Rev. Wuni preached and at the end there were 12 adults and about the same number of children who decided to become Christians.  They know very well that this means they will be shunned and even disowned from their families.  That's okay thought, because the Christians there and at Shalom will take them in and disciple them.  They have a new family now and a new home in Heaven one day.

Our team song leader, Jackie Castro, led the team in providing some special music for the crowd.  They did such a great job and even swayed and clapped like Africans while singing!!  So fun .

Kyle has now been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Bug Removal, meaning he has to sit by me and make sure the bugs that climb on me get removed immediately.  He takes his job very seriously.  :-)  Kyle is the youngest on the team and such a delight.  He wakes up singing and smiling and is that way all day.

Everyone is doing well and no one wants to come home yet.  Once they discovered Fan Ice, they were all happy.