But you remain the same, and Your years will never end.
Psalm 102:27
Hello all!
I pray you have all had a blessed Summer over there so far. Summer times is often a time for families and friends to connect and spend time with one another. I pray this has been a time of seeking The Lord and hearing His voice as well. I would like to share something special that I recently realized. I have now been in Ghana for five years! I was reminded of this through a memory that popped up on my phone. This reminder came at a time when I really needed to take a step back and reflect on all The Lord has done and continues to do. Over the years, He has remained the same! I personally and spiritually have passed through so many ups and downs over the years, but He has remained my constant. He is my Rock and my Salvation. My heart is full of gratitude for all The Lord has allowed me to experience, even the challenges that have come and gone, and the ones I am currently facing. Everything has brought me closer in communion and relationship with Him. Surrender, trust, and faith are what He is showing me that are necessary to keep pressing on. I am grateful for all of you who are reading this newsletter that have stayed in tune with what is happening here in ministry, for myself personally, and have been such faithful and prayerful supporters. Thank you and God Bless you!
SUSTAINING LOVE KIDS
The Sustaining Love Kids after-school program is still going on in Zuime village. The children who have faithfully came since the beginning have really shown a positive change in their reading and communication skills. I have taken a step back in how often I show up so that it can be carried on sincerely whether I am there or not. Each time I do show up unexpectedly, I am met with students and teachers that are pressing on in learning outside of school and being intentional about looking at The Word of God in active ways to implement in daily life! The pictures above are some circle games we have been implementing and then a Bible Trivia game!
MY FATHER’S HOUSE VISIT
Students had a short one week break a few weeks ago, so a few teachers joined me on a day trip to a community called Abor. We went to visit My Father’s House, which is a children’s home I was introduced to recently. They house over 50 displaced and vulnerable children, and most having some sort of mental or physical disability. Ghana Social Welfare has closed down many children’s home, but this one has remained functional with close relation to Social Welfare. The teachers and I were able to spend a whole day there. We walked around the large compound, visited with the children and disabled adults that also live there, played games, shared Bible Stories, sang songs, and had some ice cream and biscuits (cookies) together! It was a sweet time with precious children that were craving love and attention. We donated some rice, diapers, and other cleaning products. We hope to make regular visits as often as possible to continue building relationships and showing love to these children.
HO FAMILY
I always enjoy making a trip to Ho to visit the children and teachers there. I try to make the trip at least once a month for a weekend. Most of the children are from the Fulani tribe that are one by one putting their faith in Christ. When they return to their villages during school breaks, they boldly share with their families who Jesus is and how He has changed their life. They are not always met with positive feedback. Please be praying for these young ones to grow in their faith and trust The Lord.
ACCRA TRIP
I am so grateful to share that recently I was able to make a trip to Accra to pick up 2 barrels that were sent to me from US ministry partners! There was some learning materials I was not able to put in my suitcase my last trip to US, so we packed them in barrels along with some other items to be shipped here to Ghana. They made record timing! I also was connected with another sweet Ghanaian family doing ministry here who helped me to pick up the barrels from the harbor. Teamwork makes the dream work!! While in Accra, I began the process to renew my resident permit, which can be tedious. I was there a few days. The guesthouse I stay at is close to the Accra beach. It is not the typical beach you may think of that has beautiful white sand and clean beaches. Most beaches here is the backyard for thousands of families that live in structures made of simple materials. Most are fisherman and their families. The children roam the beaches and often get themselves into risky situations. The group I was with went with me one evening to spend time with the children at the beach. We brought them a soccer ball, and the rest is history! They played, laughed, and we were able to spend some time with them talking about Bible stories before we had to leave. We left the soccer ball with them which seemed a small gesture, but the way they lit up with excitement for having a soccer ball of their own was truly humbling. It is the little things…
DISCIPLESHIP
Several weeks ago, I felt strongly about trying to create an opportunity for some local believers to have a day to just focus on discipleship. This is something that is a big need here. There are plenty of churches that gather all over communities, but often there is depth missing from these gatherings. Unfortunately, there are many illiterate people in villages that have an interest and commitment to know Christ and follow Him, but they lack the ability to dig into His Word for themselves and know Him through their own discovery. They are used to going to listen to a pastor and only going by what is told from the pastor’s perspective without the opportunity to sit in a smaller group for discussion and application. One Saturday, a group came together for an all-day retreat focused on what it means to be a disciple of Christ and disciple-maker. We had large group focus points, and then we divided into smaller groups for discussions, we also did team-building activities, and watched a film on discipleship. During the small group discussions, I was able to hear firsthand from those who came about how they never experienced this type of small group discussions. They were all eager and hungry for more. My prayer is that this will grow into a deeper desire to spend time with one another focusing on a deeper walk and understanding of the person Jesus as their Savior and friend.
Five years have come and gone since I first came to Ghana on a long-term intention of doing ministry here. This picture was one of the first photos taken of me here after I arrived in July 2018. I am the same girl in this picture today as I was then, but there has been a roller-coaster of ups, downs, twists, and turns over the years. The perspective I had when I first came had been molded up to that point from other experiences and places in the world I have lived, but the past five years have molded and stretched me even more. My heart is full, humbled, and grateful for it all. Thank you all for your partnership on this journey I have been on. I try to keep updates frequently and post inside looks of life here on social media, but sometimes, words fall short, and it’s difficult to describe what life looks like here. God knows. He has remained the same through it all. For that, I throw up my hands and shout Hallelujah to my Abba!
I tried to put together a little highlight video of my time here over the past 5 years as a thank you to my Jesus for all He has done! Hope the link works successfully and you enjoy precious little moments. Thank you all!
Love,
Chelsi
PRAYER
Continued partnerships with other ministries here to collaborate with.
Discernment and clarity in moving forward with ministry here in some upcoming decisions.
The logistics of some people preparing and planning to visit me here in Ghana in the next few months!
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