But When Did We Give You a Cup of Water?

"And I will say to them, What you did for the least of these, my brothers, you have done it to me?"
So when is the last time you had ice in your drink? What do you think it would be like to have never had ice in your drink? Now, Africa is changing some and advances in the last 5 years like electricity and refrigeration have made cold drinks available, yet still expensive. Imagine 15-20 years ago, as a little kid playing outside all day what you would really want more than anything.

Meet Felix. He was such a blessing to get to know this summer. He is 23 years old, the same as me, and had just finished nursing school. We got the chance to talk about length several times about the reality of growing up in Africa, the problems facing Africa now, and how we can both give our lives however separately to accomplishing the same thing.

Felix was just like every other kid in Nalerigu. His father died at a young age, when Felix was only 9, and his mother was forced to work hours away in a mine because she had no education. During all this, Felix like most of the kids in town would spend time hanging around the missionaries' houses, playing soccer on the only open areas of grass, etc. One thing that stuck out in Felix's mind was how much it impacted his life to simply go to the missionaries' house because they had cold water. Not only did they have cold water, they had open hearts. They had children's songs that teach the truth, the had bible stories that built a foundation. Felix's story is like so many children's-he was exposed to the Gospel as a child through songs and storytime, but grew up in a hostile family. For Felix, his father was dead which had it's own set of problems, but did give him the freedom to decide for himself. So often children growing up in different family traditions, can make decisions about what they believe when they get away for secondary school or university.

Felix has gone on to overcome unbelievable circumstances, financial and health problems, to finish nursing school. Now he has turned down more lucrative jobs because he believes his own village, his people, need him. Felix is standing at brink of an incredible generation about to bring some changes in Africa and he loves Jesus like crazy. Because of some cups of water and kids songs, countless children have stepped from darkness into light. Because of open hands and willing feet people have been loved, and that love will last forever.

So, know anyone who is thirsty?

Don't Waste Your Life

Before I ever left for Ghana, I saw this picture of a man named Tommy Harrison on the BMC blog site. He had a genuine smile on his face and dirt houses in the background and I thought to myself "That guy is loving life, I can't wait to meet him." When I got to Ghana, my first day I traveled with Tommy out to a more remote village for church on Sunday morning. In all my time with Tommy I was never disappointed. He is loving life, I am so glad to have met him.



Tommy is a retired man from Alabama. A good ol' boy who used to be a mechanic, farmed for fun and had little to no theological training apart from years of laymen service. Over the course of his life, he and his wife traveled to Ghana with the IMB for short term projects of 3-6 months at a time doing various maintenance tasks and what not. Sadly, ten years ago, Tommy's wife died of cancer. Rather than spend his life drowning in front of a television and mediocre time fillers he moved to Ghana full time with a whole new sense of purpose and direction.

These days Tommy simply lives in Nalerigu. Locals describe him as "Ghanian" and he can speak Mampruli with anybody. Tommy lives in a decent house with some comforts of home, but spends most of his nights on the roof open to the starry night and Malaria ridden mosquitoes. He spends his days working on several acres of farm land using his John Deere tractor to greatly enhance the food production for anyone that is willing to help. He travels back and forth to the Bible college a few hours away and helps with training native pastors and evangelists. He travels out to about 8-10 remote villages leading church services under the trees, counseling people, giving rides in his truck, delivering food. All this on the retirement that might not be enough here in the States.

Right or wrong is for your heart to tell. You want to know the absolutely happiest retired person I have ever met, well here is your answer. You want to know the safest, well don't talk to Tommy about how many times he gets Malaria every year. We aren't finding any better ways to save our lives here in America, we simply find new ways to die-Cancer, stroke, heart disease. Death is coming for us all. But Jesus promised a life that is truly life. A life found in loving him, that holds life in proper perspective and loves people while we still have the chance to do anything that will truly last. You want to understand the Gospel in a whole new light? Talk with Tommy for 10 minutes. You want all the answers, well keep looking. The answers to everything are not made in nice little packages. Each person is endowed by God with incredible ways to press into Him and trust as we step out into the darkness of uncertainty that following requires. When it comes down to it, what would you rather present to God with the last 20 years of your life-a sweet golf handicap, or hundreds of people that would have had NO other opportunity to hear the Gospel? Simple question with a million God-glorifying applications in between...

Keep pushin' Tommy.

Some stories need to be told

I am so thankful, and quite shocked, at all the people who have told me that they have read this blog over the summer. I have been home now for three weeks, started school, and found life running at a 100 miles per hour and trying to find some way to live all this in light of my experiences this summer.

To finish the blog out, I feel that there are just a few stories that need to be told. Stories that may be funny, many serious, things to make you think and hopefully put faces to cliches that we hear all the time pertaining to developing countries. Thank you so much for finding your way here, again or for the first time.