Greetings from the VOH from Bobbie Lynn!
Sorry it has been so long since updating everything! We were gone over the first part of the week and 2 college groups are here, so it is hard to find time to get to a computer! It is now 6:30am on Friday and we saw Tommy heading to the computer lab, so we jumped up and literally ran here!
This past Sun - Mon our family went to Cape Coast, just west of Accra, to a missionary retreat at the Coconut Beach Resort Hotel. It is for missionaries all around West Africa, i.e. Ivory Coast, Togo, Ghana, Burkim (sp?), etc. Thanks to our elders we were priveledged to attend! Tommy was supposed to go, but just couldn't leave and urged us to go. We stayed in an awesome place. The rooms were AIR CONDITIONED, and we had a 2 bedroom unit. There was a pool, ocean front and beach, all the meals were served buffet style under a grass roof pavilion overlooking the ocean! There were about 7 or 8 yound families with kids ranging from 12 to under 1. After counting at one point there were over 30 adults and over 20 kids! There were some singles and older couples as well. Most have been in the field from 5 - 20 years, one couple will be retiring this year with 40 years service! They were all just awesome people. They have all been gracious and kind to us. It was truly a welcome reprieve for us. Never, ever take electricity and air conditioning for granted - God gives and He takes away - as we have so learned. I understand they have a huge generator for when the power is out there - one of the gentleman said it ran full blast all day Sunday! However, just on the other side of the walls of this compound is the real world. Just getting here was an adventure! Cape Coast is a pretty large bustling town, but poverty reigns, just like everyhwhere in Ghana. The streets here are very narrow, people are walking everywhere as always carrying stuff on their heads. You see sheep, goats, chickens, cows - we even saw one very large pig out in the streets. This is also a fishing community as well. The road to this place was dirt and very bumpy with deep holes. But once you get past the compound walls - everything changes in an instant. It is just a reminder that people everywhere need God and they need Him desperately - we have to be shining lights no matter where we are.
We are truly thankful to our elders for the opportunity to go and be there! We are learning lots. At times it is just so overhwelming and it is hard to sort everything out. We just keep praying for clarity, God's will and direction. We plan on spending the 1st month back in prayer asking for God's clear direction. But for sure, this is not about us! I don't know how many times we have repeated that to each other. We feel very small here, there were many people at the retreat and even those at the VOH who have done so much. Our part seems very small and insignificant. And then there are times when you just hold one of the children's hands, or lean down to talk to them or give them a hug or encouraging word and they just light up! It is something very small and anyone of us would do it for them in a heartbeat - but it really means a lot to them! God does work in mysterious ways and the verses in the Bible about helping widows and orphans and all the ones about how God loves little children mean so much more now. Boy, it is really not about us! It is about God and his glory! He is good!
I wanted to include the words to a couple of songs we sang at the retreat, they say what I am feeling so much better:
Sweet Adoration
Sweet adoration,
Flows from your children.
Glory and honor and praise
Are a part of our constant devotion.
Love set in motion
For the Divine One
Who reigns in our hearts.

When I am troubled
By heartache and struggle
I come and adore you.
You take me away from
All worldly sensations
And endless temptations
All of my trials
Are lost in your love.


Knowing You

All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own.
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now comparied to this

Chorus:
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love you, Lord.

Now my heart's desire is to know You more.
To be found in You, and known as Yours.
To posess by faith, what I could not earn,
All surpassing gift of righteousness.

Chorus

Oh, to know the pow'r of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings.
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with you to live, and never die.

Chorus

We love you all dearly, God bless!