As I try to reenter into the American way of life, I can't help but think about the last 3 weeks of my life. I have hesitated to try and write anything on this blog for fear of losing the true experience and stripping it of all the importance it holds to me. But, I have many faithful followers of this site and so much support that it would be wrong of me to leave you all hanging after the last post.
To try and describe to you a chronological order of events over the last 2 weeks of the trip is not something I want to do, nor do I think it would be very interesting....So I will write out of emotion, truly the only way I really know how.
The sound of children singing, the smell of goat and sunscreen, sweat, fufu, and bottles of medication, the choatic roar of the crowd....these are things that I wish I could bottle up and take back with me. They are what I experienced everyday as my heart found it's peace in this beautiful country of beautiful people. The smiles from a child whose eyes you've caught, the curious children who stand and stare, the strong mothers who carry their beloved on their backs...There is love here and it is clear to see. There is also choas, depravity, poverty, and lack of opportunity. Sickness, disease, wasting away....But if I can give just one person hope, love, understanding, acknowledgement, freedom, then it is worth every moment away from home, it is worth every drop of sweat, every stomach cramp, every dirty squatty I peed in. And soon I find that this has become my home...Amazing how God can create your heart to find its peace and happiness in such far away places.
Of all that we experienced in Ghana what I close my eyes and see is people....People who come to you with hope and expectations that you will use your resources, your education, and your willpower to reach out and lift them up. People who give you their love and their smiles, their happiness, their song, their dance. People who give your heart a safe place to rest. These are all God's beloved children...what is it that keeps us from them but ourselves.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Week 1: Building a Vision
I can hardly believe the first week has come and gone. In somes ways it feels like a whole year has gone by due to how far we've come. This week has been filled with sweat, dirt, cement, drinking water, fanta, sunscreen, more sweat, and mangoes. We were able to help pour cement and lay concrete blocks with mortar. The walls are starting to rise....
God moved in ways I can't explain to you. To work hand in hand with men who are trained to do this labor-intensive, everything-made-by hand buildings is a little intimidating at first. Add in the language barrier and the racial divide, and mixing in isn't that easy. However, by the end of the week most knew all of our names and waved at us with big smiles on their faces as they saw all of us pile out of the van each morning....
God laid on my heart one man in particular named Rasheed, a Muslim man from Togo. He looked like he walked straight out of ancient Egypt with the bottom of his eyes lined in dark charcoal. If you've ever communicated with someone and used no words at all, you can picture what much of our time together was like. Very timid at first, by the last day he came on his day off to say good-bye. His neck had a huge scar across it which kept us all guessing for 4 days until he was asked about it, which he then said was from a car accident. The uniqueness of his exotic appearance caught my eye and getting to know him was for me the biggest part of this week.
Another man named Ebeneezer spoke English fairly well and always wore a Dr. Suess looking hat with the colors of the Ghanian flag striped around it. Many of us got to know him well and found he was a Christian seeking to make money in his trade before moving on to the next phase of life. His work ethic and patient teaching spoke for itself.
As the final day came, we were able to take a 30 minute break in order to teach these guys American football. One of the team members was the quaterback for the Air Force Academy and the contruction workers loved him. During the football game which resembled soccer with your hands, the unity of these two groups was fully revealed. What an amazing week. We left after being presented with Ghanian scarves made the the famous Kenti cloth from Ghana. But what we left with a better understanding of what it means to be made by one Creator, one Spirit, one God. The relationships formed is what we were looking for and it is what we found.
Tomorrow we begin week 2. The rest of our team arrived tonight at 6pm. We then went over to a missionary couple's house and met up with the doctors from Ecuador as well as an artist sent from his church in the jungles of Ecuador. We will see what God has in store for us.....
Thank you for your prayers....I can feel them and know that they are being said. There is much here to distract from the glory of our Creator.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
We're Here!!!
The internet connection is a little tempermental, so I must be brief! We have landed safely in Accra with only one flight delay from Denver to Chicago...We had to switch carriers to make our connecting flight in O'Hare. All luggage came safely with us! That is a first for me in traveling to Africa. Accra is a beautiful, colorful place with friendly people. Although, the lady at customs had a hard time believing I was here for vacation for 3 full weeks.
The fruit is delicious, the food amazing. We went to a church on the campus of the University of Ghana today. I will try to download video of that taken by one of the team members and put it on my facebook page. Much dancing and praise.
Many, many people are praying for us all over the world. We've calculated that at least several hundred people. Well over 500, though. Can't wait to see God move. Thank you so much. I love it here and we've only just begun......
The fruit is delicious, the food amazing. We went to a church on the campus of the University of Ghana today. I will try to download video of that taken by one of the team members and put it on my facebook page. Much dancing and praise.
Many, many people are praying for us all over the world. We've calculated that at least several hundred people. Well over 500, though. Can't wait to see God move. Thank you so much. I love it here and we've only just begun......
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
'Life in Haiti After the Earthquake: It Just Hurts'
This was written by Todd Scott. He works for Compassion International, an amazing organization that helps children afflicted by poverty, worldwide. I had the pleasure of meeting/traveling with him and and the Compassion workers last year in Tanzania, East Africa. I think what he says here is quite poignant....
Life in Haiti After the Earthquake: It Just Hurts
Posted: 01 Feb 2010 07:59 AM PST
Received from Scott Todd, our Senior Ministry Advisor, who is leading our(Compassion International's) medical team in Port-au-Prince.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, Jan. 30 – We had the chance to meet eight leadership students today. We sat in a circle in the parking lot listening to their stories as ashes drifted like snow upon us and the smell of burning plastics scorched the air. They spoke of how important Compassion’s work has been in their lives. Some shared with tears about being selected for the Leadership Development Program. I don’t know whether the tears flowed from joy, gratitude or something sad. Like the dream that almost came true. They had climbed so high. From the slums to the universities. But when we asked how many went to schools which had been damaged in the earthquake all of them raised their hands. We asked how many had lost friends or loved ones and all raised their hands again. At one school 90 percent (180 out of 200) of the students were killed. With buildings collapsed, professors and administrators dead, its hard to imagine how those dreams can come true now. May God have mercy on us if we fail to find a way forward for them. They are Haiti’s future.
I’ve been saying that this disaster is not about the earthquake. It’s about poverty. Most of those who died would have lived if their nation was not too poor to afford rebar in their concrete, too poor to have heavy equipment to rescue the many who were trapped, too poor to provide the needed health care. And as tragic as this disaster is, an even greater tragedy looms. The tragedy of the American media getting bored, Haiti leaving the front pages and the world forgetting – the American Christian forgetting – this country and her people. Again.It’s already happening. Mid-week I saw the headlines. No Haiti. What replaced it as “news”? A controversial gay kiss in a television ad. That would normally make me angry, but I was hurting too much to be angry. It just hurts. We must awaken the sleeping giant of the American church. Awaken her to her God-given mission. Her calling. That she would radiate light in her good works and that rivers of justice would flow from her for the sake of the poor and oppressed. That she would not be trapped and anesthetized any longer by our culture of… call it what you will… lusts and self-satisfaction. If the energy with which we pursue our own entertainment and appetites were deployed on behalf of the poor instead, then the world could be a much better place and we would find the life Jesus promised.
Life in Haiti After the Earthquake: It Just Hurts
Posted: 01 Feb 2010 07:59 AM PST
Received from Scott Todd, our Senior Ministry Advisor, who is leading our(Compassion International's) medical team in Port-au-Prince.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, Jan. 30 – We had the chance to meet eight leadership students today. We sat in a circle in the parking lot listening to their stories as ashes drifted like snow upon us and the smell of burning plastics scorched the air. They spoke of how important Compassion’s work has been in their lives. Some shared with tears about being selected for the Leadership Development Program. I don’t know whether the tears flowed from joy, gratitude or something sad. Like the dream that almost came true. They had climbed so high. From the slums to the universities. But when we asked how many went to schools which had been damaged in the earthquake all of them raised their hands. We asked how many had lost friends or loved ones and all raised their hands again. At one school 90 percent (180 out of 200) of the students were killed. With buildings collapsed, professors and administrators dead, its hard to imagine how those dreams can come true now. May God have mercy on us if we fail to find a way forward for them. They are Haiti’s future.
I’ve been saying that this disaster is not about the earthquake. It’s about poverty. Most of those who died would have lived if their nation was not too poor to afford rebar in their concrete, too poor to have heavy equipment to rescue the many who were trapped, too poor to provide the needed health care. And as tragic as this disaster is, an even greater tragedy looms. The tragedy of the American media getting bored, Haiti leaving the front pages and the world forgetting – the American Christian forgetting – this country and her people. Again.It’s already happening. Mid-week I saw the headlines. No Haiti. What replaced it as “news”? A controversial gay kiss in a television ad. That would normally make me angry, but I was hurting too much to be angry. It just hurts. We must awaken the sleeping giant of the American church. Awaken her to her God-given mission. Her calling. That she would radiate light in her good works and that rivers of justice would flow from her for the sake of the poor and oppressed. That she would not be trapped and anesthetized any longer by our culture of… call it what you will… lusts and self-satisfaction. If the energy with which we pursue our own entertainment and appetites were deployed on behalf of the poor instead, then the world could be a much better place and we would find the life Jesus promised.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Pictures of Construction Site for Week 1
This is a link to pictures of the construction site where we will be building the first week!
http://gallery.me.com/davidmarshallkealy#100088&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=14
http://gallery.me.com/davidmarshallkealy#100088&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=14
A few words before I go....
To all of those who have supported me financially as well as spiritually, I cannot thank you enough. I have raised well OVER the amount I need for the trip with the extra proceeds going to others who need to it as well as other mission teams going on future excursions. It has humbled me to see how generous people have been and continue to be. God, my Jehovah Jirah, has indeed provided.
With that in mind, I go with a true sense of responsibility towards you. Your money has helped pay for my flight, my immunizations, my lodging, and some of the team materials like tools, tape measures, health care teaching supplies, and flashlights. I go not just for myself, but for you and ultimately for the glory of God. Regardless of how much physical help we may provide, what will last eternally is seeds He wants to plant, nuture, and grow. May He be pleased to save those who long for what they don't yet understand.
I feel that I will take away from this trip much more than I could ever give, and I'm excited to experience it in a matter of days! I have always been so humbled to step off the plane and into a country and a continent where love abounds. To be greeted with smiles, hugs, flowers, songs, dance, and rejoicing from His African people is enough to make anyone see how important PEOPLE are in this culture rather than money, possessions, or status. It is like jumping into a pool of ice water after living in the American culture my whole life. I'm not romanticizing the culture of Africa, nor am I complaining of the American way of life. All I am trying to say is that there is a very stark contrast between the two. I leave it up to you to experience it yourself and form your own opinion. For those of you who know me well, it's obvious to see that I enjoy my experiences with Africa and Africans very much.
Please continue to pray for the group as well as me. Below are some specific requests. You can also see to the right the team picture taken at the church service this Sunday when we were prayed over by Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you've given me. May God smile upon you and bless you in return.
Prayer Requests:
-Unity among the team. Humility. Love.
-Safe travel, health
-Open eyes and hearts towards the people of Ghana
-Focus on evangelism
-Building of relationships that will last a lifetime
-God's glory would be first in all things
With that in mind, I go with a true sense of responsibility towards you. Your money has helped pay for my flight, my immunizations, my lodging, and some of the team materials like tools, tape measures, health care teaching supplies, and flashlights. I go not just for myself, but for you and ultimately for the glory of God. Regardless of how much physical help we may provide, what will last eternally is seeds He wants to plant, nuture, and grow. May He be pleased to save those who long for what they don't yet understand.
I feel that I will take away from this trip much more than I could ever give, and I'm excited to experience it in a matter of days! I have always been so humbled to step off the plane and into a country and a continent where love abounds. To be greeted with smiles, hugs, flowers, songs, dance, and rejoicing from His African people is enough to make anyone see how important PEOPLE are in this culture rather than money, possessions, or status. It is like jumping into a pool of ice water after living in the American culture my whole life. I'm not romanticizing the culture of Africa, nor am I complaining of the American way of life. All I am trying to say is that there is a very stark contrast between the two. I leave it up to you to experience it yourself and form your own opinion. For those of you who know me well, it's obvious to see that I enjoy my experiences with Africa and Africans very much.
Please continue to pray for the group as well as me. Below are some specific requests. You can also see to the right the team picture taken at the church service this Sunday when we were prayed over by Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you've given me. May God smile upon you and bless you in return.
Prayer Requests:
-Unity among the team. Humility. Love.
-Safe travel, health
-Open eyes and hearts towards the people of Ghana
-Focus on evangelism
-Building of relationships that will last a lifetime
-God's glory would be first in all things
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Truth
"Spiritual warfare often means coming to grips with what we are thinking and weighing it against the truth of the Word of God. You will be able to combat lies of the Enemy when you have God's word hidden in your heart. This key to fighting and keeping the faith."
'Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.' Phillippians 4:8
'Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' John 8:32
How much of our lives are filled with untruth? What do we set our minds on each day as we wake up and go about our tasks, our jobs, our relationships? The very nature of truth leaves no room for exception. When something is truth, there is no other alternative. It cannot be true part of the time and at other times be false, for then it would not be true at all.
It seems that Jesus speaks of truth and freedom together. One leads to the other. In truth, we are free. How many times did Jesus speak truth and people were set free? Free from disease, free from shame, free from guilt, free from humiliation, free from laws, free from sin.....What would our lives look like if we lived in total freedom? He freed the Samaritan woman, He freed the leper, He freed the hemorrhaging woman, the criminal on the cross....He freed us from the Law. In Him we are accepted and loved completely. In perfect love, there is no fear. No fear is itself freedom.
What are we called to do that we ignore because we are not free? What keeps us from unleashing all of ourselves to serve Him as He has called us? It's a lack of freedom. Maybe we are not free because we don't know the truth. We don't know Him well enough to feel loved, to feel safe, to trust in Him, to take the first step.....
I pray that He would show us truth, so that we can live life freely, so that we can experience things and people that we are currently ignoring and letting pass by us.
"The moment you wake up each morning, all you wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in." --Mere Christianity
"What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could...be their own masters--invent some sort of happiness for themselves apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history...the long, terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."--Mere Christianity
'Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.' Phillippians 4:8
'Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' John 8:32
How much of our lives are filled with untruth? What do we set our minds on each day as we wake up and go about our tasks, our jobs, our relationships? The very nature of truth leaves no room for exception. When something is truth, there is no other alternative. It cannot be true part of the time and at other times be false, for then it would not be true at all.
It seems that Jesus speaks of truth and freedom together. One leads to the other. In truth, we are free. How many times did Jesus speak truth and people were set free? Free from disease, free from shame, free from guilt, free from humiliation, free from laws, free from sin.....What would our lives look like if we lived in total freedom? He freed the Samaritan woman, He freed the leper, He freed the hemorrhaging woman, the criminal on the cross....He freed us from the Law. In Him we are accepted and loved completely. In perfect love, there is no fear. No fear is itself freedom.
What are we called to do that we ignore because we are not free? What keeps us from unleashing all of ourselves to serve Him as He has called us? It's a lack of freedom. Maybe we are not free because we don't know the truth. We don't know Him well enough to feel loved, to feel safe, to trust in Him, to take the first step.....
I pray that He would show us truth, so that we can live life freely, so that we can experience things and people that we are currently ignoring and letting pass by us.
"The moment you wake up each morning, all you wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in." --Mere Christianity
"What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could...be their own masters--invent some sort of happiness for themselves apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history...the long, terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."--Mere Christianity
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