Jesus the Perfecter of our Faith

Hello everyone!

Wow, I cannot believe that this is our 10th day away from the States, and that we already have only two days left with these girls. A distant dream that seemed so far-fetched has now become a fleeting reality.

Steph here is signing on to write this blog post, but I would like to start by saying that I am indebted to our Lord. I feel like a broken record when I say that never in my wildest dreams would I ever consider myself a missionary to our Lord in the United States, let alone in a different country on a different continent! It was solely by the Lord’s grace that He has found me, rescued me from myself, and has trusted me with the news of the Gospel to spread to others. While I have been walking with the Lord for a few years now, it is in times like these where I feel like I am walking with my Abba for the first time and He reminds me of how I felt when I first fell head over heels for Jesus.

I’d like to also shoutout all of our sponsors and donors, because it is through your generosity and prayers that have allowed us to further the vision God has given us, so on behalf of myself and my team, we are eternally grateful for you.

SO now for the meat of the meal: this trip has been a compilation of ebbs and flows, laughter and tears, questions and reassurances.

A lot of what the team has struggled with, and what many missionaries grapple with when they go on trip is, “How come I am not in this situation?” Or “Why me?” Why was our team chosen for this mission? Why are we exposed to such harsh poverty? Who are we to have so much luxury and excess in our lives from consistent running water, to squeaky clean bathrooms, to houses with rooftops? And where is God present in these people’s lives?

Friends and family, how oh so foolish we are if we think that we are any better off than our neighbors or that God has favor for one group of people over another. The love of the Lord is ALIVE and AT WORK in Ghana, especially the Bolga region. Over the past few days, our team has witnessed worship with the sole use of our shouts and claps, a radical trust in the Lord when nothing else could seem to get worse, and hospitality that would make a heathen feel the presence of God.

Last night the small group leaders had one-on-one meetings with each girl in their group, and our hearts were absolutely shattered by the stories that the girls have shared. For the sake of confidentiality and to avoid exploitation, I will not publicize the hardships of these young women. For a little while after these meetings, the team and I were wrecked. The darkness seemed to outweigh the light of our Lord, and I must admit, the light in our hearts were dim. But quickly after our grieving (for the opening of our eyes, to the notion that we may never see these girls again), the Lord fed our souls. One of our team leaders, Electa was sensitive to the spirit of the Lord and led us in a word of prayer that demonstrated what the Lord is capable of. Our human instinct is to question how to solve the problems here, and rescue these girls from their situations, and attempt to take control of the outcome of these girls. Friends, we are so small. The God we serve is mighty and has seen the hardships of the girls and has promised them that He will never leave them, unlike us.

Not only that, but these beautiful girls have shown us what it is like to have steadfast faith. They have memorized countless verses of the Bible, and one of my girls told me she memorizes a new piece of scripture every morning. I thought I was coming here to teach these girls, but (prepare for the cliche) they have taught me.

I have experienced more contentment and satisfaction sleeping in a bed at night that is covered in ants than I am in a room all to myself at a school that identifies with Christianity. I feel the Lord most tangibly in Ghana and I don’t know if I can say that about my home. I cannot speak for the entirety of our nation, but it seems as though Satan has put us Christians in a sleeping spell in America, a place where one’s comfort is seen as IMPERATIVE over sacrificing for your neighbor. OH the irony, a country that proclaims freedom yet lives in oppression. I am so tired of the subtlety of the enemy that deceives us into thinking He isn’t on the prowl. But I dare you to take your next thought captive and question where it came from. Friends and family, it is time to redeem our faith and begin TRULY living each moment for the Lord.

I would like to end with this word from the Lord:

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” -James 1:2-3

The author and perfecter of our faith will see us through and will develop our faith, but it is up to us to be available for the Lord to use us. Simply start by saying, “Here am I Lord, send me.”

-Talk to you later!

PS: Thank you mama gorge, dad, Sammy, and jimmy for loving me so well and supporting me in my pursuit of the Lord. Miss you guys!