Hello from Tegbi, Ghana, West Africa!
We (Jake, Chanda, and the boys) are settled in as best we can be for now at the Father's House. We arrived in Ghana on January 6, 2011 and rescued 8 boys from a life of slavery on Lake Volta on January 11. Since then we have been going full speed! God is awesome, as He has been showing us and leading us for the last month in remarkable ways.
We are excited to introduce you to "the boys"...
Francis, the oldest, is a very gentle and loving young man. He is 13 years old, speaks little English and was on the lake for 2 years. He is very thankful to be living here, and he is praying that one day he will grow up to be a good man who can help his mother & father
Next is Evans (eh'vahns). Evans was the first face we saw as we docked our boat on the island we rescued most of the boys from. He is very smart and speaks English very well. He translates for Jake and me a lot. Evans loves to worship and is quite intrigued by stories of worship in the Bible. He especially likes the story in 2 Chronicles about Jehosaphat sending men to worship before the warriors and how God delivered them as He heard the praises of His people. Evans has taught us all a new worship song, "Heaven I receive you". It is his favorite, and is now frequently heard around the Father's House.
Clement is a very shy, quiet, strong, and tender-hearted young man. He is a huge helper and sweeps better than I do (Chanda). When asked what he prays for, he says that he will "grow to be a good man and will help his family". He has one of the most precious smiles ever. He has a huge interest in reading and likes to look up Bible verses.
God's Way, Sr. We have 2 boys named God's Way, so we call the older one "God's Way, Sr." If I had to guess, this would be the preacher out of the bunch. I don't know why. I just see him evangelizing. This little man has a bubbly personality. He is always smiling and ready to learn. He loves to talk and has a willing heart. God's Way is eager to learn more English. While praying in the group one evening, his prayer included, "and if any demons come around here, just whoop 'em Lord"! That's God's Way.
Next is Ame' (ah-may). You always catch Ame' looking at you...followed by a huge smile. Ame' does not understand English, but Evans translates for him. (Thank you, Jesus, for that!) You can tell he is taking everything in. He is very thankful for everything he receives. He is always willing to help. Ame' watches Jake and me through the kitchen window while we cook. He's a great kid.
Gideon is our jokester. He speaks very good English and knows Bible stories well. He loves to help, as most of the boys do. Gideon likes to pray and read the Bible and he loves to swim. He was sold into slavery twice. He is very "street smart"...and he is also very hungry for love and attention. He loves to be in the middle of whatever you are doing and is proving to be a masterful coloring artist. When the boys are asked "Who wants to pray?", Gideon is always one of the first to volunteer.
Julius Moses is 9 years old. He is very meticulous and loves to dance. He keeps his bed and his things very neat. He understands most English, but speaks very little. He seemed very quiet and reserved until we discovered during worship one night that he is a flashy dancer. He was the first to want to be baptized. He prays for Jesus to help him and his parents. If asked if he believes in Jesus, his answer is always an emphatic, "YES!"
God's Way, Jr., or "Little God's Way" as we call him, is Gideon's younger brother and the baby of the bunch. He is 6 years old and as skinny as a beanpole. "Little God's Way" is heard a lot in the hallways of the Father's House. He is the youngest and is picked on more than the others, but is very good at standing his ground. He seems timid, but warms up very quickly. He speaks English very well and can read. He sat in my lap one night and told me that he was not happy because he was small, but before the end of the night, he was smiling and encouraged that he would grow up to be a strong man who loves Jesus.
So, now you know them..."the boys". Each one is unique in a way that only God could have ordained. Jake and I are so privileged to have a front row seat to their lives as they are being changed. They all enjoy the food, showers, beds, drums, the chalkboard, and most of all... the football field (that would be "soccer" to us).
We have made connections with several people in the area that are helping with projects at the Father's House. Land is being cleared for a 1-acre garden on-site. We have a table for the boys to eat and do their lessons on. Cabinets are being built to store materials for the boys, their clothes, and our clothes. We have talked with a chicken farmer in the area, and Jake hopes to get our own chicken coop started right away. We are making plans for an on-site prayer and worship room that can be accessed 24 hours a day by the workers and the boys.
We have secured a tutor who began working with the boys on January 31. She will be coming to the Father's House for their lessons three day per week. The boys are very excited about improving their English and practicing their writing. Her name is Matilda. Please keep her in your prayers. When they arrived at the Father's House, each boy was given a new set of clothes and slippers (flip-flops). We purchased fabric, and on February 1 a tailor visited the house and measured each boy for a new custom-made African outfit to wear to church. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would hear a group of boys asking for "church clothes"!
Our first Sunday at the Father's House was interesting. Jake and I were talking to the boys about Jesus and who they thought he was. The conversation was great and before either of us knew it we were explaining what it meant to be a disciple... what Jesus did for us...how Jesus told us to go into all nations, baptize and make disciples. Jake explained what being baptized symbolized and I explained what it means to really believe in Jesus. After we told them about accepting Jesus and being baptized, we asked them what they thought about that. They all told us they believed and wanted to know Jesus more. By the end of the day, we were in the ocean baptizing all 8 boys...boys who were once considered slaves! That day was January 16th. After baptizing them, we told them this was a day of leaving their old life behind and being raised to a new life in Christ. Take your glory, Jesus!
Everyone has been to the doctor and they are all doing well. Getting all of them to the hospital and the wait at the hospital was more of an adventure than the actual doctor visit itself. Mosquito nets were not available for purchase when we first got here, so when the boys' nets were installed above their beds last week, we heard claps and shouts of joy! The boys are doing great...they love to help do chores. They meet us at the car each time we come home from shopping with big hugs and smiles! They pray for the people in America. At times they say they miss their parents. They LOVE to color. One night they gathered around Jake and me and prayed for us. We couldn't understand anything they said, but it was powerful! They ask us to pray for their families, for God to give them wisdom, and for forgiveness. Every day we talk to them about the prayers they are praying on their own and what they want to pray about as a group. Each boy, at some point, has opened up; little by little, each one shares a little more about himself and his hurts and fears. Keep praying that their hearts will be turned to Jesus and that Jesus will minister to them through Jake, me, and the other workers.
We ask and believe that the Holy Spirit will minister to these boys, that He will break down the walls that have hardened around their hearts and that Jesus will become very real to them on a constant basis. Please join us in this prayer.
Continue to pray for wellness for the boys, us, and the other workers. Pray that God will give them a pure heart and a desire to seek His face. Pray that they will learn how to read English with ease. Pray that they will grow together as spiritual brothers and sons. Ask Jesus to become more real to them than anything else.
Much love to you all from the Father's House!
