Last week Damary and I were invited to Sandema (in the Upper East Region) to help with a children's program at a church. I have known the pastor there for many years. Damary really did the work. I was more like her driver and back up. Haha.
We arrived Wednesday eve and started teaching the kids choreography to a song about Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave. Then she taught kids a drama about Lazarus which would go at the same time as the song and choreography. It is very powerful and the kids picked it up very quickly. That was good since we only had 3 days to prepare. I taught a short song with actions to little kids. On Saturday, the church rented a bus and we went on an excursion to Tongo Hills about two hours away. The kids sang on the bus the whole time! Tongo Hills was really just a bunch of rocks. But the stories that went with it were good. One open cave we were told is where the kids from that area had their first school. One rock that had hidden passages in it was used to fight off slave raiders. Very interesting! The day was really hot though and the kids were fading fast. We had some lunch and headed back to Sandema. On Sunday the kids did a great job with the choreography and drama. Damary also taught them a song with actions. After they did those things they had kids say memory verses, one preached, one led in sharing testimonies and a choir sang praises in their local language. I think it was really great. We were also told some children's parents who don't come to church came to see their kids. Cool!
This week I met with Hannah, my new language helper three times. My brain nearly explodes after our lesson but the really great-great part is that words that she has taught me I usually hear as I am out and about. That is so cool! I have gone round and round visiting my neighbors. Everyone asking me where I have been and what I have been doing. One woman had a baby and he is already so big. I guess I have been gone longer than I thought. I have sat with Rafia a few times. Sometimes I sew sometimes I hold her baby so she can sew. We talk or we chill. I am so thankful for her.
Two kids these past couple days asked me why I don't believe what they believe. I told them I don't believe it is true. Part of me doesn't know how much to say or if they understand me. Hannah taught me a story about Jesus healing the blind man. Kids always love stories and they usually say the whole thing right back to me. May God's Word go out!
I have to lead a talk on "How to learn a language and culture" to new missionaries from West Africa on Tuesday. PRAY FOR ME!
Thanks for praying. Seriously. God is at work here.