Willamette VBS sends school supplies to Ghana

The 265 children who registerred for Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Willamette Christian Church brought school supplies for Point Hope to deliver to Camp Buduburam in Ghana.  Gerald and I are taking a few with us, the rest were delivered to Point Hope Foundation in Seattle and are also on their way to Ghana.Hard to see how excited their faces were, guess you'll have to take my word for it! God blessed this week and they were very happy to share with children across the globe!
 

Update on Monday, August 17, 2009 at 6:57PM by Jan Johnson-Haynes

The school supplies (and us) made it to Camp Buduburam!  The newest Point Hope employee at the camp, Ida, received the supplies quite happily.  There is so much to do here, but every little bit is something they didn't have before and they are so grateful and feel so blessed to know that people care about them. 

   

 We handed out more supplies during the week...Dr. Joe took some for the clinic so the nurses would have writing supplies, pens and paper....the teenage girls took some for their program...the disabled children got some for the classroom....the nutritional feeding program and dayschool at the camp and at the farm also all received supplies...so what we gathered, what was donated via the public schools and VBS, it was all very well received and gratefully appreciated!!

        

On the road (or plane)

Gotta run, time to go to the airport...flight to Accr through Amsterdam, big doings...God has a plan and we're trying to follow it as best we can...so excited to see what He wants to show us!  Pray for us, ya'll!

Okay, we made it to PDX, boarding at Gate 15, the Vic Atiyeh International Concourse....wasn't like this when I worked here, the name was new to me, wish I would have taken a pic of the life-like statue...guess you'll have to just imagine it, or fly to Ghana with us next time and you can see it for yourself!  Gerald was waiting there, then boarded there...I wouldn't want you to miss a moment of the adventure!

    

Update on Monday, August 17, 2009 at 10:32PM by Jan Johnson-Haynes

I don't know if these pictures are loading or if they are loading correctly, the uplink is so slow...but let me try to share the experience.  We arrived in Amsterdam, after 10 hrs of sitting in the middle section of the economy class...          ....nice lady named Marie was heading back to Kiev for her second year of teaching there, she's from Vancouver; I shared the Point Hope vision and gave her the website address. told her about prayer shawls (and prayer scarves, one of which I was knitting on, see pic--I hope) ...

...and how God sends us places we may not expect...nice conversation...anyway, the following pics show our final moments before landing and then our brief (5 hr) layover in Amsterdam before boarding KLM at Gate F7, headed for Accra (looking forward to the 6.5 hr flight, of course!)  There are no pics at the Accra Airport, they were strictly prohibited (or so the announcement said!)  We were greeted by Kraig, and taken to the Fiesta Royale where we met up with the rest of our group...Delilah, Rachel, and Lexy...had a late dinner and went to bed (kinda hard to get to sleep at 9 a.m. our time or 1 p.m. or whatever time it was...) looking forward to the next day!

         So...that was the flight, wait until you see Accra! 

On the road to Camp Buduburam, through the streets of Accra

I can't discuss Camp Buduburam until I show you the streets of Ghana on the way to the camp. I have never seen anything like it, the name of God and Christ is everywhere, along with poverty and the daily struggle of living. We are excited and anxious, perplexed but not abandoned...oh, wait, how does Paul put the concept in 2 Corinthians 4:1-9...

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

As we looked at the people here, our hearts were touched for the knowledge of God to get off of the buildings and the cars and to enter each heart.  Our mission at the camp is to minister, I don't think there will be a shortage of opportunity!

PICS TO COME, SORRY THE UPLOAD FROZE AND WE HAVE TO GET ON THE ROAD BACK TO CAMP!

                

Camp Buduburam, the first day

 We rolled into camp and headed to the Commander's office.  He is the manager of the camp and is with the Ghana government.  He wasn't there, so after the polite greetings with his next in command, we moved on to the clinic.  

Due to the fact that Point Hope has partnered with the Ghana government to bring potable (drinkable) water, the illness and deaths due to water-borne diseases in the last year has declined.  Delilah talked about how there used to be beds full of sick and dying children in the Children's Ward.  This visit, there were three children in the ward, two of which were severly malnourished, one of those two was literally starving. 

  Turns out the 16 yr old mom had left the little girl with a "friend" who was in the same business as mom, prostitution, while mom left for 3 weeks to work.  The friend didn't have formula for the baby and didn't really care that she didn't eat the whole time.  We talked to her, her step-mother, who also has a baby, had recovered the child and brought her to the clinic for treatment.  Teen mom had shown up and was hanging out with the baby, trying to breast feed with no milk to give, also trying to act as though she cared about what happened to the baby now, but with no remorse for how she got in this condition.  A couple of days later we would see the baby was improving and hear that the mom wanted to give her up for adoption--Praise God, I pray she stays with that decision!

Next Lexy and I met with some ladies who have been trained by Point Hope in a trade--batik fabric making, sewing, beading, and soapmaking.  They seemed so happy to have a trade, but had not much idea about how to start their own business.  Lexy is an executive with a lingerie company.  She has an amazing background in marketing and promoting new businesses, also doing PR and fund raising campaigns.  God brought her along for such a time as this...she is very eager to work with the ladies now and into the future to build business and help to market in the US.  In fact, she arranged a modeling show to exhibit the wares of Point Hope women entrepreneurs this coming Saturday.

   

OK, there's more, but the internet was down all day yesterday an the upload is slow, so I have to go the bed...sorry we are so behind the days, but it will all be caught up by the time we touch down in PDX!  By the way, now that the water is taken care of, the feeding program, the farming program and the women's empowerment program (trade businesses) are the next points of focus...feeding the children and teaching the adults to be self-sufficient, giving them the opportunity to succeed into the future, using the talents God gave them...it's all about hope! G'night! 

Update on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 12:00PM by Jan Johnson-Haynes

Day 1 at Camp Buduburam,  August 17^th (Continued)

While at the clinicwe met Dr Joe Riverson, a Ghanian man who has lived around the world and most recently was the National Director of World Vision in Ghana before coming over to head up the medical team for Point Hope. This incredible man is 70-plus years young and knows everyone...in Ghana, in the U.S...we met someone in the dining room, a Ghanian man who lives in Virginia and Dr. Joe knew his uncle and used to work with him through the Smithsonian. Through Dr. Joe’s friends and connections, there were recently 22 Liberian women who were able to have life changing gynecological surgeries to remove fibrous tissues and tumors...those women met us to thank Point Hope and brought Delilah to tears. Something so simple, but so inaccessible for them without Point Hope’s help, and it has made a world of difference—one woman had bled for many years without ceasing and the surgery has cured her, giving her back her energy and her life. (Doesn’t this sound familiar? I know, I thought of the woman who came to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment for healing, too! Hearing her story gave new meaning to being the hands and feet of Jesus.)

Next we met with Jennifer, Keith, and Delphin. They work with WISE (Women Invested Self-Empowerment), a domestic violence program that partners with Point Hope and the medical clinic and the Ghana social workers to counsel women in crisis, to offer trade training to women, give medical aid and to work with teen mothers. Jennifer said they do not have safe houses, so it is difficult, as they work with the women and then have to send them back home where their abusers often remain. Keith works with the Crisis Response Team (CRT). They are the eyes and ears on the streets of the camp, looking for women and children who are victims of domestic violence and helping them get to WISE and help. CRT members are volunteers and their numbers have shrunk from 72 to 8...hard work. Even with their limited financial resources, WISE has started a Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) which trains young people from early teens through mid-twenties in trade programs; they were able to sponsor 23 youths this past year.

Next I met Ida, the latest Point Hope employee, at a meeting for the Women of Destiny Program—Point Hope offers training in and partners with other trade schools for sewing, fabric design (batik), beading, hair styling, baking, and soap-making. As I mentioned earlier, Lexy was on fire and SO excited to meet with them to give them advice in growing their businesses. Later in the day we went to meet the ladies who are a part of the Point Hope batik and beading project,                

as well as the latest sewing class (a 12 week program, they are in their 3^rd week).    Upon graduation, these ladies will be presented with their own sewing machine to embark on the path to economic freedom through entrepreneurship.

I told them about my interest in knitting and asked them if anyone wanted to learn...I found a few crocheters, but no present-day knitters....that will soon change, as many ladies were excited about having the chance to learn a new craft!

We went next door and met the children of the women in the training program. The daycare and nutrition program was full of bright, healthy faces, a sure sign that the fresh water and food are blessing these precious children of God!        God brought me to Ghana at this place and time...perhaps He was saving me from some of the heartbreak Delilah first found four years ago...Thank You, Father, that your children are so much healthier now, I pray for their continued march to health and financial independence, whether here or back in Liberia. Amen!

While I was running around with the women, Gerald was busy meeting with the Neighborhood Watch Team (NEWAT),

        

trying to set up a chance to share some defensive tactics training. There are about 100 men and women who volunteer their time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to patrol the camp and the area surrounding the farm. He spent quite a lot of time there, hearing their experiences and needs, more to come on that...

He did break away (I had to send Dave, one of our NEWAT escorts through the week, to get him) long enough to pick out a fabric so the ladies could make a shirt for me to purchase for him. You will be shocked to see the color, or course (or maybe just shocked at the lack of yellow)!   No, not this one...this is Point Hope material...

         I got some material for me,   but it won't look like this when it is made up...the pattern is "Except for God" (Guy Nwami [phonetic] means, expect for God--unless God is present, nothing is possible) 

 Lastly, we met up at the Point Hope office and went through some of the supplies we all brought on the plane with us. Delilah had hundreds of Point Hope t-shirts for different projects to pass out and she had brought ...watch for those pics to come as the shirts make their way around camp! We also distributed some of the school supplies that Willamette Christian Church members (public school teachers and more) and VBS kids had collected and donated    ...so exciting to see the happy faces receiving...more pics to come!

Finally, back to the van and the hour (or more) ride back to the hotel...a late dinner and bed...so happy to be here!  

 

Day 2 in Camp Buduburam, August 18

(I couldn't post these sooner, so I am just pasting in the write-ups I did for the day along with the pictures...Ghana's internet isn't as reliable as Amsterdam's!)

  

Wow! We started our day by going to the Point Hope farm, New Paradise. The farm is located on five acres of land, which also includes a cottonwood tree planted by God

     

and a tilapia and catfish pond also populated by clams, all God created, but the pond is man-made.      

Gerald wants to come back with a cane pole and go fishing!! There is going to be a chicken coop built on the opposite side of the pond for egg production and poultry meat...the carpenters trained through Point Hope’s Carpentry Trade Program will be starting it soon!

It started to rain, but (unlike WA or OR) it was so warm that it felt kind of refreshing...

Lexi and Delilah opted for rain gear...sissies!!  LOL! The weather and temperature so reminds Gerald and me of New Orleans!

There are two brothers growing the farm right now.

 They have planted collard greens from the US (which grow very well), peppers, cabbage, eggplant, corn, cucumbers, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other local crops.      

Delilah introduced them to the concept of composting, so they have been doing that, and while they have been pumping water out of the pond to water the crops, there is a new water tower being built which will have a poly-tank sitting on top and it should make watering easier.

But the farm should be bigger, doing better, producing more...I’m putting the call out here: ANYONE WHO HAS A GREEN THUMB, AGRICULTURAL BACKGROUND, AND WOULD LIKE TO COME TO GHANA TO BRING THAT KNOWLEDGE TO A PLACE IT IS SORELY NEEDED—CONTACT ME ASAP!!!!

Okay, that being said, pray for the farm, please! It has potential and could be a great help in bringing nutritious, affordable food to the camp.

When we left the farm, we took young Daniel with us to receive medical treatment for malaria...his father said he has it (again) and isn’t feeling well; has a fever and his eye is a little yellow...I said eye because one of his eyes is a glass eye. When Point Hope first found Daniel he had a diseased eye and it needed to be removed to save his life.

He looked very happy and grateful running toward Kraig as we first got to the farm.   

After the tour, we went back to the camp, took Daniel to the clinic and checked in on the malnourished/starving baby, little Michelle. Rachel is holding her here; Michelle has trouble keeping the formula down and was on constant IV.  Keep praying for her! 

We also made friends with little baby Delilah and little girl Delilah...guess who has impacted the lives of their mothers’ and how the ladies showed their gratitude? Cute, cute girls!

   

We stopped to buy diapers at one of the market stalls, Dave negotiated for us.

   

Rachel is adopting baby Delilah’s big sister, Princess, so she is having the opportunity to bond with her now. So very cute, but has had malaria so many times that she now has seizures regularly and if she gets it again, it may kill her. Rachel is praying her home before that should occur, so please pray with her!

   

What next?  Gerald went back to the NEWAT (Neighborhood Watch Team) area

 and Rachel, Lexi and I went over to check in with the Trade School ladies.

   

The beaders and batikers (which I know aren’t really words, but should be!), talked about their dreams for the future and we talked with them about changing up their designs to make their wares a little more appealing to the American market. They were excited at the idea and wanted to know how soon they can start production and selling! Such nice ladies, most of whom know and love the Father, which makes it even more of a joy to build together! Lexi made further plans to help the ladies host the fashion show on Saturday; I can’t be here for it, bummer! But I did see where someone was already advertising for models in the camp....

Next we walked through a different section of the camp, took in the livestock (the dog is laying next to one of the Point Hope fresh water pumping stations),       

and made our way to the Harmony House’s School for Disabled Children, also partnered with Point Hope.

    

While there we found out that they weren’t getting the daily hot meal supplement, so Point Hope will be getting that to about 20 students and teachers daily. The school will also be moving to a larger room in a Point Hope building so they will have room to do more activity. These volunteer teachers have been working with these kids for years, making incredible changes in the lives of disabled children. Many of the children couldn’t walk, sit up, look with eyes straight ahead, speak, focus on schoolwork, etc, as shortly as 6 months ago, but now, they are leaving their walkers at the door, sitting up, learning, seeing with uncrossed eyes...God is performing miracles daily through the devotion of these women and men. God Bless you, my sisters and brothers, I love you with the love of the Lord!! (Two of my sisters are going to come learn to knit with me! One of them crochets now, so I gave her some different sized hooks I brought with me for the person I found who knew how to crochet...God already knew her, I just had to figure out who He was pointing me to!!) (BTW, There is no physical therapy equipment here, so the teachers just make do...if anyone has some simple equipment and/or the time to go help with this endeavor, hit me up with your info!!!)

So many times the people are ashamed of their disabled children and hide them in the house, never letting them out. This little girl couldn’t sit up by herself,never saw the light of day a few months ago. 

The kids sang us a few songs and were just a delight to talk with! The school could really use some educational posters and other teaching materials, if anyone has any that they would like to donate, I can get whatever you have to these wonderful people!

 

Oh, I have to show you a few photos of Naomi...since I have a Naomi at home, you know I had to spend a couple of extra moments with the sweetheart over here!

 

As we were headed out of camp for the day, I met little Joyce who’s mother, Ruth, had been enrolled in the Point Hope trade program and graduated, then started a business with Point Hope’s help. Joyce received nutritional supplements and medical help; she had meningitis and still has some problems, but is getting better as she gets older.

  

We went to dinner with Winifred, the woman who first wrote to Delilah about Camp Buduburam and her three starving kids/siblings, resulting in our being here four years later...God is amazing!

The local restaurant is very colorful and has an interesting name...XXX...which doesn't mean the same here as it seems to back home...

 

We didn’t drink the water, but I did have fufu...nope, no pics of it, you’ll have to look it up—but it’s kind of a doughy blob, eaten with a spicy soup (dumpling-ish, but not cooked in the broth). A very long day, I went back to the Fiesta Royale, fell into bed, off to sleep...until 1 AM Ghana time...yeah, I’ll be tired tomorrow (or later today!)

Day 3, Camp Buduburam, Wednesday, August 19th

Have you ever purchased something, then come back later to pick it up and found out that it had been resold to someone else? I haven’t, but that’s basically what has happened to Point Hope. A couple years ago a piece of land was purchased with the permission of the local chief to build the future of Point Hope in Ghana...a compound containing an orphanage, a school, a senior center and a training center. One of the last times Delilah was in Ghana, she discovered her land had resold by an unscrupulous chief-poser, who happens to be the nephew of the actual chief. He sold it to a foreign company who plans on building a bottle recycling plant. Not a bad plan, just not their land to purchase. However, possession is 99% of the law, so I’ve heard...and they aren’t handing it back over. So, Delilah and Point Hope have been shown other land to take the place of the first perfect piece of land, but nothing has been as good as the first.

Today we got to go check out the next piece which could possibly be the home for Point Hope Ghana. It was fairly close to the main road, by Ghana standards, and it had electricity and presumably water hook-up available, unlike the last piece of land they tried to talk Point Hope into taking.

       

But, unfortunately, it also has had its topsoil all back-hoed away and then about two feet more soil beyond that. Little islands of trees and shrubs were spread out sporadically across the acreage, where the soil was intact and had not be bulldozed out.

  

The land showed evidence that during the rainy season the area would be under water. Unlike the first piece of property which was above the water line and had a couple of large, lovely cotton trees, this piece of land was sadly low, devoid of cotton trees, (although it did host a very large ant hill)     not at all suitable. Very disappointing!

Still, it was interesting to go out into the country a bit, to watch a little baby sleep through the whole trip,  to meet the (real) chief, and to get a glimpse into the local politics—just very difficult to imagine land dealings so loose that Point Hope’s money is still retained, but no property is forthcoming.  

Please pray that the perfect piece of land, near the camp, with all the necessary electricity and water accesses, above the flood plain will be found soon so that the building of the compound may begin very soon!

Another one of the Point Hope U.S. board members, Phil, arrived today. He has a background of working with the Mercy Ships, so has been to Ghana before, but this is the first time inland at Accra with Point Hope. He got here just in time for an early rising to go visit one of the Nutritional Feeding Programs at breakfast time. Half of the room was filled with children getting a hot meal and the other half was filled with women bringing their children in for vaccines and weighing them in to see if they qualify for the nutritional program.

       

 

God creates some incredibly cute children and Gerald and I got a chance to get some hugs and fun in with some kids around the same ages as our grandchildren, so we got our little people “fix” until we get back home! 

I finally remembered I have a video clip recorder on my camera, so I got some of the kids singing and then praying! I also managed to get Delilah’s lecture on picking up plastic garbage around the camp to help fight malaria! (Now, if I can only figure out how to upload it into this space, you could actually see it, too!  I'll get back to you on that!)

We went back over to the disabled kids class, as Phil hadn’t been around for the last visit.

   

I got a “Just Zip-It” (at least, that’s what I named it), which is   beyond cool—you’ll want one yourself when you see it, and maybe you will marvel over the fact that these kids made it, just like I did!

We passed by the water station just around the corner from the training building and saw people gathered getting ready for the water to be turned on...three times a day for a couple of hours each time.

 

Then we went by the carpenter's shop...the head carpenter was gone to buy supplies, but Carter was there and showed us what they were working on that day.  

Tomorrow is a big day! My two worlds will collide as Gerald and I will teach Defensive Tactics to the NEWAT (Neighborhood Patrol)—around 100 men and women volunteers—and then I will also teach knitting to how ever many ladies show up to learn! Isn’t God good, that I am afforded this opportunity?!!!

Day 4, Camp Buduburam, Thursday, August 20th

         

Yesterday Delilah and I also met again with the seamstresses and the beaders/batikers and talked about what would sell in America and how we can work on getting their goods into an American market.

  

They ladies showed us patterns they are working on (they practice sewing brown paper into outfits before they attempt actual material, it’s pretty cool to see, but it has got to dull a lot of sewing machine needles!!) They also showed us what they have learned about sewing pleats, smocking material and other techniques; it is so cool to see their progress and their enthusiasm—this training really does help bring focus and purpose to their lives and does and will make a difference to their futures!

Of course, the fact that their children are being cared for and fed while the moms are in training goes a long way to giving them peace, also! See once again just how dang cute these kids are!!

   

   

OK, good news and bad news...first the bad news. The Ghanaian government official who is the Commander of the camp decided against letting Gerald and I train the Liberian Camp Buduburam NEWAT. There were politics involved, of course. A few reasons which I won’t go into, as I wouldn’t want to stir up more trouble should this report make it back to the camp, but I will say none of the reasons were founded in any reality in my mind or in Gerald’s or my intentions. We left a few instructions books we had brought over with us for the NEWAT Chief to look over and maybe we can smooth the path a little better next time. We look forward to being able to return and offer these incredible men and women some assistance with the tough job they have agreed to take on! They receive a nominal $15/month from the UN for their ceaseless volunteer efforts. The uniforms they have are old orange prisoner uniforms provided through the UN and they have worn them to a frazzle after a number of years. They have no weapons except for a few very old batons, very few flashlights to illuminate their night patrols, no handcuffs (or even plastic flex-cuffs) to restrain perps until the Ghana police can arrive to take control—not an ideal situation, and now we aren’t able to provide them with the experienced training we had every intention of sharing for their own protection and the protection of the citizens of the camp. Very frustrating, but we know that God is in control!!

Moving on to the good news! There were approximately 12 women who showed up to learn to knit!!   

While I was working with these ladies, more ladies showed up and wanted to take lessons, so I promised to come back to teach them tomorrow! If I can only figure out how I am going to do that without more knitting needles...God will provide! It was hot inside and the light wasn’t very good, so I talked the ladies into sitting outside the classrooms to dig into the yarn and start their latest trade endeavor. I wasn’t sure how the concept would go over and then I really didn’t know how quickly I could expect them to pick it up...usually knitting classes last a little longer than a couple of hours on a single day!  

  

But they seemed to get the concept pretty well, some more naturally fitting into the craft than others. I have asked them all to practice this evening and then to come back tomorrow with any questions or problems. I also suggested that if they worked on it and just got frustrated it might mean that knitting is not their gift...not a bad thing, just not something they were meant to do...and if that were the case, I asked that they bring the needles back so I could teach the next group with a few more needles. I brought about 10 pairs, including a few circular needles. I will have to go through my knitting bag back at the hotel to see if I might have some more stashed away that I don’t remember bringing! This will be especially important as I greatly doubt anyone will be returning needles! Even if they decide knitting is really not their thing, these ladies are in a tough situation where they don’t often get items given to them. I spoke with Chris, the Ghana National Director for Point Hope in whose office we regroup at the close of each day and he confirmed what I suspected, I don’t believe they will want to give back anything they have been given, even if it is something they aren’t sure they will use. I guess we’ll see!

Back at Chris' office, some of the teenage girls who are being helped with schooling and training came by to see Delilah and received some school supplies from what we had collected.

        

Tonight we will be attending the board meeting for the Point Hope Ghanaian Board. Delilah has to head back to the states for a previous commitment, so she is wrapping things up tonight. We will stay for one more day before heading out. Rachel and Lexi are going to head home on Sunday and Phil is staying until Tuesday. I have to confess that Gerald and I have so enjoyed our time here and the chance to work with these wonderfully gifted, loving and generous people that we tried to extend our stay, but were unable to get another flight out of Accra any day for the next week, so we will be staying to our current schedule.

Some street scenes on the way home....

            

Day 5, Camp Buduburam, Friday, August 21st

             This is it! The last day for Gerald and me at Camp Buduburam, Accra, Ghana! (At least for this trip!) 

 

We look forward to coming home and sharing with everyone. Also to bringing some of you back with us!! They really could use a dental clinic for at least a couple of weeks and these kids would eat up Vacation Bible School! The young women in the trade programs would love to meet young American women to share fashion tips and the farm could use all the help it can get through many hands making light work—especially if those hands had heads with gardening knowledge partnered with them!

The ladies in the knitting group were waiting for me...those who wanted to learn and those who brought back their progress to show me!!

 

 The Harmony House ladies get the Grand Prize for the most accomplished overnight (they are the teachers and caregivers for the disabled children’s program),

     but there were a number of other ladies who also had taken my challenge to  practice to heart and they came back with some amazing results on their needles!

One woman is Muslim and had to start fasting for Ramadan, so she gave her needles over to a friend to let her learn, so I was proved wrong (read it here, it doesn’t happen often! LOL!) about no one giving up her needles. I did find a couple more pairs of needles and a couple of circular needles; they are much smaller sizes for the most part, but will do in a pinch! So, I could show 4 more ladies how to knit...since we had more than four, some knit and some watched!

I told the ladies yesterday and today about our Prayer Shawl Ministry back home.  I left them some flyers and explained that just as I pray over each shawl and scarf I make, asking God to be with the recepient, to touch them and show them His love, these ladies could also pray for everyone who ends up with one of their handmade items, whether knitted, beaded, sewed or however created.  Even though they will probably never know the person, God will and does and they will be blessed themselves by praying for others!

  

I had even less time to teach this second group than I had with the first! The guys were standing around waiting to go to the farm and to the school over by the farm. Our VIP escorts from NEWAT had a schedule to keep which included two of them going to school in the afternoon, so I really had to move it! I promised the ladies I would try to drop in one more time before I left for America. I did find out two important things to share with all of them, however. One, the carpenters have agreed to make needles, so I left them a needle gauge and I talked one of the Harmony House ladies out of her needles (temporarily) so the carpenters would have a model; secondly, I have arranged with Chris, Point Hope’s Director who has just had wireless internet made available to him in his office, to let a few of the ladies go to his office to view YouTube video demonstrations of knitting if/when they run into any problems, so the knitting doesn’t have to shut down for lack of instruction.

How blessed to have internet access at the camp, also! I won’t feel as though the ladies have been so deserted if they can at least go watch some videos to help them out!

I am very excited about the needles being made there at the camp, I pray that goes well and a new cottage industry is born at the carpentry shop!

One of the jobs they do now is to make caskets.   

They have been making fewer and fewer, especially for children, but while we have been here a little 8-year old died and the funeral is Saturday—I don’t know the details of the death. The men did a beautiful job of building the casket, they ended up lining it with a pink satin material, tacking flowers on the satin. A child’s funeral is especially sad, but as the dying mother of one young refugee told her, “Honey, don’t be sad. You can’t go to Heaven if you’re alive!” I think that may be the quote of the trip!

OK, so we went back over to the farm with Phil because he hadn’t seen it.

 The farming brothers weren’t there, so we gave as good a tour as we could. When we went out to the pond, we were astounded to see the chicken coop already in the first stages of construction—so much progress in just a couple of days!

    

       

We left the farm and stopped by a daycare/school/nutrition center by the farm.  While here we dropped off some more school supplies and met the school administrator who was excited for the visit...tomorrow there is a graduation ceremony, which Phil and Rachel will have to tell us all about, as we :-( won't be here. 

              

Next we stopped back by the local watering hole, XXX, to treat our NEWAT VIP detail to  something to drink!

Back to the camp, I stopped by the trade school, no one was still knitting, but I did get to see some of the ladies once more and admire some more of their fabric and bead work.

I went by the clinic to see Michelle (starving baby) and Alberta (young mom) once more.      I confirmed Michelle would be put up for adoption as soon as she gets better (pray hard for her, please!) and that Alberta wants to go back to school. I asked her to feed Michelle more formula, as there just can’t be any more mother’s milk left since Alberta was gone for 3 weeks and hasn’t been eating that well...I pray that she listens and that Michelle is soon as chubby and healthy as the kids in the nutrition programs!

One stop by the bakery and batik printing area (the ladies were gone there too,  

   

 so it was all locked up tight) and we were on the road back to Accra, where we saw the Ghanaian and Liberian flags flying side by side at a street vendor 

more busy streets and vendors and life in Ghana,  then...after dropping two of the NEWAT guys off at their tech school, we drove past the Ghanaian Presidential Palace,

which had apartments across the street and vendors around, something that would never happen on Pennsylvania Ave back home... We got back to the hotel and had a final meal with Rachel (who had just had to drop Princess off at an orphanage in town while the adoption process is completed—so tough!) and Phil.

Frank, our superb driver who kept us from crashing or being rear-ended by the absolutely crazy drivers here, drove us to the airport   and...off to Amsterdam!

Thanks for taking this trip with us. We’ll give you some closing thoughts over the next few days! God Bless you all!! Pray for the future of Camp Buduburam and the Liberians and Ghanaians who are living there!!