"Everywhere I Go, Somebody's Talking 'Bout Jesus. " Kathy Mattea's song is a reminder that whether we are in America, Ghana, Europe, or Asia, we who love Christ can't help but tell others about Him. Only God knows the plans he has for us beyond this time in Ghana, but I trust Him to guide us in the right paths so that we can continue to Seek Christ and Serve Others. Our dear brothers and sisters in Christ in the Bubiashie District of the E.P. Church have closed our time here with gracious gestures of kindness and love. We bid them farewell, praying that God will continue to bless them in their ministry here in Accra. As we move toward home, and enjoy happy reunions with family and friends, we praise God for His goodness to all of us in our time apart and ask His continued blessings on us throughout this New Year. May the Peace of Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be upon you until we meet again.
This photo is of John and Emmanuel, enjoying Kirk and Timmy's piano recital here on Friday.

...Brighten the Corner Where You Are... Brighten the Corner Where You Are... The anthem of Tsokome Basic School is still echoing in my head and brightening my day hours after we visited there this morning. John, Kirk, Timmy, and I delivered school supplies and gave formal greetings to the students and staff on behalf of the students and staff at Emily Brittain Elementary School and Butler Junior High School in Butler, Pennsylvania. Thanks to generous gifts from both schools, who adopted Tsokome Basic School for the Kids Helping Kids outreach project this year, we were able to purchase school supplies and have notebooks printed for all students. We took lots of photos and video of the project, and I have just finished creating a DVD to share with the schools upon our return to Butler in January. This is yet another example of the many blessings we have experienced here in Ghana as we seek to serve others on both sides of the Atlantic. ...Brighten the Corner Where You Are... Brighten the Corner Where You Are...

I am flying over Africa! The Sahara is more vast than I ever imagined, more dry than seems possible. Yet, I see the veins of life spidering across the plains where there must be stream beds. I see dark dots of vegetation along their banks and finger-print shaped impressions upon the land (the hands of God?) marking oases. In the dry, hard earth I see the tracks of water from past seasons (the tracks of Africa's tears?).... I am truly awed by the splendor of God's creation here. The beauty at 35,000 feet is unparalleled - and I yearn to be down on the ground exploring at a more leisurely rate. - Excerpt from my journal, June 15, 2007
This week we traveled as far north as this trip to Ghana will allow. Not all the way to the Sahara, by any means, but into the savanna, and on the ground amidst more of God's incredible masterpiece. We watched, from just a few meters distance, elephants at play in a water hole, and we stood in their massive footprints, baked into the dry land, preserving their imprints from the past rainy season. We followed the tracks of a hyena, as he padded across the sandy expanse beneath the escarpment that overlooks Mole National Park. Being there with those animals was quite a humbling experience, where I could not escape the reality of how very small we humans are.
As we drove back to Accra, we struck out on a dirt road that wasn't even on any of the maps in our guidebooks or on the highway maps of Ghana. Our capable driver, Emmanuel, had heard of a good road that would shorten our journey. I imagined we'd be out in the middle of nowhere, hours from contact with other people. I was wrong. There are people everywhere. At first, the road stretched into the distance, and the only dust in the air was what our own vehicle was kicking up behind us. The grass on either side was taller than our vehicle. But as my eyes adjusted, and I began to look closer, I saw so much more. Every minute or so we'd pass a footpath cutting back into the grasses. Looking down the paths, I glimpsed children at play, men cutting grass with their machetes, women carrying firewood, boys riding bicycles, and goats and dogs and cattle moving along. I saw villages of mud and straw buildings with charcoal fires beneath huge pots. Then, the grasses began to thin out, and we drove through miles and miles of land that was being burned. (Aha! This was the source of the ash that rained down on us throughout our stay at the park.) The burning serves two purposes: first, it kills the tsetse flies that plague that region; second, it chases out the small game for hunters. The charred land, much still smoldering among blackened tree trunks and white piles of ash, was already tracked by animals and people. Small plots were already turned and planted with crops of yams and cassava. And new life was already peeking through in small plants with leaves in brilliant shades of green.
My observations of the human imprint on the continent of Africa, God's fingerprints on the landscape, and what the future holds for our planet coincided this week with the United Nations conference on Climate Change, in Balia, Indonesia. My prayer is one of thanksgiving for the blessing of seeing so much of the beauty of creation, one of praise for the God whose handiwork I've seen, and one of petition for wisdom for all of us as we chart a course for the future of Planet Earth.
This photo is of us, with a male elephant approaching from behind. It was taken on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at Mole National Park in Ghana.

On Saturday, we attended an inspiring choral concert at the residence of the French ambassador. The palatial home's exquisitely manicured lawn was a lovely setting for the event, and a far cry from most of our experiences in Accra. The admission donations were earmarked for the Tema Orphanage, beginning this season of giving on the right note.
We enjoyed several selections sung by Accragio, a choir of people living in Accra from 14 different nations. Our friend, Carol, is one of the singers. My favorite selection was Schubert's "Mass No. 6 in E flat, 1. Kyrie," an emotional piece that tugged at my heartstrings. Next, the Tema Youth Choir sang several pieces through which they exhibited their professionalism and shared their joy in these Christmas lyrics. The two choirs combined to lead us in an audience-included sing-along of six popular Christmas carols which really got us ready for the Advent season. The evening's finale was a surprise performance by the Tema Youth Choir of the Hallelulia Chorus (WOW!) and a Ghanaian song, sung in the Twi language. We praise God with thanksgiving for the blessings of music to stir our hearts and prepare our spirits for the coming of Christ.
In this picture, you see me with my friends Carol and Megan, just after the concert.