Pete’s Post:

We are almost home.  The trip was great.  Thank you for everyone back home praying and following along.  We remained mostly healthy and competed the first version of the Bimoba BiblePlus+ unit for the people of Ghana and Togo.  We will make a final final “safe at home” post when we land in Chicago.  Everyone has shared a few words  from the trip below.

-Pete

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Kaitlyn’s Post:

One more day! Now that we’re so close, I am really excited to just be back home. Our work here is finished, and I can’t wait for a long hot shower, to sleep in my own bed, and to eat a hamburger. But I’m also excited for some more time to get to process everything that’s happened this trip, once it’s all said and done. Ghana has been tough, from adjusting to the food, heat, and lack of amenities, to some problems that only I’ve dealt with, like some stomach issues and a nasty beetle sting. But I’m glad that I came. I think it’s really easy for me to forget people’s need for Jesus, and the urgency of this need, but being here among people who don’t have very much, in a place where the average life span is much shorter than the US and where gray hair is an uncommon sight, it’s easier to see the need for a hope beyond this world, and for people to hear about this hope. And in seeing this need in others, I’ve been made more aware of it in myself – how much I need Jesus, every moment of every day.

I will miss the bright colors of the clothing and buildings here. I will miss how wonderful it is to drink a cold Coke after a long hot day of recordings (Beth was right, it does just taste different here.) But mostly I will miss the people. From the pastors wives we talked to who told us about being asked to be missionaries by the church and joyfully following, to every person who recorded a testimony that crescendoed until they were almost shouting about how Jesus had changed their lives, to Pastor Ray, who stopped driving approximately every five minutes to ask another person if they have a personal relationship with Jesus. While I am going home, back to many of the comforts I am used to, these people will remain here, continuing to share the love of Jesus with people and to do this work that is so important and so needed here. And I’m so excited to receive updates and to continue to see how God works in Ghana, West Africa through them and through the BiblePlus+ units we worked on this trip.

I hope you have enjoyed following our adventures on the blog. Daniel and I have many hilarious and cool stories that did not get posted and that we would love to share, so feel free to ask. God has been so good to us this trip, and the work that is being done here, with the BiblePlus+ units, the Jesus Film riders, and the local churches, is reaching so many people. Whether by coming back here again in person, or supporting and praying for this work back home, I definitely plan to stay involved and can’t wait to see how God continues to use these ministries!!

May God bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you!

Kaitlyn

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Daniel’s Post:

It’s really hard to believe that we are flying out of Accra in less than 12 hours. That’s just crazy. These last ten days have both flown by and felt like an entire month at the same time. Every single day of our trip was so packed with awesome and exciting things and stretched from sunrise until well after sunset, yet it still feels like we just arrived in Accra for the first time yesterday. Getting to meet so many people here and listen to all their stories and testimonies has been truly incredible and life changing. I have never met so many people who are all so passionate about one true goal, to serve the Lord with their whole selves and live their lives for him. Hearing about how so many people here have dropped everything to live their lives for God is inspiring and it encourages me and reminds me that putting your trust in God and leaning on him are both things that will never let you down in life. Another thing that has really hit me this trip, especially yesterday when we had the privilege to go to another Ghanaian church service in Kumasi, is that it is really amazing and wonderful that these people who live thousands of miles away from us and experience an entirely different culture are able to praise and worship the same God that we can back in America. Like how absolutely amazing is it that one God created everything on earth and loves all of us even though we are all so different, and we all have the opportunity to be a part of his body and worship him. That just really makes me think and reminds me how awesome and powerful our God truly is. 

It is going to be very hard to leave this place and these people, but Ghana will always have a place in my heart. Seeing the passion and the fire that these people have for Jesus is amazing and hearing all of their stories about what God has done in their lives is incredible. This really has been a life changing trip and I hope that someday I will be able to come back here again. I can’t wait to see what God has planned for this country and His people. 

Daniel

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Beth’s Post:

Mission accomplished! Eight minutes before we loaded the car to head to the airport, we completed ten Bimoba BiblePlus+ units to leave behind for review by pastors and leaders in Bunkpurugu. We recorded 39 tracks to add to the Bimoba New Testament and Global Recordings Network (GRN) stories found online. As we listened to the tracks, it brought smiles to my face to recall the beautiful people we recorded just days before. This is a great start to the Bimoba BiblePlus+…we should easily be able to finish this language in an upcoming recording trip! Due to the nomadic nature of the Fulani people and their deep roots in Islam, it will take some strategic planning and creativity to find more Fulani Christians to record which might include a follow-up trip to Burkina Faso. Ray also has made some new connections in Chad and Madagascar, and they are very interested in working with us on creating a BiblePlus in their local tongues. Wow!!  Praying that God will continue to provide all resources needed to equip these humble and sacrificial pastors and leaders as they serve their own people!

Each trip to Ghana is a unique adventure with new people and new stories, sometimes new people groups and new languages. This is great fun! Yet, I’ve also enjoyed seeing familiar faces, including Ray and his family, Jeff and Laurie Korum (our awesome hosts in Accra), the Jesus Film missionaries, and sometimes people we recorded on previous trips. These friendships continue to grow, and we thank God for the opportunity to serve as part of this team of selfless and committed people!

What do I look forward to when I get home? Catching up with family and friends, and beginning plans for the next adventure!