Matthew and Michael have been keeping journals of their experiences here in Ghana. This morning, we passed Matthew the iPad and asked him to just share a bit of his experiences here. Today we are driving back to Tamale, leaving the small villages behind. here are some of Matthew’s thoughts…. After the photos of course :-)

 

 

Some words from Matthew:

On this trip, I have learned so much from the daily experiences I have shared with the Ghanaian people.

One of the biggest things that I gathered from this trip was that in Africa, nothing is concrete. On a recording trip like this, you want to be able to control everything in your schedule, however, there are so many factors that are just out of your control. You can’t always plan for when the people will arrive, if the power will go out, or when you will get to eat. Being flexible is essential, which is so different from American ways of processing things. It was a valuable lesson to learn that time is not in our hands, and we had to rely on God that all things would come together so that we could do the work we came to do.

Another amazing thing about Ghana is the joy that the people demonstrate daily. Laughter and smiles define the people as they go about their day, truly loving the life that God has given them. In America, it is so easy to become so focused on our schedules and work that we forget to enjoy life. The Ghanaian people are the friendliest, most welcoming people I have ever met. When walking through a village or city, everyone smiles and greats you, coming out of their way to shake your hand and say hello. Their happiness is so beautiful, and the Christians we have been working with display the joy of the Lord in their lives.

I have learned so much by watching the Ghanaian Christians praise the Lord daily. They are extremely public with their faith, unable to contain the good news that they grasp. I love when Wofa Ray closes his eyes and spreads his hands, shouting, “Praise the Lord!” at the top of his lungs. The Ghanaians praise the Lord in such way that is so God-honoring. I am so inspired by their love for the Lord that they so openly express. I loved going to church in Tamale as well as recording the choirs in Nalerigu. The people sing out songs that praise the name of God with such beautiful voices. As a team, we have prayed quite a bit together, but the times we met with Wofa Ray and the four Jesus Film guys have stood out, because the prayers and songs that they lift up to God are so special. Together in the guest house lobby we have joined hands and sung hymns to the Lord. It is so special to take part in these experiences where we lift our voices to God in praise, our voices drowning out the Muslim call to worship from the nearby mosques.

This type of worship is deeply rooted in a passion for the gospel. Wofa Ray gave his sermon on Sunday about not growing lukewarm, but being filled with a passion for the Lord. It is so refreshing to see this passion in believers, and it is an amazing reminder that the time is now. We cannot grow comfortable, but our love of the Lord should drive us to be going out daily and investing our lives in the great commission. Wofa Ray has shared the gospel with every driver, waiter, and shop owner we have come in contact with. This passion is so inspiring, and as Paster Joseph said to us in Wale Wale, “We are doing the work that outlives us.” We need this passion in our lives, and this has truly been made more of a reality to me through the many faithful believers we met with over the course of our trip.

I have been so blessed by the Ghanaian people and the opportunities I have been given over the course of this trip. It has been such an incredible experience to grow in faith alongside Christians from around the globe and to be reminded of the need for passion in my faith. We must continue to go out into the far villages and spread the word, and I am so happy and blessed to have been a part of exposing Ghanaian people to the Word of God. The work being done here is amazing, and I hope to be back soon among the Ghanaian people!