Reading your blog posts has been amazing, it is clear that God is at work here. When we come to pray, we meet with God, and it's lovely to read how so many of you have felt that and have been encouraged and blessed through your prayers.
What has really struck me today is the recurring theme of the power of the witness of those children in Santro/ Soga. The kids know how to pray, sure they might sometimes fall asleep, but when it matters, they can pray so earnestly, Agnes has an incredible little army of prayer warriors! Their childish, strong faith is an inspiration to us all. And as you all see, they have little, but they are happy, they know contentment. Many in our society seek contentment in possessions, money, work... but they don't find it. These children have far less distractions, and a more physically apparent need, they trust in God, and they are happy.
Agnes too, her prayers are incredible, we often joke that Agnes has God on speed dial... she really does. When Agnes prays, you know that God is listening, she covers everything, trusts in him for everything. I thank God that we are blessed to have such an amazing leader on the ground in Ghana.
Tonight as a few of us met in the church I prayed aloud that God would provide for our volunteers, my father prayed that those who are meant to come will come, and then I mentioned the names of four people: Zoe, Helen Peacock, Sarah and Johnny G. Helen has tonight, found the correct flights at a cheaper price than she has been able to find recently, and has booked her flight! Within hours my prayer has been answered. Thank you God :)
I'd like to share a few other times when my prayers for Ghana have been answered.
I often travel to Ghana on staff flights, meaning I'm standby. This Christmas, at the last minute it was decided that it would be cheaper/ safer for me to hand deliver the christmas boxes to the kids than for us to send them cargo. When I went to look at my passport my visa expired the day I planned to return - it was as if God had planned this 2 years ago when I bought that visa. The flight was full. I had way too much baggage. Everything was rushed and last minute. But we found time to pray. At check in the lady ignored my overweight baggage when she could have charged me. Around that time, whilst I waited and prayed to get a seat on an oversold plane, we found out that the plane had been changed, to a larger model, with more seats! I've never heard this happen before. Another answer to prayer. When God wants us to do something he clears a way for us, he is in every detail. On my arrival in Accra 4 separate customs officials asked what was in my boxes, all of them took me at my word and didn't inspect them and waved me on. God was with me every step of the journey.
In our first year of building we began the foundations. We told the builders we would be able to pay them and to finish the work. When we arrived back from our summer trip, in one week we received two separate donations of £3000, totally unexpectedly. The amount we had in the bank account was near exact to what we owed the builders. We stepped out in faith and God blessed us, providing everything we need.
I love to think of God as a caring father - a vicar once said how when we sin and mess up, God is like a father, whose child is learning to walk, when we fall down he picks us up again and again, lovingly. When we come to him and ask him for help, he's not going to say no. I find this image of God so helpful in understanding my relationship with him. Whatever we do, he'll be there waiting for us when we turn to him for help.
A final thought... when I was in church last week, at the amazing St Peters Brighton, during the worship, I had so many things on my mind, concerns about certain elements of the project, and other personal worries. As we sang and I prayed I had a lovely image come into my mind... I was stood by a river, that flowed down to a large lake. The lake was aglow, it represented God. As I stood there I let all of my worries one by one drift down the river, away from me and to God, I gave them all to him. I felt so refreshed, with God's help none of my concerns seemed anywhere near as overwhelming anymore. Today is about praising God, giving him the glory for this work, and about giving him all the worries we have about it, all the requests we have. We're handing them to him, because we know that he is able. He is stronger, he is higher than any other. He'll guide us and use us, strengthen us, equip us and show his love to those children through us. To be a part of Gods plan for those kids is an incredible blessing, as some of you have said, we are honoured and priviliged.
Thank you God, and thank you God for equipping me with such an amazing family of ambassadors, thank you for using them to strengthen me, and for breaking their hearts as your broke mine for the children, your children.
Amen.
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