We were privileged to have this group of men and women come to help with VBS. (The three Palm Ministries teachers are also on this picture) Sometimes before a group comes we sigh just a bit. There are so many unknowns. Will they enjoy their trip? Will they want to get out and experience as much as possible or will they have a more laid back and relaxed approach to their trip? Will they want to eat every kind of food they can or will they miss American foods? But then they arrive and we enjoy the new faces and fresh enthusiasm. We feel revived and blessed as we watch their wonder at things that have become normal. This group challenged me with their friendliness and love they poured into all the people they came in contact with. This picture is taken at the fort that overlooks Elmina. The Dutch built it to protect the castle and for the soldiers to stay at.
Kaylene and I work together for meals and things when the group is in our area. All our groups usually spend some time in our area and some time in Assomdree. One evening we made supper on the coal pot for them.
Kelsey and Keturah.....
Monday morning we ate breakfast at a little restaurant over looking the fishing boats. Fish market is back the inlet a bit so the boats all cruise past here.
Then we hiked up the hill to the fort. I had never actually been there before. It is a beautiful old building with amazing views of the area.
Unfortunately Austin had a fever that week. Tuesday I stayed home with him and Kaylene took the ladies shopping. We kept Keturah for her. She lost interest in Austin's work pretty quickly.
In 2019, a few months after we moved to Ghana, we had the first ever VBS in our village, Atonkwa. This year it finally worked to do another one here. I enjoyed working with children we see every day. Amy is teaching a Bible story with an apprentice teacher from the village school as her interpreter.
Children listening to a Bible story.
The one evening our youngest group, the six year olds, almost doubled in size. Children that were 4 and 5 on previous days, suddenly had turned 6!
Game station
These were some of the ones that were too young. They enjoyed singing from the sidelines!
All the people that helped as staff. We couldn't do it without our Ghanaian friends to translate and keep order, the youth that come and help, and our mission family, all working together.
After the program the children enjoyed playing with everyone.
This was the whole row of people that were too little to join. Stickers and candy some of the days brought smiles to their faces.
And thanks to our visitors, we took a mission staff picture. From left to right. Gary and Whitney Weiler and their two children; Joel and Marcie Burkholder and their 5 children; Jodi Seibel and Jenna Strite; Duane and Kaylene Martin; Violet Shirk; Andy and Amy Nolt; and us.
One of the many blessings of mission life is the many people you meet. Each person has their own story and it is amazing what we can learn from each other!
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