Opportunity
It is hard to believe that today is already our last day in Ghana. Sitting on the bus tonight making our way to the hotel where we will stay the night before boarding the plane to come home tomorrow there are multiple emotions that come to mind as I reflect over the last two days here.
Yesterday was our last day of clinic at the brand new Nzema Baptist Hospital. I was both sad and happy as we drove away, looking out the windows as the children all chased the bus waving goodbye. Sad because the week is over and our time here providing medical care, sharing the gospel, and serving the Nzema people has come to a close. Happy because I look at the incredible new building painted in bright blue, with electricity, air-conditioning, and even functioning toilets! The last time we drove out of this driveway 3 years ago onto a dirt road filled with potholes that is now freshly paved, I looked out the window seeing just a foundation of bricks in a field of palm trees. Actually seeing patient’s here in the new building the last two days has opened my eyes even more to the need for this hospital in this region.
After leaving clinic yesterday, we went back to the village of Basake where we had held a clinic earlier in the week to help pastor Frank and his team with a gospel presentation. Nothing works quite as well as dropping a bus full of a bunch of boufwes (white people) into the middle of the village to draw attention for the main event. While Frank and his team got things set up, we walked up to a field where we saw a group of kids playing soccer. AJ, Jay, Aaron, Eric, and Kyle quickly joined while the rest of us just hung out with some of the younger kids, and of course Holly held more babies, rocking 2 of them to sleep. Once everything was set up, we all gathered around in what seemed to be the center of the village while Mike bravely led a worship song and shared his testimony. We then watched a Ghanaian movie with an underlying gospel message (with live narration from Francis our bus driver for the week and good friend of Frank’s) on what looked like a small drive in movie screen that Frank set up with a projector. By the end of the evening many of the villagers were wanting to get in contact with Frank about coming to church and learning more about Jesus, and a couple of the kids had very full bellies after emptying my book bag of lots of snacks.
Today we got up early, packed our bags, boarded the bus, and said goodbye to the good old Tebson Hotel one last time. We made the long trip back to Accra, and managed to arrive in only 7 hours despite being pulled over twice for speeding. We stopped at the bazaar and had some time to shop before eating at a real authentic Italian restaurant. We headed to our final hotel in Ghana where we had a time of worship and reflected together as a team on our time here in Ghana.
Looking back, this being my second trip to Ghana, I ask myself the same question that many have already asked me and that many will ask me when I return. Why did you go to Ghana and what did you do there? In the past I have given the stale answer of – to provide medical care and just left it at that. The truth is, that we are all here because God has called us all to faithfully and humbly serve him and to spread the gospel to people who have not had the opportunity to know Jesus as our savior. While the need for medical care in this area is so great, the impact that we will leave after providing a week of medical care to the physical bodies of these people is very small, but the impact we leave behind by being witnesses for Christ and opening the door for Frank and his team to continue to share the gospel in this area is eternal. I am so thankful that God has allowed us the opportunity to play a small part in the spreading of his kingdom here in Ghana.
Until next time,
Mary and AJ Carter
