We are family- get up everybody and sing

Ministry in Ghana has been different than last month for sure. This month my main ministry has been evangelism in the community of Pen Kwasi. We have the liberty of going by ourselves with just our team so we can split up as we choose and go at our own pace. This has really shown us a different side to evangelism. We aren’t rushed and can linger at people’s shops/ residences and actually get to know them and do life with them. We can visit the same people more than once and establish a relationship, which we all agree is more natural and enjoyable for us. We’ve gotten to watch soccer, preach to Muslims, go to a school, shuck corn (Aww shucks!), attempt to cook an African meal, get dresses/ skirts made, assist with laundry, and teach songs to children. It was definitely hard to leave on our last day of ministry. These people welcomed us in with open arms and we’re so grateful. It’s been an honor to get to know them and their stories.

That being said, we’ve been on our own with ministry without any hosts accompanying us so it’s been hard to get acquainted with church members. Also, since our whole squad is together this month, it makes it harder for them to get to know us. So, I am so thankful that I stepped out and signed up to sing with the worship team. I have never been on a worship team before and have sung in choir sporadically in the past. So I was intimidated at first. But, these amazing people welcomed me in with open arms. They act like siblings and joke around and I’ve had so much fun practicing/ performing with them and getting to know them. Most of them are in their early-mid 20s and are so talented and on fire for the Lord. I’ve had a blast dancing and singing on stage, especially since I usually don’t have a mic and can just dance to my heart’s content for Jesus with less pressure to sing it perfectly. One of the lead singers made my 2 friends and I dresses and gave them to us on our last day, so thoughtful and kind! It was hard to say goodbye to them as they’ve become family to me.

Honestly this month has been crazy busy in a good way with ministry, squad sessions, and mingling with squad mates. It has been so good and it’s so hard to have it end. We’re leaving behind these Ghanian people we’ve grown to love. And we will disperse into teams in Cambodia and our team won’t have any leaders with us next month plus two leaders are returning to the U.S.

It’s so many goodbyes and I don’t know if my heart can handle it. But we will press on because that’s the nature of the World Race. Every month you leave the people you’ve grown to love and jump in to a new country and ministry that you will eventually have to leave. But I would rather the goodbye be hard. Because that means that you really invested in the relationships formed that month, which makes the goodbye sweet, well bittersweet. And we will see our friends again one day, if not here on earth, then in heaven. And how fun it will be to be reunited and exchange stories of the Lord’s goodness. But until then, I will keep pressing on and leaving a piece of my heart in each beautiful country we are blessed to visit.