God of this city — Post #2

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12 Commentsby   |  07.19.11  |  The Bronx, New York, Uncategorized

Greetings from NY!!

Where to start . . . Well, I am doing well! I must admit – the “glamor” of the city has begun to wear off. While it’s still very beautiful and interesting to me, I have begun to notice just how tough the city is — very!! It’s a tough, individualistic community.

Lawson and I continue to do prayer stations, which is where we set up a table with a paper and let people come write down their prayers; it’s very unconditional. If they want to learn more about what we do, we tell them we are interested in studying the Bible with them and their friends and family. The hope is that the study will take off with their community where they are and eventually develop into a house church, where they lead themselves. We do about four prayer stations a week for 2, 3, or 4 hours at a time. Two are bilingual (our signs and flyers), and two are completely in Spanish. We’re really hoping to move in to the Latino/a community and establish connections for Christ Fellowship Network. If they seem interested, we encourage them to fill out a contact card. Then we call them a day (or more) later to see if they are still interested. Many people are very polite and don’t want to turn us down, so they give us excuses and tell us to call back. Others accept our invitation and make plans to meet with Lawson and I but cancel last minute. We have yet to meet up with someone.

Despite the numerous unsuccessful attempts, prayer station is definitely my favorite thing to do. When people actually come up, I like to wonder why they did. Are they really counting on us to pray for them? Do they not pray but want us to pray? Or do they perhaps not have any one else to turn to? There are some who approach the table and pour their hearts unto the piece of paper, and I don’t mean just simply with words. I see it in their faces. They take long pauses and think deeply about their words, as if their words determined the answer to their prayer. Some, after deep thought, end up writing merely three words, but their face – it says much more than those three words. Others, just want to debate with us, condemn us, or are Christians themselves and want to come over and encourage us.

On Wednesday evenings, we attend one of the house churches that is part of the Christ Fellowship Network. It’s a very nice group of people! We have dinner together and fellowship. Then someone leads praise and then we delve into the word. This summer we’re in Romans. Then, we have communion together and fellowship some more.

Lawson and I have also joined a gym at a local college. We have called our time there “Workoutreach at Gym.” We even got a discount for being roommates! We’re hoping to go there at least four times a week and see if we can somehow reach out within the college-age community. Continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers please! We will continue to update. Thanks! Oh, and here’s a picture of the BX Interns! :)

Pura Vida

11 Commentsby   |  07.16.11  |  Uncategorized

So this is my first blog of the trip. I’m 5 weeks in and a little over 3 weeks to go. I thought coming here I would have a lot more time on my hands than I really do. Going to language school 3 hours a day and having church at least 3 times a week keeps you pretty busy. I have met some amazing people at the language school. Most of them are missionaries and are spending one year learning spanish before diving right in to their mission work. I honestly had no clue why I was coming down here and living here for 9 weeks, other than that I had that desire to discover new places and see new sides of God and serve in whatever way I could. I haven’t been able to just dive right in to a ministry and serve away because there aren’t very many kids at the church I attend and my language is still pretty bad even though I am a lot better now than I was when I arrived. All I pretty much knew was basic vocabulary words like colors, clothing, and foods. Needless to say, this journey has been mostly about deeper self-discovery and trusting God. There have been those moments where I have completely no control whatsoever and have no choice but to rely on the Protector and Provider. And guess what, He pulled through of course. There was a time when I first arrived here and still didn’t know my way around and lost my partner walking home in the pouring rain. 45 minutes later, I found the house and thankfully my host mom heard me and came to open the door because I didn’t have a key.

Suffering.. well I can relate to that a little more. I became sick for 3 of the most painful days of my life. I had an infection and my stomach was really upset. One night I couldn’t sleep and (ok maybe I’m a little dramatic) but I literally thought I was dying. The next morning my host mom took me to a doctor and He gave me some injections and medicines but none of them worked. I realized that all of this sickness and stomach pains started when I realized I had some tension with a few people but didn’t want to confront them about it because I didn’t think it was that big of a deal so I just kept it inside. On the 3rd night of my sickness I decided to confront the person and release the tension I had. So we talked and she was so understanding and I know it brought us closer. Later that night, my symptoms stopped and the next day I was fine other than being so hungry from not eating. I believe God was showing me his urgency of wanting to make me whole, not in a punishing kind of way but in a way that shows His power and He is willing to push me when my eyes turn from his face and my heart loses the burning desire. He loves me that much that he is willing to do whatever it takes to turn my eyes back on Him and make me more like Him.

Anyways, that is just a taste of what is going on down here and I’m sure there is more to come.

8 days left

12 Commentsby   |  07.16.11  |  Zagreb, Croatia

I cannot believe how quickly time is moving! We only have a week left and I am going to miss this country and my family and friends here so much. This past week has definitely been eventful, last Sunday was by far the roughest day I’ve had here. The morning started out with a not so good skype conversation that made me miss home more than ever and then progressed to include me making a very bad decision. It took a good part of the day before everything was resolved between me and my host family, but even then the day was just gloomy. We did have 3 baptisms that day at the community park though! And then to make matters worse the champs camp team decided to come home a few hours early without informing us so we had to rush home and pack all of our bags for Slovenia in like half an hour. The drive was the first break from chaos all day and included some great conversations and sharing of testimonies. When we arrived in Setnica we were greeted by a very smiley old man who made us a wonderful dinner at the bed and breakfast where all the parents were staying. The Camp went really well all week long and I was really surprised by the difference in culture between Croatia and Slovenia especially in how reserved and cautious the children were. The worst part of the week was the shower situation, we had to take showers at 3:30pm in our bathing suits in non-heated (aka: freezing) water in front of every other person visiting the public pool in Setnica. The best part was meeting all the Slovene missionaries and hearing their stories. We met a guy named Eno who takes the cake for coolest person I’ve ever met, and he told us about how he came to know Jesus in prison and the effect it had on his life. The views and the discipleship time this week were also to die for. On Thursday we had to say goodbye to both our Slovene friends and the champs camp team and head back to our humble abode. That night we had dinner at our preachers house and played him in a 3 on 1 game of soccer, I now know why they call him the Croatian nightmare! Yesterday was mainly spent working on our lessons for the art camp this coming week and a break in the late afternoon to go watch HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was amazing once you got past the Croatian subtitles. I also got myself into a sticky situation when I popped the lenses out of the 3-d glasses to turn them into nerd spectacles and then was informed that I would have to pay for them… nice going Madison! Today has mostly been spent moving out of our apartment into the prayer room and cleaning every square inch of house in preparation for the arrival of our guests. Now I think I will spend a few hours napping and reading before our welcoming party tonight. I love Croatia but I am definitely looking forward to a few days of doing absolutely nothing before we go back to school.

Cultural Comparison Project, Part Two

15 Commentsby   |  07.13.11  |  Accra, Ghana, Uncategorized

One of the more curious subjects for observation when traveling cross-culturally is the family unit. Families are integral to our lives and development; they are such a constant that we hardly ever stop to think what makes them “normal.” However, the ever present family unit looks and operates in vastly different ways in different cultures. When comparing the United States and Ghana, factors which contribute to these differences include the view of self, the level of industrialization, and the distribution of authority.

In the spectrum of the view of self, there reigns individualism on one end and collectivism on the other. Individualism is a type of the view of self which is highly independent and does not rely on surrounding persons. Collectivism, on the other hand, is a more communal approach to the view of self in which a person is more defined by who they are surrounded with. On the whole, the United States is a country in which individualism is valued. As a people, Americans value individuality, being unique, and entrepreuneurism. The idea of the American Dream is that everybody has the ability to “go out and make it on your own” and to follow their own idea of happiness. In regards to the family unit, individualism plays a major role. In America, it is custom for the parents to raise children who will one day go to college, get their own job, move out, and live on their own. The American conception of family is nuclear, rather than extended. However, in a community-centered country like Ghana, family as a cohesive whole is more important than the individuals within it. Together the individuals work and support each other, which creates a safety net for them all. Rather than the family catering to the needs of the individual, the individuals cater to the needs of the family. Thus, family units remain together, and there is less branching off and separation than there is in a country like the United States.

The level of industrialization also plays a large part in how family units operate. Ghana is a more agrarian state than America, which is incredibly advanced in technology and industrialization. Because of this, Ghanaian families tend to stay more local. Work is more physically strenuous and the value of manual labor is more appreciated. This agrarian state plays into collectivism because families must work together to support themselves. Children do chores not merely because they have been assigned them, but because they are necessary to the livelihood of the family. In contrast, the amount of technology available to families in the United States pushes them farther along the path of individualism. With the level of efficiency offered in the majority of America, there is less of a need for communal effort. There is more opportunity to be individualized in the United States.

Finally, the distribution of authority also affects how family units are shaped. In an American family unit, authority is fairly evenly distributed between the parents. Both have authority to make decisions, and much value is placed on gender equality in the United States. Additionally, families are often catered to the children, who may not have direct authority, but still have many resources given to them. Ghanaian families tend to be more paternalistic. Most of the authority lies with the father figure to make decisions. The mother is often in charge of the household, but in terms of how the public and culture views the family unit, the man will always have the final say. Also, families are not catered to their kids. Children are expected to contribute to the livelihood of the family, and, though admittedly my population pool may be biased, I have yet to meet a spoiled Ghanaian child.

When comparing the types of family units in the United States and Ghana, it is difficult to say whether one is superior to or better than the other. In truth, both have their strengths and weaknesses: the individualism which is rampant in American families can isolate individuals and weaken community development, while the collectivism of Ghanaian families can hold back individuals who have the opportunity for further education or advancement. To conclude, one system of family is not necessarily better than the other; rather, the two capitalize on different sets values. The value of connectedness, group unity, and working as a part of a whole which are learned in Ghanaian families are values which are just as important as individuality, independnence, and uniqueness that are learned in American families.

My WWW blog

25 Commentsby   |  07.12.11  |  Brisbane, Australia

Hello! I have been blogging at maggiepfeiffer.wordpress.com!

So check that out to hear about my experiences so far in Australia!

God bless,

-Maggie Pfeiffer

Village of Hope, Round Two

10 Commentsby   |  07.12.11  |  Accra, Ghana

Hey Everyone! We have been back at the Village of Hope for about a week and a half now, and I simply cannot believe we only have 11 days left! I just wanted to give a quick update on what we as a team have been doing since coming back from Nkwatia. 

First, it was Ashton’s birthday on the 5th! We didn’t have much celebrate with, but we did manage to whip up a very successful pineapple upside down cake.  It was so good! We have also gone on a day trip to visit a national park and the oldest slave castle in Africa, called El Mina.   On the way back we also drove past a parade in which all the local chieftains were being celebrated.  It was really neat to be able to experience even more of Ghana as a country and culture.  After the trip, a group from the United States came and set up a health fair so all of the children could receive medical and dental checkups.  We helped out by organizing and assisting at the different health stations.  Since the group has left, life has settled down a little bit and has become more routine.  I have been helping out in the nursery, the library, and with afterschool reading programs.  It has also been awesome to grow and focus in on some of the closer relationships I have built with the kids.  Because there are so many kids, it can sometimes be a little overwhelming, but I am trusting that God is working in the midst of it all. 

We are now on the home stretch before we return back to the United States.  It has gone by so fast, and I am sure these next days will go by even faster.  Please pray for endurance as we press in for the final week and a half.  Grace and peace to you all!

Tanzania and Trills

10 Commentsby   |  07.12.11  |  Kenya

This past week has been an ordinary week here at the orphanage. When I left off last Wednesday, Caroline hadn’t left yet, but later that afternoon, her mother came, packed her up, and took her home. It was so sad for all of us to see her leave but I know that God has a plan for her outside of Sam’s Place. That very same day a 7 year old girl was admitted to Sam’s Place. Both of her parents had died when she was very young and she understands/knows absolutely no sign. She has never been given a name so Simeone gave us the task of naming her and together we decided that Daisy was a great name for this young, sweet girl. We gave her a sign name and instantly the other children picked it up. At first she was very disobedient, refusing to go to classes and hitting the other children. Now, however, she seems to enjoy Sam’s Place and has made friends with many of the other children. One of the newly hired teacher’s had attended the other deaf academy in Rongo, Kuju School of the Deaf, when he was younger. He also happened to be on their dance team and has agreed to teach the children traditional African dances. It has been so fascinating watching him teach the children to feel the rhythm of the drum, rather than to hear it. They are all naturally so talented and we have been so surprised, yet pleased, at how quickly they’ve learned and retained the dances.

The neighbors of Sam’s Place, a family that has started an orphanage known as the Gift Academy, are very fond of Savannah, Bonnie, and I. They continuously visit us at Sam’s Place and invite us to differing activities they host, however, we are very busy with our responsibilities at Sam’s Place and it is difficult for us to find the free time to join them. Well, Saturday’s are set aside as our personal days so we agreed to join them for a bible study. However, we were unaware that this study was in, oh I don’t know, another country! Apparently, the Gift Academy has a sister school on the border on Tanzania, about 2.5 hours away from Rongo. So we traveled to Tanzania and were allowed entrance for the day, surprisingly without our passports.

On Sunday, we had church with the children and then traveled to Kisii to attend Simeone’s sisters’ church. The first time we attended an African church, Simeone’s home congregation, we immediately noticed that everyone trills in upbeat and uplifting songs. So for the past couple of weeks, Savannah, Bonnie, and I have been practicing our trills in the hopes of utilizing it one day in church. Well, as it so happens, I mastered the trill from the very beginning but have hesitated in utilizing it. So as we stood in church on this fine day, singing and praising God, I heard a trill come from the crowd and immediately knew that the time had come. So I trilled and trilled, just like the best of them, and it was as if every single person had whipped around simultaneously to stare (in awe of course). Although this proved to be a joyous day for me, Savannah could not say the same. The church is deep in a valley and we had to climb up a winding, rocky path to get back to the car. Right when we had reached the top of the hill, I heard an awful scream and turned around just in time to see Savannah fall. At the time we thought it was very funny, until we realized she had actually sprained her ankle, and thus another injury was added to our list of sicknesses.

The week started off as it normally does, with the only deviation being that Stephen, the youngest boy here, had to be taken to the hospital. What had started as scratches on his ankles, had turned into huge sores and were spreading up his body. At the hospital, we discovered that Stephen had malaria (not a shock since all of the children here have it or have had it in the past) and had a massive infection. He’s being treated with daily shots and we know that with the Lord’s will, he will be healed! We have a little over 2 weeks left at Sam’s Place and I’m still in complete awe of how fast it has flown by. But, I don’t want to think about the end just yet, so until next time, Owimore!

Home stretch!

21 Commentsby   |  07.10.11  |  Accra, Ghana, Uncategorized

Our team is now at the Village of Hope in Gomoa-Fettah! It is so good to be back and see the children. We arrived thursday, June 30th, in the evening! After we meet with Fred Asare that evening to let him know we made it safely, I could not wait to see the kids. When I walked into the Linary House I was welcomed with so many hugs and hellos! It is good to be back.

The kids were out of school the next day; friday, saturday, sunday, monday and tuesday for mid-terms! It was nice to be able to spend time with the kids those days. On tuesday, July 5,  we took our travel day, which also happened to be my birthday, to Kakum National Park and Elmina! 

We first went to Kakum National Park we went on the canopy walk! It was amazing, we went across many bridges that made a horseshoe shape. The bridges hung above the trees with boards as wide to walk only with one foot in front of the other!  The scenary was beauitful…

Fifteen minutes away we drove to Cape Coast and Elmina. At Elmina there is a slave castle, we took a historal tour. Our tour guide was animated and told us the history of the castle. What I enjoyed the most about this visit is that we had the opportunity to enter cells called, ‘the room of no return’, and we were able to walk out of the cells alive, when years ago no one would be able to leave alive or free. I felt like I was making histroy.  Our drive home was safe and I was able to spend the evening with the children on my birthday!

During my stay here at the Village of Hope, I try to process everything that is going on, to understand my enviroment the best I can. I have found it difficult to do so for two reasons.  One reason is because our enviroment in Ghana changes frequently, with different visitors and locations. Secondly, I also realized that I am still in the mix of everything and when I get to America I will be able to stand back and look at my time here. I have made several obeservations to keep me going in order to improve opportunities to minister. At times I m overwhelmed at the need here. I look at my self and feel that I have nothing to give because I am not a counselor, nurse or teacher and these are the things the kids need! How can I help? I know this may sound discouraging, but being here has increased my urgancy and excitement to complete my studies at ACU! The harvest is pentiful, but the labors are few, Luke 10:2 !!

I look forward to these next two weeks with expectancy in the Lord’s faithfulness, freedom and love!

Blessings

Nkwatia News

12 Commentsby   |  07.10.11  |  Accra, Ghana

Hello Family and Friends,

First I want to apoligize for this late posting, but I would like to inform all of you what we have been up to these past four weeks.

Nkwatia, the location we were at in the mountains, was a wonderful experiance.  Saying goodbye a week ago was a challenge. During our stay there I taught Jr. High science and math. Most of my time was with second grade. I taught second grade all subjects, except Twi and French. These kids were a hand full and full of personality! So everyday was a new adventure.

One day during the week at school the headmaster (principal) put on a soccer match for us. The teams were the staff and interns verses the school team! Guess who won! The children won with a score of 2:1!! We also had the opportunity to travel to a competition the school was is in. Various schools gathered to test their knowledge of the Ghananian goverment. We took 5th place, the children preformed well. Lastly, we took a day long excursion to the Lake Volta region. This is where many of the kids at the Village of Hope were resuced from chid slavery.It was an incrediable experiance to travel in one of the fishing boats across the lake and imagine what life was like for the young children.

That concludes our stay in Nkwatia!

One nugget of wisdom I took away from this experiance is to recive the Lord’s daily bread, taking one day at a time, reading His word and watching him work.

One day at a time!    

Blessings

July so far

11 Commentsby   |  07.09.11  |  Zagreb, Croatia

The first week in July was full of fun days since it was our last free week. One day we spent in Grats, Austria just walking around and shopping. We went to Ikea and H&M and took pictures of all the beautiful architecture. For lunch L’nae and I tried Kebaps and Felafels for the first time. On Our way  back to the car we saw a kid get hit by a motorcycle because he was J-walking. He looked like he was fine on the outside but he may have had some internal injuries. It was really scary. We spent another day that week at Plitvice which is a National Park between two mountains that has a series of lakes with hundreds of waterfalls and caves. It was probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen. When we got home we had Pizza and Movie night with the family and watched Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The next day Cameron and Addie left for MK Camp where they had a week full of rock climbing, canoeing and worship. Last monday was July 4th and we had an American cookout at another missionarys house with burgers and watermelon.

Since we’ve been in Croatia we’ve spent several full days handing out flyers and balloons to invite children to Champs camp which finally happened this past week. A group of teens from Round Rock, TX flew in to host this camp at a community park in Zagreb. We had a total of 75 kids divided up into 4 different tribes and the theme of the camp was Hometown Nazareth, Where Jesus Was a Kid. I was the group leader for the tribe of Simeon and we had 19 kids in our group ages 6-14. The tribes all rotated between 4 centers: bible, games, crafts, and snack. The kids in my group were absolutely adorable they only spoke a little english but they were all so attentive and loved the camp. On the last day they brought gifts for me and wanted their parents to take a million pictures. They kept asking me if I would be back next summer and said goodbye at least ten times each. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I’m excited for Champs Camp in Slovenia next week with a new set of kids.

Today has just been a chill out day which is why I had a chance to catch up on my blogs. L’nae and I have have just hung out around the apartment all day except for half an hour when we watched Roger and Cameron slaughter one of the bunnies for a rabbit stew. Look for pictures of it on facebook lol.