Kim Lawson

Today our excavation team enjoyed gifts of cokes and malts, but they had a setback when at about noon, the bulldozer broke down. Please join us in prayer that the parts required arrive tonight so that tomorrow morning it can be up and running once again.

Our construction team is doing extremely well! Please pray that the preparation for the latrine is completed quickly so that they can begin work there, too.

Today we teachers came to understand why some children less than two years old are showing up in the JK/SK class! Many of the parents leave early for their farms and leave the small children in the care of older siblings. It’s no wonder their teacher Frank did not know all of their names, as they normally gather and sleep in the back of the classroom while he teaches the students! We also learned that the reason some in the Gr. 6 class seem extremely advanced in comparison to others: it is at least their second time in the grade because they don’t have family to live with in the larger villages or cities where the junior high schools are.

At this point, all team members have joined us on site each day and the weather has been quite comfortable. Please continue to pray for health as some of the team are feeling a little unwell — they are getting the full Ghanaian experience!

Thank you all!

Kim

On Tuesday, the excavation team moved their equipment to the new dam site in Teselema. Their big machines made big changes to the landscape in the area designated for the fish pond. The teachers took over their classrooms and quickly realized their evening would be a long one requiring many adjustments to their well-laid plans in order to suit the children they were just starting to get to know. The construction team got settled in with all of their tools and equipment as the mason team continued building the walls, and the carpenter team built windows and trusses.

On Wednesday, Joyce was called to do more than engage her 40+ JK/SK students when a group of government representatives walked into her classroom under the mango tree! The group then continued over to the build site to introduce themselves, complimenting the team for the work we were doing to encourage health through hygiene training in the school, education through the many tools we brought to the students and teachers, and development in the community with the church and latrine.

Back in Teselema, Glenn and Phil’s excavation work has been greeted with excitement, and hundreds gathered throughout the day to watch them work. They managed to get the pond about one-third completed by working a long 10-hour day, stopping only for a brief lunch and to receive gifts of yams, a rooster and a guinea fowl from the community.

“By the grace of God,” as David would say, a woman’s life may have been saved today because of the serum that NEA stocked. She lives in a nearby village and was bitten by a snake there but, as of dinner tonight, she was reported to be in stable condition after receiving the serum to contradict the snake venom. After dinner, while Braden led the kids of Carpenter in song with the guitar and others played soccer, a few team members gathered with David and the Ghanaian pastors to pray for the woman and other loved ones who need healing. It was a wonderful way to end the day.

May each one of you experience the same joy and blessing we feel for having supported us and this project in so many ways. Your love, support, and prayers are so valuable to each one of us. Please pray for continued physical, emotional, spiritual and relational health and strength to serve well as a team!

Thanks,

Kim

Due to time zone sleeping adjustments, a couple of our team members may have missed their breakfast this morning, but we were all in the back of the cargo truck or in the bus and rolling on time!

Traditions were kept as we met and presented Babator’s dignitaries and villagers with suitcases displaying the school supplies and a small chief gift.

Teachers observed classes, and some jumped right into their roles when needed. After lunch they met with the friendly Headmaster and three Ghanaian teachers to introduce our plans for the coming two weeks. Joyce has prepped extremely well, and they were impressed!

The construction team got right to work with Ebenezer and a new crew we’ve never worked with before. Four courses of bricks were laid, seven window frames are well underway, and the latrine requires a couple more days of digging before our work can begin there.

Glenn and Phil headed back to the Carpenter area to investigate the proposed dam site where they will be working tomorrow. Phil then excavated for a septic system in the hardest dirt he has ever worked on! Glenn started to teach the NEA team maintenance and essentials for operating and transporting the heavy equipment.

We returned to the compound at the end of the day. Scaffolds and ladders were loaded for tomorrow, teachers reestablished their first day agenda, and many team members were in bed early — some with sunburnt skin and rosy cheeks — exhausted from a hard day’s work in the hot African sun (with proper hydration and sun protection at the forefront of all discussions).

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Although some are tired, we all continue to be well. Continue to pray for the good health, strength and energy our days require.

Kim

Today we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and an inspiring church service of dancing, testimonies, and personal introductions of each team member to the Carpenter congregation.

David shared 2 contrasting texts: Mark 5:1-17 and Luke 24:13-32. In this New Year, we can choose to send away the One who helps and heals, or invite Him to make Himself home to stay in our lives.  David shared a story of how when finding himself in a dangerous place where nothing could save him, God did – in the form of a dove. He challenged us to not let Jesus pass by, as He will give us understanding in our lives – the choice is ours.

We had a wonderful lunch, time to rest or sort teaching supplies, a tour of the compound, and a fabulous dinner where we enjoyed soup made from the newest NEA project: oyster mushrooms!

After enjoying a special treat planted in our team suitcase by Bev Ott (thank you!), we were all back in our rooms by 11pm, setting our alarms to make our 6am breakfast. Our bus will leave early tomorrow for the first commute to Babator. We look forward to meeting and greeting the chief and village, observing the children in the classrooms, and taking some time to review the work sites with Ebenezer.

Everyone is well.  Thank you for your continued prayers for good health and strength. We now ask you to pray for special insight to see how we can best serve the children and village of Babator. We also ask for prayer for Glenn and Phil as they instruct the excavation team.

Our hope is that we reflect God’s light and love through everything we do,

Kim

 

We arrived safely in Carpenter at about 4pm today. After joining hands and hearts with the pastors and volunteers in prayer and thanksgiving under the gazebo, the team went straight to work sorting out tools, school supplies and gifts we brought.

At 6:30 we enjoyed Abraham’s famous first night spaghetti dinner. Anees was able to present David the sketch he did of David’s father. It was a touching moment when David had his younger brother Peter see for the very first time what their father looked like, as Peter had never met their dad.

Ending the evening relaxing under the gazebo, we are looking forward to joining the pastors, volunteers and NEA team for church tomorrow morning, conducting a tour of the project compound, and preparing for our work on Monday.

Thank you for your prayers and love,

Kim

We are in Accra! Although we didn’t get checked in and to our rooms until midnight, everyone and all of the luggage is well and accounted for. Wake up calls are set for 4:30 am and we should be on the bus very early. Thank you for your continued prayers for safety and wellness for our bus ride to the project site tomorrow.

Good night,

Kim

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Kim Lawson and her husband, Joe, live in Uxbridge, Ontario. They attend Uxbridge Baptist Church and have been involved in a variety of GRID and NEA teams. Kim is leading the 2014 Ghana Build Team, and will be updating us on their work over the next couple of weeks.