ghana 2

in my last blog i mentioned something called the "pee-tree." this isn't code for anything....

we visited many schools while we were in ghana. some of them were private while others were managed by the government. it was easy to see the difference between the two. the private schools had some method to the madness. the rooms were still small and extremely hot but teachers were teaching and children were learning. as i walked through one of the classrooms i couldn't help but notice the things that were being used to educate the children.

in one of the class rooms the teacher had chalk but no blackboard. you could see where he had been writing on the wood panels that made the wall. it was very difficult for me to read but it seemed to do the trick for his class. the children were in awe of these white people who had come to visit their class. they were initially frightened by our cameras. apparently old tradition says that the camera of a white man can take your soul. i think we convinced them otherwise but it was still difficult to get them to smile.

because of the generosity of our church we were able to take 115 soccer balls and over 8400

vitamins to these schools. when we first began collecting the soccer balls i was a little pessimistic that it was the best thing to collect. i mean wouldn't they be better off having access to some of our wealth? shouldn't we do a clothing drive instead? soccer balls?!? it wasn't until i saw the reaction of the first class that i understood. soccer is king in their country. everyone is familiar with it and most love to play it. the problem: balls are expensive and difficult to find. when we walk in toting all those soccer balls it was if we brought them gold.

our host also informed us that soccer is a great way to get people talking about faith, teamwork and unity. the area is saturated with muslims and he said giving these kids soccer balls communicates a couple of truths to them and their families. 1)the Christians care about you and brought you this ball 2) our differences can be bridged through a game...creating opportunity to talk about our faith...which can ultimately lead to someone hearing the truth about God and ultimately seeing them come to faith. all of that through a little $10 soccer ball from wal-mart.

we also took them children's multi-vitamins. when our host told them about the vitamins he said "if you eat one a day you will grow strong,wise and beautiful. But if you eat 2 they will become poison and you will DIE!" the kids were excited about the 1 a day vitamin but look scared about the possibility of eating 2...even by accident. our host knew the vitamins were sweet. he also knew the kids would eat too many at one time if they didn't instantly become respecters of the vitamins. it was awkward and funny all at the same time.

the final thing we gave them were frisbees. Each class was awarded a soccer ball, vitamins and a frisbee. the catch:: they had never seen a frisbee before! when we threw it for the first time they ducked as though it might cut their heads off! once they realized it was a safe toy they smiled with tremendous joy.

it was so interesting to see the lunch lady cooking food for all the children outside in a pot over a wood burning fire. it was crazy to think the kids would run over to the concrete slab and pick up their bowl of food fromthe ground and eat it for lunch. it was so humbling to walk into a classroom where a little boy was using a small branch off a tree to point to words on the board leading his class in a phonetics exercise. it was overwhelming to visit a school that has 860 students and 12 teachers. nothing about it was familiar but somehow it all made sense. they were learning....in their own unique way....they were learning.

oh yeah...almost forgot the "pee-tree." in one of the classrooms that had 120ish 4-5yr olds we heard the teacher rattle off something in their native tongue. all at once every child got up, went outside (apprx 15 feet from the building), dropped whatever pants and underpants they may have been wearing and proceeded to urinate....simultaneously....all mixed in gender....with absolutely no direction. literally! never seen anything like that before.

let's just say....after that we watched where we stepped!

don't forget to pray for the widows....here is another beautiful and strong woman to lift up.

more to come.....

ghana 1

as many of you know i had the opportunity to go to ghana last week. if you know me very well you also know that this was a huge step of faith for me. a few things to help bring others up to speed about me:

1. i am a germaphobe

2. i am a homebody

3. i don't like to sweat

4. i don't like flying for longer than about 3 hours

as you can imagine....all of these things would be tested. as you can also imagine.....i was apprehensive about the trip.

our host is named Stephen Aputara. we met him at a seminar in little rock arkansas in 2007. at the time we just exchanged business cards and went our separate ways. he also met and quickly befriended one of our staff members named don. stephen now confesses that he sensed from the beginning that God was creating a partnership. over the past 3 years stephen has invited me to ghana on several occasions. i had an excuse for everyone of them and never went. about 4 months ago he was in the states and told me that he wanted me to come and that i should let him know when i would be there and he would build everything around our visit. i didn't have a way out. i knew this was God's way of telling me "excuse making time is over...better start packing!"

news of my trip traveled quickly. almost immediately i had 7 other people who wanted to be a part of this journey. i thank God for blake, phillip alycia, kristen, garrett, kayla and sean. they were the perfect people to make this first and most important journey with me.

over the course of the next few months we prepared for our trip. financially, physically with lots of vaccinations and spiritually....we didn't know what to expect. the area where we served is saturated with Islam so we studied to ready ourselves for potential conversations. the preparation was so important for me on many personal levels.

the day finally arrived....we hugged our families and boarded the plane for Africa.

in the next several posts i will do my best to introduce you to some of the fascinating people we met and describe the remarkable places we went. a quick glimpse of what is ahead:

• bats in the worship center
• 150 kids under the pee-tree
• one a day vitamins...if you eat 2 you will die
• preaching by flashlight
• dancing with the widows
• whistling for crocodiles
• sleeping with the geckos
• eating the slaughtered goat
• tour de ghana to hear the gospel

it was an amazing journey.....stay connected to my blog and i'll tell you some incredible stuff!

on each post you will find a picture of one of the many widows i met along the way. i promised them we would pray for them so thanks in advance for lifting each of them up.

pray-ers needed

i returned from a trip to Ghana last thursday and am asking for some help. while i was there i had the opportunity to meet with a group of 27 widows who worship at one of the local churches. they told me their stories and asked if i would ask the people i know to pray for them. as believers they find themselves caught between the commands of scripture and the rituals of their culture. they want to honor God but in many cases it leads to beatings and intense suffering. they said they know God is their only hope and would be blessed to know people are lifting them before the Father. they want us to pray that God would give them resolve and strength each day.

if you would be willing to pray for one of them on a regular basis please let me know and i will send you a picture of a real person....with a real name...with real needs.

looking forward to hearing from many of you!

e-mail me at rwade@clifec.com to get a picture....this will make sure i have your email!!!

interesting read....

Written by Rob Ross

Throughout the New Testament Jesus used questions to teach. Questions helped His disciples discover truth for themselves. Questions help each of us go through a process of self discovery. This post is the result of asking a question that was asked of me.

What would happen if the Church’s singular focus was to make disciples?

My response was very direct at the time. I stated that I believe we would see a movement of God like we have not seen in generations. So, another question was asked. What is keeping us from seeing a movement of God happening?

I reflected on an answer for quite some time. I thought about the stories I have read of how God is moving in other parts of the world. I thought about how I have not seen this happening here in North America. So, I asked myself a question. What makes North America different from other parts of the world?

I pondered this question while watching a few of our family’s favourite television shows. We often enjoy watching the Home Improvement Channel. Through the years I have been able to glean a number of good ideas from watching Disaster Do-It-Yourself or Holmes on Homes. One basic principle that has been restated many times in these shows is the need to know the difference between a load bearing wall and non-load bearing wall. The load bearing walls are the ones that keep the house from falling down. The non-load bearing walls are dividers that keep us from seeing what is on the other side.

I believe North America is different from other parts of the world because we like our space. In order to have this space we put up a whole lot of walls. However, for those of us who want to see and be involved in what God is doing some of these walls need to come down.

A number of the walls that I believe need to be come down first include:

The Wall of Comfort

I would define comfort as a state of being in which we feel secure. It is a feeling that everything is okay at least where I live. If we become too comfortable we no longer sense the urgency. In scripture Jesus warned his disciples that the time was near. He took down their wall of comfort so they could see what was coming and helped them prepare. What questions should we be asking Jesus? How do we move outside our comfort zone? Matthew 24:32-35

The Wall of Distractions

North American society provides an abundance of distractions. Add to our busy lives the need to adapt to a rapidly changing world and we see our attention becoming extremely divided. We are inundated with many forms of entertainment. We have numerous opportunities to listen to the radio, watch television or surf the Internet. Technology continues to take ever larger amounts of our time. Beyond this we still need to earn a living, pay our bills, raise our families and keep our relationships healthy. In order to sort out all these distractions it becomes imperative to ask some more questions. What are my priorities? How do I redeem my time? Ephesians 5:15-17

The Wall of Individualism

When I refer to individualism I mean the pursuit of individual rather than common or collective interests. This seems to be a common theme in Western society. It appears we are losing sight of what it means to be community. Our focus is diverted by the idea of personal success rather than corporate well being. The wall of individualism blinds us from the needs of all God’s people and from fully accomplishing God’s purpose. I continually ask myself, “What was Jesus’ original purpose for His people?” How do we live as Jesus intended? Acts 2:42-47

The Wall of Disobedience

Disobedience is any choice that is contrary to what God has instructed. It is saying no to God. This is not as obvious as it might seem. I often find believers questioning the relevance of scripture for today’s world. There is a sense that it was meant for those who lived two thousand years ago but it isn’t relevant today. It seems they want to make God’s word fit into their lifestyle. They do not see this as disobedience. What does it take to obey God? Titus 3: 1-9

So, what next?

Like any home improvement project it takes time, effort, tools, resources and a team of committed workers. In order for disciples to start taking down some of these walls more questions need to be asked.

What are the load bearing walls in our lives? What are the non-load bearing walls in our lives? What changes do we need to make in our lives if we want to see a movement of God happen in this generation?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Rob Ross works with Oikos Ministries, a contemporary home-based organic church network with an external message in Canada.

a couple of questions....

1.) what are the responsibilities, according to the scripture, of those who are saved? in other words....what is required of Christ followers?

2.) do you feel like believers are living up to these responsibilities? why or why not?

don't be intimidated to respond. i don't have an agenda....just trying to get some feedback for a future sermon.

signs you are a leader

Seven Signs You are a Leader

Have you ever wondered if you are truly a leader or if you have leadership potential? The following article written by Dr. Ron Herring, Director of the Center for Effective Leadership, spells out seven clear signs that point to your leadership potential.

Very few people question the scarcity of leaders in our world today. They seem to be in short supply, and churches aren’t the only ones looking for good leaders, so are businesses, education, non-profits, government agencies, and the military. Maybe you have the gift of leadership and don’t know it. Maybe God wants to use you in ways you haven’t imagined. Let me encourage you to continue reading this article and see how you stack up.

1. You have a sense of purpose-Leaders get up each day, excited about what they are responsible for. If they don’t have a project to lead, they look for one. Being a leader defines who they are!

2. You have the ability to say what you mean and mean what you say-Leaders are plain spoken. They have the ability to communicate in the clearest of language. There is no ambiguity when they speak!

3. People believe in you-Leaders find that people trust them. Trust has to be earned, it’s seldom inherited, but leaders earn it quickly. They put others at ease!

4. People follow you-Leaders have followers; it’s that simple. If no one is willing to follow you, you not a leader!

5. You make things happen-Leaders know that, in Texas, we’re fond of saying, “He’s all hat and no cattle!” Hot air just makes it warm, it doesn’t make it happen. Leaders don’t just talk, they produce!

6. You live in a state of constant self-evaluation-Leaders are never satisfied. There is always a book at their bedside, a CD in the car stereo, a podcast on the IPOD and a seminar to attend. Getting better is a journey they never complete!

7. You can’t wait to tackle the next project-Leaders are restless, they have to be “in charge” of something. If they’re not running the “show”, they’ve got little interest in the “show”. That’s not ego, it’s how they’re wired!

look in their eyes....

the recent earthquake in haiti is overwhelming. the images that we are no able to see are sobering. the reality of suffering is suddenly so vivid.

as christians we have both the privilege and responsibility to be the hands and feet of Jesus at all times but in the midst of such suffering it seems especially important. it is estimated that over 3 million people have been directly affected by this tragedy. reports this morning said the death toll would most likely climb into the hundreds of thousands.

children have lost their parents

parents have held the limp and lifeless bodies of their children

homes and businesses have been destroyed

life as they once knew it has been forever altered

yesterday i received a link to photographs of the suffering. the label warned me that some of the images were graphic but i felt compelled to click on it anyway. my heart broke as a result of what i saw. it didn't take long until i wanted to click on the x and close the window. i knew if i clicked on the window the images would go away and i wouldn't have to acknowledge their suffering. with a click on the x i could go back to my life....my routine....but something told me to look more closely. something told me to look in their eyes. something told me to appreciate their pain. something told me not to click because their pain couldn't be removed that easily. and so i looked at every picture....at every person....and found myself broken.

i hope you will spend some time looking at the pictures. i think it will be good for your soul, albeit uncomfortable, to look into someone else's pain. it will do us all good to know that ignoring their suffering doesn't take it away.

after you look i also hope you will respond.

respond by:

praying......fervently and often that those who are on the ground will be the light of Christ in their darkness.

giving....connect with Compassion International, World Vision, Texas Baptist Men...connect with someone who has the ability to take them the supplies they need to survive.

going....prepare yourself to be ready to go if and when it becomes possible.

look into their eyes.... http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/photos/photos_galleries/haiti_earthquake/#/2