Methodist Church Ghana - Partnership Meeting

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana invited the team from Dayton United Methodist to visit his office while in Ghana. Before departing for the US, a number of our team made the trip to Accra to meet and share ideas around partnering to expand the Kingdom. A productive time, with many ideas exchanged, followed by a invitation to return each time we are in-country. Attending were: Very Rev. Samuel Mensah, Director for HR and Administration, Emmanuel Otsin, Christopher Agyeman, Dr. Cameron Gongwer, Dr. Curtis Gongwer, Thomas Mellady, Dean Lucas, Ruthie Fields, Evangelist Joseph Otsin, Cathy Woodard, Glenn Meiser, Prince Adjei-Mensah, Sue meiser, Enoch Osafo, Director for Methodist Health, Joseph Atta Amankwaa, CEO, Methodist Faith Healing Hospital, Very Rev. Adu Boateng, Director for Evangelism, Mission and Renewal, Julie Hamilton, Most Rev. Titus K. Awotwi Pratt, Presiding Bishop, Renee Dexter, Rt. Rev.Dr. Kwaku Asamoah-Okyere, Administrative Bishop.

The Very Rev. Joseph Donkor, Coordinator, UMC Projects in Ghana was not able to attend.

A story of a special blessing

The team met Gifty in our first village. She came through the clinic and saw the doctors. She was there for a basic checkup and didn’t give much history. As she was passing through the pharmacy, our lab tech, Collins, noticed she looked pale. Yes you can tell when the Ghanaians are pale. So I checked her hemoglobin. For those who aren’t a medical nerd, hemoglobin is in your blood and carries oxygen throughout your body. When the hemoglobin is low, you become anemic, or low on blood. Gifty’s hemoglobin was dangerously low. We knew right away she needed attention. Dr. Curt saw her again and tried to speak with her about her condition, but Gifty seemed uninterested in what we had to say about it. We offered to send her to the hospital, but she declined and walked away from the clinic. She was unable to be found by anyone for the rest of the day.

Fast forward to Wednesday, guess who showed back up to our clinic? Gifty! We quickly gathered the doctors and spoke with her, informing her of her condition and that if she didn’t seek treatment, she would die. We rallied and decided to send her to the Ankaase hospital. You see, Gifty had no insurance and no money to pay for anything. Even for a simple blood transfusion. Thankfully, we have really great friends that we have gained over the years. Collins spoke with some of the staff at the hospital and arranged for a few units of blood for free. So we sent her on her way.

I kept in contact with Collins as we ended our time in Kumasi and moved to the Central Region. He updated me frequently on her case. We soon found out she had uterine fibroids, which are hard fibrous tissue that grows and attaches itself to the uterine wall. These fibroids use the blood supply as their own and they don’t share at all.  Gifty needed surgery and needed it soon, or she would die. The surgery to fix this was going to be expensive. Where would she ever get a few thousand dollars to pay for it. She doesn’t work, because she is tired all the time from the anemia.

After speaking with the team, we decided that leftover money at the end of the trip should go to help her. I mean, that’s why we go right? To find those who really need medical attention and help them with the resources that we have. We collected the money so Ruthie and I  could deliver it the Methodist Faith Healing Hospital where  we were headed next week.

The following week, one of the first things we did when we arrived at the hospital was to find Gifty in the surgical ward. She would be having her surgery later that day.  We spoke with her and asked her if she remembered us, of course she did. We took the time to pray for her and her surgery later in the day.

Ruthie and I met with some of the nurses from the surgical ward, including Rachel, who was one of the charge nurses. We were invited to watch the surgery. We changed into our lovely salmon colored dresses, scrub caps and masks, and headed into the theater.

I won’t go into the details of the surgery, I wouldn’t want you all to get sick. The fibroids were large and there were a lot of them. But Gifty made it through the surgery and headed into recovery!

On Thursday, we were able to see her again and check on her. She did well over the night and her hemoglobin had nearly tripled from her original number. Praise the lord!

Friday was our last day at the hospital and we were able to say our goodbye’s to Gifty. Ruthie and I presented her and Mr. Amankwaa with a donation from our team to help with her medical expenses. Although the money wouldn’t cover the entire stay with the surgery, it will ease her burden. However, after speaking to Mr. Amankwaa, the CEO of the hospital, we learned that one of the greatest things for the patients at the Ankaasee Methodist Faith Health Hospital is that they never burden their patients with a bill. What Gifty and her mother won’t be able to afford, the hospital has funds available to help cover the rest so she will not owe them.

Very simply - your contribution to this trip helped save this young woman’s life. She is 34, unmarried, and no children. This surgery has changed her life. She will get energy back and be able to search for a husband. She won’t look as sick as she did. And the surgery helped clear out her uterus so that she may bear children one day. You helped do this for her. I pray that the next trip, we are able to find her and hear some good news!
Thanks to making some good friends at the hospital, we will be able to continue to hear how her recovery is going once we are back in the states. Gifty was discharged this week and will have a follow up soon. Her hemoglobin has improved back to a normal level.

We are the hands and feet of God when we step out of our comfort zone and heed His call. Her blessing was meeting us because God sent us to her. He goes ahead of us and picks those whom we are meant to encounter and change their lives. We thank Him for that.

It is amazing that we could follow this case all the way through. We don’t always get to do that.  -  Cathy

A well for Sabin Akrofrom

Our third well this year was a partnership between Dayton United Methodist and the local Methodist church dioceses. Together we were able to provide an electrically operated well and a storage tank for the community. Both of our church planting sites this year were near to a populated area where power was available; so we took advantage with this project. Obviously the tank provides for water in times of power outages. Here is the village chief, the Superintendent Minister and the Bishop at dedication.

Notice the innovation possible this year with an electrically operated well and a tan

k!

Dedication Sunday

Our second Sunday in Ghana, we dedicated the second pavilion of the two built this trip, and commissioned the new caretaker and the newly planted church. Dean brought the message. Bibles appropriate for all ages were presented to the church, and the caretaker gets a bicycle with which to visit his congregation.

The celebration is always vibrant and joyous - fun to participate in a new churches' inaugural service. We expect great things from this church in the coming years.

Teaching the children

 Every day some of our group would spend hours with the local children, sometimes in the schools and sometimes in the village streets. Whether teaching Bible stories or coloring pictures of them, there is a big interest and attentiveness. The children of Ghana are very polite and respectful, easy to work with.

Crayons are a rarity here, so adults along with the children are excited to color. At one point, all those in the waiting area for the clinic were working away on their masterpieces!

In the last picture, our new friend Thomas from Louisiana joined in the children's work.

It's all about you Jesus

 Throughout our days and into the night, we have so many opportunities to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus Christ. People find the Lord whenever  we are bold enough to step out in faith.

Over the five days of the medical clinics, different speakers brought encouraging words in the pictures below to those waiting to be seen. Every day many received salvation or spiritual healing, along with physical healing. People will come to Jesus if we but share. People will reconnect if we but encourage.

Cathy's turn!

I hate the idea of public speaking. I have never liked it. Ever!

However, when I returned from Ghana in 2015, I felt the call to speak. I tried to deny it, but God wouldn’t let me get away with that. So I gave in and finally said yes, but what shall I speak about?

Well God had an answer for that. He very clearly told me what to speak about. I knew that topic would be perfect for an evening testimony. So I agreed and told Sue that I would speak.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening…. I’m already nervous before getting into the van to drive to the village. I plug in my headphones and begin to calm myself down and prepare for the talk. It was an hour drive and I had a playlist created to get me in the spirit. When we arrived and got out of the van, the panic set in and I could no longer pretend I was OK. I sat down and allowed my team mates to surround me with prayer while listening to my favorite song that helps me feel that God is with me. After the prayers and some deep breathing I was OK. 

As the evening progressed, I went back over my speech with a blue marker, editing here and there. Then… Joseph called on “the preacher.” So up I went. It was a hot night and as nervous as I get, I was worried about passing out. 

God provided a gentle cool breeze as I took my place. I knew He was there with me. I looked out into the crowd and took the microphone. 

The speech came naturally. All the nervousness was gone and there were no tears coming. So I stood with Isaac and gave my testimony that God had told me to talk about. I scanned the audience every once in a while, looking at all the people that were there. 

About 40 minutes later, with some closed eyes, I finally finished my testimony. I wasn’t doing it for a standing ovation, the pat on the back, or the “good job”. I was looking to do what I was told to do by God himself. 

As Isaac called the people forward, it was humbling to see that there were a lot of people who appeared to relate to my topic. The women came forward and raised their hands to accept or renew their lives for Christ. My jaw dropped at this! I mean, I’ve seen this happen over the years, but to see a response like this from a topic that I spoke about (thanks to God for telling me), is just amazing. 

When it was all said and done, I felt at east. I didn’t pass out, I didn’t stumble over my words, and I didn’t cry. I spoke to a crowd without all the nervousness that I had felt only minutes prior. 

If you take anything away from reading this, just be still and listen, then obey. He will provide you with the words that you need to speak. He will give you comfort when the time is right. 

If I was asked to do it again….. Perhaps the same topic, perhaps a new one if He laid it on me to do so. - Cathy

My opportunity to speak

 
I believe God allows things to happen in your life so He can be glorified. And then He puts this burning desire in your heart to tell anyone who will listen about His love, grace and mercy. I've never been a public speaker, but when the Lord does a miraculous thing, it's hard to keep quiet. How can I describe the feeling of seeing upturned faces and hands raised as people are being led to Christ? It was definitely worth it. - Renee

Presentation of Bibles

At the conclusion of the work in each village, we present a pulpit Bible for the new church to the caretaker, along with personal Bibles in English and in the local language for his study.  In addition, we present youth level Bibles and children's Bible stories to the church for the development of the young ones in Sunday School.  The congregation gets personal Bibles of their own also.  Here Kevin is presenting Twi Bibles so that the church can hear the Word in their own language, though the children are getting quite good with English.

Pavilion Construction

Each year we build a pavilion in each village for the newly planted church to meet under.  Over time the congregation can complete them with a floor, walls and doors, etc., forming a church building not much different than one you or I have in the United States.

In the first picture you can see the steel poles set in concrete.  We place a beam across those posts and add temporary diagonal supports.  Then in the other pictures, you see us setting our hand-made trusses with lots of help from the local villagers.  You'll see the finished structure in dedication Sunday pictures.