Most of you know I just went to Ghana. I've seen with my own eyes the need for clean water and safe food. There's a saying that you're not really "in" until you are "completely in." I am now "completely in." Now, I think I can safely say that I see with a new vision a need for clean water, safe food, good medical care, and a life free of malaria.
Will I Live? Yes! I've been diagnosed with diseases that are caused by bad water, bad food, and mosquitos that carry malaria. I have salmonella food poisoning, typhoid fever, and malaria. I've taken the necessary doses of malarone to take care of the malaria here in the hospital. I'm getting IV doses of a powerful set of antibiotics to tackle the salmonella and typhoid fever.
I've been very lucky. I took anti-malarial drugs that were 95% effective before my trip. I took anti-typhoid fever medicine in 2006 which reduced my impact from typhoid fever. Most people in Ghana don't have that luxury. I did. I live in America. I have health insurance. The impact of these diseases on me have been moderate. I thank God for blessing me with so much protection and favor. These diseases have caused me to take some much needed rest for a week or two. In a third-world country, these diseases kill many of the young children and the weak. I've received good medical care in the hospital even if they aren't familiar with third world diseases.
I care about clean water. We've distributed food to villages in Ghana. We just celebrated two medical containers of medical equipment to the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Tamale Eye Clinic. We celebrated new wells and a stronger hospital and eye clinic. In our first grant that wrapped up recently, MG 63415, we repaired or dug 60 wells and boreholes in villages will a total population of almost 78,000 people. The governor (regional minister) took time out to celebrate safe water provided by thirteen new wells. We have a big team who made all of this possible. I'm just the one who gets to see the results in remote places of the world. I also love the people of Ghana.
We are on the verge of elimination of an entire disease from Ghana called the guinea worm disease. It is a 3-foot long parasite that grows in you for an entire year without any pills to cure it. Is it enough to free the world of polio and guinea worm disease? No.
Is that enough? No. Did any of our Rotary grants focus on safe food? No. Did any of our grants try to prevent malaria? No. Is it time to celebrate the near elimination of two terrible diseases? No, the job is not done yet. (There's other Rotary grants...)
I AM COMPLETELY IN NOW. I now know the impact of these diseases from personal experience. I also learned about a flesh eating disease on my recent trip called Buruli Ulcer that exists in West Africa. I don't want to get that disease so I'm planning on helping get rid of it, too. Tuberculosis (TB) is a deadly disease in Ghana. I saw the impact of TB because a sixteen year old girl didn't have safe food and water to drink so she fell ill to a disease that will prevent her living more than a few more years.
Safe food and clean water are the key to the diseases that I have and that I've seen. I also want to introduce solar ovens to women in communities who need it. Can we make a difference? You bet! Do I want to help? Yes! Will we write Rotary grants that help to provide safe food and clean water in the future? Yes! Are there good charities and partners out there that make a difference right now? Yes!
Thanks for your prayers, concerns, calls, cards, and emails. I'm honored to have such special friends and family! I hope to escape from the hospital with permission on Friday. I feel like I've been given the gift of a new chance to make a difference.
Walter Hughes
Pastor, New Hope United Methodist Church
Rotary Club of Rocky Mount, VA USA
Would you like to help? Here's a few ways:
Friends of Barnabas Foundation is a special non-profit that is making a huge difference in the health of men, women, and children in Honduras in Central America. Teams of doctors and nurses travel each month from the USA to Honduras to perform surgeries, conduct eye clinics, deworming clinics, and general health clinics to an underserved population in the mountainous villages.
Friends of Barnabas Foundation is led by a retired pastor and dedicated Rotarian, Linwood Cook. He is doing the impossible right now with a small amount of money. They want to do more heart surgeries, cleft lip, and cleft pallet surgeries. Linwood's cell phone is 434-927-5253. Please consider his effort worthy of consideration. The web site is www.fobf.org. Linwood's mission work and organization encouraged me to work in Ghana. I'd like to return the favor.
Help us with funding with next clean water grant or medical grant.
Help Stop Hunger Now and help come up with safe food programs for Ghana. Their web site is: http://www.stophungernow.org/.
Nothing But Nets is a very effective organization to distribute malaria resistant netting to areas where the danger of malaria is real. Their web site is: www.nothingbutnets.net. Rotary and the Methodist Church already partners with these organizations.
Another inspiring person is Jim Niquette. His is the Director of the Carter Center for Ghana. He is a personal friend and an inspiration to me. He has done a lot of great work with www.cartercenter.org . I've seen their work personally and can vouch that every dollar is spent as efficiently as possible. Jim also has his personal NGO/non-profit to provide clean water. Email Jim Niquette at JNiquette@aol.com. He'll tell you how you can help. His low overhead and high impact is the envy of most non-profits. I will be honored to work with the Carter Center for many years to come as well.
There's other partners like Living Water who deserve mention. Did I mention www.rotary.org to learn more about the Rotary Foundation's plan to raise more money to fight polio?
I'm getting on board to say we need to do more. And yes, I will be around to see it happen!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
God's Purpose in Our Lives
There are times in our lives that God’s touch will be overpowering. I never thought people would be inspired by what I do. I was just trying to find out what God expected from me. In the process, I found God. I found that I had a faith that I did not know existed. I found people of faith who inspired me to learn God’s word and learn how to serve with the love of Jesus Christ.
I am just a man doing the best I can. In our weakness, Jesus makes us strong. Nothing that I’ve accomplished is the result of my abilities and talents. Everything that I’ve accomplished has been through the power of the Holy Spirit working through me. I am in awe of God. God can use each and every one of us in ways that we could never imagine on our own.
I have so many problems. As my grandparents would state it, “I am a mess!” First, I’m a guy. Second, I’m a guy who talks more than he listens. I’m sure I’m not the first or I will be the last guy who needs lessons in listening. I need to listen to others. I need to listen to my wife. I need to listen to God. It is not enough to talk to God and tell him what to do. It is useful to hear God’s voice. It is useful to hear God’s call in our lives and allow God to tell us what we should do. Amazingly, God has more wisdom and knowledge and love than we do.
My second problem is I am not very brave on my own. That sounds crazy, but it’s true. I would rather spend my days watching my flowers grow and catching a striped bass. The fishing poles are leaning against a wall. My flower beds have more dandelions blooming than flowers. I would rather relax and read a good book, but God had other plans.
I was brave enough to ask God what he expected of me, but I was not brave enough for the answer. That is probably why so few of us actually ask God to use us. We don’t want to learn how he will use us. Most times God will use us out of our comfort zone. We are okay with God’s answer as long as we
I think God has a sense of humor. I am probably the most impatient person you will ever meet. I’ve prayed for patience, but God hasn’t answered that prayer. In fact, a pastor named Ibrahim in Sagadugu, Ghana told me that I had been working with the Mamprusi people long enough to have a Mamprusi name. He named me Sugrew and he prayed that one day I would grow into my name. Sugrew is translated into patience. I think Pastor Ibrihim has a sense of humor, too.
We all look for God’s purpose and plan in our lives. I was fortunate to learn what God wanted me to do. The challenge is that it took four years for God to tell me.
God sent me to Africa. There was so much that I did not understand. I met my first witch doctor on my first trip in 2003. I didn’t know that they existed. I had to open up my Bible’s concordance to learn about things that I didn’t know were real. I learned that Jesus dealt with those issues in the Gospel stories. I learned about evil in this world.
God’s plan for me is to use me in places where other people would not want to go. I have a talent to be at home where others would be uncomfortable. I love getting my hands dirty. Hard work never really bothered me. I learned to work at a young age in the heat picking bushels of corn and beans with my grandmother and cousins in southern Georgia. In Ghana, they have two seasons: 1) hot and dry; and 2) hot and wet. I never realized that working in the fields in Georgia as a teenager was preparing me for work in the fields of Ghana.
There is a real peace when the work we do and God’s plan are in alignment. That is what has happening to me. God has given me the ability to tell the story of people in need. God has given me the ability to have empathy and love for those people in need. I’m as comfortable among the people of Ghana as I am among my people here at home.
I am in awe of God. We serve a wonderful God.
I saw two schools in Accra. One of the schools was started by Frank, a driver for the Carter Center. Frank spent his salary to build a school. He told me that we can’t take our money with us when we die, but the hope of children will go on after we are in heaven. The other school teaches street children and kids who spend their day breaking rocks into gravel.
We traveled from Accra to Kumasi for the weekend. I haven’t been to Kumasi for two years. The independent church in Amanfrom is called Come Preach Christ Church. Come Preach Christ Church is the reason why I have a ministry in Ghana. I learned a lot about God and faith with that church.
From 2005 to 2007, we expanded the school from two hundred children to about four hundred children in the elementary, middle, and high schools. We built a dormitory. We built a kitchen and dining hall. We repaired the clinic. I thought that my call was just to help a school teach children in the slums to have a better future.
On this trip, I preached in Come Preach Christ Church that Sunday. The church lost its roof in a bad storm last year. I used the scripture 2 Kings 12 where the Prophet Nathan tells King David about the story of the rich man killing the poor man’s only sheep. I told this church that they had killed the poor man’s sheep. I gave them detailed information about every sheep that they had killed. It was a hard sermon to preach, but I felt that they needed to understand why their roof was off and the missionary churches in America were not coming to help them now.
I told Come Christ Church to step out their doors to serve the people of Ghana. I told them that if they served God first, then God would provide a way to repair their roof. I also told them that they needed to rededicate their lives to God. God would provide favor and a hedge of protection. People are more important than a building or a roof. I don’t know if they heard the sermon and will change course. In the past, I would’ve spent one or two weeks working just in Kumasi at the school and the church. I told them that I had work all over Ghana.
We left Kumasi on Monday morning for Sunyani. We met with the Sunyani Central Rotarians to discuss a future matching grant to dig more wells. We also talked about slavery and a disease called Buruli Ulcer. One of the Rotarians told us that he wanted to put wells where this disease is located. Buruli Ulcer is a flesh eating disease that is becoming more dangerous. At the end of the trip, we met with a ministry of health official to discuss how we could possibly help eliminate this disease. There are probably 5,000 to 6,000 in Ghana with this flesh eating disease. We will make a difference with this disease. God has provided his grace to change the lives of people in need.
I am just a man doing the best I can. In our weakness, Jesus makes us strong. Nothing that I’ve accomplished is the result of my abilities and talents. Everything that I’ve accomplished has been through the power of the Holy Spirit working through me. I am in awe of God. God can use each and every one of us in ways that we could never imagine on our own.
I have so many problems. As my grandparents would state it, “I am a mess!” First, I’m a guy. Second, I’m a guy who talks more than he listens. I’m sure I’m not the first or I will be the last guy who needs lessons in listening. I need to listen to others. I need to listen to my wife. I need to listen to God. It is not enough to talk to God and tell him what to do. It is useful to hear God’s voice. It is useful to hear God’s call in our lives and allow God to tell us what we should do. Amazingly, God has more wisdom and knowledge and love than we do.
My second problem is I am not very brave on my own. That sounds crazy, but it’s true. I would rather spend my days watching my flowers grow and catching a striped bass. The fishing poles are leaning against a wall. My flower beds have more dandelions blooming than flowers. I would rather relax and read a good book, but God had other plans.
I was brave enough to ask God what he expected of me, but I was not brave enough for the answer. That is probably why so few of us actually ask God to use us. We don’t want to learn how he will use us. Most times God will use us out of our comfort zone. We are okay with God’s answer as long as we
I think God has a sense of humor. I am probably the most impatient person you will ever meet. I’ve prayed for patience, but God hasn’t answered that prayer. In fact, a pastor named Ibrahim in Sagadugu, Ghana told me that I had been working with the Mamprusi people long enough to have a Mamprusi name. He named me Sugrew and he prayed that one day I would grow into my name. Sugrew is translated into patience. I think Pastor Ibrihim has a sense of humor, too.
We all look for God’s purpose and plan in our lives. I was fortunate to learn what God wanted me to do. The challenge is that it took four years for God to tell me.
God sent me to Africa. There was so much that I did not understand. I met my first witch doctor on my first trip in 2003. I didn’t know that they existed. I had to open up my Bible’s concordance to learn about things that I didn’t know were real. I learned that Jesus dealt with those issues in the Gospel stories. I learned about evil in this world.
God’s plan for me is to use me in places where other people would not want to go. I have a talent to be at home where others would be uncomfortable. I love getting my hands dirty. Hard work never really bothered me. I learned to work at a young age in the heat picking bushels of corn and beans with my grandmother and cousins in southern Georgia. In Ghana, they have two seasons: 1) hot and dry; and 2) hot and wet. I never realized that working in the fields in Georgia as a teenager was preparing me for work in the fields of Ghana.
There is a real peace when the work we do and God’s plan are in alignment. That is what has happening to me. God has given me the ability to tell the story of people in need. God has given me the ability to have empathy and love for those people in need. I’m as comfortable among the people of Ghana as I am among my people here at home.
I am in awe of God. We serve a wonderful God.
I saw two schools in Accra. One of the schools was started by Frank, a driver for the Carter Center. Frank spent his salary to build a school. He told me that we can’t take our money with us when we die, but the hope of children will go on after we are in heaven. The other school teaches street children and kids who spend their day breaking rocks into gravel.
We traveled from Accra to Kumasi for the weekend. I haven’t been to Kumasi for two years. The independent church in Amanfrom is called Come Preach Christ Church. Come Preach Christ Church is the reason why I have a ministry in Ghana. I learned a lot about God and faith with that church.
From 2005 to 2007, we expanded the school from two hundred children to about four hundred children in the elementary, middle, and high schools. We built a dormitory. We built a kitchen and dining hall. We repaired the clinic. I thought that my call was just to help a school teach children in the slums to have a better future.
On this trip, I preached in Come Preach Christ Church that Sunday. The church lost its roof in a bad storm last year. I used the scripture 2 Kings 12 where the Prophet Nathan tells King David about the story of the rich man killing the poor man’s only sheep. I told this church that they had killed the poor man’s sheep. I gave them detailed information about every sheep that they had killed. It was a hard sermon to preach, but I felt that they needed to understand why their roof was off and the missionary churches in America were not coming to help them now.
I told Come Christ Church to step out their doors to serve the people of Ghana. I told them that if they served God first, then God would provide a way to repair their roof. I also told them that they needed to rededicate their lives to God. God would provide favor and a hedge of protection. People are more important than a building or a roof. I don’t know if they heard the sermon and will change course. In the past, I would’ve spent one or two weeks working just in Kumasi at the school and the church. I told them that I had work all over Ghana.
We left Kumasi on Monday morning for Sunyani. We met with the Sunyani Central Rotarians to discuss a future matching grant to dig more wells. We also talked about slavery and a disease called Buruli Ulcer. One of the Rotarians told us that he wanted to put wells where this disease is located. Buruli Ulcer is a flesh eating disease that is becoming more dangerous. At the end of the trip, we met with a ministry of health official to discuss how we could possibly help eliminate this disease. There are probably 5,000 to 6,000 in Ghana with this flesh eating disease. We will make a difference with this disease. God has provided his grace to change the lives of people in need.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Returning from Ghana for Easter
I am thankful that God delivered me back to New Hope UMC after my last mission trip to Ghana. It is with joy that we serve a risen Lord and Savior on this Easter morning. I saw God work in so many wonderful ways on this trip to Ghana. I was able to preach in five cities in Ghana: Kumasi, Sagadugu, Bugiya, Bolgatanga, Zokko-Goo. We held a three night crusade where over sixty people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Jesus Christ is alive. Why do we look for him in the grave? Why do we think that he is dead? Why do we think that we are not important enough for Jesus Christ to care about us? I am here to tell you that Jesus was persecuted, suffered, died on the cross, and rose on the third day for each of us. He cares about US! God gave us the greatest gift of all. We are here today to celebrate that gift.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (NIV). The scripture from 1 Corinthians 15 has significant meaning to us. The fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is also a promise that we will also have a resurrected body. The apple must die before the apple seed can be planted and grow again. Our old selves must die to live in Christ.
Paul was concerned about those who would not believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He listed the people who save the resurrected Jesus Christ to help those with doubts in this world. The Bible says “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” Doubt is a lie planted by Satan to make us doubt that Jesus died and rose from the dead. We must replace our doubt with faith and accept the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
Acts 10:34-43
God does not show favoritism. He gave his son for the whole world. “God anointed Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the Devil, because God was with him.” I am a witness that we can receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit to go around doing good and serving God in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is alive. We can serve with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:42 says “God commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Jesus forgave us and showed us compassion on the cross. We don’t deserve God’s grace. We just have to believe that Jesus Christ is our God and confess it with out tongue.
Last year, I was taken to a man with a snake bite last year in Nabari. I was told he couldn’t walk. I prayed for the Muslim man in his home. I told him to pick up his mat and walk in the name of Jesus Christ. He stood up. We cleaned up his leg where the skin had been eaten away by the poison. I gave him my bed sheets to use as bandages. I was concerned about his health. Last week, we returned to Nabari. We visited him again in his home. The leg was healed. He lost some muscle in his leg, but the skin has grown back. I prayed again in the name of Jesus Christ and asked him how he was doing. We were leaving when one of the men of the family came running up to us with a dozen eggs to say thanks that we showed the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
The love of Jesus Christ paid the price for our salvation. The love of Jesus Christ is the hope and salvation of our lives. We can live in peace if we care enough to shout from the mountain tops that we serve a RISEN LORD who will transform our old selves into a new creation.
It says in 1 John 1:5 “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
Jesus Christ is the light of this world. We have a choice to make today. Are we going to live our lives in the light of Jesus Christ? The blood of Jesus Christ protects us now and gives us eternal life. 1 John 2:8 says “The darkness of this world is passing away and the true light is already shining. The truth is shining in Jesus Christ and you! Whoever loves his brother lives in the light! Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Jesus gave everything he had for us so we could have eternal life. It is out of gratitude and thanksgiving that I go out into this world. We saw a lot of goats and sheep on this trip to Ghana. It really is hard to easily separate the sheep from the goats. That fact makes Matthew 25:31-40 more meaningful.
“Let’s go out our doors to proclaim the gospel of good news. It is such a wonderful message for all of mankind. Let us give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, invite in the stranger, and care for the sick and those in prison.
Jesus Christ is alive in our lives TODAY. Jesus Christ wants us to have a relationship with God like Jesus had with his father. Jesus made it possible so many years ago to be in relationship with God. Let us believe and share the good news that Jesus Christ rose on the third day from the grave. He is alive. Amen!
SUNRISE SERVICE
We are here this morning to celebrate a new day where Jesus Christ arose on the third day. He suffered and died on the cross so that we could live life here on Earth and have eternal life. It is by God’s grace that we are saved. It is by God’s grace that God gave us the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. Jesus conquered death in a resurrected body on that Easter morning over 2,000 years ago.
We serve a risen Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ is alive. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We should not travel to the grave to look for Jesus Christ because he is not there. That is what the two angels said to the women at the grace. The angels asked the women “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen!” The angels also asked them don’t you remember what Jesus Christ told you while he was still with you. Jesus said “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised up from the dead.”
The angels are asking us to remember what happened on the cross so very long ago. Jesus was willing to die for us and cleanse us of our sins. Our lives are transformed by that act of love and grace on the cross. Why don’t we remember the words that Jesus told us? Why do we live without the gift of grace in our lives? Salvation is a free gift. It was freely given by Jesus Christ. We cannot buy it. We cannot earn it. We must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and believe with all of our heart that Jesus is our God and we are His people.
We must say “Yes, Jesus! I want a new life today because you gave me the greatest gift of all – the gift of God’s grace.” I am thankful for those who saw the empty grace and gave their testimony. We must believe that Jesus conquered the grace without seeing the empty tomb for ourselves. We must believe in faith that God so loved the world that He gave his only son so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
As soon as we believe and accept the gift given freely by the Son of God for our eternal life, we will be a new creation. Our old selves are gone and a new life will start. Let us rejoice that Jesus conquered death on the cross and was willing to die so that we could live life full of love, faith, and hope. Let us rejoice that the first day of the rest of our eternal lives starts today! Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of this world. He created world by speaking the word. He saved us by giving his life on the cross so that we could have a future filled with a relationship with God. Let us go out today renewed that the gift of God’s grace is for each of us. Let us go out today and share the Love of Jesus Christ with everyone that we meet. Jesus Christ is alive! We serve a risen Lord and we are His people. Amen.
Jesus Christ is alive. Why do we look for him in the grave? Why do we think that he is dead? Why do we think that we are not important enough for Jesus Christ to care about us? I am here to tell you that Jesus was persecuted, suffered, died on the cross, and rose on the third day for each of us. He cares about US! God gave us the greatest gift of all. We are here today to celebrate that gift.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (NIV). The scripture from 1 Corinthians 15 has significant meaning to us. The fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is also a promise that we will also have a resurrected body. The apple must die before the apple seed can be planted and grow again. Our old selves must die to live in Christ.
Paul was concerned about those who would not believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He listed the people who save the resurrected Jesus Christ to help those with doubts in this world. The Bible says “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” Doubt is a lie planted by Satan to make us doubt that Jesus died and rose from the dead. We must replace our doubt with faith and accept the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
Acts 10:34-43
God does not show favoritism. He gave his son for the whole world. “God anointed Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the Devil, because God was with him.” I am a witness that we can receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit to go around doing good and serving God in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is alive. We can serve with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:42 says “God commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Jesus forgave us and showed us compassion on the cross. We don’t deserve God’s grace. We just have to believe that Jesus Christ is our God and confess it with out tongue.
Last year, I was taken to a man with a snake bite last year in Nabari. I was told he couldn’t walk. I prayed for the Muslim man in his home. I told him to pick up his mat and walk in the name of Jesus Christ. He stood up. We cleaned up his leg where the skin had been eaten away by the poison. I gave him my bed sheets to use as bandages. I was concerned about his health. Last week, we returned to Nabari. We visited him again in his home. The leg was healed. He lost some muscle in his leg, but the skin has grown back. I prayed again in the name of Jesus Christ and asked him how he was doing. We were leaving when one of the men of the family came running up to us with a dozen eggs to say thanks that we showed the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
The love of Jesus Christ paid the price for our salvation. The love of Jesus Christ is the hope and salvation of our lives. We can live in peace if we care enough to shout from the mountain tops that we serve a RISEN LORD who will transform our old selves into a new creation.
It says in 1 John 1:5 “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
Jesus Christ is the light of this world. We have a choice to make today. Are we going to live our lives in the light of Jesus Christ? The blood of Jesus Christ protects us now and gives us eternal life. 1 John 2:8 says “The darkness of this world is passing away and the true light is already shining. The truth is shining in Jesus Christ and you! Whoever loves his brother lives in the light! Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Jesus gave everything he had for us so we could have eternal life. It is out of gratitude and thanksgiving that I go out into this world. We saw a lot of goats and sheep on this trip to Ghana. It really is hard to easily separate the sheep from the goats. That fact makes Matthew 25:31-40 more meaningful.
“Let’s go out our doors to proclaim the gospel of good news. It is such a wonderful message for all of mankind. Let us give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, invite in the stranger, and care for the sick and those in prison.
Jesus Christ is alive in our lives TODAY. Jesus Christ wants us to have a relationship with God like Jesus had with his father. Jesus made it possible so many years ago to be in relationship with God. Let us believe and share the good news that Jesus Christ rose on the third day from the grave. He is alive. Amen!
SUNRISE SERVICE
We are here this morning to celebrate a new day where Jesus Christ arose on the third day. He suffered and died on the cross so that we could live life here on Earth and have eternal life. It is by God’s grace that we are saved. It is by God’s grace that God gave us the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. Jesus conquered death in a resurrected body on that Easter morning over 2,000 years ago.
We serve a risen Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ is alive. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We should not travel to the grave to look for Jesus Christ because he is not there. That is what the two angels said to the women at the grace. The angels asked the women “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen!” The angels also asked them don’t you remember what Jesus Christ told you while he was still with you. Jesus said “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised up from the dead.”
The angels are asking us to remember what happened on the cross so very long ago. Jesus was willing to die for us and cleanse us of our sins. Our lives are transformed by that act of love and grace on the cross. Why don’t we remember the words that Jesus told us? Why do we live without the gift of grace in our lives? Salvation is a free gift. It was freely given by Jesus Christ. We cannot buy it. We cannot earn it. We must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and believe with all of our heart that Jesus is our God and we are His people.
We must say “Yes, Jesus! I want a new life today because you gave me the greatest gift of all – the gift of God’s grace.” I am thankful for those who saw the empty grace and gave their testimony. We must believe that Jesus conquered the grace without seeing the empty tomb for ourselves. We must believe in faith that God so loved the world that He gave his only son so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
As soon as we believe and accept the gift given freely by the Son of God for our eternal life, we will be a new creation. Our old selves are gone and a new life will start. Let us rejoice that Jesus conquered death on the cross and was willing to die so that we could live life full of love, faith, and hope. Let us rejoice that the first day of the rest of our eternal lives starts today! Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of this world. He created world by speaking the word. He saved us by giving his life on the cross so that we could have a future filled with a relationship with God. Let us go out today renewed that the gift of God’s grace is for each of us. Let us go out today and share the Love of Jesus Christ with everyone that we meet. Jesus Christ is alive! We serve a risen Lord and we are His people. Amen.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
How Hot is it? We've got more wells...
I don’t think I’ve been this hot in my life. It is easy to understand why people need water on a HOT DAY like today. It is so hot that my feet want air conditioned shoes. It is so hot today that you can cook an egg in the shade on the rocks. Imagine your brain is that egg. That is how hot it is today.
Rotary Matching Grant 65414 is digging wells all over the Upper East Region. I can testify to that as well. Three cities are getting two or three wells, but the rest are spread out in different counties (districts) in the Upper East Region. (We also have wells and boreholes going into the Brong Ahafo two states away.) Some of the communities with new wells don’t have a road near their community. Some of the wells don’t even have a good goat trail. Some of the roads have a bolder field in the middle of the road. The road starts again after the bolder field. I can guarantee you that these communities need water. The common theme was to thank us for helping provide water, and then to quickly to plead for more wells and more water.
The partnership with Pastor Emmanuel Atia and Rotary is a good one. He is putting miles on his pickup truck to check on the wells. We’ve hit rock on a couple of wells. One well was rock from two feet to twenty-two feet. They hit a bolder which will need to be dynamited before they can dig some more. That community needs that well.
I am tired, but excited about the number of lives that will be touched with all of the partnerships within Rotary and with our strong relationships with inspiring people like Jim Niquette at the Carter Center and Pastor Atia at the Bolgatanga Assemblies of God.
We were given a dozen eggs to thank Rotary for one of the wells by a woman wearing a Rotary Polio Plus shirt. We’ve also received three baskets from the women near one of the wells at the Nyariga-Doone Mother’s Club or Women’s Center. Another woman gave me about twenty cents to say thanks.
We are three hours south of the northern border of Ghana now. I’ll share about the church construction on our next email. We are flying Antrak Airlines on Thursday to return to the capital city of Accra. We will fly early on Friday on Delta to New York City, but I probably won’t get home until close to midnight. So, it will take three days of traveling to make it home for Easter.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Riding in the Governor's Motorcade to New Rotary Hand Dug Wells
We are in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The capital is Bolgatanga. We met the governor on Monday. In fact, he was going out to Nyariga to dedicate and celebrate the thirteen Rotary wells. Nyariga is a village with three of the new wells. We went to his office to wait for all of the TV, radio, and newspaper reporters to arrive. We also had to wait for a little longer since we are in Africa.
All of a sudden there was a rush of movement toward the cars. The governor of the Upper East Region (Regional Minister) jumped into one of the Land Cruisers. The first in the procession was a police motorcycle. The second in line was a police car with their sirens blasting and lights flashing. Two vehicles for the governor were next in line. Our car was at the back of the line. I’ve never been in a governor’s motorcade before. I never imagined that I would experience it in Africa. What a trip!
The school children ran out of their school to watch the excitement. The people carrying loads on the side of the road stopped to look. Women fetching water were straining to see who was so important. All eyes finally came to our car. We had fun waving like we were somebody.
The ceremony was wonderful. There’s a woman’s center within easy walking distance of the well where the women make baskets to help pay for food and education for their sons AND the daughters. The all-girls school is one of the first in the Upper East Region. We were welcomed. The governor spoke. The women’s center director spoke. Pastor Emmanuel Atia spoke. We commissioned the well. The governor actually pumped the water pump handle about five times before he said that it was hard work.
These wells are due to the insistence of Watertown Rotary and Watertown Sunrise Rotary. These wells are paid for in Rotary matching grant 65414. This grant is also the West Virginia “water jug” project where every Rotary club in District 7550 contributed toward new wells. There are many Rotary Clubs and Districts involved in these wells.
A Rotarian who I never met came to the Bolgatanga area many years ago to install a drip irrigation system as part of a matching grant. He built a relationship with this area that the Watertown, NY Rotarians wanted to honor with matching grant 65414. That Rotarian died a few years ago, but communities have new wells because he cared enough to come and go home to tell his home club that there were people in need.
We are in the dry season in the far north eastern corner of Ghana. We have a well about one mile from Burkina Faso. That is the country that borders Ghana to the north. The heat is very oppressive in this area. It is easy to understand why water is so important. The Saharan Desert is just to the north of Ghana. The desert is moving south due to the relentless demand for firewood to make charcoal to sell and use for cooking fires.
I have seen about six or seven of the thirteen wells in this area. Some of the roads end in bolder fields which you have to drive through before the road continues. I don’t know what you do if you guess wrong where the road will start again. We have wells down that road. The communities are very thankful. Their common request is to ask for more wells for other parts of their communities.
I’ve worked Rotary during the day and preached at night. The evening services are from 8 PM to 10 PM. Pastor Atia has lights and loudspeakers mounted to metal poles. He has a sound system and microphones. He has a new generator that powers the lights and the sound system. He also has two wonderful young men who know how to set it all up in the dark. We sing and dance until it is time to preach.
My crusade message usually includes John 1, John 3, God’s grace, and the love of Jesus Christ. I also talk that we are worthy of God’s love. We’ve had about twenty-five adults accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. The first night, six accepted the alter call. The next morning sixteen came forward to say that God moved their hearts after the service ended.
After the service ends, it takes us about an hour to tear down the lights and sound system. The benches and desks are carried back into the local school. It takes about forty-five minutes to travel back to the hotel. We around 11:45 PM. I’m usually asleep the last ½ hour of the drive back to the hotel. I’m not sure why I’m so tired. The heat takes a toll on Stephen. He headed for our air conditioned hotel room in the early afternoon before he completely melted.
I woke up this morning at 6 AM ready to start the day again.
My mind is thinking of home. I’m beginning to plan the Boy Scout camping trip in my head. I’m wondering about my kids when I look out at the children who also came forward to accept Jesus Christ into their lives (there were about 30 kids.) I’m thinking about Easter sunrise service and being back in the pulpit at New Hope UMC in Callaway, Virginia. Right at that moment, I realize that there are more wells to visit and that we’ve got two churches being built – one is in Sagadugu and the other is an activity hall in Callaway, Virginia at New Hope UMC.
I appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and notes. I promise to catch up with your questions and comments soon.
I have new pictures of us with crocodiles, new wells, and other fun pictures. Let me know if you think the crocodile, Steve, or I look the best. Getting a picture with a crocodile is definitely a first for me in Ghana. I lived to write this report!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020389&id=1433252039&l=d572b7332f Week two of the trip to Ghana
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019977&id=1433252039&l=ce1820b75b Week one of trip
http://walter-mission.blogspot.com/ This has all of my mission and Rotary reports for this trip.
All of a sudden there was a rush of movement toward the cars. The governor of the Upper East Region (Regional Minister) jumped into one of the Land Cruisers. The first in the procession was a police motorcycle. The second in line was a police car with their sirens blasting and lights flashing. Two vehicles for the governor were next in line. Our car was at the back of the line. I’ve never been in a governor’s motorcade before. I never imagined that I would experience it in Africa. What a trip!
The school children ran out of their school to watch the excitement. The people carrying loads on the side of the road stopped to look. Women fetching water were straining to see who was so important. All eyes finally came to our car. We had fun waving like we were somebody.
The ceremony was wonderful. There’s a woman’s center within easy walking distance of the well where the women make baskets to help pay for food and education for their sons AND the daughters. The all-girls school is one of the first in the Upper East Region. We were welcomed. The governor spoke. The women’s center director spoke. Pastor Emmanuel Atia spoke. We commissioned the well. The governor actually pumped the water pump handle about five times before he said that it was hard work.
These wells are due to the insistence of Watertown Rotary and Watertown Sunrise Rotary. These wells are paid for in Rotary matching grant 65414. This grant is also the West Virginia “water jug” project where every Rotary club in District 7550 contributed toward new wells. There are many Rotary Clubs and Districts involved in these wells.
A Rotarian who I never met came to the Bolgatanga area many years ago to install a drip irrigation system as part of a matching grant. He built a relationship with this area that the Watertown, NY Rotarians wanted to honor with matching grant 65414. That Rotarian died a few years ago, but communities have new wells because he cared enough to come and go home to tell his home club that there were people in need.
We are in the dry season in the far north eastern corner of Ghana. We have a well about one mile from Burkina Faso. That is the country that borders Ghana to the north. The heat is very oppressive in this area. It is easy to understand why water is so important. The Saharan Desert is just to the north of Ghana. The desert is moving south due to the relentless demand for firewood to make charcoal to sell and use for cooking fires.
I have seen about six or seven of the thirteen wells in this area. Some of the roads end in bolder fields which you have to drive through before the road continues. I don’t know what you do if you guess wrong where the road will start again. We have wells down that road. The communities are very thankful. Their common request is to ask for more wells for other parts of their communities.
I’ve worked Rotary during the day and preached at night. The evening services are from 8 PM to 10 PM. Pastor Atia has lights and loudspeakers mounted to metal poles. He has a sound system and microphones. He has a new generator that powers the lights and the sound system. He also has two wonderful young men who know how to set it all up in the dark. We sing and dance until it is time to preach.
My crusade message usually includes John 1, John 3, God’s grace, and the love of Jesus Christ. I also talk that we are worthy of God’s love. We’ve had about twenty-five adults accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. The first night, six accepted the alter call. The next morning sixteen came forward to say that God moved their hearts after the service ended.
After the service ends, it takes us about an hour to tear down the lights and sound system. The benches and desks are carried back into the local school. It takes about forty-five minutes to travel back to the hotel. We around 11:45 PM. I’m usually asleep the last ½ hour of the drive back to the hotel. I’m not sure why I’m so tired. The heat takes a toll on Stephen. He headed for our air conditioned hotel room in the early afternoon before he completely melted.
I woke up this morning at 6 AM ready to start the day again.
My mind is thinking of home. I’m beginning to plan the Boy Scout camping trip in my head. I’m wondering about my kids when I look out at the children who also came forward to accept Jesus Christ into their lives (there were about 30 kids.) I’m thinking about Easter sunrise service and being back in the pulpit at New Hope UMC in Callaway, Virginia. Right at that moment, I realize that there are more wells to visit and that we’ve got two churches being built – one is in Sagadugu and the other is an activity hall in Callaway, Virginia at New Hope UMC.
I appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and notes. I promise to catch up with your questions and comments soon.
I have new pictures of us with crocodiles, new wells, and other fun pictures. Let me know if you think the crocodile, Steve, or I look the best. Getting a picture with a crocodile is definitely a first for me in Ghana. I lived to write this report!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020389&id=1433252039&l=d572b7332f Week two of the trip to Ghana
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019977&id=1433252039&l=ce1820b75b Week one of trip
http://walter-mission.blogspot.com/ This has all of my mission and Rotary reports for this trip.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Going to the ends of the Earth for Clean Water
I had so much fun going to the overseas region of Ghana. It was an experience like no other. This could have been one of those corporate team building exercises except the experience was real. I was supposed to go to the overseas region on my first trip to Ghana in 2003, but the river was at flood stage and it was impossible to cross. This time, we made it.
The Tamale Rotary Club, Stephen Shipes, and I made the trip from Tamale. We traveled through the Tolon District to the White Volta River. Nawuni is the river village on the southern side of the White Volta River where we had to walk to the riverside. We caught a dugout canoe from one side of the river to the other. The canoe was large enough to carry thirteen of us and two motorcycles. We topped it off with two Rotary signs that were placed in the middle of the canoe. There was one guy in the back paddling the canoe. There was one guy in the front who didn’t paddle, but looked like he was thinking about it. The passengers were left to bail, think about drowning, or enjoy the view. The canoe ride was a blast. I would have loved to hear the “Tarzan movie” music while we were crossing the river in the canoe. It would have made the moment just right.
We walked up the riverbank to the waiting tractor and wagon. The wagon was full of sand. We placed two coolers and the Rotary signs into the wagon. The Rotarians sat on the signs and the coolers. President Joe Mumuni sat on the side of the tractor on the wheel well. He had great smile on his face most of the way except when a tree would try to knock him off. The wagon wheel did not have any ball bearings. It sounded terrible. We asked the farmer about his wagon wheel. He checked it out and told us that his wheel was working perfectly. We just prayed that it would fall off after we got off of the wagon. It took almost 1.5 hours on the wagon to arrive at our destination.
The Singa mechanized water system pumps water throughout a city of about 2,500 people using solar power. A borehole is the source of the water. The water is pumped to a 10,000 liter water tank at the highest point in the city. The water takes about three hours after sunup to fill the water tank. The water is then released to four fetch points with two faucets each.
Frank Kumah is the engineer who designed and implemented the small town mechanized water system. His design document is almost as impressive as the engineering marvel in the middle of the African Bush in the overseas region of Ghana. I can’t imagine the hardships and challenges that he had to overcome to implement a water system in the most remote area I’ve ever seen in Ghana. This water system definitely could be used to promote the slogan that “Rotary goes to the ends of the earth to provide clean water!”
We celebrated Singa’s mechanized water system with their leaders, elders and children. This project was paid for with Rotary 3-H Matching Grant #57557. The leading Rotary clubs are Sherbrooke, Canada and Lebanon, New Hampshire. We’ve built a strong relationship those Rotary clubs and districts. I wish you were here to see what can be done when people care.
I preached twice in the West Mamprusi District near Walewale on Sunday morning. The villages were Bugiya and Sagadugu. We gave out food in Bugiya after the service. The chief in Bugiya asked me to pay my respects to him. He asked for prayers for himself and his village. He also gave me four doves. This represents extreme friendship. I was told that it is easy to catch a cow and give it as a gift, but it is very difficult to catch live doves to offer as a gift. This is the highest honor that can be given by the chief for my many years of coming to his village. The gift of four peace doves reminded me of a book called “Three Cups of Tea.” Perhaps I have a title for my future book now.
We also went to Nabari where the Rotary wells were dug. I met with three members of the WATSAN (Water & Sanitation Committee). I asked them to lock the concrete lid cover so that women cannot fetch water without using the pump. They told me they need more wells to provide water. We dug three wells in Nabari.
I also visited a man from Nabari who had a snake bite in August 2008. I was taken to the man in October while I was in Nabari. The man and his family were Muslims, but they asked for prayers. I prayed. We gave him our first aid kit and my bed sheets were used for bandages back in October. On Sunday, the man’s leg is healing. The family came out with a dozen eggs to thank us for showing compassion and love in October to the man. I thought that the bed sheets, a small first aid kit, a prayer, and a dozen eggs did a lot to strengthen the relationship between Christians and Muslims.
We are in Bolgatanga now. There are more wells to dedicate and work to do up in the Upper East Region. We have seven Rotary signs to install at seven of the thirteen wells. This is the fourth region or state in Ghana where we’ve done work on just this trip. We’ve changed tribes and languages just as many times. What a trip!
The Tamale Rotary Club, Stephen Shipes, and I made the trip from Tamale. We traveled through the Tolon District to the White Volta River. Nawuni is the river village on the southern side of the White Volta River where we had to walk to the riverside. We caught a dugout canoe from one side of the river to the other. The canoe was large enough to carry thirteen of us and two motorcycles. We topped it off with two Rotary signs that were placed in the middle of the canoe. There was one guy in the back paddling the canoe. There was one guy in the front who didn’t paddle, but looked like he was thinking about it. The passengers were left to bail, think about drowning, or enjoy the view. The canoe ride was a blast. I would have loved to hear the “Tarzan movie” music while we were crossing the river in the canoe. It would have made the moment just right.
We walked up the riverbank to the waiting tractor and wagon. The wagon was full of sand. We placed two coolers and the Rotary signs into the wagon. The Rotarians sat on the signs and the coolers. President Joe Mumuni sat on the side of the tractor on the wheel well. He had great smile on his face most of the way except when a tree would try to knock him off. The wagon wheel did not have any ball bearings. It sounded terrible. We asked the farmer about his wagon wheel. He checked it out and told us that his wheel was working perfectly. We just prayed that it would fall off after we got off of the wagon. It took almost 1.5 hours on the wagon to arrive at our destination.
The Singa mechanized water system pumps water throughout a city of about 2,500 people using solar power. A borehole is the source of the water. The water is pumped to a 10,000 liter water tank at the highest point in the city. The water takes about three hours after sunup to fill the water tank. The water is then released to four fetch points with two faucets each.
Frank Kumah is the engineer who designed and implemented the small town mechanized water system. His design document is almost as impressive as the engineering marvel in the middle of the African Bush in the overseas region of Ghana. I can’t imagine the hardships and challenges that he had to overcome to implement a water system in the most remote area I’ve ever seen in Ghana. This water system definitely could be used to promote the slogan that “Rotary goes to the ends of the earth to provide clean water!”
We celebrated Singa’s mechanized water system with their leaders, elders and children. This project was paid for with Rotary 3-H Matching Grant #57557. The leading Rotary clubs are Sherbrooke, Canada and Lebanon, New Hampshire. We’ve built a strong relationship those Rotary clubs and districts. I wish you were here to see what can be done when people care.
I preached twice in the West Mamprusi District near Walewale on Sunday morning. The villages were Bugiya and Sagadugu. We gave out food in Bugiya after the service. The chief in Bugiya asked me to pay my respects to him. He asked for prayers for himself and his village. He also gave me four doves. This represents extreme friendship. I was told that it is easy to catch a cow and give it as a gift, but it is very difficult to catch live doves to offer as a gift. This is the highest honor that can be given by the chief for my many years of coming to his village. The gift of four peace doves reminded me of a book called “Three Cups of Tea.” Perhaps I have a title for my future book now.
We also went to Nabari where the Rotary wells were dug. I met with three members of the WATSAN (Water & Sanitation Committee). I asked them to lock the concrete lid cover so that women cannot fetch water without using the pump. They told me they need more wells to provide water. We dug three wells in Nabari.
I also visited a man from Nabari who had a snake bite in August 2008. I was taken to the man in October while I was in Nabari. The man and his family were Muslims, but they asked for prayers. I prayed. We gave him our first aid kit and my bed sheets were used for bandages back in October. On Sunday, the man’s leg is healing. The family came out with a dozen eggs to thank us for showing compassion and love in October to the man. I thought that the bed sheets, a small first aid kit, a prayer, and a dozen eggs did a lot to strengthen the relationship between Christians and Muslims.
We are in Bolgatanga now. There are more wells to dedicate and work to do up in the Upper East Region. We have seven Rotary signs to install at seven of the thirteen wells. This is the fourth region or state in Ghana where we’ve done work on just this trip. We’ve changed tribes and languages just as many times. What a trip!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Dedicating Medical Equipment at Tamale Teaching Hospital & Tamale Eye Clinic
One of the highlights of our trip will definitely be the dedication ceremony at the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Tamale Eye Clinic. We had both major chiefs of Tamale and a lot of the state politicians and medical directors at the ceremony.
Dr. Ken Sagoe, Tamale Teaching Hospital Administrator, said that Walter Hughes couldn’t celebrate Christmas this year when the medical equipment was stuck in customs at the port in Ghana. Christmas definitely arrived today. The department heads are starting to receive the final pieces of equipment. There are times in our lives when a present for someone else has more meaning than getting a new gadget. This year, I wanted “medical toys” for all of the dedicated doctors and nurses and patients at a hospital and eye clinic. Santa Claus lost his way a little in West Africa; he had to use two shipping containers instead of a sleigh.
I thanked all of the Rotary Clubs in the USA, Canada, and Great Britain who helped make it possible. We also had Peter DiCampo, the son of a Milford, MA Rotarian Al DiCampo at the ceremony. I also recognized Dr. Ken Tuck of the Roanoke, VA Rotary, Conrad Heede of the Grapevine, TX Rotary, and Carol MacDonald of the Kearny, NJ Rotary Clubs. I recognized Peter DiCampo as the Milford Rotary Club’s representative.
We raised around $59,000 to ship two medical containers with equipment and supplies worth between $800,000 and $1 million. The Rotary Wine Appreciation Group had a lot to do with this project! Redwood United Methodist Church paid $1,000 toward finding out what the hospital urgently needed. Project C.U.R.E. was also recognized as a key partner for collecting, refurbishing, and organizing the medical equipment and supplies.
We are busy. We drove two hours each way to check on the new church construction in Sagadugu on Thursday. The truck carrying the lumber broke down on the highway. The truck arrived on Friday with the needed lumber and roofing sheets. We bought food for four villages on Thursday. The end of the dry season is a very desperate time of the year. Children are starving because the food runs out before the dry season can end. It was hard seeing several communities where the children have been healthy in past years to see the bloated bellies and missing patches of hair this year. We drove back to Tamale this morning. We left Walewale at 6 AM to make it back for the hospital celebration.
I drank water out of the Rotary well in Nabari again. Two out of three wells were going strong at the end of the dry season. The third well needs a repair. We’ll contact the Water and Sanitation Committee to find out when they are going to make the repair to the Ghaniri pump.
It will be difficult to send out updates during the next week. We will be in “the oversees region” starting at 6 AM on Saturday. I’m looking forward to see Rotary at work in this remote area. It will be a fun, but a tiring experience. This area of Ghana needs help, but it is a “You just can’t get there from here” part of Ghana. Our days of updating the blog, sending out emails may be over until next week. We will try.
Here’s my goal for the next week: I’m preaching at least five times on Sunday. I will hold a three-day revival at night in the Bolgatanga area villages. I will be checking on wells during the day which are part of the two Watertown, NY Rotary Clubs and District 7550 projects for MG 65414 Rotary grant. There’s many clubs involved in these water grants! I hope to dedicate a church next Wednesday. It will need plastering and other work, but we’ll celebrate anyway. I look forward to having time to preach over four busy days. It has been awhile since I’ve had that opportunity over here.
I’ll check in when I can… Thanks for all of the notes and emails. I’m a little behind, but I’m trying.
Dr. Ken Sagoe, Tamale Teaching Hospital Administrator, said that Walter Hughes couldn’t celebrate Christmas this year when the medical equipment was stuck in customs at the port in Ghana. Christmas definitely arrived today. The department heads are starting to receive the final pieces of equipment. There are times in our lives when a present for someone else has more meaning than getting a new gadget. This year, I wanted “medical toys” for all of the dedicated doctors and nurses and patients at a hospital and eye clinic. Santa Claus lost his way a little in West Africa; he had to use two shipping containers instead of a sleigh.
I thanked all of the Rotary Clubs in the USA, Canada, and Great Britain who helped make it possible. We also had Peter DiCampo, the son of a Milford, MA Rotarian Al DiCampo at the ceremony. I also recognized Dr. Ken Tuck of the Roanoke, VA Rotary, Conrad Heede of the Grapevine, TX Rotary, and Carol MacDonald of the Kearny, NJ Rotary Clubs. I recognized Peter DiCampo as the Milford Rotary Club’s representative.
We raised around $59,000 to ship two medical containers with equipment and supplies worth between $800,000 and $1 million. The Rotary Wine Appreciation Group had a lot to do with this project! Redwood United Methodist Church paid $1,000 toward finding out what the hospital urgently needed. Project C.U.R.E. was also recognized as a key partner for collecting, refurbishing, and organizing the medical equipment and supplies.
We are busy. We drove two hours each way to check on the new church construction in Sagadugu on Thursday. The truck carrying the lumber broke down on the highway. The truck arrived on Friday with the needed lumber and roofing sheets. We bought food for four villages on Thursday. The end of the dry season is a very desperate time of the year. Children are starving because the food runs out before the dry season can end. It was hard seeing several communities where the children have been healthy in past years to see the bloated bellies and missing patches of hair this year. We drove back to Tamale this morning. We left Walewale at 6 AM to make it back for the hospital celebration.
I drank water out of the Rotary well in Nabari again. Two out of three wells were going strong at the end of the dry season. The third well needs a repair. We’ll contact the Water and Sanitation Committee to find out when they are going to make the repair to the Ghaniri pump.
It will be difficult to send out updates during the next week. We will be in “the oversees region” starting at 6 AM on Saturday. I’m looking forward to see Rotary at work in this remote area. It will be a fun, but a tiring experience. This area of Ghana needs help, but it is a “You just can’t get there from here” part of Ghana. Our days of updating the blog, sending out emails may be over until next week. We will try.
Here’s my goal for the next week: I’m preaching at least five times on Sunday. I will hold a three-day revival at night in the Bolgatanga area villages. I will be checking on wells during the day which are part of the two Watertown, NY Rotary Clubs and District 7550 projects for MG 65414 Rotary grant. There’s many clubs involved in these water grants! I hope to dedicate a church next Wednesday. It will need plastering and other work, but we’ll celebrate anyway. I look forward to having time to preach over four busy days. It has been awhile since I’ve had that opportunity over here.
I’ll check in when I can… Thanks for all of the notes and emails. I’m a little behind, but I’m trying.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Seeing a Brighter Future at Tamale Hospital
It has been a hard couple of days. In Africa, getting started is very difficult. My goal for this week was to get the medical container opened and the contents distributed to the appropriate medical departments. This step is the beginning of the end of a two year effort to improve the conditions at the hospital.
We finally opened the last container of medical equipment and supplies at the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Tamale Eye Clinic. I didn’t make any progress the first day toward opening the container. In fact, it didn’t look promising. Today, I insisted, begged, and pleaded that the medical equipment be unloaded.
It took about eight men to open the doors of the container. The container had a seal which had to be sawed off. The container also had two padlocks from the hospital and one other doctor. The hospital couldn’t find the key so we sawed off the first lock. The doctor supplied the second key and we could finally see the contents of the container. Volunteers at Project CURE helped to load the medical equipment and supplies. Those volunteers wrote well wishes on the first box to be unloaded from the container.
We’ve also discussed the step down transformers needed to convert 110 to 220 power. We are adding 110 power wiring in the eye clinic, lab, and the maternity ward. It takes a lot of thinking and talking before the action can happen. Today, the electricians were wiring the eye clinic. I also reviewed supplies from the first container. I went around to the various departments to see the medical equipment in action. Today, I was treated to observing part of an eye surgery performed by Dr. Seth Wanye with a brand new Scan Optics portable surgical microscope. I have a picture.
We woke up at 5 AM to leave at 6 AM to go out to Fufuiso. It is one of the last villages to have the guinea worm parasite. We saw four children with the disease. I gave a girl a bracelet made by the children of New Hope United Methodist Church in Callaway, Virginia. It helped a little to ease the terrible pain caused by the parasite. The soka pumps are being used which we bought in 2007 for the worst city that year.
We are planning to go to the “Oversees Region” of Ghana on Saturday. We talked about taking the new bridge at Kpasinkpe (pause in pay), but the new bridge has a very bad “old road.” It is faster to go by canoe across the White Volta River. It will only take fourteen hours to get to this village and back to town. We will celebrate the mechanized water system in Singa on Saturday. It is one of the first water systems in this very remote region. This area feels like you have traveled hundreds of years back in time. Water is a severe problem in this area.
On Thursday, we are going to the new church construction at Sagadugu. My pastor’s hat will be on and my Rotary hat will be off. We are trying to get ready for the roof. I hope to see the roof on by next week. I thank God for Kofi Boakye who is overseeing the church construction. We will drive the two hours back on Friday morning to attend and speak at the Rotary Celebration at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
It is a real pleasure to have Stephen Shipes on this trip. He is experiencing a lot of wonderful things for the first time. One of his conclusions is that it can be very difficult just to help people. One day, I hope to find an easier way to make a difference in Africa! I have respect for the people like President Joe Mumuni of the Tamale Rotary Club who tries to make a difference here every day of the year. I also met a lot of dedicated doctors at the hospital today.
I was thankful to see the eye surgeries being performed on the new portable surgical microscope. I also enjoyed talking to the maternity ward. They are looking forward to a lot of new medical equipment. It is hard to help people in Africa. Is it worth it? You bet. Thanks to all of you at home who are making a difference.
We finally opened the last container of medical equipment and supplies at the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Tamale Eye Clinic. I didn’t make any progress the first day toward opening the container. In fact, it didn’t look promising. Today, I insisted, begged, and pleaded that the medical equipment be unloaded.
It took about eight men to open the doors of the container. The container had a seal which had to be sawed off. The container also had two padlocks from the hospital and one other doctor. The hospital couldn’t find the key so we sawed off the first lock. The doctor supplied the second key and we could finally see the contents of the container. Volunteers at Project CURE helped to load the medical equipment and supplies. Those volunteers wrote well wishes on the first box to be unloaded from the container.
We’ve also discussed the step down transformers needed to convert 110 to 220 power. We are adding 110 power wiring in the eye clinic, lab, and the maternity ward. It takes a lot of thinking and talking before the action can happen. Today, the electricians were wiring the eye clinic. I also reviewed supplies from the first container. I went around to the various departments to see the medical equipment in action. Today, I was treated to observing part of an eye surgery performed by Dr. Seth Wanye with a brand new Scan Optics portable surgical microscope. I have a picture.
We woke up at 5 AM to leave at 6 AM to go out to Fufuiso. It is one of the last villages to have the guinea worm parasite. We saw four children with the disease. I gave a girl a bracelet made by the children of New Hope United Methodist Church in Callaway, Virginia. It helped a little to ease the terrible pain caused by the parasite. The soka pumps are being used which we bought in 2007 for the worst city that year.
We are planning to go to the “Oversees Region” of Ghana on Saturday. We talked about taking the new bridge at Kpasinkpe (pause in pay), but the new bridge has a very bad “old road.” It is faster to go by canoe across the White Volta River. It will only take fourteen hours to get to this village and back to town. We will celebrate the mechanized water system in Singa on Saturday. It is one of the first water systems in this very remote region. This area feels like you have traveled hundreds of years back in time. Water is a severe problem in this area.
On Thursday, we are going to the new church construction at Sagadugu. My pastor’s hat will be on and my Rotary hat will be off. We are trying to get ready for the roof. I hope to see the roof on by next week. I thank God for Kofi Boakye who is overseeing the church construction. We will drive the two hours back on Friday morning to attend and speak at the Rotary Celebration at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
It is a real pleasure to have Stephen Shipes on this trip. He is experiencing a lot of wonderful things for the first time. One of his conclusions is that it can be very difficult just to help people. One day, I hope to find an easier way to make a difference in Africa! I have respect for the people like President Joe Mumuni of the Tamale Rotary Club who tries to make a difference here every day of the year. I also met a lot of dedicated doctors at the hospital today.
I was thankful to see the eye surgeries being performed on the new portable surgical microscope. I also enjoyed talking to the maternity ward. They are looking forward to a lot of new medical equipment. It is hard to help people in Africa. Is it worth it? You bet. Thanks to all of you at home who are making a difference.
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