You Make All Things Work Together for My Good

It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I actually believed that God does actually work all things together for my good. I must admit this year has been a whirl wind of emotions and ups and downs. You know I wouldn't have changed any of it. I have learned so much this past school year and I look back at 2012 and I can honestly say I am glad its over but still wouldn't change a thing.  Life is hard but I was never promised a life that was going to be easy. This year I have really come to known what it means to take up your cross daily. This last year I have known lost but I have also known gain. I lost some friends but God has brought others into my life that have helped me during certain times and then took them and brought old friends back. I lost my sense of security but I gain a sense of God's protection. I lost trust in people but gained a new reliance on God. I was determined to make 2013 year that is focused on Joy. Having the renewed confidence in who i am in Christ.

My verse for this year Deuteronomy 30:20a. That thou mayest LOVE the LORD thy GOD and that thou mayest OBEY his VOICE and that thou mayest CLEAVE unto him for HE IS LIFE .

On Fridays we have worship at school for our staff meetings and there is one chorus that we sang that hit me this Friday and it really put the joy back into my life. The chorus says, " you stay the same through the ages your love never changes there may be pain in the night but JOY  comes in the morning. And when the oceans rage I don't have to be afraid because i know that you love me your love never fails."

This past week I have realized God that GOD DOES WORK TOGETHER FOR MY GOOD!  God has answered my prayers. For the past 2 years I have been praying for one of my best friends that God would work in his life. He was open and we have talked about Christ before but nothing really came of it. Well coming back to Ghana I hadn't talked to that friend in a while and He told me he had gone to church and has been sending me verses and prayers this week. I can tell there is a change in him and it has encouraged me. God brought him back into my life to show me how faithful He is.

I don't know what the future holds and I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow or the next but I am OK with that because i know God has it under control and that in the end it is going to be the best for me.

Thank you so much for all of those who support me through prayer, giving of funds, and encouragement. You will never know how thankful for all of you.

He will delight in you with gladness with his love, hew ill calm all your fears he will rejoice over you with joyful songs. Zephaniah 3:17b

Building a wall

It has been a long time since I have written and a lot has happened. All I can say is God is working in His school and He is taking it back.  I never would have imagined that I would be in the situation that I am in this year. I could say that everything that has happened i wish wouldn't have happened but while that has some truth I can honestly say that I am thankful for it. I know a lot of you as my supporters may not know what is going on but know God is working. It has taken me a long time to come to the conclusion of being thankful and not to feel like a victim. I am thankful for this whole situation because I have learned a couple of things. One the type of person I want to be and the type of person I don't want to be. The second is how faithful God is. I can honestly say God has worked on me a lot through this whole experience and that He is still working. I have a more intense relationship with my savior than I have ever had and it has been amazing. He has freed me from that feeling of being a victim. I am not a victim. Spiritual warfare is real and right now we at AIS are fighting in the battle. The awesome part is God is fighting the battle for us.

As a faculty we took a retreat this weekend. Everyone was really excited to get away and just be encouraged. Three of our leadership were taken away from the retreat. I believe that the devil was planning to get to discouraged our faculty and tear us down but God is bigger than the devil and evil plans. For me God brought many verses to mind.

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 when thou goest out to battle against thine enemies and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, BE NOT AFRAID OF THEM FOR THE LORD THY GOD IS WITH THEE which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. and it shall be when ye are come night unto the battle that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people. And shall say unto them, hear, o Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: LET NOT YOUR HEARTS FAINT, FEAR NOT, AND DO NOT TREMBLE NEITHER BE YE TERRIFIED BECAUSE OF THEM: FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS HE THAT GOETH WITH YOU TO FIGHT FOR YOU AGAINST YOUR ENEMIES TO SAVE YOU.

Deuteronomy 31:6 be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the lord thy God He it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.

At our retreat this past weekend we talked about Nehemiah and how the Israelites were rebuilding the wall . In chapter 4 as they worked side by side to rebuild the wall there was mocking and threats and talk about how bad their wall was. The Israelites didn't give up they kept working and when they were going to be attacked they continued to work. In verse 9-19  they continued to work but not only did they work they were aware and on guard. They were faithful to the work that they had even though the adversaries were coming all around them. They prayed constantly . Then verse 19 and 20 is the verse that really inspired me and just encourages me to keep going to work and teaching these kids even though people are trying to tear our ministry and school apart.  It says
" and i said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, the work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall one far from another. in what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet resort ye thither unto us OUR GOD SHALL FIGHT FOR US"

we may be separated from our administration right now at school but we still have amazing people that have stepped up and our leaders and even though we are separated upon the wall of AIS  we have an assurance because God is fighting for us,

God has been good and I can't even put into words all the Lord has done for me and taught me. I am so thankful for the parents i have that are such and encouragement, and all the friends God has brought into my life.

Keep praying for our school. Pray for strength and encouragement for the teachers. Pray about the decisions about church and pray for the leadership of my church. I have a meeting this Wednesday with one of the pastors to talk about some things. Pray for continue healing from all the hurt from past people of the school. Pray for me as I work on forgiving certain people.

I am sorry it has been a long time. I wanted to make sure my heart was in the right place before I started writing again. I didn't want to write from hate and anger. Know that I can feel all of you who have been praying for us here in Accra. God is good and He has been working. Please continue to be prayer warriors for us here.
God Bless all of you and thank you for your support and encouragement!

God's overcoming power

Wow I would never thought that the first week of school would be as difficult and draining as it was. God has been working at our school in ways that we could never have imagine especially in our staff. I thank God for a mission who will stand up for what is right and not just give into evil and who will encourage its staff to do the right thing even when there is wrong going all around.

As of last Sunday the people that I have come to know and trust in running our school betrayed me. It was such a hostile atmosphere and I never thought I would see myself in the situation i was in alongside my wonderful co workers. Taken by shock, fear, anger, and sadness I walked out of school not knowing what my future held. I had so many questions but knew that my life would change in many ways over the next couple of days. As I reflect on last week and the material that I have read in my devotions about the Lord bringing the Israelites out of Egypt it became very clear to me Sunday why he was showing me and reminding me that He was the LORD.  Throughout Sunday and Monday I clung to the fact that He is the Lord.

All i can say is I am so thankful God is in Control and He knows what He is doing. I also love that He has put people in our lives to remind us how faithful he is and people to encourage just at the right time. This week was an emotional roller coaster of laughter and joy that my students provided, to hurt and tears from what I had experienced. I have grown so much it what it means to stand up for what was right. I know many of you don't know the full extent of my situation here and all that has happened and are confused when you couldn't get to my blog but I felt like closing my blog for the time being was the best thing to keep me safe from people who would try to use prayer request and phrases for their own personal use and not as a testimony of who God is. God is working and I encourage you to pray for our school as it is working through some very serious issues. Our school has now been declared a NICS school and NICS will be running it. Our leadership that was fired by this hostile group has been reinstated and will run the school and the administration and the leadership that was a part of the hostile group has been told they may not come back to campus. Our hurdle is not over and it will be a long process but I am excited to see the miracles God does in this time.

Please pray for the people in administration at our school that were apart of planning this hostile take over because they will have a lot to answer for not only here in Ghana but also in the states and more importantly to God. As my emotions of anger towards these people has changed to sadness as i have already seen the toll it is taken and the effect it has on all the people involved including the teachers, staff, parents, and more importantly the students. Pray for us as a staff as we deal with hurt and anxiety from what we have experienced this past week.

One of my close friends who left this past year to teach at another school reminded our staff of Psalm 37 and I want to write it here as a reminder to me but also to remind you Who the Lord is.

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb. TRUST IN THE LORD, AND DO GOOD, SO SHALT THOU DWELL IN THE LAND AND VERILY THOU SHALT BE FED. DELIGHT THYSELF IN THE LORD AND HE SHALL GIVE THEE THE DESIRES OF THY HEART COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD TRUST ALSO IN HIM AND HE SHALL BRING IT TO PASS. AND HE SHALL BRING FORTH THY RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE LIGHT AND THY JUDGMENT AS THE NOONDAY. REST IN THE LORD AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM FRET NOT THYSELF BECAUSE OF HIM WHO PRPOPERETH IN HIS WAY BECAUSE OF THE MAN WHO BRINGETH WICKED DEVICES TO PASS CEASE FROM ANGER AND FORSAKE WRATH FRET NOT THYSELF IN ANY WISE TO DO EVIL for evildoers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the lord they shall inherit the earth. for yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be but the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves int he abundance of peace the wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. the lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy and to slay such as be of upright conversation. their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bows shall be broken. a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked, for the arms of the wicked shall be broken but the lord upholdeth the righteous the lord knoweth the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever they shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs they shall consume into smoke shall they consume away the wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth. for such as be blessed of him shal inherit the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. the steps of a good man are orderd by the lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the lord upholdeth him with his hand. i have been young and now am old yet have i not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.  He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed. depart from evil and do good and dwell for evermore for the lord loveth judgment and forsaketh no his saints they are preserved for ever but the see of the wicked shall be cut off. the righteous shall inherit the land and dwell their in forever the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgmetn the law of his god is in his heart none  of his steps shall slide. the wicked watcheth the righteous and seeketh to slay him the lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off , thous shalt see it i have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green bay tree yet he passed away and lo he was not yea i sought him  but he could not be found mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end o that man is peace but the transgressors shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off but the salvation of the righteous is of the lord he is their strength in the time of trouble and hte lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them form the wicked, and save them because they trust in him.

I am the Lord

Wow! I can’t believe I have been back for three weeks! It has been a good three weeks and I am encouraged to see how God is going to work this year. My days have been long and busy preparing my classroom and setting up my house.

I have loved getting my house up and running and I have put in a lot of personal touches and I am almost finished putting my house together. The only thing left I have to do is put up a couple of my paintings and get my bed frame. I will have pictures up soon so that you can see my new place. It has been very relaxing to come home to a place of my very own and really feel like I am living in Ghana and not just a visitor. So that is a huge answer to prayer that I now have all my things set up and all my stuff made it through the move. I have a new little blessing at my new house also a generator that I have used twice since I have been here. Its amazing that when "lights off" I still can do work. 

I have been learning so much the last couple weeks. I have been reading in the old testament and I was in Leviticus and I was really struggling with how it relates to me now and I prayed to just ask God to show me how this would effect me and how I can learn through what I was reading.  One phrase that continually stuck out to me was that it keep saying and reminding the Israelites that "I am the Lord".  "I am the Lord" and many times it would say who brought you out of Egypt or that sanctify you. It reminds me that I can't do anything on my own. " I am the Lord" He is the one that brought the Israelites out of Egypt they had nothing to do with it all they had to do was accept and follow. Now I didn't have to come out of Egypt but when I look at this and all he has done I realized He has brought me out of some trying times and He has brought me out of little problems and there is no way I could of done it and I had to depend on the Lord and trust in the phrase " I am the Lord".  So i encourage you as I encourage myself to trust in the one who said "I am the Lord" in every situation because He is the only one who can get us from point a to point z. 

I am so encouraged to see how God is going to work in my classroom. I have met a couple of my students and they are so much fun and I can't wait to  see the rest of them on Monday. Our class verse this year is Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord and depart from evil. I love that this verse flows into what I have been learning. This verse comes right after the verses that say Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding. in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path.  WOw and then it says "Be not wise own eyes", you can't do it, "Fear the Lord" , but not only fear Him you have to make the choice to "depart from evil." Wow, I can't wait to see how this effects my class this year.  Pray for my class as we start school on Monday!

I have really been inspired this year to share what God is doing in my life and share Christ with others. I found this song by Alicia Keys on my computer and it is called Tell You Something.  Its amazes me how many times I have not been urgent in telling people what they mean to me and more importantly about who Christ is to me. Read the Lyrics and make it an urgent point to share with someone who and what Christ has done for you! 

Get so caught up everydayTryna Keep it all togetherWhile the time just slips awaySee, I know nothing last forever
Imagine there was no tomorrowImagine that I couldn't see your faceThere'd be no limit to my sorrowSo all I can say
I wanna tell you somethingGive you somethingShow you in so many ways‘Cause it would all mean nothingIf I don't say somethingBefore it all blows away
Don't wanna wait to bring you flowersWait another hourLet alone another dayI wanna tell you somethingShow you somethingWon't wait till it’s to late
I can't waitI won't waitI don't wanna wait
I can't waitI won't waitI don't wanna wait
Just a simple conversationJust a moment is all it takesI wanna be here just to listen(I wanna be here)And I don’t wanna hesitate
Imagine there was no tomorrowImagine that I couldn’t see your faceThere'd be no limit to my sorrow‘Cause there is nothing that could fill that spaceOhh, did I put it off for to long?I didn't say all that I have to sayI wanna take the time to write the wrongBefore we get to that place
Just lean onMy shoulderIt's not over till its overDon’t worry bout itCause I'm gonnaMake sure our bond gets stronger yeahI, don’t wanna wait until the stormWhen something’s wrong and now you’re goneAnd I can't find you
Read more: ALICIA KEYS - TELL YOU SOMETHING LYRICS http://www.metrolyrics.com/tell-you-something-lyrics-alicia-keys.html#ixzz239NeOmgp
Copied from MetroLyrics.com 

The beginning of a new year

Wow I can't believe it is a new school year already. I have been back in Ghana for about a week and it has been non stop. My flight was long and spent an extra day in the states after my flight got canceled in Atlanta. Its amazing how God gives little things like a friend to travel with when you get stuck. I hate airports and the fact that I was stuck in one and had to get a hotel with the airline and figure all that out I was so glad that my principal was with me. We spent the night in Atlanta and took off the next evening arriving back in Ghana on Monday one day later than i was supposed to. I was so glad to be back. I got back and all my things were moved to my new apartment and I got to work. I now have everything set up and ready to go and I have loved living by myself and just relaxing when I get home. This first week has been super busy. I have been making airport runs to pick up the new staff and helping show them around. I have got to see my best friend Nana and my other friend Karim three times this week which is amazing. I realized how much I miss these guys. I have been working in my classroom and organizing all of the things that I have. As of right now I believe i have 24 students and I am so excited to get to know each one of them.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers these past three years. I have felt them and I hope you continue to be a part of my ministry as we partner together.

The end draws near

Wow I can't believe this year is coming to an end already. With the end of the school year comes a lot of goodbyes, packing up, and stress. This year I can honestly say I am ready for this school year to be over. This school year has been emotionally, physically, and mentally draining. This year has consisted of sicknesses, and death which has made this school year one of the roughest years. Even though its been rough I thank God for it because without all the rough things this year I wouldn't have seen how amazing my friends are and how faithful God is.  One verse that I have continuously wrote in my journal to give me strength this year is

Be strong and of good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the Lord God he it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.
Deuteronomy 31:6

I have found this year it is really difficult to get ready to leave. This year i have made amazing friends who have been a great support to me and have become like family. Leaving this year means coming back next year with friends I have spent the last three years with are somewhere else.

Please pray for me as i finish the school year up and say goodbye to some friends who won't come back to AIS next year. Pray for my stress level as I have to pack up both my classroom and my bedroom (as I might move next year)  Pray for the new staff as they come. Pray for my class for next year, it is going to be pretty big. Pray for the staff as we meet with representatives from our home office next week. Pray for AIS as we expand.  Pray also for my trip home next Friday as I will be traveling by myself back to the states.

Spring Break

Coming up to this last week I was ready to get away from the school and just everything. I needed a week of not being stressed. So I planned a nice week of sitting by the pool and a spa day with one of the other teachers. Then on Friday I got invited to go to a BBQ with a friend and his life group at church. So my friend from church knew I was going on break and told me I should get out of the city for a little bit. On Saturday after having a pretty rough morning I decided that getting out of the city would be a great idea. So I said how about on Sunday after church we could go for a couple of days. So on Sunday after church we went out to eat and then got on a tro tro and took a two and half hour drive to the Volta region. This is towards Togo. I went to a village outside of Ho. This village I went to had no running water and no electricity. However the house I went to did have running water and the electricity. This village was in a valley and it was so beautiful. It was about 10 degrees cooler than it was in the city. I got to meet some really nice people and get to just relax and eat some good ghanian food. It was so nice to just get away and just chill. On Tuesday I got back into the city and got to go out for ice cream. Then the rest of the week I got to just chill by the pool and relax. I feel refreshed and ready to finish the year strong.

Prayer request:

-Finishing the year strong

-saying goodbye to my friends here that are leaving.

- just saying goodbye for two months to the people that have become like family

- my class for next year