Things are Great!

I apologize for not keeping up with this blog - I had great intentions before I left, but it has been difficult to find the time actually do it.

The last 2 days we have been speaking to a group of a few hundred pastors at a conference.  What an incredible experience! To hear some of their stories and see what they do, it has truly challenged me.  God is truly doing something special in this country and we all feel so fortunate to be a part of it for these few days.

They have a goal of planting 10,000 new churches in a 10 year period, along with raising up 10,000 new pastors, and adding something like 2 million members.  After 4 years they are well on there way.

As a team, we're doing great - Thank you for your prayers!

Kyle

Trip approaching fast!

Well it's Wednesday afternoon and I'm scrambling to get things done!  This coming Monday I will be leaving with 9 other pastors for Tanzania, Africa.  We will be traveling around the country, speaking to pastors, and visiting a local Bible college.

Please be praying for the team as we are preparing, and that we would have a life changing experience!

thanks!

Kyle

India day 5

No pictures today because we really don't have the time, but I thought I'd write a couple quick thoughts from the day:

This morning 5 of us had the chance to spend some time at an elementary school in Calcutta - and it was something I will definitely remember.  This particular school was full of children from the "slums".  These kids have absolutely nothing - in fact most come from situations that would disgust us as Americans.  These are children that have no hope of a future w/out an education.  What was neat to see was that all of these kids were "sponsored children", which means someone who doesn't know them is paying for their education, basic nutrition, and healthcare for about $1/day.  We had the chance to interact w/ these kids, take their pictures (which they love), and even help teach them a lesson.  All 7 grades were located in the same classroom and the students would sit in their own little section w/ their class and teacher.  They were learning English and math while we were there.  I did get some fun pictures that I'll share later if I get the chance.

We also had the chance this afternoon to visit the Sisters of Charity - the place where Mother Theresa lived.  There was nothing special about the building and not that much to see, which is how I think she would want it.  I have heard the stories about this amazing women, but there was something special about being in the same building where she lived for many years.  I am challenged by the incredible compassion and love that she showed to some of the most lowly, hurting people in the world.  What a legacy she left.

Tomorrow is our last day of work at the hospital.  Please continue to pray for us, as some are dealing w/ some stomach issues and it's making is difficult for the group.

Thanks!

Kyle

India day 4

More work today - it's starting to come together and some of the projects we're doing are getting done, but unfortunately we're tired.  It's been difficult to sleep for a number of reasons.  It's warm, the beds aren't the greatest, and their is constant noise in the city.  I promise that I'm not whining, but please pray for us that we get rest!

This morning I was greatly moved.  I had the chance to go with one of the hospital pastors to each room and pray for the patients.  It's something they do every single day for ever single patient.  I got to pray with all sorts of people but I left reflecting on my own life.  It is so hard to see children suffer.  One of the services that this hospital provides for the poor is cleft palate surgery.  I really didn't know anything about this until today.  The hospital does 9 of these surgeries per day for free.  Here's a picture I took this morning:

Fortunately for these children the surgery can completely take care of this problem - so even though it may be tough to see, it's not the end of the world.

But others are so fortunate.  Through an interpreter I spoke to a family that I will never forget.  I literally fought back tears as they explained that 2 of their children had leukemia.  You heard me right - 2.  We did the only thing we knew how to do in that moment, we prayed.  Later, the pastor who accompanied me explained not only will they lose both their children (except for a miracle) but more than likely this would ruin them financially for the rest of their lives.  Even with free blood transfusions from the hospital, transportation was a horrible problem for them.  Enough to cripple their family completely.

This brought 2 things to my attention, both things that I already know but needed to be reminded of again.  First, I am so blessed to have healthy children.  I am so grateful and am truly bless in this area.  Second, there are people who are truly hurting, truly in need, truly desperate in our world and we as Christians have a part to play.  It is so easy to focus on my own life, my own issues, my own problems - all the while people are fighting w/ issues that make my stuff feel so petty.

God - help me see people the way you do, don't let me be the same!

Kyle

India day 3

Most of our time this week is spent painting and redoing rooms at Mercy Hospital.  It's incredible what this ministry is doing and how they are helping people.  They provide extremely cheap and free healthcare where it's needed, plant churches, and are providing food for over 20,000 people every single day.

The front of the hospital

The cool hospital bus

This woman is getting food from the feeding center - literally filling up a grocery bag with rice to bring home to her family:

Most of what we are doing in the hospital is painting.  This room is set aside for children who are receiving blood transfusions - we're trying to brighten their day:

The culture is definitely different - one area specifically has to do with their view of women.  This sign is posted at the hospital:

When we asked about this, the answer was very simple:  People will abort their baby if they find out it is a girl.


It truly is life changing to be here - God is working in my life and the lives of the people here with me!  Thank you for your prayers.

Kyle

India day 2

I don't have a ton of time this evening but I thought do something quick.

I love the people here.  Here's a few more pictures today of some of the people:

We spend some time in the market today as well.  It's incredible to see the people trying to make a living selling food and all sorts of stuff.  Here's a picture of one woman at the market:

We also we able to go up on a rooftop to see the city.  Here's a picture of Calcutta:

Today we also started what we came here to do - remodeling a part of the Mercy Hospital in downtown Calcutta.  We spent our time scraping, mudding, and painting.

I'm excited for tomorrow!

India day 1

Today was our first whole day in India, and after what felt like a few days of airplanes, it feels incredible to actually be here!

This morning we woke up and went to church.  We were surprised at how westernized the service felt. They sang songs that we sing and the pastor was able to keep most of us awake (the group is still very exhausted from the past few days).  Overall I had a very good experience at the church!

We spent the afternoon walking around Calcutta.  Here's a few pictures from today - these were taken by Beth Ranta and Debbie Zehrer:

We made it!

After a LONG day+ of travel we arrived in Calcutta last night at about midnight (Calcutta time).  We're tired but excited to be here!

Preparing for Calcutta

It's been quite a while since I touched this blog - but being less than 2 weeks away from heading to Calcutta I thought I'd get going again.  The trip will be February 22 - March 3 and we will be volunteering at a place called Mercy Hospital.  I'm hoping to blog and add pictures of the trip!

Follow along if you'd like!
Kyle

Project Langbansi

Throughout the trip I was seeking God for direction specifically in what we can do to help.  I was overwhelmed by what I saw and it changed me forever - and something needed to be done.  For me it is not about giving a one time gift of $20 to a local charity but a life change and a call to generosity.  My sacrificial giving changes the lives of the people I'm helping, but also changes my heart.

Though there are many things that can be done, I found that one of the best ways to attack the issue of poverty is through education.  I saw firsthand the difference between the educated and the illiterate - and children who don't attend school have very little chance of escaping their $1/day life.  The well known child sponsorship organization Compassion International wrote in a blog this morning:  "The best way to get a better-paying job and end poverty is by being well prepared with education."  If done correctly, education is a powerful tool that can be used to fight the war on poverty.

What I saw in the most poverty stricken areas of Africa was a very low percentage of the children attended school, and those that did found themselves in school's that were less than acceptable.  One particular school I visited was started by the small Assembly of God church in the village of Langbansi.  There were 402 students, 6 teachers, no desks, and no books.  The children were laying on the floor to write - and the teachers were struggling to accomplish anything.  While I visited this school, God broke my heart and I found a place where we can literally change the lives and the future of these children.

Over the next 3 years, River of Life Church will be partnering with the Assembly of God Relief and Development program to change the lives of the people in the village of Langbansi.  We will do this by providing the basic needs of the school.

Our 3 year goal is to increase the overall percentage of children attending school by targeting the most vulnerable families in this village, and also to increasing the overall quality of their education by providing desks, books, bathroom facilities, and teacher training.

Changing the lives of one village, one family, one child......

If you would like to help and give to "Project Langbansi" you can contact River of Life Church at 320.352.2315.

Africa day 9 - Reflection

Being alone for the evenings and nights has given me a lot of time to think.  Some days have effected me more than others, and I've found myself quite emotional as I sit in my hotel room more than once.

The children are what get me the most - poverty is all they know.  Many kids don't know their birthday, and some don't even know what it feels like to really have a full stomach.  They're sleeping on the floor and literally dying from fevers and diarrhea.  I fill up with tears when I look at their pictures.

I've seen so much poverty, so many helpless people, so many hopeless people - and it has nothing to do with them sitting on the couch, unwilling to work, and everything to do with the hand they have been dealt.

So many teenage girls living alone on the streets, so many children getting sick because of a simple lack of sanitation.  So many people who are so desperate, so hurting, and so lost.

It's overwhelming.

And I can't solve the problem.  I can't fix things.  In fact I can't even make a dent.

But I can make a contribution.  I can do something.  I can make it better for someone, or some family, or some village.  And doing nothing is not an option.  I can no longer ignore what God has shown me and what I've seen first hand.

I have a plan for my family and for my church.  And you'll have to be there this Sunday, or watch it online to hear about it.

Thanks for following me on this trip and on this journey as I try to figure out what God expects from me, and what I can do to make a difference for lost, broken, and hurting people.

I'll see you at home!

Africa day 8 - a moment that topped them all

We talked to a family today and it completely broke my heart.

We walked up to the house (if you call it that) and there were kids everywhere!  Here's the place:

10 total and 1 more on the way, all living in a place smaller than my hotel room.  Their were 9 children, a single mom, and an elderly grandmother.

We asked the mother why the kids weren't in school, her reply - she couldn't come up with the $1.50 registration fee.

I've got to do this quick so I'm going bullet style:
- a year ago their father died
- 6 months ago the mother was raped and she is now pregnant again (with child 10)
- they had a small bowl of yuka for the entire family to eat

Here's a picture I took of the mother, grandmother, and a few of the kids:

But I've seen all that before.

Then we saw the sick kid.  A 6 year old boy, who looked horrible.  He had cloudy, yellow eyes and was the only kid in the entire group that I never saw smile.  This kid will be dead or blind if he doesn't get some help.

Immediately we told her that he needed to see a doctor - but she didn't have any money.  How many times has my life, or my kids lives been saved simply because we had the right medical care.  Kids are dying of a fever - kids are dying of diarrhea, kids are having convulsions because they can't get the simple medicine they need to survive.  I've heard this all before - but today I saw it.

We gave them $20 to get some help but Kwame thought they would probably buy food.

I took his picture

Africa day 8 - Fishing village/child trafficking

Well I have a lot to say tonight - but not a lot of time and the internet is not cooperating.

We drove west from Accra along the coast to a small fishing village.  These people literally fish for a living by using nets thrown from these motor-less boats:

It was interesting to walk around the village - literally $50 homes built on million dollar, ocean front property:

But the reason I was brought here was not to see the ocean or even these people, but to learn firsthand about child slavery and trafficking.  You see it is villages like this one that trafficking often occurs in this part of the world - so we came here to walk around, but also to be taught the truth about what is going on.

Poverty has an effect on every area of their lives - and I've found that parents here are quick to attempt to give their children a better life.  Parents take out loans and find ways to pay for private, boarding schools they can't afford - and many of the teenage girls that I talked with, in the city of Accra, were sent to the city for "a better life".

This is how the story begins.  Good intentioned parents in their poverty, desperation, and ignorance sending their children into slavery without even knowing it.

"Recruiters" show up in these small, rural villages (like I visited in the North) and offer a better life for the children.  They even offer to give some money (I was told maybe $100).  The kids are then brought to the city where they are sold.  Most of the time, the parents have absolutely no idea what is happening with their kids.

Many girls are sold into prostitution - young girls, sometimes less than 10 years old, raped by predators so someone can make a buck.

Others end up in factories, or fields, working all day in the sun or along the shores of fishing villages forced to do hard, disgusting work that these men don't want to do.

I was told about the story of a 12 year old girl named Abigale:

Abigale was from a small village in Northern Ghana.  Her aunt came back to the village, told Abigale's mother that she will take her to the city, where she can get a better education and have a chance to live a better life.  This sounded like a good idea to the family - so Abigale headed to the city with her aunt.

Shortly after, 12 year old Abigale was forced into prostitution.  No education, no better life - just raped by men 3 or 4 times her age.

A short story, a horrifying story - but a story that is happening here in Ghana, and in many places all over our world.

Poverty is the root of the problem.  It starts with desperation and ignorance.  And it ends with many children in slavery.

Africa day 7 - Church in Accra!

This morning I had the chance to speak at "Liberty Centre A/G" in Accra - and when I say "this morning" I really mean it!

The service started at 7am but they told me to come at 7:30 (quite weird).  When I showed up the music was rocking!  LOUD worship and the people were dancing all over the place.  Everybody in the church knew I was there, not just because I was the only white person in the building, but because I was also the only one standing still - I thought about getting my groove on, but I don't think they would have wanted to see me dance.

This was definitely a wealthier side of Ghana than I have seen. The people were all very nicely dressed and the building was nice.  The church had about 700 people (most of which showed up an hour or so late).

Service started at 7am - I got the microphone at about 8:30, spoke for 30 minutes, and the service finally wrapped up at 10.  Then they go to Sunday School!

My message went well, but the African people don't understand my humor - which led to a few awkward moments.  The overall response was great and the people were very welcoming and excited to have me there.

Here's a couple pictures from my junky, little camera:

The church sign as we drove up:

The building:

The worship team (the woman in the white was a dancer):

Preaching with my interpreter - it's very difficult to get in the "flow" of speaking, constantly having to pause after every sentence.  But overall I thought it went great:

This afternoon I had the chance to "Skype" with my church back home.  It was so good to hear some of their voices and get the chance to share for a few minutes.  I'm having a life changing time here in Ghana, but I definitely miss my family, my church, and home in general.

Tomorrow we are heading west to visit a small fishing village and a few other places.  I can't believe I've already been here a week!

Thanks for your prayers - I feel much better today!

Africa day 6 - back to Accra to rest

This morning we got on a plane and flew back to Accra.  I ended up eating some food that I shouldn't have - and was up all night vomiting, etc.  I'm still struggling to get healthy - so today has become a rest day.

Tomorrow morning I'm speaking in the local church - which starts at 7am!  I think our attendance would go down to about 8 if we started our service that early!  I'm hoping to be healthy by then.

That's about it for today - but here's something else from yesterday:

While we were driving through the rural villages we found a few men actually building one of those "huts".  It was fascinating to see the process so I took some pictures.

This is where they get the "mud" used to build their homes - In the picture is my guide Kwame, he's been absolutely amazing:

They mix it with water and it becomes almost a cement mixture:

This particular job is almost completed - they just form the mud and let it dry:

It was quite impressive - they were really well built.  I was told that it takes about 2 days to complete a normal sized "hut" - but a hard rain storm can bring one down pretty quick.


Please pray for my health - and also for the service tomorrow morning

Africa day 5 - Heading north!

This morning we headed even farther north - almost to the border.  I was told that only 2-3 cars a week travel on the road we were on.

As we were driving through one of the small villages, we saw a woman drawing water from a well.  She was using a long rope with a rubber bucket on the end - and filling up her container (which she carries on her head).  I had her pose for me:

We then went and visited an elementary school - the kids are so much fun!  I was quite the distraction from their class and I'm not so sure the teachers were as happy that I was there.

The school had 3 classrooms - each with over 50 kids, 1 teacher, and not many places to sit.  Most of the kids were sitting or even laying on the floor with their paper and pencil.  Just about all of them were barefoot.  Of course I took some pictures:

The school:

One of the classes:

Trying to learn:

Very distracted by the white man:

Education plays such a huge part in the future success of these kids.  Many children do not have the opportunity to go to school - and this just feeds the cycle of poverty.  But even in those who do go, it is very difficult to actually learn.  Huge class sizes, only a few teachers, and no class supplies (not even desks!).  I loved the kids but this was hard for me to see.


The main purpose of our trip today was to find a couple of the girls who had graduated from "Lifeline" (if you don't know what that is check out the previous blogs from this trip).

We wanted to see how they were doing and attempt to judge the success of the program over a length of time.  We found 2 of the girls and spent some time speaking with them. I'll share with you one of their stories:

This is Grace - she is from a rural village in Northern Ghana.  When she was 15 years old her parents sent her to the city of Accra to buy some textbooks and earn a little money working.  She found herself 15 years old, homeless, and alone living in the parking lot at Tema Station (see previous blog).  She was cleaning dishes at a restaurant for $1 a day.

She ended up in the Lifeline program where she learned how to sew.  She is now 19 and living in her village - in the process of setting up her new dress making business.

It was incredible sitting with her and hearing her story.  I can't imagine being in her shoes and hopefully she is a success story.


Finally late afternoon we went to a small pond where there are crocodiles!  The animals were wild but you pay to go - and they lure the crocs onto dry land.  These things freak me out!

I still have both arms and both legs:

Tomorrow morning we fly back to Accra - I'm speaking in a church on Sunday, which I'm told has about 500 people who attend their Sunday morning service.  I will be speaking through an interpreter, which is always an interesting experience.

Then Sunday afternoon I will be Skyping during the Sunday morning service at RLC (my church in Sauk Centre)!  I'm excited to see how this works!

Thanks for your prayers!

Africa day 4 - Yendi, Gbungbaliga, and Saboba

Interesting day!  We traveled from the town of Tamale (pronounced "Tom ali") straight east for about 100 miles.  Horrible, bumpy, dirt roads and we drove insanely fast!  I didn't know whether to urinate all over myself in fear or vomit because of the bumps.  Luckily I did neither.

We ended up visiting 3 villages:  Yendi, Gbungbaliga, and Saboba.

My guide Kwame grew up in the village of Gbungbaliga, so he took me there, where we were able to visit some of his family.  They showed me their homes and we spent some time talking.

The people in these villages live with their extended families in a circle of these "huts". The sides are made of mud (rock hard to the touch) and the tops are made of thatch (looked like pencil sized sticks).  They use this on the top to keep them cool - and it worked!  I walked in and it was much cooler than outside.

This particular extended family had 4 huts and another one for their animals.  Here's the view from one side:

Inside the hut was a hard mud floor along with everything they own.  They didn't have much at all - a few cooking utensils and some clothes.

These huts had electrical power (for a light), in fact you can see the power line going in through the side:  Some of the villages we saw today are still without electricity.

In between the huts is the family kitchen where everything is made over a fire (they burn those pieces of wood).  Also notice the yellow water jugs in the background and a goat peaking his head around the corner:

The next picture is Kwame's sister in law "Pagkpema" who was at the huts when we arrived.  I was asking her some questions and the topic of water came up.  You need to catch this:  She travels 3 times in the morning and 3 times in the evening to get water!  The nearest well is about 3 miles away and she gets about 5 gallons of water each time.

But the crazy part is - she carries it on her head!  She carries 5 gallons of water for 3 miles, 6 time a day - and she has to weigh about 100 lbs!  I had to take a picture because I wouldn't believe myself when I got home:

Water is so essential to life and we don't even think about it!

Between collecting firewood, walking to get water, and taking care of the children -a woman's day is completely full.  By the way - they need water, firewood, and the kids need to be taken care of 7 days a week.

The men were in the fields for the entire day.  Many of them using a short hoe to remove the weeds from their fields.

It was incredible to see the way they live.  Complete poverty, lack of clean water, no possessions, and no hope of it changing.

Kwame was telling me about growing up here.  5 of his 10 brothers and sisters died in childhood and he was the only child in his family who was able to go to school.

Tomorrow I will be heading north a few hours to visit a few other villages.  Keep praying for us!

Africa day 3 - Traveling to Tamale

Got up this morning at 3:45am to catch a flight to the northern region of Ghana.  This part of the trip is for me to experience the rural poverty in this part of Africa.  It was a small plane (room for about 40 passengers) and it took about an hour.  The airport in Tamale is about the same size as our church building.

We spent the morning driving around the city of Tamale and I just asked a whole lot of questions.  I could immediately see the difference as we passed the homes (or should I say huts) that people lived in.

All these pictures were taken from the truck so they're not the best:

A group of "houses" - there are clusters of these all over.  The roof is thatch and the walls are mud

Women walking on the street - I have know idea how they do this:

This is an ant hill - approximately 10 feet high.  I don't want to meet those ants!

With a long day yesterday and the early morning traveling we are taking the day to rest.  The next 2 days we are driving out of Tamale to visit a few villages in the area - I'm hoping we can actually visit a few of these homes and talk to some of people

Africa day 2 - Tema Station

Last night (Tuesday) I was taken to a place called "Tema Station" which is basically a huge parking lot where thousands of women and children sleep.  I was unable to take any pictures, but I need to write some of this down so that I never forget

I sat down with a group of about 20 of these women ages 12-20 and was able to ask them some questions about how they live and what a normal day looks like - here's what I found out:

They work between 12-15 hours a day, some days they literally make $0, sometimes they make as much as 6 cedi's ($4).  They get up at around 3am to prepare for their work - 7 days a week (that's 84-105 hours a week)

All of their money is spent on survival - food, small bags of clean water to drink, a shower every once in a while

They literally sleep on the concrete, some of them have a blanket to lay on

They hang out in small groups for protection.  One person from their group is always awake and when someone comes and tries to rape one of them, they all wake up and attempt to fight him off

When they get desperate enough for food, they will sleep with a man to eat - we call this prostitution, they do it to survive

There was a really young girl in the group (I'm guessing between 7-10)  I asked her how old she was and she had no idea - she couldn't even guess

The hardest part for me was that these girls seemed completely normal.  They weren't drug addicts, they weren't prostitutes on a street corner, they were teenagers trying to survive.  They're somebodies daughter and they talked to me like I was their friend

Africa day 2 - the slums of Accra

Well this was a morning I'll never forget.  I got up early and went to a place that the locals have nicknamed "Sodom and Gomorrah".  It is the literal slums of Accra, where somewhere between 40-80,000 people are crammed into tin roofed, smaller than my bedroom shacks.  Most of us have a nicer place to park our lawnmower.

Let me show you some pictures.

The first thing I saw as we drove up:

Piles of garbage everywhere and many people were digging through these piles trying to find something they could sell.

A few kids outside their "home":

There were children everywhere, many completely naked, others running barefoot through the mud (a nice way to say dirt mixed with urine).  Here's a little girl I met who is turning 4 - she's in her families home.

I spent some time at a ministry called "Lifeline" whose main purpose is helping teenage girls out of prostitution, trafficking, and poverty.  The girls stay at this place for 9 months and are taught about God, they receive counseling and rehabilitation, and are taught some sort of trade (when I was there they were teaching them to sew)
Here's the whole group - I was told there is 87.  Many of these girls have been raped or trafficked:

Here's where they sleep - the nets keep the mosquitoes away:

One of the girls learning to make a dress - the sewing machines had a hand crank that you turn:

Their toilets:

 At Lifeline they also have a program for children.  The kids come early in the morning and are taught how to read and write.  Here's a few pictures of the kids - they were so fun!

And my favorite:

I'm flying out early tomorrow morning to Northern Ghana.  Apparently, North Ghana is poorer than Accra.  In fact I was told that many people who are living in the slums of Accra are originally from Northern Ghana and have come to the city for a better life.

Thanks for your prayers!

I don't know if I will have internet access for the next couple days, I'll have to wait and see