Friday, May 30, 2008
Security
Security is mostly superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either daring adventure, or nothing. HELEN KELLER
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Boys
Ilove these two pictures. The top photo is a picture of John Arthur, Ezekiel and I. They are both around the age of 12 and the oldest of the 21 children that have been rescued. They are truly leaders and act as father figures to the younger children. The bottom photo is Mark and Kobi and they are youngest of the group. It is just so neat to see all the kids bonding as family and having fun for the first time in their lives.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Remember Me
Today is a bittersweet day here at the office of Touch A Life. We have so many wonderful doors opening up and exciting projects. I have such excitement thinking about all 21 of the rescued children off Lake Volta participating in an art/music camp in August. The Village of Hope is putting the finishing touches on the last cottage that will house the remaining TAL children still living in Kete Krachi. The building project in Kete Krachi will be finished by the end of June and we will start rescuing older boys off the lake and they will live as a family in the safe house/vocational training center that we will call Golden Village. Randy, Van and Tatum will meet their Ghanaian family for the first time in August when we travel as a family to help with the camp.This summer Touch A Life will be sharing office space with Rapha House (foundation that works with trafficked girls in Cambodia) and we hope to set up a art gallery/office where groups and schools can bring their children to learn about child trafficking and the abuse that is happening around the world.
But Randy and I have also talked and shared how burdened we are for the children still fishing today. The two boys above are waiting to be rescued. Randy and I have committed as a couple and as directors of Touch A Life to get every child off Lake Volta.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Vegas Bound
This picture warms my heart. To think just little over a year ago Mark was a child slave and his life seemed hopeless. Today he is playing cards with Richard, a former child slave rescued the same day and Bismark his roommate. Life is good at Village of Hope. Thank you TAL supporters.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Vision
Last Week in Ghana was a much needed trip to regroup with staff and cast new visions. The picture above is the ten children we still have remaining up north in Kete Krachi. They have just finished a big day of enjoying a celebration in town and are enjoying lunch with their choice of soda drinks. These ten children will be moved down to Village of Hope to start school and their new life in July of 08. All twenty-one children rescued off Lake Volta will be living as a family soon. Yeah! Thank you Fred Asare and staff at Village of Hope for partnering with Touch A Life and helping us take care of these precious children.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Day at the beach
I have had a blast this week. You will not believe this story. Everyone from the Village of Hope went to the beach a few weeks ago. Ebenezer was taking a nap and got left behind. He woke up and there was no one there. He finally found a guard who took care of him. It just broke my heart.
Well, God is so good. Yesterday I asked if I could take only him to the beach since that horrible incident and they agreed. Crack me up, though, the houseparent said, "Please watch him closely and promise to not send him out to sea. Very dangerous water." I go and fetch him and then find out that Alex, the most recently rescued 12-year-old from the north, was in Cape Coast that day and had never been to the beach either, so we loaded him up, too.
All the cool college kids and I head to walk to the beach with the two boys beaming from ear to ear. Who should appear from under a tree and scare us to death, but Cashe the naked man. The story is his mother had a roadside stand and someone was stealing money. She went to a witch doctor to cast a spell on the thief and guess who has been crazy ever sense? I guess people give him clothes all the time, but he won't keep them on. He has a long beard and looks like a caveman. We are walking and then look back and he disappearred into think air.
So Ebenezer and Alex have all the college boys and girls to themselves with boogie boards and cokes at their demand. It was priceless. I know that will always be the best day of their lives. They both ate a whole chicken and steak kabob at lunch and had two Fantas with their food. I am in love with the college kids that were there I have never laughed so hard at one boy who reminded me so much of Jantsen. His name was Cole and I want him to marry Tatum.
Well, God is so good. Yesterday I asked if I could take only him to the beach since that horrible incident and they agreed. Crack me up, though, the houseparent said, "Please watch him closely and promise to not send him out to sea. Very dangerous water." I go and fetch him and then find out that Alex, the most recently rescued 12-year-old from the north, was in Cape Coast that day and had never been to the beach either, so we loaded him up, too.
All the cool college kids and I head to walk to the beach with the two boys beaming from ear to ear. Who should appear from under a tree and scare us to death, but Cashe the naked man. The story is his mother had a roadside stand and someone was stealing money. She went to a witch doctor to cast a spell on the thief and guess who has been crazy ever sense? I guess people give him clothes all the time, but he won't keep them on. He has a long beard and looks like a caveman. We are walking and then look back and he disappearred into think air.
So Ebenezer and Alex have all the college boys and girls to themselves with boogie boards and cokes at their demand. It was priceless. I know that will always be the best day of their lives. They both ate a whole chicken and steak kabob at lunch and had two Fantas with their food. I am in love with the college kids that were there I have never laughed so hard at one boy who reminded me so much of Jantsen. His name was Cole and I want him to marry Tatum.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Go Fish...
Just hung out with the boys this morning playing cards. I taught them Slap Jack, Go Fish and Concentration. They loved it. Ebenezer can never travel to the US because if he got near Vegas we would lose him forever. He was stacking the deck and dealing off the bottom--the little cheat. It was a crack-up how competitive he was.
It was great to see Mark laying down on his stomach and four little boys playing Go Fish and laughing and cheering when they won the game. Mark is awesome this year and no longer a brat. Hagar is the brat. She is such a snot at some times. I had to sit them all down and talk to them the other night. Ezekiel came up and told me that Hagar said they were not special (just the 7). Such a girl thing, He was crushed. So George and I told them that they must be family and kind to one another and they all agreed and hugged and committed to try. It was a hoot. The cool thing was as George and George Jr. were walking away to leave, Mark said, "Mr. Achibra, can I pray for you?" I have it on camera. The OCC kid was about to cry and said he will never forget it. So here is giant George kneeling down and Mark grabbed his hands and started praying. Priceless.
After corrupting the children with playing cards we moved onto the art room and totally trashed it and had a blast. They love to color and write letters. So once again if I had a dollar for everytime I wrote my address at the top of their letters we could build another building. The highlight of the day was three of the kids (Hagar, Richard, and Ebenezer) getting golden tickets after library time. They have read X amount of books and then they can use it at the store to buy a book or Bible. Richard is one of the best readers, amazing.
So many cool things happening here. I have hid out in the computer lab for an hour because if I hear "Ma Pam" one more time in the next hour I might not survive. They just love the attention so much and there is never enough adults to go around.
Looking forward to the college kids leading "DO YOUR THING." It is hilarious to watch the houseparents and kids dance in the middle of a huge cirlce DOING THEIR THING.
It was great to see Mark laying down on his stomach and four little boys playing Go Fish and laughing and cheering when they won the game. Mark is awesome this year and no longer a brat. Hagar is the brat. She is such a snot at some times. I had to sit them all down and talk to them the other night. Ezekiel came up and told me that Hagar said they were not special (just the 7). Such a girl thing, He was crushed. So George and I told them that they must be family and kind to one another and they all agreed and hugged and committed to try. It was a hoot. The cool thing was as George and George Jr. were walking away to leave, Mark said, "Mr. Achibra, can I pray for you?" I have it on camera. The OCC kid was about to cry and said he will never forget it. So here is giant George kneeling down and Mark grabbed his hands and started praying. Priceless.
After corrupting the children with playing cards we moved onto the art room and totally trashed it and had a blast. They love to color and write letters. So once again if I had a dollar for everytime I wrote my address at the top of their letters we could build another building. The highlight of the day was three of the kids (Hagar, Richard, and Ebenezer) getting golden tickets after library time. They have read X amount of books and then they can use it at the store to buy a book or Bible. Richard is one of the best readers, amazing.
So many cool things happening here. I have hid out in the computer lab for an hour because if I hear "Ma Pam" one more time in the next hour I might not survive. They just love the attention so much and there is never enough adults to go around.
Looking forward to the college kids leading "DO YOUR THING." It is hilarious to watch the houseparents and kids dance in the middle of a huge cirlce DOING THEIR THING.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
