I was so excited yesterday when I got to go to a tribe here in Ghana. I was thrilled to go because I would finally get a taste of what a tribal culture is like! Well when I first got there I got my first experiences of little children running away and crying because they have never seen a white person before. Come to think about it…I would be a little scared too if I never saw a white skinned person my whole life and then this tall, blond, blue eyed, white girl comes….A LITTLE SCARY if you ask me. Haha It was a long day, but it was great.  I woke up very early and took a taxi to Dinah’s house. Dinah is a Ghanaian nurse that goes to these different tribes here in Ghana and brings medical supplies and educates the mothers on health issues.  She travels very far to help these people.  I got to learn about common things she treats such as low iron, malnutrition and other sicknesses.   I obviously didn’t know the language so I couldn’t communicate very much, but did a lot of smiling and nodding!  I helped record the ages of the babies and learned on how she files their conditions.  Then I had to use the bathroom and with that came the thought “umm…should this be an uh oh situation?” All was well after I told the lady as best as I could by doing a lot of pointing and saying “Sorry I can’t go by your house right here in front of everybody…is there a more private place?”  Need not to worry she brought me to a “better” place to relieve myself...now I only said better... ;) haha

The tribal experience was great and I hope to go back sometime soon. I am loving being out of my element and I have to keep reminding myself “Am I really here….awesome!” God is so good!!!!  It gave me a preview of what it would be like to do tribal missions and medical work within a tribe.  Let’s just say if this is what God has in store for me, I am really excited! :)  

I have been still doing lessons at Echoing Hills (home for disabled) in the mornings.  Emily and I just finished teaching about the armor of God. It went very well and they seemed to understand and remember well.  They are all so sweet and I am falling in love with all of them more and more.

  God has really opened my heart and eyes to a new ministry since I have been here!   I have been taking sign language lessons by one of the deaf guys at Echoing hills.  I really can say that I love learning sign language SO much! I never thought I would enjoy it so much! They are all so kind and patient and loving…it blows me away! I can’t stop thinking about the need in the deaf community here. It hit me like a wall when I started getting to know the deaf here!  I can’t help but feel that this is one disability that gets overlooked and forgotten, especially in third world countries!!  I want to communicate with these people SO much. The children on the streets that are deaf…can you imagine being deaf and not being educated? Not being able to communicate with anyone because nobody taught you sign language? I can’t imagine and it breaks my heart to think that there are children on the streets that are not only uneducated, hungry, but also unable to communicate with anyone!!!! It makes me want to cry and I don’t know what the Lord is trying to do by resting this on my heart, but I am heart broken by it. I think that is why I have such a passion to learn sign because I want to communicate.  They only communicate with each other, but not with very many in the hearing world.  I want to hear their heart, their story, their plans and dreams.

  All deaf deserve to be given good teaching in the word of God and grow in their faith! They need hear the GOSPEL too!  This makes me think that this is just ONE area of the world that the deaf are overlooked and need help…what about EVERY country in this world? Every tribe, village, town, city there are deaf, and a lot of times they can’t communicate! Are there any biblical teachers that know sign language?  Do all of them have a chance to hear the gospel?  I know that when I get back to the states I am learning sign fluently by at least taking some classes while I go to school.  Wherever I am in ministry, whether in a tribe, a disabled home in a different country…I know this skill will come to use.  No one deserved to be overlooked!!!

Thank you all for praying!!!

God Bless,

Selina