Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Hello again!
I am typing this blog entry, at 3:30 in the afternoon with the windows open trying to get as much breeze as I possibly can. Today is Sunday so I got up this morning and went to church, and visited and ate at a friends house for lunch. I am now home and I am having a electrician fix some things around the house. I have come to find out here in Ghana that the extreme heat takes it out of you! haha I am exhausted, but in my mind it doesn't seem like I have done a lot today. Ah yes, coming from MI, USA...with just experiencing 7 months of snow to 100 degrees and extreme humidity is quite a change!! haha (don't get me wrong, I would take this heat OVER SNOW ANY DAY)
I love the many sounds and smells of city life here in Accra, Ghana, which are becoming more and more familiar. As I close my eyes, I hear the local music of Ghana sometimes called "high life music" playing from my neighbors house along with some guys outside on the street speaking twi(local language). With the smell of Ghanaian food cooking over a fire coming through my window, I hear children laughing and playing on the dirt road as motorbikes and taxis drive by and beep their horns. Accra, Ghana is full of life and is always moving and busy. Coming from a small town in MI, to a big city where locking up at night with barbed wire over my fence and bars over my doors and windows is becoming more and more normal to me. God is good and is allowing me to adjust as time goes on. I have learned so much already and I know without a doubt God is preparing my heart of something big in the future.
I will be working at the Baby HOMe (West African Mercy Ministries) three days a week, and the other two days a week at another orphanage or care facility called Beacon House. It has been incredible to see how God has worked out my time here. I will be able to use my passion to work with people with special needs at both homes. I am so excited to start to build relationships and see improvements with the ones I am blessed to help.
What I have been praying about for many years is pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy and it is becoming more and more real to me as I stay here and see the needs around me. As I spend more and more time here working with babies such as Akos and Daniel, who are very special needs, my heart aches to want to help them more. I am currently considering going to school in September. This means that I will probably returning a lot sooner than I was originally planned. This is very hard for me, but at the same time I know God wants me to get this degree so I can pursue long term missions in the future. I have at least three years of school ahead of me and I can't see myself waiting yet another year to start. I will probably be coming back at the end of July or beginning of August of this year.
I want to make it clear that I am not giving up or wanting to call it quits here in Africa, I am simply taking the right steps toward a bigger goal. I have been putting schooling off for a while because I just "wanted to GO and help NOW!" That is what I kept on telling myself and I know I am suppose to be here at this time to help the ministry. I am so glad I came. I am learning so much being here on my own and living as a single women in a completely different culture and country. My heart has not changed to help those in need, rather is has intensified! I am only 22, but the years are flying by, and I feel it is the right time to start school again.
I see myself returning to Ghana, Africa long term or another country here in Africa after I finish school and join a mission organization. At the time I will have my physical therapy assistant degree along the passion to help the abandoned and needy.
All the babies are getting more and more precious every time I go there. I am in love with all of them! Prayer of course is needed for every one of the children at the home and their needs.
I have had and hopefully will continue tutoring Sandra before she starts school. I want to love on that girl so much. She is in need of Christs love!!
Some of the prayer requests are:
pray for families willing to adopt.
I also ask for prayer about the improvement of the babies health and physical conditions.
Prayer for my future plans and what God is asking me to do at this time.
Prayer for the McItyres, for they will be coming back to Ghana in June to stay a while.
Prayer for Akos and Daniel, that they will be able to receive physical therapy and teaching as time goes on and even after I leave!
Prayer for baby Ama, that she will be able to start on her meds soon!
Prayer for Sandra(a 13 year old girl staying here at that baby home that she will come to know Christ as her savior and know His wonderful love.
May He be Glorified,
Selina
Klink the dog, my companion at the house and keeps me safe ;)
I am typing this blog entry, at 3:30 in the afternoon with the windows open trying to get as much breeze as I possibly can. Today is Sunday so I got up this morning and went to church, and visited and ate at a friends house for lunch. I am now home and I am having a electrician fix some things around the house. I have come to find out here in Ghana that the extreme heat takes it out of you! haha I am exhausted, but in my mind it doesn't seem like I have done a lot today. Ah yes, coming from MI, USA...with just experiencing 7 months of snow to 100 degrees and extreme humidity is quite a change!! haha (don't get me wrong, I would take this heat OVER SNOW ANY DAY)
I love the many sounds and smells of city life here in Accra, Ghana, which are becoming more and more familiar. As I close my eyes, I hear the local music of Ghana sometimes called "high life music" playing from my neighbors house along with some guys outside on the street speaking twi(local language). With the smell of Ghanaian food cooking over a fire coming through my window, I hear children laughing and playing on the dirt road as motorbikes and taxis drive by and beep their horns. Accra, Ghana is full of life and is always moving and busy. Coming from a small town in MI, to a big city where locking up at night with barbed wire over my fence and bars over my doors and windows is becoming more and more normal to me. God is good and is allowing me to adjust as time goes on. I have learned so much already and I know without a doubt God is preparing my heart of something big in the future.
I will be working at the Baby HOMe (West African Mercy Ministries) three days a week, and the other two days a week at another orphanage or care facility called Beacon House. It has been incredible to see how God has worked out my time here. I will be able to use my passion to work with people with special needs at both homes. I am so excited to start to build relationships and see improvements with the ones I am blessed to help.
What I have been praying about for many years is pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy and it is becoming more and more real to me as I stay here and see the needs around me. As I spend more and more time here working with babies such as Akos and Daniel, who are very special needs, my heart aches to want to help them more. I am currently considering going to school in September. This means that I will probably returning a lot sooner than I was originally planned. This is very hard for me, but at the same time I know God wants me to get this degree so I can pursue long term missions in the future. I have at least three years of school ahead of me and I can't see myself waiting yet another year to start. I will probably be coming back at the end of July or beginning of August of this year.
I want to make it clear that I am not giving up or wanting to call it quits here in Africa, I am simply taking the right steps toward a bigger goal. I have been putting schooling off for a while because I just "wanted to GO and help NOW!" That is what I kept on telling myself and I know I am suppose to be here at this time to help the ministry. I am so glad I came. I am learning so much being here on my own and living as a single women in a completely different culture and country. My heart has not changed to help those in need, rather is has intensified! I am only 22, but the years are flying by, and I feel it is the right time to start school again.
I see myself returning to Ghana, Africa long term or another country here in Africa after I finish school and join a mission organization. At the time I will have my physical therapy assistant degree along the passion to help the abandoned and needy.
All the babies are getting more and more precious every time I go there. I am in love with all of them! Prayer of course is needed for every one of the children at the home and their needs.
I have had and hopefully will continue tutoring Sandra before she starts school. I want to love on that girl so much. She is in need of Christs love!!
Some of the prayer requests are:
pray for families willing to adopt.
I also ask for prayer about the improvement of the babies health and physical conditions.
Prayer for my future plans and what God is asking me to do at this time.
Prayer for the McItyres, for they will be coming back to Ghana in June to stay a while.
Prayer for Akos and Daniel, that they will be able to receive physical therapy and teaching as time goes on and even after I leave!
Prayer for baby Ama, that she will be able to start on her meds soon!
Prayer for Sandra(a 13 year old girl staying here at that baby home that she will come to know Christ as her savior and know His wonderful love.
May He be Glorified,
Selina
Klink the dog, my companion at the house and keeps me safe ;)
Friday, April 6, 2012
"Loving you is completely worth it"
I am in Africa once again! Praise God everything went smoothly and I have safely landed in Ghana.
This past week has been a BUSY one!! I knew it would be hectic when I got here at first, but sometimes we can never fully prepare ourselves for the challenges that lay ahead sometimes. I am so thankful to be sitting here and have a chance to let my mind and body process what this week entailed. THERE IS A LOT TO process! :) haha
After being awake for almost 30 hours after my flight...I was definitely ready to hit the sack when I finally got to the house. With the long anticipation of finally coming back to Africa was combined with the extreme sadness that followed after I said goodbye to my friends and family. The lack of sleep and the realization of the responsibilities that lye before me, I was very overwhelmed the first couple days. God is faithful and once I got some sleep, I am able to think more clearly and Ghana is becoming more and more familiar. In a way it seems like I haven't left, but at the same time it is ENTIRELY different in so many ways.
I sit here and pray and ask the Lord to show me what duties I must fulfill while I am here and what is most important. Right now I know without a doubt that God has put it on my heart to love these precious children and babies here in Ghana, Africa. Because this is my first week here, there are still lot of loose ends I need to get done and most importantly get to know my surroundings. I will be traveling back and forth to the baby HOMe by Tro Tro (public transport) and making back home in the evenings for dinner. The list continues and I take it one day at a time. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for a loving merciful and gracious Lord to talk to when I get overwhelmed.
BABY: AMA, Beautiful little baby, four months old. She was abandoned and now is being loved at HOMe.
I will be working at the Baby HOMe during the week. I will be just have the responsibility of loving these sweet babies and helping take care of them. After dirty diapers and runny noses and taking care of their sicknesses, I know with a thankful heart this is where God wants me.
"Loving you is completely worth it" are the the words I kept saying over and over again as I held Akos for the first time. I couldn't help but cry when I finally got to hold one of these babies. I have worked and waited for over a year and I finally got to hold one of these beautiful creations that God created.
I will write again soon...I want to post this blog before the power goes out.
It is raining hard outside!!!!
May He be glorified,
Selina
prayer requests:
For my adjustment being a single women living on my own here in Africa.
The babies and a girl named sandra at the baby home!!!
That I take time to spend time in the word of God and focus on my relationship with Christ.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Waiting anxiously...
The countdown begins. :) I have about 2 months left to wait before I walk on that plane in Chicago and make my way back to Ghana, Africa. My heart is so thrilled that the date is quickly approaching. I am definitely ready to move on and experience what God has in store for me in Ghana. I have received my visa and bought my ticket. All I have to do is purchase travel insurance and start buying my supplies needed for a year. (this could be tricky) I am not that good at planning that far in advance! haha That's okay as long as I have enough to get me started there...I know God will let everything else fall into place.
My life has changed so much over this past year. I have learned a lot and I have gone through some rough patches this past year. I always know God is there standing and waiting to pour His mercy and grace. Our faith sometimes takes on a rocky path, and sometimes we might fall along that path. If we fall or stumble...we must be strong enough to get back up on our feet and keep walking. We MUST remember that we are acceptable and will always be Christs beloved if we believe in Him. May we not live for ourselves, but for Christ. God sometimes puts things in our life to show us what is truly important. Are we willing to stand strong?! This is my prayer.
This life can be so busy and we can get so caught up in the here and now. Its easy to be satisfied with our material and temporal belongings and live for our work or other consuming things. I admit I and anyone can fall into the routine of life and be only focused on ourselves. Then there are the times when I am hit hard with the reality. Christ is our creator, He made this entire world. God put you in this world, and you are breathing because He allows it. I am one of six billion people on the planet. My life can end at any minute. God has a purpose for my existence and yours. Everyday that passes is another opportunity to praise and give Him glory. A day to bless someone else and make someone smile and feel loved. A day to be humble and kind to others, to show Christs gentle love. I sit back, and think "am I doing this?" Am I truly living for Christ everyday?
I admit...days slip by without me noticing. A day when I live only for myself. I don't want those days to turn into weeks and then into months and years without living it for Christ. I know the TRUE joy Christ brings me when I am in his presence and finding my satisfaction in Him. There is no greater joy that can compare! My hearts cry is that I only let Christ hold my heart and Him alone.
Ghana is approaching fast. I lean on Christ to give me peace and direction while I am there. I pray for smooth travels and for Him for provide the finances I need in order to stay for a longer period of time. Pray that I will continue to strive after Christs pure heart. I want to seek His will and stand strong.
Keeping my eyes on Him!
Selina
Please read this encouraging Psalm that my friend Tammi just read to me :)
Psalm 146
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD, my soul.
2 I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
10 The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Why go back?!
Dear Friends and Family,
It has been such a long time since I have written a blog post! I would like to update you all on what God has been doing and what He has placed on my heart since my return from Ghana.
God does not let a day go by where I am not reminded of my eye opening experience in Ghana, Africa in 2010. With life steadily moving forward along with God’s provision and answers to prayer, I am surrounded by work, family, and friends. As each day passes, God has been faithful to change, mold and open my eyes to not only the world’s desperate need for Him, but also for my hearts need for Him in every hour of every day! West African Mercy Ministries has been a bold witness to God’s abounding love and generous mercy. The lives I have seen God touch and change through this ministry calls my heart to truly worship in a way I have never done before.
So why go back? I was unaware of how God was going to change my heart and life after I returned from Ghana. Christ has not ceased in giving me the longing to return, but has let His love and heart for the abandoned, sick and those who have disabilities grow with more passion in my heart than ever before! What a joy it is to give your life up to the God Who so graciously loved us enough to send His Son. His Word tells us to give His love to those around us, the love that He pours on us every moment of every day. My prayer is that everyone will come to the realization that they need Christ in their life; not only for saving life, but to experience that indescribable joy when He is the source of our life here and now. I am too weak to do anything on my own and I pray that I will find my strength in Him alone.
I will be returning to Ghana on April 1st of 2012, and am praying that I will be able to stay for at least one year. God has really placed it on my heart to go back and help for a longer period of time. I will be helping out at the Baby HOMe where the sick and abandoned babies are who desperately need love and care. I will also be visiting the deaf and handicapped at Echoing Hills from time to time and hopefully polish up my sign language so that I can communicate. I am going to be helping with the mission teams that plan on coming from the U.S. through the summer months with the McIntyres. Brian and Debbie and their family are going back to the U.S. on furlough at the end of the summer. I will be staying in Ghana and taking care of their house until they return the following spring.
During my last visit in Ghana, I saw God’s faithfulness in so many ways. It was such a blessing to have a great group of people praying for me here in the U.S. during my last journey. I was so encouraged and it was definitely needed! It is so important for the Body of Christ to join together in spreading the love of Christ and I cannot thank you all enough for your generosity, support and encouragement during my last trip. I have been working for almost a year with a job that God has so graciously given me here in the U.S. and I have been able to save up enough to purchase my ticket. I should have some money left to cover the beginning of my living expenses in Ghana. Because I will be staying there for the entire year, I know I will not be able to cover all my expenses alone during my whole stay.
I will not worry. Instead, I will thankfully rest in the Truth of His unchanging faithfulness. I know without a doubt that God has placed it on my heart to return so I will trust He will keep me there for the amount of time He has planned.
If any of you would like to follow my blog while I am Ghana please go to www.selinairene.blogspot.com. If any of you are interested in getting personal updates and letters, please email me your address at selinairene27@yahoo.com
If anyone is interested in receiving Brian and Debbie’s online newsletters of their ministry, send a blank email to join@wamminc.org. You will then be added to their contact list.
If God has inclined you to give financially, you can send your donation with earmark “Selina Byykkonen, Ghana” to one of the following locations:
Calvary Baptist Church 105 Iroquois Drive, Negaunee, MI 49866
OR
Eastwood Apostolic Lutheran Church
121 Sunset Drive, Negaunee, MI 49866
If you would like to send it to my house or call me at anytime please email me at: selinairene27@yahoo.com for the information!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
With February 14th approaching, I am only here in Ghana for twelve more days!! I am sitting here thinking “wait…what…already?!” The day to go home is just around the corner, which I don’t like to think about. I am going to be very sad to leave the babies, friends and my family here in Ghana. God has shown me so much while I have been here….I guess I don’t even know where to begin. My time here in Ghana has been wonderful and an experience I will carry with me forever. I pray that God will use this experience to show me where He wants me.
I have to admit I have had my hard days here in Ghana. I have come to learn that Missionary life overseas isn’t always the adventurous and the exciting life we want to think it is. It is just living life day to day in a culture and life that is so different from our own. Accepting the changes and challenges we face with God is mind. We may not always see the results right away with what we want to accomplish, but we have to trust that God is still working and that we serve a faithful, all powerful God. I yearn to be completely satisfied in Him. I want Him to be most pleasing to me…because that is when He truly gets glorified!! I pray that I would not seek any temporary satisfaction from this world that is above Christ. Christ needs to be our life…our everything!! God finds pleasure in us through His son Jesus Christ, why wouldn’t I find my father in Heaven completely pleasing?! Sometimes this just blows my mind on why I would forget to strive after this simple truth!!
I am praying for more babies to come! I want to hold and love some more before I go home. God willing we will get some soon. Ko-Jo, Juliana and Emily and the small baby Ko-jo are all doing very well. Pray that the adoption process goes smoothly and quickly for these babies. Such a blessing to see the Lord provide such wonderful Christian families for them to be with, even though I wish I could just take them all home with me on the plane. Hehe ;)
Recently I got the opportunity to visit the school for the deaf. I believe this is one of the only deaf schools in Accra. It was a great experience! When I got home at the end of the day I said “I just realized something…I didn’t say hardly anything ALL day, all I did was sign” This would be a first for me! Haha It was great practice! (my mind was exhausted!!) Still so excited to take some sign lessons when I get back home!!
IN THE CLASSROOM
I was able to experience the busyness of downtown Accra with a friend the other day. It was a lot of fun!
These next two weeks are going to be VERY busy. We are having a team come from the states in just a few days. I know time is going to fly by! I want to soak up my last few weeks here in Ghana, Africa. I am so thankful for God allowing me to come here. It has been so eye opening and humbling experience.
I hope to have one more update before I leave for the States.
Thank you all for the support through your prayers!!! God is working here in Ghana through West African Mercy Ministries and I hope it has been a blessing to your walk as you prayed for His hand here.
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