Q&A

Here are some of the questions that I have been asked over the last few weeks about my mission trip that I wanted to share with everyone.

What lead to this? Why Ghana?

Fall of 2013, I was visiting other churches on the weekends that I was serving in children’s ministry. It just so happened that it was missions weekend at each church I visited, with a focus on Africa. After a few months, I got to the point where I said, “Ok God. I get it- I’m supposed to go to Africa. I don’t know a single mission in Africa so if You want this to happen, You’ll have to lead me to the right person.” 

Come March 2014, a husband and wife, Bob and Bonnie Parker, visited my church. They shared on their mission in Ghana, Africa. But not only did they share with the congregation, they came into my small group to talk on a smaller scale of what they were doing. I got a chance to talk with them that day and got the ball rolling. A few weeks later, they emailed me a preparation packet and a funds worksheet. 

What work did you do exactly?

Shared about Jesus through telling bible stories. I mainly worked with the children in different villages throughout Tamale. The team would all go to one village but split up with our translators to work with different groups of people within the village. The kids would gather into a circle and sit side by side while I stood in the center with my translator.

How many people did you meet?

TONS! There was the 3 people from Louisville that I traveled with, the husband and wife missionaries, our driver, 4 translators, gatekeeper, the family of 6 that lived with the missionaries, then anywhere between 20 and 200 people in each village that I actually got to interact with, the 130 people at church, about 20 merchants at the market

What was a typical day like in the mission field?

Wake up and get ready, breakfast with the team and the missionaries, dispatch on which village we were going to and anything we needed to know about it, commute there. Once in the village, the kids would gather in a big circle and I would share a few bible stories and interact with the kids before playing games and handing out candy. After a few hours, we packed up and headed back to the ministry center for lunch and debriefing with the team and missionaries before heading to another village and coming home for dinner. After dinner, the missionary husband, Bob, would preach a 15 minute sermon and we would discuss it before everyone went to their rooms to settle down and go to bed. 

What is the biggest difference between America and Ghana or Africa in general?

There is not a huge rush to be anywhere- even though you would beg to differ when on the main roads. Roads are just the red dirt in Ghana and have huge holes so you are constantly zig-zagging to not make the passengers car sick. But cars just weave in and out of traffic and people on bikes really zoom in any little open spot. It’s kind of a free for all on the roads. As for how people live, Ghana life is very laid back. When interacting with the people, they were completely present and focusing on what you had to say. So often in America, we get distracted when we are talking to someone else or start thinking about other things. 

What is something you experienced in a village that blew you away?

When I was sharing the story of King Nebuchadnezzar and the image of gold with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I shared the story and asked them, “Do you have faith like these 3 men? Do you truly trust God with your life?” They all quickly said yes. I stood there second guessing their answer and pressed on. I told them that if I were being honest, my answer is no, even though it is something I am continually working towards. I then asked what their fiery furnace was that God was walking through with them. They proceeded to blow my mind when one by one they shared their heartaches and that they still wholeheartedly trusted Jesus.

What was your favorite thing to see? What did you most enjoy about your work?

The smiling faces of those kiddos. The joy on their face despite their heartache was a reality check for me. But how could I not smile when they were smiling at me. 

What was the hardest day of your mission?

I would have to say our first day in the field. I still wasn’t sure what to expect and wasn’t used to talking with a translator. Plus the kids just stared at me like I was an alien. The wifi was out when we got in the night before and was still not working so I was missing home and wanting to talk with a few people.

What animals did you see?

Goats, sheep, guineas, and cows were free roaming. On the safari, we saw elephants, kob bucks (antelope), tons of birds, warthogs, monkeys, and baboons.

Did you have any connection back to the states while in Ghana?

When the wifi was working at the ministry center, yes. Ghana is 4 hours ahead of Louisville so it limited when I could talk with people back home. It usually worked out that when I was laying in bed it was around dinner time back home and could send some messages back and forth. I only had a great connection to be able to FaceTime the second day we were there. 

At any point, did you feel unsafe?

Nope, never unsafe. I only felt uncomfortable on the in country flight between Accra and Tamale. I had finally fallen asleep for a short nap and was awaken by the flight attendant that I needed to lean my seat up. Still half asleep and very confused, she explained that the gentleman behind me didn't want my seat leaned back. It was very awkward waiting to get off of the plane because he just stared at me. 

Were many people responsive to the gospel?

Kids and elderly were more responsive than the parental generation. 

What did you appreciate most about the culture you were visiting?

I appreciate the stillness of time there. 

How was the church service different or alike?

Similar: They had praise and worship music with a small band and a choir. The service included an offering time as well as a preaching time. There was a separate children’s service.

Different: They had a time of bible study before service started. They did not share in communion. It was in an open air building. Sermons were spoken in English and then translated line by line into their language.

Were you able to share the gospel freely?

Much to my surprise, yes. The primary religion in Ghana is Christian but the northern part of the country is mostly Muslim. From what the Parker’s were telling us, they can send teams straight into the public schools to share the gospel and teachers will not stop them. They typically stay in a classroom for 15-20 minutes and visit all of the classrooms before leaving. 

What was it like coming home? 

Every aspect was extremely difficult. First, I was stubborn and thought I would be fine going back to work the very next day. So after being back in Louisville 14 hours, I was back at work and miserable. I was exhausted and felt like death. Culture wise, I was in shock. It was harding coming home than arriving there. I boycotted all stores and spending. Things were so much cheaper in Ghana that I felt like I was being ripped off here. 

Are there more missions in the future?

I would love to continue to be involved in international missions if God so calls me. Until then, God has me in a mission field right now- Louisville, KY. It may not be MY ideal mission field but there are still people at my work, in my neighborhood, and in the larger community that don’t know Jesus.

Is there anything you would change if you could? 

The only thing would be to have stayed longer. When it came time to pack up, I felt like I had just gotten there. 

When you go back, is there anything you would take with you that you didn’t take this time?

A videocamera of some sort to document more while I was there.  And more supplies for the missionaries

Were you changed?

YES!! in many aspects

What was the spiritual change?

I call upon God sooner than later now. When something would come up, I used to call a friend or mentor first and I’ve learned to pray first.

What was the long term effect on you?

I feel like I just view life differently now. I don’t get near as upset about the little things. I view everything as a blessing. I live in the moment more.

Was it worth it (cost, time, energy, travel, etc)?

Most definitely!!

Was your worldview shaken or was everything back to normal within a week?

I was completely shaken. It probably took me almost two weeks to catch up on sleep and get back on a normal sleep and eating routine. And it took me a couple of weeks to not be angry and depressed.

Have you kept in touch with the team you worked with?

I have kept in touch with Bob and Bonnie in Ghana- we usually email each other every other week.

As for the 3 from Louisville, I talked with them a little bit and shared pictures but that is about it.

Did any one on your team encounter any health problems?

I came down with a sore throat and runny nose about half way through the trip but it subsided. A couple of the others experienced some stomach trouble. But everyone was strong enough to continue serving

What most encouraged you?

I think the number one thing was seeing the kids worship. A close second was notes from close friends.

Was the trip out of your comfort zone?

Oh absolutely!

How did you overcome the anxiety you had before the trip?

A lot of prayer and encouragement from friends and mentors. I had to completely trust God!- that this was all part of His ultimate plan and that He has gone before me. I talked a lot with the Parker’s to get excited. I kept with the to-do list of things that needed done before I left and just checked off one thing at a time. I did a LOT of journaling too. 

If you have any other questions you would like me to answer, please do not hesitate to ask! I am sure there are a lot of things that I have not thought about sharing. 

Brief Reflection

I began planning my trip in the Spring of 2014 but drug my feet and kept questioning the timing of it. My original goal was to travel in May of 2015 but in April decided to push it back to August due to funding. 

About 4 weeks before my new dates for August, I finally made a giant leap and booked my plane tickets. Talk about a nervous hot mess. After I pushed that “confirm purchase” button, I began freaking out. I asked myself, “What in the heck did you just do?” The anxiety related to this trip skyrocketed and continued for weeks. *Let me pause for just a second here. I have a very long history of anxiety and severe depression. So the anxiety was nothing new and the trip itself was a big step.* Anyways, I had gotten my shots back in March so that was already done. My passport application had been mailed off months earlier and I was just awaiting its return. I booked my flights on the afternoon of July 22nd. When I got home from work that day, my passport was in my mailbox. I then had to mail it back to Washington DC with my visa application, which was done on Saturday the 25th. I had it back in my hands approved on Wednesday the 29th. If this wasn’t a sign from God that I was supposed to go in August, then I am not sure why it was approved so quickly. Without expediting it, a visa typically takes 10-14 business days. And I had mine in 4 days flat. 

As the countdown started to tick away, the panic attacks and anxiety continued. I had gone from sleeping 8-10 hours a night to 3-5 if I was lucky. I knew what the Bible said about anxiety and could quote those verses to you. The problem was that I knew them in my mind but not in my heart. 

The week before my trip, I was expecting to be freaking out and not sleeping at all. Much to my surprise, I was rather mellow and calm. It caught me off guard but I went with it.

The journey began on the morning of August 17th. Shortly after arriving at the airport, I was met with a stumbling block. My first flight was delayed by 3 hours and I was going to miss my connection to get to the international airport. All calmness went out the window. But God showed off and had my flights rescheduled within 15 minutes. Once I got through security, I calmed back down and enjoyed some quiet time at the gate. I was smooth sailing until I boarded the flight from JFK to Ghana. We sat on the plane for 3 hours before we actually took off due to a mechanical issue. Hello freak out/ balling session in the middle of the plane surrounded by strangers looking at me like I was crazy. But I wasn’t afraid of flying over the open water with a plane having mechanical issues. No that would have made too much sense. I was freaking out about going to Africa. Looking back, all I can do is laugh at myself. 

So before I left, especially with anxiety on full blast, I made sure to have almost every minute of every day planned. I made plans with different people so that I wouldn’t be by myself more than an hour a day. Well wouldn’t you know it that we had a lot of down time while in Ghana. I probably spent an average of 15-18 hours to myself a day. Had I known that before I left, I probably would have backed out. But God is able and the alone time was not even an issue. 

I did travel with 3 other people from Louisville, whom I had met for about an hour one week before we left. We didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, so I kept my distance. We planned our trips separately and most of our work was separate as well. Going into the trip, I viewed it as an independent mission trip. But I was wrong; I was on an amazing journey with God lead by Him. I was not alone at all. The support and encouragement from home blew me away. These envelopes were filled by those closest to me with notes of encouragement, bible verses, song lyrics, and pictures drawn by their little ones. It was a touch from home that gave me an extra push each morning to stand confidently and share the gospel.

I learned a lot while in Ghana and have prayed (and still am) about how I am supposed to implement it into my life so that I do not forget what I’ve learned.

Since returning home, I have slowed down a lot. I no longer stress about over scheduling myself and planning everything. I know that He already has it all planned out for me. I was able to walk into a village, open my bible to a story and just teach. God gave me the words I was supposed to say to each individual village. Just this weekend, my roommate has been out of town and I had a total of 3 things on my list for the whole weekend. 

There is so much more about my experience in Ghana that I would for you to ask me about. 

So I just want to say thank you for your prayers and support and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me. 

So Now What?!?

I've officially been home for a month, SO NOW WHAT?!? I have been asked this question by different people and have had to really sit with this question.

The stress of re-entry was very real for me. I had a hard time accepting that no one would fully understand my experience, even if they had been on a mission trip to the same place with the same ministry. I wanted so much for people to share those emotions with me. I now realize that I was wanting people to live like they had been to Ghana with me. The Ghanaian culture is much different than the American culture I grew up in and had become comfortable with. After returning home and still now, I have a hard time justifying spending money on "things", whether it be clothes or groceries or whatever. I find myself asking the question of "do I really NEED that?" and the answer is most often "no, I do not". The first few weeks home, I struggled to see that the God that I experienced in Ghana is the same God that I experience here.

My time in the Ghana mission field might be over, but it is not a closed chapter, rather it was one more step on my journey. God had a reason for sending me out. Mission work doesn't have to stop just because I returned from Ghana. It was not just a trip. This part of my journey may take years to fully grasp what I've learned and that is okay.




SO NOW WHAT?!? There are a few easy responses (lol). The first is that I am back at work. (Well, I was actually back to work within 14 hours of landing in Louisville.) Another is that I finally feel rested and recovered.

But when I sit with this question of NOW WHAT?!?, I ask myself a lot more questions:
-What can I do to implement what I've learned?
-Am I going to let this be just another mountain-top experience?
-Am I going to sink back into how I lived before I went and live like it never happened?
-Why is it easier to share about Jesus in Ghana than it is in America?

NOW WHAT?!? I am seeking God and listening carefully to Him. I am continuing to stretch myself out of my comfort-zone, beyond the level of faith I have now. I have been turning off my phone. I have started to say no more often (even if it is something good) because I know I need to not schedule every minute of every day like I used to do. Other than that, I am continuing to pray for discernment in what my next steps are in my job, in missions, and in life. 

I used to think that I had to look hard to stay involved while I was home from the mission field but I have come to realize that where I am right now is my current mission field. God has me in Louisville for a reason. He has me at my current job for a reason.  Those reasons may not be known to me now or ever. But He is using me right where I am. 

I think the verse that wraps all of this up nicely is Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

God in the details

God sure did like to show off in the details of every aspect of this trip.

When I was looking at flights 4 weeks before we were to leave, I was quickly met with a road block. The flight pattern of the other 3 team members from Louisville was about $1,100 more than the cheapest connections. In an effort to be resourceful, I quoted it with many different travel agencies. Each showed a similarly large price tag. I opted to make a different connection to JFK where I would meet the team to fly into Ghana. I had mixed feelings about this but knew that it was something I needed to do.

The morning of our departure (Monday August 17th) was surreal. It hadn't set in that I, Allison, was going to AFRICA!! I stood outside of the security line visiting with family and friends as long as I could. My departure time was getting closer and family left for work. With one close friend praying with me, I received a text message from the airline that my flight was delayed by 3 hours, meaning I would miss my connection to JFK. We walked back to the check-in counter. As to be expected, many businessmen who were supposed to be on that flight were disgruntled and rude. I patiently waited my turn, knowing that this was just the beginning of a great adventure God had set out for me. I walked up to the counter and talked with the representative. Within 15 minutes from when I received the text, my tickets were rebooked. Not only was I going to make it to JFK to meet the team, I was on their exact connections to JFK. Yes those same connecting flights that I didn't book in the beginning. There were 2 seats left on each of the connections that God had my name on.

As if that weren't enough, the businessman that sat next to me was a Christian. The entire flight to Detroit, we sat sharing about life and talking about Jesus. Okay God, yep I realize now that You had every intention from the beginning for me to be on that plane. He started out by asking where I was traveling. I shared that I was bound for Ghana for a missions trip. He asked how old I was and I told him. He then said that he had a daughter the same age as me who has drifted away from God and how much it hurt him. He knew that all he could do was pray. So we prayed together for his prodigal daughter. He began to encourage me in doing the work of the Lord.
Two days later (8/19), which was our first day of ministry, I was not surprised at all when I opened my bible to the parable of the lost sheep to share with the kids.  I immediately through of that business man and his daughter.

8/21- After getting rained out of village ministry for the morning, we were welcomed by 95 children in their village that afternoon. Yes 95 children with just me and a young translator. But guess what, there was no problems at all! Of course there wasn't. God wanted me to focus on the words He had me teaching and not worrying about this kid doing this and that kid doing that. They all sat in the circle listening intently on what I was saying.

8/22- We ministered in a village that only had 2 Christians (the pastor and the worship leader). After we had shared with the children, women, and men, the pastor held a midday service. Almost all of the people we talked to came for healing, but still heard about Jesus.

8/23- Despite sore throats and stomach issues among the whole team of 4, we were strengthened to help with worship services.
8/26- While waiting around at the ministry compound to leave for the airport, I grabbed a book out of my bag and started reading. Mind you, Allison does not read novels, books, etc. Within a matter of about 6 hours, I had the entire book finished. What book you may ask- God is Able by Priscilla Shirer. This is the same book that I had in my carry on for my flights to Africa but never opened. Of course, God wanted me to wait until I was wrapping up my trip to read this. The entire book was on Ephesians 3:20-21:

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

This book and these verses summarized my trip perfectly! MY words could not come close to capturing the experience but these verses do.

As I sat in the second airport awaiting my flight out of Africa, I opened another book, Aha by Kyle Idleman. By this point, I had someone sitting next to me. Judging the book she was reading by the cover, I wasn't sure where she was with Jesus. The book seemed to be of mystical sorts. I closed my book for a moment and she looked at me apologizing for bothering me and asked what my book was about. I got a little nervous, worrying about what her response would be when I started talking about Jesus. I told her and she got cold chills. She proceeded to tell me that she had seen 2 other people reading the book on her way into Africa so now I was the 3rd and maybe God was trying to tell her something. I told her a little more about the book (and Kyle's other books too). We continued to talk about what we were doing in Africa. I came to find out that her husband is a pastor and she was leaving him there for a year to start a church. It was her first time flying by herself but she was excited to get home to her sweet kiddos. We sat and talked for about an hour while waiting for our flight.

Even after coming home, God continued with the details in relation to the trip. I guess I thought I would be invincible and work the full 10 hour day the day after I got back. Well my boss blocked out her afternoon to come in and send me home early.

I know that this does not even touch everything that He did for this trip and through this trip. It is just the very top of the iceberg.

Debriefing

28 days ago today, I stepped out in faith and began my first African Adventure to Ghana. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but man oh man did God show off in the details!! Even after beating the jet lag and catching up on sleep, I still find myself struggling to put this experience into words.

In an effort to begin sharing this experience with others, I am just going to share where I am. I stumbled upon a few different debriefing articles and compiled a list of questions to process through. Here is some of the processing that has taken place already:

1. What kingdom work did I do?
I shared bible stories in various villages, trained bible club leaders on story telling, and showed the LOVE and JOY of Jesus to those around me.

2. What did I learn about myself?
I am a leader. I am confident. I am equipped. I am strong. I rely on Jesus. I am blessed. I can be used by Him. I am more than any label. I am more than depression. I am a teacher.


3. What did I learn about God?
He provides. He has big plans for my life. He knows me better than I know myself. He doesn't lead me astray. He took care of everything.

4. How were prayers answered?
Safe travels despite mechanical issues, re-booked flights with the team, patience, good health, restful sleep, ... I could go on for days :) 




5. What have I learned about God's purpose for my life?
-I am supposed to minister to children.
-I need to be more intentional with my money to be a better steward.
-I can minister to people older than me. I can still show them Jesus' love and joy and how God has worked in my life.

6/7. What changed in me during the trip? What prompted it?
-I am dependent on Jesus. This was prompted by a lot of unknowns where I had to blindly trust Him and completely rely on Him. There is no way I could have made all of it happen.
-I want to slow down and live in the moment. I do not want to rush through life and miss God in the details. This was prompted by comparing Americans to Africans. America is very fast paced and many Americans are very stressed. The Africans are laid back. They arrive somewhere when they arrive. Typically there is an hour time window ("Africa time"). At the end of the day, if I am alive and relying on God, every thing will be okay!!
-I am content with where God has me in life. This was prompted by being asked a lot if I was married since I was out of school. I don't want to wish this in-between time away. It is allowing me to have some intimate time with Jesus.
-I do not feel like I have to have everything planned or scheduled. I know He already has it planned and I trust His plans. This was prompted by being able to show up to a village, open my bible to a story, and teach. God gave me the words I was supposed to say and I wasn't stressing about having a lesson plan.

-I want to be intentional in all relationships. This was prompted by interacting with different people in Tamale. When talking with them, they are fully there talking with you. They aren't checking their phone or thinking about something else. It made me feel like a priority and I want to share that with others.

8. What was the best thing about the trip?
How can there be just one BEST thing? There was a lot of great parts. I loved seeing God show off in the details. I appreciated that I had some connection to home (via imessaging and facebook) but that it was limited- this allowed me time with Jesus on a deeper level. I enjoyed seeing those little faces smiling at me.



Something that just blew me away was when I was sharing the story of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego or the story of King Nebuchadnezzar and the image of gold. I shared the story and asked if they have faith like those 3 men? Do they truly trust God with their life? They all quickly said yes. I stood there second guessing their answer and pressed on. I told them that if I was being honest, the answer is no even though it's something I am working towards. I then asked what their fiery furnace was that God was walking with them through. They proceeded to blow my mind when they shared their heartaches and that they wholeheartedly trusted Jesus.

9. What was the hardest part about the trip?
The hardest part was coming back home. There were some things that were hard while there but God is good and He is bigger than any of those things.



Like I said, I am still processing and getting words together. I will continue to share various aspects of the trip and stories of how God worked.

"Every day can be a mission trip. God is up to something big in your life. All you have to do is follow Him. Remind yourself daily to live out the mission that God has placed in front of you" (from preparemymission.com).