No problem

After expressing my disappointment to Charles, Fredericka and Kassim that we wouldn't be seeing them here yet, I get an e-mail from Kassim with the re line "NO PROBLEM."  He says "The future is in the hands of our maker. He knows the best for us... So although not too happy, I take solace in it."  So should I tell him we're fighting for this?  If this doesn't reveal the difference in our cultures...

Peter Culyer and John-Mark are meeting with our MP, Patrick Brown, on Wednesday.  We hope to try again for an October visit.  We'll beef up our file with the visa office with supporting documents from the head office, perhaps the Free Methodist World Mission.  Heck, I'll print off and send my whole blog if it'll help!  Then the file will be really beefy... or make that a little bit beefy with lots of filler if I'm honest about it.

Till I received Kassim's e-mail, I was bemoaning all the things we would be doing if they were here.  Saturday was supposed to be the picnic with the Board, today we would have been meeting with the Bishop, Serendipity Princess Cruise on Saturday, freaking out on the CN Tower glass floor next week, etc. 

Most plans have gone by the wayside, but this Thursday, at Family Camp, J-M and I are stepping in to present the Ghana mission in Charles' absence.  I'd think that would be disappointing for most people because to hear Charles speak - a born and bred Ghanaian with passion for the gospel and charisma to boot - is to be inspired and, darn it, they have us instead.  Maybe if I dress in bright colours people won't notice.

But do come if you're around.  We have some interesting stories to tell.  And, hello, SLIDESHOW.  If that doesn't convince you, you might be interested in the swimming pool at the campgrounds? 

Hope to see you there!

But the apostle Paul never required a visa

Our Ghanaian friends' visitor visas were denied once and for all.  They will not be coming to Canada.  At least not yet.  I am grateful for everyone's encouraging messages reminding me of God's perfect timing (I plan on passing the same encouragement on to Pastor Charles and co.). 

One friend reminded me of how the Apostle Paul's plans didn't turn out and how he was arrested, shipwrecked, and all kinds of fun stuff, but God had a reason for all of it.

My first response? Lucky Paul, he didn't have to deal with bureaucracy. 

But then, think about it, Paul totally dealt with bureacracy.  If you read about him in the book of Acts, you'll see that he, in fact, WORKED the system.  Sure he was arrested, but he threw his weight around making sure that his captors knew he was a Roman citizen.  Hello!  Were they aware of who they were flogging?  He challenged the Sanhedrin that their accusations against him had to do with questions about their own law.  Then instead of shutting up and accepting his freedom, Paul demanded to appeal to Caesar.

So this is where I am on this: it's time to challenge the system. 

I wrote a friend who works for an international organization to ask for her help.  She brings over Ghanaian workers and students to Canada often.  I asked her if she'd ever had any problems with visitor visas.  She said she has never had any issues with the woman and students, but she has been trying for three years to bring over a pastor despite the fact that their organization has provided the same documents of support as they do for the woman and students.

Peter says that he still reserves hope to have our Ghanaian visitors here in the near future.   He had an interesting conversation with the visa officer which revealed that Pastor Charles was turned down because he is a pastor.  It would seem that his vocation is not well-regarded.  (The conversation about the status/reputation of pastors in Ghana would best be left for another post.)  We have legitimate international organizations agreeing to support these visitors, and yet the applicants' title of "pastor" trumps all other evidence, despite its credibility. 

Peter's conversation with the visa officer is not over.  We have to bulk up our application and try again.  We have to question the Sanhedrin High Commission about their own law.  We will not shut up.  We are appealing to Caesar.

Ask, seek and knock for visas

Last Sunday our very own Pastor Rick spoke on persistent prayer from Matthew 7:7: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  He defined the three terms of prayer as follows (taken straight from the sermon notes):

Asking - openly coming before our Heavenly Father with requests

Seeking - asking, plus effort

Knocking - asking, plus effort, plus persistence

I think it's safe to say we are at the knocking phase for this visa dilemma. 

It looks like our efforts are producing some results in that the High Commission in Ghana has agreed to hear us out.  A step in the right direction.  We are now praying that this Very Important Phone Call between the visa officer and Peter Culyer (or John-Mark as the case may be) will take place within the next day or two as we are down to the wire.  We are also praying that our words will be well-received.

With just a week till departure date, our knocking continues!

Bead Aid Stand

I started this post a couple days ago, but it was seriously turning into a book... or an idea for a book.  It was all about African aid and kind of heavy and stuff.  It was too long and making my head hurt.  So I saved it under "later" and will probably never look at it again.

But I still have to tell part of the story.  It the start of a discussion, which I plan on processing/developing sooner than "later."

On Friday, my daughters decided to do a sidewalk stand a la lemonade, except with Ghanaian beads.  They have been begging me to go to Canada's Wonderland and are tired of hearing me tell them, Do you know how expensive it is?  The jewellery stand was the best way to shut me up.

They worked really hard to make bracelets and suncatchers and organize it, including signs and price tags.  Then they dressed the part in their Ghanaian clothes.  The response to their mini-business was great and people stopped in just to buy a piece of adorable. 

What about this triggered my writing a novel?  Well, when people read the sign, particularly the "African" part, and then found out that the beads were actually from Ghana, they'd ask, "So what's the cause you're raising money for?"

"Ummmm.... Canada's Wonderland?"

[Click here to read more...]

Fasting and praying with other believers helps even more

We had a big response from people willing to spend the day fasting and praying for the Ghana Partnership yesterday, but due to the nature of the last minute invitation and the long weekend, among other legitimate reasons, it was down to four of us who got together to pray as a group.  (Thank you to those who participated both in body and spirit!)

That's when I got a proper perspective.  Peter Culyer, our missions director, had made contact so quickly yesterday with a real live person at the High Commission that his wife, Maria, pointed out that it was supernatural, perhaps an answer to our prayers.  During the course of the evening, after we broke our fast with a lovely meal, we talked about the microfinance program and how it has taken off and is a "success."  We talked more about Ghana and how we saw progress there; more than the advancement of projects, we saw hope of Christ in people's lives. 

You know, as I have come back to Canada and returned to my home culture with a new perspective, I have felt overwhelmed with the lack of hope here. Maybe even moreso than when I first went to Ghana.  It shocked me to see my culture who is for the most part living without God, who doesn't seem to feel the need for God, who is even trying to deconvert people from their belief in God.  As a whole, things look pretty grim over here, but when I meet and pray with like-minded people who have committed themselves to following Christ and loving others, the hope burns bright. 

I must spend my time this way to see where God resides and is at work.  It was true in Ghana, it's also true here.