Ghana Project
Donation protected
Hey all!
For those of you who don’t yet know, I recently graduated from York College and have been working as a barista while I toss some ideas around for what’s next. This last year of my life has taken me in the direction of a lot of incredible changes, and I’m excited to see what God has in store.
When I graduated high school, I knew I needed to find a deep meaning in whatever I ended up doing. My time at York has been so wonderful; I am so grateful for the relationships I have been able to develop here. However, I know that my time in York is also drawing to a close, and for the last ten months, I have been praying for an opportunity to let go of the life I have been comfortable with and become ”one of the least of these”. I kept turning to Isaiah 58, when God is addressing the issue of true fasting with his people. In verse 6, he says this:
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
I came back to this over and over, and every time, it lit a fire in me. But I wasn’t finding a good opportunity to burn. Then a few months ago, my sweet friend Katey Cox urged me to get in touch with Clint and Hailey Askins and their ministry with Mercy Project.
So, I am thrilled to say that after many months of praying and contemplating, I will be heading to Ghana in January of 2016 to serve with Mercy Project! In case you’re not familiar, Mercy Project is an organization in rural Ghana devoted to rescuing and restoring children, who have become subject to child slavery, through the establishment of community relationships and the grace of Jesus. Mercy workers begin by building good relationships with the fishermen, and then work with them to find better technological ways to fish, in order to eliminate the need for child labor. When the children are freed, they are able to recover in the care of a Mercy Project rehabilitation center, and eventually be reintegrated with their families and receive an education.
You can check out their link here to learn more about the work they are doing for the Kingdom! http://mercyproject.net/
I'll be involved in various parts of this process, visiting different communities, families, and partner villages, spending time with the kids, and potentially even a rescue. This is a very exciting opportunity to follow the footsteps of Jesus!
However, this is something I cannot do on my own. I’m asking for your support, both spiritual and financial, to help me on this journey. Above all else, I ask that you would please be prayerful!! Over both Mercy Project and my upcoming journey to work with them, and for the kids that are in the process of being freed.
As far as costs are concerned, here’s a quick layout of the money I need to raise-
I'll be in Ghana for about 2-3 months, so a few of the major costs I need to cover would be in-country transportation, a visa, meals, and especially plane tickets (probably the majority of the funds). I'm looking to raise $3000. Because airfare is the bulk of the cost, and I leave in January, my goal is to have this raised by December 1st. So! Anything helps! Let me know if you have any questions about Ghana, Mercy Project, what I'll be doing with them, or the fundraising process!
A little bit of info about Ghana, in case you're not sure where exactly that is-
Ghana rests in West Africa between Togo and the Ivory Coast. Home to over 25 million people, Ghana boasts a stable, independent democracy. Lake Volta, which rests just above the equator, is located entirely within Ghana and is the central grounds for Mercy Project's operation. One of the largest artificial lakes in the world, Lake Volta was created through the flooding of the Akosombo dam, displacing thousands of Ghanaians in the process. It's estimated that there at least 7,000 child slaves working in the fishing industry of Lake Volta.
This is truly an incredible ministry, and I am so very honored to be a part of it. I hope you'll join me on this journey!
For those of you who don’t yet know, I recently graduated from York College and have been working as a barista while I toss some ideas around for what’s next. This last year of my life has taken me in the direction of a lot of incredible changes, and I’m excited to see what God has in store.
When I graduated high school, I knew I needed to find a deep meaning in whatever I ended up doing. My time at York has been so wonderful; I am so grateful for the relationships I have been able to develop here. However, I know that my time in York is also drawing to a close, and for the last ten months, I have been praying for an opportunity to let go of the life I have been comfortable with and become ”one of the least of these”. I kept turning to Isaiah 58, when God is addressing the issue of true fasting with his people. In verse 6, he says this:
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
I came back to this over and over, and every time, it lit a fire in me. But I wasn’t finding a good opportunity to burn. Then a few months ago, my sweet friend Katey Cox urged me to get in touch with Clint and Hailey Askins and their ministry with Mercy Project.
So, I am thrilled to say that after many months of praying and contemplating, I will be heading to Ghana in January of 2016 to serve with Mercy Project! In case you’re not familiar, Mercy Project is an organization in rural Ghana devoted to rescuing and restoring children, who have become subject to child slavery, through the establishment of community relationships and the grace of Jesus. Mercy workers begin by building good relationships with the fishermen, and then work with them to find better technological ways to fish, in order to eliminate the need for child labor. When the children are freed, they are able to recover in the care of a Mercy Project rehabilitation center, and eventually be reintegrated with their families and receive an education.
You can check out their link here to learn more about the work they are doing for the Kingdom! http://mercyproject.net/
I'll be involved in various parts of this process, visiting different communities, families, and partner villages, spending time with the kids, and potentially even a rescue. This is a very exciting opportunity to follow the footsteps of Jesus!
However, this is something I cannot do on my own. I’m asking for your support, both spiritual and financial, to help me on this journey. Above all else, I ask that you would please be prayerful!! Over both Mercy Project and my upcoming journey to work with them, and for the kids that are in the process of being freed.
As far as costs are concerned, here’s a quick layout of the money I need to raise-
I'll be in Ghana for about 2-3 months, so a few of the major costs I need to cover would be in-country transportation, a visa, meals, and especially plane tickets (probably the majority of the funds). I'm looking to raise $3000. Because airfare is the bulk of the cost, and I leave in January, my goal is to have this raised by December 1st. So! Anything helps! Let me know if you have any questions about Ghana, Mercy Project, what I'll be doing with them, or the fundraising process!
A little bit of info about Ghana, in case you're not sure where exactly that is-
Ghana rests in West Africa between Togo and the Ivory Coast. Home to over 25 million people, Ghana boasts a stable, independent democracy. Lake Volta, which rests just above the equator, is located entirely within Ghana and is the central grounds for Mercy Project's operation. One of the largest artificial lakes in the world, Lake Volta was created through the flooding of the Akosombo dam, displacing thousands of Ghanaians in the process. It's estimated that there at least 7,000 child slaves working in the fishing industry of Lake Volta.
This is truly an incredible ministry, and I am so very honored to be a part of it. I hope you'll join me on this journey!
Organizer
Karlie Kae
Organizer
York, NE