the missions trip to yeji!

hi people! so i mentioned sometime back that i got the chance to go for a local missions trip to yeji in the brong ahafo region of Ghana in february. it was organsied by the ministry i serve with called teens aloud foundation.

we set off from accra late in the night from my old university campus on  on 23rd february. it was a very loooong drive. we had to pick our members from the other university campuses (Kwame Nkrumah uni of science and tech //KNUST//, uni of energy and natural resources //UENR//etc).
so we got here the next morning. and right away we dispatched in groups and went for junior high school outreach (j-reach) in several schools in the town.

here's a little recap of the missions. twas an amazing time with children and young people. this is going to be mostly photos. ;)

 junior high school outreach at citizen int school :)

 ice breakers// doing the banana dance ;)

 

 the students trying out the banana dance :D

 i think i was pulling someone's leg about the dance ;)

 we're dancing! yaaayyy! :D

 time for the sermon. i shared my slightly thick passion story heheheh ;)

the key text was based on 2 timothy 2:22 "Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

 we shared "shine magazine," a magazine designed for young people filled with devotionals, puzzles and fun, fun, stuff that's geared towards helping the nurturing process of their spiritual growth.

 having fun taking dozens and dozens of photos with the students with their copies of the shine magazine. :)

 

 of course, i couldn't leave without hanging with the sweet little children i befriended there and give them bear hugs. hihihih

 with my fellow missionaries walking through the market place in the town on our way for SOS (Sermon on the Sofa) to minister to senior high school students.

 playing ampe with girlsss :)// yes, yes, that's me in flight. heheheh

 marching through the town during the Jesus March to crown Him Lord over Yeji! :D

 

 our final stop at the bank of the volta river on 26th February, our last full day. hanging with wilma and alex!

hanging with dessy, gould, joseph and another awesome missionary. :)

 my friennnd!

 so i borrowed her bike, trying to test to see if i could still ride a bike cos it's been forever since i rode one. the last time i did was way back in junior high. bwahahaha!

oh you know, taking a photo with the bike that i actually couldn't ride cos my riding skills have gotten so, so rusty. :P

 the evening we were leaving. 

we took this after i spent some time chatting with them and making them laugh their heads off. kwakwakwa! laughter is good for the soul i hear. :D

i miss allll my kidssss. :( they bring me so much joy. :D

 

 baring our teeth in the pitch dark cos we're excited missionaries!

 alright guys, i hope you've been inspired to go out there and serve cos you've been saved to serve! ask the Lord where He would want you to go and follow His leading!

xoxo, delali.

 

soulful hymns// hark, the voice of Jesus calling!

heya! i'd like to introduce a new line of songs i'd be blogging about. guesssss!!!!

hymns!!! :D i grew up mostly catholic and got to learn and sing a lot of hymns plus i went to an all-girls catholic senior high school too. but well, with time i grew out of being catholic. i guess i desired something more, not to mention that i had a tad load of excuses to give not to go for mass on sundays especially during vacation times from school. a great deal of my sundays during my university life was my laundry time and watching unnecessary tv series + movies. 

lemme pause on this bit of the story and tell you about "why hymns?" considering it's 1:22 am and i awfully need me some beauty sleep.

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so the long and short of my story about hymns is that, i sang them alright in church, but i didn't ever bother to actually hunt them down, learn the lyrics and collect them on my playlist. i found them too slow and well sometimes 'boring'

but these days, i've been pondering on how Father says in His love letters to us that we need to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to encourage ourselves. actually, all the 3 worship camps at which i recently served as one of the camp ministers had ephesians 5:18-19 as the key scripture. 

and i'm being reminded how hymns actually have deep meaning to their words. and you know ya girl, she likes deep. ;) i find the words of hymns carrying so much depth, so much weight. the depth that actually moves you to think some more on eternity and Jesus and the meaning of the lives we are living on this fleeting earth. this depth obviously comes from some of the difficult personal experiences of the composers. 

and this hymn...hark the voice of Jesus calling...there's just something about it. i came across it twice last month on 1st december and the second time a few days after that. the first encounter was when after going back to facebook after 3 years of deactivating my facebook account, i saw it on a friend's facebook wall. i didn't know why then, but the words meant something more to me than mere lyrics and i read each line with intrigue. 

the second encounter with this hymn was a few days after the first encounter. when i realized it was the same hymn that intrigued me on my friend's FB wall i went like, this hymn again! i shook my head in quiet disbelief but somehow smiled too. as i sang it with some lovely humans after a much convicting message about missions and missionaries, i just knew God was talking to me. as i sang this beautiful and compelling hymn, i couldn't withhold the tears. they flowed down unhindered and i wasn't in the least ashamed. i let them flow as Jesus was tugging at my heart yet again about what He had been telling me way back in 2013 before i actually went on a missions trip to south africa and swaziland about serving Him in ministry as a missionary. i just knew encountering this soul stirring hymn on both occasions wasn't some coincidence. (i'll fill you guys in on more details about the call Jesus has on my life to be a missionary + teacher).

so as i offer this hymn to you, as i share the richness of its lines with you, i hope it somehow moves you to ask Father what He wants you to do about its message, should you go for a short term missions trip? has He called you to be a full time missionary? ask Him, talk it over with Him. in matthew 28:19 Jesus says we should GO and make disciples of all nations. every Christian is a default missionary wherever they find themselves. 

there's just something about soulful hymns. really, there is.

enjoy this lovely goodness. :)

Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling// Daniel March

Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, 

"Who will go and work today?

Fields are white and harvests waiting,

Who will bear the sheaves away?"

Loud and long the master calls you;

Rich reward He offers free.

Who will answer, gladly saying,

"Here am I. Send me, send me"?

If you cannot speak like angels,

If you cannot preach like Paul,

You can tell the love of Jesus;

You can say He died for all.

If you cannot rouse the wicked

With the judgment’s dread alarms,

You can lead the little children 

To the Savior’s waiting arms.

If you cannot be a watchman,

Standing high on Zion’s wall,

Pointing out the path to heaven,

Offering life and peace to all,

With your prayers and with your bounties

You can do what God demands;

You can be like faithful Aaron, 

Holding up the prophet’s hands.

Let none hear you idly saying,

"There is nothing I can do,"

While the multitudes are dying

And the master calls for you.

Take the task He gives you gladly;

Let His work your pleasure be.

Answer quickly when He calls you,

"Here am I. Send me, send me!"

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”// Isaiah 6:8

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." // Matthew 9: 35-38 

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. // ephesians 5:18-19

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." // colossians 3:16

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose." // acts 16:25-26

singing hymns is a very powerful tool against the enemy. it causes miracles, it helps me to dwell and ponder on Jesus some more and on things that actually matter on this side of heaven.

I hope this hymn means something deep to you after sticking it out with me, reading all my words above. i promise, i didn't mean to write so much, it just kinda happened. ;)

well, so Jesus desires for us, His children and friends to obey Him and share His gift of eternal salvation with others. you are a default missionary where you are. what is your response? 

xoxo, 

gen delali.

music monday// the lost get found

I've been called as a Christ follower to reach out to the destitute around me, and most importantly to share the Good News of Christ with them. I know this very well, and yet it’s sometimes real hard to look beyond the personal issues I may be going through. I can get so consumed with problems I face that reaching out seems quite an arduous task.

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Sometimes I would like to have my life perfect before bothering to reach out, but Holy Spirit convicts me and gently reminds me that rain or shine, troubles free or not, my duty as a child of God redeemed by Christ is to be the light, reflecting Christ’s light for someone, somewhere. It can’t be all about me all the time.

the lost get found~ britt nicole

Hello my friend, I remember when you were so alive

With your eyes to the light

that you had when your heart was stolen.

Now you say that it ain’t worth stayin’

You wanna run but you’re hesitatin’

I’m talking to me.

Don’t let your lights go down

Don’t let your fire burn out

Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe.

Why don’t you rise up now?

Don’t be afraid to stand-ou-ou-out

That’s how the lost get fou-ou-ound

The lost get fou-ou-ound.

So when you get the chance,

Are you gonna take it?

There’s a really big world at your fingertips

And you know you have the chance to change it.

There’s a girl on the streets, she’s crying

There’s a man whose faith is dying.

Love is calling you-oo-oo

Why do we go with the flow?

Why take the easier road?

Why are we playing it safe?

Love came to show us the way

Love is a chance we should take

I’m moving out of the gray

“then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ and I said, ‘here am i. send me!’ Isaiah 6:8

“…woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward…” 1 corinthians 9:16-17

“you are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

“therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

“speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9

“do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

“therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 corinthians 15:58

matthew 24:12-13  says, “because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Has your love to reach out to the world around you grown cold? You may be the only hope for someone to get the chance to know/hear the Gospel and be saved. As you reach out to others, watch God reach out to you in your personal circumstances. Keep your light burning.

xoxo, gen delali.

Lessons Learnt, Lord

Hello, hello! So I’m back from camp. Well, I have for some days now. I’ve just been taking some time off to really rest. Rest. A word I didn’t get to experience at camp. LOL Everyday was so packed with activities. 

                                                                                   

One word to describe the whole experience for me is ‘challenging’. Why? You may ask. First off, I had to share a small room with soooo many people. There was barely space to move, it was crazy and I had to wait forever to have my turn in the shower. Sleeping extremely late and waking up so early at dawn was just not my style and it made me feel so grumpy in the early part of the day. There were days we had to fast from 6am till 6pm. That part wasn’t easy too. The latest I fast is till 3pm. I wouldn’t deny that it was a struggle for me. I had so many I-didnt-sign-up-for-this moments. Oh, and I had to be social with a gazillion new people. It was a bit too much for me but camp had its good side though.

                                                                  

The parts I enjoyed were the teaching parts. I learnt so much and got lots of encouragement. I was reminded of the great sacrifices I need to make for my Jesus- my time, effort, money, my whole life. I mean the Guy laid down His life for me, doesn’t He deserve my all? Whenever I felt camp was going downhill for me, I remembered this great sacrifice done on the Cross for me, and how I need to sacrifice my sleep, comfort and energy.

We had some great speakers who shared about how they personally sacrificed their personal careers to answer to the call of ministry. Learning about the huge sacrifices the martyrs did just to bring the Good News to Africa was eye opening and inspiring. Like they knew they would die out here cos of malaria but they still came. They knew the persecutions they would face but still they set out on the mission to bring the saving knowledge of Christ to people they didn’t even know...at the very peril of their lives. Shows how important it is for me and every Christ follower to also go forth to the nations and share Jesus. I learnt that a true follower of Christ cares about the souls of those who have not accepted Christ as their only Savior, and that means I have to sacrifice my vacation, my comfort, my money and all of me to go out there on a Kingdom Mission.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”” Matthew 28:18-20

                                                                  

 I also enjoyed the cookout we had and the sports evangelism bit (maybe cos my team won the games. Heheh.Go Team Faith!) I learnt about so many reasons why I shouldn’t date or marry an unbeliever. Yes, no matter how attracted I feel to a cute guy who seems good but not a Christ follower, it’s a no-no. The person I get married to is to help me walk in the purpose of God’s plan for me and vice versa. If the person doesn’t share my beliefs, which form the foundation and pillars of my life, that relationship will be a disaster, it’ll wreck the purpose of my life.

“Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14

I went to this camp expectant of God’s direction and boy, He sure doesn’t disappoint. God spoke to me through a good number of prophecies almost each day of camp. I’ve journaled each of them, waiting and trusting God to see each manifest. But of course, it requires my diligence, prayers and carrying through my side of the deal. God was moving and at work. He still is. :)

I learnt the hard way that I can’t let my introvertedness get in the way of pursuing God and His purpose for me. I’m learning how to be a sweet quiet spirit, and not a bottled up quiet spirit in the midst of lots of unfamiliar people. I’m learning to smile some more no matter the anguish coursing through me.

I’m learning how to bear shame and surrender the dignity of nature, knowing that whenever I suffer shame, I gain strength. My choice to follow Christ and live for Him may look very foolish now, but I know the rewards that await me in eternity. My time on earth is for sowing, reaping is for eternity.

I’m learning that the love of God must and should constrain me. It must constrain me to continually die to self and keep loving others even when the pain they’ve caused is just too real. It must constrain me from enjoying the ‘pleasures’ of this life that only leads to eternal destruction. The love of God was what made Him sacrifice His only begotten son to die for my sins, our sins. Jesus died for me and now, I live for Him. I live to respect and obey His authority. It’s the least I can do, really.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to Life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13,14

I forged some really cool Godly friendships too. I met ladies and guys who are desperately chasing after God’s heart. I don’t see that often these days. I see lots of lukewarm Christians. Note to self: there are still Godly guys (cute ones too) out there, don’t be disheartened. Wait on the Lord. :) 

                                                                   

 

So, are you learning the lessons the Lord needs you to learn as He takes you through the chapters of your life? Or are you feeling so comfortable where you are, ignoring His cues? We need to learn the lessons, hard as they may be. We need them to refine us and be well equipped for our daily battles as Christ followers. I’m taking these lessons along as I go forth, giving hope to the least of us and living for my Jesus. xoxo 

Delali.