Travel Expenses

Post written by JD (she is just... much more eloquent than I am)

"You're all done! That is so great!"

I've heard this quite a few times in the last few weeks, understandably. Yes, God has fully provided for the school construction. The funds have been raised through tremendous support from all over the globe. Although there were administrative costs to raising the funds, we covered them, and the full $30,000 has been provided.

And yes, it is indeed great -- we rejoice in that with you, all who have supported...

... but we can not rest.

The estimates arrived yesterday from Touch A Life Foundation for the in-country travel expenses.

They estimate that we will need roughly $1200 per person for our transportation, lodging and meals. Transportation may very well be the most expensive cost, as it takes all day to travel to/from the Lake Volta area.

It's more than we anticipated.

This is above and beyond what we've already paid for visitor visas, vaccinations etc, and does not include the cost of the Compassion visits. Those costs are covered by the sponsor so as not to take away financially from Compassion's ministry, which I applaud and appreciate.

There are four of us going.... Debra, Tia, myself, and my 13 year old son Joshua.

Together, we have a little more than $2500 for travel costs.

That leaves a seemingly impossible $2300+ to raise in less than a week.

May I confess? While I had sun stand still faith that we would raise the funds for the school, yesterday, I struggled with the faith that the remaining $2300 will be raised in time. All I could do yesterday afternoon when we received the estimate was think of the 2 photo sessions I'm doing this weekend, the fundraiser at church on Sunday morning, and ask myself "Will that be anywhere near enough?"

I know... I know GOD alone is enough, and that work of my hands can not provide as well as He can, and that we simply must trust -- it IS as simple as that... but in those moments yesterday, I had to borrow from Debra and Tia's faith to find peace.

I'm still learning, growing right along with you.

This morning, my strength is renewed, my faith refreshed.

I do understand that we didn't know how God would provide for the school in such a short amount of time, after all, we were still at 12% in mid-September. And yet He did, in ways only He could.

We're back in that boat.

We don't know how He will provide for the travel expenses in such a short amount of time. We don't need to know in order to know that He can -- we know He can.

We just need to trust that He will and rest in Him as we do what we can to rest in preparation for our time in Ghana.

It's as simple as that.

A smidge more fundraising

We leave in a week! Woot :) I am putting out a call for my friends and family to make a donation if you haven't yet and would like to. I am still raising money for my in country travel expenses (as are my friends) and we need YOUR help to get there. Wealthy, I am not! Blessed with awesome family and friends, well I got that one down :) You can make a donation on the right using the paypal button or you can contact me to make a donation. This money will be used for transportation, food and lodging while we are in Ghana. Thanks for your all your prayers and support. Keep them coming!

Achieving Potential

One thing that slavery does a good job of is... taking away a persons potential. Especially if it robs them of their childhood! Being bound to someone and not allowed to explore your talents and skills is one of the awful consequences of trafficking. Being exposed to violence, extreme poverty, and cruel work environments is enough to break a persons spirit, no doubt about it. It is taking something away from a person that they should be allowed to experience. You are taking a way a person's potential by owning them and forcing them to work. 

I was thinking about this today when I saw a video of a 9 year old boy singing on a talent show. His name is Jotta A (Jotta Ah) and he is brilliant and beautiful and vibrant and using his voice to bring joy to people and glory to God. 

Oh my goodness, isn't he the most beautiful little boy? Love his curls :P This is a child being allowed to reach his potential! Whether he was singing in this competition or not, his love for music and performance is being encouraged and his skills bettered. 

How can children develop their passions being sold onto a lake and forced to work 16 hr days with little food and no childhood? Yep, I understand you will say to me but there are some who have. For everyone one you show me who has, I will show you 500 who haven't. Because study after study shows that people need to be loved and nurtured and taught compassion and respect to have those capacities as adults. They need to be exposed to various experiences to find their talents and potential. They need education. These are basic rights we are talking about being stripped from people. From peoples children, from communities future Potential leaders, teachers, and doctors. How can we, as a world society, continue to let this happen? If we want peace, if we want to end poverty and hunger, if we want people to have a legitimate chance in life... we have to fight trafficking. If we have compassion in our hearts and can even minimally identify God's love for humanity... we have to uncover trafficking for what it is: SLAVERY!

Please find a way to do your part in fighting modern day slavery. There area  million and 4 ways to get involved! The only wrong choice is to act like it doesn't happen since it doesn't affect you personally and daily. 

Please consider finding an organization that you believe in and supporting it any way that you can. Teach your children and loved ones about poverty, slavery and human suffering. Get them involved in projects with you. The world will become a better place because of it.

Because honestly a child should never look like this:

We all KNOW this and now we all need to act on it. The worlds children are our children and our future. 

If you can spare a few bucks, we are still collecting money for in country travel expenses for our trip to Ghana. Every little bit helps us to get to Ghana and help the children we meet.

$30,000 and beyond

Today we officially reached 100% of the fund raising for the school in Ghana. JD had the honor of accepting the finish line crossing donation this morning. Here are her words:

I just arrived home from going to the Glen Falls school here in Saint John... one of the poorest schools in our city... where the children, led by their awesome teacher (a woman from my church), pledged to raise 1% of our goal. When someone from the community heard about their initiative, they offered to match whatever they raised up to $300 (also 1%).

As you know, we were currently at 98%...

Were. Past tense.


The Glen Falls school kids were honored and thrilled to help us reach across the finish line this morning... we are now officially at 100%!!!


We still need a few more donations to cover our in-country travel expenses, but are confident that God will continue to provide as He will finish what he has begun.

Posted by Tia. Can you tell I am tired today?! Ha, can't even write my own posts anymore :P

Praising God for what He has done and what is yet to be done!

Not My Life Trailer

Over 50% of trafficked people are children. This documentary is aiming to bring awareness to the world about modern day slavery. We call it trafficking but that is a euphemism to make us not feel the impact. It is slavery and it is wrong. Be a part of the solution!

This documentary features Lake Volta and Brother George Achibra and the work being done on the Lake to rescue children.

Article online

The News-Gazette article is now online if you want to read it. Thanks Meg for giving me the opportunity to spread word about what we are doing to the community! You did a great job representing the information I gave to you.

School Fund and thanks

Hey all you lovely people!
I just wanted to point out that we are quite nearly to the $30,000 mark which will completely fund the building of a new school at The Village of Life! Check out the thermometer on the right to see just how close we are. God is good! Blowing our minds all the time and surprising me in amazing ways :)

I encourage you to donate if you can because every dollar donated is being matched by a donor at Touch a Life foundation! And every penny above and beyond the fundraising goal will still go to The Village of Life to help provide them with anything they may need right now.

I removed the chip in button BUT you can donate to my travel expenses account. Just make sure that you indicate if you would like the funds to go to my travel expenses or to the School fund and I will distribute the money properly.

That being said... our whole team is still fundraising for in country travel expenses and for me, medical expenses that my insurance won't cover (yay malaria meds and vaccinations).

Lastly I want to thank EVERYONE who has participated in any way in this trip. Donors of money and items for the auction, prayer warriors, mojo senders, children donating their soccer balls and spare change. This whole experience has taught me so much about the good in humanity. And I am very blessed to be part of it all. So from Tia, JD, Joshua and me... Thank you, thank you, thank you!