catch up

i always enjoy going to the north because it's country land. i am from mississippi. you can take me out of mississippi but i still like a little country backwoods every now and then. being able to see wide open land greener than i've ever seen was a blessing. however it was also compassion awakening visiting families who had lost most everything. Ruby, the SIM director wrote a wonderful sinopsis about our time walking around the Chiana/Sandama area talking to those who have been affected by the flooding. so i'm posting that at the bottom of my post. it's quite amazing to hear people praising the Lord after they've lost everything but praising Him because no one was hurt, or they were able to remove most of their items out before rooms collapsed.

We traveled around the Navrongo/Sandema/Chiana area for those who know Ghana and most of the people we saw were in areas where the Bible Church of Africa is active. BCA was started by SIM, serving in mission, missionaries way back when and now BCA is independent but partners with SIM in various ways. Since the devestation is broad SIM is working with their partner church to distribute aid. We were taken around by several leaders within the BCA. Some not directly affected by the flooding, their home intact, took three days off to walk with us village after village interviewing families. When I asked Frances Kupoe, the Vice President of BCA why he wanted to help raise awareness he said, "because these are my people. i love these people and they shouldn't have to suffer like this." As I watched Ruby interacting with the BCA leaders she's known for years and reveres professionally and loves like family I realized her heart is still among these people. She lived in Chiana for over 25 years and understands the law of harvest and what the flooding means short and long term.

Living through Katrina and watching how a country comes together in a time of crisis can make you almost numb. I personally have seen the Lord grow compassion in my heart. Unfortunately it takes me a while to react to devestation. I have tons of anxiety about helping but then somewhere between almost overflowing with a desire to help and actually doing something to help...my anxiety gets lost and I tend not to do anything. Sometimes from a lack of understanding where to begin. As I interviewed people with Ruby and walked around house to house I got more and more overwhlemed with how these people are going to recieve the help they need. I'm working on editing together the video to tell stories about those who were affected and it too is overwhelming because of the amounts of footage. So I think our part, as tiny as it might seem is to really be in prayer for the people who have to organize these relief efforts so that people who are needy actually get the aid. It's a complex problem because it's not just flooding and lost of food, it's housing, crops, cash crops, food, and cost to rebuild...please read Ruby's letter as she succently makes some great points! And be on the look out for the video of the north, it's coming, God willing :)

I do want to say one other tid bit- After gathering footage for the flooding video Ruby and Sherri dropped me off in Wa where I stayed with John and Bess Russell. They have been in ghana a little over two years and live in an area where most Methodist Pastors with the Methodist Church Ghana don't even want to go. The pastors who serve up north have a hard time because the schools aren't good, the pay isn't consistent because people don't make much money and the climate is tougher. Spending a week watching them do what is on their heart was interesting and I learned a good deal. They have really payed attention during misisonary training and are truly trying to live with people and understand them. Both John and Bess have huge hearts for people in their area ...take a look at their video on the youtube link! Oh and if you ever want to rag John through email he's an Auburn fan and while i was staying with them State beat Auburn...yes!

RUBY"S LETTER after our visit to the North

Disaster strikes suddenly and often without warning. Who would have predicted the flooding in northern Ghana, a land that over the last few years has barely received enough rains to maintain a good harvest? When disaster strikes the most common question is why did God allow this to happen to us?

This was the question I expected to hear on my recent trip to the north to see first hand the devastation and destruction brought on by the recent flooding. Instead I was asked a totally different question. What did we do to God? The different questions shows the different perspective people have of God. One says the problem is God’s fault and the other says no it is our own fault. I wonder what your perspective is.

It is hard to write about all we saw and heard. People’s stories are sad with many losing almost everything they own. Yet of all of the people I talked to, not one of them questioned God or what he was doing. Many of them in telling their story of the loss of rooms, possessions, animals and crops said, "we thank God no one was hurt". I talked to one family who said they were sitting in their own rooms next to their son’s room and all of a sudden, they heard a big whoosh and thud. They went to see what had happened and saw that their son’s two rooms that he had just finished a few months ago had fallen down. The zinc roof was intact but it was completely flat on the ground. But their response was, “we thank God because none of their possessions were spoiled, only the rooms”.

Another story was of a young farmer weeding his crops in the bush next to a small stream. While he was bending over to weed, he heard a rushing sound. He stopped, weeding, looked up to investigate but could not see anything and so he bent to continue his farming. This time the noise was even louder and when he raised his head again he saw a rushing wall of water coming towards him. He dropped everything and ran to a nearby tree, climbed it and remained there several hours before the water subsided and he was safe again.

I talked to a pastor’s family who had lost all their rooms and were living in the church close to their house. Another pastor had lost all of his rooms except for one small room where they have put their things and where they sleep at night. If it rains they have to all sit up in order for them to fit into the small room. As we saw building after building that was completely destroyed or made dangerous because they could fall at any time, my thoughts were, how will these people make it? How can they rebuild everything again?

We made this trip to evaluate the situation and to sympathize with people over their tragedy. The disaster is so immense that it is hard to put figures to the number of people affected and the number of houses that have fallen. God worked in a wonderful and marvelous way for this trip to include an experienced video/photographer to accompany us. She is making a video that will show the devastation and the terrible plight of many people in the three northern regions.

The need is great and the extent of the need includes many people, estimates range from 10,000 - 40,000 people, but I suspect that the number is much higher. SIM Ghana had about $4000 left over from the last food relief of 2005. This money was given to buy 130 bags of corn, 70 blankets and 20 plastic covering to cover the few possessions that people have been able to save. As in all societies, the widows and orphans are most affected so the rest of the money was used to buy packets of zinc for widows who have lost everything. It really is only one small drop in the bucket but it does show love and concern for people in their suffering.

In the village of Kologo in the Kasena-Nankana area, about 15 km from the district capital of Navrongo, we were received with surprise and warmth. As of the time of our visit, no one had visited them. When we talked to the chief’s representative and his elders they said, “We have been sitting here not knowing where to pass and not knowing how to explain our plight. You have come to us and we are so grateful for your coming.” The little help we gave and our concern in visiting seemed to encourage and lift their spirits.

Even before the present flooding, people were suffering. The rains started as usual in May. People planted their early millet but for about 6 weeks during June and July there was a drought. Normally around the middle of August they harvest their early millet that gives them food until the main harvest is finished. The drought means that at present people only have little food left over from last year’s harvest. People are homeless and destitute, their homes, and their possessions and in some case even their animals are all gone; to add to that, many of their late crops are still under water. Those who have no rooms go to schools and churches at night to sleep. The future is bleak and as someone said so plainly, “hunger is staring us in the face”. Without food, which is the payment for workers to rebuild their houses, it will be difficult to replace the fallen rooms. And how will they be able to buy any building materials like cement and zinc to make strong houses so that they will not fall when the rain comes again?

We have heard estimates of 75-80% of houses being destroyed in individual communities. One community has 136 houses, 70 of which have lost rooms or are completely destroyed. There have been estimates made that over 4000 houses have collapsed. We will try and work on statistics for the communities that have BCA churches. The leaders of the churches will do an estimate of their area to help us with determining the number of rooms that will need to be built. In addition to private rooms that have fallen, there have been at least 3 churches that have collapsed and probably will be more as people report about their situation. The logistics of trying to help so many people covering a large area will be difficult. Where we do have people and churches we can help and trust that other organizations can assist with the other needy areas.

The food aid alone will come to millions of dollars and there will have to be a united effort of government, religious bodies and NGO’s to help meet the need of so many people. Some aid is coming in; the government has promised 50 billion cedis about $5.4 million. The German government has given to the Catholic Church over 62,350 GH cedis (about $62,000) for food aid in the 3 northern regions I am suggesting that SIM raise money for food aid in addition to a specific amount for rebuilding houses.

The immediate future looks bleak indeed. Is it possible for teams from inside and outside Ghana to come and help build houses? The logistics of this would need planning but it is something to think about. When I asked the BCA leaders about whether people could come and carry water and mold bricks they thought that might work. Sometimes when strangers come into the situation and help out it encourages the rest of the community to pitch in as well.

A tour of government and UN officials are presently visiting the country to assess the damage. Slowly it appears that help is on the way but there is still a lot more that will need to be done. Probably the biggest problem will be the coordination the relief effort coming in so everyone that needs help will get it.