March has been a full month—one of seeming constant activity as we prepared for and launched out into the long-awaited ministry to the elderly of Tema and the surrounding communities. Initially we had concerns about whether we would get a response.It seemed like the people we were coordinating with at the local Social Welfare office were impossible to pin down. But we were persistent, and when the day finally arrived, we were expecting to have close to 100 people come to our mission center, where we would offer food, fellowship, and haircuts. We were surprised to say the least, when over 200 people showed up, and that’s not counting the people we had to turn away because our buses were all full. I personally had a brief moment of panic when the Social Welfare officer called me about half an hour before the program was supposed to start to tell me about an extra hundred people who were ready and waiting to be picked up in locations we didn’t even know about! So then we had a new issue to consider of whether the food we prepared would be enough to feed twice as many people as we planned for.

But through the course of the day, everything we needed was provided for. From food to money for transportation, anytime we thought we were about to run out, there was enough to last till the end. I can’t tell you how happy I was to see our dining hall full of people from all over the area, enjoying the chance to socialize, and also to see the impact the event had on those that were volunteering to serve food, cut hair, or just sit and chat with someone. Our hope and plan is to hold this kind of event once a month to start and increase the frequency as we get more accustomed to the work. And after that I can’t wait to see the Mercy Ministries expand to other areas—prisons, hospitals…and everywhere else we can think of. 

On a personal note, I spent the afternoon with some friends at the beach recently, and was struck once again with awe at the majesty of a seemingly endless expanse of water stretching far as the eye can see. The phrase “Be still and know that I am God” takes on new meaning for me any time I start to really look at nature. I tend to want answers as soon as I’ve come up with the question, and lately I’ve had a lot of questions I’ve been asking God on various topics, but as I sat on the sand I found that all I could do was think about the goodness of God. Just think of it—there we were, unsure that we would get people to come, and at the end of the day, God not only brought people, He provided enough food to feed them! It was so encouraging to me to see God go so far beyond expectations. At the moment I’m at a loss for words…and I am waiting in eager expectation to see what God will do in my life next.
Rachel