How Your Generous Contributions Were Used: Ghana Trip March 2013

From Jake...

I want to use this particular blog post to thank all of you who contributed so generously to our recent mission trip to Ghana, Africa. The trip did not go exactly as planned due to a major winter storm in Germany that kept us sleeping on the cement floors for 36 hours. Our travels took us from Denver, to Germany, to Dubai, to eventually Ghana 48 hours late. We know God worked this all out for His purposes. We are not exactly sure the reason why, but we know we had just the right amount of time to accomplish what He desired with our time in Ghana.

Below is an outline of how your generous contributions were used. I am truly humbled by your generosity and only through your contributions can we continue to take the gospel to the nations and be the hands and feet of Christ!

Before I outline just what God allowed us to do on this trip I want to touch upon how we determine what needs to meet when we travel to Ghana. During my first couple of years doing mission work in Ghana I was always overwhelmed by the needs. I just could never put my finger on the best way to help. My mind was flooded with thoughts that ultimately became burdens.

During my January 2012 trip I took the time to read the book “Kisses From Katie.” The book is written by a young lady named Katie who gave up her life for the sake of the gospel to serve in Uganda. In her book she writes about the same burdens that troubled me when she first came to Uganda, and how God has revealed exactly what to do by the life of Jesus.  She pointed out that in scripture you will find that Jesus never went out searching for needs, but rather needs were brought to Him. When a need was brought to Him, Jesus would always meet that need. Katie went on to explain that we don’t need to go out searching for the answers since Jesus promised us that the poor will always be among us. However, we do have the responsibility to follow the example of Jesus: when a need is brought to us, we should do everything possible to meet that need.

What follows below are the needs that God allowed Kingdom Cares International to meet on this trip. It was only possible by the generous donations that were made by many of you who read this blog.

~We were able to pay for upcoming surgeries for a 4 month old girl and 7 month old girl who are suffering from hydrocephalus (water on the brain). Without the surgery they will most likely die or in a best case scenario live life with major mental disability. With the surgery both girls should resume fairly normal lives. Each surgery will cost $1,500.

 

~We were able to continue to pay for the medical care of Graham who is three years old and has a severe heart condition. The Ghana doctors believe it is a hole in his heart. The next step for Graham is to hopefully go the medical visa route to the United States to have his heart repaired. We are praying for God to bring us a doctor who would perform the surgery and donate the expenses as that is the only way we can see Graham being able to get a medical visa. For now we keep helping to meet his daily medical needs.

 

~An orphan boy named Yaw was brought to our attention about one month ago. Yaw is completely deaf and has no ability to communicate. We were able to pay for him to attend a deaf school in the Volta Region where for the first time he will receive a formal education and will be taught sign language.

 

~Yaw also has an orphaned sister named Emefa. We met Emefa on our last trip and through the help of our Kingdom Cares medical clinic and a local pastor named Wisdom, it was determined that Emefa was HIV+.  This trip we were able to cover Emefa’s medical expenses for purchasing of the appropriate drugs to care for her HIV. We will see what God has in store next for Emefa….. stay tuned!!!

 

~We delivered a ton of baby formula, bottles, and a cash donation for the care of a baby who will be born any day to a woman in Asikuma who has breast cancer.  Our medical clinic will assist in dispersing the formula and bottled water to the family once the baby is born.  You can read the mother's initial story and plea for help here.

~When we went to visit this mother with breast cancer we came to her house in the middle of the day and her four young children (ages 2-10) were sitting under a small hut snuggled together. We asked why they were not in school and we were told that they were not able to pay their school fees. Kingdom Cares International paid all of their school fees for the remainder of the year and has pledged to continue to sponsor them in the years to come.

~We donated the remainder of school fees and feeding fees to Godwin International School for the sponsored children that Kingdom Cares International and its partners look out for.

 

~Kingdom Cares International made a $1,000 donation to CompAfriCare for the rent of a new two bedroom foster home with a full service bathroom and kitchen located in Kwahu. The donation will cover four years of rent and will help two house mothers and six orphaned children have a place to call home.

 

~We held a party for all the orphans and house mothers that are under the care of CompAfriCare in Kwahu. We rented out a restaurant and every child and house mother received a meal and drinks. Most importantly it was a time to run and play and dance with the children.

 

 

~Donated over 75 basketballs to Hoops Care International's basketball ministry in Cape Coast and to Royalties Basketball Academy (a former Kingdom Hoops Ghana member has branched off and started his own academy and we are completely behind him and helping to empower his vision).

 

~We were able to sponsor one of our former Kingdom Hoops Ghana players, Obie, to head to Nigeria to play on a semi-professional team in the Lagos, Nigeria area.

 

~We were able to make a donation to another foster home in Accra, Ghana whose house mother, Comfort, cared for our two adopted daughters Jasara and Jennifer. We also purchased her a digital camera that will help her to start a small photography business.

~Made a $500 cash donation to a local school in Accra, Ghana that is run by one of our in-country staff members, Michael Sarpong.

~And for the finale, God allowed us to provide health insurance to over 1,500 children in Asikuma and surrounding communities.

 

Thank you all for your continuing support of our ministry!