Update from Jake in Ghana: Sponsorships!

Well, apparently God is ready to start our sponsorship program. The team made it up to Asikuma on Saturday. Yesterday Jake was led to a young family by our hotel owner’s wife. [She, ‘M’, is turning out to be very knowledgeable of individuals in the community who are in dire need.] The family she led Jake to yesterday lives somewhat near to where the ‘baby in the bush’ was found, which is an entirely different section of Asikuma that is….well….back in the ‘bush’ (jungle-like area)….completely secluded away from the town center.  Here's a snapshot of the team walking there.

It is likely that we would have never even known this section existed had it not been for ‘M’ and ‘K’ (our in-country staff member) who both had decided separately that this was the trip the team should be taken there. This area of Asikuma is so far away from the other area we are normally in that it is actually governed by a different chief, who Jake and the team also got to meet on this day.

The original reason Jake was led to this family was to meet a young boy, 8 years old named Emmanuel, who is really suffering. The medical problem is this: he was just recently circumcised a few weeks ago which is obviously very late. Jake was told through a translator that he wasn’t circumcised sooner because the family had no money. Then a few weeks ago a woman was going door to door performing circumcisions for families who have no money (oh my!) so his family had him circumcised. Afterwards a massive infection took over his entire genital area, so much so that he cannot even walk or barely move. Jake said it is the most severely grotesque and sad thing that he has ever seen….the swollenness and infection is unimaginable. I can’t even fathom the pain and unsanitary conditions this boy experienced going through that type of circumcision. Right now he sits all day with this cloth wrapped around him, naked underneath – he can’t move, and clearly he is not eating well…

Immediately after meeting Emmanuel Jake called the nurse on staff at our medical clinic to ask him to come make a house call for Emmanuel. Mark, the nurse, came to Emmanuel’s home immediately, examined him, and then went back to the medical clinic to retrieve the proper medicine to treat the infection. Nurse Mark brought back the strongest antibiotic that our medical clinic had. Emmanuel will drink the medicine 3 times per day for 7 days. Mark also brought him a pain killer to be taken twice per day for 7 days. Nurse Mark will visit Emmanuel each day over the next month to ensure he is healing properly and that he is taking his medicine correctly. Our Foundation covered the cost for the medicine and the cost of care for Mark to check on Emmanuel. The total cost was 50 Ghana cedis which is a mere $25. It’s almost sickening how far our American dollar can go to make such a huge impact on the lives of the people in this country.  Emmanuel with his medicine...

This was the first time that Jake has really gotten to be around Nurse Mark for a good chunk of time, observing him in action. Jake was very impressed by his professionalism and also noted that Mark has a huge heart for the people, is passionate about his work, he is a believer in Christ Jesus, and is very knowledgeable regarding disease and medication. Later on Mark went through the entire storage room with Jake and explained each medicine in stock and what it treated.

Jake also met the rest of Emmanuel’s family….his little brother, Solomon who is 6 years old….

And Emmanuel’s mother who has a newborn baby….

In the family there is a total of 6 kids (of which Jake met 3 – Emmanuel (2nd born), Solomon (3rd born) and the newborn). The husband/father does substance farming (which means he produces just enough food to survive for his family) – he gets back to the house each day late at night. The wife/mother used to wash dishes for a neighbor for work up until she had the baby. Emmanuel and Solomon are not going to school because of the family’s poverty. Here is a picture of their house…

As Jake and I have talked back and forth, he continues to stress to me that the injustices and oppression happening in this area of Asikuma are far beyond anything he has ever experienced yet in Ghana. He keeps telling me that no words or pictures can actually describe what the team is experiencing. This has really kicked the wheels in gear regarding a sponsorship program. It’s time – the prompts are there from the Lord. 

Jake has been crunching the numbers to come up with the right fee for our sponsorships since it seems that God is ready to start this. Jake says that World Vision charges $360/year but that a lot of that goes towards administration costs. He thinks we can keep our sponsorships much lower because we don’t have those costs. The number he has arrived at for children in Asikuma is $150/per year/per child.

$37.50 of that covers their enrollment/school fees at Godwin International School in Asikuma (which is 75 Ghana cedis for the year – the exchange rate right now for the U.S. dollar is almost 2 to 1). [Note: this is not the governmental school that we have been making upgrades on. This is a well-established school in Asikuma that has a great reputation for producing scholars.] Jake is bringing Godwin, the school master, to meet Emmanuel and Solomon’s mother on Wednesday morning. From there Jake will pay the school fees in person to Godwin for the boys, and he will do it this way for future children identified.

The rest of the $150 fee left over after school fees would cover school uniform, medical assistance (such as the medicine purchased for Emmanuel) and other basic needs – food, school shoes, etc.

In addition, we would structure the program as World Vision does theirs so that if additional needs arise for an individual child/family we could present the need to each sponsor family. For example, like providing an additional one-time gift as a microfinance loan to help the family create consistent work and income.

Families in the U.S. will have the opportunity to send over pictures/letters/care packages to their sponsored child any time our team is headed to Ghana. And, with our frequent trips to Ghana, and reliable in-country staff members that we now have, updates on the sponsored children can be easily done. At the very least families could expect updates on each trip Jake or I attend. Jake will have one of our in-country staff members managing the program and checking up on the sponsored children while he is away.

So, it looks like this is off to a start! And, I can happily report that a sponsor has already been matched up with Emmanuel and Solomon!!!!! This particular family had contacted me to be next in line for sponsorships since George’s was presented, and they jumped at the chance to help Emmanuel and Solomon. Love it!

You can watch the blog for future sponsorship opportunities, or contact me personally if you want to ‘stand in line’ for when the next one arises. :)

INTRODUCING CHRISTIAN'S FOREVER FAMILY!!!!

Guess what?!?! I FOUND OUT ON FRIDAY THAT CHRISTIAN’S ADOPTION PASSED COURT IN GHANA !! AHHHHH!!!! WHOOOOO HOOOOO!! This means I can now finally introduce you to his forever family!!!!

When I first met Christian, the verse that God gave me to define his life in Ghana was this one ~ For my father and my mother have forsaken me, BUT the Lord will take me in. ~ Psalm 27:10. This family is how the Lord has taken him in. Surely Christian’s adoption is the evidence that the Lord was always right there, carrying him through his abandonment, and weaving together a perfect plan for his life. Christian’s forever family screams compassion and ACTION. Meet the Litzke’s, from Ohio….their family photo gives us all a glimpse of Jesus’ triumphant love for us….it’s a REDEEMING LOVE…

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Bet you didn’t expect that did you?! The Litzke's have 15 children, 13 of them adopted from many different countries – and now Christian will be coming soon and will make 16!!! And oh just wait, there is so much more to their amazing story! First, some words from Mandy Litzke regarding their adoption of Christian passing court:

A huge, huge heartfelt THANK YOU to ALL who have "joined the journey" with us! So many have prayed, supported in raising funds and encouraged us! God has used every single effort and response to bring glory to Himself-- exactly where ALL the glory belongs. We are merely the broken vessels that get to be a part of this ride in this life we've been given. I say it often, but we truly almost feel selfish in that it brings such joy--- such joy into our own lives. Humbly and forever HIS!

And now, so cool, I HAVE A VIDEO OF MANDY SPEAKING AT AN ORPHAN SUMMIT! Watching this video is the perfect way to introduce you to the Litzke’s! Once you watch this and hear the own personal story of redemption in Mandy’s life, you will see how God has used her life path to give her and her husband such determination to care for orphans. The kicker: Mandy herself was as an orphan in the foster care system as a small child. You MUST watch this video and hear how the Lord protected her, revealed Himself to her, and gave her not a heart of bitterness but a heart of compassion for the motherless and fatherless. This video is about 30 minutes long so you’ll want to carve out some special time to take it all in....

Mandy and her husband also began Safe Harbor Adoption Ministry to help advocate for orphaned children and to share God’s heart for the orphan, widow, and the oppressed. You can check it out here: http://safeharbororphancare.org

Now that they have passed court, the Litzke’s will wait for their court documents to come in and then they can file their I-600 form. At this stage of the process the next big chunk due is another $4000 to finish out the rest of their adoption fees. They continue to trust that the Lord will provide a way for them, as he has done in the 13 adoptions before this one, and as He did to get them through court!  If you feel led to contribute to the Litzke's adoption of Christian, his GRACE fund is still up and running – and it will be until the end of the process. You can make a tax-deductible donation online by clicking HERE. Once on the donation page you simply need to select “GRACE Fund” under the donation designation section and then write “Christian” in the blank spot below. You can also make a donation by phone by calling the AAI office and asking for Kathy and letting her know that the donation is for Christian: 360-452-4777. As always, you can also hand deliver or mail donations to Jake or I and we will get them to Christian’s fund.

One GIANT step closer to bringing you home buddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Justice!!!

When we first set out to adopt in 2008, my biggest fear was that the child we adopted would ruin our family and be mean to our children. Instead, God came through for us. He matched us with an orange-headed African boy who had the same exact hair color as our other children. And that was only the outward evidence that he was a perfect fit for our family. Justice, out of all of us, is the most compassionate, the one who is the most genuinely and authentically concerned for the well-being of others. He always puts other’s needs before his own, and is constantly displaying unselfishness. My heart holds story after story after story of the kindness and care and love that he displays towards JJ and Jayla and many others. I know God is going to use Justice’s servant heart to lead many people into His Kingdom. Thanking God today that adoption was in His plan for our family. Love you buddy –

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!

Dotse Update!!!

The last I updated you on Dotse’s situation was here. Since then a lot has happened!

Jake continued to get the run-around from the previous hospital (St. Josephs) that we were working with. As I noted in my last update, they had scheduled Dotse to be admitted on July 6th. However, Jake was just not getting a good feeling about that hospital. Each time Dotse was to be admitted and showed up, there continued to be ‘no available rooms’ unless we paid more and more money. Not only that, but they would not give us any sort of estimate on how much the actual surgery was going to cost. Something fishy was going on.

Well, as God would have it there was a different plan brewing. For the past year Jake has been communicating with a past family in his Kingdom Hoops program who had signed up for a foreign exchange program and got a young student from Ghana. In June Jake met up with the family and their host student at the gym so they could all meet and talk. As they were talking Jake was telling them Dotse’s story as he explained some of our missions work in Ghana. The host student, Kojo, ended up knowing about an orthopedic hospital in Ghana called FOCOS (Foundation for Orthopaedic And Complex Spine). Kojo had great things to say about the hospital and thought that Jake should check it out. Kojo’s host mother ended up contacting the hospital on Jake and Dotse’s behalf. There is a lot of reading below as I share the email communications, but I want to relay every detail so that you can experience the awesomeness of how God has weaved this all together!

June 28th, 2012

Dr. Boachie, I am writing for two reasons. First, my family wants to visit Ghana next summer. We have just recently hosted an exchange student from Accra, and already miss him dearly. We want to visit him in his homeland. We also want to help out in any capacity that we can. My husband, Scott, is a board certified orthpaedic surgeon, and has practiced for the last 20 years at Iowa Ortho in Des Moines, IA. Scott is fellowship trained in sports medicine. Our youngest child, Nathan is a premed major, and will be attending Luther College in Decorah, IA. I am just a mom, who would love to help in any capacity needed. Two summers ago we spent two weeks in the Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania area, and Scott and Nathan were able to help out at Selian Lutheran hospital in Arusha. We also spent time at Living Waters Childrens' Centre, and with the wonderful villagers of Ugweno where our home church has a sister congregation, Kifula Lutheran.

Second, and even more urgent, is a case that Jake Sullivan, founder of Kingdom Hoops in Ankeny, IA is passionately involved in. Jake has traveled to Ghana numerous times over the last several years, and after Kingdom Hoops helped build a medical facility, has met a young boy with a compound forearm fracture that has never been treated. Please see the blog I have attached that Jake has written on his Kingdom Hoops site. There is a picture and story of this young boy, who is still unattended for his medical emergency. http://team-sullivan.blogspot.com/search/label/Ghana%20Trip%20March%202012

I would love to hear back about our volunteer possibilities next summer. I would love to help out in any way that I could, from Iowa, to see this young boy in Ghana get medical attention.

Thank you,
Ruth Meyer

Just hours later, on the same day Ruth heard back from the doctor!

June 28th, 2012

Ruth. Thanks for your email and interest in volunteering in Ghana with FOCOS. You and your husband should complete a volunteer application on website and submit for review. Can you get the young man to visit the FOCOS clinic in Ghana for review. I will be there in August and can see him then. He can come for appointment. The clinic # is 302-215-900

Dr Boachie

Dotse’s initial appointment with this new hospital, FOCOS, then became scheduled for July 11. Here is the recap of the appointment that our in-country worker, ‘K’, emailed to us after the appointment was over that day:

July 12, 2012

Jake,

Sorry I couldn’t update you yesterday as promised. I was so tired as we arrived in Asikuma around 7:20 pm! Glory and honor to him, in whom we have strength for all good works. Amen!

As matter of fact, the LORD showed how and why we dropped in on the “Foundation for Orthopedics and Complex Spine” (FOCOS)! Victory ahead, Jake! We started the journey around 8:30 am and arrived in central Accra around 12:40 am. After having some foods, we then headed to another lorry park as directed, to grab a cab to the hospital. We had a quite difficult time finding the hospital and have to change cars several times.

At last, we were at the hospital and lady at the front desk made us sign some documents, pay GHC 100 and then gave us 1:30 pm as the time we would see the doctor. We headed the doctor’s (Joseph Ogyaadu’s) office at the set time and met him and another doc there. They saw Dotse’s previous x-rays, asked him some few questions, did some checking on his arm and the foot and then asked Dotse to go for a laboratory test and a newer x-ray. I accompany Dotse to all those places, as I have to be his translator all the time and I knew very well that it is my duty. We waited for almost two hours for the results, paid for, and sent them (both results) to our waiting doctors. After inspection doc Joseph took his time to explain everything to us, as I was translating them to Dotse. Joseph said wounds are now going, but Dotse is having a dead bone fallen inside the arm and that must be removed with surgery. He continued by saying that he is ready ANYTIME to do the surgery for Dotse and all he needs is to discuss the bills with you. I wanted to tell him that it is possible he and I discuss it for me to report to you later but…you know this is Ghana and things do go quite differently.

What I noticed is that, unlike St Joseph hospital with its Dr.Rahmans, people in FOCOS are just different!!! All their stuffs are well organized, they are friendly, hardworking and mostly they waste no time! Joseph says he himself might email you for the bills and then when there is agreement, he will set a date that would be communicated to me, whether by him or you, to bring Dotse back for the surgery. Thus, this is the financial account of the journey:

1.)-Transportation from Asikuma-Central Accra-FOCOS-Central Accra-Asikuma=GHC 38
2.)-Registration and consultation=GHC 100
3.)-Laboratory test=GHC 27
4.)-x-ray=GHC 50
5.)-food=GHC 10
TOTAL=GHC 225

NB: All payment receipts except the transportation fares are received and kept down for you. Thus Jake, be expecting a mail from Doctor Joseph, featuring the bill for his surgery with the date for his surgery. Otherwise, you can also mail him, asking him to tell you about how our meeting him was. Warmest regards to all and please let me know your thoughts, views and comments soon.

~‘K’~

And ‘K’ took these pictures for us! It makes me giggle that he was allowed in the area where they viewed the x-rays!

Obviously you can tell from ‘K’s recap that this hospital was much more professional and ethical! HOOORAY! Just a few days later ‘K’ received the invoice from FOCOS for the impending surgery costs and all other costs associated with Dotse’s care, x-rays, etc. I don’t think we’ve ever been more excited to get an invoice before! Getting this meant PROGRESS and we finally had an idea of what this surgery was going to cost!

From: ‘K’
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 10:31 AM
Subject: Fw:: Medical Bill

Jake, just got this e-mail right now from FOCOS hospital. Hope you're all doing fine:D.
Regards to all,
‘K’.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN -
RE: AGBAVITOR DOTSE, 20YRS
Diagnosis: Multi Focal Chronic Osteomyelitis
Procedure: Sequestretomy of Right Ulnar and Left Tibia

The above named patient was examined by Dr. Joseph Ogyaadu for a complaint of painful right forearm and left leg. At the conclusion of the examination, Dr. Ogyaadu discussed his findings regarding risks and benefits of the recommended surgery. A pre-determined cost associated with the doctor’s planned procedures including professional fees, Hospital charges (Ward, Feeding, Medication, X-ray, Labs. and Physiotherapy), Theater, Recovery Room, Medicals are as follows:

CPT CODES
24147: Sequestretomy of Right Ulnar and Left Tibia (Partial Excision)
00630: Anesthesia Ward, Feeding, Theater, Recovery Room, Medicals, X-rays, Medications, Laboratory Tests etc.
Total = $ 3,500USD

Please be advised that the CPT codes and the fee provided above are an estimate. During the course of surgery, if it becomes apparent that it would be advantageous to the patient to use a different procedure(s), such change(s) would be made and the patient billed accordingly. This fee includes six months, orthopaedic outpatient follow-up care at the FOCOS Orthopaedic Hospital. (Follow-up X-ray, Physiotherapy and Laboratory tests are not included in this amount)

So, at this point it was about 10 days before Jake’s departure to Ghana. His goal was to get this money raised before he left so that he could hand-carry the funds with him on his trip and pay FOCOS hospital in person. A family from our church had already donated $600 towards Dotse’s surgery costs. Jake and I matched their gift with $600 of our own, so Jake had $2300 left to raise in just 10 days. The night that he got the invoice he immediately sent out a letter to all of his Kingdom Hoops families and other personal contacts. I think he sent the email out around 10pm. By the next morning when he woke up the money was raised via verbal pledges!!!!!! The next week the money ROLLED in via the mail box and hand deliveries in person. Once again, God showed up and provided!

Earlier this week on Wednesday, August 1st, Jake’s first stop before he went to see our girls was to go to FOCOS hospital and pay for Dotse’s surgery. This morning Dotse had more surgery prep appointments which Jake got to attend with him. Dotse had the last of his blood work done, a few other lab tests, and they took some additional x-rays. He also had to get an ECG test done. Some pictures:

Jake and Dotse arriving at FOCOS hospital this morning...

FOCOS hospital...

'K' and Dotse in waiting room....

Dotse getting his ECG...

On this coming Monday, August 6th, Dotse has his last surgery prep appointment which is with the anesthesiologist. Then they will schedule the surgery date! PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!!!!!!!!

From Jake In Ghana - Pictures of Our Girls!

Jake made it to Ghana yesterday afternoon Iowa time, which was late evening Ghana time. He will be near the Accra area for the first few days of his trip as he files our I-600 form tomorrow, and awaits the rest of our missions team who will be getting into Ghana on Friday. His first stop today after a good night’s rest was to go and visit our girls at their new foster home (Ghana time is 5 hours ahead of us so his day is already half over)! I knew to be expecting some picture texts on my phone this morning around 6am. At 6:30am my body woke me up, I grabbed my phone off the bedside table, and yep – as promised there they were!

Florence must have remembered him, because I couldn’t believe that she let him hold her right away!

Jennifer and her spunky personality!

Lunch time!

That ain’t mac n cheese folks!

Here is what Jake brought for the girls - which he picked out himself in the airport….he does such a good job of picking out gifts so I always leave this part up to him!

I also asked him to find a fun coloring book for Jennifer because I know she loves to color! He ended up getting her a jumbo Dora one that included a bunch of stickers. :) You can see them playing with the things he brought them in the following video. When you watch this, remember they don’t know English, so hang on for a precious surprise at the very end of the video!

 

Love it! It seems that Florence is definitely ‘letting her hair down’ compared to how on edge she was when we met her in March. It makes my heart light to see that the girls are obviously doing so well here at this private foster home. Their bodies look healthier and I see a little spark in them that wasn’t there in March!

Some texting between Jake and I this morning...

Me: Flo let you hold her right away! Yay! Did they remember you easily?

Jake: She came right away. I actually got to put her down for a nap and she went right to sleep and I fell asleep too in this small African house.

Me: No way!! She’s taking a nap by herself? Sweet!

Jake: Foster mom says she likes food and naps!

Me: Yippeee! How was Jennifer? She was looking quite spunky today!

Jake: Yes she is. She is really good friends with the foster mother’s daughter who is about the same age. She is super snuggly as well – has not left my side much. She has a lot of energy!

Me: Did you tell them where I am? Does Jennifer understand? Did Kofi explain it to her?

Jake: Yes and Jennifer is starting to speak better English. She is really, really smart. The foster mother is one of the best young women I have ever met in Ghana and her biological kids are great. Her son’s name is Justice as well and he is super sweet and does a great job helping with Florence. Florence is exactly like Adjoa – whatever she says goes and can she can be kind of naughty in a fun sort of way. :)

LOVE.

After I soaked these pictures and texts up, I opened up my morning devotional. As usual, I had many emotions and thoughts running through me as I thought about our girls. I was ready for the Lord to quiet me down and help me to focus on what is most important. And once again, my devotional was so fitting:

These girls, our daughters, have felt the sting of abandonment and loss by physical people in their lives. But what reassurance to them, and to us in our own brokenness, that the Lord NEVER abandons. Our adoption of them is the evidence that He has not forsaken or forgotten them. He has taken up their cause, and what a privilege to be part of the new story that He is writing in their lives. ♥ ♥