Hey Beautiful Wife & The Munchkins:
It is Wednesday morning here at 10:15 and I don't know when you will get this, but I wanted to communicate a couple of things to you. First of all, it will be much more convenient for me to call you tomorrow instead of today. So Thursday (tomorrow) sometime around the time I called you yesterday. Then I will call you from Philadelphia when we land there Sunday afternoon. THEN I WILL SEE YOU ALL LATER THAT NIGHT!
Senya yesterday was, . . . well, it was Senya. There are no words to describe it and that's all I really want to say. The preacher of the church there, along with Kofi Isaac at Fettah, are true spiritual giants. Against all odds and in the face of unspeakable poverty, they toil on and on and on, seemingly without ever growing faint in heart or faithless in spirit. Their commitment to their people and to the work of God in their respective villages is without peer in this world. We are going to return to Senya after clinic again this afternoon, and then back in time for church at Fettah at 7:00, pretty much the same routine as yesterday.
The only thing about Senya from yesterday I really feel like writing about is when Dave and I played in a soccer game with about 20 other people with a new ball he brought to Ghana. We pumped it up on the way to Senya. Dust everywhere with no definitive goal. Just people running in every direction, laughing, kicking the ball. The kicked-up dust was so thick I could barely see the person in front of me. In that heat, with layers of Deet spray on me, and then the granules of that sand and my profuse sweat sticking to my body, well, you can just imagine. Even now, I feel as if I need to walk through a car wash.
Everyone is doing superbly well. They really are. The maturity and hard work of our young guys in particular is inspirational. Those of you who are their parents should be EXTREMELY PROUD of the children you have raised. I feel good knowing that the present and the future of the church and our society is in their hands.
I will be here at the VOH for most of this day, volunteering at the clinic a little and sitting in on a couple of classes here. Then I will speak at afternoon chapel for a group of about a hundred students before our next jaunt to Senya.
Paige, we are supposed to begin our supper on Thursday nights at Central next Thursday, April 8. Could you please call Gwen (621-8498) or Veta (385-1175) or Christine (765-5633) and see about us moving our kick-off for that to the following Thursday, April 15. I mistakenly double-booked my calendar for that day. I don't necessarily have to be there, of course, but I do feel like with it being the very first one that I need to be there. For that matter, if anyone from Farragut reading this could pass along that request from me to move our start date back one week, I would be grateful. I am very excited about this initiative because I know it is the work of God, and that the need for food is great in our community. I hope this one week delay, in the event that you decide to do so, does not put anyone out.
And hey, Randy, buddy I sure do appreciate your consolation after that 1 point loss to Michigan State. What a bummer! Glad I was spared the misery of having to watch it. Thank you so much Randy for all you have done and do for Central. I was able to take this trip to Ghana with total peace of mind, and I big-time appreciate you for every thing.
And hey, Mike, check this out: I am sitting on a bench in Fettah the other day and these two long lizard - iguana things ran RIGHT BETWEEN my legs. They both had to have been 12 - 16 inches long. The hallucinations continue. And these things were like neon green, dark brown, and as you got up toward their necks and heads, yellow phasing into orange. Again, no one saw it but me. Scared the daylights out of me. I know you all think I'm crazy. Well, maybe I am a little, but at least I get to see a lot of interesting things. Ha. Sure do wish you and Joyce could be here.
OK, Babe, back to you. I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU! Lord willing, and as I plan, I will call you tomorrow as I said. Gotta get back to work now. And bye-bye kiddos. Daddy loves you too much...... and, I got the rock and a few more little presents for you guys.
Eric
PS - Could you FaceBook Carrie, Brian, and any others you can think of who might be interested and prompt them to read this blog and tell them how to find it? And, could you check on Eva Mae for me? I am quite worried about her, and she has been so good to us. See if she needs anything. Her number is on one of the old directories, is in the phone book, and/or can be gotten from Rochelle or Pat. Thanks. Oh, and be sure to tell Raymond Wa I said hello.
3 comments:
All of your accounts of Ghana are very moving. I can feel God's Spirit is moving among you and with you as you minister there. As always, i am reminded that we are so richly blessed. You are all in our prayers and thoughts. Anna
BTW-Paul, Dana said she was concerned about storms coming through. I went by your house this morning. No sign of branches down. I think it must have been worse in KY. All is quiet in the office. Not much happening around here. See you next week.
Daddy, I absolutely cannot wait to see you! You don't really realize how much you love somebody until you are away from them for a while. I cannot wait to see you Sunday night. We are making you a special desert, and I may need to get you some medication to keep you from hallucinating! (or however the heck you spell that! But I miss you so much! And I can't possibly show you how much we miss and love you! I swear, your names comes up in all of our conversations! (in a good way of course!!!) So now, I am going to pass it to Reagan, Mom, and Kaeli. I love you Shmatty!!! :)
Kaeli:Hey Eric, thank you for my rock since you forgot it the last time you went. ; )Hope you get back safe! Don't worry I got Reilly under control. Bye Bye!! :)
Dictated by Reagan: I love him, umm, I love him very much. I hope that he will be safe and I love him very very very very much. I want to hug him when he gets back. I want to play Batman with him when he gets back. Umm, I hope he watches shows with me. I love him. Reagan
Hey Honey, it is so awesome to hear of all the great things that you guys are doing there in Ghana---and yes, it does make me want to experience it myself one day. I would have LOVED to have seen you and Dave playing soccer with those kids in the dust! You are doing a wonderful thing there and again, I am so very proud of you. I agree with Reilly...I miss you very very much. It is so very true that you really don't realize it until the person you love is half way around the world away from you.
I am looking so very forward to your return. The timing of this trip has been perfect...God's perfect timing.
I will take care of all your requests...ALL of your requests. Well, I better go, Reagan is calling. I look forward to hearing your voice again in the morning. You take care of yourself. Give Dave a big hug for me! Oh, and yes, I will have MANY stories to tell.... ;)
Bubba, How awesome of you to share your blog with all. I am so proud of God's work done through you. Makes me happy!!! I too would have loved to see you and Dave playing soccer in the dust! Reilly has done a wonderful job of keeping me posted. I sooooo love chatting with her on Facebook! Can't wait to plan a trip to Knoxville to hear about your journey and see the pictures. Like Reagan I hope you will hug me too when I see you! LOL! I love you and am sooo proud of you! Safe travels!
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