- What was your defining moment for Ghana 2013?
- What was your favorite and/or least favorite part of the trip?
- What have you learned about yourself as a leader?
Caren Sims, SN
I think my favorite and defining moment was when we went to
the rural villages and provided care for people that never really get much
attention or health care. I enjoyed the rush of the stations we have set up and
also enjoyed just being immersed in to culture of the village.
I really also enjoyed Kumasi and bonding with Zerwa. She was
so sweet and latched on to me immediately which made me feel special.
I feel like God really poured into my heart and soul on this
trip how much he loved me and how much he wants to forgive me. Without sounding
selfish this trip really did a lot for my soul as well as for the people of
Ghana.
As a leader, I learned that I need to work more on my
compassion towards team members and on encouraging a verbalizing when they do
good things. I also learned that I need to pull in focus faster because I tend
to be more relaxed and friendly when leadership roles may be needed more at
that moment.
Vanessa Davila, SN
My favorite part of the trip was connecting with people. I
fell in love with the people of Ghana. They will all be engraved on my heart.
This trip only confirmed to me that I am called to be a missionary to Africa.
Defining moment: I loved my time serving as part of the
counseling/ ministry team at Akporman. My defining moment was praying and
encouraging a women who felt alone, ashamed, and rejected. She had turned to
alcohol to fill the void and help her cope with her hardships. As she opened
up, I was able to minister and encourage her. I told her of God’s love and
grace. There is no shame or condemnation in Christ. He loved her and wanted to
heal her brokenness. He wanted to restore her. It was an honor to have this
special encounter.
Kayla Keiser, SN
My most favorite part of our trip was going to the House of
Grace in Kumasi. My little girl Afia was so cute and sweet. The best moment
there was to see her reaction as Ms. Poore walked through the front door with
new shoes for all of the girls. Afia took both hands, covered her mouth in
amazement and then quickly ran over to get her new shoes. Just being there to see that reaction at
that moment was one of the best experiences I have ever had!
I have learned that as a leader I need to improve on being more
forward with delegating different tasks to my group members or whoever I will
be leader over in the future. I have a compassionate heart and sometimes tend
to be too nice and not stern enough with my words or leadership skills.
Chelsea
Lairson, SN
One of my favorite parts of this trip
was the rural clinics, especially the one on the island of Ada. I loved being
with the people in their village and bringing medical care to where they were
at.
I cannot pick just one moment as my
defining moment but i cannot forget one of the first days in the hospital and
helping a mom deliver her baby. There is something so miraculous that hits me
when I see a new life taking their first breath and being in Africa in a small
room with just a few others brought it to a whole new reality.
On this trip I saw how important
balance is in leadership and how that balance needs constant adjusting. I need
to bring it up in this area but doing good in this other one, and for the next
situation I need to counterbalance.
Katelyn
Anderson, SN
First I cannot believe it is already over.
This time with my sisters has flown by so fast. I am grateful for every
opportunity I have had in Africa but especially I am grateful for the ladies
that came along side me. I could not have asked for a best group of women to go
to Ghana with. This whole trip was a clinical for our leadership course and as
a leader I have grown more on this trip then in any of my other leadership
roles. Living for three weeks with 12 women can be trying but as a leader I
learned to respect the personalities around me. God made us all different so
that we could work together to accomplish tasks. And we accomplished many tasks
in Ghana! I always used to say “guys (men, boys) are much easier to be friends
with because there is no drama” but after spending three weeks constantly in
the fellowship of women I proudly say there is nothing like having a
girl-friend as close to you as a sister.
Favorite part of the trip: There are many things great and
small; from seeing life spring forth into the lifeless newborn to leading
people to Christ on Valentine’s Day. The one thing that stands out was getting
to see some seeds planted, watering some that have already been sewn, and then
harvesting in God’s perfect timing. I was truly humbled to be small part of
God’s big plan and walk in each of these parts. I met three Muslims and God
wanted me to see and show His love for them. Prior to this trip, I have had no
contact or experiences with Muslims (not intentionally). One of them accepted
Christ as her Lord and Savior! I am so thankful for meeting Samira (presently a
Muslim). She has touched my heart as she found the courage to go to the island
of Ada and face her fear of the water with us and she made each of my team
members a bracelet; such a courageous and precious person. I hope to join up
with her in heaven one day. I have learned a lot about myself as a leader and
gained confidence I did not know I had.
Jennifer Cordon, SN:
It is hard to sum up one favorite moment because there were
many. I loved going to the academy and receiving hugs and overwhelming love
from the kids. Despite them not knowing me, they swarmed me with hugs. My
favorite part was my interaction with the children. They were so pure and they
reflected the face of God. I had a glimpse of heaven on earth whenever I played
and sang with the kids.
My defining moment was when they honored us as a group our
last Sunday. This meant
a lot to me because even though I felt like we didn’t do a lot, they made sure
we knew that we made a difference. I know that we will all have another moment
like this when we meet Jesus. He will welcome us and hopefully say well done my
good and faithful servant. Last Sunday was another glimpse of Heaven.
I have learned as a leader that I am very good at being
flexible with my members. This flexibility can be a weakness at times because
every member wants something different out of the group. I need to practice my
assertiveness without coming across as too bossy and just finding the balance
between flexibility and defining the boundaries. Overall, I got good feedback
and kind compliments from my classmates.
Kayli Koger, SN:
It's hard to say a favorite time, because the whole trip
really changed my view about leadership, teamwork and my Christian walk. But, if I had to define a
favorite it would probably be Kumasi. Spending time with my little girl Paulina
and learning about her changed my view on life. I felt so connected with her
even though we had so little time to spend together. I know this little girl
will forever be in my life - through prayer, mail correspondence and in my
heart. I will cherish this time for the rest of my life!
The first day we put on our whites and headed to our assigned location. I was standing outside the eye clinic as Ms. Poore was fixing my hat and she said with a choked up voice - God has a special call on your life. I have known this in my heart all along, but it was just then that it clicked. The way she spoke to me was like God telling me and asking me to trust in Him.
I learned that I am a capable leader. That I lead with servanthood in mind. I never had the confidence in myself to lead, but something about this trip gave it to me. I also learned that confidence in myself is a huge part of being a leader. I have to trust myself in order to lead the ones counting on me.
Ghana defined a lot of aspects within myself - this time will always live in my heart!
The first day we put on our whites and headed to our assigned location. I was standing outside the eye clinic as Ms. Poore was fixing my hat and she said with a choked up voice - God has a special call on your life. I have known this in my heart all along, but it was just then that it clicked. The way she spoke to me was like God telling me and asking me to trust in Him.
I learned that I am a capable leader. That I lead with servanthood in mind. I never had the confidence in myself to lead, but something about this trip gave it to me. I also learned that confidence in myself is a huge part of being a leader. I have to trust myself in order to lead the ones counting on me.
Ghana defined a lot of aspects within myself - this time will always live in my heart!
Lina Potafiy, SN:
Choosing a favorite part of this trip is like choosing a
favorite child - it's impossible! However, one of my many favorite parts of
this trip was scrubbing in for a C-section. That was not something I expected
to be doing on this trip, but I was so thankful that I got a chance to be a part
of it! There were many, many great moments throughout the trip that have shaped
me and redefined me. A defining moment for me was when I met John at the beach
on Tuesday. I knew it was an encounter God was looking forward to. I saw more
of God's heart and his love for people, and the rest of the trip was spent in
light of what I've learned that day.
Abby Randall, SN:
I don’t think I had a “defining moment” in Ghana. For me it
was a million little things. Everything from praying for a patient to presenting
new shoes to the girls at House of Grace helped me realize why I came on the
trip. One moment I won’t forget is when a Muslim who worked at the hospital
gave every member of the team a bracelet. For me this bracelet has become a
constant reminder to pray for her and all the wonderful people I met in Ghana.
We want to say thank you to our amazing professors, Ms Poore and Dr Catts, for honoring God in following His call on their lives - if it were not for them we would never have had the experiences we did. THANK YOU!
| The people and experiences God placed in the path of this trip with will forever remain in our hearts. |
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| Team Ghana together for the last time on this trip, but forever remain together as sisters in Christ. |
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