FIRSTHAND

This morning I drove to Indianapolis to get my Yellow Fever vaccination. This was another requirement for travel to Ghana. 

So far, no side effects. And that's a relief - this is a traditional vaccine and the doctor said about 1 in 8 recipients have a mild form of the disease for a couple of days, with fever, aches, and lack of energy. 

I am both nervous and excited as my first opportunity to visit Ghana fast approaches. A week from now, God willing, I will be four hours ahead of you, standing shoulder to shoulder with our Ghanaian director, Emmanuel Akorli, as he introduces me to people whose lives have been bettered by the loans they have received through Mission Resource. 

I look forward to visiting businesses enabled through our ministry, but I also anticipate seeing a lot of need. It's been two and a half years since we left Haiti, and it is super easy to slip back into a general lack of awareness of true poverty. 

The other thing I expect to see in Ghana is a handful of tough challenges facing Mission Resource as we look to the future:

• We shipped some OrganiLock fertilizer to Ghana months ago and it is still tied up in customs. This stuff could work miracles for gardens and small farms. We are anxious to see how it performs in the local soils. But we have to get it through the port first.

• Emmanuel says he has a waiting list for loans. If we could provide him an extra $100,000, he would have it distributed and working in the local economy in weeks. I need to meet some of these people so I can share their stories. 

• We have a half-built Ministry Center where construction has been stalled by lingering bureaucratic red tape. If we aren't able to finish the project soon, the weather might weaken the structure in unanticipated ways. 

• There is a second site in country where the Lord may be opening a door for Mission Resource to expand its impact. Taking over that operation and keeping its doors open is going to be another fundraising challenge! 

I am praying for wisdom and discernment as I get a firsthand look at both the joys and the challenges of this important work in Ghana.