Guest blogger: On May 21, a team from Cornerstone Church of Knoxville traveled to Ghana to serve with us. A member of that team, Bill Cahill, shares his perspective of the trip and the hope that Jesus left behind.
Ghana, Africa Missions Team, May 2014
School Construction Project in the Village of Hodzo
How often do you get an opportunity to participate in an activity that tangibly changes the course of a child’s life? Well, a small group of people had the privilege of doing just that recently when Feeding the Orphans (FTO) sponsored the building of a school in the Village of Hodzo located in the Volta region of Ghana. Cornerstone Church of Knoxville partnered with FTO in providing a team of constructors. A portion of this team also participated in FTO sponsored orphan care activities in many different locations across southern Ghana.
The FTO construction team worked alongside of local village residents to construct a six room school of significant size with the length of the building over 125 feet long and 20 feet wide. In a temporal sense, the building represents the first safe permanent structure for purpose of educating children of the local village. The gift of education provides hope, in this life, for a better future for these children. FTO will sponsor dedicated teachers for the school and future expansions of the building will provide living quarters for the school staff.
In a spiritual context, the school building represents much more to the local villagers and surrounding community. It is truly difficult to put into words the appreciation and excitement that the community has displayed related to having this school built in their village. The significance of educating the children of this region can already be seen as manifest in number of children registered to date at over 100, and the school has not opened yet!
It is humbling to see the villagers love for their children and their desire to be given the opportunity for an education. In many ways this is a picture of our Heavenly Father’s love towards us, His children. FTO’s message to the village during the school dedication ceremony at the end of the project was simple and clear; we are here because of one reason and one reason only: Jesus Christ – the man – who He was and is and what He has done for us!
Please join FTO in celebrating the salvation of nine brothers and sisters during a church service held in Hodzo on Sunday during the week of construction of the school. FTO is humbled to be numbered among the laborers in the field where the harvest is plentiful! It is our prayer that this school will be the light of Christ in this region, that God will be magnified through its presence in Hodzo and He will use it to impart hope to our precious brothers and sisters in Africa.
