NOTE: This account from Pastor William Agbeti occurred a few weeks ago and serves as a reminder of the difficulties in ministering in rural areas of Ghana.
Today will go into the annals of history as the toughest day in my 31+ years in ministry! Wow! I set off from my home office and ministry headquarters with hot meals and nutritious drinks for 80+ families before 8am. I headed towards Bosuafise, an underserved rural area in the Ga South District of Rural Accra. I was all alone in the truck because all my other volunteers were also committed to serving the needy in other neighborhoods. I eventually reached the outskirts of Bosuafise, but not until I traveled through the roughest roads ever, in miles long traffic, flooded communities, dense forests and thick bushes.
Two unfortunate things happened upon reaching my target community. One, the roads to the local church I was heading to, had been washed off by floods from torrential rains! Secondly, reaching the leaders of the church on phone to come to my aid was simply impossible. The network was so poor, I could hardly reach anyone. Meanwhile, it was long passed closing time at church. When I eventually got the local pastor on phone, he said everyone had gone home! I was left sitting in the truck with hot meals and drinks for 80+ families who have spread out to their huts, unreachable by car! By the Grace of God, a youth from the church was able to locate me and he led me through streams and muddy grounds to the church premises.
What we had planned to be hot meals distribution to children and their parents in church, turned out to be the most challenging house to house distribution of food in a vast rural area, with no roads! With a member of the local church with a motor bike, we planned a distribution strategy to deliver hot meals and drinks in bits and pieces to various homes! This was both challenging and time consuming, but little by little two guys using a motor bike, with the pillion rider carrying hot meals and drinks, set off to deliver the donations to all the beneficiary families! The local pastor of the church and one of his elders and some children, including me, made up the packaging team operating under a thatched gazebo, to prepare deliveries for the families. Soon, the last package was delivered and I was told there were more people who had not been served!
Painful as it was, I had to come away, promising to come back again with more food. My return journey was with the help of the local pastor, his elder and a church lady, who joined me in the truck, to show me the way out of their village, whose entire land has been totally devastated by flood, illegal sand winning and uncontrolled building construction that has no regard for roads and drainage! Even with the help of the church team, I drove into somebody’s compound, from the road we were driving on and had to reverse to use a different route! I’m just praying the Holy Spirit will grant me the courage to go back again! Romans 8:35 says: Who is it that can separate us from the love of Christ? In much the same vein I ask: What is it that can separate us from the love of Christ! I shall return to Bosuafise!
