Note from Bill: In this time of economic, political and medical disruption in our country, donations to this ministry have declined a bit. I was able to witness some of the food distribution by our ministry via WhatsApp to those where were affected by a devastating flood in Ghana’s Volta region. You cannot imagine not only the need, but the joy when even some of the need was met in a very small way. We were prepared for 300 meals, but 500 showed up, then another 200 and this heart-wrenching story illustrates the impact of even a dollar donation. Here’s Pastor William Agbeti’s report”
Has it ever occurred to you that a single raw egg, neither cooked nor fried, would mean the world to someone? This was the stark-naked truth that hit us hard the weekend of November 4. It happened during one of our free meal distribution programs, as over 400 children literally scrambled over each other to each get one raw egg to take home! It was heartbreaking! The children have been affected by the recent Akosombo Dam spillage in the underserved community of Sokpoe, in the Volta Region of Ghana and our team had gone there to help. Liaising with a Reverend Minister in a local church, we got to know the needs of the community and set out on a long humanitarian journey to help provide their needs.
We sent along 300 packs of hot meals, 300 bottles of locally prepared nutritious drinks, 20 bags of sachet water, 20 packs of bottled water and 20 crates of eggs. On an earlier visit in the previous week we donated a maxi bag of used jackets, some raw rice, pepper, Gari, mackerel, cooking oil and tomato paste, but that was woefully inadequate! The first journey was eye opening! It exposed us to the depths of the needs of the community. As we started distributing the hot meals, we realized we were going to have a situation on our hands, as more and children kept coming! Soon the 300 packs of meals and nutritious drinks were all gone! Many additional children kept coming and adults too!
Then our local host suggested we should give out raw eggs to the children! I promptly objected, saying the children would break the eggs and that the eggs would not help them in any way! His response humbled me and opened my eyes to some deep realities in life! He said, “They will never break the eggs because it means so much to them!” He was right! Very right! The children held and protected the eggs so carefully. This made the proverbial advice to hold precious things like an egg, to instantly become so meaningful to me! Out of the 20 crates of eggs we sent, 15 crates representing over 500 eggs were handed to those who didn’t have any meals! The rest of the crates had to be kept for needy adults in the village. The reception given us by the community folks was awesome!
They embraced us with gladness of heart and sang deeply touching songs of praises for the help they had received! Upon leaving the community, we could not help but faithfully promise that we would be back, not knowing what we were going to bring back or when! We are just trusting God and the support of faithful men and women to make a way in the “wilderness” we traveled to, as promised in His Word: “Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19). To the children, youth and elders in the community, God indeed has started a new thing, judging from our two visits and our promise to return!
