Home safely

Praise the Lord, the team (except for Nick, of course) made it home safely yesterday. I haven't actually seen or talked to any of them yet, but I saw on facebook that they are back. :) Praise the Lord for His protection and blessings on them!
Janice

The way home...

On Saturday morning, Pastor Pavel wrote:

Our mission team shrunk by one yesterday evening. Nick flew to work in California. Praise the Lord that we were able to serve together to the end of the program. We have begun our trip home. We are leaving the village of Vane and the Avatime people, but we will not forget to pray for them. We are headed for Accra, the capitol of Ghana, where we will be till Monday.

A difficult parting

On Friday, Nick wrote:

My time in the village of Vane has come to an end. An hour from now, Chingi and I should set out by minibus and travel to Ho, then to Accra – 4 to 5 hours of travel, if we're lucky – for me to catch a flight at 22:05. I have to leave early for work. I'm flying directly to San Francisco - for another week of separation from family.

It is very hard to part with these people who have become so dear to our hearts. Over the last two and a half weeks, our team, the missionaries, and the local team of translators have become very close.
During this time, God really helped us get to know each other well, learn from each other, and encourage each other. I am very grateful to Him for all this time - it is His gift to me.

I was very happy to work with the team of translators here. There are 5 adults - Janet, Jacob, Walter, Manfred & Edward. Given that their level was zero (almost everyone's), it was a joy to see their commitment and patience. Although they are all adults, they are like children with a desire to learn something new. By the end of our time, they had all learned to type in a special program for setting biblical texts, and they even got used to some key commands.

Thanks again to those who donated laptops. Without this, it would have been impossible to teach them practical skills. And now, coming to the office, they can actually help Sasha (Alexander, the Wycliffe missionary) with editing texts that have already been translated. Some of the challenges that I had to help with demanded all of my skills. Not all of these tasks are completed yet, but I hope Sasha and I will be able to finish them soon. There is a lot of work to do to reach their goal of translating the entire New Testament by 2015. Pray that God would give Sasha, Lena, and the whole team strength in the work.

Here are some of the best videos of our trip:

The children singing in the school where we remodeled
http://qik.com/video/21236678

Fellowship at the missionaries' house (salvation testimonies)
http://qik.com/video/21235828
http://qik.com/video/21235182

The children Anya worked with

http://qik.com/video/20730136
http://qik.com/video/20729952

At the local church on Sunday
http://qik.com/video/20588684
http://qik.com/video/20589431

the waterfall and mountains
http://qik.com/video/20588112
http://qik.com/video/20588053
http://qik.com/video/20587947
http://qik.com/video/20452048

singing with drums
http://qik.com/video/20056134

Please pray for my flights throughout the week. I will return home December 11.

С Богом! (The typical Russian farewell, which literally means “with God.”

The last day of the program and the beginning of farewells

The last day of the program started early in the morning, as usual. The team went to the last village where they presented the Gospel of Mark to the people. After the program, they went to school where they finished painting. A special program of thanks was prepared by the village people there, too. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony, and Pastor Pavel prayed a prayer of dedication.

They had dinner with the translation team in the renovated office. After giving the translators the notes from the Sunday School children in Zelenograd, Anya ran off to school for her last lesson. They had a farewell meeting with the translation team after lunch. Divine, the team leader, thanked the group for their work in the office, and for the computer lessons. Nick reminded them that the most important aspect of translation is not the technical part, but their attitude towards the process. Pastor Pavel reminded them that translating the Bible into their own language should change their lives, first and foremost. Please pray for the team of translators!

Wednesday

The next to the last day of the program. The team visited the village of Beeakmu, presenting the Gospel of Mark and sharing with the people the importance of reading the Bible in their native language. Pastor Pavel also reminded everyone of how important it is to obey the Word of God after we have received it.

As a thank you, the village committee gave the team two tubs of coconuts, oranges, bananas, and plantain -- a special kind of banana that should be fried before eaten. The team now has a "rule" that each person must eat a banana for breakfast, dinner, and supper, and some other time during the day as well. :)

During the afternoon, they finished work on the office. Now they have light, outlets for the computers, and windows. Kolya taught computer skills to the translation team, and Anya taught the last lesson at school. They planned a review of the lessons for Thursday, and giving gifts to the children.

Tuesday

Pastor Pavel wrote that the day started at 5:30 and went till around midnight. He and Alex worked in the office some more, Nick taught computers to the translating team, and Anya had her lesson in school. That evening, they prepared gifts and handcrafts for the school children.

Alex writes that so much has happened in the last few days that it's difficult to process it all. But they are seeing more and more the real need of the African people is spiritual. A lot of people know a lot about God but don't know Him personally. Praise the Lord that there are ministers there who love God and His Word, but they are too few. Please pray for God to work among these people!

Don't forget that you can see pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djemlike

Monday

On Monday morning, Pastor Pavel, Nick, & Alex worked on construction in the Bible translation office, while Anya prepared her lesson for school that afternoon. Later they went to a neighboring village to visit some poor families, pray for them, and give them gifts of humanitarian aid. The people live in great physical poverty but more importantly, they are spiritually needy. They need the Word of God and those who will teach them how to have a living relationship with Him. Please pray for these people.
That evening they had a good time of fellowship with the missionaries, sharing what God had done and is doing in their lives.

Sunday in Vane

Ten posts behind. Sorry, folks, it's time for some brief summaries! If anyone has time to fill in the details later, that's great. If not, I'm sorry.

Pastor Pavel wrote about the Sunday service in Vane. There was lots of music of different varieties and from different age groups. The offering was collected several times in containers set up at the front of the church. The people come forward with singing and dancing to give joyfully to the Lord. The team sang and introduced themselves during the service. After dinner, they had another meeting with the town leaders. They went for a walk in the evening and prepared gifts for needy families in the next village.

Sabbath in Ghana

Pastor Pavel wrote on Saturday night:

The Lord gave us a real Sabbath day of rest! In the morning, Alexander and his children took us to one of the highest mountains in the area. At the top, stands a cross put there by the Germans in 1939. We were able to survey the expanse of the height of West Africa, the riot of tropical nature, watch the clouds, and go to a garden of prayer. The second place we visited was a waterfall. It was a wonderful rest, when we went down to the waterfall and could cool down under the water and see the beauty of God's creation. After that we went to dinner at the missionaries' house, where Elena had prepared lunch for us. We played games and fellowshiped with the family in the afternoon. Once again, there was a tropical downpour, although it is not uncommon for this time of year when the dry season begins. The wind from the Sahara desert brings dust, which will be in the air throughout the following months.

Before the Sabbath

Pastor Pavel wrote on Saturday morning:

The Sabbath is here, so the week is over. The first thing I want to say is, praise God for His care for us in each day of the mission trip, for the strength He gave us, for His wisdom in the programs and meetings, for patience in teaching, and to thank God for taking care of our families and the church in Zelenograd. Thanks to everyone who has left comments and written letters to us. This is a joy and support for us.

A few words about yesterday: I went to town with Alexander and Elena to shop for gifts for the children in the school, where Anya is having classes. As you remember, we started with 35 children, and now there are 60. No one knows what next week will be like, so we are preparing gifts for 60 children. We also decided to buy paint to paint the classroom so it would be nice for the children to study there in the future. We also bought food and household things to give away (as humanitarian aid). On Monday we will visit 5 poor and large families and go into their homes to pray for them and give them this help. While at the market, I noticed that for the sellers, there were speakers set up at full volume with preaching. People were listening and responding to the preacher's questions and singing along together

At lunch we had a meeting with brother Paul, director of the organization GILBET – the Ghana institute of translating the Bible and teaching literacy. They are now working on more than 60 projects. God gave us this meeting to hear the spiritual needs of the people and churches of Ghana – the need for training leaders, discipleship, a focus on mission work with children and young people. The local team of translators (including the missionaries) attended the meeting.

That evening, with sister Janet, I met with the pastor of the local Presbyterian church, and we talked about the upcoming Sunday program in the village of Vane. Anya has already reported on the big event in Vane – the funeral. I joined the procession when they brought the coffin and drove down the street to the community center. I took pictures and put video on Qik. Everything I saw brought up dozens of questions about traditions, culture and Christianity. The people need a spiritual awakening and an enlightening of Biblical truth. These are the words of the man in the organization GILBET, who is responsible for contacts with the churches of Ghana. Throughout last night the music was playing, and there was singing and shouting. At 5 AM, it all began again with renewed vigor. The funeral is continuing, and new questions are being born. Pray for the people of Ghana!

Us

From Anya late Friday night

Just want to tell you that, praise God, we are all healthy and feeling good, just tired more than usual because of the heat. We have plenty of any kind of food, especially bananas. We have a lot of oranges, so we are making juice and “vitamizing” ourselves. We have all been bitten by mosquitoes, so please pray that we don't get malaria. We have already tried some of the national dishes. Fu-fu, incidentally, turned out to be not too bad! It reminds me of hominy, without much flavor. The locals eat it with their hands, dipping into the gravy. The sauce with meat was prepared for us from cassava (a root vegetable like yams or potatoes) and was not spicy (for them!). Alex is very tired today, so we put him to bed at 6 PM. Pastor Pavel had a lot easier making purchases in the city today than last time. He always makes breakfast for us. Nick is fine, too – just worried about his kids, who are sick back home. I also feel fine – just worried about preparations for camp (to be held in Zelenograd Jan 3-6). Tomorrow we are planning a tour day -- visiting a waterfall and other local attractions.

Christmas + Independence Day = a funeral

Saturday

Today in our village, there is a funeral. Although, to say "today" isn't quite right, because funerals are held for three days, not counting all the preparations. On Friday, the body was brought, and all the relatives and guests came. On Saturday, the body is put into the ground, and on Sunday everyone goes to church for a thanksgiving service. If someone does not come to the funeral, this may even lead to war. The body may be kept in the morgue for years, to (litterally in Russian,) “honorably escort him on his last journey.”
I have never seen such a funeral in my life. If in Russia, this is a quiet, somewhat depressing event, here it is very loud and noisy – car racing, an orchestra of trumpets and drums. There are big speakers playing recorded music in one part of the village and live music playing somewhere else. Since our house provides no sound barrier, you feel like you're inside a boom-box =) The music plays non-stop. It's no surprise that they have rhythm in their blood. It will soon penetrate our skin, too. =) People walk along the street, gathering in little groups here and there, talking, singing, eating, and selling. Periodically on the main roads of the village groups of singers and mini-orchestras go by. It is now after 10 PM, and and there is no end in sight. This has been going on since 4:00...
And in the midst of all this, the frogs croak loudly from time to time...

Toffi, Madam!

From Anya on Saturday, November 27

I still have at least 60 children in the classroom as before, and sometimes all 100. They are well disciplined, so even with so many in the classroom, it's quiet. But when we start crafts or games... =) The children sing very well, if the words are simple, and they love to dance and copy any new movements.
After the lesson, they crowd around me. They all want to touch me, taking my hand in their hands and leaning their face against my hand. They are interested in white skin. Outside, the children sometimes shout "efoone!" about us, which means "foreigner" or "white." The children try to get even a little piece of candy, which they call "toffi" here. They are willing to answer any question, even about history, to dance, carry things for you. Or they try to get it just by asking, "Toffi, Madam?"
Here, if they want something from you , they don't say, "Give me a banana." They say, “I like your bananas” (shoes, watch...), and you are supposed to guess on your own that you should give him the banana. Asking directly here is blunt. At the market, for example, if you do not want to buy what they are selling, they may say: "Buy one thing for me."
And what do you like that I have? =)

I want to correct myself

From Alex on November 25

I want to correct myself. You could get the impression (in my previous post) that the children here are almost in slavery. This is of course not the case. :) Children are loved and cared for here. And of course, not all teachers use child labor to meet their needs (but unfortunately, just as we have in Russia, this sometimes happens here). It's just that when you compare different cultures, you see the difference, and some things catch your eye. For example, the conditions in which they have to learn are difficult to compare with our school.
Today I was in the first grade class where Anya had the lesson. The children are very lively and very appreciative. :) In the evening, we managed to take a walk through the village and look around ... get a little better acquainted with the people. But it is still difficult to understand how each of them lives. I would like to learn more about it (about their everyday life, how they spend their free time, what they read, what they dream about).
You can see today's pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djemlike

Early success in the computer class

Pastor Pavel wrote on Thursday, November 25

This afternoon, I spent time working on emails in the office where Nick is teaching computer literacy to the team that is translating the Bible into the Avatime language. It is interesting to watch their perseverance in studying technical language, especially on the computer, as well as typing skills. We see early successes -- words appear on the screen, then sentences, and in the future there will be texts of Scripture in their native language. We believe that God will bless them with perseverance and help accelerate the process of writing and editing the New Testament and then the whole Bible. Thanks to everyone who donated computers for the work. This speeds up the training, as each person can push buttons and see the result. Many of us are already accustomed to working on the computer, but they are just beginning to learn computer literacy. Pray for the success of this training and the whole local team, which works on the translation of the Bible.

The village of Foome

From Pastor Pavel on November 25

Today's program took place under a huge tree, the crown of which covers a diameter of 20 meters. More than a hundred people fit under the tree in the of village Foome. We sang Russian songs and did a skit, showing that you can have a gift in your hands but not know how to use it and how it can help in various circumstances if no one explains it to you. It's the same with the Word of God. It's a gift from God, but it is important to learn how to use it and how it can really help you in different experiences and challenges in life. Just having the Bible in your life is not everything. It is important that it be used correctly. People listened with interest and responded to these words. At the end of the program, from the Queen Mother of the village, gifts were brought out -- bananas, oranges, and fresh coconuts. It was the first time in our lives that we tasted real coconuts. When they cut off the top, there is a hole, and inside it's full of coconut milk -- very tasty. After drinking the milk, they cut the coconut in half and you scoop out the white part and eat it. Again tonight, we will squeeze fresh orange juice.

A ceremony with the Gospel

From Pastor Pavel on November 25

The most important part of the programs we are doing in the villages is a presentation of the Gospel of Mark and a call to sign up for literacy classes in the local churches. Prayer over the translated copies of the Gospel of Mark occupies a special place in the program each day, and a copy of the Gospel is presented first to the leader, then the Queen Mother, and then to every pastor of the evangelical churches. There are from 5 to 8 evangelical churches in each village. Someone might say, so why go to Ghana, where there are so many churches in each village? But they have the Bible in English or the Eve language, but these are not native to them. So many truths are not clear for them. This is why the pastors are happy that the people will hear the gospel in their native language, and this will change people's lives. Not everyone fully understands the way of salvation and how our lives should change in Christ. It is interesting for me to see when the Gospel is read in the Avatime language, and people rejoice at hearing God's Word in their own language for the first time. For us, having the Bible for over 1000 years, it's hard to imagine the joy that people experience in the beginning of the 21st century when they receive the Scriptures in their own language. Value what you have and thank the Lord every day that you have the Word of God in your native language.

Day six is over...

From Alex

Today started earlier than the other days, because we had to go to the farthest village. It's in the lowlands. After the program there, we came back to the office for lunch with the local team. We were served soup with local vegetables and something very much like wet bread crumbs, which was fermented, and which we were to dip into the soup. After a quick lunch, we started work on the project. Pastor Pavel and I went to help in construction at the school. We were working in the first grade classroom, doing floors and walls. We worked together with local men. I remembered the time of construction of the Zelenograd House of Prayer. (Skills acquired at the construction site came in handy). We finished pouring the floor today. Later, we'll need to plaster the walls and paint them. We ran out of water while working. Children from the 3rd or 4th classes were sent to the nearest river to bring water (carrying the buckets and tubs on their heads). After school, the children went home, but when we were going home, we met them returning to school with hammers. I remembered how we had been told that the children are asked to collect stones and break them into small pieces. Then the teacher sells them, but sometimes the money doesn't go for the needs of the schools but for the teacher. Such injustice and exploitation of children happens. Generally, the attitude towards children here is very different from ours in Russia. The children are almost not noticed until they are needed to do something. There are a lot of other such differences in our cultures.
Our team was very tired from the day and everyone else is asleep already. We have about 6 hours left to sleep.
Please pray for physical and spiritual strength for our team. We feel the lack of sleep and are tired. Nick's children are sick; please pray for their recovery.
Thank you to everyone who reads and leaves comments here.
I'm only now beginning to post pictures. If I can get them up, you will be able to see them here: www.flickr.com/djemlike

Reception under the tree

Today we were honored to be received by the leaders and elders of the village of Gbajema. After the regular program, we were formally invited to come under the big tree where plastic chairs were set out facing each other. The chiefs and elders were on one side, and we were on the other side facing them. In every village there are chiefs and elders, as well as the Queen Mother, who deals with women's issues. The atmosphere was quiet and solemn. Since we did not have time for them to cook for us, they brought us all the ingredients so that we could make their national food. And as you might have guessed -- a huge tub of bananas as well! We were also given water. We were the first group of Russians to come to their village, and they invited us to come back again next year. We greeting all the leaders and elders in their ritual style, going down the line from right to left to shake hands. It was explained to us why they go from right to left: the palm shows that my heart is open and I greet you with my whole heart; but if you go down the line from left to right, the back of the hand is seen first by the other person, and that could be a fist (you can strike with the back of the hand). After bowing to each other, we went on to our next program.
Pastor Pavel

(Translator's note: That last part about the greetings was difficult for me to understand in Russian, so I hope I've understood and conveyed the meaning of this ritual correctly into English!)

We didn't leave; we've been temporarily absent...

Wednesday, November 24

The problems with the Internet proved to be more substantial than we thought. For those who understand what this means, - ping to gmail is 2000 ms (when it's there). For those who don't understand - this is a very long delay. So, to send something like pictures is very difficult, but this is only part of the problem. Two days ago, we didn't have Internet at all. What does all this mean? That if we don't post on the blog, write letters, or there are no new pictures, this doesn't mean something terrible has happened. Probably there's just no Internet.
About the programs. I'm starting to get used to the video camera and am filming a lot. We'll see later how well it turns out. There are so many interesting and unusual things around us. Some of it is impossible to capture. Sometimes people just don't want to talk in front of a camera (think of how you are), but they say such interesting things. And sometimes I just want to turn off the camera, feel the atmosphere, and fellowship with the local people. I allowed myself to do that a little today -- to go and play football (soccer) with some of the guys. :) I never thought I would be playing football in Africa! And yesterday, when greeting people in English, some people stopped me and started to teach me the local greetings. The people in this village are very kind and open. We have been very warmly welcomed in the villages, and when they bestow such honor on us, I feel uncomfortable, because I don't deserve such honor; we are all working together, including you who gave and are praying for our trip. Thank you all for your part! While I'm standing here writing this, the mosquitoes are biting me, so your prayer are very important that none of them would be carrying malaria. :)
You can see pictures here:
flickr.com/photos/djemlike
and Nick's videos here:
qik.com/nikolay/videos
Your Alex Adjem

Bananas, bananas, bananas

Wednesday, November 24
I never thought that the word "banana" would bring up negative connotations, but that is becoming reality here. It all started on Sunday, when the generous people of the Amejopfa village gave our team two boxes of bananas. This was done with ceremony, and we joyfully and thankfully accepted this generous gift. Monday and Tuesday flew by in the village of Jogbefema, and we were generously given HUGE tubs of 15 kilos of bananas and half a bag of oranges. We can't even eat them fast enough, and it's no wonder they say here that the banana is a grass and not a tree. And there are still several villages to go. What awaits us? Give us some advice...
Pastor Pavel

The office where the Bible is translated

Tuesday, November 11
When we talk about an office, we usually think of desks, computers, a coffee machine, laminated flooring, blinds on the windows, framed pictures on the walls, air conditioning, a secretary, etc. But what we saw in the village of Vane was a room with no ceiling, only an iron roof; no glass in the windows, but simply screens tacked up; no usual computer desks, filing cabinets, etc. But there are people there who are translating the Word of God. At dinner we met with the local team from Ghana, who is working on the project of translating the Bible into the Avatime language. Not many of us would want to work in such conditions, but here are dedicated people who want the Avatime people to be able to read the Scriptures in their native language. At present, more than 30% of the New Testament has been translated, and the Gospels are being checked and edited. Pray for all the translators of the Scriptures, so that their work would be the avenue for the salvation of many souls, hearing the message of salvation in their own language.
Pastor Pavel

The program in the second village

Tuesday, November 11

As usual, the morning began with the sound of the bell in the Catholic Church at 5:15, and gradually the number of voices in the streets increased. The day had begun. Today breakfast was fried eggs, sausage, bread with butter, peanut butter, and jam, and tea. We left early for the program in the village Jogbefem at 7:30. At 8 AM, we were already in the church building. Fifty minutes later, the children from school were ushered in, and then the nobles and the village chief came. Around two hundred children of primary school age were there. The children sang several songs in the local language. There were greetings, the presentation of the team, singing, a skit (with interpretation), and then leaving. Ghanaian people are very hospitable. They honored us by putting handmade bracelets on our arms. Nick and Anya were adorned with special scarves, as they had already been in this village, and Anya will conduct Bible lesson at the local school here. The leader expressed his gratitude for the visit and for the important work that is being done for the Avatime people – the translation of the Gospel. After the program we were able to stay a little longer with the older people and children, and then we had a meeting with the pastors and the committee preparing the presentation of the Gospel of Mark and the literacy courses in this village. Once again we were given bananas, pineapples, and, as a sign of special attention, a box of Sprite and Coca-Cola in glass bottles. (By the way, a woman carried a full box of these bottles on her head). Each of us was treated to a drink. Something else unique: Sprite, Cola and Fanta in glass bottles are not given to keep; one must drink it and give the bottle back. The same is true when purchasing eggs in a container. It must be returned, too. The pastors were introduced, and we asked at the end of the meeting that they share their prayer needs. Then we prayed together and took a group picture as a prayer reminder. One of the needs of the ministers is to pray for people to understand the meaning of salvation, and for there to be peace and love in the villages.
Pastor Pavel

A trip to the city

Monday, November 22, the town of Ho, 30 kilometers from the village of Vane. Alexander and I set out to purchase building materials for two projects: repairing the village school and the office to translate the Bible into the language of the Avatime. Outside it was “warm,” as in equatorial Africa. It took 7 hours to buy everything; things just don't happen quickly here. It's difficult to adjust from the rhythm of Moscow, where we want everything quickly, and if it doesn't happen this way, then we “boil” inside with impatience. Having finished going through all the shops (and the prices, I should say, were not low), we set out on our way back. In the foreground, in the mountains where our village was, there were storm clouds. Lightning started, and when the asphalt road ended, we were driving uphill on a dirt road. Along the roadside, farmers (women) were returning with huge baskets loaded with wood, yams, bananas, etc., carrying all this weight on their heads and climbing the mountains. A real tropical downpour burst. No one ran for cover but continued to climb the hill. Losing sandals, they continued on their journey barefoot. Streams became rivers and mudslides. On one of the inclines, our car got stuck. It began to slide to the left, then the right. Alexander and I traded places, so I was behind the wheel for the climb up the mountain. Thank God, we got out of there! But in front of us, a fallen tree had blocked the road. People hurried from the village with a chainsaw, and everyone together took to clearing the road. It rained several more times that evening, and, thoroughly drenched, Alexander and I unloaded the materials from the car. But at home a surprise was waiting for us - wet things, a kitchen dirty from the rain, puddles in the bedroom. The tropical downpour and the wind had done their job. What an adventure! Thank God that the equipment didn't get wet. The lights went out several times. In the evening, we each shared our feelings and new experiences of the day. There was no Internet all day. This is Africa!

Pastor Pavel

The multitude.

Today after our program in the village and lunch with the office team, I went to teach a Bible lesson and again my translator was away. (They say he’ll come tomorrow but it seems like “tomorrow” spells “never” here…) But one of the other teachers was willing to help. So I stood in front of 35 1^st graders that I’m supposed to teach but around us there were many more children – hanging from the windows, crowding in through the doors…So I taught the lesson to about 70 kids but then we were to do crafts and I only had material for 35 – as was agreed. My heart just broke because I didn’t have enough to give to every searching hand. I couldn’t “feed” this multitude. But Jesus can. With your help. Praise God that they are open and willing to give Bible lessons in state schools here.

Showers of blessings

Today we were privileged to witness God’s showers of blessings =) A tropical rain is something! – a great display of God’s majesty and strength! The rain season here is supposed to be over but, I guess, it decided to come back - may be just for us =). The words “rain”, “shower” or even “pouring” – do not cover it! The wind is so hard you can’t take a breath, the water makes a wall, lightning, thunder – we couldn’t hear each other in the house. I stepped out for a second on the porch –  it’s quite spacious – and I was wet through only with the splashes from the ground and the sides. The rain (nobody calls it “a storm” here) cut down two trees near the missionaries’ house and many more in the village and on the road. Pastor Pavel and Sasha were travelling at this time and got stuck on the road – I hope he’ll get to share his impressions soon himself. But for people here rain is not a big event – the rain season lasts 6 months – so the people just continue doing whatever needs to be done.

This day started with us visiting the local secondary school. The school building is a concrete box with holes for windows, often no ceiling, just the roof, most classrooms are grey, not painted, with very dented floor. They would very much like to make the ceiling in classrooms because without it snakes often fall on the children from the roof. When we came, they stopped all the classes and wanted us to introduce ourselves. The children were very animated and friendly.

Then we took a 15 minute walk to another village where I was supposed to start teaching Bible lessons to first-graders. But their teacher who is supposed to translate for me happened to have a business in town so he was away and we couldn’t start today.

Just now the lights went out and we are doing the dishes and washing floors with candle lights. 

Sunday in Ghana

Sunday the 21st

Two days in the village of Vane flew by, and we did not have enough time to describe events. Every new hour brought a new event. Sunday for me began at 5 am, as the day begins at dawn in Ghana. As soon as it begins to get light, people begin to wake up and start moving. From my window I could see the mountains, the highest in West Africa, and on one of the hills is the Catholic Church. Already at 7 AM, you can hear the worship service and songs. It is melodic, and many hymns from our hymnbook are sung. Life isn't in a hurry. The service lasted for several hours, and during this time, we were getting ready to go to the house service at the missionaries' home. We prayed, I shared the Word of God, we sang a few songs of worship to the Lord, and then we transitioned to discussing details of the program. Then Alex and I interviewed Alexander and Elena Vinokourov, asking about their ministry, their family, and the translation of the Bible into the language of the Avatime. After lunch we went to the village Amejofa, 6 km from the village of Vane. This is the highest located village in the mountains in this area. In the central square, nobles and village elders were already waiting for us, along with the pastors of the churches in this village, which is home to about two thousand people. There were about 300 people at the program. The main objective of the program was to show the value of the Gospel in people's lives when they read it in their native language. And only the Gospel of Mark has been printed there. One of the former teachers read two verses from the 16th chapter. The pastors prayed over a copy of the Gospel and invited the churches and people to get a copy of the Word of God. We presented our group, sang, shared a realistic picture of the world, especially the places where they still don't have the Word of God. We showed a skit about the importance of the ability to use Scripture, which can help, encourage, protect, etc. At the end of the program we gave a matryoshka doll to the village chief through his representatives, as he was unable to be at this program. We were shown real African honor: as a sign of peace, our right hands were painted with white paint and special handmade bracelets were placed on our wrists. We were also given two full baskets of bananas. In the evening at the missionaries' home, we reflected on the day. Nick helped with the printer and other equipment we had given them, Alex worked online, Anya got ready for school lessons, and Elena and I resolved all the financial and program issues.

Pastor Pavel

Unusual things

From Alex, on Monday

After our arrival and night in the hotel, we set out further for the village of Vane. To get there, we needed to get from the hotel to the station (30 min), from the station to the market (3 hours), and buy produce and other things we will need for our time here (about 3 hours). Then we went to the village itself (2 more hours). We spent basically the whole day in transportation, all in a hurry. And I had to take pictures and video on the way, through the car windows (with the car going about 100 km/hr). Needless to say, this was not easy. At first, I was a little discouraged, because I want to be able to show what we are seeing, but with good quality. But later, I understood that God was protecting me this way. :) People in the city are so tired of white tourists that they yell and get angry when they see a camera. Several times, only by the car windows was I protected from being battered for taking pictures. :) Something else amazing here is that everyone calls each other brother and sister. For example, “Sister, can you tell me how to get to the station?” :) Also, it's impolite to not greet people, so, as you are walking down the street, you have to greet everyone (but it's considered disrespectful to greet with the left hand)!

These are some impressions from yesterday, our second day in Africa.

You can see yesterday's pictures here: www.flickr.com/photos/djemlike

Sorry, the posts are not quite in chronological order, because we're having problems with the Internet here.

The first night in the village of Vane

On Sunday, Pastor Pavel wrote:

Dear friends, thank you for your prayers for our flight. We are here in the village of Vane, of the Avatime people in western Africa, near the border of the state of Togo. Our trip from the capital, Accra, ended in this mountainous terrain. Now we begin our ministry in the villages. Our first impressions -- this is Africa! Marked by an unhurried way of life and many traditions. We have to learn their system and units of social life: the chiefs, elders, tribes and ethnic groups. To learn about funerals, because this is a very important part of life. A person is not buried until the house is made ready (literally “worthy”), until there is enough money for the funeral itself, and many other details. People from different villages come together to say goodbye. This is just one small detail that we heard. Today we begin a program to encourage the people to study grammar and learn to read their own language. We were not bitten during the night because we slept under mosquito nets. Life outside began very early, at 5AM, and then singing in church began. People leisurely talk to each other outside. We will try to note some interesting facts from the life of the people and to tell you. Yesterday evening, we held a time of team fellowship and prayer for each other.

Working together

Alexey Adjem wrote on Saturday:

It's now 3:53AM Moscow time and 12:53AM local time. Nikolay and I are trying to set up Internet connection so that we can send pictures and letters from the village during the next three weeks. I am putting pictures up on my site, and Nick is posting my letter to the blog. :) Working together! We should go to sleep, of course, since we have to get up at 7:30 tomorrow morning, load the car, have breakfast, and then drive half an hour to the village of Vane.

You can see my pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djemlike/sets/72157625302394023/show/

and Nick's videos here:
qik.com/nikolay/videos

Day one

We are finally here! After two almost sleepless nights and days. The Lord has blessed our trip – now problems at the customs or with luggage. Even though we had overweight we were able to bring everything the missionaries requested and even some snacks for us without having to pay extra! Praise the Lord!

Sasha (the Wycliffe translator) picked us up at the airport and we headed off for our hotel. But he lost his way =) so we also got a little tour of Accra (the capital of Ghana). Then after some refreshment – red papaya, pine apple, melon – pastor Pavel, Nick and the missionaries went to do the major shopping before we head off to the village.

Tomorrow will travel about 6 hours to our final destination – village Vane. We also have to buy supplies for construction work and a xerox.

We had dinner and I ended up very full. I guess I ate from fear of may be having the last normal meal in three weeks. It was chicken with rice with fried bananas – which were yammy! But actually it is so hot here that you constantly want to drink so there isn't much room in your stomach for anything else than water =)

From what I've seen of Ghana and the people so far – they are all very friendly – they greet cordially everyone they meet. But then there were some very friendly helpers at the airport who wanted some reward for their “friendliness”. Another thing -they are happy- just HAPPY – seems like they know how to enjoy and value life.

Safely in Africa

Greetings from the capital of Ghana, Africa -- Accra!

Thank you so much for your prayers!!!
In spite of our luggage being a little overweight, they took it all at the airport with no problems. At our transfer in UAE, they found a small pair of manicure scissors in Anya's carry-on and took those away. (This is the worst thing that happened during the journey.) Both flights were good -- no accidents.
We are in Accra now. We were met at the airport and brought to a hotel, where we are right now. :) Pastor Pavel and Nick went with the missionaries to buy food, and Anya and I stayed at the hotel. I am looking around, taking pictures and video... We feel fine (a little tired, because we didn't sleep much in the airplanes, but everyone looks good).
Keep praying for us. The most interesting and difficult is ahead of us yet!
We are very grateful for each one who remembers us in prayer. We feel your prayers! And we remember you in our prayers. :)

Alex

Departure

Written by Pastor Pavel at the airport Thursday night

Praise the Lord! When we checked in at the airport, they took all our luggage, even a little overweight, and we got through the security inspection. We are waiting to board the plane. In 16 hours, we should be in Ghana. We are thankful to Ilya Artamonov and Misha Batovskoy for getting us through all the traffic to the airport and to the church for the send-off at the House of Prayer.

This is us at 2AM on Thursday after packing everything into 4 suitcases, with a maximum weight limit of 30 kilos.

P.S. Pastor Pavel wrote from their layover in United Arab Emirates that they had arrived there safely and were looking forward to the next plane to Ghana. Praise the Lord and thank you for your prayers!

The process is speeding up!

Written by Pastor Pavel on Wednesday night/Thursday morning

The sleepless nights have begun, which means the missions trip has started. We packed today. That means we somehow stuff everything we need for ministry into the suitcases, and if there is any room left over, we can add our personal things. And the weight limit for each suitcase is 30 kilos. Alexey had to weigh himself and then weigh himself with a suitcase, because we have no other way to do this. Now there are 4 big suitcases standing in the hallway, and there are still some things left that we really must take. Please pray for wisdom in how to do this and for the airline workers to be favorable to us. My office was transformed into a constructive mess for a few hours. Midnight has already flown by, so we really have to say we're meeting today, leaving today, everything is happening today...

We want to thank everyone who has prayed and personally taken part in this mission. A couple of days ago, many of you prayed for the missionaries' daughter, Anya, and her health. Thank you. Her parents have read your letters and express their gratitude. Some joyful news is that all the needed finances have come in, and even more than 100%!!! Another answer to prayer! The Lord is faithful and never late! This is why I like missions, when you clearly get involved in God's work, and your faith is tried and strengthened.

The countdown

Written by Pastor Pavel on Monday, November 15

We're into the last few days before we leave, and we have more to do now than when we started. We've bought the main things; only the little things are left, but life is made up of little things, and we don't want to forget anything. We took out insurance today, and the agent got everyone in the office involved, because he couldn't find the country we're going to. He was ready to give up, and then he was told to just put a dash in the place where it says “country.” Wow! Now, during the remaining evenings, we need to pack our things and watch that we don't go over the weight limits for our luggage. We hope we can fit everything in within the limits! Praise the Lord that many people and churches are continuing to give to this project. Yesterday, the pastor from Kleen (to the north of us in the Moscow region) called to say they want to help. Another pastor gave a notebook, saying that they are sending it like a missionary to serve in that country. The evangelical churches of Zelenograd also joined in prayer and giving. God's people want to be part of His ministry, which is a great encouragement! And the countdown has started. Three, two, one...

Interview by the Protestant newspaper

Written by Pastor Pavel on Sunday afternoon, November 14

Today our team was interviewed by the newspaper “Protestant.” The interviewer and photographer asked the group to tell about themselves, the missions trip, Ghana, missionaries, and the Wycliffe mission. It turned out to be a very interesting interview, touching on some very important topics.

This was also the last Sunday before we leave for Ghana. Many brothers and sisters wished us God's blessings on our trip and promised to pray for us. Many people from the church also gave financially towards the project. Praise the Lord for the Zelenograd Church! The people are wonderful, dedicated to ministry, and very sacrificial. Thank you, everyone! Thanks to the brothers who are planning to help by taking us to the airport on Thursday – Ilya and Alexey. Thanks to everyone who helped get everything ready for this trip. Everyone has helped so much. Sunday evening and in the next few days, there will be several more meetings to finish preparations for going to Ghana.

Details of preparations

Written by Pastor Pavel on Thursday, November 11

This morning, there was another meeting for the team that is preparing for the trip to Ghana, supported by the Zelenograd church, Wycliffe mission, and the Russian Fellowship of Evangelical Christians. We are thankful to everyone who has shown interest in this trip and is praying, reading the news on the blog, and giving to the project. As of today, 3/4 of the project needs have been taken care of, and 2/3 of the team's needs have been met (plane tickets, immunizations, insurance, living expenses, medicine, etc.). We believe that the Lord will provide the rest of the needed finances during this remaining week: to buy a paper cutter and to pay for printing readers in the Avatime language.

Yesterday, the missionaries sent us an audio file with phrases for us to learn in the Avatime language. This way we can greet people, which is very important to in their culture. Thank you for praying for the team's health. Today we were all well and present at the meeting, but there is still another week left till we leave. May the Lord keep each of us! The team is in good spirits. Each one is living in anticipation of the upcoming ministry in Ghana. On Sunday, we will have another meeting and be interviewed by a Russian Christian newspaper. Alex needs to meet with the crew from TBN to prepare for videoing in Ghana. Anya is finishing details for the programs in the villages and for lessons with 35 first-grade children. We are praying for understanding of the culture of these people, so that our words and actions would not offend or cause misunderstandings. We know the Lord will teach us many spiritual and practical lessons. This is why missions trips are important.

There is just a week left till departure!

Nine days to departure

Written by Pastor Pavel on Wednesday, November 10

Time is flying, and only nine days remain until our departure to Ghana. Miracles are happening every day, but because of the work, activities, and preparations, we might miss them. So what has happened during the last couple of days?

More and more people are learning about this missions project “Bibles for the Avatime people.” Many people are amazed that in the 21^st century, a people group is just beginning to study its own language – to learn the alphabet, grammar, and begin to read the Gospel. But this is the case! We will be plunging into this situation and trying to stir the people up to learn to read.

God is laying it on people's hearts in different places to give towards this project. People in churches want to participate! The brothers and sisters of “Your Church” in Moscow have contributed. World champion Raeesa, Alexey Kutepov, the Zelenograd Children's Church and Sunday School, the church in Nelidovo, the Good News Church in Borovichi, and from other places, prompted by the Lord, are giving to God's work. Praise God! Most of the projects have been covered; only about a third are left!

Pray for the health of the entire team: Nikolay is sick, and Anya and Alex are feeling slightly under the weather. We have a team meeting tomorrow morning, and we ask you to pray for us. We will put out a prayer calendar soon so you can see our route and what to pray for.

Eleven days till departure

Written by Pastor Pavel on Sunday, November 7

Praise the Lord for a wonderful beginning to the week! At the Sunday morning service, our team told the church about the upcoming missions trip and about the needs for ministering in Ghana. God prompted people from various churches today to give financially to the project. A message came from Borovichi that people are interested, praying, and giving. The Zelenograd church once again showed Christian love and sacrifice towards missionary ministry. Someone has already brought a notebook for teaching computer skills to the local team in the villages in Ghana. Sunday evening, there was a meeting of the evangelical pastors of Zelenograd where I shared information about the missions trip with the ministers, and they prayed fervently for us and our ministry in Africa. I believe that we will see God's great work and hear of His glory. It's wonderful to see when churches join together in missions work. We are praying for Nikolay's health. He was sick and unable to attend services with us today.

Prayer requests

Written by Pastor Pavel on November 6
I am happy to greet the friends who are reading this blog about the missions trip to Ghana! With our constant prayers and working together, we can really help the Avatime people come to know about the loving Lord Jesus Christ in their own language.
Please pray with us:
-- For preparing the program for the villages, so that Anya would have ideas, and we could reach that goal
-- For the team meeting on November 11
-- For wisdom in getting everything necessary for the missionaries in Ghana
-- For health for each of the team members before the trip, and especially during our time there
-- For all the questions with work and studies, and for the ministry here in Zelenograd
-- For preparing the banners for the presentations in the villages

Friday, November 5

Yesterday, we had an organizational meeting to prepare for the missions trip to Ghana. I am glad for the atmosphere among the team members. Each one is ready to use their talents and do what the Lord has called us to do. Our next meeting will be at 10:00AM on November 11, a week before we leave. We will practice the program we will do in the villages we will visit, and we will pray for God's leading throughout the trip. Please join us in prayer! Read the blog and leave your comments. Be a part of this missions trip! (written by Pastor Pavel)