Hi Everyone!
I received an e-mail yesterday containing this picture, and it made me SO happy that I wanted to share with all of you! THIS picture may not look like much to others, but to ME it is beautiful! Not because it is ornate or anything--quite the contrary! You can see it is a very simple structure---it doesn't even have walls yet, and certainly nothing like utilities or indoor plumbing. Really, it is just a roof--but to ME it is much more than that. . .
Why? Because THIS is MY church! You see, this is my Christmas present to myself, and it makes me so very very happy! Not because it is the most beautiful church in the world--but because THIS church I helped build. :) I wasn't able to go physically and raise the roof, but I did help with funding quite a bit of this new church and others went and built it. I wasn't able to physically go, and perhaps others were not able to finance it--but together we could each do something, and here is the result!
My church is in Ghana. That is a country in Africa, just in case you aren't sure. Why can't they build their own churches? Because most of the people there are very poor and do not even have what they need for daily living, that's why. The average annual income in Ghana is $1,550. Poverty levels are very high, with 30 percent of people living on less than $1.00 per day, and 54 percent living on less than $2.00 per day. Oh yes--on average, if you lived in Ghana you could expect to live to age 61, but many people do not and there are 1.1 million orphans in the country.
And that's why this was my chosen Christmas present to myself this year. I am delighted that I was able to help join with others--each doing what we could--and the results being a church structure where my brothers and sisters can meet together with a roof over their heads to shield them from the hot sun or from the rain. I was told that in this region, most people use a type of small cane to weave and make walls for their homes, and that this is what the local congregation will do to "finish" the sides of this church. They will do what they can.
And from now on, each time the blessed Sabbath day comes around and I am worshiping in my heated and air conditioned church here in America, I will think of a little church group in Ghana--meeting underneath a metal roof. And pray for them. And maybe, I will be so blessed as to have them praying for me!
If you would like to learn more of how you can help your brothers and sisters around the world, you can find out more information here:
One Day Church
Don't think that you have to fund an entire church--even just $10 helps!
Have a Beautiful day with your Savior! And don't forget your brothers and sisters!
~Susan
