Thursday, June 30, 2011

Friday Makes a Week

We are so happy to be back in Nalerigu. Tomorrow makes a week that we have been back.  The week has flown by as we try to get somewhat settled.  We have been cleaning, cleaning out, and unpacking most of this time.  Still a long way to go.  Joel has been with me all week at home.  He starts working at the hospital on Monday.  It will just be me and the kids then at the house this week.

We miss you all much and miss more contact with you all.  We are back to internet at the school house.  This is my first time to come down for the internet all week with all I've been doing at home.  The internet signal at the house is very weak so we cannot really get online at home.  Just letting you all know why you don't see us online as much anymore.

We have been so happy to see so many friends already-both Ghanians and Americans.  The kids are having a great time.  Annaleigh is quickly getting used to her new home, as well.

Some of you have asked about Baby.  She is doing well. She is expecting a baby in August.  We are so excited as she and Joe have wanted another child for a long time.  She looks great.

The Nyhus' family has been running the guest house during the last year.  They have done amazing ministries both in and outside of the hospital.  Greg and Wendy are gone to Israel right now getting heart surgery for yet another young child.  They return in roughly two weeks.

When we have a chance we will try to load a few new photos.  We will let you know how things are going here.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Nalerigu

We made it to Nalerigu and are so happy to be here.  It's still hard to believe we are back.  It is already wonderful to reunite with friends.  We will update you more as we have time.  We will spend the next few days cleaning and unpacking, among other things.  We will really miss the friends we made in Mbingo but are glad to be back here. Thanks for you prayers for our family.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Travel Plans

It is so nice to be at the guest house for a short time.  Colt, Abigail, and I will probably take in a movie at the theater middle of the day today.  Joel is getting the oil changed this morning on our truck.  This afternoon Joel needs to pack up the back of the truck with our things.  The cab will be stuffed with things, as well.

Tomorrow around 4 am or so, Joel and Colt plan to leave for Nalerigu.  We have heard the road out of Accra is even worse than a year ago.  Leaving so early will hopefully get them to Nalerigu before dark tomorrow night.

The girls are I are flying from Accra to Tamale.  Our flight leaves at 1 pm.  We will get in a good meal at breakfast at the guest house before traveling.  Then a hospital driver will pick us up at the airport in Tamale and we will ride the 2 1/2 hour drive to Nalerigu.  If the roads are fairly dry we will be doing much bouncing and if there has been a good amount of rain, we will do much sloshing!  As long as we don't slosh into a ditch, we should be good!  Colt says we are racing to see which group (Dickens' girls or Dickens' boys) will arrive in Nalerigu first!

Thank you, thank you for your continued prayers.  Send us your prayer requests, as well.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Packing

Aaaahhh.  Time for bed.  Packing for Ghana pretty much complete except for a few last minute items in the morning.

It is very hard to leave everyone here.  There was a nice "Goodbye" gathering for us tonight with the other missionaries.  You all have been a blessing to us in so many ways.  We had no idea when we arrived that we would be leaving so soon.

We are ready to get to Ghana and get settled in a bit, though.  Tomorrow is a travel day for us.  Then Friday will also be a travel day-from Accra to Tamale.  Thank you for your continued prayers.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Leaving

It's hard to believe in a little over a week we will be leaving Cameroon.  We have enjoyed our time here immensely and did not know when we arrived that our stay here would be so short.

I posted the words to that wonderful Matthew West song again because it just has such an incredibly encouraging message.  May you also be blessed by those words.

Today is unusual in that it has yet to rain. The upside to this fact is that our clothes dry much faster on the line with the sun shining!  I enjoyed a little walk this afternoon in this beautiful, mountainous region. Joel graciously put the girls down for their nap/rest time.

We have only just begun getting to know the missionaries here.  We are still enjoying our visits with them and will miss them so much.  Building relationships with the Cameroonians was also something we were starting to enjoy, as well.  Of course, that takes time and we are quickly running out of that.

Having left home four months ago, we are all more than ready to get settled.  We look forward to what the Lord has for us in Nalerigu.

We fly from Cameroon to Ghana on June 21st.  We arrive in Accra, Ghana that night.  Accra is the captial city of Ghana, located on the coast.  We plan to stay a few nights there to look for supplies.  Our truck is there now waiting for us with our belongings that we had brought from Ghana to Cameroon in the truck.  Even the cab is full of these items.  There is not room for all of us in the truck.  Joel and Colt will drive the roughly 14 hour drive to Nalerigu the same day the girls and I will fly to Tamale, then ride on to Nalerigu.

We so appreciate your continued prayers for us.  Here are some specific requests for those of you who have asked:
-That the details will be quickly worked out for our container to be shipped to Nalerigu, Ghana from the      Cameroon port
-Safe travels for all of us
-For the continued mission work here at Mbingo Hospital
-For the continued mission work at BMC in Nalerigu

We LOVE hearing from you all by email and snail mail.  Some have asked again for our Ghana address.  Here it is:


Dickens

Baptist Medical Centre
P. O. Box 50
Nalerigu via Gambaga
                              Ghana, NR

Saturday, June 11, 2011

My Own Little World by Matthew West

In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I've never gone hungry, always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In my own little world, population: me

I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give 'til it hurts
And I turn off the news when I don't like what I see
Yeah, it's easy to do when it's population: me

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world

Stopped at a red light looked out my window
I saw a cardboard sign said, "help this homeless widow"
And just above that sign was the face of a human
I thought to myself, God, what have I been doing?
So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye
Oh, how many times have I just passed her by?
I gave her some money than I drove on through
And my own little world reached population: two

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world
My own little world

Father, break my heart for what breaks Yours
Give me open hands and open doors
Put Your light in my eyes and let me see
That my own little world is not about me

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
That I could be living right now
I don't want to miss what matters
I wanna be reaching out
Show me the greater purpose
So I can start living right now

Outside my own little world
My own little world
My own little world