Buy

Today Steve & I finally got money changed and now can buy stuff!! The joy of cedis in our pocket was too much and the local trade was a glad recipient. My first stop was to the local dry cleaners [I know it sounds pretentious, but I spilt orange juice down myself on the plane and I was scared it would ruined my Ralph Lauren blanket…I’m not sounding any less pretentious am i?!]. Next was a local restaurant to pick up someone’s food for lunch, and then the gas station for a can of coke that Steve had been craving and finally a street vendor selling yam chips, chicken and fish. I was told that to prevent illness, not to eat from the street vendors. As the sauce for the chicken was poured into a black plastic bag and passed to my company, I understood why. After the days sessions, we went to the local market to pick up a box of biscuits and a crate of drinks for our movie night [Paul Gibbs will be glad to know that we are watching ‘Kingdom of Heaven’!]

My tour guide [aka the token Ghanaian person to take with me so I wouldn’t get ripped off] was Josephine. Aged 26, she has been involved in various missions across Ghana, and the Ivory Coast, making her well travelled for a young village Ghanaian. For several months she has been asking Father to show her a mission she could get involved in longer term, but she couldn’t verbalize what she was looking for. On Sunday, as the Pais promo video played in her church [Harvest Chapel International] she was suddenly confronted with the thing she was looking for. And after the service, she joined Pais.

As we walked she shared her life story; her passion was literally spilling out on the dirt road. At times with her fast Ghanaian drawl, it was hard to understand exactly what she was saying, but her excitement came through as clear as anything. She even recruited her friend Henry that same day to join as well.

Today’s schedule:

-       The Creed & the Vow Ceremony

-       Schools: Divinity – The Holy Spirit – Sebrina Miller

-       Schools: Doors – Mawunyo Debrah

-       Apprenticeship: Team – Steve Miller

I didn’t put the times down because the schedule went out of the window. Not in a disorganized way, but in a “Father God, we’re just following you kind of way”. Minster Isaac & his wife Pastor Hannah [leaders at Royalhouse Chapel International who have visited America previously] did an impromptu welcome talk in the morning as they hadn’t been able to come and visit the team yet. The Creed and Vow Ceremony, though we had less apprentices than most nations, was just so prayer filled that we couldn’t stop. My Holy Spirit talk ended up starting at noon…enter 40 mins of me speaking followed by words of knowledge, words of wisdom, speaking/interpreting tongues, prayers, affirmations, emotional healings…when I realized the  times was 1:50 we decided we needed to have a break…since no one had eaten since breakfast since 8am!! Father’s spirit was just so tangible…you could feel it…there was such power and an excitement to seek God..and imagining taking that power into schools and impacting students lives.

In Mawunyo’s doors talk she said something so amazing:

“I feel like Pais:Ghana, if it was lined up with the other Pais nations, would get asked the biggest question because it has the biggest opportunity”

And she is so right. The schools are so OPEN to Pais coming in, to preaching within them…assemblies to literally a thousand of students at a time, lessons, visits to an orphanage, missions into the local villages…There is so so much that these guys have been entrusted with, such a great harvest of students and children in front of them, ripe for the picking, ready to hear a word, ready to have their lives changed and transformed. Ready to be brought hope and love.

But we can’t force them into the Kingdom. We can’t pay them to enter. We can’t do their dry cleaning to get them there. We can’t buy their love. So we have to use the opportunity wisely. Strategically. Spirit-led.

But when it happens…when it all comes together…

BOOMTOWN is the only word I can think of.

I am soooo excited to leave for no other reason than when I go, their work out side of the conference room begins!!

Together

I hate being alone. 


I know hate is a strong word, but I really don't like it. Yes, we should be able to embrace quiet time, and learn to be still and silent, but I am part of the generation of people like Elizabeth Gilbert (protagonist in 'Eat, Pray, Love') that cannot learn to just be still and mediate in the position of a bridge, board, or other random inanimate object.

I need people!! I need noise!!

Another reason why Ghana is the best place in the world for me.

Under one five-bedroomed roof live twenty-two of us, ranging from 14-40, from seven different countries [Ghana, Togo, Germany, England, Mexico, America & Northern Ireland]. There is a frequently sung the song, "There were four in the bed and the lile one said, 'Move down because another apprentice just got accepted so we need to make room for them!'". With water problems for two days, toilets were full of everything from every orifice. Meals around the 8-seater table are a diving event of hands, food and madness. People sit on each others laps and the arms of the chair as we gather around the tv.

Yet there are no complaints. 

I said it yesterday, and I will reiterate it again: It takes a special type of person to give up the comfort of their western life and live in Africa.

And it is these special people who will change the world. 

I love the late night chats, the hanging out, the communal meals, the trips to the store that don't require ten people to go, but everyone is enjoying hanging out so much they can't break away.

Steve was yesterday's hero for fixing the water. The shower off our room is the best one in the house, so I offered whoever wanted to use it the opportunity to do so before we settled down for the night. After the final person finished, they mopped up the bathroom not wanting to leave it dirty for us.

At lunchtime, whether you have put money in the pot or not, bread, ham tongue and overpriced cheese are shared and passed around the table.

A toilet is cleaning thoroughly even though you weren't the one to repeatedly throw up in it.

This is what it means to be together.
To have community.
To live out the body of Christ.

It is not just in the words we say to encourage one another, or the polished preach we proclaim, but in the acts we serve one another with.

"This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples-when they see the love you have for each other."
{John 13:35 - the message translation}

I love the loudness of this house. The only moment of silence in the house is when "internet time" happens (for just one hour a day) and all the "foreigners" gather around their laptops to update their Facebook statuses, blogs and check emails.

The irony of a internet-based virtual community replacing human tangible connections.

There is no greater joy to me than this.
This togetherness.
This love.
This hope.

I imagine Father God loves it. 
Revels in it.
Takes joy and pride in us, His creation, fulfilling the purpose He desired us to have.

And I imagine how when it is released into the schools and the communities, the great impact it will make. 

People

Our first day of teaching training…yet I am the one learning so much…

The day started at 7am, meeting with the team leaders for extra training. 8:15 we met to start Haverim devotions (Pais’ new way of studying scripture daily as a team based on PaRaDiSe teaching & principles from Talmidin) outside in the courtyard – what amazes me is a cliché, but none the less a valid point – people are people no matter where they are from: Ghana, England, America, Germany, Togo, Germany…we all desire to learn more, and share ideas and thoughts on the word of God. 

As we worshipped and prayed together as the rain gently patted onto the corrugate iron roof, I couldn’t help but smile as I looked around and heard their voices raise, desperate to see God move this year in the lives of the people of Accra. As we sang “God of this City” we declared what we wanted to see happen – more students saved, a greater passion in this area, truth brought to these people….

Today’s sessions were:

-       Kingdom Principles: “Rubbish In, Rubbish Out” – Paul Gibbs (via video)

-       Schools: Delivery – Gail Whittaker

-       Apprenticeship: FriendRaising – Sebrina Miller

-       Apprenticeship: Mistakes & Lesson – Steve Miller

Everyone is keen to write down notes but not everyone had resources. Several of the Ghanaian team members were scribbling notes into abandoned diaries/calendars; one was even writing in the blank pages back of George Foreman’s autobiography! So 10 (of the 210!!) notebooks we collected as school supplies for the students were given out to apprentices – glad we brought as many as we did!!

Following the sessions, we were taken on a tour of the surrounding area. Despite being in the capital city, there is such a disparity between the wealth of the malls, modern stores, university and large houses surrounding the airport, and the clay red path and shack huts just a half hour away. Our guesthouse, one of the best in the city, is occasionally without water and electricity yet we just get on. The endurance of the apprentices, even the western ones, is astounding – it takes a very special type of person to be willing to live this uncomfortable life, but a life that is essential to be led in order to bring the gospel to these students.

As we strolled around the backstreets, led by the Ghanaian apprentices and support staff, random children shouted “obruni” (white person) and “obini” (black person) – with my cardigan jauntily tied over my shoulders and skinny fit twisted jeans, I am called “obruni”. As they came towards us, some unexpectedly hugged us and all were desperate to have their picture taken – it seems everyone in the world wants to be “Facebook famous”.

Ben, one of the support staff from Royalhouse Chapel International, talked passionately and candidly about the needs of the people in this area. Most would be born, live, & die in this near poverty, never seeking to achieve more because they were without the hope of Jesus: this hope, Ben said, was they key, their way out.

A bigger vision of God gives you a bigger vision of yourself.

From Ghana to America, Germany to England, Togo to Mexico and beyond.

That’s what people need. 

Accra

24 hours in Ghana is a like a lifetime of fun, beauty, joy, spirit-filled wonderful ness...I already know there will be tears leaving this amazing place with these beautiful people...


I feel something is coming...I have got words from Father that I am desperate to share with these guys but already I am learning so much from them, especially the Ghanaians - they have a strong, deep connection with Father and it overspills with enthusiasm to all around


I really feel that Father is going to show me more of Himself - I already feel as if He has - I don't want a "mission trip high" where I come and experience this and go back excited for a few days and then it fades like a cheap fake tan...I want something that deeply and eternally changes me.


At Accra airport after no immigration or customs problems, we were greeted by several of the team. As we left the airport, the haggling, bartering and people desperate to push your cart in return for some cedi (ghanaian currency) reminded me of Jamaica this summer and the desperation of peole to make money - for some i imagine their fulltime job is loitering, hopign to get a few lucky breaks from wealthy tourists or locals.


As we arrived at the guest house (where all 20 apprentices, directors and support staff have been and will continue to stay for training) i was impressed that they all came down to greet us despite our late arrival - some were even in pyjamas.


A culture, it seems, has already been set, of honouring your leaders, and I already feel a great sense of appreciation that we are here, when I feel appreciative of this honour to be with them.


Over a late dinner some of the team gave their first impressions.


1. I LOVED their hearts and willingness to share. 
2. It is evident that Ghana is a prayer-drive, spirit-filled environment - some of the team wake at 2am or 4am to pray together (the Ghanaian team members only - the "foreigners" are getting over their jetlag/getting used to such passion at all times of day).


Warned that church would be three hours long, four and a half hours into the service I was still dancing away, making notes, taking pictures, clapping my hands, excited and enthralled by the dancing in the aisles in celebration of giving offering or just sheer joy, the amazing professionalism and skill of the worship team, as well as their willingness to go with the flow of the spirit, the passion of the pastor as they introduced the Pais teams on stage...wow...I don't understand why every church in the world doesn't worship like this when we claim to believe in the same God as these people.


Tomorrow sees Steve, Gail and I each deliver our first sessions...EXCITED to get going and just pour into the beautiful team!!


Thanks to God for:

• Picked up the right "Gail" (Gail is joining us from Accrington in England - 40-year-old married mother of one, never been to Africa, doesn't know that much about Pais, ex-school teacher, saw Paul advertise that he wanted someone to help with Pais:Ghana training and responded after her trip to Mozambique was cancelled, dead excited, a real asset to the team!!)
• Safe arrival
• Baggage all came
• The team is AMAZING
• Fantastic time in church today - Harvest Chapel International, a new partner church in Accra - EXTREMELY welcoming and excited to have Pais
• Great unity/cohesion with the team

Things to pray for:

• Safety & health, for us and the new apprentices acclimatizing to Ghana
• Unity amongst the team
• Excellence, clarity & energy in the teaching of our seminars
• Support for Mawunyo
• Inspiring 1st year apprentices to rise up early on and commit to staying for more than a year on Pais in Ghana
• Great talks with Mawunyo and Royalhouse Chapel International pastors about future plans
• Seeing more of God
• Openness to whatever Father would speak to us about

Thanks so much to all the supporters who gave financially to make this possibility - believe me your money isn't being wasted!!

Wish you could be here...but pray that my notes will open your eyes to see more than just these words. 

HUGS

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Good

Whenever you go through difficult times you need to do two things to claim the "positivity" that is in those situations:

1. Think about/meditate on/read positive things
2. Be around positive people

A few weeks ago when we were at Oak Hills Church in "San Tan" (as I affectionately renamed San Antonio) they sang my favourite song, "Lord you are good" - its one of those happy clappy black church songs that gets your feet stomping and butt shaking in a way that is borderline inappropriate for church!!

So i got thinking about God's goodness, which was really hard to see following "Gladney-Gate", and decided to read a Bible verse everyday talking about God being good.

In Psalm 143 it talks about God's spirit being good, but that is not what struck me this morning.

"I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works;

I muse on the work of your hand"

So I got thinking about my "days of old"...

• Teaching "Shakedown Dance" in a broken community where these beautiful but struggling kids would come and we would shake and body pop and I would talk about self-esteem and Father's love...and dancing IN TIME with the music...
• Time at Keele University spent talking with my friends...how I went to uni finding it hard to trust anyone, but especially girls, not believing I would really bond with girls and then leaving with more "sisters" that you could shake a stick at...and we frequently did in K2!!
• My prayer wall, where anyone at any time could give me a request and I would seek Father for them...and the amount of non-christian friends who used my service...
• Writing, journalling for hours and reading book after book...
• Being outdoors playing rounders, BBQ's...
• That desire in me to have a job where "everyday was something different", swearing i would "never be stuck in an office"...
• When Ruth told me on the second day of uni, that I was the first Christian she had ever met (besides some weird Jehovah's Witnesses) and the realisation that there was a purpose for my life and people that Father God would put in my path that I HAD to speak truth and love into...

And then I though about "all Your [God's] works"...

• Healing me from an unhealthy dependence on boys - helping me to see you as my Father...
• Kaream's birth uniting our family...
• Luke getting saved after a year of praying and hanging out and letting him crash at our apartment because his housematers were mentalists...
• Convo's with Yat, Roger, Fran, Nick, Ed...sometimes about ER...sometimes about needing to borrow the iron...sometimes about the love of God...
• Missions week on Keele Campus where people came for free lunch but left hearing your word...
• The amazing man Kaream is today...
• The softening of my mum's heart...
• Restoring my confidence in myself, in who you made me to be...
• The impact of Pais - lives being changed ETERNALLY...
• Bringing Steve & I together (after that ROUGH first year in different countries) and the heart we have together for the Kingdom and for families...

I could go on and on...there are so many...such a realisation that no time is ever as bad as you think it is...

So do I feel like I have a clearer picture of what the "next step" is for my life??

Nope. 

Do i wish I did??

Kinda.

But in the meantime Steve is getting lots of nice cooked dinners, the laundry is getting done quicker, I'm less grouchy and I'm exploring my creative side (stop asking - no cushion cover orders are being taken!!)

But am I secure in the fact that Father God has a clear path for me, and actually this tangled mess of craziness of life at the moment is the exact part of the path that I'm supposed to be on

To some it may look as if I am by the side of the road, disorientated, raggedy clothed, with my thumb out, desperate for a ride. 

But to Father I am driving in a car, with the top down; wind in my hair with no idea where the Sat Nav is taking me, but pretty content and enjoying the journey. 

This path is good. 

Faith

I had a humbling moment today.

Despite phoning up numerous times and asking supposedly all the right questions, things always go wrong.

When I arrived to check in Kaream after his 5-week stay with us in America, we were told that although he was given two free checked bags leaving Heathrow, he was only entitled to one free checked bag leaving DFW.

We waited 45 minutes to speak to a manager who basically said that a mistake had been made (by the check in agent at LHR, the agent at KIN who told us that bags on international flights were free, and the AA agent we spoke to on the phone the night before Kaream flew who all told us the same thing) and that we would have to pay – there was no other option.

I was already emotional at the thought of Kaream leaving…tears fell down my face in the gap while we waited to speak to the manager…as we walked away with the bag we hoped to check (weighing around 30lbs which Kaream had struggled even to get down the apartment stairs, let alone haul around the airport or even put in the overhead bin) my head raced through the worst case scenarios…“If they can’t even give consistent information on baggage, then how will they look after him?!”…“They lost his release form on the way here, these people are obviously incompetent, how can I be at peace with entrusting him to them?”

And then Kaream spoke to me:

“Seb, lets sing that song that we did at Pais Foundational Training”

And there in the middle of the airport we sang:

Our God is greater, Our God is stronger

God you are higher, than any other

Our God is healer, awesome in power

Our God, Our God

And if our God is with us

Then who could ever stop us?

And if our God is with us

Then what can stand against?

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking “I really hope Kaream’s voice better than yours Sebrina?”

‘Fraid not.

But we worshipped regardless.

When we got to the Boarding Gate, I went to do the final check in for Kaream and to let them know that he would need assistance placing his bag in the overhead locker as his suitcase was heavy.

The agent offered to to check the bag…for free.

Kaream turned to me and said:

“See – I told you God would work it out!”

I really struggle in my faith sometimes when times get hard.

Sometimes I feel as if everything is stacked against me and bad things that go wrong in my life only happen to me.

But everyone poops.

Thus crap is everywhere.

Life is constantly going to be throwing us curveballs and hardballs.

Life will often feel like that scene in Dodgeball when Patches O’Houlihan is throwing wrenches at the team to get them fit.

But good happens, because God has happened.

This is a promise I struggle with, but I have to hold on to.

“If God is for us, then who can be against us?”

So I cried at the gate watching my brother leave, knowing that I won’t see him until Christmas…

…and again at the currency exchange when although the sign said closing was 10pm, at 9:30 the woman had stopped serving…

…and again at the exit to the airport as 2 hrs 59 mins costs you $4 but 3 hrs 4 mins costs you $6…

…and again when I got back to my empty lonely apartment as my husband faithfully serves Pais…

…and again when I felt as if I had nothing to live for as I don’t have a job and I don’t know where Father is leading me…

But God is for me, He isn’t against me.

And I’m clinging to that promise at the moment. 

Adventure

There is never a dull moment in the Miller Household...
...And there is never a still moment when you are looking to follow Father God.

Our latest random journey takes us to...GHANA!!

In September 2008, Pais set up its first African nation in Accra, Ghana. The first team has three people, last year's team rose to ten; hopefully this years team will have more. The previous teams have seen incredible fruit, working in eight local schools, teaching hundreds weekly and bringing many into relationships with Father. They have also done outreaches, in partnership with the local church, into the nieighbouring poorer villages to bring supplies, medical aid and practically meet other needs.

The nation is led by Mawunyo Debrah, who was on Pais:USA 07/08 in Arlington at the same church as us. We both got to know her extremely well – she is a hardcore prayer warrior, often staying up through the night to pray for her teams, and is so faithful in all that she does. Though she has worked hard, the one area she has struggled in is long-term leadership to come alongside her. This upcoming year, everyone on the team will be new to Pais:Ghana, with only one person having done Pais previously (another familiar face – Carmen, who was on the team Steve led 08/09!). 

Previously, all of the Ghanaian missionaries had to travel to the UK to complete their Foundational Training. With such a large cost, this training excluded many of the apprentices from receiving the much needed training. This year, she has taken the bold step to provide the Foundational Training in Ghana, for her new teams. However, that is a large undertaking for her to complete by herself. 

Mawunyo’s need is simple – she needs help organizing and running Foundational Training.

With both of our experience on Pais, and with Steve’s specific expertise in running conferences and training apprentices, we both jumped at the opportunity to go out and practically help. 


Our need is simple - we need prayer and financial support. 


The rundown of our trip is as follows:

• Travel dates: September 3rd-September 15th, 2010 (yes, in less than a month's time!!)
• Trip cost: $4,300/£2,700 (this includes flight, visa, yellow fever vaccinations, malaria tablets, and a contingency fund - all food, transport, accommodation and activities are provided by Pais:Ghana)
• Role: Before - helping the planning of the conference (this has already begun)
• Role: During - delivering Pais training and supporting Mawunyo and the apprentices. 

We need to book our flights by Friday August 13th so that we can apply for our visas in time.

If you can help financially support us please contact us by email (sebrinamiller@gmail.com or stevemiller@paisproject.com) and let us know how much you are able to donate (so we can keep track of our current balance) and how you would like to pay (cash, US check, UK check, paypal or direct bank deposit for both our US & UK banks)

We know this is a very last-minute thing, but we really feel this is what God is calling us to do. For those of you who don’t know, Sebrina recently resigned from her role on Pais. She was offered a job with an adoption agency, but after three weeks of planning, visa issues meant that she was unable to take the role. This was extremely upsetting to us both, but we trusted that God was in control. Had the job gone ahead, we would not have both been able to do this trip, so we are seeing the blessing despite the storm. We are really excited for the impact that we can make on the teams and the blessing that we will be to Mawunyo. Please keep us and Pais:Ghana in our prayers.

Looking forward to hearing from you – please email us your thoughts and encouragements!!

Steve & Sebrina