The Wright Perspective

Chris and Nichole Wright are members of our church currently serving as missionaries in Accra Ghana.  The following was written by Chris to be shared with family and friends at Christmas.

"The Wright Perspective" 

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  A little different here than what we are used to.  Instead of freezing weather, we are in the 90’s.  I wonder what Santa wears in Africa since it is so hot.  He is coming to our mall next week, so I guess we’ll find out.  That should be an experience. The semester is coming to a close and much is going on at the school.  The school hosted an orphanage for a Christmas dinner put on by the school’s community service club.  The orphanage was from the bush and were children of aids victims.  The children ranged from 2-17 years of age.  The children of the orphanage listed 3 presents they wanted on a piece of paper in the shape of an angel and hung it on a tree.  Families and teachers from the school took an angel and bought the presents for them.  The child we bought for was 14 years of age.  It broke my heart thinking of a 14 year old girl in an orphanage.  How long had she been there?  Did she have any family?  We purchased her gifts and went to the school on the Friday night to welcome the children.  As the children’s names were called out they each went up front to get their presents.   I noticed a wheel chair at the front.   One of the children had requested a new wheelchair.  As this child’s name was called, the workers from the orphanage said she was not able to come because she had just fallen out of her old wheelchair.  They then came to the girl we purchased the gifts for.  She was not there either so we did not get to meet her and see her open her presents or find out more about her.  You see so much poverty and sadness here that sometimes you become numb to it.  As we bought presents for this young girl, it reminded me each one has a story and they are each precious to our Father.  How can we reach these children with your love more Father?  What do you require of us?  Is sending some gifts on Christmas enough?  You left heaven to adopt us as your children.  Should we consider leaving our heaven to do the same?  These are all questions I faced thinking about these orphans. The school continues to grow in numbers and God is working among the teachers and the students.  We have seen 6 students make confessions of their faith this semester.  We continue to pray for the lost in our school.  Although the school is a Christian school, we have many children of various religions represented there.  Because of the education the children receive at AIS the parents are willing to put their children there.  As a result, we have the opportunity to witness to atheists, muslims, Buddhists and various other religious backgrounds. 

Prayer

Please pray for the school as we are looking into the purchase of new land to build.  We currently meet in a house converted into a school.  This was fine when we had 50 students, but now we are up to 190 students and we need much more room.  Oil has been discovered in Ghana and Accra seems to be growing more each year.  

As Accra increases, please pray that AIS will be a light on a hill burning bright for Christ.  Being here in Ghana with these teachers, we soon find out we are not the Hudson Taylors we have always read about.  Feelings get hurt, things are said, and divisions can easily occur.   

Please pray for unity at the school.  Our director often says God works here in spite of us.  And that is the truth.  We are human, but we serve a great God and He overcomes all of our weaknesses and failures.