Consfords Chronicles
Missionary Internships in Africa
Stories from the mission field where young missionary interns learn ministry, culture, and service in Ghana.
Some days on the mission field ease into motion. Other days start with both feet already on the floor. This was one of those days, and it reminded me again that serving on the mission field in Ghana is not usually made up of one big dramatic event. More often, it is a long string of small responsibilities, quick changes, dusty roads, and ordinary moments that God somehow uses for His work.
I woke up at 6:40 that morning knowing we needed to move fast. Breakfast came at 7:15, and by 7:30 we were already out the door. There was no long, lazy start to the day. We had places to go, people to pick up, and a schedule that was already pushing us forward before the sun had hardly settled into the sky.
Bro. Ruckman and I went first to pick up Bro. Kenny, and then we gathered a few others along the way. Our destination was the church property being built in Kojokrom. Trips like that are a good reminder that missionary work is not only sermons and services. Sometimes it is vans, rough roads, early mornings, and trying not to get stuck before you even make it to the place you are going.
We made it out there without getting stuck, though we did have one close call. On roads like those, you learn quickly not to get too confident. One minute everything seems fine, and the next minute you are wondering if the vehicle is about to sink into a place it has no business being. By God’s grace, we made it through just fine.
When we arrived, we prayed over the property. There was nothing flashy about it. No crowd. No ceremony. No big event to write home about in the world’s eyes. But to me, that was one of the best parts of the morning. Standing on that ground and praying reminded me that every church building starts long before the walls are finished. It starts with burden, prayer, sacrifice, and faith that God will use a place like that to reach people with the gospel.
Serving on the Mission Field in Ghana Means Paying Attention
On the way home, the Lord gave us a smaller kind of gift. We saw some really pretty birds, cuckoos, and I was able to get some neat pictures. That may sound like a little thing, but life on the field has a way of teaching you to notice little things. If all you ever watch for is the next major ministry event, you can miss the quiet beauties the Lord puts in front of you.
Not long after that, we shifted from pretty birds to practical problems. After dropping off the first group of people, we stopped by the church to straighten the church sign. A storm had knocked it crooked, and it was leaning enough that it needed attention. That may not sound like deep ministry, but it is still part of it. Somebody has to notice the sign. Somebody has to stop. Somebody has to set it straight.
Then, just when we thought we had handled that, we realized the couple we had just dropped off had left their phone in the car. So back we went to get the phone to them. That is how a lot of these days go. One task turns into another. One stop becomes two. One quick errand becomes a chain of small duties that fill the whole morning.
By the time we got Bro. Kenny home and got ourselves back to the house, it was around 9:30. There was just enough time to get ready for Fante class.
Fante Class and the Slow Joy of Progress
My class started at 10:10, and the others started at 10:30. Language learning can be humbling. Actually, that might be too gentle of a word. Sometimes it can be downright embarrassing. You know what you want to say, but your mouth does not cooperate, your memory fails you halfway through the sentence, and even when you think you are doing well, you are not always sure the listener agrees.
Still, I can tell I am making progress in my Fante learning. I have a long way to go, but I can sense improvement. That may not sound exciting to everyone else, but when you have wrestled with a language, even a little progress feels like a real victory.
That is one of the blessings of serving on the mission field in Ghana. The growth often comes slowly enough that you do not see it day by day. Then all of a sudden, something clicks. A phrase makes sense. A pattern sticks. A sound comes out a little cleaner than it did last week. And those little improvements give you enough encouragement to keep going.
I am thankful for that. Learning a language is not glamorous work, but it is necessary work. If you really want to help people, you need more than a burden for them. You need to understand them. You need to speak to them. You need to keep learning, even when progress feels slow.
After class, we took some of the folks at the house over to the church. We had also been dealing with an electricity problem from the night before, so a local pastor was coming to take a look at it. That is another thing I have learned: mission work is not done in some neat little box where only “spiritual” problems show up. Sometimes it is language study. Sometimes it is transportation. Sometimes it is electrical trouble. It is all part of living and ministering in a real place among real people.
When we got home, we ate leftover pizza from the day before. I am happy to report it was really good. There are meals you remember because they are fancy, and there are meals you remember because you are hungry and they hit the spot. This one fell into that second category.
A Little Rest Before the Evening Service
After lunch, everybody scattered for a little afternoon rest. I had set an alarm, but apparently my alarm and I had different plans. I did not wake up to it at all. Instead, I slept until 5:15.
That would not normally be a problem, except supper was at 5:30, and we were headed to a church service. So the relaxed afternoon turned into another quick turnaround. We ate supper early because Bro. Ruckman and I were going to Pastor Tayo’s church that evening.
Pastor Tayo is a local pastor, and his church does not have very many people. That is easy for folks to overlook. We tend to think in numbers, crowds, and visible results. But some of the most precious services happen in places where only a few people are present.
Serving on the Mission Field in Ghana in Small Churches Too
That night there were five people total in the church service. Five.
Some would call that discouraging. Some might even wonder whether it was worth the drive, the effort, or the time. But it was a very good service. Bro. Ruckman preached a very good message, and the small attendance did not lessen the importance of the moment one bit.
That is part of what I am learning about ministry. Faithfulness is not measured only by crowd size. A service with five people can still honor the Lord. A message preached to a few can still matter deeply. A little congregation can still be a place where God is at work.
Days like this help strip away the romantic ideas people sometimes have about missions. Serving on the mission field in Ghana includes church property visits, crooked signs, forgotten phones, language class, electricity problems, quick meals, unexpected naps, and small church services where every person in the room matters. And honestly, that is one reason I am thankful for it. It is real life. It is ministry in work clothes. It is the kind of training that teaches you not just how to speak, but how to serve.
After the service, we stopped for ice cream on the way home. When we got back, we ate some kind of cake with it, and both were delicious. That made for a pretty fine ending to a full day. We watched a TV show and started getting ready for bed.
As I was winding down, I found myself thinking that tomorrow probably would not be quite as busy. Then again, on the field, “not quite as busy” still has a way of becoming action-packed in a hurry.
I also made the honest observation that I may need to start an exercise program soon. I can already see my stomach trying to move in a direction I do not approve of. Nothing too serious yet, but enough to let me know that a few sit-ups, push-ups, and some jogging might be in order before long. Missionary life may be many things, but apparently it does not automatically flatten your stomach.
Still, I would not trade the day. It started early, stayed busy, and ended sweetly. It had prayer, travel, service, learning, laughter, preaching, and even dessert. And somewhere inside all those ordinary pieces, the Lord was teaching me what ministry really looks like.
Not every important day feels important while you are living it. Sometimes it just feels full. But later you realize that those full days were shaping you all along.
More Missionary Internship Stories
An exercise plan sounds like a great idea! I’m glad you can tell the FANTE is starting to make a little sense. We had to chase some goats again today. Papa worked on the fence this evening. Perhaps the goats will stay in a day or two. We send our love and we are praying for you.
Beautiful birds. Love it.