Missions Internship for Christian Service: A Pre-Wedding Paint Job in Ghana

I woke up around 7:20 that morning with the same routine that begins many days during a missions internship for Christian service in Ghana. My Bible was open on the desk, and the house was still quiet while the rest of the town slowly woke up.

Those early moments often become the calmest part of the day on the mission field. A rooster somewhere down the road begins crowing. A motorbike hums past the house. The breeze moves softly through the trees.

And for a few minutes, everything feels peaceful before the work of the day begins.

A Quiet Ghana Morning

By eight o’clock the house was still quiet, so I kept reading and studying for Bible Institute. That is part of the rhythm of missionary life here.

Mornings often begin slowly, but the day rarely stays that way for long.

Breakfast finally arrived around 8:30. We had egg sandwiches on homemade English muffins, and they tasted especially good after the quiet start to the morning.

Living overseas has a way of making simple meals memorable.

They do not have to be fancy. They just have to arrive at the right moment.

When the Gate Was Locked

Not long after breakfast, Bro. Ruckman drove me over to the church so we could begin preparing the building for a wedding scheduled the following week.

We arrived just before nine in the morning ready to work.

The gate was locked.

No keys.

That moment felt like a perfect introduction to missionary life. Plans are helpful, but the mission field often writes its own schedule.

I climbed over the fence and waited for Bro. Moses to arrive. When he showed up, he did not have the keys either.

A quick phone call later, we discovered the keys were about half a mile away.

So we walked a mile round trip in the Ghana sun just to open the gate.

Preparing the Church Walls

Once we finally made it inside the compound, the work began.

The church needed fresh paint before the wedding. Several helpers arrived to lend a hand, and before long the compound was filled with activity.

But painting in Ghana rarely begins with paint.

First came the sanding.

Dust filled the air as we smoothed rough patches on the wall. The work was slow, but it was necessary.

You cannot rush preparation and expect the finished job to last.

After sanding, we applied primer so the new paint would hold properly.

Under the Ghana Sun

By early afternoon the Ghana sun had fully arrived.

Working outside in the heat creates a different kind of tiredness. It is not just sleepy tired.

It is deep-down tired.

When Bro. Ruckman picked me up around 1:30, I was more than ready for lunch.

After eating, I took a shower and quickly realized something else had happened during the work.

I had gotten more sun than I expected.

As the Ghanaians say when something hurts, “It is paining me.”

Small Jobs, Big Lessons

It would be easy to say that day was simply a painting project.

But it was something more than that.

A missions internship for Christian service teaches young workers that the most important ministry often happens in quiet moments.

No one will probably stand in that church someday and talk about who primed the walls before the wedding.

But the wedding will happen.

The church will be ready.

And the Lord will use those small acts of service to shape future missionaries.

KFC, Banana Bread, and a Tired Goodnight

That evening we shared supper with the couple preparing for their wedding after their final counseling session.

Bro. and Mrs. Ruckman ordered KFC, and we all sat down together after a long day of work.

Then Mrs. Angie brought out fresh banana bread for dessert.

And it was incredible.

Later that night I called home and talked with Mom and Bonnie for a while. Hearing familiar voices from home always settles your heart after a long day on the mission field.

Some days on the mission field are dramatic.

Others are made of sanding dust, locked gates, hot sunshine, and quiet acts of service.

But those ordinary days are often the ones that shape a missionary the most.

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