Update from Sarah Earlam,
Melbourne
Update from Sarah Smith Ghana
Things are going
well over here, God
is good and faithful.
Loving Melbourne
and very thankful
for what God has
done and is doing.
I have been offered a job that comes with a two
year sponsorship visa, which I have said YEEES
to. It hasn’t been finalized yet, but looking very
hopeful! My normal visa runs out this September,
I feel like things are taking shape more and more
each week in my life and the church. So I didn’t
want to leave!
KidZone is certainly taking up more of my time
here in Ghana. The Saturday club continues to
grow and the library is proving very popular with
some children coming every day to change their
books. It’s great to see their growing enthusiasm
and interest for reading.
In many families
children are seen
just as useful
around the home
to do chores and
they are given
little time and
attention by
adults. This isn’t how Jesus viewed or treated
children and KidZone aims to show children love
and to give them time. I’ve been busy writing a
KidZone manual full of good practice and ideas
for people wanting to work with children and
start their own clubs. I’ve eventually got all the
resources that I need, including orange paper for
the cover, so can start producing and handing
them out.
I’ve travelled to Atkasi, a small town in the Volta
Region of Ghana to visit a friend called Eyram.
He used to help me with KidZone here at my
house and has now started a KidZone club there.
He has modelled what he is doing on the club
here and it was exciting to see it in action in
another location.
I have also been to Togo to see my friends Sewa
and Tanty who lead the Newfrontiers church in
Lome, the capital city. It was good to see what
they are doing and also to discuss KidZone with
them. They are now thinking about starting a
small club in their home on Saturday mornings
with songs and stories. So KidZone is spreading
and becoming truly international!!
Life of course has its ups and downs and the
difficulties and frustrations of living here often
seem a bit overwhelming and so I remain very
thankful for your support and prayers.
Page 8
Grace church Camberwell is going well; we have
a core group of 15 people (including kids)
It’s small and has great family vibe, relationships
are building, and we’re just having fun really.
We have about 18 - 20 people on a Sunday.
Last week there were two new girls from England
who are joining us for 8 weeks, they are on a
working holiday visa. We are still praying for
more people to be part of the core group, as
often people come and feel a bit exposed.
We have a faith and expectation that God is
going to do something big and awesome.
Like Matlock church is central and plants out into
surrounding areas, we feel that is what God is
going to do that with Camberwell. As well as
saving many people from darkness!
We had our first baptism a few weeks ago in a
friend’s swimming pool, it was really lovely.
There are other stories of how people have
walked through the park that’s outside, and
dropped their kids off for us to teach them about
Jesus.
Its great, and other people who have just walked
in because it was raining, and let us tell them
about God and then they have came back again.