Here I am, back in Ghana. Disclaimer this blog is a bit chaotic – would you expect anything else?

I would say, grab a cup of tea, but it’s currently hotter in the UK than it is in Ghana, so grab an ice pack instead and let’s have a good old catch-up. (Although my Granny always says that having a cup of tea on a hot day actually cools you down).

I’ve said it before, but I want this blog to be a journal of sorts – a space where I can share my heart (we all know I’m a feeler), give updates, but most importantly tell stories of the goodness of God and what He is doing here at The King’s Village.

Of course, this blog is designed to increase support, both financially and in prayer, but in truth it’s become so much more than that. I want it to encourage you to do what God has called you to do, to have faith that God hasn’t stopped working, and to remind you that He is still a miracle-working God.

In many ways, I don’t want this blog to be about me at all. Granted, there will probably be more stories about my questionable bowel movements, frogs terrifying me (although I think my prayers might have been answered, I haven’t seen a single frog yet), and all the other adventures that come with living in Ghana! But more than anything, I want this blog to be inspired by God. I want Him to be woven through every word, and I want His name to be glorified.

So, let’s get the me updates out of the way first, shall we?

I’ve been back in Ghana for over a month already, which has absolutely flown by. Now two months (I truly am terrible at uploading blogs – this is my vow to get better). 

For those of you who are just here for the relationship updates (yes, I see you), James and I spent my first week in Accra together. It was filled with beach trips, coffee shops, galleries and playing tourists. It felt like meeting somewhere in the middle of our two worlds. Since James’s visa has been declined twice, it was special for him to experience a little bit of my world instead (please continue to pray that God would make a way for him to be able to visit the UK). 

It has been so beautiful to see Ghana through his eyes. Watching him see the ocean for the first time, go on a plane for the first time, and even drink matcha for the first time (which he actually really liked) reminded me not to lose my own sense of wonder.

We then travelled by bus (yes, I said bus) to The King’s Village. The journey took over 20 hours. Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected, I just didn’t go to the toilet for about 14 hours because, well… let’s just say you wouldn’t have used the toilets either. In hindsight I probably should have just done a wild wee. Lesson learned! Not that there will be a next time. I’ve decided I’m definitely a plane girl.

Since arriving back at The King’s Village, I settled in and then welcomed a team from the UK. It was straight into a busy week, but such a blessing to spend time serving alongside them.

Side note: I say “The King’s Village” so often that I’ve decided it’s time for an abbreviation – TKV from now on.

One of the greatest gifts during that week was that one of the team members had been a close friend of my Pa (Grandpa) for many years. They’d attended Bible college together and shared decades of friendship. The week the team was here was also the week my Pa’s health began to deteriorate. Having someone beside me who knew him, loved him and understood what he meant to me was such an unexpected kindness from God.

The day after the team left, my Pa went to be with Jesus.

Processing that loss while being so far from my family has been incredibly difficult, but I’m so grateful for technology (gosh, I really sound like a 31 year old) and for the amazing support I’ve received from both my friends and family back home and my family here in Ghana.

I wasn’t sure whether I should travel back to the UK for the funeral. I genuinely didn’t know what would be best. So I prayed, asking God that if He wanted me to go, He would provide the finances.

About fifteen minutes later, someone phoned me.

They were giving me exactly enough money to travel home.

It honestly blew my mind.

How good is God?

I was in a place where I didn’t know what was best – but God did.

So, as I finish writing this, I’m sitting in a café in Accra waiting for my flight back to the UK. (now finishing it back in Ghana – like I said I am not good at uploading blogs).  It feels strange only returning for a week, but recently, while talking to my Mum, I referred to Ghana as home.

I guess that’s what it has become.

Home.

I was so inspired by the team from the UK.

The man leading the trip shared that God had given him a vision decades ago. In time, God led him to TKV as the place where he would finally see that vision fulfilled. Decades later, he’s still walking in that same vision, trusting God and longing to see Him move in the lives of children across Northern Ghana.

As he shared his story, I felt the presence of God so profoundly.

Sometimes it takes years to see God’s promises fulfilled, but when He is leading, His purposes always come to pass.

It made me wonder…

Are we really allowing God to navigate our lives?

Or do we keep grabbing the steering wheel and taking little detours because we think we know better?

Speaking of detours… James and I thought we’d found a shortcut on the motorbike the other day. Two hours later we finally arrived at our destination. Somewhere along the way he thought he’d lost his keys and thought that we had run out of fuel, and by the end my bum was hurting from sitting on the bike for so long. Safe to say, it wasn’t quite the shortcut we’d imagined!

Maybe life with God can feel a little like that sometimes. We think we know the quickest route, but His way is always better, even if it doesn’t always look like the most direct path.

Before I returned to Ghana, God had already begun stirring my faith. I felt Him challenging me to believe for miracles – to pray boldly for healing and expect Him to move in powerful ways.

While the team was here, we visited each classroom, sharing testimonies and Bible stories. In one classroom, as one of the team shared about a time God had healed them, I sensed God’s presence so strongly. I felt we should stop and pray right there.

I asked anyone who needed healing to stand.

Seven people stood.

The team gathered around them and prayed.

God met us there.

We’re constantly living in that tension, aren’t we? Holding onto what God has promised while trusting His sovereignty when we don’t yet see everything come to pass. Faith isn’t always about having the answers; sometimes it’s simply about trusting the One who does.

The church plant in Yogu continues to flourish. Around seventy children are now coming every week. There is a Church being built (I even had a go at laying a brick, it got taken off straight away) and a borehole being made for the community. Last Sunday, while filming an update video, I asked the children whether any of them were Christians rather than Muslims. So many hands shot up (not just because they wanted to be on camera, I promise). Several of them explained that they love coming to church because it’s a place full of joy and that they love learning about Jesus.

There is one little boy in particular who has some learning difficulties. I noticed him being pushed aside by the other children – and even by some of the women attending church. Nobody was inviting him in.

I took him by the hand and led him to the front of the queue. We were waiting to play giant darts that I’d brought from the UK (a huge thank you to everyone who donated activities before I left – they’ve been such a blessing and the children absolutely love them).

The other children looked confused.

“Why does he get to go first?”

He threw his ball, and the joy that radiated from him was contagious.

When he went back to join the queue, the other children gradually pushed in front of him again.

So I took him by the hand.

Again.

I walked him back to the front of the line.

Five minutes later, something had changed.

The other children were making sure he was standing in the right place and making sure he got his turn.

It reminded me that change often starts with one small act of obedience.

Sometimes the need feels overwhelming. There are so many people who need to hear about Jesus, so many children to teach, and so much brokenness to witness. Seeing people treated badly simply because they’re “different” can feel heartbreaking.

But in that moment, God reminded me that He isn’t asking me to change everything overnight.

He’s asking me to take one step.

He’ll do the rest.

God always goes after the one.

As I look ahead, I’d really value your prayers. Over the next few months I’ll be continuing to serve at TKV, investing in the church plant in Yogu, helping with children’s ministry and preparing for our summer Kids’ Club. Please pray that children would encounter Jesus in a real way, that hearts would be open to the Gospel, and that I would keep following wherever God leads.

Maybe that’s my encouragement to you too.

You might not be moving to Ghana. You might not find yourself praying for healing in a classroom or riding through Northern Ghana on the back of a motorbike. But perhaps God is asking you to take one small step of obedience today. Maybe it’s inviting someone in who everyone else overlooks. Maybe it’s trusting Him with a decision you’ve been trying to control. Maybe it’s simply saying “yes” to something He’s been whispering to your heart.

Whatever it is, let Him navigate.

P.S. Remind me never to watch Ghana vs England again. That was a stressful 90 minutes…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5–6