Hello!

Hello!
My name is Autumn Buzzell and I live and work in Ghana, West Africa with City of Refuge Ministries. Here, I run our school, Faith Roots International Academy, and get to be a part in rescuing and the healing of children who have been trafficked into the fishing trade, orphaned, abandoned, and those who just need a little extra loving. What an amazing gift this life is!

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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Kika and Kaley

I met the Grupe's in January of 2012.  They were interested in traveling here to Ghana to do some work with us that summer.  So, we chatted about possibilities.  Andrew creating a video.  Kika training in the preschool.  Kaley hanging with the kids.

And so they came last summer, just acquaintances of mine, and they served.  And they blessed us.  And they became more than just acquaintances, but friends.

And as time went on, Kika kept in touch.  And prayed for me.  And encouraged.  And challenged.  And I have been blessed by her friendship.

When I came home in December, January, and February, I was lucky to get to spend some time with their family.  They were generous in letting me use their car, letting me use their son's room, giving me full access to their house and their lives, feeding me and loving me and giving me space to rest.

And so, when Kika and Kaley planned to come back here this summer, I was so excited.  I was excited knowing that they would be here during the last piece of our time without Johnbull and Stacy and knew I would need some encouragement.  I was excited for Kika to pour into preschool teachers for another year.  And for Kaley to pour into our kids for another year.

And that is what they have done.

Kaley has encouraged our kids and encouraged the Agler girls (who actually needed some encouragement).  And Kika has worked nonstop with Madame Victoria, encouraging her, breathing refreshment into her time in the classroom, and working with some really hard kiddos for the sake of training.

And Kika has been such an encouragement to me.  Purposeful in her hugs and prayers and questions and time.  Honoring time needed to rest, but also challenging me to not withdraw but to be open. 

Last night, we sat out under the canopy of the night sky and chatted.  Started with just a few anxious thoughts being voiced, and turned into a two hour conversation (and a few mosquito bites) talking about so many things.  It was a conversation that I needed to have.  We bared our soul and our secrets a couple of times, encouraged each other, talked about tough things, told our funny memories, discussed the difficulty of raising children, laughed and talked and encouraged.

And I walked away encouraged.  And blessed.  That God knows just what I need. 

He knows my heart and my desire for conversations just like that.  For friendships that dig in deep.

I'm blessed the way that God continues to widen the stretch of my arms through people who travel through...and then choose to invest in my life.

Blessed by the way God chooses to love me.

Through those who come as His hands and feet (and sometimes His voice of Truth)!

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