the ways they should go

“Train children the way they should go. When they grow old, they won’t depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

I am so pleased to introduce my dear friend, Elijah from Mbowura. I have known Elijah since he was about thirteen years old and I couldn’t be any prouder of the young man he is today! Elijah’s story is such an encouraging reminder of the value of education and also how God uses this avenue for people to know Him in a personal way. Even though we face constant challenges in our Village School Ministry (be it financial challenges, accessibility to resources, teacher training/stability and community engagement,) I am blessed to know Elijah and to see firsthand how his experience at the Mbowura village school has significantly impacted his life. God is good, all the time!

“When I first started schooling, I went to Katiejeli because our place (Mbowura) was not having a school. To walk from Mbowura to Katiejeli was about 3 km. We were very small then so it would take over an hour to walk to school and back home. One day, a man from our community asked why we weren’t going to school here (Mbowura). When we established the school, there were only two students at first (my brother and I). Gradually, some relatives came and joined us and the numbers started increasing. Eventually, they invited elders to support the school and that is how ECG (Evangelical Church of Ghana) began supporting the school.

When my parents gave birth to me, I was not a Christian. My family were traditionalists. Because ECG was a part of the school, I started attending the ECG church. That is how I became a Christian. My parents had seen that I was showing good behavior. I told them about how I learned things in school that shapes our life (towards) God. Because of this, we should respect our parents and show good behavior. I asked my parents, “Since the traditional ways of our great, great grandfathers, what benefit have their traditionalist beliefs given them?” They started coming to church with me and they are still members to this day.

Now, I am a level 100 student at the University of Development Studies in Nyankpala. I am taking the program of Social Change and Communication. The Mbowura school has helped me in such a way that it established the fundamentals in my life to go on to Junior High School and Senior High School.”

God bless,

Janice Wong