Smiley To Africa

Jamie above Accra Ghana Agape Friends Forever!! This past weekend marked a month since I said goodbye to my Ghanaian family.  If I would have made the decision to go to Ghana on May 9th, I would have said, "You know what, I am comfortable here and I know what to expect, so I think I'll stay right here."  I thank God for He knows our weaknesses and strengths! I don't like change and God knows that! I like adventure and God knows that! I want to be closer to Him, and God knows that! I want my trust in Him to be without borders, and God knows that! I want my faith to be made stronger, and God also knows that!   Bella Jamie Sondra Jamie Rosmond I wonder how much we miss out on because of fear of the unknown, not liking change, or being comfortable just where we are?  How many blessings have we for fitted because we chose not to answer the call?  How many sweet friends have we lived without ev...

Wednesday we all knew it was my last day but the day was so busy that time got away and we did not know we should say bye, we thought we had the evening. But things don't go the way we expect. I did not have time to say goodbye, I should have been on the bus when I realized what was happening. There was no way I could say bye to even half the people, because everyone was running around or in buildings. Father I don't understand why You allowed me to suddenly without warning be removed from the people I have come to love without being able to say a proper good bye or not being able to say good bye at all? When only You know when we will see each other again. Will they know I care, that my heart breaks that I did not know how to or couldn't say good bye to them or give them one last hug? Was there a reason it happened the way it did? To help me value every moment I have? Thank You Father for the time we had together, the times we talked, the times we laughed, the tim...

Today(Friday 6/17/2016) I have been so blessed, since I coming to Ghana I have had so many tasty foods! They do like hot(spicy) foods, and only once was it really too HOT for me, yet I was able to finish it! We eat a lot of banku which looks like grits made into a ball and it has a sour taste and is eaten with soup, with your fingers! I am always a mess after eating! There is this one soup with little green hot peppers in it, we eat it with banku, which helps with the heat but it sure clears out your sinuses!! Samuel told me the other day when we were eating it that he breaks up the little peppers so it is throughout the soup! Then there is one soup that is a mustard color and has chicken, it’s called groundnut soup….ohhhh its nice….. Another favorite is a soup with okra in it! Let’s see then lunch today we had waakye, which is beans, rice, stew, and a boiled egg, its GOOD!!!! I want to bring Auntie Dawn and Auntie Lucy home with me! I told them I want their recipes, but they keep th...

Fathers Day Thank you Dad for serving God by serving our family!!!!      How blessed I have been to have you as my Dad! I really don’t know who I would be if God did not give me to you. I remember once I had a dream I found out I was adopted, I was so mad and when I awoke I was still angry. For I wanted no other Father or Mother.     You had asked God how you could instill a love for Him in your children. And God told you to just love Him. You never followed someone else’s plan or program, only God. And now 33 years later that love you desired your children to have with your Heavenly Father, they have and desire even more!    Thank you for not chasing wealth or the things of this world! Thank YOU SO MUCH for chasing God! Thank you for your time…looking back I ask myself how did you have the time to accomplish all that you did? You raised seven children, provided for, loved, served, sacrificed yourself for your wife and Child...

All my life I have never enjoyed babysitting. Something about having to tell someone else’s child what to or not to do, and afraid I would make a mistake or the child would challenge me and I would not know how to respond. I LOVE children I will play all day with them: roll in the grass or snow (even dirt probably), dance in the rain....anything to make them laugh! I'm the funnest Auntie! So I came to Ghana expecting to just love on and play with the children....When I got here they put me with K4, with 4-5year olds....yeah that made sense I LOVE that age!!!! Hmmm after the first day I wondered what they were thinking of, to put me  in a class room!!!! After all I'm the funnest auntie, so sitting still and being quiet is like the last thing I'm good at, lol! And that is what I have to tell these 4-5 year olds everyday(to be still and quiet)! So after 4 and 1/2weeks I'm realizing that God has me in there for a reason, to teach me something; to grow me in some way f...

Hi All, "Smiley's" sister here. Due to limited internet, she sends me email updates as she can. Here is the latest updates. Enjoy 😊 Hey so I am coming up on two weeks in Ghana!!!! I can't imagine leaving after only two weeks, because I only just got familiar with every thing and everyone! I am SO thankful to have 7weeks at least with them! I have a language teacher his name is Emmanuel and is one of the caretakers here at the home! Today I have been learning a song in Chee! They all seem very pleased with my efforts! Emmanuel said today that he is understanding my English better now than when I first came. I laughed cause today when I was playing Tenzie with the children they were all talking at once to me and I said, hold it I Speak US English not Ghana English, slow down. Lol! The children call me Auntie Jamie! Anyone, I understand, who is old enough to be your parent or older is Auntie or Uncle. I have gone to the Agape church both weekends and on Wednesday an...

I'm doing great! Everyone here is nice! June, who is a teacher at Agape children's home and David, who is one of Rev. Whitcomb's church assistants, both picked me up at the airport. My flight got in 40min late and then my luggage was not there, so I waited at the baggage claim till the last. And before that I had the HUGE line to go through at Security, it was not difficult at all, just a lot of people were on the flight. Here they do not let people meet you at the baggage claim. When I finished filing a claim for my lost luggage, I then went through customs. It was about 9pm when I went to the exit (I was scheduled to land at 6:50). When I came out the exit, I was suddenly overwhelmed, it was as if I was walking out onto someone's driveway. There was some metal fencing set up to show taxi drivers and others picking up arrivals where to stand. It was dark and there were people with signs to identify who they were and/or who they were picking up. They packed all aroun...

My life is in You Lord My strength is in You Lord My hope is in You Lord In You, it’s in You I’ll praise You with all of my life I’ll praise You with all of my strength With all of my life, with all of my strength All my hope is in You - Joseph Garlington  Oh taste and see that the LORD is GOOD; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!  Psalm 34:8 Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior -Hillsing (Oceans) What an awesome fear, to know that you are surrendering your hope/life into the only hands that can truly hold you up!!! But this fear is more awe than anything! God is my strength He is my hope He is my life! Without Him I have nothing! God has been filling my heart with songs from my childhood, reminding me of my child hearts cry to have more of Him, even then...

          Everyone who knows me, knows that the one thing I've wanted all my life was to get married and have a family of my own. The other day I was driving home from work thinking about my upcoming adventure and just talking to God. When suddenly out of know where I said, "Thank You Father I have not gotten married yet." Gasp!!! Did I just thank God for not bringing my Mr Right? Never would I have thought there would come a day when I would say those words!      God wants this time with me more than I even want it! and I am SO excited to see what He will do!!!! And now that I will have this adventure, I will know deep in my core the joy that comes with it!      My Mom always told me to keep doing what God called me to do and that I will look over one day and see Mr Right walking alongside me. I'm still waiting, but right now, I am SO MUCH more excited to see what God is going to do in my life!

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 New King James Version (NKJV)       This verse has been turning around in my heart the past week. I believe the Holy Spirit wanted me to see that "waiting on the Lord" did not necessarily mean sit and wait, but "wait" can and is an action word.       When I serve the Lord I find a joy and a strength, I did not have before. Waiting/serving is a daily if not constant choice, especially if, you are already weary.       Then I remembered, that I heard that, when it storms eagles go up above the clouds and soar above the storm. And so "those who wait on[serve] the Lord..." Shall soar above the storms of this life!!!!!!       Keep your eyes on Jesus! Keep serving Him!

Twenty-eight days and I will be headed out! God has given me a great opportunity to serve Him at Agape Gospel Mission, in Ghana! Serving with children has been on my heart for years. This past year I decided to take a step of faith and begin saving for this trip. About October I requested information for short-term and long-term mission trip. I received the packet in November, I discovered one of the first steps on this adventure was I had to tell about my self. There was some pointers as to what they wanted to know(which was helpful), yet I really don't know what to write when it comes to the "About Me" in anything. I would rather sit down and have some "healthy" hot chocolate and talk about what is on our hearts! If you know me you know I never have trouble finding some thing to say and I am like an open book!  Then once I was approved I had to make time to fill out the paperwork for my visa and make sure I marked every "t" and dotted every ...

Come Along and see what God will do!!!!!!!!!   I am an ordinary woman with an extraordinary God! My hearts desire is to have the kind of intimacy, love, and relationship with Jesus that He desires to have with me! I know that the intimacy He wants to have with us is SO much GREATER than we can imagine. As a result, I want others young and old to see and desire more of HIM. I was told that it takes years with Jesus to have that kind of relationship... I refuse to believe that! I believe God placed this desire for intimacy in my heart, and I know from the example of my earthly father if he offers me a gift he wants me to have and enjoy it fully NOW! Why would my Heavenly Father be less?