An interview about a Journey

Amanda Towner is the daughter of Dave and Joy Towner. She is a Junior at Westminster Christian  School where she participates in Music Theatre, Art Club, and Science Olympiad. She works part time at Headquarters Salon.

At a youth camp at the age of 13, Amanda gave her life to Christ and became a Christian with a heart to serve people in places near and far… As far as in Ghana, West Africa, where Amanda traveled in March 2017 with the Two Pennies ministry from Elgin First Baptist Church.  In this exclusive interview with Audrey Reed, Amanda shares memories that she will forever treasure.

A – Amanda Towner            R- Audrey Reed

R – Will you share some of your impressions of Ghana and the people?

A – The people were accepting of us. They didn’t care where we came from and loved us no

     matter what. They surrounded us with open arms and held our hands.

R – How did they express their acceptance of you, the team?

A – There was one day when the children surrounded me and took me by the hand and led me

     to their classroom. They sat me down, and then sat down in their own seats. They told me to

      “teach”.

     They were so happy to have us there and to have us share our lives with them.

     Aboagye (School Headmaster) was great. He was a real friend to us. He was protective of

     me and wanted to make sure I was taken care of. No matter what I was feeling he kept

     checking up on me and making sure that everything was alright.

 

R – Did you feel you made friends or had a relationship with any of them?

A–  Yes. Aboagye. I love him. He drove us around; took care of me when I got sick. He is half of

     the reason I want to go back. I want to help him take care of the kids;  help him improve their

     lives. As soon as I met him we instantly became friends and I could see how much he cared

     about the people around him.

     At one point at the school there was a baby girl who was afraid of me, because she had

     never seen a white person before. The older girls came and shoved her close to me in order

     to see her reaction, which turned out to be a lot of tears. I told them I was “too white” and

     from then on when the girls saw me, they would laugh and say “too white”. It was a really

     great experience to joke around with kids that came from a completely different background.

R – What was your responsibility or job while in Ghana?

     I didn’t have a specific job, so I took pictures. They loved having their picture taken. They

     would gather all around me and yell “Madam!” until I took their pictures.

     We also took the children at the orphanage to KaKum National Park. It was a fun experience

     As we walked on canopies and a rope bridges high in the forest.

     I loved seeing the smiles on the kids faces as they saw how high up they were.

 

R – What are some of the needs you observed in Ghana?

A – There is a need for clothes, especially school uniforms. The children wore them ripped and

     dirty. The orphanage did not have electricity because the generator broke down.

     There is a great need for water. We saw them drinking water from a hole in the ground.

 

R – What needs do you believe that we can meet?

A – Clothes, generator, wells.

 

R – How do you see the Lord working in Ghana?

A – Although they are poor, they are happy. They show such happiness at seeing us. Even if we

    don’t do anything they love us and our coming because it is about our relationships. We

    have a relationship with them and when they see us, they’re so happy and say “they’re

    back!”.

    It’s all about the relationships we have with them, that allows us to see God working in

    Ghana.

 

R – How can people expect God to use them to bring the people in Ghana to Christ?

A – By providing Bibles, and by using the Pastor’s Conference, but the main thing is building

     relationships with them. I believe that the relationships will lead them to want to follow

     Christ.

 

R – What do you remember the most when you think about your trip to Ghana with the Two

       Pennies Team?

A – How enthusiastic the people were, is what I remember most about them, and how much I

    loved to be around them. Of course, Aboagye is high on my list too.

 

R – We heard that you got sick while in Ghana?  What effect did that have on you?

A – I wasn’t able to do all that I wanted to do, but God used it. When I was back to health I had

    to be careful.  I was able to meet with the kids and brought them to do computer lab.

    I showed them what was being done and how things worked in the computer lab.

 

R – Would you like to return to Ghana, and if so, Why?

A – I would love to. I want to help the kids who do not have anything.

 

R – How do you see Two Pennies being used by God in Ghana?

A – The people there have learned to make relationships with us and they are changing to be

     self- sufficient. We are changing too. They impacted us. We see how they live and we

     realize that the way they are living (by giving of themselves) is the way we should live. We

     spend too much time thinking about the materials in our prosperous world and they are

     thinking and devoting their time to God.

R – What last thoughts would you like to share?

A – Everyone should go to Ghana. If they go to Ghana, they should be prepared because the

    people there will change you more that you will change them.