Soccer and a Snapshot of Jesus´ Voice and Hands in Ghana

The morning mist still hung low across the fields after yesterday´s rain as the medical team drove into Hateka, Ghana. Our team was joined by two Ghanaian doctors and six nurses who volunteered for the outreach as friends of Theovision, the local partner of HCJB Global.

Our physicians saw several severe ailments in need of further care, such as a young man with a case of chronic osteomyletis (bone infection). This was cleaned up, and the patient directed to a local hospital. A man with a large hernia was also directed to somewhere capable of the surgical repair he needed.

One of the more tragic cases revealed small uniform scars on the belly of a young girl cut crudely with a knife in the belief that it would allow the evil spirits to escape from her. Two blind men also came to the makeshift clinic in hopes the reading glasses the team had might give them sight.

"It speaks of the hope that people put in us and the desperation they face when we can't help them," said HCJB Global Hands International Coordinator Sheila Leech. It’s a difficult shared by the physicians, just not to the same degree.

With a longer day and a few logistical adjustments, the team saw around 275 patients and distributed medicines to nearly everyone needing them. On top of that, the day hit a lot of high notes as well.

Lee Sonius, who directs HCJB Global´s Sub Sarhara Africa (SSA) region office, donated a soccer ball to the community and helped the young men put it into immediate use. Awhile later, he returned to the clinic drenched in sweat and loudly voiced the excuse that he is a goalkeeper and not accustomed to running the field.


Dorothy Nelson's outreach to the children didn't slow down at all either and she had the help of a translator today, allowing her to share some stories in the kids’ mother tongue, Twi, spoken in this area of Ghana.

Several men in the community spent the day diligently working on the community's new latrine. By the time the team had packed up all the equipment and medicines, they were able to hang the “tippy tap” handwashing station outside the latrine and use the facility before the long car ride back into Accra.




The crowning moment of the day brought Hateka community leaders to the clinic to present the team with a goat to show their appreciation for the medical care. Joseph Kebbie, our training director at HCJB Global SSA, also attended, carrying a high quality digital recorder.

Kebbie recorded the ceremony as the leaders and the team shared their thoughts.

The recording is to be broadcast later – a firsthand snapshot of healthcare and media as the Voice and Hands of Jesus in Sub-Saharan Africa.