My community service experience was unique for several reasons. First, I supported a non-profit organization called True Worshippers Prophetic Dance Ministries located in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. Thank God I had the opportunity to partner with this organization and therefore contributed to their activity project dubbed Village Life Outreach and Community Kids Party on 25th December 2021. The targeted community was Mafi Dedukope in Volta Region Ghana, West Africa. The experience was holistically unique because I got to experience how to interact in community service with a different culture (African culture). Also not only fulfilled life-based necessities such as Food and Clothing, but we also conducted games, worship dance, and cultural dance (Ghana and Puerto Rican). Finally, according to this ministry’s values, we also attended to the spiritual needs.
I can provide examples of how this ministry performed their humanitarian work and outreach was medical clinics for the elders. They had one section in which volunteers in the health field were doing medical screening such as blood pressure, glucose measure and malaria testing. There were approximately eight volunteers to attend around 200 elders. I got the task to assist in this area, so I monitored and moved the line to run smoothly. Also, I was assigned to assist in giving out clothing donations. We had bags with clothes classified as men, women, kids, and babies. Giving out the clothing was challenging; everybody wanted more than what we gave, so we had to tag them in hand to identify the ones that already received clothes. It was hard to make them do a single line, but it was understandable because nobody wanted to be left out. As I mentioned before, there was a dance party where I led two songs, a Puerto Rican one and a worship song related to Africa. The organization’s strategy was to put a kids dance team to dance with us, the rest of the children remained in their areas, but they were also rejoicing.
I also assisted in giving out the candies to approximately 500 kids that attended the activity. Specific examples that I could see of leadership values from this community service was teamwork. Although all volunteers were in different sections, at some point, if you saw that an area needed volunteers, depending on what was happening, you could move freely. A specific example could be when my Puerto Rican partner, Lymari, helped me with the medical screening and clothing because her part was not until later, which was the games with the kids. I also helped in the games, although it was not part of my duty. The leader, Vincent, relied on the volunteers and encouraged them to step up when needed. Another value relevant was making the difference. The leader explained that some organizations give a single service and leave. In this activity, all resources were maximized; we targeted almost every necessity the community could have, such as breakfast, lunch for kids, and groceries for adults. Also, we gave out clothes, candies, scholar donations and conducted medical screening, dance, games, a small talk about children’s rights, a Santa Clause visit, and a time of pray and reflection into God’s word. The volunteers from Puerto Rico even received recognition as part of the itinerary. The people saw the effort and the engagement through this type of activity. It is also important to mention that the ministry has a long-term project called the Tent Project in this village. The vision of this project is to have a place for the less privileged in which they can receive Vocational Skills Training, food, shelter, clothing, among other holistic necessities.
I saw the face of Jesus in every way and I am glad to be part of this experience. This missionary trip was a pivotal point in my life, before and after, I would never be the same. This ministry has shown me what walking in faith means, and how God provides abundantly when you complete the desires of the heart.
