Growing up in a single-parent household as a South Bronx native made me sensitive to the needs of others and curious about how living conditions could be improved for people living with unmet needs. Although my drive to better the circumstances of my family and community alongside my own can be viewed as noble and has led me to various achievements from prestigious inaugural fellowships to being recognized by NBCUniversal, there was still a key element missing from my life.
Last year, I was blessed to walk away from a near-fatal car crash due to sleep deprivation, which caused me to deeply reflect on my faith and how I could live a more fulfilled life.
Months later I would find myself at Thessalonia Baptist Church in The Bronx on New Years Eve overcome with gratitude realizing God’s grace and mercy has spared me all my days even without actively honoring His name. From then on, I would attend Sunday service every following Sunday, and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior via baptism on Palm Sunday of 2024. The way God has been working in my life – especially since then – cannot be overstated as my family has gradually become more and more unified and I have been able to pay my blessings forward by extending significant opportunities to others even while facing trials and tribulations of my own.
Thessalonia Baptist Church has been successfully facilitating mission trips to Ghana for over 10 years through their AChance4Life (AC4L) organization. They have provided critical health, education and community sustainability support services to marginalized Ghanaians living in underdeveloped villages and towns in the Ashanti, Volta, Greater Accra and Upper West regions of Ghana. Learning about the schools and water wells that were built and local businesses supported throughout Ghana thanks to AC4L inspired me and I want to be part of this initiative. I feel called to go on this trip because Africa has given so much to the world and I want to be part of the efforts to help restore the continent in a meaningful way. Doing this alongside my church family will be a priceless experience. However, I need your support to make this happen.
We fly to Ghana early August 2024 for a two-week stay, and I need to raise $5,000 in order to cover the cost of admission. Your donations will cover the cost of my visa; travel to, throughout, and from Ghana; shelter; infrastructural needs in Ghana; and more. Along with your monetary support, we will also need your spiritual and moral support to help us navigate geopolitical challenges we must overcome in order to carry out our work. Our efforts are being led by my church’s Pastor Reverend Malobe Sampson, who has enacted a four point plan of sustainability, health, education, and faith to ensure we are making a long-lasting impact on the people and the villages we are supporting.
Donate here. For more information on AC4L, please visit the website. For more information on Thessalonia Worship Center, please visit the website.