Beyond the Screen: Two Weeks of Community and Computing in Ghana
June 4, 2026
Saturday, May 16 - Day 1 (Travel Day)
Author: Tim
Greetings from New York family and friends!
We've made it to JFK airport after a (thankfully) smooth departure from Nashville and are now in the air on our flight to Accra, Ghana. Our group of seven arrived at the Nashville airport by about 7:30 this morning to start our journey. But of course, this adventure began months ago as we discussed, planned, ordered, packed, received injections, and much more to prepare for this day. So the sense of anticipation was strong as we all gathered near the Delta ticket counter and worked to corral our collective 15 checked bags and miscellaneous other personal and carry-on bags. The majority of our checked bags are packed to the brim with the tools and supplies needed to accomplish our goals while at Village of Hope. We packed things like desktop computer power supplies, several thousand feet of fiber optic cable, and a vast collection of tools. But, as you can imagine, packing these critical items in our luggage can lead to anxiety about whether we'll encounter any trouble with the airline or get them across the Atlantic. God's favor was certainly on our side as our quick-witted ticket attendant checked all of our bags one by one while simultaneously checking in other passengers and showing off her dry sense of humor. Our chests all tightened when she turned to Damon and said "Your passport isn't valid" followed quickly by a smile and the words, "You need to sign it." The tightness eased and we all had a good laugh at Damon's expense and the attendant finished checking in our remaining bags. The long travel day ahead was now officially underway and we moved towards the TSA security lines with a lightened load, at least physically. Things went well overall as we passed by face scanners, body scanners, bag scanners, and probably some other type of scanner I'm forgetting. There were a few nerve-racking minutes as a couple of our carry-on bags were pulled for additional inspection (mental note: add screwdrivers over 7 inches and salts to the list of items that are better in checked bags) but everything important made it through. From there, things have rolled along smoothly. Our flight out of Nashville left on time, our landing at JFK was smooth, we enjoyed some tasty airport Tex-Mex for lunch, passed a couple of hours with some moseying around the airport before boarding our flight for Ghana, and now we're flying 500+ MPH over the Atlantic for about 10 hours. All of us have attempted to catch a little shut-eye between meals and seatback movie-watching, but none have been terribly successful at finding a position comfortable enough to doze for long. We're very much looking forward to arriving in Ghana, collecting our bags, making it through customs without incident, traveling the ~2 hours from the Accra airport to Village of Hope, and then crashing out for a couple of hours to re-energize our bodies. Here's to praying those next steps go as planned and we have another cheerful update for you tomorrow! Thank you all for your continued support and prayers for this journey we've embarked on!
Now time to test out another contorted airplane seat snoozing position...
Sunday, May 17 - Day 2
Author: Katie
We made it to Ghana!
At about 7:15 am local time (2:15 am in Nashville), after 18 hours of travel, we landed in Accra. However, we were not out of the woods yet. We de-boarded the jumbo jet, waited for our fifteen (15!) checked bags to come through baggage claim, and geared up to face Ghanaian customs. Thankfully, we made it through smoothly and could soon step outside. There, the 85-degree 75% humid air greeted us along with two drivers from Village of Hope. One drove a truck for our bags and the other a van. We loaded everything up and settled in for a two-hour ride out of the city with Tony expertly weaving the 15-seater through pedestrians and Pontiac Vibes. Vendors came up to the van whenever they could, carrying large baskets of Coke products and fruit on their heads. We purchased plantain chips (salty and sweet-flavored) from one such group of women through the car window. Once we were off the highway (by means of a U-turn into a rapid four-lane merge), the people to dodge were replaced by potholes. Out the window, buildings turned into grass and trees, and before we knew it we were pulling into Village of Hope. We quickly unpacked, and most of us attempted to stay awake at least until lunch. After enjoying spaghetti, a very lengthy nap was in order for most. We rested until dinner and enjoyed roast and potatoes accompanied by a vigorous thunderstorm.
Monday, May 18 - Day 3
Author: Lydia
Today was exploration day. Both teams needed to talk with the people over each project for the campus.
In the morning, Dwayne and our two students visited the Academy's computer labs. We talked with the IT teachers and assessed the condition of the computers. They have about 35 computers between the library and the computer lab. Only about 15 computers are working. So, Dwayne's team will be working on cleaning components, replacing parts, and reinstalling software on the computers.
After lunch, Dwayne's team visited with the High School computer lab instructors in the lab. Their computers are in much better condition. Only 8 computers need to be repaired. We will start on that work tomorrow afternoon.
Tim's team talked with the campus IT director to plan how to lay fiber-optic cable to connect the academy to the internet. Ditches will have to be dug so the cables can be buried out of the way. Phillip flew his drone over the academy to help assess where to put the access points. The children were in class, so they missed seeing the drone. It would have been so cool for them to have been able to see it.
In the afternoon, Tim's team built four racks for computer equipment. These will be installed in the various buildings where the fiber-optic cables will be terminated.
Damon was able to meet with the headmistress and other academy administrators. It turns out, the youth of Ghana have some of the same problems the youth of the US have. What do you do with students who are not motivated to do the work? What are better ways of accessing progress and knowledge? They will have more discussions, eager to hear Damon's experience and wisdom.
Before we came to the Village of Hope, each team had a plan for what needed to happen. Today, we found out that the plans we made were not what really needs to happen. God is helping us understand what is needed, have the patience to take the time to rework our plans, and have the wisdom to provide the best assistance we can. It is great to use our knowledge of computers and IT to help the Village of Hope.
Tuesday, May 19 - Day 4
Author: Dwayne
Down to Business...
Today, we began getting down to business. Tim and Phillip installed network equipment and monitored the efforts to dig trenches halfway across campus, which was stymied by the unexpected appearance of two water lines, both of which were compromised and had to be repaired before excavation could continue. Damon observed two lessons at Hope Academy and offered to provide feedback based on his many years of educational experience.
Katie, Lydia, Phillip, and Damon spent time loving on babies and playing with toddlers. Dwayne, Katie, and Anton began computer repairs in both labs, but were hindered by some forgotten equipment and mysterious failure modes. One of the teachers will get us an alternative solution tomorrow, so we expect to make more progress then.
We also solidified our local travel plans. Unfortunately, due to travel time and other logistics, we had to abandon our plans for the repair team to visit the Hope Ridge School and work on their computers. Instead, computers from that campus will be delivered to us for repair and returned later. In a fortuitous turn of events, since the trench digging is behind schedule, most of the team will take advantage of an unexpected opportunity to join another visiting group tomorrow and see some Ghanaian cultural sights.
After dinner, we welcomed Fred Asare, Director of the Village of Hope Group, who told us the story of how the Church of Christ came to Ghana, how the ministry came to be, and how he grew the ministry from eight orphans to its present seven different ministries spread across four campuses, blessing hundreds of people every day.
Wednesday, May 20 - Day 5
Author: Damon
Computers, Canopies, Castles, and Christ
Today was a day of unique and impactful experiences. The day's schedule shifted from critical care visits, technology upgrades, and school collaborations to an excursion to two of Ghana's historical sites. Anton, Katie, Phillip, Tim and I joined Oklahomans Nancy, Shawna, and Renai, and Michal and Sopa from VOH on an outing to Kakum National Park Canopy and Elmina Slave Dungeon. Dwayne and Lydia stayed at VOH to strategize around the work yet to be done.
The Kakum National Park Canopy, a tropical rainforest habitat, offered us a very different perspective on the beauty of Ghana. Forty meters (131 feet) above the forest floor, we walked on rope bridges suspended from platforms. And while we had hoped to see the Congo Elephants, we saw native birds, an Ebony Tree (used to make piano keys), enormous bamboo, and other creatures - all in their natural habitat. It was breathtaking and exhilarating at the same time, reminding us of the wonder of your works. Psalms 139:14.
The St. George's Castle, which was later called the Elmina Slave Dungeon, reminded us of the darker side of our history - one that forever links Africa, the slave trade, and America. This castle, constructed in 1482, during the height of the transcontinental slave trade came to serve as the holding point for captured Africans to be sold, transported to America, and sold again into chattel slavery. Thousands of Africans died in the dungeon. Thousands more walked through the "door of no return" only to perish on slave ships during transport to America. The brutality described and the artifacts that remain were a haunting reminder of what happens when we fail to see the imago Dei in one another. Genesis 1:27
Father, we are thankful that we have been blessed to give. And, we are equally thankful you have given to us this day the blessing of your beauty and a reminder of the impact of our brokenness. May both continue to encourage and serve us as we help bring your Kingdom on heart as it is in heaven.
Thursday, May 21 - Day 6
Author: Phillip
Best laid plans...
As we push through the week and continually update our expectations for our goals and deadlines, we are each reminded how we need to let go and let God.
While Tim and I were back at work connecting a brand new building into the line of buildings we connected last year, torrential rain slowed the progress we had hoped for today. I took advantage of the downtime and the cooler temperatures to grab a nap. After lunch, the storms passed, and we were able to complete the fiber run. The fiber will not be terminated and connected until closer to the end of the trip, but running the pipe, connecting it to the new building, drilling holes in the exterior wall, and pulling the cable from its starting point into the server rack across campus certainly gave a sense of accomplishment. After that project, Tim went to the Ecobank (the main building on campus where internet enters campus) and swapped the switches and other hardware to a new, larger server rack. I finished my day meeting with the crew from Oklahoma Christian and Charles (a teacher from the Academy) about what technologies he can use in his classroom. Dwayne, Anton, and Katie spent their day working on campus computers. Their original plan has been shattered as Village of Hope has realized that building out one of their labs differently (computer positions, network layout, and other features) can make the lab more accessible and reduce the number of obstacles the students are experiencing. However, having our team as a resource has made this change possible. So, "working on computers" isn't just cleaning and repairing current systems, but also assisting in the re-design of the lab.
Damon spent his day in the classroom working with the students and teachers. I believe his "change of plans" is much more fun, as he has discovered that Charles (the academy teacher) is working to bring some farming to the Village of Hope campus. Charles has already grown enough vegetables on campus that some no longer need to be purchased for meals. The two of them wanted to go see the 42 chickens Charles is raising to bring eggs to the campus and to sell to bring the school a source of income, but the rain has put a hold on that outing as well (hopefully, more to come on that later).
While not part of our group, the ladies visiting from OCU asked me to pray for a new child on campus. Their unexpected event is truly one of the most wonderful things that could happen. This morning, the nurses from OCU were asked to come to the hospital on campus for the birth of a child who was to be admitted to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). I do not have details of the child but saw a picture after the successful delivery. Please add these ladies (Renai and Shawna), the child, and the mother to the prayers you are already offering up for us.
Friday, May 22 - Day 7
Author: Anton (with addendum by Phillip)
As we near the end of the week. Older tasks led up to their conclusion, and new ones started.
Dwayne, Katie, and Anton spent some time organizing the Ethernet cables at Hope College to make future maintenance easier. After lunch, they spent some time finishing diagnosing the remaining computers and monitors. Thankfully, most of the computers diagnosed today turned out to be working.
Tim and Phillip spent most of the day at the academy. They drilled a hole from the first to the second floor, which will allow them to run wires to the rest of the building for access points. They also mounted two server racks, one at the academy and one at the hotel.
Damon's classroom observations this week led to a presentation he gave to the academy's teachers. The presentation covered classroom management, being persistent, homework, how to engage students in ways that help them, and other topics that will help teachers improve their communication with students.
Lydia spent time in the NICU with the babies and their mothers.
Addendum from Phillip: WOW! What a day! There are some larger photos tonight. A storm blew in after supper, bringing rain (and high water) like they haven't seen in years. All is good, but we lost several hours of work because we (literally) had no safe passage to places we needed to be.
Saturday, May 23 - Day 8
Author: Tim
Today was a great day of progress!
Dwayne, Lydia, Damon, Katie, and Anton spent most of the day working together on the Academy computer lab. They physically cleaned computers, monitors, and other peripherals to begin preparing them for reinstallation into the lab. Yesterday, Village of Hope also arranged to have the lab classroom painted so it now has a fresh coat of paint and will be a much more inviting space once the room is put back together. A technician came out today to assist with rerouting the network cables in the lab so that they will be prepped for the computers to be put back in place. The team assisted this technician with the network cables and continues to work tonight (as this is being written) on further testing of hard drives.
On Phillip and Tim's side of things, a lot more fiber was pulled into conduits by the time the sun set. Fiber cable was pulled under a river crossing on the eastern side of campus, then about a 1000 feet from the river to the Academy, and an additional 400 feet towards the newer guest houses. A number of VOH workers graciously came in on this Saturday to dig another ~700 feet of trenches, which helped move things along substantially. While today was a long, hot, and dry(er) day for everyone, the time spent with the VOH workers has truly been rewarding. We've exchanged bits of trivia about Ghana and America, learned more about each other's lives, shared snacks and drinks, and much more. It's amazing to see them live out their desire to serve the children of VOH.
Speaking of children, we drew some crowds around the end of the day as children of various ages gathered around the open trenches to ask about what we were doing. It was refreshing to get to interact with them more directly while they were out of class. Several of them actually helped hold a heavy fiber spool as we pulled the final section of fiber cable for the day in the dark. Anton and Katie also got in a game of tag with some of the younger kids as they ran up and down the dirt driveway in the setting sun.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support as we continue to serve VOH in the days ahead!
Sunday, May 24 - Day 9
Author: Lydia
This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
What a wonderful, restful day we had today. We attended church this morning. This congregation meets at Village of Hope. There were about 250 children and 25 adults. The kids love to sing! Four young men came forward wanting to be baptized. Three of them were boarding students so someone had to contact the parents to get permission for the boys to be baptized. The baptism happened at 4pm. We were not on campus at that time, so we don't know if all four were baptized. The angels are rejoicing today.
Right after church, one of the staff members used a long pole to knock some mangoes off of one of the trees. They are delicious. It was quite interesting to see this happen.
After lunch, we went to the beach for some fun and relaxation. We swam in the Gulf of Guinea. It was glorious. Their skies were a beautiful shade of blue, the waves were rolling in, it was just the perfect temperature in the shade of the cabana, and the ocean temperature was refreshing. It was nice to be cool and relaxed. We have worked hard all week. This evening Tim will be working on terminating some of the optical fiber cables. Dwayne will be working on computers for the lab in the academy.
Monday, May 25 - Day 10
Author: Damon
Mamas, Mud, Makeovers, Math, and Mosquitos
Today began as any other day with scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and a Ghanaian dish, Red Red. Our cooks from the Hope Academy - "mama" - have packed love and community into each dish we've enjoyed and are consistently trying to meet all our quirky likes and dietary restrictions.
After breakfast, energized and well fed, we left the house with grand plans for the day. Damon was to observe one lesson and provide feedback on the lesson observation for seven teachers. Lydia was to spend her morning with the children in the NICU but changed her plans until after lunch to accommodate more team participation. Dwayne, Anton, and Katie headed off to Hope Academy to continue the computer lab transformation. And Phillip and Tim went to splice cables and continue connecting the campus internet.
Around 11:30 a.m., we were reminded that we had to respect the season! Ghana is in the rainy season, and the rain brought a power outage. Sadly, with each rain, we are forced to reconsider what work is possible and what might have to be wait-listed for the next visit.
Still, Dwayne, Anton, and Katie tested all the power supplies and half the lab's computers. Now that the lab is cleaned, all that remains is reimaging and reinstalling the computers and ensuring connectivity. The freshly painted lab and updated technology will benefit the students tremendously as the students move through a computer-based curriculum that includes both computer theory and computer practice.
Damon observed and participated in a math lesson before providing the teacher's feedback. The lesson focus of determining if lines are perpendicular engaged the students competitively as they are one year away from the Basic Education Certificate Examination, the main examination to qualify students for admission into secondary and vocational schools in Ghana. The students were mesmerized by Damon's height and had to make a side-by-side comparison for reference.
Tim completed connecting all of the fiber in the first enclosure (hand hole), which will ultimately provide internet access to every building on campus. His specialized skills and precision serve the team well and will enable the school to expand internet access to even new facilities on campus in the event of expansion.
Now that Tim is terminating fiber (a one man job), Phillip is splitting his time between assisting Tim, completing fiber runs, and documenting changes on campus from previous visits.
While we all accomplished portions of our tasks, there is still work to be done. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, May 26 - Day 11
Author: Katie
What a day!
This morning, Anton and Katie finished testing all of the academy computers. Dwayne worked tirelessly through the day, hindered slightly by sporadic power outages, to reimage the computers. Reimaging rebuilds a hard drive from a source "image" that includes operating and file system information. This allows for all of the computers to have the exact same base software, installed the exact same way. Lydia assisted by cleaning countless keyboards, mice, and power cords. Damon continued his work observing academy teachers. Byron, an employee at VOH, brought those of us at the academy, Sobolo, the Ghanaian name for a classic West African hibiscus-based drink. Tim and Phillip continued pulling fiber optic cable through the trenches around campus. After lunch, filled with laughter and too much talk of Tom Cruise, we all resumed our work.
Katie and Anton returned to the academy to test equipment, discovering 3 Arabic keyboards, 2 explosive (although non-damaging!) power supplies, and 1 computer mouse that works-but only when it is upside-down. We then met up with Tim and Phillip to assist in a rather wet bout of cable pulling and cinder block moving, for which an ACU professor regretted offering his help (editor's note: It was actively raining for several hours and would have taken much longer to finish had Anton and Katie not been willing to get drenched with the cable crew). Damon observed another lesson and wisely left in time to dodge the rain. Tim and Phillip successfully completed the underground portion of the fiber optic cable. After dinner, Tim continued his splicing work in the dark.
Thank you all for your continued support of this trip. We continue to be blessed by the people of VOH and seeing our work helping in tangible ways.
Wednesday, May 27 - Day 12
Author: Phillip
Unexpected Blessings
Two days left and we are feeling the "crunch" of completing all that we can before leaving campus. One of the last things we did last night was huddle and discuss the "absolute" and the "hopeful" as we wrap up. For much of the trip so far, every project, every goal, every effort has been building toward our final goals (networking more of the campus and making enough working computers to get the lab fully functional). Having run nearly 3500 feet of fiber, we are now tasked with connecting it to those buildings on campus where internet is deemed most necessary (the academy, the last building at the high school, and the two sets of buildings where visitors stay). The culmination for the computer project is to take the computers that have been cleaned, upgraded, and/or repaired and image them to be used in school.
Tim and I were joined by Kofi (electrician), Byron, Solomon, Kofi (plumber), Priscilla, and Francis to install wireless access points throughout the academy (and we almost made it). To "liven things up," Dwayne, Katie, and Anton welcomed random students into the lab as they were working and educated them on the name, functions, and significance of each part in the computers they were working on. While that project had varying degrees of success, it was entertaining watching the groups file through during the day. Much of Damon's work involved writing reports surrounding the teachers he has been working with.
Some random blessings happened during the day, offering us opportunities to interact with even more people. Katie and Anton spent more time running around and playing with some of the children. Damon and Anton walked outside the campus walls and visited a local cemetery, then stopped to get some snacks (Coke, Red Bull, and ice cream). Tim was driven to a town one over to buy some hardware and was able to see areas we had not seen. Damon visited the teacher who is building the garden (Charles) and see how it is developing. I flew my drone several times during the day as I began documenting our progress. Each time, a group of students would cluster around me to watch the camera view and ask questions about what I was doing (I was able to take several pictures of them playing soccer and basketball). An impromptu concert popped up outside our house. Finally, a student from Louisville, Kentucky, asked Tim to fix the basketball goals. Part of Tim's trip to the hardware store was to buy what was needed to fix them. In the middle of the day, Tim and I took a break from our work and mounted the rims onto both backboards on the court. A short queue of young men walked past us to say thank you and shake our hands when we finished.
With a full day left, I am reticent to make a prediction of our overall success, but each day has brought us one step closer and has brought us in contact with so many people who have blessed us so richly (which is a much greater measure of success than how many tasks we might complete).
Thursday, May 28 - Day 13
Author: Dwayne
Wrapping up
Today was all about wrapping everything up. Everyone is running around checking things off all the lists in their heads or on paper or in Google Docs or on their phones.
Tim finished all the fiber splicing by working full tilt with barely any time off for lunch (or supper). He also managed to mount some of the remaining access points and equipment racks. The remaining bits of equipment will be handled by VOH after we leave.
Phillip documented all the work sites for both our project and the wastewater project using his drone and 3D cameras. Hopefully, this will allow Dr. Wilson to address the undersized culvert on the east side of campus. Phillip also acted as support for Tim.
Damon finished reporting out on all his observations and met with the Academy heads to offer overall impressions and discuss future opportunities. Everyone is in agreement that he will be back again.
Anton and Katie transported, sorted, and organized donated equipment and dozens of "spare parts" for the Academy computers. They also put the finishing touches on almost all the lab computers and cleaned up the library (our workshop for the past few days). We did not quite get the internet connected to the lab computers, but we expect to "real soon." Similarly, a few other finishing touches, such as the reupholstered chairs (originally scheduled to arrive today) will, in typical Ghanaian style, be "slightly" delayed. Hopefully, they will arrive tomorrow or in the next few days, and everything will be done.
Dwayne spent time imaging more computers, meeting with Faustina (head of Academy) about caring for the lab, training Priscilla (head of IT) on the use of a file sharing device, mentoring Byron (PC support) on imaging computers, and consulting with Yaw (ITC teacher at Hope College).
Everyone here has been extremely grateful for what we have accomplished during the past two weeks. Here are some of the larger projects from this trip:
Four brand new fiber runs, totaling over 3500 feet
physical network connections to at least four buildings
wireless network connections to approximately eight buildings
complete makeover for Hope Academy computer lab
On the other hand, we are all a little bit frustrated because we also wanted to complete a few other things:
access points for old guest houses
access points for houses near the Academy
repair Hope Ridge computer lab
makeover of the Hope College lab
Friday, May 29 - Day 14
Author: Anton
Coming Home (most of us)
We now come to our last day. Our ride was picking us up at 3:00 am so we could make it in time for checking bags and checking in. Everyone woke up early to make sure everything was good. Phillip decided to get a quick power nap in instead. The van arrived on time and we packed our luggage in for one last bumpy ride. We arrived at the airport quite early and were greeted by empty queues, an unusual sight in Ghana. We passed through security easily and went to the food court, where we talked to a cafe worker about taxes not being included in the total in the US and what is was like to have paved roads. The gate agents were kind enough to offer us private rows, so we could have more room during the 11-hour flight. We spent a short amount of time in JFK airport, and shortly we will be boarding our final flight home, thus concluding our portion of this wonderful trip. Damon, Dwayne, and Lydia have stayed in Ghana to visit HCU (Heritage Christian University). Today, Damon worked with the teachers at the academy, giving them professional development tips, and Dwayne spent time with Priscilla at VOH to train her in what to do after he is gone.
Not a Trip
Category: Student Life