Lambeth - Against All Hope

[Worldwide Faith News]

Lambeth Daily
Against All Hope
Posted On : August 1, 2008 4:59 PM | Posted By : Webmaster
Related Categories: News

God did not forget Africa in the creation 
process, Dr Maria Akrofi told a meeting of African spouses today.

The continent was generously endowed with natural 
resources. ‘In every nation the wealth is the 
people God has given it. We have people who are 
our gold – but we have to muster ourselves for 
government,’ she said. ‘There is no need to bring 
aid to Africa. What needs developing is the people.’

Maria, who is the wife of the Archbishop of West 
Africa, the Rt Revd Justice Akrofi, and also a 
doctor, made an impassioned plea for the spouses 
to pray for the transformation of Africa and to 
do all they could to facilitate the training of its people to work for good.

She told the story of Dennis, a 13-year-old from 
Ghana who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain 
tumour. Dennis’s mother Cynthia was a single 
parent and couldn’t afford the brain scan for her son.

When Maria heard about Dennis’s case she said: ‘I 
told the Lord I had enough on my plate. But then 
on the eve of St Valentine’s Day I said, “OK 
Lord, I will do this as an act of love.”’

After prayer and fasting she managed to get an 
appointment for him at Alder Hey Hospital in 
Liverpool, where she works half of the year as a 
consultant anaesthetist – and also funding for his treatment.

‘I don’t know what Dennis’s future is – that is 
in the Lord’s hands,’ she said. ‘Whatever we are 
doing is in partnership with the Lord.’

Dennis’s story, she said, was one example, about 
the transformation of one child’s life. ‘We need 
to know the truth and ask God to redeem our 
continent,’ she said. ‘And we should ask our 
husbands to speak to our heads of state
 I always 
say to Justice, “Don’t think you are sitting by the President for nothing.”’

Africa might have problems – and it was easy to 
make excuses such as the legacy of colonialism or 
a lack of aid. ‘But if we are to get to the root 
of things, we need to get inside the minds of 
people. The important thing is not to give people 
fish, but to teach them fishing,’ she said.

‘Our voices need to be trained. We are the voices 
that can make a difference.’ Sometimes, she said, 
she was asked if she ever lost hope – and she admitted she did.

‘But I’ve decided not to concentrate on global 
[problems]. I try to do things locally. And hope is your choice.’

The presentation was followed by questions and 
contributions from members of the audience with 
ideas for working better together to mobilise the continent.

Maria encouraged the spouses to share good 
practice and to work through the Mothers’ Union. 
‘But we must learn to communicate with each other better,’ she stressed.