“Eight Oaks” refers to the passage in Isaiah 61 that refers to the redeemed of the Lord that become “Oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.”
Where It Began
Ted Kriwiel visited Ghana in the summer of 2011 at the invitation of Jeff Miller, co-founder of the Father’s House: a home for boys who were rescued from slavery on Lake Volta. At Jeff’s urging, Ted and his wife, Ellie, began investigating the possibility of establishing a similar home for girls in Ghana. Two seemingly separate visions began to collide: an urge to inspire youth in America and a desire to rehabilitate victims of child trafficking in Africa. A handful of high school students began meeting weekly to pray for Ghana, for Lake Volta, for themselves, and for America. Word started to spread, the Eight Oaks family grew and expanded, hearts were transformed, and the Lord provided in unexpected and wonderful ways. Ted and Ellie left on their first trip to Ghana in August of 2013.
In Nov 2013 a handful of Ghanaians and Americans traveled to a remote part of Ghana to meet the girls. After hours of preparation, prayer, and paperwork, Dina, God’s Way, Sarah Jr., Lucky, and Gloria were brought to their new home on Nov 8. 11 days later they were joined by their new sisters, Sarah Sr., Regina, and Richlove. The rescue was facilitated through Ghanaian abolitionists, whose work on Lake Volta has resulted in the redemption of over 90 children, and whose team of local volunteers ensure that the cycle of slavery is not perpetuated or encouraged.
The voices of the girls, Mama Helen, and Davi Mercy, afternoon breezes rippling through the banana trees, doing laundry on weekend mornings, coloring, laughing, singing, and dancing. This is what you would see and hear if you were a fly on the wall at the Yellow House. Now, if only we could transport smells digitally, too...
The Yellow House is full of people near and dear to our hearts. Learn more about the team and the girls on our Yellow House page here.
In terms of monetary support, we strive for personal interactions versus business transactions. We’re not raising money; we’re raising a family…a huge family full of Americans and Ghanaians, with enough love and food to go around! If you’d like to be a part of the Eight Oaks family, you can contribute in a variety of ways, both prayerfully and financially.
We appreciate the overwhelming love and spiritual support we’ve received over the course of this journey.
For prayer requests, we frequently update this page on our blog.
Monetary gifts go towards funding of the following needs:
