Quick trip to Kumasi

This past weekend Margaret, Mariah, Jules and I drove up to Kumasi to pick up Jules' friend, Peter. He rode about 20 hours on a bus from Burkina Faso to Kumasi. Peter is teaching in a village outside of Ouagadougou with the Peace Corp. It was a really fun road trip for us girls to go up there. We drove over the mountains like we had done with my parents. Mariah and Jules haven't been to Kumasi before so they were loving the beautiful drive. The harmatan really did impede our view a bit but the beauty of the trees and bush was still evident. We blasted Christmas music and acted silly as girls will do on a road trip. It was just what I needed after a long and challenging week. I was missing being home for Christmas this past week but driving up into the cool mountain air and seeing God's amazing creation helped to put me back on track. I am so thankful that God is creative and beautiful and it is reflected in his creation.

We stayed at a hostel near the bus station. My first hostel. Better than what I expected but not as good as what I like:) It was fun though and an experience. Peter got in at about 4am and a couple of hours later we were all headed back to Accra. Needless to say, we were all exhausted by the time we got home. Margaret and I took a brief rest and then went shopping to get some stuff for our friends coming over on Christmas Day. Even though this is Africa, commercialism for Christmas is still here. As well as last minute shopping. The big new store at the mall was a zoo. Both of us were ready to get out of there as fast as possible. We hurried to our little neighborhood store to finish off the list. Then we went by to pick up a mattress from a friend's house. We didn 't have room in the car so on top it went with Erica and I holding onto the edge of it out the car window. As if we don't get enough stares for just being white! Oh well. We didn't have far to go and I think I made some new friends out the car window as we drove by:)

But I think we are mostly ready for our festivities and guests. Today we will go relax with about 15 people by the pool of a nice hotel. They let you pay a fee and come for just the use of the pool for the day. Can't wait to soak up some sun, sleep and fellowship. I give praise to the Lord for the gift of friends and roommates. The missionary and ex-pat community here really do a lot to get together for the holidays. It means so much as we are all far from our homes and families.

Wednesday I head to South Africa with the rest of my region teammates. Most of us our feeling the strain of culture stress from our first several months in Africa so it should be a really special time together. We will receive teaching, spiritual mentoring, prayer, and fun together. Another gift from the Lord.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Remember that Jesus is the only reason that we have this season. Thank you Lord for coming to earth to bring salvation to mankind!
I will "talk" with you in the New Year.

Pictures from my recent, quick trip to Kumasi

This a picture at Lake Bosomtwe. We stopped there to say hi to a missionary family that Margaret knows and to look at the beauty of the lake. But as you can see our view was severely limited. It isn't the time of day or even bad photography. That haze you see is the harmatan. The fine dust that blows down from the Sahara Desert at this time of year. It has a beauty of its own but I must confess I would have preferred seeing the sun sparkle on the water.




Mariah and I posing for the scenic lake picture behind us that you can't really see:)












Kids at a road side fruit and vegetable stand. They were so sweet. Just hanging out with their mom as she tries to sell her products to drivers.











As we drove through one small village late in the afternoon we came upon these kids getting water for their families. Water fetching is the duty of young boys and girls. This pump is probably the only source of water for the village - there might be two pumps but certainly no water coming directly to the houses. They were so happy to pose for the picture.

Conflicting emotions

I found myself struggling for the last couple of days. Some of it is due to being tired and some other stuff, but a good part of it is the anticipation of Christmas in Ghana and the sadness of missing Christmas at home. Both emotions are present within me simultaneously. We have lots of fun things planned for next week here and I am looking forward to them. On Christmas Eve a big group of singles from around the world are going to a really pretty pool here for the day. We toyed with going to the beach but decided to do this pool instead. Then we will go to a family's home for dinner and a Christmas Eve service at our church, Asbury Dunwell.

(Grandma and my oldest nephew, Sam (Boyd's son)

Then we will have a few of the singles join us for a
white elephant exchange on Christmas Day morning. And finally we will go to another family's home for a big celebration and meal - and another white elephant. The day after Christmas, the HCJB Global team in Accra flies out to South Africa. So you can see that there are some really great things that are going to happen over Christmas. And I am eager to enjoy all of them.

Somehow at the very same time I am missing home, family, friends and church. Once again it is the big thing of missing what is familiar. Even the tiniest bit of me wouldn't mind a bit of snow and cold air (but I am sure that would pass in a
heartbeat:))

(Me with Oliver, Cullen, Haven and Emmett (Jeff's kids)

So I show you here some family pictures of Christmas
last year as I reminisce on the good time we had and soon I will post pictures of the special time in Ghana.

The most important thing is that the birth of Christ is celebrated around the world. Salvation comes to the world - every nation, tribe and tongue. I am honored to be able to celebrate Jesus' birth in a different country. To get a chance to see how this special day is remembered in Ghana. How do they worship, what do they eat, what traditions do they have that remind them of Jesus...I can't wait to let you know.

Me with CJ (Boyd's son)














The whole gang - Christmas 2007

Back row (L-R):
Oliver with Jeff, Jeff's wife, Bev with Cullen,
Mom and Dad

Front row (L-R):
Boyd, Sam holding Emmett, Aunt Suzanne,
CJ holding Haven

Completed beads

This is just a small sample of some of the stuff that Margaret and I made with the beads we got from the factory. Margaret has actually made several beautiful things but had already given them away. She really has a gift. Me, on the other hand... I believe my brain actually, physically hurt after making two necklaces and earrings. We had two 15 year old girls stay at our house Mon. night and Yva is very good at designing jewelry so I gave her carte blanche with my beads. She did a nice job.

Bead Factory in Dodowa

I went with Margaret and a friend of ours, Loreli, and her two little girls, Mallory and Sophia, to a bead factory recently. Our goal was to buy a variety of beads to make jewelry as gifts for Christmas. Let's just say - goal accomplished! I was amazed at the huge number of beads that this place had and all of them so beautiful. Before we went in to look at the finished product we were given a brief tour of the "factory" and told how they make the beads. It is incredible. Hopefully the pictures will help to give you a good idea of what I saw. The beads are made from old wine bottles. The glass is either broken up into small pieces or ground into a fine powder depending on the type of bead they will make. The broken pieces are then put into these small molds made of clay and covered with ceramic paint and baked in the fiery furnace until they melt. A craftsman then takes each mold and forms the bead and creates the hole to string them with two simple looking tools. After this the beads are colored and baked again and then the artiste paints the decorations on them. The beads are placed on strings and put into the store for sale. I found it interesting that all the baking and shaping of the beads was done by men and the stringing done by women. Overall the process was fascinating to watch and even more so when we were told that this technique has been used by bead makers for centuries. The main tribe here that makes these beads is called the Krobo tribe and the beads can be dated back to the 16th century. The technique is handed down from family to family.

The first picture is of the "factory". I have to admit when I first heard the term "bead factory", my American mind actually thought it would be like a real factory in the states. Silly but true. Actually I think the term "factory" here is a bit lofty but you get the point.



The forming and shaping of the bead after it has just come out of the fire.

























Waiting for the crushed glass to melt.











The finished product. Aren't they beautiful? Each one made like I described and painted one by one by hand. Incredible. These sell in two strands of each bead - so about 20-30 beads for approximately 80 cents to 2 dollars depending on the bead.


And there are multiple sizes and colors to make the jewelry from. When Margaret and I finish making something I will put up a picture.

I have to thank Loreli for these pictures as I had forgotten my camera at home when we left. I can't believe I did that but I did! Thanks for the pics Loreli!!

Pictures for my mom:)

I have a special request to put some pics of the inside of my house on the blog. Since the request comes from my mother, I must oblige. Love you mom!!


This is the living area - just off the kitchen - with the "new" furniture. I am so excited about it. We bought it from a missionary here and Eric, the curtain guy, recovered them for us. He did an awesome job. Don't you love our little tree? We do!




This is the dining room/sitting area. It is such a huge room we tried to break it up a little. Sorry the pic is so dark. I took them last night to hurry and get them for mom.

Here is our kitchen.














And the guest room - otherwise known right now as Mom and Dad's room:)

No pics of my room as it is way too personal to show - that of course meaning it is a mess:)

I continue to thank God regularly for the gift of this house. It is becoming home and comfortable. He truly blessed me with this place and the roommates He has given me.

Us roomies and our tree

We are so excited to have a tree.

Eva, Margaret, me

Tough words from the book "Dangerous Surrender" by Kay Warren

I have been reading this book, Dangerous Surrender, and it has been really challenging me. Actually in some parts it has just flat out slapped me in the face - which I am sorry to confess - I needed. The first part is on the depth of selfishness that abounds in me and the second is on what true surrender to God looks like. I will quote some passages from the book b/c frankly it is written so well and so powerfully there is no need to change it.

"I, like many other adults, devote a fair amount of time, energy, and money to controlling, polishing, protecting, and defending my own private little kingdom. My greatest efforts every day go toward myself. (Ouch! - but true). Even when I'm occupied with taking care of others, the meter is always running as I inwardly take notice of the hours I've spent, the energy I've expended, and the sacrifices I've made. I find myself gleeful when I am able to kill two birds (or more) with one stone by doing something for someone else (making myself look good) while doing something for me at the same time. At the end of the day, I do a final tally to see if others have done as much for me as I've done for them. If they haven't, then I am hurt, disappointed, frustrated, offended, demanding, and angry. Sometimes I withdraw from relationships because, according to my internal calculator, I'm giving more than I'm getting back." To quote Fenelon in the book - "your self-love is terribly touchy. No matter how slightly it is insulted, it screams, 'Murderer.'" Sometimes God uses books to reveal to me the ugliness of my own sin and selfishness. It isn't pretty and the revelation process isn't fun, but it is needed so desperately. Some of you will think that the mere fact that I am living in Ghana as a missionary exempts me from selfishness or at least shows that I have it under control. Sorry to tell you that it just isn't true. The sins that plagued me in Chicago, plague me here. Fortunately, the grace of God that abounded to me in Chicago, also abounds to me here:) The first step is to see the ugliness of the sin, the next step is to ask for forgiveness and surrender my life and will to Him...again.

Speaking of surrender, I noticed while reading that selfishness and the desire to control my own life can easily seep into surrender. I think I have surrendered to God but I have put conditions on Him. Read what Warren quoted from Fenelon in the book.

"God prepares a cross for you that you must embrace without thought of self-preservation. The cross is painful. Accept the cross and you will find peace even in the middle of turmoil." Gary Thomas says "I learned that faith isn't tested by how often God answers my prayers with a yes but by my willingness to continue serving him and thanking him, even when I don't have a clue as to what he is doing." And Warren also writes, "for you to become a seriously disturbed, surrendered person of faith, you will have to be willing to say yes in advance - to give God your answer before you've heard the question." (all italics mine for emphasis) That is the hard part - giving full surrender to whatever HE wants without trying to protect myself (or my stuff) or saying "I'll do this, but not this" or the really hard part - complete abandon to His plan and will before I have any idea of what He is asking me to do or to surrender.

All these amazing challenges have been laid before me and I have only finished the second chapter. Kay Warren says that each chapter gets harder. Hmmm what an invitation:) But actually it is a good invitation - hard as it may be to read. I'd rather go through the struggle now than sit "comfortably" on the sidelines and miss out on what He has for me to do. Of course in the moment of pain and surrender it isn't too easy to say that but deep down that is the truth.

Luke 9:23-25 - Jesus is speaking to his disciples - "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?'

My prayer is to lay down the Kingdom of Me and surrender completely, in every way and every aspect of my being to the Kingdom of God. A lofty prayer I know but as I read in Luke it is nothing less than what is required to follow Christ. Please pray with me to make this a reality in the daily activities of life.

A different church

This Sunday I went with some friends to a church at Buduburam - the Liberian refugee camp about 1.5 hours away from where I live. Michael Mosley is a Methodist Pastor who serves here in Ghana with The Mission Society. He and his wife, Clare, and their three kids have lived in Ghana about 9 years. Margaret, Eva and I joined them for service at the United Methodist church at the camp. Michael preached. Although it really isn't referred to as a refugee camp anymore that is how it originally started. Liberians who fled the war in Liberia came to this area and settled. There are many buildings, churches and permanent structures on the camp. It was a unique experience as the service was very different from any I have been to so far. The actual service lasted just over two hours with only about the last 30 minutes being the sermon. There is much emphasis on announcements, introductions and singing throughout the service. Michael preached a great sermon on I Peter 1 focusing on suffering and being holy through it. The church is in the midst of a fund raising project for new musical equipment so at the end of the regular service they had more music. Basically the choir sang some special songs and people could "sponsor" the song by giving donations while it was sung. The music they sang was fantastic. Most of it was in English but they did do one song in a Liberian tribal language, Bassa. Eva was able to translate a bit but even without knowing all the words it was still great. It was after 1pm when we all finally left. Unfortunately the Mosleys had another engagement in the afternoon and we had to leave. The singing wasn't over and we were all bummed to miss some of it but there wasn't much to be done. It was wonderful to go to a different church and worship with brothers and sisters from Liberia. Their passion for the Lord was evident and I was blessed for being there.

Birthday surprise

My roommate Margaret had a bunch of friends meet us at a restaurant on Thursday night (the night before my birthday). I knew a few people were coming but not the whole bunch. There were about 15 total. It was a lot of fun and I felt very special. I am thankful for these friends from all walks of life.

kneeling L to R: Eva, Jane
standing L to R: Margaret, Auntie Ruby, Mariah, me, Frosty:), Jules, Stacey and Sherri.
(Steve and Becky, Michelle, Evie, Erin, George and John all had to leave early so we missed them in the picture). Megan is taking the picture.

Today is my birthday

Yes, today is the big day. Dec. 7th. Me and Pearl Harbor - although many years apart:) I am taking a few minutes in the quiet of the morning before everyone who slept over is up to think back on the last year. What a year it has been. Full of changes and surprises and struggles. One thing that has never changed is the presence of the Lord and I am so grateful for that. In Jan. 2007 I received the wonderful news that God had provided enough support to date that I could schedule my training at MTI - the last step before actually leaving for the mission field. I still remember receiving the phone call at work - Christ Church Lake Forest - and running down the long corridor yelling "I'm going to Africa, I'm going to Africa". Being the good people they are there, everyone cheered and jumped up and down with me. It was at that moment that life changed and was shoved into high gear. Winding up my projects at work, shopping and packing, going to MTI in Colorado for 5 weeks, saying good byes, and finally on May 19th boarding the plane for Ghana. And here I am almost 7 months later. I won't rehash all the details of these things but God so clearly has moved in my life and led me here. I tear up and am in awe of Him every time I think back. Three years ago there was great tragedy in my life and now I am living in Ghana and He has given me beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness for mourning and a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting (taken from Is. 61). What a wonderful God He is. A special person wrote in an email to me recently these words..."God is rejoicing in your birthday and reflecting back on how he knit you together for his purposes. He is pleased with his workmanship!" I love how that is phrased b/c it is truly His knitting me together and His workmanship. Nothing of my own. And it is all done for His purposes and to His glory. I am so thankful to the Lord who never gives up on His children, who's mercies never cease and who is always with us no matter where we are. This morning the words in Lamentations are especially precious. Read them carefully. Let them sink into your heart and remember that the Lord is good and faithful. He is the reason for my hope and joy.


Lamentations 3:21-23

"This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness."

Let the birthday festivities begin

Yes, tomorrow is my birthday - Dec. 7th. (never mind which number!) My roommate being the girl that loves to get people together to celebrate has decided to start celebrating my birthday a day early. Do I mind? Of course not. Personally I think it should be celebrated for at least a week if not more. Anyway, tonight several friends are taking me to dinner, tomorrow morning Margaret and Eva will cook a big breakfast and have a few more friends over and then tomorrow night they are taking me to a play. Wow. I am tired just writing about it. And that doesn't include the things Margaret may have up her sleeve that I don't know anything about. I'll keep you posted. It really is very sweet especially since this is my first birthday back in Africa since 1979. Last year was a big birthday with the surprise (well almost) party and all. My roomies are doing a good job of keeping up the pace:)

Guess I am into music lyrics this week

This is one of my favorite songs. It is by 33 miles. I really enjoy it at Christmas because it reminds me that it is b/c of Christ's birth (and death and resurrection) that I will be able to see Him face to face one day. And what could be better than that???

"I’ve heard it said 'today is all we’re given.
Tomorrow may not come so you better start living'.
I guess it all depends on your point of view.
Pardon me if I just don’t listen to everything the world
say’s I’m missing.
There’s nothing here and now I’m gonna hold on to."


"I’m living in the days ahead
I’m already dancing on the streets of gold
and I can’t stop celebrating in my soul.
I’m living in the days ahead.
Nothing on earth could ever compare
Can’t wait for the day that I get there
When I see Jesus face to face
Tell me what could be better
Tell me what could be better"

"If home is where the heart is then I’m in Heaven
It’s the promise of tomorrow that I’ve been given
Who is waiting there I am living for.
He’s everything I love and I believe in.
And I can hardly wait just to see Him
and hear Him say well done.
I couldn’t ask for more"

Wasted

"I don't want to spend my life jaded...waitin'...
to wake up one day and find that I let
all these years go by - wasted."

"I don't want to keep on wishin'...missin'...
the still of the morning, the color of the night.
I ain't spendin' no more time - wasted."
(song by Carrie Underwood)

"The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm
my great army that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed".

Joel 2:24-26

The Girls and our decorating for Christmas breakfast

Far end to right: Sherri, Lori, Erin, me, Jules,
Rebecca, Mariah, Margaret and Eva (Lindsey is taking the picture). Enjoying waffles, bacon, juice, monkey bread, etc. Yummy!

Ministry of a different kind

Today was filled with a lot of Christmas festivities. Actually it started last night when Margaret, Eva and I had about seven single (mostly) girls over for the night. We started by watching "White Christmas" and eating junk food. I punked out early as I was still tired from two whirlwind weeks with my parents in town. But the rest of the gang stayed up and finished the movie. This morning we decorated our tree and made Christmas stockings. Everyone pitched in and it was very festive. Margaret fixed waffles and bacon. We finished off the monkey bread I had made and enjoyed Minute Maid juice. All these things are special here in Ghana - not stuff we would normally buy or make. It was delicious. Most of the girls hung out at our place for the rest of the day watching movies and talking. But I write about this for more than sharing a day's activities. What struck me was that this is a type of ministry God has given for me (and Margaret and Eva) that I didn't expect when I came here. I saw what this time together meant to these girls . One friend who lives fairly far out and by herself just lit up at every "treat" that we offered her. She was just glowing and smiling and so obviously enjoyed the special treatment and fellowship. Another friend mentioned that she feels so happy when she is at our house. I was incredibly touched. But it is the Lord and His gift of this house that I give praise to. When I first came here after signing the contract, I walked through each room and around the house praying. I prayed of course for God's protection over the house and those living here, but even more I prayed that this would be a house filled with God's love and peace and hospitality. I asked Him to pull me out of my comfort zone and to be open and relaxed with it. He had blessed me with such a gift and I want it to be a blessing to others. It was neat to see Him fulfill that prayer today -and even before today- but really specifically today. It isn't always easy b/c sometimes I am selfish. (Yes, I know you are shocked to read that but it is true). He has given me a roommate that is quite the extrovert and loves to have people over a lot. Sometimes this hard but as I keep praying and asking God to help me use the gift of this house for others, He gives me strength and openness to do it - and yes, enjoy it! I think back on a couple of specific homes that were havens of love to me (and still are) and I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to give that to someone else. So this wasn't a ministry that I had thought of or planned on but here it is - a ministry of a different kind. A ministry to single missionaries. Perhaps some love felt here will minister to one who might be lonely or worn out so that she can continue with the work God has brought her here to do. Pray with me to let God's love and joy flow through this home and that it would be a blessing to those who come here. Thank you.

The places we go...

Tonight the ex-patriate community gathered for the "Pre-Christmas Concert" given by a local singing group called "Accragio". And where was this concert? At the French Ambassador's Residence of all places. He is in the group and so hosts several events at his place. And wow what a place! The house is of course fantastic and huge but the grounds are what got me. They are truly sprawling grounds with palm trees, flowering trees, bushes, etc. etc. Just wonderful. I am still in awe of the places that we are invited to. It seems that the ex-patriate community is relatively small or there is a small part of it that seem to go to the same things as I am recognizing several people who are not part of the missionary community. The Tema Youth Choir joined Accragio for the Christmas concert. They are incredible. Professional and beautiful. There was complete freedom to say "Christmas" and sing of Jesus' birth. They even sang the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's "Messiah" and it was awesome. Gave me goosebumps. And it is neat that all proceeds from the concert go to the orphanage in Tema (a city west of Accra). So it was really special treat to be able to attend this concert. I won't be able to go to the one at my home church but I am thankful for what I am able to do.

The Golfers

Mom, Dad and Lee went golfing one day while they were here. Quite a view down the fairway and overlooking Accra! They all had a great time and did quite well for a new course. I didn't join them on this venture as I had some much needed errands to run and stuff in the office that needed attention. Next time maybe - although my golfing skills are horribly rusty right now.







For about $15 dollars you golf 18 holes and have your own caddies. Looks like they all had a pretty good time:)

Thanksgiving in Ghana

The gang assembled for Thanksgiving in Ghana. And yes we had a real turkey. Mom and Dad brought it on the plane from the states. (Turkeys here are ridiculously expensive.) It was 22 lbs and was still almost completely frozen from it's cross Atlantic flight in the belly of a plane. Still it was cooked to perfection by Michelle and Eva - flavorful and moist. We just finished our part last night in a turkey pot pie made by Margaret - very tasty.

L to R: Michelle, Joseph Kebbie, me, George Andrews, Dad, Eva, Mom, Francoise Dossman. Lee is taking the picture but somehow Kyle and TJ escaped posing:)

The road to our house

The road to our house is stilling being worked on - has been since July. The difficulty now is that 2 of the 3 ways to access our area are completely closed off. And the last way is partially blocked. We really do anticipate that at some point we will not be able to get the car in or out of the driveway. But the worst part is that the water truck is coming tomorrow to fill our tanks and I think they are going to have more than a little trouble trying to get to the house. It should be interesting. I will take some pictures of the road to give you a better perspective.

Update for today (Thurs.) - the truck did come and somehow plowed its way down the road in spite of the workers, boards with nails, huge piles of gravel and sand and a big ditch on one side. I am so thankful they made it and we now have full water tanks. PTL. They had new hoses that were really long so they didn't even have to come into the driveway. Again I say PTL.

I will say that b/c the sun has been out baking us, the guys have been able to work on the road several days in a row. Can you imagine digging out a drainage ditch that is about 3 feet wide and 4-5 ft. deep for the length of a road about 5 blocks long? And in this heat? And by hand - just with shovels? They don't have a backhoe or anything. Anyway, they are working hard and there are several of them so I am praying that they will get the worst of it completed soon.

A day in the Volta Region

Today was the last real day that I had opportunity to take my parents to do some more site seeing. Tomorrow night they fly home via London. Can you believe it? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was asking for prayer for a safe arrival and now they are leaving? We still have so much to do and see! So today we went up to the Volta Region where they have the dam that provides our hydropower. It was really, really interesting to see it and hear about how it works, etc. I didn't realize that the water that fills the dam comes from Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ivory Coast. Additionally 8% of the electricity produced goes back to Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo. The dam is still very low despite the recent flooding in the northern region of Ghana and other countries like Burkina Faso. It should be around 280ft high but it is at 255ft. One of the reasons we still get occasional losses of electricity is b/c they can only run some of the turbines at a time instead of all of them like they would if the dam was full.

The ride to the dam and Volta Lake is really beautiful. Green trees, grasses and jungle are everywhere. Hills and rock formations are in the distance. I just can't seem to get enough of the beauty of this country. I am so glad that I have gotten to see more of it and meet people from different regions.

We ate lunch at a restaurant with a breathtaking view overlooking the dam, lake and hills. It was so quiet and peaceful. I found it so relaxing and mesmerizing. The food was pretty good also. We had a ton left over so we packaged it and decided to give the left overs to people we passed on the road home that seemed to need some food. The first recipient was the police guard at one barrier. Then we stopped the car to give it to two children who ran away as fast as they could when my mom yelled "come" from the window. (I am still laughing so hard at that I can hardly type.) You never saw two kids run so fast. Then we tried to give it to a girl who looked at Margaret with big eyes and shook her head no. Obviously they had been taught well to not take things from strange obronis who stop on the road. A young boy came up though and had no problems at all taking one package. We had two left. After passing by a few people - we couldn't have stopped without getting whiplash - we came to a small town and saw a handful of people by the road. One of the men was obviously not entirely with it mentally. So Margaret went to give him the food. At first he was walking away but then realized she was giving him food, took it, put the package on the ground and began eating it immediately. He was so hungry. The people nearby started saying thank you that we gave the food to him. I was really moved by watching him devour it. There are people like this that we see on the road side in Accra also. Actually there is a man in our neighborhood. It is hard to know if the problems are b/c of drugs or alcohol or simply mental disease but it is sad to see them. I am glad we had something to give to this man.

After having to turn around only 2 or 3 times this trip we get back to Accra. B/c it is late we decide to grab something to eat. I only mention this b/c of what happened to Michelle. Just note that she is fine and we made sure she was fine and able to laugh too before we started laughing. Margaret was having trouble sitting at her place at the table b/c of some men smoking cigars nearby. After getting a fan and trying a few different places, she finally came down to Michelle's end of the table. Being the kind person that she is Michelle told Margaret to take her place and she would go to the other end. I see Michelle walk around the table and then I see a chair on its back on the floor but I can't see Michelle. Suddenly her head pokes up from below the table and I realize that somehow when she went to sit down, the chair broke and she landed on her backside. We are all staring at her b/c I don't think anyone really saw what happened. She is staring at us and then starts to smile. Of course, as I said, we make sure she is ok and then we all break out laughing. We were so tired by then that we were a little slap happy. Anyway, it was a good laugh at the end of a good day and I am glad Michelle is ok.

On a completely different note...Christmas lights and decorations and signs are going up all over the place now. It is so weird to think of Christmas when we are all dripping in sweat and the sun is glaringly bright. But it will soon be upon us. This Friday we are having several of the single girls to our house for a sleep over. We plan to watch White Christmas and maybe even go caroling to those that live close to us. Then in the morning after eating, they are going to help us decorate the little tree Margaret and I got and put up a few other things around the house. It is going to be a lot of fun and so good for building relationships. I am grateful for the women I am getting to know bit by bit.

Well if you read this before Thursday night at 11pm Ghana-time, please pray for a safe journey home for my parents. I know they are tired but they have had a great time here. They can't stop talking about how much they enjoy Ghana. Thank you for praying.

Water ran out today

Well this morning Margaret came to tell me that we just ran out of water. Bummer. I was hoping it would last until my parents left. But now they get to experience the full gammet of how their daughter really lives:) So no showers today. Hopefully we will have a truck tomorrow morning so that they can get ready for their flight home. You may be thinking why didn't I go ahead and fill the tanks before they got here. Well we knew the water was getting low from the last truck. The problem is that you pay for the full amount whether you need it all or not. Since it isn't that cheap, we wait until all tanks are dry and then call for the truck. Hence my parents being here when it ran out. One good thing is that the front of the driveway has yet to be fixed from the last water truck that crushed it so I don't have to worry that this next one will ruin it again. Of course it may just increase what has already been crushed but what to do. We gotta have water! Never a dull moment. Tomorrow Margaret and I will go down to the water company and see why we are still not getting city water. For some reason the most recent bill has "disconnected" on it and I don't know why. We have a credit on there and haven't received city water since July. So we will go and try to figure it out. A new experience for both Margaret and I. If you think of it, please pray that the water from the city would be restored. And also for the Sonius' as their water comes sporadically and they often have to order trucks also. Thank you!

Finally some pictures

Yea! I was able to upload some pictures showing what I have been doing with my parents here in Ghana. There are more to come. But for now go to the link on the sidebar to the online photo album. I hope you enjoy what you see.

Mom and Dad with me after church this past Sunday. So glad they were able to see where I worship most Sundays.

More with my parents

Well for some reason I can't get pictures to upload to the blog or flickr as the internet is not behaving. I will keep trying. But in the mean time I will tell you a bit of what my parents have been up to.

Sunday we went to the church that I have been attending called Asbury Dunwell. It was a good service. I was just slightly disappointed that the regular worship leader wasn't there so they didn't get to experience the really awesome music. But what they did hear was pretty good. I think they enjoyed it and they were able to meet three more friends of mine - Jane, Lindsay and Erin. After church we met Lee and Michelle and their boys for lunch at Frankies, ran home for a quick rest and change of clothes, then walked to Lee and Michelle's to ride with them to watch football. We were tired. I am thankful that we took Saturday as our day of rest. Watching the football was a lot of fun. The level of play seemed to be up a notch with good passing and even an awesome goal scored by Hassim using the bicycle kick. It was beautiful. (If you don't know what a bicycle kick is ask someone who plays soccer to give you a good description or even a demonstration!)

Yesterday we did more site seeing around town and I took them to see Amanda - the seamstress - and Yao and his brother - my favorite artists. They bought a few things. Then they decided that I needed a break and some time to rest and do a little work (I think they wanted to try and explore on their own:) - so they took a taxi and went down town to the "tourist" area and did some serious shopping. And made it back home in a taxi without a hitch. I received my birthday present early. A very practical water cooler/heater system. Sadly my stomach problems continue and even Margaret has had some so I decided it was time to do something serious about our water source. We will be getting bottled water from now on. Mom and Dad bought the expensive part - the cooler. A gift I really, really appreciate and hope takes care of the stomach issues. Today Margaret and I contacted the people for the bottles. Please pray that this would take care of these problems. Thanks!

Today Lee and my parents went golfing at the course in Accra. I haven't golfed in so long that it would have been a total exercise in frustration if I had tried at this point. I need lessons again! But everyone did really well and had a great time. Apparently for about $15 you get a caddy to take your bags and drinks, hunt your stray shots, give you the right club and even set the ball on the tee for you. My mother may never be able to golf at Countryside again! They had a really great time and I am so glad. My day was spent running around with Margaret getting stuff for the house and water as mentioned above and then to the office for a few hours of work. It was a productive day for me.

Tomorrow we are driving up to the Volta Region to see the dam and stop at a bead factory. Apparently the whole area is really beautiful. It will be Margaret, Michelle, my parents, another friend, Rebecca, and myself going. We'll have a car full but we will have fun I am sure. I'll let you know how it goes later:) And really hope to have some pictures for you.

Pictures are coming

I am sorry for the delay in getting pictures of our trip to Kumasi up for you to see. The internet is not working at its best right now so I can't get the pictures to upload. I will keep trying and hope to have some on soon.

My parents and I went to visit the family of a friend of ours from my home church. It was such a wonderful visit. We met Bernice's sister, niece, nephew and mother. Not only did we enjoy meeting them but Auntie Theo gave us some pointers in proper Ghanaian culture. For example, she said the host always offers water as soon as the visitors come. And even if the visitor doesn't want anything to drink or doesn't trust the water, it is polite to take a sip or even pretend to take a sip and then set the glass back down. After the water, then juice, Malta or minerals are offered along with cookies or something small to eat. Again the visitor should take a sip and a bite even if they really don't want it. Apparently it is ok to leave the drink or food - I guess even waste it- but not ok to refuse it. If you refuse someone's offer of water, drink or food, it signifies that you are in a bad temper and have come to quarrel with the host.

I think the mother was a tad shocked that I wasn't married and didn't have children. She told me that she was going to be praying for a husband for me. Actually I believe she said a "Ghanaian husband". It is unusual in this culture to be past 30 and not married and having children. More so than in western cultures. I am definitely past 30 - maybe she thinks I need extra prayer:)

Other than the incredible traffic we went through to get to their section of town, it was a great experience and I hope to see Auntie Theo and her mother again while I am here.

Turkey Day and Birthday Presents

Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving like those in America with a turkey and all the fixin's. It was so good. My parents carried a turkey over on the airplane and it was absolutely delicious. Michelle and Eva cooked it perfectly and even today we enjoyed a turkey sandwich for lunch. I have many, many things to be thankful for and having my parents here to celebrate with me and friends was just wonderful. But life here went on as usual. Of course Thanksgiving is strictly an American holiday. As a matter of fact, I was late getting to help Michelle with the dinner b/c Kofi came to finish some work that he had started the day before. Just a regular work day in Ghana. Today doesn't even feel like the day after Thanksgiving b/c no one is up at the crack of dawn waiting in line at a favorite store to get the best deals. Just a regular day:) But since I am not much of a shopper, it is ok with me. Today if I was back in the states, my mom and I would be putting up Christmas decorations. We aren't doing that here but I do miss the tradition that she and I have. We did enjoy listening to Amy Grant belt out "Tennessee Christmas" this morning though.

Today Lee came back from our "regular" post office with a package for me. It was from one of my dearest friends, Brenda. Please don't tell her that I already opened it:) In my defense it didn't say "do not open until ..."). It is my first birthday present. Two weeks early and I loved getting it. I was surprised though that Lee brought it b/c he only went to our regular, close by post office and not the main post office that is way downtown. Apparently if a package comes in a soft, padded envelope it goes to our post office but if it is in a box it goes to the one downtown. Good knowledge to have. This birthday will be the first one celebrated in Africa since 1979! My roommate is planning some kind of shindig. Can't wait to see what she comes up with b/c she LOVES parties.

First week with mom and dad here

My parents arrived on Weds., Nov. 14th. They came with 7 bags and all arrived at the airport the same time they did! PTL. My roommate, Margaret, has a friend who works at the airport in security so he came with us and helped us to get into the baggage claim area to meet them. God went before us and all the bags were there and we went through customs without any difficulty. (Normally we have to wait outside the terminal for people who are arriving). We were all so excited that instead of going to bed and unpacking on Thurs. we did it all that very night - until about midnight! They brought so many wonderful things. Movies, clothes, food items, stationery, stuff for the kitchen from my storage unit, etc. etc. It was quite an ordeal for them to pack but they did it and got it all here. Oh yes and even a 22# turkey for Thanksgiving!! Still mostly frozen. We will be eating that today.

Friday morning we got up and after a slow start took off for Kumasi which is a large city about 5 hours northwest of Accra - over the hills. We made several stops and picked up 2 other people and headed to the wedding that was the purpose of the trip. We thank the Lord for Margaret's Mitsubishi spacewagon as it held all of 6 of us plus luggage fairly comfortably. We took the scenic view through the hills and it was just wonderful. (They call them mountains here and compared to sea level maybe they are but after being in Colorado they really are just hills). Very beautiful nonetheless. We made good time to Kumasi and stayed at the home of a missionary we know who uses it as a guest house. The price was so great and the accommodations just fine.

Saturday we were up very early to get ready and leave for the wedding. It was about 2 hours away - if you take the direct route. We now had 7 people in the car but no luggage so still doing ok. Quite a loud car but we were all jazzed up for a road trip and wedding. The wedding was scheduled for 10am and we found out later actually started on time. Rare for Africa. But we missed the first 1.5 hours of the wedding b/c of some seriously faulty directions that took us in almost the opposite direction of where we should have been. We got to this little church after stopping to ask directions about 5 times only to find out that there wasn't a soul in it. After a few phone calls we finally found someone who told us where the wedding really was being held so we piled back in the car and took off at NASCAR speed. (yes I have to refer to NASCAR at least once on most entries). While we retrace our steps we are frequently calling b/c nobody seems to be able to tell us exactly where the church is. We have the name of the church and the town it is in but that is it. And really we didn't have the right town until after we had driven past it by 30minutes and then had to turn around and go back. If you could have been in the car you would either have laughed hysterically or completely lost your temper (and sanctification:)) Gifty and Michael are Ghanaians and supposedly knew where we were going. So they are "yelling" at each other in Twi, Margaret is driving so fast I have to hang on to the seats to keep from smashing Gifty or my dad and we keep calling the people at the wedding to try and find out where we should be. After all is said and done we were 1.5 hours late for the wedding and missed the actual marriage ceremony but did make it for the next 1.5 hours of singing, dancing and prayers. Yes, I am not exaggerating. The wedding was over 3 hours long. I personally think it was a blessing to be a bit late:)

The people were so kind to us. We were the only "obronis" in attendance and they insisted on showing us great deference. We danced up and down the aisles with everyone and prayed for the bride and groom. It was great. I hope to have a video that gives you a small taste of it. The reception was just outside the church where we were moved from the back row to just behind the bride and groom. They didn't want us sitting in the sun and also showed us great honor and hospitality. It was very touching.

We had to leave a bit early as we still had a long drive home and didn't want to be driving too much in the dark. We came to the church with 7 in the car and left with 12 crammed in. Fortunately 4 alighted just down the road so it was only 8 going all the way to Kumasi. Everyone was pretty jazzed up but I was getting extremely tired. My dad and I were pretty quiet most of the way home while all the extroverts in the car sang and carried on. After making what seemed like 14 stops on the way back we finally arrived at the guest house. I made a bee line for my room as I was in desperate need of some quiet and solitude. (No, I am not always like that - just when I am really, really tired and have been around people - loud people - all day:))

Sunday Margaret, my parents and I go to the Methodist Church nearby. We couldn't quite follow the directions given to us and so stopped to ask a young man how to get there. He so kindly offered to take us and instead of going to his church, he just joined us at the one we were going to. It was a very formal service and in Twi. Kwasi - our helper - was good enough to give us an idea of what was going on. It was a nice ceremony with lots of singing and dancing and a strong sermon (of what I could get from the occasional English he spoke). Again we were the only obronis in the crowd and were shown great honor by being formally introduced at the front of the church to the congregation. Everyone was really so very kind.

After church we go and change and get lunch and then head down the road to the coast. It is just the 4 of us and I am glad for that. We had some great conversations, enjoyed laughing at getting lost, enjoyed God's creation and sang all the way to the coast. The highways up in this area are paved and pretty much in really good condition but they are not labeled with a name or number like the highways in the states. The main road we wanted to be on took a left - we discovered later - that we should have taken but didn't b/c there weren't any signs. Margaret had an inkling we should turn but when we stopped to ask if we were headed to "Cape Coast", the man said yes. Well we were technically headed to Cape Coast - we were just taking the extra long albeit very scenic way:) We continue down the road frequently asking for directions and getting mixed messages galore. "Go left, go straight, no go right, wait you should go back and turn" - all from the same group of people. Fortunately we are all very relaxed and know that we are at least heading south and will hit the ocean sooner or later. Finally at a police barrier we ask an officer if he can tell us exactly where we are and where we are heading. We are well west of the road we actually wanted to be on but at least now we can see on the map where we are. Before there were names on the map and names on city signs but none of them seemed to match up.

We do drive through a town called Tarkwa where they have lots of gold mines, etc. It is a cute little place that I wouldn't mind visiting again. And I have to say that I am thankful for going down the wrong road. We drove through some amazing scenery in rubber tree plantations and rain forests. It was absolutely beautiful. Pictures cannot do it credit b/c you can't feel the moisture and smell the rain. Just wonderful.

Now that we know the road we are on we see that we are nowhere near the place we had anticipated spending the night. But we are headed directly for the place on the coast that I had stayed with Lee and Michelle back in July. It was a fantastic place and so we head there. My parents gave Margaret and I a most wonderful gift. They paid for two nights for all of us at this beach resort with oceanview rooms. It was just lovely. I especially enjoyed getting up and sitting on the porch with my tea and Bible and watching and listening to the ocean. Just perfect.

My mother loves the ocean and was thrilled to be there. After spending 7 years in Liberia on the beach, it was so great for us all to be there again.

One challenging thing though was when Margaret got caught by the undertow and needed help getting back in . I know the Lord was with us b/c I am not a strong swimmer at all but I was able to grab her hand and pull while the Lord sent a wave to push and it was enough to get her moving towards shore. Of course, as the wave pushed her she landed on me and I got a good dunking but we all ended up fine and stayed much closer to shore after that. A similar thing had happened to me when I was there before so I understood how scared she was. It is really quite shallow in the area where we were so it appears that a person can go out quite far without a problem. But the undertow is strong and deceptive.

My parents roamed around a bit by themselves and were perfectly at home back in Africa. They went to a village nearby and talked with the kids and others and enjoyed it thoroughly. I am so glad they are here and enjoying Ghana. We stopped at Elmina slave castle on the way home and took an abbreviated tour. It is good for visitors to see this tour spot but I have to confess that next time I may not go inside. Even though this is only my second visit to this specific castle it just wears me out emotionally. I have toured castles 4 times and each time I find it so difficult. It is still hard to comprehend how horrible we human beings can be to each other. We did watch the movie "Amazing Grace" last night which is a fantastic movie despite also being about slavery. It gives new perspective to see the slave castles and hear about that part and then to watch this movie and hear about what happened after they left the castles. Really pulls it together but still so hard to hear and comprehend.

Yesterday we rested and did laundry and started getting ready for Thanksgiving. And today is Thanksgiving Day. We are looking forward to spending time with Lee and Michelle and several others. Next week my dad and mom will get to go golfing, we will go to my favorite market for souvenirs and we will take a day trip up to the Volta region to go to a bead factory and see the dam (new for me as well as my parents). In the middle of it all I will do some work and I will introduce my parents to my friends here. (I am thankful for the internet at the house where I am able to do quite a bit of my work after my parents are in bed:)) It is so hard to believe that they leave next week. The time sure has flown by. I have enjoyed getting to see parts of Ghana I have not been to before and to share that with my parents has been a real blessing. What a precious gift to have them here.

Getting change here for purchases is no small thing. If you buy something in the market, at a little road side store or from a hawker, you really need change or small bills. What amazes me is that if the seller doesn't have change, they will talk to friends nearby or other sellers to get the change they need for me. This must go on through out the day, multiple times. I have no idea how they keep it all straight but they do. Additionally, once I am known at a certain store or with a specific seller, if I don't have enough they trust me to bring it next time I come. Even if that is days or a week - no problem. And they remember what I owe them several days later. And it works the other way too. If they owe me, they remember and pay it next time I come to the store. Amazing. There may be a high illiteracy rate in Africa but most people here have an amazing memory for names, faces and money. They can also keep track of counting money while being interrupted - several times. I am seriously impressed. I don't know many people that can keep track of counting out several bills while talking to 2 or 3 other people and not make a mistake!

Today Margaret and I went to the main post office downtown. If we receive a package that is in a box, it goes to this place and we have to go get it. If a package is in a soft envelope they will deliver it the post box. But the drive down is quite a ways and parking there is very challenging. Not only for spaces but simply navigating getting in and out b/c there is little room to maneuver and little rhyme or reason to how each car parks. But we get a spot and go in. You go to one window with your slip. Then to another window to open the box and see the contents. Here the agent determines that what is in the box is acceptable and also how much you have to pay duty for the contents. That apparently is a bit ambiguous but fortunately Margaret's gift was small and the cost was minimal. So you take this receipt, leave your package on the counter there for all the world to see and go to a third window to pay. Come back to the customs agent with your paid receipt, pick up your package and go. As I stood there I was conflicted inside as I kept thinking there is a better way (or ways) to do this. But this is so easy to do in a new culture - disregard their way and assume my culture's way is better or best. To me it would seem logical to have the windows you need to proceed through be in a line and everyone follows the same order but I don't know the particulars of why things are set up the way that they are. There may be a very good reason. So as the thoughts crossed my mind, I tried to set them aside and not assume that the American way is the best way. For Ghanaians - this way works just fine!

Our new store

Today Michelle and I went to the new Shoprite store over at the mall. It was so strange and really nice at the same time. The store is basically a miniature super Wal-Mart or Target. But not that small. There is the fruit and vegetable area, meat racks with the nicely packaged saran wrap and then all the aisles of kitchen stuff, dry goods, gardening tools and household things. Really amazing. I haven't seen anything even close to it here. It really felt like I was in Dominick's or Wal-Mart for just a few minutes. The whole mall looks like one in the states. Big stores like Shoprite and Game on the ends and then all these nice little specialty stores down the halls. If they put in a food court it will be so wild! You'd probably have to live here or at least have visited to understand the magnitude of these things. There are small grocery stores here and there but most nationals shop at the outdoor markets or these very tiny, hole-in-the-wall stores that line the streets. So this big mall with all its fancy aisles and workers and sale items is pretty amazing. Personally, I still prefer to go to Mr. Edcees store in Dzorwulu but the mall is nice too. At least I found the light bulbs I needed at Shoprite. And I really felt like an American at there - a nice breather. I even noticed that my walk changed and I relaxed a bit. Hey maybe I do like this more than Edcees. We will see. Of course there was country music playing throughout and that is just a bonus for this redneck princess:)

Trying to heal

I have been a little quiet on here lately as I have not been feeling well. This weekend was spent at home trying to recover from some little bug I have picked up. My roommates have been so great in caring for me. I was bummed to miss a women's retreat over the weekend but Margaret brought me a stack of movies to watch on my computer so I didn't get too lonely. They have helped a lot. I am starting to feel a bit better but certainly not 100%. As you read this and think of me please pray for complete healing. I am trying to relax and not fight against this "unwelcome" down time God has provided. My parents come in less than two weeks and I have a lot to do. Not to mention all that needs to be done in the office. It is hard to not force myself to try to accomplish at least something even though I can't tolerate being upright for more than 10-15 minutes at a time right now. Ah to set aside my agenda and plans and schedule for something I didn't ask for and certainly don't want - doesn't come naturally. I just finished reading Hinds' Feet in High Places and the phrase "Acceptance-with-joy" keeps coming to mind. (Don't you just hate it when that happens:)) So in the midst of my asking God to please heal me so I can get busy, I am trying to relax and let go and accept with joy this side trip that I have been given. I don't know about African culture, but it isn't culturally acceptable in America to not be busy and to take the time to let our bodies heal from illness. I suspect it is generally human nature. We seem to be programmed to value busyness, even crazy busyness, over down time. If we aren't accomplishing something, then are we really valuable to life and society? These thoughts are formed from another book I read recently called The Search for Significance that challenges our "value in performance only" thinking and beliefs. I know - some of you are thinking I should stop reading. But I am glad that I have read some books recently that challenge my thinking, my assumptions and behaviors, my status quo. Well this about all my brain and stomach can handle at this moment so I am going back to bed. I am going to rest and give my body time to heal fully and try mightily to accept with joy this illness. You can pray for that too:) Thanks!

And yet a few more pictures...

No words are needed for this picture- it speaks for itself.



photo by shiva








One more view of the beautiful Atlantic ocean.


photo by Shiva

More photos from Cape Coast

This is part of the canopy walk in Kakum National Park. It is hard to get the full perspective but when you are on it you see that the ground is far below and through a bunch of trees. But it is fun and really beautiful.
















Mariah and I are standing up high on a hill and were able to look over the valley and the little village below. Just beautiful.









This is the sign that is posted at the crocodile place. Quite comforting isn't it? You can just see behind the sign the fencing. That is how it is all through the walkways. I looked down at one point and saw a croc just waiting by the walkway for some unsuspecting person to slip and fall in. I held on tight to the rail. Yikes!!








Yes I am quite the chicken. You can just see the croc in front of the white slab on the ground. This was close enough for me. The gate (and Mariah) are just behind me for a quick get-away.









This is a picture of the fishing village just outside the "point of no return" at Cape Coast Castle. The fishermen take these boats way out in the ocean to fish without life jackets and they often stand up while rowing. Simply amazing to me.

Morning peace

This morning I am sitting on my little front porch listening to the sounds of Africa - or at least Accra. The air is light and cool from a big storm last night clearing out the heat a bit. It is perfectly wonderful. There is a stillness and quiet behind the sounds. I hear the roosters still crowing (they really have no idea of time), saws and hammers working on buildings all around me, music booming from the restaurant just across the street, goats and sheep bleating, horns beeping in the distance and people talking - yet nothing is intrusive and there is a real peacefulness as I sit and listen and communicate with the Lord. These are special moments for me. Moments when I love being in Africa and am grateful for the amazing opportunity God has given me. I confess it isn't always this way. More often than I care to admit I do get tired of certain things - like being hot and sweating, being called "obroni", being viewed as a bank, being different... But this morning, this quiet, cool morning, I am enjoying the sounds of Africa. And these moments are happening more and more frequently. I breathe it in and thank God for his love and his plans and his goodness to me. I thank him for this moment of peace and beauty. Thank you Lord.

A couple more pictures at Cape Coast Castle

Mariah, Shiva and me at Cape Coast Castle

photo by Shiva
Mariah and me at Cape Coast Castle

photo by Shiva

A weekend at Coconut Grove

I just want to start by saying that I am so glad the Lord made the ocean and gave us beaches to look at.There are few places that I know of that capture my heart and soul like the ocean. I could sit and watch and listen to it for hours. Perhaps I would have loved it anyways, but I am certain the fact that I grew up on the beach in Liberia is a big factor.

My friend, Mariah, and I decided to get away for a couple of days while she had fall break and we all had a national holiday for the ending of Ramadan. We have some friends who stay consistently at a place in Cape Coast called Coconut Grove and highly recommended it to us. This place is just beautiful and so peaceful yet fun.

The first thing we needed to do was figure out how to get there. Since the intercity bus system is pretty good here we decided to go that way. For less than seven dollars round trip we road the bus 2.5 hours each way from Accra to Cape Coast. Such a deal and really a very pleasant ride. I am grateful for a trip without many stops or mechanical problems. The taxi driver that took us from the bus stop to our "hotel" was very kind so we got his number to call him as needed over the weekend. Initially we had planned to go to one of the nearby slave castles after we were settled in our room but the weather, pool and ocean were so inviting we decided to just stay and enjoy it all.

This place is called a "resort" but it isn't exactly what you would imagine in the states. While the grounds and pool are very nice, the rooms are really just ok. But we didn't mind as we weren't in there for much more than sleeping. The restaurant has really great food for reasonable prices but you might have to wait for an hour or so to actually get your food. This isn't uncommon in most restaurants here actually. And the odd thing is that if you are in a group, people are served as the food comes up, not all together. So half the table might be done eating before the other half has gotten their food. Again this also happens in Accra. It is a hard thing to get used to but I am getting there. In spite of the less than stellar service, the food was really, really tasty!

As we were planning what to do on Sat. as far as site seeing, the "bellboy" told us he had a driver friend who worked at the resort and would take us around to see things. Jojo came to tell us all that he could do for us at a completely ridiculous price. As nice as he was we just couldn't - wouldn't- pay it. So we called our taxi driver guy and he said he would take us to the same places Jojo had offered for half the price. Now that is more like it! And Kwame did a great job.

Oh but I am getting ahead of myself. Friday night we wanted to go to an off site restaurant and got a recommendation from...someone. So eventually we ended up at a place next to a slave castle called Cape Coast Castle. Interesting little place. Set on the ocean but of course we couldn't see it at night. Mariah graciously shielded me from the fact that as we were entering the place there were a couple of men killing a cockroach. She did tell me at the table and then proceeded to say "don't look over here, there is another one". Lovely. I must be growing some b/c I didn't insist we leave but just put my feet up on the chair next to me and demanded that Mariah protect me if it came any closer. It didn't. The food was good and I am just this moment realizing that I didn't even think once about how it might have been cooked or the fact that there were cockroaches around and several cats roaming freely. I guess I am getting used to things and they just aren't and won't be like they are in the states. As we are waiting for our dinners, Mariah gets involved with a game of connectfour and was winning before the guy she was playing was called away to wait on a table. Our taxi driver waited for us and took us back to the hotel. On the way we had a really great talk about God, Jesus returning and him waiting for a good Christian woman before he will get married.

Saturday...Kwame picks us up at 7am (thank you very much!) and we drive about 45 minutes to Kakum National Park. It is called a rain forest and I believe it as the humidity increased tremendously. We hiked up a short path to a really jungle looking area where 7 different canopy bridges have been secured. It is more than a bit unnerving to walk across them as they move and sway with each step. There is a net on each side which was great but every little creak that happened when someone got on or off a bridge was really creepy. I am not a huge fan of heights but was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The trees and plants all around us were really beautiful. We met up with some of the other teachers that Mariah works with as well as a guy from India, Shiva, whom we had seen at the same resort we were at.

After the canopy walk several of us headed for Hans Cottage where you can feed and touch (if you so desire) crocodiles. But we passed a monkey sanctuary on the way and stopped there. Shiva's taxi followed us and then a young couple from Denmark also joined us. The man who runs the monkey farm does have monkeys there as well as civet cats, bush cats and baby crocodiles. After being here for awhile we head to the real crocodile place. At Hans Cottage you actually can pay to have a worker feed or hold a chicken in front of the crocodile while you touch it or even sit on it. I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to do either even if the thing was stuffed so I am not going to do it with a live one! But Mariah and I did at least want to see how it worked. Well we get to the little area where the crocs are and the worker says "oh be careful. The young ones are aggressive so we need to see if any are out here." As she is saying this she keeps telling us to come on out "it will be fine". Whatever! I am staying by the gate!! Of course the croc on the grounds is a young one and literally turns and starts moving towards us and the worker has a huge weapon to defend us - a stick. Mariah and I haven't strayed far from the gate. But it was far enough that when I saw the croc start moving towards us with what I consider a very unfriendly face I run the two feet to the gate, yelling at Mariah to "go, go, go" like we were in some kind of heated battle. She isn't moving very fast so I basically push her out of the way to get through the gate. What a chicken, huh? She finally wakes up and is right behind me. (We were laughing about this just tonite). That is enough crocodile fun for me. But as you walk around on the ramps, etc. you can see them in the water. And there aren't really good rails that would block you from falling in if you slipped. As a matter of fact there is one sign that reminds parents to watch their kids as the place isn't responsible for what happens. Not comforting. But we did have lunch there with Shiva, Lauge and Nanna and it was very nice.

We then head to Cape Coast Castle - one of the slave castles very close to where we were staying. They have a very good museum here and also quite a bit of tourist stuff to buy. We were just starting the tour when a group of about 5 soldiers joined in. A little unnerving as we were the only obronis in the group and they seemed to enjoy that. But they were mild compared to the rather drunk men that joined the group shortly thereafter. It really was annoying to have them in the group as they were disrespectful to the leader and the whole place in general. Mariah, Shiva and I didn't quite finish the tour b/c we wanted to leave before they did. What we did hear and see was interesting and troubling at the same time.

The rest of Sat. afternoon was spent by the pool relaxing and then enjoying dinner at the hotel. They had a man playing keyboards and an older gentleman ringing it on the saxophone. He was awesome. I haven't heard the sax in ages and it is one of my favorite instruments. We all enjoyed it a lot. Mariah has a really great voice and didn't need much encouragement to join them on stage. We didn't get to hear her too much over the sax but still she did a great job singing something by Nat King Cole.

Sunday we decided to stay at the hotel and read and listen to music, etc. We had met a man who, with his wife, have adopted two girls from a village up north. Two beautiful girls. (I will put up a link to see some pictures of them soon.) We enjoyed playing with them in the pool. Smart, cute and athletic. They were just great. We also played volleyball in the pool for a short while with some Lebanese people we met until someone spiked the ball a bit too hard and almost took out a lady who was enjoying her lunch. That was the end of that. Walking on the beach, taking tons of pictures, enjoying friends from Accra and new friends we just met, talking with Mariah, reading, and enjoying God's creation was pretty much how we spent Sunday. It was absolutely wonderful.

It was hard to leave that place b/c of the beauty of it as well as the great people we met. There were many wonderful and interesting conversations. Some which were of good spiritual depth. I am so grateful to meet these people and to see more of this beautiful country that I now live in. What a refreshing and wonderful blessing from God.

If you go to the side bar you can click on the link that will take you to the flickr website where you can see all the pictures I took. You will see what will probably be some strange pictures to most people (the Faces set). Just me stretching my wings as an amateur photographer:) Bear with me! Also if you go to the link that says "Mariah's blog" or "Mariah's pictures" you will be able to see a lot of the pictures she took.

An unusual special moment at the beach

One of the special moments was on Monday morning before we left. Mariah and I were sitting by the pool looking out over the ocean on a bright sunny morning. A few white, puffy clouds dotted a deep blue sky. The sun was strong and sparkled like diamonds across the water. It was magical. I was sitting there just looking and thanking God for what I was observing when Mariah said she was listening to Christmas music on her ipod. Sounds strange but it seemed appropriate. I asked her to play "O Holy Night" which is my favorite song year round. We sat there listening to a song talking about Christ's birth and falling on our knees in worship while we looked at this incredible creation that God had given us. Seems perfectly fitting to me. Truly there were many great moments this weekend but this one was just special. It was all focused on God and his mighty work. As it should be.

I just love coconut trees. They are pretty and they also usually mean that an ocean and beach are near by:)
















One of my favorite pictures of the beautiful Atlantic ocean. I couldn't get enough of how the waves splash and pour over the rocks. Isn't God great?!













I had to pose for something:)











There were several families that appeared to be from the Middle East where we stayed. I often saw them smoking the huka pipe. The smell suggested it was some kind of dried fruit that was in it. Just an interesting sight.