Interdependence

I am so thankful for the blessing of friends and a flexible schedule. You remember back in Jan. when Mags was so sick with malaria and then a severe back pain - and then I got a terrible flu in the middle of it? It was not a good time. Well when our illnesses overlapped, our friend Erin came and stayed with us and cared for us wonderfully. Now we are returning the favor for her. Unfortunately Erin is very sick right now so Mags and I went and brought her to our house where we can help her as she lives alone. She is so happy to be here and we are very happy to be able to care for her. As we were going to pick her up I mentioned to M that this would be much harder to do in the states with the typical type of job. The flexible schedule and laid back routine definitely have their benefits. I have learned here a new interdependence on my friends, teammates and even strangers. Ghanaians live in a very tight community and really rely on each other for daily work and food. Though it plays out differently, we "visitors" also have to rely on each other for knowledge of how to do things here, where to go and how to behave. Those that have been here longer give their knowledge freely about doctors, hospitals, where to rent chairs, how to get a visa, how to get your driver's license and so on to the new people. Then I (we) in turn help those that are newer with the same type of information and so it goes. It really is a neat thing to watch. Today as I was riding with Mags I saw how the hawkers have a helpful competition. They each have their own basket of things that they have to sell and are competing for those who drive by but at the same time they help each other with change, carrying their baskets, etc. If the "pure water" girl is at my car and I ask her if there is a "phone card" guy around, the girl will call out for him to come to the car for the sale. Even when two or more people are selling the same thing they still help each other in the midst of the competition. I find it amazing. It is truly hard to be independent here. The Ghanaians certainly don't live that way and I haven't been able to either. It has been hard at times (b/c I am American:)) but I also see the beauty in it. I hope I don't forget it when I get home. Helping each other through these rough times of sickness has been a real lesson in how the body of Christ can work. I wonder how it will be when I get back home and the pressure of busyness starts to descend in a way that is different from here. Hmmmm... re-entry to the home culture is no small thing. There is plenty for me to process between now and when I return - and probably more after I return:)

A few more things I'll miss

I will miss being able to get people's attention by making this "tsss" noise through your teeth. It is kind of like "psst" but without the "p". When I first got here and someone did that to me I thought "how rude" but now I love it. It is how you call a waiter or someone selling something or anyone really or how vendors try to get my attention to buy something. And when you want someone to come you call them with your palm down and move your fingers up and down. Almost like you would do to wave to a small child.

Oh and the head nod. Just today I had to catch a taxi home from down town and as I walked to the busy street I saw a taxi come up that was available. He already saw me - b/c I am white:) - and all I had to do was lift up my head a little - like a chin jerk - so he knew I wanted him to stop. Or I could have just lifted my eyebrows or done both together. Very cool.

And it is neat how when a driver stops - even on a major road - to let pedestrians cross, he will reach his arm out the window and wave it up and down and that tells cars behind him, next to him and in the opposite lanes to all slow down and stop b/c people are crossing. It is a safety thing for the pedestrians. My taxi driver did this today and it reminded me.

It is these little things that are very unique to Ghana that I like. So if I accidentally "tsss" you when I get home, don't be offended. Just a reflex:)

What I'll miss, what I won't miss

Things in Ghana that I will miss (apart from people):

real coke in a glass bottle and bitter lemon
chicken and rice
red red and plantain
palaver sauce and yam
Liberian food from Eva - palm butter, casava leaf and collard greens
relatively easy access to the ocean - specifically Coconut Grove
amazing thunderstorms
the driving - yes it is true!
the relaxed atmosphere and slower pace of life
the significantly decreased pressure to "keep up with the Jones' " in lifestyle or fashion
the little neighborhood stores where I can get last minute things like eggs and baking powder
bright sunshine and blue skies, and palm trees!
baby sheep and goats everywhere
little children waving and smiling and calling me "obroni" - sometimes:)
mangos and pineapple like you have never tasted before
simplicity of life
seeing people's faces light up when I talk with them - however poorly - in Twi
incredible landscapes - mountains, rain forests, waterfalls, and did I mention the ocean:)
buying local clothes and bags and jewelry for insanely low prices
going to the little shopping area where my favorite artists and Amanda have their shops
bargaining for things (sometimes)
how creative Ghanaians are
being part of the Africa Cup of Nations and their national pride here
seeing how the men hold and care for their young children


Things I won't miss:

frequent power outages and internet interruptions
not being able to drink water from the tap
really, really bad roads and very few street lights
being called "obroni" (sometimes) and being stared at almost all the time
really loud music in the middle of the night
trying to sleep in heat and humidity without AC or fans
sweating on a regular basis - I mean dripping with sweat just standing or sitting even in the house - it is very pretty:)
occasional very bad smells in the neighborhood
stomach problems!
feeling very visible and vulnerable
bargaining for things (sometimes)
how quickly things fall apart

Ghanaians I will definitely miss:

Amanda - she owns a dress and jewelry shop and is wonderful. She can make almost anything and is incredibly sweet. She really is more like a friend than any other Ghanaian I know here.

Ama - my tutor for awhile and friend

Yaw - my favorite artist who always gives me a good price and a smile

Joseph, our gardener and Sunday night guard - a very kind hearted man who goes out of his way to care for the yard, house and the three of us girls. He has a wonderful wife and two adorable children. I will miss his ready smile and kind heart.

Kwesi - our regular night guard. He is an older man and probably sleeps most of the time but he is really kind and very protective of us. He is always laughing.

The taxi stand guys - they gave me a fixed price to the office and whenever we pass each other on the road or at the taxi stand, they call out and wave. Nice guys. It is fun to see a familiar face when out and about.


So you can see despite the challenges of adjusting and the increasing desire and conviction that it is time to go home, there have been many wonderful things about living here. Of course I didn't even mention above my roommates or Lee and Michelle or many others I have gotten to know and enjoy here. God has blessed me richly during this time and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have lived in Ghana for a year. I pray that lessons learned this past year will impact me for life and will be of use in whatever the Lord has for me down the road.

Tough decisions

Well about a week ago I finally came to the decision - after much prayer and counsel- that instead of staying in Ghana for three years as originally planned, I will be returning to the states after one. It has been really tough to come to this decision as I had to wrestle with my own issues of feeling like a failure, wondering what others will think of me, being a disappointment to my team members, etc. Not to mention that I do like a lot of things about living in Ghana and I will miss some friends here a lot. But as I worked through this process I became more and more convinced that this is what I needed to do and have confidence that it is the right thing. There are many details to work out regarding the house, etc. but I know they will come together in due time. I don't know what the future holds when I get to the states at this point but there are several different options to look at. Once I have gotten some rest and rejuvenation I will begin exploring them and see where God leads. In the meantime I do feel the burden that was on me so heavily since about Feb. has lifted and I am able to enjoy my friends here before they leave. And also I am enjoying living here with a freedom that had been missing for quite some time. In the middle of it all I am anxious to get home and to see what the Lord has for me there. I don't fully understand what seems to be a major change in plans, but I know the Lord knows and therefore I trust Him. Maybe some day it will be clear to me but if not all is still well.

Blazin' hot

Wow the heat here is unbelievable. I lived in Texas for four years and that was hot but it seems like a cake walk compared to Ghana. Right now the temperature is only 86 degrees but the humidity is almost 90% and so we sweat like no one's business. It feels like 104 degrees according to the weather people. And believe me that is true. Mags and I spent most of the day in the car - with no air conditioning - and we are drained. It gets really hot in the summer in Chicago and of course in Mississippi where Mags is from gets very hot but somehow this is worse. I think it is b/c all the restaurants, stores, grocery stores, etc. in the US are air conditioned so you don't really have to be in the heat all that much unless you want to. As a matter of fact I think I usually freeze in the states b/c the ac is so low. Anyway, point being it is hot here and that heat drains our energy quickly.

But I got to do the driving for the errand running today and I loved it. I still am amazed at how shocked by the driving I was when I got here and now it is one of my favorite things. You can really drive on pretty much any part of the road you want, park facing the wrong way, turn left behind people turning left instead of waiting for them, turn left three at a time, etc. etc. It will be quite the challenge to drive in the states now. Probably will be fairly boring. I hope I don't get a bunch of tickets. One thing here is that when you are waiting to turn left across a busy street you don't wait until there is a safe break to do it. After sitting for about 30 seconds cars will start pushing their way into the street until the traffic has to stop and let them go. Of course then the reverse happens as the main street then has to break the flow of those turning left so they can go. At first it is unbelievably chaotic and daunting but now it is fun. I think I have discovered that there are only two real rules of the road. Don't run red lights and watch the speed limit. Other than that I really think that pretty much anything goes.

How did I get from it being so hot to driving?? I don't know but that is the primary thing of my day today. Driving around trying to get things done while sweating profusely. Whew. I need a nap!

A time of rest

I was so blessed this past weekend to be able to go to Coconut Grove for a couple of days. My friends, Erin and John, (pictured here) wanted to get away and asked me to join them. It was wonderful. Not only was it great to spend some time with them before they head back to their respective homes (John to CA and Erin to London) but I had some really good time before the Lord while looking at the ocean. I loved getting up early before too many others were awake and sitting with my tea and Bible by the beach. It was a good time of rest and refreshment.


At this time of year the low tide was very low so I was able to walk out pretty far on the rocks to get close to the waves. Unfortunately it was overcast this day so everything is kind of gray. But the neat thing is that we got to see an amazing lightning display in the heavens that night during a storm over the ocean. Unbelievable. No way to capture that on film:)






The beauty of a bright blue ocean and clear sky.

























This is a sea urchin that I unceremoniously dislodged from its peaceful home. We would see hundreds of these on the rocks out in the ocean in front of my childhood home in Liberia, W. Africa. And of course I have had to pull out many quills from my feet and hands then, but not this time. (I did return the poor creature to the water and rocks quickly so no harm done!)

You can see a few more pics through the link on the left. I didn't take too many this time as my focus was on sitting with the Lord and friends.

Before I write about the last week...

I have to tell you that I just opened a bag of flour - from the grocery store - and it is full of bugs. This is a first for me here although I do recall that being a common occurrence in Liberia. All I can say is "Yuck". So you are asking what did I do with it right? Yep kept it. Apparently putting it in the freezer overnight will kill the little buggers (no pun intended) and then it can be sifted and used. Sounds lovely doesn't it? Want a cookie? :)

Friends from my home church come to visit!

Last Saturday night three wonderful ladies from my home church, Christ Church Lake Forest, in Lake Forest, Illinois, came to visit me. They were on their way to an AIDS conference in Nigeria and stayed with me for 5 days before heading to Lagos, Nigeria this afternoon. We had a great time together although they did have several traveling snags along the way. It started in Chicago when they were late in leaving - not b/c of weather - but b/c their pilot was late. That caused them to miss their connection in London so they spent Friday night in London instead of coming into Accra as planned. Saturday night the three of them arrived but their luggage did not. Between the layover in London and losing their luggage for a day they were getting quite tired of the same clothes. But at least they had packed extra things in their carry ons for just such an occasion:) Oh by the way my friends are (L-R:) Griselle Larsen - who I met here and am so glad I can call her a friend, Jo Lyons - mission director and my boss before coming to Ghana - oh and a great friend:), me and Joanna Cushman - my friend from church. All three stayed with me and my roomies for the week. It was a blessing having them here - and not just b/c they brought me all sorts of goodies from the states! While in Accra I took them around the city, out to some local restaurants, to a couple of local markets for souvenirs, and to the church I attend here. Unfortunately b/c of the lost day and other obligations I wasn't able to take them to the coast to see a slave castle, the ocean or the canopy walk. But we still had fun. On Tuesday and Wednesday we were in the Volta Region which is east of Accra towards Togo. Jo was looking at the ministries of a potential partner in that area. We were able to go to several schools where children pulled out of child labor were attending, visit a village where traditional ancestral religions are practiced and also see the vocational training center where young women are trained in a trade so that they can support themselves. These women have been freed slaves from the fettish priests in the villages in the area. Each place we saw was really incredible and so different from anything I have seen in Ghana so far. The trip was wonderful and tiring at the same time.

Below are pictures of each ministry we saw and you can see more pictures from the trip by going to the link to the left under the "online photos" area.

When we entered the first village, we were received by the chief and elders of the village. A libation was poured out in our honor and the chief prayed to his ancestors for our visit and trip. Then we were allowed to see the fettish priest for the female deity side (pictured here) who also poured out a libation to his ancestors on our behalf. The same thing happened on the other side of the village with the priest that is over the male deity side. This is one village that the female slaves were freed from. It took about 5 years for the man we were visiting to get them to let the women go
free. They continue to practice their traditional religion and ancestor worship. Needless to say we were praying the whole time for the truth of God to penetrate the darkness.













While the libations were being poured all the elders and people (adults and children) in the village sit and watch the procedure. This woman stuck out to me b/c there is such an incredibly sad look on her face. Not everyone had that look but my heart went out to this woman. I don't know her name but we can still pray for her.

One of the schools we went to see. The kids were so friendly and seemed thrilled to see us. They especially loved it when we took their picture and then showed them it on the digital screen. I wish you could have heard their laughter and enjoyment at seeing their image.





Typical boys. They looked like they were up to no good:)















This school is the equivalent of our preschool. The kids are under the age of 6. They were so proud to recite their abc's and count for us. While Jo ran back to the car to get the candy we had brought they entertained the rest of us with songs including clapping and traditional dance moves. It was fantastic. The smiles on their faces are beautiful.

At the vocational center guest house with the kitchen staff. They fed us fantastic Ghanaian and western food. The smaller woman is the head cook, Gladys. An amazingly sweet woman who really wanted to make sure we were comfortable and enjoying our stay. What a blessing she was to us.




These girls are some of the freed slaves of the priests that are at the vocational center. They can take a short 3 month course or a full 2 year course in sewing, making soap, weaving, hair dressing, etc. When they graduate there is a ceremony and they are provided with everything they need to start their business back in the community. They learn more than one thing so that if their primary business is slow, they can be working on something else to sell. Once they are back in their community there is follow up and counselors available to them.

This man is weaving a traditional and very beautiful Ghanaian cloth called Kente cloth. He uses both hands and feet to do the weaving. It was amazing to see how fast he could move.

Two pastors that went with us to a village to see their church plant praying over a woman in the community.













Enjoying the treats we brought.










Such a handsome face!