just a recap of the last 24 hours or so...and a few other thoughts

So last night I am in bed and almost asleep when I hear a rustling noise...pause...rustling noise. Of course I am on high alert after having a big ol' frog in the room a couple of months ago (I don't forget these things easily) and so I flip on the light and look around. I don't see anything. Back to bed. Same thing happens. Now I won't be able to sleep until I see what is going on. After much watching and listening I realize that the noise is coming from my wastebasket under the window. I throw a couple of things at it - while I am safely on the bed- trying to see if whatever it is will come out. And I am fully prepared to scream and wake up my roommates if it is something terrible or comes at me. But nothing happens. After awhile I can see the papers in the basket moving again so something has to got to be done. I stand on the bed and then the bench next to it trying to see what is in the basket and get nowhere - except I do crack my knee on the dresser and that isn't fun. Finally I decide that I must go get Eva - the brave one:) Fortunately her light is on so I don't have to wake her up. She comes and carefully pokes around in the basket and sees that it is a little tree frog in there. After some effort she covers the basket and gets the frog out into the big garbage can outside. I am happy to say that she actually said that she would not want to sleep in a room where frogs keep coming in and we can't figure out how they do it. Actually I suspect that the little thing climbed up the wall outside my window, came in the AC, and then fell into the basket sitting under it. How the big frog from weeks ago got in I am still at a loss.

I have realized that God has grown me and strengthened me in many ways while living in Ghana. Dealing with small critters and bugs is not one of those ways. I know you must be rolling your eyes and laughing at how wimpy I am but there it is. I didn't like them in the states and I like them less in Ghana! I wouldn't mind if I didn't see another frog - or anything else like it- in my room until I leave.

I did finally get some sleep and today Michelle and I ran around town trying to get something done and not accomplishing a ton. What to do. We have a colleague coming here tonight and yesterday we found out that he doesn't have a visa for Ghana. While you can actually get one in the airport here upon arrival, it is not a recommended method as most airlines won't let you on the plane (esp. in Europe) if you don't have a visa or proof that you will be granted one when you arrive. So yesterday Michelle and I go to the KLM office at the airport to see what can be done. KLM is one of those airlines that is pretty strict about the visa thing and our visitor didn't know this. The guy at the KLM office is unable to help us b/c he absolutely must have a letter from immigration before he can enter anything into the computer. That makes sense but doesn't really help us much. Immigration is closed by that time so we are at a bit of a loss. But standing next to us is a man who hears what is going on and finally says, "here let me help. Go to this office and ask for this man or this man. Tell them that Mr. Lincoln sent you." And he writes all this info on our paper. We look at him and say thank you. I am thinking he is someone who is part of immigration or airport stuff or something. We follow his directions and he must be someone b/c as soon as we mention his name, doors fly wide open. I am finally at an office where they can help - or so we think. The man Mr. Lincoln sent us to is extremely nice and professional. He tells me all that he needs from us after we explain the situation, gives me his phone number if we have problems and tells us to bring it all back that day. We do all this but when we get back to him with all the information needed it is too late for him to do much. Michelle and I go home and have to wait until this morning to proceed.

This morning we go back to see the nice man in his office and he very kindly tells us that b/c of the lateness of notification, etc. they can't get the immigration letter we need. But he gives us a phone number for KLM in Amsterdam to call if they give our visitor a hassle. Again he is extremely kind and I really enjoyed working with him however briefly. I did have to ask him before we left who exactly Mr. Lincoln is. He says he is a pastor of some church. Wow. I didn't expect that but I asked him to thank him for us the next time he saw him. Overall it was the most pleasant encounter I have had with immigration and even makes up for the annoying police incident of last week. :)

Michelle and I finish errands and have lunch at a cute little place with Margaret. Michelle drops me off at the end of one of the roads that is not under construction that will still allow me to get to my house - even on foot - and I pass by my gardener's bike repair "stand". It is just a couple blocks from the house and we get to wave hello to Joseph and his wife when we pass by in the car. Today, I was walking and so went and sat with Priscilla for awhile. She is almost always there with their two small children while Joseph works. It is really neat. They are just a sweet, sweet family. We visit for awhile and enjoy watching her incredibly adorable little boy. He is not yet one - not even 10 months - and he is walking all over the place, eating solids and has about 6 teeth. And the cutest smile you have ever seen. He is such the little flirt. I just love him. Earlier in the day their 2.5 year old daughter was there when Michelle picked me up and she is equally adorable. Just smiling and waving at me. I will really miss this family. Even though we aren't close in the American way, we are close in a Ghanaian -foreigner way. I will be enjoying them and taking pictures of their cute kids until I leave:)

As I continue walking home in "my neighborhood" I pass a man that I see regularly who always greets me so nicely. The men are playing checkers which I didn't realize at first b/c of the incredible speed with which they are playing. Often both players are making moves at the same time and there doesn't appear to be much forethought or strategy. I bet there is but it just isn't apparent on the surface. I watched for a short while, we all laughed and talked a bit and then I moved on to the house.

It was a very pleasant day in spite of not accomplishing anything by typical work standards. What I did accomplish was of much more importance and that had to do with relationships. Spending most of the day with Michelle was a great pleasure and we had some really heart to heart, excellent talks. She is an amazing woman and a great friend and I will miss her dearly. There is always a price to any choice we make, isn't there? When we move in one direction towards something or someone, we are moving away from something or someone else. I am returning to the states and I know it is the best thing for me right now but I am leaving behind friends, colleagues and a country that I do like in spite of all the challenges. A godly counselor told me that it would take great faith for me to stay in Ghana and great faith for me to return home. He was right. Even the right decision is still a hard one b/c people and places that I care about are left behind.

But as I was saying I got to spend a lot of time with Michelle today and that was wonderful. And then I was able to spend some time with Priscilla and Joseph and that was wonderful. (and as far as we can tell our friend is on the airplane and should be landing in Ghana in about 2 hours. PTL)

All in all it was a great day and very productive for me. I find it interesting that now that the burden of making the decision to leave is lifted, I am able to enjoy Ghana in a new way. I am much more relaxed - for the most part- and at peace. I know it is b/c the decision has been made but I still find it interesting. Trying to live in a new culture and make it your home is no small thing. I have new found respect for my parents and what they did in going to Liberia in 1973 -with three small children. Their plan was to be there a long time and make it home. Wow. And it was my childhood home for 7 very crucial years. I have increased respect for people like Lee and Michelle who are "career" missionaries. (I always had great respect for them but it has increased now.) It isn't easy and those who do it well have to have huge faith in God. Those who are like me - who try and find it isn't the right thing...well ....we are special too but in a different way:) I am still in awe that I got to live in Ghana for a year. It is an amazing and wonderful gift. Really it is! And at the same time, I am ready to go home and serve the Lord there. I look forward to seeing what He will do with this year in the future. I can think of a few reasons for me coming here...and leaving...but I bet He has a ton more reasons that I can't even begin to think of. It wasn't a wasted year that is for sure and I hope I look more like Him when I get home.