Leaving on a Jetplane

Happy Sunday!!!

July is almost over. I say this at the end of every month, but I cannot believe it. Obviously this month was different. Sometimes it felt like the month would never end and other times it felt like time was flying by so quickly that it was all a blur. Tomorrow I will leave Africa and start the journey back to America. I struggle to use the word “home” because I was recently reminded that home is not a location, but the presence of God. That presence is one that I have felt so strongly throughout this past month in Ghana. Between the landscape, the people, the kids, the love and laughter and all the little things that have happened it is undeniable that God is fully present here in Ghana. By no means do I think that I could ever live here (See friends…I told you I would be coming back.) but a visit or two will definitely have to be arranged. Physical home for me is America and I cannot wait to get back to the comfort that comes from being “home” but I know a piece of my heart will always live over the Atlantic Ocean in a little village called Asitey.

I cannot help but feel a twinge of guilt when I think about going home. It’s true. I have missed hot showers, American food, ice cubes, pest control, my pets, family time, all of my friend’s lives, and Columbus. Here’s the thing…I always knew I would go back to all of that. I told myself that I had to rough it for a month but then it would all be okay. I was so wrong. Nothing is okay. It is far from okay. The majority of the kids I have met this past month will never know the luxury of a hot shower, the love of family, or the satisfaction that comes from a favorite meal cooked by your parents. Many of them will grow up at Bright Futures Children’s Home, maybe get a job and then be expected to live on their own. The question I keep asking is why were they dealt these cards and not me? That’s where my trust in God has kicked into full gear. I have learned to trust that this happened for a reason. I was given what I have with the responsibility to share it with others. I was dealt the cards I was because God knew I could use the life I have to benefit others. These chilren are living where they are so that ignorant people like me can come and learn about life and the mysterious ways of God.

This past week has been nothing short of a rollercoaster of emotions. There was that feeling of impending good-byes that were soon to come. The kids slowly began to realize what we meant when we said that we would have to say good-bye on Saturday. It wasn’t going to be a “see you in a couple of days” like when we went to Cape Coast, Kakum National Park or the Wli Waterfalls. This was an “I will try to come back but it will be a very long time until I see you again” type of thing.  Regardless, this week was full of laughter and hugs. I began to connect with all of the kids on a deeper level than just knowing their name. 

Forgive is hilarious and gives the best running hugs. She wears denim every single day in one form or another. She will never cease to make you laugh even when she does break my heart by calling me “Mommy.” Michael is a brilliant kid with a huge smile and way too much energy. I usually found him jumping on my back when I least expected it. Godwin and Samuel were instigators. We usually ended up running around like crazy trying to catch each other. Samuel left me with a long list of all the things I need to bring him from America. Not surprised. Ivy loves dancing and singing. Her favorite song this past week was “boom-chick-a-boom.” Every time she would see me I would get a sneaky smile before she broke out into a quiet chorus. It ended with us laughing hysterically and dancing like idiots. Alpha finally learned that my name is Auntie Steph. (The title of Mom was proudly taken by Becky.) Delight constantly shows off her new talent of jumping rope. She is quiet but beautiful. She loves to sing and never stops once she gets going. Esther is the one coming up behind me with a big hug and a smile. Eunice spends most of our time together giggling about nothing at all. John has been taught how to “Bust a Rock” and we now do it everytime we see each other. He is my little buddy on the walks to school. Our talks have been among some of my favorite.

I love all of the kids and would do anything for them. I am happy that we were able to leave them with so many basic needs. Over the course of the month we provided the kids with mattresses, toys, books, sponges, food, hygiene products, medical supplies, cubbies for their things, shoes, clothing lines, and a bright new paint job at their house.

All of these things are great but they are just that, things. As we gave them more and more they just wanted more and more. Here comes another lesson learned…This month has showed me that the truth in the statement that Christ is the only thing that can fully satisfy our every need. With material things, it never seems ot be enough. You get one thing and keep wanting more. You find Christ and you always have enough. He is enough and He is all I need. It saddens me that some people have never been able to experience the satisfaction of being filled with the Holy Spirit and in want of nothing. Don’t get me wrong. Those toys and material things are improving the lives of those children more than we could ever know. It as so great to see their happiness at receiving things that can call their very own. I just learned something a little extra from those smiles that turned into requests for more.

Last night was the part where the emotions stormed in. Six of the eight of us left in Asitey had ot say our final good-byes to the kids. Not my definition of a fun night. Tears were openly flowing. How do you say good-bye to these precious children that we just spent a month living with and loving? I think I would’ve held it together a little better if I wouldn’t have picked up Annesty and seen the tears streaming down her face. I couldn’t let her go. Just earlier she had told met hat I was the best friend she ever had. Here I was, doing what so many people have done to her in the past, walking away. Guilt flooded in. Forgive just stood and tugged at my hand. She didn’t really understand what was going on but you could tell that she knew it wasn’t good. Earlier she had called me mommy and I was leaving her as well. Delight sobbed. Michael walks up to me, looks me straight in the eye and says “Thank you for helping me while Jenny has been gone.” Jenny was one of our volunteers that Michael was in love with. He struggled for days after she left last week so I always made sure that he was okay, but I had no idea that it meant that much to him. Cue more tears.

Bella was sick all day yesterday and I spent 2 hours with her fast asleep on my lap. She didn’t make it over that night to say good-bye. Luckily she was up and moving this morning and I was forced tos ay another tough good-bye before I left. I always said she was my girl and the other kids referred to me as Bella’s mommy when they didn’t know my actual name. After caring for her sicknesses and sneaking her gifts here and there I actually felt a lot like a mother at times. When she’s sick she doesn’t really have too many emotions but today I knew she was upset. I couldn’t cry anymore but I could tell her that I loved her and that I would miss her. She followed us to the road and didn’t say a word. I know I broke her heart. We broke all of their hearts. It’s up to God to put them back together.

Now it’s almost time to go back to America. I am so ready to be back. The trip is “over” but it’s the awkward time where we can’t just be at home. We still have to make that nasty journey in too many airplanes. I wish I could say that time is passing quickly but it isn’t. I will miss Ghana, but it’s time to come home. Thank you all for your support this past month. The e-mails, the comments, and the prayers mean more than you could ever know. May God continue to bless you. Love all of you! See ya in America!!!

Azunto,

Steph

Wish I could've put pictures on here. I was planning on it but the internet here is way too slow. Pictures will come after I get home! Also, dad, the title of this blog is for you. :)

It's a Bittersweet Life

Hi hi hi!!!
I hope everyone is doing fantastically this week. I am sitting in this lovely internet cafe, as usual, thinking that this may be one of my last blog posts before leaving Ghana in 5 days. (Yes, 5 days. I can't believe it.) I just wanted to give y'all a short update and inform you of the flood of emotions that have been circulating around the orphanage and volunteer house.

This weekend was so great. You already heard about the mall, but at the time I wrote that I had yet to go to the cultural markets. We headed out early Saturday morning after Evans made us the best pancake breakfast I have had since we have been there. Don't get me wrong, I love Tina's cooking but Evans really showed her up on this one. (Tina is one of the girls that cooks for us back in Asitey) We grabbed a tro-tro to Tema Station in Accra and started our cultural market journey. We met the nicest lady who walked us all the way to the cultural markets. On the way there she told us about her shop in the markets and by the end of our trip we were all calling her "Mama". She took such good care of us. We went straight to her shop and bought tons of stuff. She then stuck with us the whole time telling us which deal to take, which to ignore, and helping us get past all the vendors that were pulling us each and every way. I'm pretty sure the trip would've been a bit rougher without her looking out for us. That's what I love about Ghana. You meet someone and they make sure you get where you need to go while protecting you and looking out for your wellbeing. That's a once in a blue moon occurrence in America.

The cultural market overall was extremely stressful and overwhelming. It's located in this covered building type thing and has super narrow hallways with stalls back-to-back on both sides. We were some of the only customers so the people would just grab your arm and yank you in to their stall. It took a lot to keep an eye out for each other and see where everyone disappeared to. Bargaining was not as simple as usual and the prices were much higher than in Cape Coast. My first bargaining deal lasted about 20 minutes before we finally compromised on a price that satisfied neither of us. However, the man (Kofi), was nice and got me good prices the rest of the day. Can't complain about that. I finally finished all my purchases and just had to get out. Unbeknownst to me, the experience had yet to begin.

Mama walked us back to the tro-tro station. On the way we decided we should stop at the little shack that said "Urinal/Toilet." Okay, a little sketch, but we had no choice before a bumpy 2 hour ride in a tro-tro. There was a random man sitting outside collecting money. Yes, you had to pay to use the restroom. We paid our 10 pesewa each then Becky & I walked on in. The stalls were, uh, locked. A woman went in before us and there she was...standing on a gutter, going to the restroom in a gutter. Becky and I freaked out. The lady tried to give us tips on how it worked but it really didn't help. Without giving too much detail it was a difficult experience and stepped our friendship up to a whole new level. I was mortified the whole time and I still can't get past that I actually PAID money to go to the bathroom in a literal gutter. Excuse me? I think they should pay us for doing that. As we say here in Ghana, TIA! (This is Africa...used when we do something completely strange/crazy/disgusting, etc.)

We moved on, bought a Fan Ice immediately afterwards and headed home. Becky and I got out of our taxi and kids were attacking from all directions. Not the welcome I expected! We had only been gone 24 hours and they acted like it had been days. Once again, a reason why I love these children so much. If only everyone greeted each other like that back home after not seeing each other for a couple days. We had some great quality time with all of the kids on Saturday night, Sunday and Monday. They were amazingly well-behaved for the 6 of us that were left while the other group was on the safari. We had so much fun and I would not trade that weekend for anything. I would do it over a hundred times...especially after we heard about the chaos that the safari trip was.

I am now in town getting ready to spend the remainder of the donation money I brought with me. We will be stopping by the pharmacy to purchase many medications that the children are in desperate need of. Many have scabies and they all have boughts of malaria. Mama Peace can't afford the medicine and they are running low. I decided it was in their best interest to spend my donation money on the proper medications. Yesterday, we handed out brand new shoes to each child. Part of my donations went to that. They all needed "school" shoes. Rachel and Malori went to the Ogamanya market on Wednesday and got each pair for 7-8 cedi a pair. They are all adorable and the kids are thrilled! It was so fun to watch their faces when we told them that the shoes were all theirs and they didn't have to share with anyone else. :)

The kids know that we are leaving soon and it shows. I am dreading the good-byes but I decided yesterday that I am ready to be home. I had the pleasure of spotting a HUGE cockroach on our bedroom wall. I am not exaggerating when I say that this thing was around 6 inches long and about 2 inches wide. Needless to say someone had to remind me to breathe and we called in the kitchen girls to deal with it. Tina smacked it off the wall, it scampered behind the bed and we spent a solid 20 minutes searching through bags and beds for the thing. No worries...it was found and killed after a few minor heart attacks. Oh, it was so gross. I would have rather had to deal with the mouse that the other girls had to earlier this month. Once again, it is only appropriate to say TIA to that.

Before I head out I want to give you a glimpse at my "What I'm Thankful For" list that I have been composing during my time here in Ghana. This is just a short amount, but it will give you an idea of what is on the rest of it. These are in no particular order:
1) Paved roads
2) Public restrooms
3) Access to modern healthcare
4)  My education and the ability to buy books & having a pencil/pen to take exams.
5) A school with walls and a proper roof
6) Underground sewage systems
7) Brushing my teeth without having to use a water bottle as my water source
8) Green grass
9) Carpet and vacuum cleaners
10) Not having to sleep under a net while at home

Most importantly, I am thankful for my parents, family and friends. No matter how many times my parents, family or friends and I disagree I always have their constant love. You have all taught me how to give and receive exponential amounts of love. I have always had support in all that I do. Those are things these kids do not know. It is heartbreaking, but it has made me realize the amount of love that has always filled my life. I hope to say this in person soon, but for now...thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for me. No matter who you are, I am thankful for you and how you have shaped me into the person I am today.

With that, I shall see everyone soon! We will be heading back to Accra on Saturday and I will hopefully have a chance to update this one last time before heading back to America. Time flies when you're having fun!

With so much love,
Steph

Random Updates

Hello and Happy Friday!!!

I hope you all had a great week back in the US, India, or wherever you may be reading this from. I did just post on Tuesday so there isn't too much to say, but I would like to give you at least a short update. I am writing to you from the living room of the main staff house in Accra. Half of our volunteers are on a 5 day trip to Malay for an African safari. Sounds cool but 5 days away from the kids and 32 hours of traveling makes it sound a lot less appealing. A few of us decided to hang back to spend some extra time with the kids. Becky and I did plan a short trip to Accra to get away for a night. Today we went to the Accra Mall. It felt like heaven on earth. We got to walk in air conditioning, use a flushing toilet, and eat an ice cream sundae after we chowed on some pizza. I had no idea that I loved cheese until today.

We are staying at the staff house tonight with a few girls that are leaving tomorrow to go back to America. Tomorrow morning we will have breakfast (we are secretly hoping for pancakes) before we all head out to the cultural markets. That afternoon we will head back to Somanya to spend time with the kids!

As our trip enters the final week I am beginning to realize the meaning of "going home". It is such a mix of emotions. I am ready to be back in the States and some things I will not have a problem adjusting to like air conditioning, my bed, no mosquito nets, variety of food, etc. However, I know that I am going to miss these kids. They have stolen my heart. One of my favorite moments of the day is when Annesty gets back from school, I pick her up and set her down on the railing of the front porch. We just sit together making faces, laughing and giving countless hugs. Then Bella takes me, asks for my brush and does my hair while about 5 other girls gather around and start to braid my hair. The whole time we are laughing at all of the kids playing and talking about life.

Yesterday I got about 15 random hugs from kids that I didn't even think knew my name. The love that they give is so constant and unconditional. They could be ticked at you in the morning because you make them shower in the cold, but then after school they are right back to running into your arms and jumping on your back. The boys are crazy. The girls are total divas. Tickle fights are common. Fights over candy break out constantly. Someone is always asking for more crayons. Then we end play time with a game of Spud or Ogem as the kids call it. (Ogem is the word for "out" in Krobo which is the local language in Somanya)


The goats are as annoying as ever and the roosters crow more than once. Childhood stories really do give you a false expectation of roosters. I thought they did the whole cock-a-doodle-do thing once to wake people up then they were done. Not so. Last night our rowdy neighbors were drumming and chanting at 2:20 am. The goats have whole conversations outside of our window. Those are some of the things I will not miss when I go back to the States. The list of things that I will miss should come in a later post.


Enjoy your weekend everyone! At this time next week I will be packing and heading to bed for the last time in Somanya. It is hard to believe and I don't really want to think about it quite yet. I'm heading into a period of denial regarding the fact that I will be leaving Ghana in 9 days. For now, that's it! Many prayers still be send up to the Big Guy for all of you in thanksgiving for your support and love. 


With mixed emotions and great satisfaction after eating that pizza,
Steph

Not Enough Words

Hello all!
My apologies for the gap in posts. Life has been crazy here in Ghana! We have been working so hard to paint the orphanage, build cubbies for the kids, spend donation money, etc. This will be a pretty condensed update due to the lack of time I have. I just want to give you the highlights of life here in Africa. :)

Last weekend we went to Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary and got to hand feed wild African monkeys. So cool. Some of the monkeys even jumped onto a few of us to eat the bananas we had. That was a great experience. Definitely once in a lifetime. After the sanctuary we headed to a wonderful hotel by the Wli Waterfalls. The hotel is owned by a precious German couple that now has property in Ghana. We took up the whole hotel! 17 really is a lot of people. We had running water, huge beds, a view of the falls, and peace. There were no roosters, goats, or drumming neighbors..just nature. I still didn't sleep well but it was nice to be kept awake listening to nature rather than the same verse of the same song being sung over and over again. Also, no one was relieving themselves outside of our window. Yes, that happens back at our placement. Someone just squats and goes. Cool, right? We then have to vacate the room for a good 45 minutes to let the stench dissipate. Gross, I know.

After a great meal and night of rest we got up bright and early to head to the Wli Waterfalls...Here we go, your mind is about to be blown. We hiked for approximately 6.5 hours. When I say "hike" I don't mean we walked a little path. We were sometimes climbing almost vertically up the mountainside. I haven't done that much physical activity in years as many of you know. It was tough work but we all got through it. At one point we were on top of a mountain and could see forever. The breeze was blowing and the view was indescribable. I can't put it into words. That whole hike I was so aware of God's presence. The raw creation of His has been a constant reminder of His absolute majesty and greatness. How could someone stand on top of that mountain and deny the presence of God? I have no idea. It is nothing that could come from human hands...only the hands of our God. We kept hiking and FINALLY made it to our halfway destination...the top of the Wli Falls. The falls are the tallest in Western Africa. In case that isn't cool enough we got to swim in the pool at the bottom. I'm sorry but I can't describe what that was like. Running into the cold water, splashing around, falling into the pool, and just shouting about nothing. I have never felt so fully alive. After everyone made there way in we did what only Buckeyes can do...we stood in a circle, arms around each other, and sang Carmen Ohio at the top of our lungs. If there is one thing I will not forget, it is that moment. Multiple O-H-I-O pictures were taken as well. Of course. It was such a beautiful moment. Pictures will come.

The glory of that moment was followed by a 3 hour hike back. We were exhausted, a few people were sick, but we made it. If someone would've passed out there would  be no way of getting them help. It was actually really scary. The whole trip I just had to keep reminding myself that my strength does not come from within...only with God could I make it through that hike. I know that my own strength would not have gotten me through but because of Him I am strong enough. (Christine & Beth-Thanks for all the reminders of that in my letters.) We got to the end of the hike at 3:30 pm. Just for reference, we started at 8:30 am. We ran out of water during the hike and didn't eat lunch. They clearly did not prepare us for that at all. Still, it was by far one of my favorite experiences of the past 2.5 weeks. That was more than a thin place..the top of that mountain and thebottom of that waterfall were collisions of Heaven and earth.

This week has been busy at the orphanage. We spent Sunday to rest and relax our legs then got straight to work on Monday. We have most of the orphanage painted. Yay! A few people also built a cubby system for the kid's stuff. Before the cubbies they kept their belongings in bags. Now they have a place to call their own to stay organized. They have gone over surprisingly well! The kids love them and use them. Yesterday we had the kids handprint all of our doors in the volunteer house. It was absolute chaos but once again, worth it. They loved it and the house looks better with some color.

I could write forever about my love for these kids and how much they mean to me. I have realized over time that they are showing me the true meaning of being a child and have a  child-like faith. They are so simple and innocent. I never thought God could teach me such huge lessons in the form of 4-18 year old children, but He has. Nothing is impossible for Him. :) I need to go do some shopping for the kids but there will be more details to come! 11 more days here in Ghana. I am beyond excited and ready to come home, but I know I will sob when I leave this place. Bella already asked if I will ever come back...Time will only tell. I love you all. Thank you for the prayers! Keep them coming. They are so needed...for the volunteers and for the people of Ghana. Missing everyone!!!

With much love and excitement to shower in running water,
Steph

A Typical Day

Happy Thursday and end of week 2! 

I cannot believe we are almost halfway through our trip. Tomorrow will be day 14. Crazy. This past week went faster than the first week. Not sure why but I am thankful. I love it here, but I hate when time goes so slowly. I have updated all of you on the big details and few others, however, I want to give you a look into our typical daily schedule.

5:30 am- Wake up

6:00 am- Head to the children's home to wake them up while fetching water on the way (I'm awful at carrying it on my head...). We also shower them and prepare them for school in this time.

7:00 am- Walk the kids to school (It's over a mile walk there and back)

7:30-8:00 am- Eat breakfast

10:30 am- Do the kid's laundry, paint the orphanage, other tasks that need to be done.

12:00 pm- Lunchtime!

3:00 pm- Play with the kids after school

4:00 pm- Teaching/Studying/Schoolwork

5:30 pm- Second round of showers for the kids

7:00 pm- Eat dinner

9:00-9:30 pm- Bedtime!!

It doesn't seem like too full of a day, but it seems like we are ALWAYS busy with something. There is a bit of down time though to catch up on journaling, reading, coloring, and prayer. The other day we walked up two mountains. The first had Mama Peace's bead factory at the top and the second was home to the Odumase-Krobo Girls Senior High School. The hikes were more physical activity than I have had in years but so worth it. The view from on top of these mountains is ridiculous. I wish I could explain to all of you what it is like. All I can say is that this view is God's raw creation. I like to think that this village is one of those "thin spots" Beth always talks about. For those who don't know the meaning of that a thin spot is a place where heaven is a little bit closer to earth.

I will add an update on the kids later! Have to get going to play with them and do some teaching. They are doing wonderfully though. They get cuter every day and my heart breaks for them more and more. I like to think that is breaking because God needs to piece my heart back together in a different way so that I have even more room to love. Overall, life is great here in Ghana but I am definitely missing home. Halfway there!!

With love, prayers, and excitement to see waterfalls on top of a mountain this weekend,

Steph

Making Changes & Learning Lessons

Happy Monday and Week 2 of Africa!!!

I know I just posted a few days ago but I am back and have a lot to write about...I hope you all (y'all as my southern family would say) can bear with me. I first want to apologize for how sassy the beginning of my last post was. I had my first "bad" day here in Ghana, but I made it through. I went to mass at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral over in Cape Coast and God kicked me in the butt. I was determined to go even though no one really seemed too excited about it. Where is my Newman community when I need it? I am definitely starting to struggle with this being my first service trip that is not faith-based. It is hard to not be surrounded by people that share my beliefs and reasons for being here, but I am adjusting and learning to rely more fully on God as He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me. Either way, I went to mass with one other girl and it was, of course, exactly what I needed. The 2nd reading was completely amazing. "My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness." (Check out 2 Cor) The homily focused on that line of "My grace is enough for you." The priest really stressed that our past and where we come from should never determine our future. He made me realize that even though I had a bad attitude all last weekend and had a skewed perspective my first week of being here that it isn't too late to change that perspective and start fresh this week. So good. Quick note: Mass in Ghana = same as Mass in America. I knew it would be but I continue to fall more in love with the beautiful thing that is the Catholic faith. I felt so at home in that cathedral. God is everywhere here in Africa, but He was so present there. I love that I can be thousands upon thousands of miles away from home and still know that my church service will not be different from my service back home. Love it.

We got back yesterday afternoon after a long ride. Our greeting was perfect. The kids were waiting and just attacked the bus. Every single one of them was smiling and hugging us. I looked down and just little Annesty smiling up at me waving like crazy as I struggled to step out of the van into a large mass of kids. I had no idea I would ever be that happy to be back "home." It felt so great to be playing with the kids again and sleeping under our mosquito net. Not to mention we were surprised with running water. Best shower of my life. Of course the water is no longer working, but those 10 minutes in the shower were just perfect. 

The situation here continues to break my heart. I am so glad I have had other service trips to teach me some of the hardest lessons about helping the less fortunate, but there is always more to learn and that is exactly what I am doing. It is hard to not want to change every single thing about life here at the orphanage, but I am realizing that God is not calling me to change how these people live. He is calling me to help one child at a time. I know I cannot give them all beds, books, running water and more than one outfit, but I can give them the thing they most need and that is love. It is hard to look at Ghana and not think "Wow. This is so different from life in America. How do they live without all of these things?" The reality is, this is life for these people and they are content. I need to stop trying to teach them about what I think is a better life and start learning from them. The truth is that these people have more than you know. I look at this village and all I see is complete and total trust in God. How do these people in all of these booths make a living? They probably don't. They may not get any business yet the name of their store is "God Provides" and "I Know My Savior Lives." A simple shop name portrays the faith here. The children occupy their time by singing praise & worship songs. They have nothing, but yet they have so much. I have been taken down off my American high horse this past week and lowered to the level where God wants me to be. I have struggled with humility all year and it has been a constant prayer of mine to be able to let go of my pride. Well, hey God, I see what You're doing. He isn't teaching this lesson slowly. I'm sitting in Africa more humbled than I could ever imagine. God's timing is perfect even if it does hit like a tro-tro going 60 miles down a bumpy road.

I love everything about being here. The conversations I have had in the past few days have opened my eyes to so many things. Midnight conversations with Becky in the run-down hotel, talking with everyone in the tro-tro and have small group Bible study are all teaching me just as much as the kids are. I am realizing with the help of everyone here that I am limited but with God I have so much potential...we all do. 

Alright, now for random details about life here and lessons learned:

--"Flashing" means "texting" here in Ghana. The policeman asked me to flash him the other day and I was pretty offended until I got home and Hannah informed me what that means here in Ghana.

--To get people's attention you hiss at them. Weird, but it works.

--Bargaining is a necessity. I got an authentic African drum from the man who made it for 5 cedi. He originally wanted 20 cedi. 5 cedi is something like $3. Yeah, I bet Michael would never think I would be good at bargaining...I learn from the best.

--Girls will be girls and boys will be boys no matter where they live. The boys love bugs and harassing all the girls. They laugh at everything and make inappropriate jokes. The girls take forever to get ready for school to the morning and the teenagers have the typical teenage attitude. The little ladies are total divas.

--People speak a billion languages here. We speak Krobo in our village but had to speak Twi in Cape Coast. It gets confusing.

--Advertisements here are extremely graphic. You want to see diseases and how they are transmitted? Just look for a poster or billboard. It is probably their form of education about things like HIV/AIDS but it's a huge shock when you see it for the first time.

--Fan Ice is heaven on earth. It is this ice cream type thing that comes in a packet. Like the water, you have to bite the corner off to eat it. Our group is constantly looking for the Fan Ice man on his little bike. You can get Fan Choco (like frozen chocolate milk) too, but that's just not as good.

--Goats are obnoxious and EVERYWHERE. Not to mention the ducks and roosters. We even saw pigs on the beach. 

--Sarcasm isn't real here. The tro-tro driver asked Jen if she "had to piss" the other day and she said "No, I just did it on the floor." The mate (the driver's helper) looked down immediately and Jen had to explain that she was just kidding. He didn't appreciate it. From then on the tro-tro was a Joke Free Zone. 

--I almost cried the other day when someone told me that the Ghanaians eat cats. WHAT?! I am still devastated about it. Not okay at all.

--Our neighbors here are worse than mine were when I lived on Chitt. At least the neighbors on Chitt stopped partying around 2 am. The neighbors here are up until at least 4:30 am. I have no idea when they sleep. All I know is that I don't sleep because they are banging away on their drums til the crack of dawn. Watch out, I have a drum now too. It's about to get real.

That's about all I can think about for now. It was long, however, I hope you feel well informed of Ghanaian life and life at the orphanage!!! Wish I could give every single detail and give a bio of all the kids, but that will have to wait. Love y'all! Shout out to BA7 Leadership as I sit here missing our first team meeting. Cannot wait to hear all about it. 

With much love and a deep appreciation for my "real" shower yesterday,

Steph

Church & Cape Coast

Hello all.
I am writing today rom a very sketch computer that has a crappy keyboard in the middle of Cape Coast. I am pounding away at the keys to make them work so my apologies for typos. We have been spending the weekend in Cape Coast, a historical tourist city about 5 hours from our placement. Yes, the ride here was miserable. I sat in the front seat of a tro-tro on the floor between the front dash and the seat. Mhm. No feeling in my legs after that one. We finally arrived and entered our "hotel" that we are paying the equivalent of $14 a night to stay in. Trust me, we got a hotel room that is the value of $14. My biggest hope was to have running water. That's a no go. Bucket showers with water from some unknown source...talk about a little challenge.However, we got AMERICAN food for lunch! Hallelujah. You want to see some happy oburoni (foreigners) then just watch us eat Western food while sitting at a table that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful. We got to run around in the sand and all got completely drenched from the size of the waves. My bag is still drying, but it was so fun. We then changed clothes and went back to the same place, Oasis, to watch a drum show and hang out for the night. So much fun.

Today we traveled to Kakum National Park (Beth- look it up. I was thinking about you the whole time. Needed your tree expertise.) We did a canopy walk through the rainforest. The bridges were 40 meters in the air. We were literally looking down on trees and still up at the other ones. It was a little frightening, but so beautiful. No worries, we took plenty of pictures and I even wore my floppy hat. The experience was great. I encourage all of you to go Google pictures of the canopy walk. You can't have an experience like that in the US, that's for sure.

We got back to Cape Coast and have been exploring the city ever since. I finally got the bag I wanted for only 10 cedi (so around $7). What a steal. I have been on the hunt for an elephant painting. (Watch out Christine. Our house will have a slight African theme next year because I just bought a handmade drum.) The markets are crazy and I am exhausted and gross, but I have loved every second so far.

A few nights ago I joined one of the staff members (Irene) at her church service. It was awesome. The pastor was great and so welcoming. I even got to participate in the service by reading the verses he was preaching about. The whole night was about walking in the spirit. The concepts were pretty basic, but the pastor presented them in such an interesting way. I definitely plan on going back to another service before we leave! We left and got these sweet books titled "Who I Am to God". It is sort of like a Bible plan and includes all of the ways God sees us and what we mean to Him. Pretty cool.

The kids are great!! Missing them this weekend. Little Annesty finally put a smile on and is full of laughter. She is a total goofball. We gave the kids glow sticks for 4th of July and they LOVED them. There was so much energy in that orphanage that night. A few fights broke out, but it was all worth it. I have never seen them all so happy. Bella is still a sweetheart and so smart. She knows a ton and is a huge help with the younger kids. Yes, I am in love and it's only the end of week 1. They are all precious, but please keep them in your prayers. Annesty was crying for an hour the other night and it took me awhile to find out why, but finally she whispered "I am hungry." We never see the kids eat and that concerns me, but they say that they eat. It broke my heart to think that I was going to leave them and go back to a huge meal and they would eat and still be hungry. Christ is still present though. He always is. I am trusting in Him to provide for His children.

Many prayers and thoughts to all of you at home. I am missing it like crazy!

With love and cravings for any type of American food,
Steph

Ghana!!!

Hi all!
We finally made it to Ghana. I wish I could post pictures, but I'm at an internet cafe so I can't really do that. Bear with me. This may be a long one. The whole traveling thing was kind of a hot mess for me. I've traveled alone before, but I am clearly not an international traveler. I messed up about a hundred times and walked through the London airport holding back tears. This poor man working one of the desks laughed and then he realized I had no idea what was going on and got me to my gate. That airport is a nightmare though. There has to be a better way to do things. I finally met up with all the other girls and we headed to Ghana. That flight was so long especially since I was motion sick, but we landed and I felt so relieved. I could not believe that I was in Africa. (I still can't really.) We got through that airport an hour later and met up with the IVHQ staff. The 17 of us piled into a tro-tro (minivan type things that are the public form of transportation here) and headed to the main staff house in Accra where met some of the staff before being put up in a hotel for the night since the main house was at capacity. I use the term hotel loosely, but it had A/C and running water. That's luxury here in Ghana. I didn't sleep at all, but it felt so nice to be on solid ground and in cool air.

The next day we headed back to the staff house for orientation. I made it halfway through before laying down and passing out because I felt so sick. I didn't feel any better before piling into another tro-tro for the 2 hour journey to our placement near the town of Somanya. The ride was rough, but I could finally look outside and see what Ghana really looks like. You buy everything on the streets including coffins, mattresses, food, clothes, etc. Like I said, you buy it all there. You can even shop straight from the tro-tro which can be scary at first but I'm slowly getting used to it. People are everywhere and traffic laws do not exist (I see what you mean about India, Jaclyn). It gets pretty freaky and people just beep all the time. I would not be surprised if we got in an accident at some point. Total mess. 

We got to our placement and immediately the kids were staring and waving. My guess is that this is the first time most of them have seem oburoni (foreigners in the local language). We are a rare type here and everyone stares and wants to touch us. I think we are starting to understand the life of celebrities. We met the main staff members: Mama Peace, Erin, Veronica, Irene, and our 3 cooks. They gave us a short orientation to the home (Bright Futures Children's Home) and showed us our rooms. We spent the rest of the day playing with the kids. It was pretty awkward at first because of the language barrier, but once we got them laughing and chatting it all went well. They are so much fun and just looking for love. They adore being tickled and held. One of my favorite moments was when all of the kids started singing for us. They started with "Jesus Loves Me" and then followed that with tons of church songs. One of the girls has such a beautiful voice and she is so captivating when she sings. You can tell that she just takes herself to another place. The trust that these people have in God is amazing. They have so little and yet they have everything they need. 

We had the day off on Monday to relax and play with the kids because it was a holiday here so they didn't have school. We went to town with Erin to see the internet cafe and banks. That was an experience. So many people, so many tro-tros, and so much to take in. We headed back to our placement and I took my first shower in 3 days. Yep, that's right. Three days. (Beth, I hope you are proud of me for that.) Not to mention, it was a bucket shower since we don't have running water or much electricity. It actually wasn't bad. I was just desperate for anything to make me feel somewhat cleaner. You never actually feel clean here. Still getting used to that. In retrospect, I really can't say I ever thought I would be taking a bucket shower...God's plan was apparently way different than mine on that one. We followed showers with a trip to the home that the children actually live in. It is about a 10 minute walk. This is where my heart broke for the first time. They don't have any beds to sleep on and they just pile into rooms to sleep. There are flies everywhere and the water is so dirty. Becky and I read a book with a few kids and realized that that book was the only one they have. I ended up reading it with my new little friend, Bella, at least 3 times that day. The kids love to sing and dance. They have so many games that they play, including football. Oh my goodness, they play so much football. (James- Brian & I are on the look out for your jersey! They have so many here.)

Bella is so smart and so beautiful. She is 12 and wants to be a nurse when she grows up. I hope with my whole heart that she has the opportunity to do that. She loves school and has so much potential. She is very quiet, but you don't need words to communicate love. We always sit together and today we just walked silently, hand-in-hand to school. These kids have already stolen my heart. (I know dad, I won't bring them home no matter how badly I want to.) Annesty is 8 and so quiet. You look in her eyes and can tell she has been through more in her 8 years than most people will experience in their lifetime. However, she loves being tickled and has the sweetest smile and laugh. My heart breaks every time I see her. She doesn't talk to many people and she is so tired. She falls asleep on my lap each time I hold her. Annesty loves to hold hands and just feel loved. There are so many other kids I will introduce all of you to in later post, but those are my two girls right now. Please pray for them.

Today we woke up at 5 am. Gah. Not fun. But we woke up and headed to the children's home to prepare them for school. It was such a mess. We really have no system in place yet to get them ready in an organized fashion. They all had to shower, get dressed, find their shoes and books, then get to school. We were told that the kids had to leave the home at 7 am so we were rushing them along only to get to school at 7:15 am after a mile walk only find out they were an hour early. The school is enough to make anyone's heart hurt. It is literally just some sticks holding up a little thatch roof. We had to walk to get their benches. There are no walls, no floor...just mud. They are building a new school, but who knows when that will be finished and who is paying for it. Ghanaians do not care about time. Their motto is "It happens when it happens." That's very hard for us Americans to adjust to, but I'm working on it. After sitting with the kids for awhile we headed back to the house for breakfast. The bread here is so delicious. We are all obsessed. So good. This is where we get to today. Becky and I walked all the way to town (an hour and a half walk) on a mission to buy apples off some woman's head and use the internet. We didn't expect to walk this far, but we haven't really gotten the tro-tro system down. Oops. 

Just some random things I forgot to put above:
--- Mama Peace makes her own beads and jewelry to sell. That's how she makes money to provide for the kids. She offered to let us buy her jewelry or she will teach us to make our own. (Mom- Look forward to that! Can't wait to pick something out/make something to add to your crazy collection of jewelry.)
 --- Our rooms are the definition of "roughing it". I am staying with 3 other girls. (Becky, Margeaux, and Rachel) We have two beds and that's about it. It took us a long time to figure out the maneuvering of the mosquito nets, but we did it. Those things are so annoying to have up. There are times when you just want to collapse onto bed, but in order to do that you have to crawl under the net and then tuck it back in before actually laying down. Quite a process. We have one light and a fan which work whenever the house decides it wants to give us electricity. Oh, and our view is of the backyard and a whole ton of goats. I have yet to get used to the noise they make. I jump every time.
--- Food is alright. Still getting used to it. My stomach hates me right now. (Grandma- You had the right idea about worrying.) Francis (my friend Hannah's boyfriend and one of the IVHQ staff members) said I should be better in a few days and he will take me to the local pharmacy to get something for motion sickness. That should help!
--- Also, I can't get on Facebook. I set up this stupid security thing a long time ago that requires me to enter an access code that they text to me every time I use a new computer. Obviously, my phone doesn't work here. Please forward this on to anyone who may want to read it!

Overall, the trip has been amazing, exhausting, eye-opening, and fun. Can't wait to see what the rest of the time holds for us! Sorry this was long! Not sure when I will get internet again so wanted to give as many details as possible. I am forgetting a hundred things, but I'll get around to those details. Love you all! Thank you so much for the prayers and support. Katie- The letters are awesome. Beth- The journal...wow, no words. Thank you so much. You always keep me accountable for staying on top of my faith. Christine- Letters= Awesome. Devotional= Rocking my world and Margeaux's! Miss all of you so much. See you soon! 

Sending much love from Africa,
Steph