Love Won

We are broken. This world is broken. I walk around campus and see thousands of my peers seeking love and attention from all the wrong places. I lay in my bed at night and listen to my neighbors blast their music and yell about nothing in particular. Last night, I heard two girls start to scream at each other about who slept with the guy first and who's responsible for ruining the other person's life. I hear things like this and my heart shatters. 

I'm not afraid to feel.

Let the pain be deep.

Let the tears stream down.

Let my heart break and shatter.

I'm not afraid to feel, Lord.

I'm bracing myself for impact.

I can see that the hurt is coming.

It's almost here.

Wait just a little longer.

The hurt is about to come.

But wait. What is this feeling?

I'm overwhelmed, Lord.

I should feel lost but instead,

I'm found.

My heart is being made whole.

You are making me new.

I hurt but you tell me,

Child, you are beautiful.

You are beautiful.

I am the healer. I am the one you are waiting for.

I close my eyes.

I see Your face.

I hear You say,

My child, 

Love won. 

Then, the light breaks through and Christ reminds us that Love won. Sin runs rampant through this world. The devil is attacking from all sides and leaving no one untouched. This life is shaking us, but it can never break us because sin has been defeated. God has conquered Satan. Good has overcome evil. The cross is our proof that Love won and Love will continue to fight. Today, let your hope be in the Lord. Rest in the arms of Christ knowing that, no matter what, Love wins. Your heart may be broken and shattered, but it will not remain that way. You were not made to be broken. He is making all things new. 

Praying for you now and always,

Steph

"The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." -Zephaniah 3:17

Let Love In

"Anyone who knows he is loved is in turn prompted to love. It is the Lord himself, who loved us first, who asks us to place at the center of our lives love for him and for the people he has loved."

-Pope Benedict XVI

Love. That word that is tossed around like it is nothing. It has become so twisted in meaning and the world defines it in countless ways, but love can only be defined in one way.  God. God is Love. Jesus Christ is Love. The crucifixion was the means by which God proves His love. It is the solitary proof of the love that the Lord has for us. Now, you may be sitting there reading this thinking, "Okay. I know. God loves me. I get it. You are preaching to the choir here." Stop. Slow down. Hit the pause button. Sit and for just a few seconds let that truth set into your heart. Jesus loves you. Did you read that? Do you know what that means? Jesus loves you as if you were the only person on this earth to love. He loves you enough to DIE for you. In fact, He already did. He suffered a brutal death for you, a person that He had yet to create. 

This truth is one that I have heard millions of times in my life. The word "love" is one that has been tossed around like the waters of the sea. For some reason, God has given me an immense amount of time recently to sit and really think about how my definition of love has changed throughout my short lifetime. It's actually more like how He has changed my definition of love. As with most children, my first concept of love came from my parents. Parents love each other and they love their children. Simple, right? That's where my first concept of love was rooted. My parents were married for 19 years before they separated. That separation caused me to question the meaning of true love. Does love end? Does love have an expiration date? My world was starting to shake and my heart began to break. Yet, God was getting ready to completely rock my world.

Time went on. Now, think back to your high school relationships. My high school relationships were, overall, a huge learning experience. I owe much to my past boyfriends. They brought me out of my comfort zone, taught me that it's okay to be myself,  but they also redefined what love meant to me. It got warped into a skewed definition based on manipulation, pressure, and fear. My high school religion teacher taught us that love meant to will the good of the other. I wish I could say that I saw that in my high school relationships, but for the most part, I didn't. 

Senior year hit which meant chaos hit and my definition of love was wrecked. I was violated, hurt, and torn to pieces. I was at my personal rock bottom. I became convinced that, although love may exist, it wasn't for me to experience. I had yet to find a true, genuine example of love.

Enter in: God. Here we go. We're finally getting to a REAL definition of love...one that is not from this world or based on the ideas of this world. 

So, I go on lots of retreats. It was the summer after my senior year when I first caught a glimpse of true love; love that never ends and never fails. Love that will never give up. I recognized that love is constantly pursuing me in the form of Jesus Christ. Through the past 3 years, I have seen Christ's love come alive in my life and the lives of those around me. Fast forward to the past two weeks. In that short time span, God has showed me His love in the most intense way I have ever experienced. He has used individuals to show me His love. Through the eyes and hearts of others, Christ has allowed me to feel His love in a very real and very human way. 

I have struggled recently to see my worth through the eyes of Christ. Why did God have to die? Why did He have to go through so much suffering for my unworthy soul? Quick answer: love. He loves us so much that He had to die to show us how far true love will go. When you let that love come into your heart, it is overwhelming. Our humanity is not made to handle the full extent of Christ's love. He does, however, give us a taste of this heavenly, unconditional, never ending, free flowing love. Nothing we do can stop Him from pursuing our hearts. Christ has always, is still and will forever pursue us. This now becomes a matter of me (and the rest of us) accepting that we are worthy of this love. Realistically, we aren't really worthy. Our sins continually nail Him back to the cross. We run so far from grace. We willingly reject Christ for the things of the world. So, why? Why does He continue to love us? Because He is God and God is Love and you cannot cease to be who you are. Christ is perfect. His love is perfect and newsflash! You are perfect. You are made in the image of God. Christ lives within you.  How can you refuse the love that lives within you? Can you really run away from the you that God created? Can you ever run too far from Christ when He is running with you, living inside of you?

The Lord is working in extraordinary ways right now. I know that His Love is constantly being poured out on you. Allow yourself to feel it. Crack open your heart and He will let your cup overflow. Take a moment to sit and just let God love on you. It can be so hard for us to accept love as humans, especially from God. However, you were made to give AND receive love. In order to give of yourself, you must have something to give. Let Christ fill you with His love. He will never let you run dry. Love yourself, love Christ, love others. Love without abandon. Don't hold anything back because in the end, what else matters besides love? 

In Christ,
Steph

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Crashing My Pride

Yesterday was quite a day for me. Amidst the chaos of preparing for Buckeye Awakening #7, midterms and papers I decided to tack on my first car accident. Relax. It was a fender bender but enough to shake me up. The first person I called was my dad...just as any girl would. His only concern was if I was safe and unharmed. That same sentiment followed when I spoke with my mom and my boyfriend. No one seemed to be upset or angry that I had made a mistake and wrecked my car. I'm sure those feelings will come but I had no idea what reaction to expect after this happened to me. I was overwhelmed that everyone's first question was "Are you okay?" My first question for myself was "What the heck were you doing? What just happened? Does my car look trashy now? Will people still drive with me?" Okay, that was five questions but you get the idea. 

Formalities were taken care of, with the exception of the police coming to scene. Apparently Obama had 'em all tied up on campus. The night wore on and I didn't think much of what had happened. I had gotten all the tears out and felt calmed down. I found love and support in friends and family. I returned home after night prayer and began to journal about what had happened. I have this experience that, when I journal, God reveals different things to me that I would've never realized if I hadn't written anything down. As I wrote I began to see His purpose in allowing this to happen 5 hours after I had just told 4 people I had a clean record and they would be safe riding with me to the retreat center on Friday.  

My history of no accidents, no tickets, and no citations was always a point of pride for me. Red flag #1: Pride. It seemed to be the one thing I could boast about. Red flag #2: Boasting. I gave all the credit to myself and my "great" driving skills. Red flag #3: Not giving the glory to God. This may all seem miniscule but let's look at those red flags. I don't think I've been seeing how God is trying to teach me about humility. He literally needed to put me into a wreck to make me realize how selfish and prideful I  have been. As I cried after the accident I began to wonder why I was actually crying. I thought it was because I was shaken up, but the reason was really "I've never been in a car accident before. My pride is hurt. I will never be able to boast about this again." 

My thoughts should have been "Praise God I am okay. Praise God that it wasn't worse and that He sent my guardian angel to protect me. Praise God that the other driver was unharmed as well." I did have those thoughts but they were secondary to my pride. As I journaled I began to see what God was trying to tell me. His lesson was clear, "Boast in I alone. Good things come only from me. I must take away your pride so that you may humble your heart and be filled with my grace. Have a simplicity of heart and turn first to Me in all situations. Your pride will wreck you. It will make a mess of the heart that was made to praise God and God alone."

All this came from a fender bender. I know it may seem a little far-fetched and crazy, but what is faith if it isn't a little far-fetched to our human minds? God really does work in mysterious ways. I clearly wish God would've found a bit kinder way to teach me this lesson but clearly I needed a wake-up call. He began the process of killing the fruit of evil in me that takes it's form as pride. I praise God for His mysterious ways. I praise God for crashing my pride. I praise God for teaching me that He is the source of all good. 

May Christ be with you now and always,
Steph

"Home"

I thought this blog was going to be finished once I arrived back in America. To my surprise, I have had multiple people ask me to continue writing. I had no idea people were actually interested in how life has been since I've returned! Regardless, I am honored and would love to continue the blog. So, here I am.

It is with a heavy heart that I write about Mama Peace's passing. We received word that she passed away a couple of weeks ago. We knew while we were in Ghana that she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Throughout our stay, her decline was evident. After our return we received updates from Francis about her progress. The cancer was spreading and she needed surgery. We raised money for her and sent it over. Even with the funds she could not receive surgery in time and God brought His angel home. I am still working to comprehend and process all of this. All I know is that my life has been changed because of Mama Peace. The month I spent with her taught me more than I have learned in my 19 years. She showed me that you can do anything you put your mind to, love never fails, angels exist on earth, and every life is precious & full of value.

Mama Peace looking beautiful as always

Our last breakfast with Mama Peace. She's so cool.

My mind cannot help but to spin with thoughts of what is going to happen now. Where will the kids go? Who will care for them? Is there enough money to give Mama Peace a proper funeral? Who will tell the kids that they have lost another parent? I would give just about anything to spend one day with those children...loving them, caring for them, playing with them. If only we could let them know that we still think of them, we still love them, and they mean the world to us. This is a lesson in trusting God if I've ever seen one.

Mama Peace's situation has put life into perspective recently. As I go through some difficult life changes I cannot help but to feel guilty for those times that I would sit around pitying myself. There is so much more than myself. Her life, her family, those children have gone through more than I could ever imagine. My trivial trials are just that...trivial. Being home has showed me how wrapped up the American culture is in itself. Walking across campus for the first few weeks of class was difficult. No one smiles, no one even makes eye contact. Everyone is on a mission to get to someplace that, in reality, is probably not as important as they think it is. But wait. This makes me question, what exactly is my reality?

I miss walking down roads like these where everyone says hello and where time seems irrelevant. Schedules don't exist and people just want to talk to you about your day and where you are going.

My views of this world have changed drastically. It has been 2 months since I got back from Ghana and I still have days where I can't focus on anything school-related because my mind is stuck on those kids. I have days filled with frustration at the mindset of our American culture that is so focused on more, more, more. Why not think about less, less, less? I came across a quote the other day by Anne Frank. She said "No one has ever become poor by giving." It's self-explanatory really. As I said in a post months ago- travel is the one thing you can buy that will leave you feeling richer. It's true. Since returning to Ohio State I have made changes to how I live my life. They are small, but I view them as significant.

For starters, my room last year was covered in pictures/quotes/posters, etc. If you saw it, you know. The wall was barely visible. This year my room is a stark contrast. One wall is completely blank with the exception of my crucifix and picture of the Blessed Mother. That was intentional. I want my only focus to be the Lord when I look at that wall. He deserves to be glorified. Why clutter the space around the crucifix with Bible verses and quotes? The crucifix is enough of a reminder to know that He loves me and died for my sins. My other wall has pictures of the kids from Ghana and one of my closet doors has pictures of very close friends and family. Don't get me wrong. I still love pictures. I still love my friends and family. I remain obsessed with quotes and Bible verse. But I don't need them surrounding me when I have simple reminders of the eternal perspective and what is really important in life. I can whip out my quote book at any time for some inspiration.

Father Antonio has been my go-to priest since I've been back. The one thing he keeps reminding me about is the concept of simplicity of heart. As women, we are blessed to have a heart that only wants to give and love. We are nurturing and caring to all those we meet. This is the privilege of being a woman. God created women this way. Father Antonio has asked me to work on remaining simple, remembering St. Therese of Lisieux's "Little Way". I'm working on that with my spiritual life and personal challenges. But as a step to get there, I am changing my physical surroundings. I am still human. I am so very far from perfect but something as small as simplifying my room is helping me to change my heart.

St. Therese of Lisieux- I actually started reading her autobiography while in Ghana!

My mind is filled with thoughts of those children. I love them dearly. I miss Mama Peace. I hurt knowing that those kids may not be eating properly or getting the care and attention they need. At times, I feel helpless being halfway across the world. Simplicity of heart...patience...trust...I am working on those things. I can't control everything. God provided for those children before and He will provide for them now. However, I ask your prayers for them and for Mama Peace. May she forever dance and belt out Mamma Mia with Jesus. I know she is up there loving the Lord and watching over her children. She has finally been called home, the home that we are all working towards. This world isn't home. It's simply a place to pass through.

May God be with you each and everyday. May He bless you with angels on earth and an overwhelming amount of love and grace.

In Christ,
Steph

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