Ants, Misadventures, & Marriage Proposals

Tonight Lauren and I sat at our kitchen table and played a game of owari, a traditional Ghanaian game. It's a fairly simple and straightforward game, involving pebbles and holes in a piece of board, but I was struck by how our lives are falling into somewhat of a routine; a busy day out, followed by a night of playing games or watching Friends (I got the whole series for $15 in Accra!). Things are starting to feel familiar here, from greeting Auntie Jo when we arrive from our adventures and laughing with Belinda over the events of the day. Today was the first day that I found myself lost in the craziness of the day, not finding myself very homesick until night fell ... and even then, it didn't seem too bad. So I am incredibly encouraged today!

Yesterday was a regular school day, but we are finding the challenges of teaching from a western perspective in an African setting to be a constant learning experience. From arriving in the morning and discovering that the builders who are working on the cabinets had deposited every little item onto the children's tables, to trying to teach the students that the toys are precious and hard to come by and therefore must be taken care of ... each day I think we all learn just as much, if not more than our students. But that's a good thing - life is a journey of learning after all! Last night we found ourselves exhausted, but I managed to do a little painting, which was incredibly nice and left me feeling a bit more grounded and myself. I climbed into bed rather early by my standards, but little did I know an exciting surprise would await. That exciting surprise would be ...

Ants.

Here there are ants everywhere - we have been trying to combat them with talcum powder around the feet of the tables and chairs, and it does seem to help a lot. But little did I know that leaving crumbs in my bed after a few hours of watching Friends would tempt those little ants to find a new home ... and consequently be a huge pest until 1:30 in the morning when I finally stripped off my sheets, shook them until the little critters were gone, and was finally able to get a good rest, however short it may have been.

I was up early to meet Evans, the school's groundskeeper and general go-to guy, to go over tuition payments and receipts. The night before he had stopped by to set up a time to meet, and this was our conversation:

Evans: So we should meet tomorrow to go over the tuition payments and get everything sorted out.
Me: That sounds great! Although we'll have to do it a bit early since the girls and I are going into Accra for the day.
Evans: Okay, so I'll be here at six?

I haven't quite mastered the art of getting up at sunrise like every other African has apparently - early in my books was 9 a.m.! Everyone laughed as I explained to him, "No, early Canadian time - how about 9?"

Anyways, Evans didn't end up showing up as something came up at the school, so the girls and I headed into Accra around 10:30 to meet our friend Kofi for his birthday and also to pick up a few things. We tro-troed it, just as we had on the weekend, but this time we had a bit of a mix-up and missed our stop. So we ended up farther downtown than planned, and started wandering the streets asking for directions to the mall. There were so many different vendors along the street, and so many people! At one point, I felt a hand grab my shoulder, and thinking it was Kylie grabbing onto me not to lose me, I reached back - and then realized it was indeed not a female hand, rather a male hand asking for my own hand in marriage! I don't think I'll ever get used to how forward every guy is here!

Even though we were lost, it was a lot of fun getting caught up in the hustle and bustle. We asked for directions from multiple people where the Accra mall was, and everyone kept pointing down the street and telling us to keep walking. Finally we asked another overly friendly male vendor, who gave us a slightly different directions. It's incredibly hard to understand directions here because there are no street names. Can you imagine? It's so frustrating! Finally we called Kofi, who confirmed how lost we were, and so we ended up taking a taxi to the mall. One person we asked said that it was close enough to walk to - ah, no. It took us almost half an hour in the taxi to arrive at the mall. Going in the opposite direction than everyone was telling us to go.

So, we ended up at the mall at 1:30 after getting lost, which cut down on our time to actually be in Accra, because Mary had warned us not to travel after dark as tro-tros are unreliable and there aren't many street lights between Accra and Asamankese. So we stopped at the pharmacy for me to pick up new malaria medication, went to Shoprite for some odds and ends, and met Kofi for a late lunch in the food court. It was a lot of fun, and then we tro-troed our way back to Circle Station, where we caught a tro-tro to Asamankese. All in all it was a crazy but fun day!

A lot of my friends have been encouraging me as I adjust to keep a gratitude and praise journal, and although I haven't started writing it down, I've been trying to be more aware of things I am thankful for as I walk through my day. Today I am incredibly thankful for Lauren and Kylie, who in all their craziness make me laugh so much! They are awesome, and I'm excited to spend the next three months with them exploring this country!

Missing school and a weekend in Accra

Hi everyone! Sorry it has been a few days since I've written. Last week I found myself under the weather ... I will spare you the details, but Thursday I spent the day in bed and missed a day of school, and Friday was spent recuperating. I was very thankful to have everyone checking up on me, from Belinda running to the pharmacy to Auntie Jo and Auntie Emma who stopped by to see how I was doing. I am well taken care of over here! No complaints from me :)

Thursday night the semester interns, Kylie and Lauren, arrived! It was exciting to have them move in. They'll be doing the women's literacy program here at the school twice a week. Since I was feeling sick, we decided to change our plans for the weekend (we had planned to travel to Beyin Beach, which is about six hours away along the coast) and it ended up being a good thing because although I felt better by Friday night, Kylie got sick, so a weekend of travelling wouldn't have been great for either of us. Instead, Saturday Lesley, Lauren and I boarded a tro-tro for our first trip! Lauren had already been on one earlier on the week, so she instructed and explained! Tro-tros are basically overstuffed vans that can seat about twenty or so people but are incredibly inexpensive to use. It cost us about 3 cedi ($1.50) to take the tro-tro to Accra, which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive. It wasn't as horrible as I expected - it was just incredibly squished - but I'm glad Lauren knew what she was doing, because it's hard to navigate here! There are no street signs, if you can believe it, so getting directions (and giving them) is a huge challenge!

After arrive in Accra, we arrived at "central" station. This is basically a central location where there are tro-tros heading all over the city and beyond. There were vendors selling whatever you can imagine and kids and homeless asking for money - it was a bit overwhelming. We found a taxi to drive us to our hotel, where we checked in, then cabbed it to Oxford Station. I was in search of a pharmacy to find new anti-malaria pills to take, and we found one almost right away. Unfortunately, buying malaria pills is extremely costly here - so I am trying to figure out a more cost-effective way of buying the pills. Please keep this in your prayers as I'm hoping to get this figured out as soon as possible. Right now I am trying to be extra cautious in always wearing bug spray and avoiding woody areas.

Our next stop was to find a restaurant for supper, and we had a wonderful treat! We had mochas and pizza!! It was an amazing, Canadian, delicious supper and worth every extra penny we had to pay to get it :) We enjoyed our supper, then walked down the street to Koala Department store. It was the first time I really experienced Accra, and realized how different this city is than any other city I've been in before. Open sewers lined the street, and although they were covered at times, you had to be aware always of where you were stepping so that you foot didn't slip through a hole or broken crate. This also meant there was an undeniable stench to the air as we walked along! By this point night had fallen, so we were able to see vendors with open fires, cooking over them and warming themselves up by the heat. We found the supermarket we were looking for, and discovered a wonderful treat - all imported vegetables and foods and canned goods! For certain things, the prices were atrocious, and other things it wasn't too bad - we all got a few treats that reminded us of home. I got an Aero chocolate bar, Lays chips, and some shortbread cookies. It's amazing the cravings you have when things just simply aren't available!

Afterwards we headed back to our hotel and settled into watch a movie. It's interesting that back at home we tend to be so picky about the places we stay in - here in Ghana, not so much! As long as you have a clean bed, you can't be picky if you have hot water (or running water in general - ours lasted one shower and that was it!) or if the garbage wasn't taken out! But being here has challenged my perspective - I am thankful simply just to have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep on, when so many have far less than that. We watched a movie, then Lesley headed to her room and Lauren and I stayed up far too late talking ... needless to say we almost napped in the morning while waiting for our ride to church to arrive!

So this morning we had the opportunity to attend an English speaking Ghanian church! The family that Lauren and Kylie stayed with this week in Accra for their orientation goes to this church, so their son, Kofi, picked us up from our hotel and brought us over. It was an interesting experience - lots of shouting, lots of cheering, lots of falling down, and lots of "Can I get an amen?" It was very different than what I am used to but I am glad to have had the experience. Everyone was incredibly welcoming; Lauren and I even had a poor girl forced to say hello to us by her mom, but I think we terrified her because I am pretty sure she's never seen a white person before and screamed and bawled her eyes out! Afterwards, Kofi's family invited us over for lunch and cake to celebrate his mom's birthday. We joined in and I managed to eat the fish stew they served us - which was a HUGE feat considering I don't like fish very much! But I am trying to be aware of cultural customs, and did not want to be rude by refusing a meal they so graciously offered us even if I didn't like the taste!

Kofi and his friend Eugene offered to take us to the market, so we made a trip there after lunch. It was a different experience, as the last time we were there we were with Mary, and this time vendors were much more bold. They were incredibly forward with us girls, always touching your arm or complimenting - it gets to the point where you don't want to buy anything they have to offer, no matter how much you like it because you are so annoyed. We didn't stay long - Kofi said that they were more forward than usual just because it was a Sunday, and very few people shop on Sundays. So we made a couple more stops, then we headed to Circle station to catch our tro-tro back to Asamankese. And we made it! It was a great experience, a quick weekend that went by very fast! Tomorrow is a market day in Asamankese, so we will head there, I have to stop at the bank, and then we are going to the dressmaker, Doris' house to hopefully pick out designs for our African dresses! Then Tuesday is another school day. Lauren and Kylie have gone off to bed, and Lesley and I am sure will soon hit the sack as well. It's funny how travelling can take a lot out of you! :)

Miss you all lots!
Love Angie

Being the new kid on the block

Today on our day off, I found myself up earlier than normal (at least on our days off!) around 8:30. I actually got eight hours of sleep for the past two nights, so maybe that means my body is adjusting! I found that I was having a bad reaction to the malaria medication I am on, so I am trying to skip this week of meds to see if it helps. So far I have been able to sleep a bit better, been less anxious, among other things, so I'm hoping a switch in meds will help me feel better.

This morning I had my first experience washing laundry by hand. Every day it seems Lesley and I have moments where we realized just how SPOILED we are as Canadians! Who knew laundry could actually be so much work? Belinda assisted .... or rather tried to teach me in between her laughing ... how to wash everything by hand. She filled three big basins of water, the first was for the first wash, the second bowl for the second wash, and the third for rinsing. According to her I couldn't get the technique right and she quickly took over (although I kept trying). To me I suppose it doesn't matter how much it's scrubbed, as long as it gets some soap in it, but not according to her! I think my clothes will be quite worn out by the time I return, since putting each piece of laundry in each bowl meant that there was a lot of soap residue. It's so interesting, that this to them is completely normal and they know no different. But here I am, sitting by a big basin in the backyard, thinking about how much washing machines save time. Can you imagine our grandparents and great-grandparents and the amount of time they must have spent washing a family's worth of laundry? I can't even imagine!

Anyways, after my catastrophe of doing laundry, this afternoon Lesley and I made our way down to the market for the first time by ourselves. On the walk there I was able to talk to Shelby for a few quick minutes - it was too quick though, and made me miss home quite desperately! But I try to think how blessed I am to even just have a phone to communicate home with, even if it doesn't seem like enough or as long as I'd like to chat. We stopped at the bank quickly, then wandered into a few shops for some odds and ends we were searching for. I think it was nice for both of us to go out on our own, without Belinda or Mary, because it made me feel a bit more confident being in a new place on my own. But as we walked along the streets, with shouts of "obruni!" following us, I had to wonder if I'd ever get used to the attention we receive simply for being white and foreign. It doesn't seem fair to me that their kindness extends to me just because I am different; and it makes me think about the way I treat others moving to my country. It also makes me think with sadness the way our ancestors treated those moving to a new country; it's hard enough being unable to speak the language and communicate, knowing how to interact or understanding the cultural customs, but to be ignored or rejected must have been incredibly hard. It's hard enough being in a new place and being welcomed; I can't imagine the difficulty of being in a new country and being treated as if you are unwanted.

We are busy ironing out weekend plans as the new interns, Lauren and Kylie, move in to Asamankese tomorrow night. It's one of our last chances for a four day weekend before we start full five-day school weeks. We'll see how that goes!

Lots of love,
Angie

Some Interesting Things

Yesterday was our day off, and Lesley and I took full advantage and slept in until 9:30. It's amazing how on a day with no agenda, you can so easily fill up your time. We visited with Belinda, read, I painted, caught up on emails and blogging. It was a good, relaxing day. Oh, and also I've got her addicted to Downton Abbey, so we've been re-watching all of those episodes! Takes my mind of off missing home :)

Today we had our second day of school, and it was amazing to see the change in the kids! One boy, Jonathan, who was shy and timid and cried and cried after his dad dropped him off actually ran up to me when I arrived to give me a hug! I was floored! But with newfound comfort in their new environment also means that the kids felt a lot more free to be wild and crazy - and I will say that I never expected kindergarten kids to tire you out so much! I have a new found respect for any mom - kids are exhausting!

I've done a lot of thinking while I've been here. Being thrown into a new culture, a new environment definitely makes me appreciate my family and friends from back home. I am unbelievably grateful for everyone who has wished me well, reached out through email, and just checked in to see how I am doing and adjusting. I am blown away by how blessed I am to have family and friends who care so much about me. I'm thankful for this time that has allowed me to see how blessed I am, especially in a school setting where kids long for love and attention, if the kids hanging off of me at school today were any indication of. I'm thankful for all of you who believe in me, even when I don't believe in myself. You are so appreciated and loved.

It's also really interesting to me the things that I miss while I'm here (besides the people). Everything is different here; I think moreso than I ever expected, from the food to the weather to the ground to the language. It's interesting, though, as I walked home from the school today I realized how much I missed grass. Here there is so much dirt (and it is a rich red, so different than our brown at home!); so many rocks; and so much brush and weeds.. But no lawns, no fields of grass. And funny enough, I realized what a blessing it is, to have a soft place to lay on in the summer, a lawn which fills with snow in the winter, and an outdoor carpet that cushions my bare feet as I walk across. I took it for granted until it wasn't there anymore!

I wish I could bottle up my experiences and hand them to all of you back home so you could experience them as well, because I don't think words do it justice. I wish you could hear the sounds of the Africans dancing and singing late into the night, as if darkness brings with it a newfound exuberance. I wish you could see the bright orange African sun that seems to shine much more boldly than at home. I wish you could find yourself in my chair in my small living room, wrestling with the idea of how to be content in a place yet all the while longing for home, and if those two opposites are possible.

No matter how difficult these past two weeks have been to adjust, and how homesickness still lingers heavily, I find within myself tonight a very grateful heart. For no matter the trials we face, if we look for it, our blessings are immense.

Missing you all!
Angie

A Weekend of Firsts

Friday morning we awoke bright and early - 5:30 am - to wait for our driver, Anthony, to pick Lesley, Mary, and me up to first head to Accra, then onto Cape Coast for the weekend. In typical Ghanaian fashion, he arrived an hour and fifteen minutes late, so we set off just before 7:30 am to Accra. We stopped their quickly to say goodbye to Mary - I know her family misses her, but I wish she could just stay here! :) - and then continue on our way to Cape Coast. It was a long drive there, since we got stuck in traffic due to market days and presidential visits. The president who is stepping in since the last president died was travelling to villages and towns to thank them for their support during the late president's funeral. So this meant we arrived at Kakum National Park, where the rainforest is, at 2:30 - it was a long day of driving to say the least!

Once we got there, paid our fee to get in, I was faced with a choice. As most of you who know me know, I am terrified of heights. Last summer I faced this fear and zip-lined - which, sadly, ended with a rescue attempt (another story for another day). But I did it! And am so proud my fears did not conquer me then. So I debated for a long time whether or not to do the canopy walk. The Canopy walk is roped bridges that are strung between a number of trees high up in the rainforest. The highest point is about 85 feet high. I could already feel my insides and knees shaking and growing weak at that thought - and once I was up there, you had to do it, so I wouldn't really have any choice but to continue. So, I decided to once again not let my fear of heights control me, paid my admission fee, and followed Lesley up the hike to through the forest.

And I made it!

It was terrifying - the first walk was probably the most scary. But as I continued, it became less scary and more beautiful! You couldn't really see straight down - afterall, it is so full of vegetation - so I think that it didn't seem as high up as I actually was. The trees and views from up at the top of the rainforest were spectacular. So many types of tall, beautiful trees! We took lots of pictures. It was amazing and I would gladly do it again!!

After Kakum, we stopped by a monkey sanctuary. I really wanted to go here and see some of the animals because since most of them are nocturnal, I knew I probably wouldn't see many while I'm here. So we saw all sorts of different types of rescued and injured monkeys, other mammals, crocodiles, and some reptiles too. It's a Dutch couple that have built this sanctuary and it was wonderful to hear the love and passion they have for rehabilitating these animals and then setting them back into their natural habitat.

Then we went on an adventure to find our inn, called Stumble Inn. It is literally off the beaten path - but absolutely beautiful! I was able to put my feet in the stormy ocean for the first time ever, and it was incredible. The waves were high, and we didn't stay long, but I was amazed at the splendor that is the Atlantic ocean.

Our Inn was really great - it was so relaxing, with a lot of huts and chairs to lounge in around the water. It was incredibly damp, always, though which was new for even Lesley, who's spent time in Florida and down south. Our hosts were so friendly and welcoming and made us feel right at home. The food was great (although slow!) and Friday night they had some traditional African dancers and drummers. I tried heading to bed early to see if I could finally sleep, but still no luck. Hopefully one of these days I'll be asleep before two.

Saturday morning we had planned on going to the Cape Coast castle, but we were too mesmerized by the sea, and we had also planned to do a Batik fabric making lesson which started a couple hours late. We enjoyed our breakfast by the ocean, and then Maria, a local, came and showed us how to make Batik fabric. Basically it is a technique using wax stamps impressed on fabric, then put in dyes. I chose red and two different types of stamps. Mine is fairly simple in comparison to their complex designs, but I love it! While we waited for our fabric to be dyed, a bead maker came by the Inn to sell his wares, but let us design our own pieces of jewellery. So Lesley made a necklace, and I made earrings out of his homemade beads. It was a very creative day indeed - I loved it! We spent the rest of the day reading, I was able to get a good signal on the internet to answer some emails before my computer died (there was no power except for a generator that ran for a couple hours at night), and just relaxing. We had a great day.

That night we had to switch rooms as the inn was full into a dorm-style room. It was a first for both me and Lesley, sharing a room with four other strangers (who happened to be Canadian, though!). But we made it and for $5 a night each, I'd most likely do it again!

Today we were up early for breakfast, then called a cab to take us to Cape Coast castle. This is the castle which was one of many that housed slaves during the transatlantic slave trade. It was an incredibly sombering experience. We walked through cells and dungeons where many faced their death, all because someone chose to believe that another human being's life was worth less than their own. It was horrifying to see where women were raped and beaten; to see where slaves who tried to escape where sent to die from lack of air or starvation. At the end of our tour, I stared out at the beautiful ocean that so mesmerizes me, and I was amazed at the idea that this ocean, which to me symbolizes beauty and God's grace, often symbolized death to these slaves. For if they made it through the castle and onto a slave ship headed across the ocean, chances were that meant they would die there as well. Women who showed signs of pregnancy were immediately thrown overboard, and slaves were fit so closely together as if they were sardines in a can. It was a sad reminder that things we see as so beautiful can be seen as a symbol of death when seen from a different pair of eyes.

After that, we headed back to our Inn for lunch and then to meet our driver to go back to Asamankese. Having had uncomfortable beds and shared facilities, both Lesley and I are excited for a bath and comfortable beds tonight! Hope everyone else had a great weekend, miss you all!!

XO

Angie

Cultural differences and first day of school!

Note - I meant to post this Thursday night but got distracted :P

Hi everyone!

So today we opened our doors to our kindergarten class! It began with a bright, early wake-up call by Mary at 6:30 a.m. - and since I am still struggling with jet lag, my eyes finally closed last night around two, so it was a short, short sleep indeed. We made our way to the school about ten to eight, and as school starts at eight, my Canadian expectations were that the students would be waiting for us. Indeed, I was quite wrong, as students trickled in for the first hour we were at the school! That will take some getting used to I'm quite sure.

For the most part, I observed Lesley teaching. Our Ghanian teacher, Rosamund (who will eventually take over when I leave as the primary teacher) also taught some lessons. It was a lot of fun – much more laidback than when I volunteered in a kindergarten class back home. I think it was really a trial day for all of us to see how the schedule went and what needed adjusting. It's quite a long day for our students – from 8 am until 3 pm – but that is the way the Ghanaians school their children, from what Mary has explained to us. Mary said that even in kindergarten there is more lecturing than interacting and far less play than we use in our Canadian schools. Even after one day of observing, Mary noted that Rosamund taught in a much more interactive way than she would have had she not seen us Canadians. It's exciting, because Mary's hope is that we can blend both the Ghanaian and Canadian way of teaching, equipping their teachers here to be able to teach in similar ways and styles to what we do in Canada.

It was a lot of fun to spend time with the kids! It took some time for them to warm up to us, and the language barrier is really hard to overcome as most of them don't speak very much English (it's basically the equivalent to an ESL class that we are teaching). But they eventually did and it was amazing to see their personalities start to emerge as they became more comfortable. The kids were enamoured with my long brown hair, and loved petting it and playing with it and even rolling it between their fingers.

Today (although I suppose I see this everyday!) I saw a lot of cultural differences between North America and Africa. For one, Ghanians seem to be much more comfortable with their bodies – Rosamund has an eight month old, and she regularly breastfed in open public with all of the students and parents around. And this was another thing – in North America, no woman would ever take her child to work with her! But Rosamund does, and it was amazing how she blended both taking care of her own child and the children around her. Her little baby laid snuggly wrapped in a blanket around her back, and when he needed nursing, she nursed, but for the most part he was quiet and allowed her to teach to the students before her. It was amazing to see her teach a lesson with a baby on her back! I was reminded of how different our cultures are as well when parents brought their kids late to school and were late to pick them up, and how it seems that we are always so concerned about teachers' touching students, and about their safety (like not sharing juice boxes or water) but that doesn't seem to really be of concern here at all.

And a funny story regarding cultural differences - you know how you wave and push your fingers down (not waving your hand side to side)? Well, here that means "come here." I had noticed kids running to me when I did that, but not understanding why, and then today I waved this way to a mom and her child, who followed me into the bathroom! Needless to say I was a bit confused just as she was!! Thankfully Mary had a good laugh and explained my mistake :)

It's definitely been an interesting day. I've been feeling a bit better as I get adjusted and settled in, but am still struggling with homesickness. Please keep me lifted up in prayer! This weekend Lesley and I are leaving bright and early (6 am!) for Cape Coast to see some of the castles which housed slaves during the slave trade, and spend some time along the beach. We also hope to go to Kakum rainforest (she wants to walk along the top – I am terrified of heights, so we'll see how that goes!) and we hope to do a Batik printing workshop at the Global Mama's location in Cape Coast. We will most likely return Sunday night if all goes according to plan!

Anyways, I am hoping to get some good rest tonight as we have an early start in the morning! Love and miss you all.

A quick update on the school opening!

I am feeling quite tired and not the best today. I had a two hour nap this afternoon hoping to feel a bit better, and although it did help, I am just feeling a bit under the weather, but before I head to bed I wanted to write a quick post. Yesterday was the school's grand opening. We dedicated the school, honoured God and those who have supported and served in raising up the school. It was a wonderful ceremony! I got to meet all of our students, and they are incredibly shy! But awesome at dancing :) It must be an African tradition to dance at celebrations, and yesterday was no exception. The kids are awesome at it! I hope they can teach me a thing or two :) 

Today we had off, as tomorrow is our first day of full day teaching. So I slept in - as I couldn't sleep again until 2:30 a.m. - and then went to town to go to the post office and do other errands. Then took a nap this afternoon to try to shake off my yucky-ness, and then have been doing some random things to get ready for tomorrow. I am excited to meet all of them again, and get to know them and feel what it will be like to teach in the classroom!

I will try to write more in detail tomorrow night about our first day. Love you all and miss you!!

Angie

The Place You Are In Needs You Today

This morning I woke up extremely tired. It was a different tired than the exhaustion that I had been feeling - my body was finally telling me that yes, we do need sleep! I don't care when go to bed anymore, as long as we do, I'll be happy! I think jet lag may finally be wearing off!

After breakfast, Lesley and I headed to the school to go through all of our supplies, sort through things, and start to set up somewhat for tomorrow. It was exciting seeing things actually happening, of toys being rolled out of bags and new pencils and crayons and paper pads for the kids to draw on. One of the kids of the workers tagged alongside us, and played with a lot of the toys we had. It was amazing to see his wonder at the simple toys that we take for granted - yoyos and noise makers for example. I'm sure he's never laid eyes on toys like that before, and his pure joy that shone was amazing to see.

As we were going through the curriculum, it was beginning to hit us how much we would have to adjust how and what we teach - so many of our North American traditions and books can't be used in the same way. For example, one worksheet was about Dads, and said simply how some of the reasons they love their dads is because they buy them new shoes and take them out for ice cream. Well here there are kids who don't even own shoes, nor ever have the luxury of having ice cream. It's these little realizations that really make you think about your own culture and the things we so easily take for granted back at home. I've really wrestled with that a lot - because if I'm being completely honest, I love the fact that I always having running hot water and that I have more than one pair of shoes and that my shelves at home are filled with books I so love. And with that realization comes a feeling of guilt, because shouldn't I live my life so freely without attachments to things like that? It's interesting, being here, I feel as if my mind doesn't stop thinking and wrestling with my ideas of self, of culture, of what makes me me. I think that that is why culture shock is such a struggle, because it strips away things that make up our self. And that is terrifying!

While we were at the school, we had a lovely surprise - two women stopped by the school from a neighbouring town, and one of them was from Switzerland! She was probably around my age, and she is going to be here until December. She's staying at a local's house (the woman who was with her) and volunteering at a hospital. We exchanged numbers and she is hoping to come by and pick Lesley and I up to come to their house for a visit. It's so nice to meet other visitors who are in the same boat as me!

After lunch, we headed to the Asamankese market again to buy a few things we were looking for at the school. I bought a few things to send home for birthdays coming up, but completely forgot to stop by the post office for stamps! Lesley and I also chose fabrics for our traditional African dresses that we had measurements for last night! I'm so excited to see how they will turn out. Today we walked to the market instead of taking a taxi like before, and all the way there we heard, 'Obruni! Obruni!' and kids would run from their homes to point and wave to us. I had one guy laugh at me and tell me I looked funny, which was a very interesting experience! I was walking with Belinda's cousin, a little girl of probably about five, who held my hand wherever we went. One lady asked me if she was my daughter (although i didn't know what she was asking me until Belinda translated) and then burst out laughing as if it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen. I guess it makes sense, they most likely have never seen a black family adopting a white child, whereas back home the idea of interracial adoptions is completely normal.

The late afternoon consisted of a nap, followed by supper and a broken up phone call from Mom. Technology is so frustrating when you are a world away from home!

Oh and exciting news - today at lunch we had a traditional Ghanian lunch (Belinda has been making us more normal foods for our sensitive Canadian stomachs!) of a plaintain in sort of a dough-y mixture, and then spicy tomato and beans. They were delicious!

Homesickness and culture shock are still a big struggle, but all I can do is take it one day at a time. For whatever reason, I am here today, and there is a quote on the wall from one of the past interns that says, "The place you are in needs you today." It is so very true, no matter if I am here in Africa or at home. Today, for whatever reason I was here - be it to hold little Stephanie's hand through the market, or to provide for the taxi driver the small fare he asked for, or to give the little boy at the school the opportunity to play with his first toys. My prayer tonight is for all of you to remember that - where you are needs you today. You are where you are for a purpose, always, even if it's hard to see that.

Lots of love,

Angie

A weekend in Accra

So much has happened in the days since I last wrote! It's hard to believe that I have already been here for five days, as silly as that sounds. Thursday night Mary left to head to Accra for the day Friday, and so Friday it was just me and Lesley. Belinda woke us up early (8 am!) and we ate breakfast, but shortly after headed back to bed to read (but that was really an excuse to nap!). Jet lag has been hitting me hard – it hasn't for Lesley, who falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow. Every night I can't seem to fall asleep until about 3 am (last night it was about 2) since that is around 11pm according to my body's clock. Hopefully that changes soon as exhaustion plus homesickness plus culture shock has not treated me well!

Anyways, so Friday afternoon Lesley and I spent time reading, I drew for a long while, and just generally relaxing. We weren't quite brave enough to venture out into the village on our own without Mary by our side quite yet. In the evening, just before supper, we went outside to take some pictures and I chatted with two of Auntie Jo's hired staff (although I can only remember one's name – Seth – names are so hard when you meet so many people all at once!). But before iit got dark, we headed back in as dusk brings mosquitoes. From what I understand, since we are so close to the equator, at this time of the year the sun drops so quickly. It is pretty much dark here around 6 pm, such a strange sight when it feels like a regular summer day in which the sun should stay hanging until around 10 pm!

Friday night we ended the restful day with a movie in bed.

We were up bright and early Saturday morning to be ready for our driver to arrive to take us into Accra. Belinda made us pancakes, a nice Canadian treat with a bit of a Ghanian spin as I piled on the fresh mangoes! In typical Ghanian fashion, our driver was about a half hour late, so we arrived in Accra at Mary's parents' house around 11:30 in the morning. We headed straight to the Accra mall. It was extremely similar to any North American mall, just with different stores in it (although there was an Apple store!). We walked around, visited the bookstore where Mary's books are sold, had pizza for lunch, and then shopped a bit at a store called “Shoprite.” In this store you can find everything you'd typically find at a North American grocery or convenience store. I picked up a few things I hadn't brought along with me, and got envelopes so I can mail some letters home! :)

After Shoprite, we drove across the city to the Accra market. On the way there we stopped at a store called “Global Mamas.” It is a none profit organization that began as a way to help women from Ghana sell their wares at a fair price. There was a lot of different, interesting clothing and It was very different than the market in Asamankese; there were more artisans here, selling clothes or jewellery or artwork rather than just household necessities or food. It was overwhelming how the vendors act – they are so pushy and really want you to buy their things! Mary said the trick is to “pretend you aren't interested, but as any of you who know me know that I have a very difficult time being rude! Everytime an artist would show me his work, and I would remark how beautiful it was, he would say, “Okay, I put it aside for you!”

We walked the aisles filled with carvings and paintings and jewellery and clothing. Everything was beautiful. I tried to limit myself to only one painting and managed to do so! It is a beautiful painting of three women walking down a street, carrying baskets carefully balanced on their heads. I also bought a traditional Ghanian game, Owari. Mary's still working on teaching me how to play so I can teach all of you at home when I'm back! And my final purchase was something I had wanted to buy since I found out I was coming: an African drum! Mary bargained down his price, so I got the “medium size” (the large I would have loved, but it was out of my price range) with a bag to carry it on my back. It is funny, because they immediately started putting the bag on the drum, and I of course assumed that it came with it. But they did it without asking so that I would feel obliged to buy it – thankfully, once again Mary was an awesome bargainer and we got a great deal on that one too!

As we left the market, I bought pure shea butter and Mary and Lesley purchased coconuts. I was brave and even though I am not a fan of shaved coconut, tried Mary's – and although I wasn't particularly fond of it, I was glad I tried it! Next we went to the Accra theatre – who knew they had a cinema here in Ghana? We saw Think Like a Man, a chick flick naturally – but it was fun. The commercials beforehand were the best: they weren't previews for upcoming movies like we're used to, but they were just regular commercials and very, very cheesy.

We bargained for a cab ride back to our hotel. It was a hotel just a little ways away from Mary's parents' house. It was beautiful on the outside, hidden behind a barbed-wire topped wall, but on the inside it smelled of mould. Nothing we would be used to in Canada. But I couldn't help but look at the bed, despite the funny smell, and be so thankful that I had a bed to sleep in and hot water to shower with (a rarity). Being here and seeing the poverty that many Ghanians live in has really opened my eyes to the amount of excess I have. At supper last night, Mary mentioned how the groundskeeper and his wife make 70 cedis a month (worth $35 CDN). That was what I spent on my drum alone at the Market. And as we drove back to the hotel that night, a woman was bold enough to come up to our stopped car in the darkness and ask us for some money for her and her child. The sadness and despair on her face was so evident that my heart broke. Even here in a country with far less money than our own, I have so, so many reasons to call myself blessed.

Anyways, this morning we had the opportunity to experience Ghanian church! It is incredibly different than any church back home, with an open building made up of pillars and a roof overtop. There is dancing and cheering and singing at the top of your lungs, and everyone comes dressed in their bright Sunday best. The women were dressed so beautifully in bright colours! In the Pentecostal churches here, men sit on one side, and the women on another – although when we asked, Mary wasn't sure why that is. Unfortunately, most of the service was spoken in Twi or Ewe, two of the local languages here. Mary translated a bit, and from what she shared with me I knew it was an special message for me. Since I have been here it has been an incredibly hard adjustment, and I've struggled most days with tears and fears and anxiety. I've especially doubted God's calling me here, and although I don't want to leave, my desire for home and safety is so great. Last night was a particularly difficult night, but the message this morning was specifically on God's calling for each of His children and how from the moment He knows them He is preparing them for what He has called them to do. The pastor spoke of the disciples and how God commanded them to leave all that they had for Him, and the pastor prayed that each one of us would be revived to God's calling in our lives. I felt that his words were speaking – even through a translation – directly into my heart.

I've doubted a lot these past few days, and yesterday my prayer was that God would allow me to look back and see the ways in which He has spoken to me and been faithful in the callings He has placed on me. And I did remember, in so many ways, that everywhere He has called me to I have walked in blindly, not believing that I can do it on my own. And I can't – but through His strength I have. I know that for whatever reason, God has called me to this place. On my own I cannot do it, but through Him, I have faith that I can.

Esther 4:14b: "And who knows if you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?"

I've Arrived!

Hi everyone!

So I have arrived in Ghana safe and sound! Everything went smoothly with our flights, the only upset being our flight from JFK to Accra was stuck on the tarmac for a couple hours as we were waiting on some luggage. So that meant we arrived later than expected, unfortunately. Fun fact I noticed on the plane – did you have any idea that planes travel at over 900/kmh? I suppose that's common sense, but it blew my mind to think about how fast we were going!

When we arrived at the airport, we were greeted by Mary's cousin who works in the military. This meant that we were “VIP” - and consequently got to skip all of the lines at Customs! Woo! Through Customs they scanned our eyes and fingerprints, and then we were off to the long baggage claim line. Once we found our luggage, we went to find our driver, Evans, who was waiting for us outside. Mary's cousins and his friends all carried and unloaded our luggage for us ... it was a nice treat!

Our first drive through Accra was very different than driving back home! So much honking, driving all over the street, no seatbelts – it was quite fine through Accra, but then heading towards Asamankese which is much more rural there are huge potholes that are scattered along the road. There are vendors that sit by the side of the street, trying to sell you quite literally anything you could imagine. There are bright colours painted on buildings, and what was amusing is how nearly every name of a business or bumper sticker has been “Christian-ized” so to speak. So for example, a store might be called, “Holy Spirit Hair Dressing” or something of the sort.

For our first stop we rested at Mary's parents house outside of Accra. We had something to drink, had some fresh mangoes, visited with her parents and then headed off to Asamankese. It was about an hour and a half or so until we arrived – lots of houses along the way, varying in their levels of poverty. There were compounds in Accra, but along the way to Asamankese most of the houses were what we might describe as shanties. People worked alongside the road – some doing carvings, others selling items.

Finally we arrived in Asamankese and visited the school first thing! We climbed out of the van and stood by the road for a little while, while Mary and Lesley were both overcome with emotion. It has been a long road for the school to become what it is now, and the idea of knowing that children will soon be walking through its doors is incredibly exciting. We explored the grounds, Mary and her Mom showing us the rooms, and describing to us what land was theirs as well and her dreams of what would come next for the school. Mary is a dreamer, and she always inspires me to dream big and then never stop pursuing them!

After visiting the school, we came back to what will be my home for the next 11 months. It is a guest house, and when you walk into the brightly coloured hallway, there is a bathroom and bedroom to your right, and a kitchen down at the far end of the hall. To our right you enter our area, with a sitting area and dining area, and then three bedrooms off of that. Lesley and I are sharing a room with a bathroom attached, and once the interns arrive (who will be teaching the Women's literacy class) they will stay in the two other rooms. A woman named Belinda works for Auntie Jo (who owns the guest house) and cooks for us. She is a sweetie, and so is Auntie Jo – everyone is so welcoming!

We had our first official Ghanian meal, fried plantains, fried chicken, rice, vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, and green beans) and watermelon for dessert. After that we settled in and unpacked, Lesley phoned home and I opted to email everyone instead. I knew if I phoned home I would start to cry, and I was trying to avoid that!

Last night was, however, incredibly hard for me. I think it all began to sink in how far away I really am from home, and I shared with both Mary and Lesley how overwhelmed I feel (which they both assured me was completely normal!). I think I was plagued with doubt of whether or not I could survive a year here, and I was also faced with how everything is different here, from the food to the buildings to the nature to the language to the weather. And I felt incredibly disconnected, with a huge time change from home and no cell phone to instantly stay in touch (or internet constantly available). I know that I am meant to be here, and had felt incredibly at peace about my travels up until that point. So I don't doubt for a moment that it was the Enemy attacking me, and the next morning Mary confirmed it when she told me how her mom had phoned and been worried and wondering about me, sensing the day before that I was overwhelmed. It was difficult to sleep last night, even though I was exhausted (and running on six hours of sleep in 48 hours) but I managed to, and Lesley and I both slept in until 12:30 p.m. local time.

We got up, had lunch that Belinda had prepared for us, and then we headed to the Market in Asamankese. New sights and sounds overwhelmed us as we walked through the busy streets. Vendors were cramped side by side, and literally everything you could think of was available. Everyone was so incredibly friendly! Not everyone speaks English, however, most speak Twi, and so it was hard to communicate. Mary or Belinda translated for me. Many of them called out, “Obruni!” meaning white person, and many asked how I was doing, told me how beautiful I was, and told me how welcome I was in Ghana. Little kids were the most fascinated with me and Lesley. One girl kept touching my skin and giggling, and while walking by one of the vendors I stopped to talk to an older woman who was holding a young toddler. I guess my white skin terrified him, since no matter how hard I tried, laughing, teasing, and talking to him all made him cry and crawl deeper into his grandmother's arms!

After we picked up a few things including a kettle, some laundry soap, and toilet paper, we stopped by Mary's aunt's house. The building which she lives in used to be Mary's grandfather's house, and it was the first house she saw when travelling to Ghana for the first time from England when she was young. We visited with her aunts, and as soon as the kids saw an obruni coming, they shouted and yelled and all came running towards us! I think that was the most fun part for me so far, getting to play with the kids. They couldn't really communicate – some spoke broken English, but mostly the older ones – so I laughed and let them all try on my sunglasses, took pictures of them and showed them my camera, and then asked them where the football (soccer ball) was so we could kick it around. One girl didn't stop giving me hugs, and kept telling me how much she liked me. One boy picked up his young sister and shoved her towards me, wanting me to hold her. I did, but I think I scared her because she started to scrunch her face, about to cry! The kids were most fascinated with Lesley's iPad, and we have one picture of them all crowded around me as I show them their pictures on the screen – if I can get it from Mary I will post it, because it is something else! We all agreed it would make the best Apple advertisement!

Afterwards we relaxed back at the house, and figured out cell phones and internet. I now have a phone, and you are more than welcome to text me if you have an international phone! I would love that! Send me an email or message me to get the number. I also have an address that you can mail anything to, and will give that to you as well. For tonight we are settling in, going to go through a few boxes of things for the school, and Mary has left for Accra for a few days. We will join her early Saturday morning for the weekend. The next couple of days Lesley and I will plan for the school, as the school opening will be Tuesday and we will have parents and students tour the school with us.

It still seems all a bit surreal to me that I am in Africa. It all seemed like another world away, only visible through pictures and movies, and here I am able to fly across the ocean and be here. Despite feeling unsettled and overwhelmed, I am incredibly blessed to be here and thankful for all of you back home. I already miss you incredibly and can't wait to see you again, but I am thankful for the new faces and culture I get to experience here.

I will write again soon!

Lots of love from over here,

Angie