Well yesterday we all hit the two week mark of our time here in Ghana and it has been pretty obvious. Sickness has hit a few of us, homesickness is settling in somewhat....I think the newness has worn off a little and now we are experiencing the day to day life. But it is in these times of weakness that God's strength is so obvious. He continues to just reveal Himself in little ways and it is pretty special. Today my roomate and I had to go to the post office to pick up a package someone from the States had sent. What an ordeal!!!! Nothing like picking up a package in America, that is for sure. Our taxi took us to the wrong post office, we had to walk so far to find the right one, and then found out the "inspector" charged money for opening the package and going through it. We didn't have much money on us and were not sure what to do, but by no coincidence, an American, who teaches at the University and has become a friend of our group, was waiting there for a package as well. He explained what to do and then gave us money to make sure we had enough! God was looking out for us and it was pretty obvious.
One thing you all could be praying about, for all of us who are teaching at the primary level, is the caning that takes place at the school. My students get caned for being late, for not knowing right answers, for not having a pen (which many can't afford), for not bringing in money to help the teacher buy a new eraser for the chalk board, etc... This is SO difficult for all of us! They do not understand why it bothers us and why we won't cane. We are trying to share with the other teachers that there are other methods of punishment AND that students should not be punished for not knowing a right answer. I am praying for wisdom in how to handle these situations. It brings alot of us to tears almost daily. These children are precious and it tears me up to have to sit by and watch this.
This weekend we are all traveling 12 hours to Northern Ghana to go to a walking Safari....I will try to capture some pictures of nature at its finest :)
Please continue to pray for safety, good health, and a servant's heart for all of us here.
Also, we are raising money to help purchase uniforms for students here. Children cannot attend school without a uniform and so many do not go. A uniform is about $10. If you are interested in helping, please contact my mom.
Thanks!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Picture time!
Hey Everyone! Just got done an awesome day of teaching. My students are precious and each day I am with them, it get better and better. I know I haven't written in awhile but I think it's time for some pictures! I want everyone to catch a glimpse of what I see and experience each day here in Ghana.
Below is a picture of the beach that we go to, it is about a 10 minute walk from the lodge we stay at. The picture doesn't quite do it justice!
This is a picture of me, my professor Dr. Nerren, and his awesome wife Suzanne. They left on Friday morning to go back to the states. I cried when they left. They were a tremendous source of encouragement.
This is one of the schools we have teachers in. The students are so loving and accepting! This is one of my favorite pictures so far!
Below is a picture of the beach that we go to, it is about a 10 minute walk from the lodge we stay at. The picture doesn't quite do it justice!
This is a picture of me, my professor Dr. Nerren, and his awesome wife Suzanne. They left on Friday morning to go back to the states. I cried when they left. They were a tremendous source of encouragement. 
This is one of the schools we have teachers in. The students are so loving and accepting! This is one of my favorite pictures so far!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
A little Update
Greetings from Ghana!
I hate that I haven't been able to write much up to this point, but we have been so busy since we got here and we have to walk pretty far to get to a place where we can use the internet.
Things are going really well so far. The place we are staying - The Lagoon Lodge - is very nice. No air conditioning or hot water, but the fan seems to be doing the trick and I don't think I could stand to take a hot shower with this heat. The people of Ghana are absolutely amazing! Everywhere we go people wave and welcome us, they say "welcome abrune, abrune" which means welcome white person - haha! There aren't many white people around these parts so we draw a bit of attention. I have been to the ocean almost everyday since I have been here. It absolutely blows my mind that I have been sitting on the beach in Africa, drinking out of a coconut- Crazy!
Probably one of my favorite parts of the trip so far was on Thursday when we went to visit the schools for the first time. When we pulled up to the first school, the children came flooding out of the classes just cheering, smiling, and waving. It was like something out of a movie! There was not a dry eye on the bus. Very quickly I remembere why I came here. I have the privilege to love on these children and learn from them for two whole months.
The schools are very primitive - dirt floors, nothing on the walls, no electricity. But when we got to school on Friday to do our first day of observation, the children were outside the school cleaning. They were sweeping the dirt around the outside of the school, they were cleaning up leaves and branches- this happens each morning. The older kids spent the first hour of the school day mowing the grass - with machetes! They don't have much but they take pride in what they do have.
I have been assigned to teach Class 4 English, which includes reading, grammar, speaking, and listening. Their system is much different then ours. The kids in my class range in age of 9 to 16 and it would be similar to our grade 4. My mentor teacher's name is Eunice and she is very sweet. They are very laid back at school, some of the teachers sat outside on the porch of their classroom all day and never went in. My teacher only taught one lesson all day. But if you ask them, they have a very organized, structured system you must follow. School starts at 8:30am, and the headmaster who teaches first grade didn't show up until 9:30/10. So her class just sat there! Pastor Bob Coy from Calvary Ft. Lauderdale has said "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken" - that is my new motto! I am just taking it all in. The kids love to sing and they sang several songs for me. Many of the songs they know are old hyms! I taught them "Jesus Loves Me" and "Deep and Wide" and "Father Abraham" - they were big fans of that. They also had me sing "The star spangled banner" (that was painful) and recite the pledge of allegiance. They are teaching me their national anthem and pledge as well.
Today we went to an old slave castle in Cape Coast. We stood in dungeons where they used to keep hundreds to a thousand slaves at a time. The conditions were horrific! It was a heavy day. On the way home I was listening to Amazing grace, my chains are gone, and the song had a whole new meaning. I will never forget what I saw today.
Well, I need to wrap it up. There is so much more I could write. I will try to write more tomorrow or Monday and upload some pictures as well. Please continue to pray for strength, encouragement, and for opportunities to serve and love the beautiful people of Ghana.
Please feel free to ask questions and I will answer them in my next post. Love you all!
I hate that I haven't been able to write much up to this point, but we have been so busy since we got here and we have to walk pretty far to get to a place where we can use the internet.
Things are going really well so far. The place we are staying - The Lagoon Lodge - is very nice. No air conditioning or hot water, but the fan seems to be doing the trick and I don't think I could stand to take a hot shower with this heat. The people of Ghana are absolutely amazing! Everywhere we go people wave and welcome us, they say "welcome abrune, abrune" which means welcome white person - haha! There aren't many white people around these parts so we draw a bit of attention. I have been to the ocean almost everyday since I have been here. It absolutely blows my mind that I have been sitting on the beach in Africa, drinking out of a coconut- Crazy!
Probably one of my favorite parts of the trip so far was on Thursday when we went to visit the schools for the first time. When we pulled up to the first school, the children came flooding out of the classes just cheering, smiling, and waving. It was like something out of a movie! There was not a dry eye on the bus. Very quickly I remembere why I came here. I have the privilege to love on these children and learn from them for two whole months.
The schools are very primitive - dirt floors, nothing on the walls, no electricity. But when we got to school on Friday to do our first day of observation, the children were outside the school cleaning. They were sweeping the dirt around the outside of the school, they were cleaning up leaves and branches- this happens each morning. The older kids spent the first hour of the school day mowing the grass - with machetes! They don't have much but they take pride in what they do have.
I have been assigned to teach Class 4 English, which includes reading, grammar, speaking, and listening. Their system is much different then ours. The kids in my class range in age of 9 to 16 and it would be similar to our grade 4. My mentor teacher's name is Eunice and she is very sweet. They are very laid back at school, some of the teachers sat outside on the porch of their classroom all day and never went in. My teacher only taught one lesson all day. But if you ask them, they have a very organized, structured system you must follow. School starts at 8:30am, and the headmaster who teaches first grade didn't show up until 9:30/10. So her class just sat there! Pastor Bob Coy from Calvary Ft. Lauderdale has said "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken" - that is my new motto! I am just taking it all in. The kids love to sing and they sang several songs for me. Many of the songs they know are old hyms! I taught them "Jesus Loves Me" and "Deep and Wide" and "Father Abraham" - they were big fans of that. They also had me sing "The star spangled banner" (that was painful) and recite the pledge of allegiance. They are teaching me their national anthem and pledge as well.
Today we went to an old slave castle in Cape Coast. We stood in dungeons where they used to keep hundreds to a thousand slaves at a time. The conditions were horrific! It was a heavy day. On the way home I was listening to Amazing grace, my chains are gone, and the song had a whole new meaning. I will never forget what I saw today.
Well, I need to wrap it up. There is so much more I could write. I will try to write more tomorrow or Monday and upload some pictures as well. Please continue to pray for strength, encouragement, and for opportunities to serve and love the beautiful people of Ghana.
Please feel free to ask questions and I will answer them in my next post. Love you all!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Here!
This post will be short, but I just wanted everyone to know that I arrived safely! Its almost 4pm here on Thursday, so I have almost completed my second full day in Ghana. I will give details on my next post. But things are really great! Miss all of you so much and would love to hear from you!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Busy, Busy, Busy
This has been a crazy week. The first part of the week I was sort of stranded at home. I went out of town over New Years and left my wallet in a friend's purse, so I was unable to drive anywhere (no drivers license) until my wallet was mailed to me (thanks kirsten!). But it was all part of God's plan because it gave me a few days of solitude to read, pray, and just mentally and spiritually prepare for this upcoming journey. Really sweet time!
The middle part of the week was spent visiting family. I left Wednesday morning to go stay with my brother Matt and his wife Jenni and their three kids - Lydia, Sam, and Ruby. Even though the time there was short - it was fun and there was never a dull moment. I am so blessed to have the family that I have - a huge support system.
Lydia and Ruby
Me and the kids - Love them so much!
The above picture is courtesy of Lydia :)
After I left, I headed to my sister Melody and her husband Adam's house to spend time with them and Elijah and Addison, my nephew and niece. Again, my visit was short but was tons of fun. I can't believe how fast Elijah and Addison are growing up, they are so cute. Thanks for having me!
me and spiderman
I headed home on Friday night and spent the weekend with my parents hanging out, running errands, and packing.
I am really excited about what is to come even though I am not quite sure what to expect. There has been a little fear of the unknown, but God has continued to calm and comfort me. Thank you so much to all of you for your prayers and words of encouragement. I would ask that you continue to pray - for safety, for calming of my nerves, and for the people that I will have the honor of meeting and loving for the next 7 weeks.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Welcome!
I thought it would be a good idea to start the blog with a little bit of introductory information. People have been asking me lots of questions about the upcoming trip, so maybe I can help answer them.
First of all, I am leaving for Ghana a week from today. Many have asked where Ghana is, so I thought a picture might help a little bit. Ghana is on the western coast of Africa. I will actually be living right along the coastline in a town called Winneba. Ghana is an English speaking country and is also considered a "Christian" nation.
Most are aware that many countries in Africa are very unstable, however Ghana is a pretty good example of a successful democracy in Africa.
This trip is being taken through Lee University. We will be there for almost two months (Jan 13 - Mar 6). This will be my second semester at Lee as I am working towards my M.Ed in classroom teaching. There are 14 of us going, 2 masters students and 12 undergrad. We are not sure yet what we will be teaching when we get over there, they have just asked us to be very flexible. The schools are very primative in their conditions, no air conditioning, chalkboards, or electricity - we could have upwards of 70 kids in our class.
So many people have asked how I am feeling about the trip....in a way I have mixed emotions. I am going expectant, but am not sure what to expect. That probably sounds a little crazy, but I guess what I am saying is that I believe God has great things in store, but I don't know what it is going to look like.
First of all, I am leaving for Ghana a week from today. Many have asked where Ghana is, so I thought a picture might help a little bit. Ghana is on the western coast of Africa. I will actually be living right along the coastline in a town called Winneba. Ghana is an English speaking country and is also considered a "Christian" nation.
Most are aware that many countries in Africa are very unstable, however Ghana is a pretty good example of a successful democracy in Africa.
This trip is being taken through Lee University. We will be there for almost two months (Jan 13 - Mar 6). This will be my second semester at Lee as I am working towards my M.Ed in classroom teaching. There are 14 of us going, 2 masters students and 12 undergrad. We are not sure yet what we will be teaching when we get over there, they have just asked us to be very flexible. The schools are very primative in their conditions, no air conditioning, chalkboards, or electricity - we could have upwards of 70 kids in our class.
So many people have asked how I am feeling about the trip....in a way I have mixed emotions. I am going expectant, but am not sure what to expect. That probably sounds a little crazy, but I guess what I am saying is that I believe God has great things in store, but I don't know what it is going to look like.
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