Love Came Down

This is where the Sultan's use to live in ancient Istanbul which used to be called Constantinople. There is such a rich history in Istanbul.

The picture is looking out into the Marmar Sea. The far land is Asia. It is such a beautiful landscape and I wish I could see it in the summer.

This is a mosque that use to be a church which would have occured during the 4th crusade. It is hard not noticing how grande the mosques are we must keep our focus on Christ, the creator of all

Before I left, I made some of the kids on the street breakfast. They ate like kings and queens with french toast, banana bread, and apples. Oh yes, they also enjoyed the sweet syrup as they are not use to such sugary things. I love these beauitful one dearly.

I must admit right off the bat that I stole this title from a Point of Grace Christmas Song but I was hoping you wouldn't mind too much. I actually haven't heard this song this Christmas but thought the point was appropriate. I am sitting at the table while my family members play with their new "toy" aka a Kindle. However, I am quite content as I have experienced a Christmas that I have not since three Christmases ago. I have spent two amazing Christmases in Ghana but God knew it was time for me to be home. I definitely appreciated this Christmas more so and enjoyed just the little moments as I forgot all the beautiful memories with the ones I loved.

Last night at the Cande Eve Service, I was reminded of how much I love my family and church members. As I looked around while listening to specials or singing carols, I couldn't help but break out in a huge smile. This is my family and we have all grown in our walk with Christ. Some of the kids are starting to share their talents with specials or help with the sound. Others are just reaching out to new members or offering help to the person in the pew behind them. We are definitely not a large church, but we care for one another and lift each other up through the grace of God which is irreplaceable. I loved being in Ghana but nothing can replace being with close family and friends.

The last week has been filled with, well at first just trying to get home. When I finally made it to New York, the plane was late yet again and I missed my connecting flight. Going through customs was fun as my luggage was not on the conveyor belt. The customs officials were not thrilled that I was coming from an international location without any baggage but I tried to explain why although that was too confusing. At the connecting counter, she wasn't too happy with me as I was late and didn't have luggage. In the midst of this, I saw my luggage just sitting there, which now I realized had been there since the day before. She was now not happy at all that I had taken luggage and was just conufsed on everything. I wasn't in the odd to explain and just started crying(what a girl!) which made her livid. After all that, I got my luggage taken care, praise the Lord! However, my phone was dead so I scrounged up coins to call on a pay phone(they still make these!) to say I would be late. What an ordeal but it made me appreciate getting home even more!

The next day was bright and early as I helped Cathy in her classroom teaching about the Netherlands. I loved her kids and wished I could be around them more. They got attached fast but alas had other things to do. I have been so blessed to help with church ministry as I have missed this. It definitely was a busy week but God prevails and showers us with wonderful moments that we will remember.

Oh yes, back to my title. Love came down as Christ. He came down as a small baby, with the world hoping He would crush the enemy. To some people, they were disappointed in that He died before sitting on the throne but this was the greatest victory. His dieing enabled us as sinners, to be saved from our sins and thus spend eternity in Heaven with our Savior. How can love be described in another perfect way? To God be the Glory! I pray we can spread the Love of Christ with the unconditional giving and just attitude of our very being.

I am going back in such a short time, Friday to be exact. However, I am looking forward to the chance to experience Togo and the many opportunities for teacher training there. I have enjoyed each moment in the states and will hold on to those cherished memories.

Merry Christmas!

Unexpected Stop

My long awaited journey to America finally started Saturday night as I borded a plane bound first for Nigeria, Istanbul, New York, and then Cincinnati. However, the plane leaving from Accra was late and we spent too much time in Nigeria which made for a late arribal in Instanbul. I didn't have much time to waste as it was but his didn't help, especially since we had to get our boarding tickets here. Yes, the inevitable happened and they wouldn't allow 6 of us on the plane, for who knows what reason. Some were upset but I have realized this gets you nowhere and it is better to stay. Okay, I did shed tears later, but they weren't hateful tears! Anyways, the airline decided my best bet was to wait until tomorrow to fly out. There was a later flight to New York but then I would be stuck in New York with no guarantee that things would work out for me.

The agreement wasn't such a bad deal as they put me up in a Marriot. I could have relaxed and enjoyed the room but thought it was a better idea to see the sights of Istanbul. Luckily, a free shuttle went into the old city part and I spent a few hours seeing mosques and looking through bazaars(markets.) There markets are just a little different then the ones in Ghana as well, they don't smell as bad, don't have flies everywher,e and really don't pressure you to buy things. They sell the most beautiful scarves, rugs, purses, and you name it. They did have fish, but it was a lot more fresh than Ghanaian markets and smelled better! I quite enjoyed taking in the Turkish culture despite the cold chilling me to the bone! Literally, my foot is still thawing out!I even had chestnuts roasted over an open fire which were quite delicious. Let the Christmas season begin! The city is surrounded with rolling hills as the houses follow the layout and they almost fall right into the sea which is a great seaport for the city. On the way back in my taxi, I even managed to learn the words for Thank You and Rain. Oh the useful things I learn.
Yes, this was not my ideal day as I would have rather been running into the arms of my parents but I must be thankful that the flights as I am still in one piece. I have had the opportunity to explore a new place and I would rather be stuck somewhere then harmed. God is good and although his plan seems far off from ours, He is always protecting us. I just pray we can see His blessings even when they seem like a curse.

How far are we willing to go?

I am behind in writing and so much has happened but I will try my best to explain how the Lord continues to be faithful here.







Last Tuesday at our teacher meeting, our principal talked about the controversy with Tim Tebow and how he is willing to take a stance for his faith in Christ. Wow, am I willing to stand up for my faith that much? Am I willing to act like a Christian all the time even when Ghana circumstances make it quite difficult? The last week and a half have been a little difficult but we praise the Lord that everyone is okay.







A week ago Thursday, I was in the middle of a spelling test when the alarm sounded for a fire drill. To be honest, I didn't know it was the fire drill alarm since sometimes the bell just gets stuck. Actually, it wasn't even a fire drill as a small room on the second floor had an electrical fire. The entire school spent an hour outside until we concluded that it was no longer possible to continue school. On top of that, we had to cancel school the following day because it was a national holiday, Farmer's Day, and if we didn't take it off we would be fine. Oh yes, on top of that, we also didn't have any water in the school so hand sanitizer was used plentiful that day! Oh the JOYS that happen on any given day in Ghana! Praise the Lord that noone was injured although major reconstruction of the electrical wiring was required. They should have called my mom and other ladies at the church who did ours!

On Saturday, we had our last soccer match. We ended up losing but really played well. They were actually passing on the ground and understood the decisions that we made. We must rejoice in the little things!

On Sunday, we went to Pram Pram for the last time this semester. That is the children's home that we take the high school and middle school students there to teach Sunday School. We had 19 kids and so many teachers! Everything went well and we even brought gifts for each student. The kids at school were in charge of bringing gifts for these children which was really amazing to join together as a school to bring Christmas to others. Our students still need to learn the importance of giving to others as they have so much.

On Tuesday, we celebrated Christmas with the kids on the street. If you have read my blog before, you would know that these are my joy! They are definitely like family and I am so thankful for their dirty hands, crooked smiles, and wild energy. We had 60 kids show up that night which is more than usual! What a praise but we did not have enough gifts for all of them. Needless to say, we had to make a raincheck on the flip flops and bibles for each family but the kids took it well. Fortunately, no everyone has bibles and flip flops as we went back to the market 2 extra times to get everything. These kids might not have much but they have hearts of gold and I am so thankful that we are able to support them. Thank you for my cousin who gave additional money towards this project.

Throughout the week, our kids at school were busy practicing for the Christmas Program. We loaded them all on a bus on Thursday and took them to the hotel to practice. Talk about a teacher nightmare! Actually, it went well and my kids behaved although I filled them with tons of fun papers to do. On the day of performance, we had a huge crowd, including Muslims and non-Christians. The Lord was working in the hearts of the people as God's message of redemption and love to all reigned loudly that night. One of the highlights was my second graders and the first graders with towels on their heads to simulate being sheep and others being very cute shepherds telling the sheep to pipe down. Also, the 8th grade class did a lively version of Oh Happy Day which stole the show. Each class had unique personality but it was a praised filled night for our Savior.

For the last week of school, I of course had to plan crazy activities for the time together. We spent sometime reading Flat Stanley, making crafts with the kindergarten students, and even making ornaments. I almost had a heart-attack on Tuesday when we were in the middle of making gingerbread cookies. They are such great bakers and can follow directions well but they shocked me when they asked what a cookie cutter was. I then took a poll and realized half of the class had never make cookies with cookie cutters before. This was a huge blow to me, just realizing that even these kids who have so much, miss out on the simple things of life. I tried to document as much as possible this important moment of kids cutting out cookies for the first time. I am sure my classroom was insane that afternoon(it's a wonder they still let me be a teacher) with my kids making their Flat selves and me in the back with kids rolling out salt dough ornaments and gingerbread cookies. It was tiring but a fun afternoon!

Wednesday brought new adventures to our kids as we went to the orphanage to make Christmas crafts with the kids. There is one boy there who is blind and mute. Two of my boys were paired with him which made them have a lot of questions but it was good for them to learn how to work with others who are different. One of the parents who came with us, told them how other senses are elevated when you lose one or two. It was cute, because they then passed on this information to other kids and were very proud of their new friend.

In the afternoon, we continued the fun by having parents come into the room for a party. My kids presented poems about the true meaning of Christmas, did Joy to the World in sign language, and each memorized a stanza of Twas the Night Before Christmas! It was definitely quite impressive. My kids then got to decorate the gingerbread cookies we made with their parents which was cute to see them all working together. I didn't have the turnout I was expecting but we still all had a good time. One of my parents' dad came which was a huge surprise sine the boy hadn't seen him since last April as he was working in another country. hat a blessing and a praise as the boy had voiced earlier to me how it was hard not seeing his father for a long time. I love each one of these students and am so thankful to be a listening ear for them but to also offer support when needed.

Our week finally ended on Thursday with a half day but I was still crazy enough trying to get the kids' flat Stanleys finished so they could take them during Christmas. We were missing some body parts at one point(sounds funny to say) as I had to cut them apart to fit in the laminator, but it all worked out. I miss my kids already but am thankful to be going home for the break. In fact, I still got to see one of my students today as he thought we had school. Oops!

Anyways, what a blessing it will be to see you all in person very soon! Please pray for my flight as I am going through Nigeria and Turkey. I am excited for the adventure! This has been a tough semester for various reasons, with tough decisions to be made, but it also has been exciting. God is teaching me how to trust in him more and more each day and I am thankful for that. God is good and will continue to show himself to me when the time is needed as long as I am patient.

Merry Christmas!

Pictures

These pictures are from the last 3 weeks of school. We made many lasting memories.

We made gingerbread cookies in class and I pretended to kick the dough. This created a lot of laughter!

One of my students mixing the dough for gingerbread cookies. We made great memories that day.

The kids love to decorate especially with feathers and pipe cleaners.

The newest reindeer to join Rudolph and his friends. They are quite talented kids.

No, this little sheep doesn't like hay but he does like to perform! My second graders and the first graders stole the show with their song "While Shepherds Walk their Flocks by Night"

Two of my kiddos waiting for their turn during the Christmas Program. They looked beautiful and did such a great job sharing the Good News of Christ.

This is our beautiful dirt, rock, sand, and trash soccer field. Our boys were playing their last game which they did remarkable. Two of my boys doing the three legged race during Field Day at school. They look really intense!

After Thanksgiving, two of my friends and I visited a new Christian school in the Volta Region. They are just starting out but God is doing an amazing work to offer a good education for children in desparate need of love and knowledge.

At the school and ministry, called City of Refuge, we had a large Thanksgiving dinner. The Ghanaians had their usual dishes plus they enjoyed having turkey, grean bean casserole, and rolls.

It was a great time celebrating our thankfulness.

Giving of Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating. No, Ghana does not celebrate Thanksgiving as this is an American Holiday but since we are an American school, we had the two days off as any typical American. I did teach this concept to my kids as you can see pictures up above. As we celebrated as a staff on Thursday amidst the bright sun and sweat pouring down my face, I thought more closely of the idea of Thanksgiving which I would rather term as giving of Thanks. We are suppose to thank God for the blessings He has given us but is just saying "thanks" enough? I believe that I can give thanks to the Lord through my praises to Him but also through my actions. The next time a kid calls my name at least a thousand times and I can calmly answer him or her back, I can give thanks to the Lord who constantly shows patience to me. When I have been wronged or hurt I can quickly forgive, giving thanks to the God who has forgiven my ultimate sins. When a friend or family member shows me grace and love no matter what, I can give thanks to the Lord who Loves me unconditionally. Giving of thanks must be constant and I must be aware of giving the Glory back to Christ instead of myself. Christ has shown me grace so many times, the least I can do is show grace to others, and ultimately giving the thanks back to God.

To celebrate Thanksgiving at school. I taught the kids about the Pilgrims and the helpful Native Americans such as Squanto through songs, short videos, and role playing. We did our annual making of Native American hats in which we wrote on the feathers ways to be thankful for God according to Psalms 103. This was followed by the third annual Thanksgiving celebration with the kindergarten students as we helped them make pilgrim hats. This was an extra special celebration as my current second grade students were the first class of kindergarten students to do this2 years ago. Most of them did not remember this party until I showed them a picture. At first they asked who the kids were and then I exclaimed, "you!" They were shocked as they were so tiny and cute, however they are still very cute!

On Wednesday, we had our annual Field Day where the PE teacher put together a day of activities for the entire school. I had the opportunity to hang out with team Burkina Faso for the day which insisted on a student from each grade. We started the day with making team chants which one of my soccer boys on my team informed me that having a second grade teacher while making up songs was a bad idea as I would just make up some cutesy, embarrasing song. I quite like my cutesy songs but I guess this isn't flattering to a ninth grade boy. The day went well and the PE teacher's hard work was definitely worth it. At the end of the day, the winning team got to shave the PE techer's head which was quite hilarious especially since they left the back of his hair long. On the way to practice that afternoon, the boys enjoyed telling all the passerbys about his ridiculous hair. The only bad part of the day was losing to the high school students in the faculty vs. teacher soccer game. Man, am I out of shape! I bet the boys that if we lost, they could run practice for the next two days. Unfortunately, their dream came true and we have spent many times doing push ups, for their sake!

On Friday, two of my friends and I traveled 2 1/2 hours on 4 trotros to make it to a children's home but thankfully the trip went smoothly. They rescue children from the Volta region who have been sold by their families to be used as slaves for the fishermen. These families do not have a lot of income so it is easier for them to sell some of their children. This couple is trying to stop that be putting in preventive measures like giving the families ways to sustain themselves so they do not sell their own children. They have rescued several already and they live with them in their own. This year, they have opened a school on land in which a chief gave them. They have 120 students with Ghanaian teachers and an American principal. The American is trying to instill proper teaching skills to the teachers instead of rote memorization. It has been a difficult task but they see much improvement which is great. I loved being at the school and just seeing how the Lord is providing the means to give these children a quality education and help these teachers learn better techniques. They said that one challenge is getting the teachers to use positive behavior enforcement instead of caning. In fact, at the last PTO meeting, the parents begged that they would cane their children at school which is the Ghanaian life and the parents said that they turned out well because of caning. However, this goes against the American way and thus they won't allow it. It is hard to change mindsets but you have to start somewhere. During the day, they had a Love Feast or their version of Thanksgiving. We helped cooked some but spent a lot of time hanging out with the kids before we all ate. Around 75 adults and 100 kids ate to their heart's content that day with still some left over. There were some American traditional Thanksgiving staples aside from the rice and fufu which the Ghanianas at least tried but not sure how much they enjoyed! Overall, the day was a successful and we are excited to partner with them in the future to help our own students see other ministries and a typical Ghanaian lifestyle. I am excited to find out more about how the lady does teacher training as I am still fact finding and in prayer over my whereabouts for next year. I am confident that the Lord will open the correct door at the right moment.

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

1 Chronicles 16:8


Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever

1 Chronicles 16:34


Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

1 Chronicles 29:13


Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise."
1 Chronicles 16:35


In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Many Hats to be worn

I am a teacher by trade but is that all my students and soccer players need? Do they only need someone to teach them how to read and how to add or subtract to digit numbers? I hope teachers do not see their role as that at all as we become mentors, nurses, parents, listeners, and a many more jobs that would take me all day to list! Do I mind wearing all these hats and juggling all these jobs? To be honest, sometimes it can be overwhelming, but I love being there for the students and helping in anyway possible to bring JOY to their life!

For example, on Friday we had a soccer game right after school. I was reminiscing how last year I could get 30 girls and boys out the door in 10 minutes and onto the bus. This year, it takes 4 of us to get 15 boys to the front door to run to our field. I am not sure the problem, but we love them just the same. Anyways, we were all ready to run there, when all of a sudden we noticed a player missing. I ran to find him and huffed and puffed my way up to the fourth floor where he was just chilling on the steps. He just needed time to relax and think through things. I have always been taught to deal with the immediate issues first so there we sat for a few minutes. I cannot expect this kid to play a soccer game if his mind is elsewhere and he needs to know I am not just thinking about needing him as a strong defender, but I care about him as an individual with feelings. Finally, he decided to change and after what seemed like forever, we were on our way. However, that was easier said than done as he got into an argument with one of the girls out in the parking lot but we made our way to the field, and tried to get him ready to play. I am so thankful for extra coaches this year for emergencies such as this one. We are realizing the importance of just caring for these boys rather than pressuring them to perform good soccer skills. They need to know they are lovedand we must provide for that need first. At the same time, it is difficult as they need discipline and need hard worth ethics.
Last Monday, I had a really good conversation with one of the soccer boys. He has been going through a hard time and through watching you tube videos of Barcelona with him, I asked him some pretty personal questions in which he responded. We just talked about how what he is going through isn't an excuse for not doing well in school, for his attitude, but it can explain a lot of it. He was shocked by this revelation as he did not realize that how he was performing in school was effected by the happenings at home. This led into a great conversation of how the Lord has freed us from worrying and although it is hard to give it up, we don't have to be in control of the situation and He will ultimately guide our paths. I then prayed for him and sent him on his way to sports study hall which was probably why he was in my room so he could skip. The Lord was definietly putting our conversation in place as this boy frequently stopped by my room earlier in the day for no major reason which he hadn't done in awhile. However, by Wednesday he was mad at me for something that happened at practice and wouldn't speak to me for 2 days but you know you just rejoice with the good days! Please pray for these kids, even 11th and 12th graders who are going through so much change and are just trying to find themselves. Please pray that they put their trust in God and God alone and that we will support them unconditionally.

My class is doing well and we are as crazy as ever! This week we have been learning about verbs so we have been chanting, "A verb, a verb, you do it, do it, do it." This wouldn't be fitting unless we danced to it which is hilarious. We even progressed to having them dance on the table on at a time, thank goodness noone walked by! Sometimes you just have to go over the edge to get a point across. They are teaching me about joy each and everyday and I am so thankful for each one of them. I overheard one of the boys telling another student that he would never be a teacher, especially a second grade teacher. When he was asked why, he responded, "ah, just look at this place!" At that point I started laughing and asked him what was wrong with this place. He just laughed too as we all knew it is a crazy classroom with a lot of personalities to handle but I have to keep telling myself that it is all worth it!

Saturday was a beautiful day as Josiah and I decided to take our street kids to the soccer field to just allow them to play. They were all elated by this and to my surprise, 16 kids showed up at my house before the meeting time of 9:30. Sometimes, the kids say they will do something but then never show up but they did this time. We then walked a good 10 minutes down a kind of busy street to our field. I am sure we were a sight with 16 Ghanaian children walking with one Obrunei! I was afraid we would cause an accident but we all made it there safely. We then played boys against girls at the field which although the girls were not in the play too often, I am pretty sure everyone had a good time. Half way through our game, about 14 more kids showed up, making it 30 kids. That is almost all of our street kids. Luckily they were mostly girls which helped us out! After playing for an hour, we picked up all of our water sachets, and tredged home with all of them, this time taking the back roads which was a little safer. It was pretty quiet as they were all exhausted. I hoped that they would be able to rest when getting home but some of them probably had to go back to working for their parents. It is quite funny how parents would allow strange obruneis to take them down the street and trust to bring them back. I guess they know me now and trust me, but at the same time, it is just a different mindset than in the states. As we were almost home, Josiah suggested singing songs so as we climbed over freshly cemented gutters we sang Jesus Loves Me Rock and Roll style and other kids club favorites while shopkeepers stared. We were having fun and that is all that mattered. We are hoping to do this again as it was a success. I have been thanful for this year as I really have had the opportunity to get to know these children and just allow them to hold my hand while walking down the street or give them hugs whenever needed. They are family and they know it.
My Saturday continued with a chance to meet with two men from the home office of FIM(Fellowship International Mission). They were visiting a missionary couple in their mission whichvI think had talked about last week. I had a really good time hearing about the mission and learning about possibilities where I could become a member of this mission organization. During this time, they interviewed me since I am not able to go to their home office. The missionary couple sat in during this time which I didn't mind as I already feel like they are family only after interacting with them twice before. I was asked some pretty personal questions but I felt very honest with them all, as if they were family. It was such a joyful occassion and I appreciated the interaction with them. I now need a location in which to start my ministry. I feel like my idea is pretty vague and crazy at times, but the Lord keeps putting it on my heart, and I can't overlook his perfect plan. I don't know all the details, but I do know that in the Lord's timing He will open the right doors. Please pray for my decision as I need to decide by after Christmas if I will stay at the school or pursue going with FIM. The scariest part is raising the money as I will not be able to come back to Ghana and begin my work until I raise 100% of the funds. Even now writing this, it is scary thinking I will never have make my own salary for the rest of my life, or I am leaving the comfort of a stable job, but the Lord does not always call us to be comfortable. I know that if He wants me to pursue teacher training for local schools, He will be there each step at a time.

May God richly bless your Sunday!

Climb Higher

I find myself in my room past midnight after eating a large Lebanese meal from a family at school. My parents and sister know this family well as they were also blessed to enjoy the ladies excellent Lebanese cooking. We are blessed by these generous families in our school but eating at 10:30 at night does become exhausting! Anyways, I am still awake and ready to process the week that the Lord graciously gave us! The week started with a day off on Monday. Usually days off should be taken to relax but we take it as an opportunity to travel somewhere! Kim, Josiah, and I took a trip to Boti Falls. Since our trip to Togo worked out so well last time, we figured we were all good traveling partners, ha! Anyways, a teacher at our school had her husband take us half of the way to his village where we boarded a trotro for the rest of the journey. While standing there waiting for the trotro, a man asked me to go into his chambers(stand next to him.) I refused but he got Kim to go over and then was asked to marry him. I told him that the bride price was too high! Anyways, during this excitement, a little Ghanaian boy was screaming because of the sight of white people which can be pretty blinding! He began to scream again when we got on the trotro so they sat him on Kim's lap to calm him down. we thought this would be for a second but alas he stayed there for the entire 1 1/2 ride! He did become quite content and even fell alseep. Only in Ghana would you put a kid on a complete stranger's lap. We finally arrived at the falls and began our journey to the top of the hill, there really aren't any mountains here, to "mushroom rock." While we were climinb, I kept looking back at the spectacular view. Every step I took up, the view became better and better. I couldn't help but think of our relationship with Christ. We are enjoying life and thinking the view is great. However, the more we begin to trust on God and allow him to control every step, the view or life becomes more spectacular. The close we become to Him, the more we realize how much life is better when we are relying on Him and Him alone. I feel like this is so true in my life right now. I know nothing about tomorrow but Christ holds it in his hands and that is sufficient. God is enough! After viewing the surrounding countryside and the powerful waterfall, we decided to start walking back until a trotro passed. Trotros passed but they were all full so we walked for and 1 and 15 minutes wondering if we had missed the turn. I kept praying that the Lord would give us clarity if we had gone too far and sure enough he did when guys stopped us and told us we were lost and went too far! God is good though and got us back on track even allowing us to cool off during our walk with some large drops of rain! We made it back that evening and it was just around 8 oclock which was good considering school was in the morning!

I love my beautiful students and I am thankful for their love! Some days we are crazy and loud but we love to have a good time! We listen to music while working, take off our shoes for tests, and say everything extremely loud. Pretty much, what could be better? One of my little girls prays the most elegant prayers. One of them went at the end, "Lord, as for me and my family and my friends' house, we will serve you, as it says in your holy word." She is definitely listening tot he sermons and picking out the important parts! She prayed for those that didn't know Christ that they would know that he died on the cross for their sins and that we would tell others about Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than a little child on fire for God! A random comment said by a student went like this: one boy, "my aunt is expecting a baby." another boy: how many?" the first boy," I think one or two." Oh man they are hilarious!

This week proved to be a struggle in some ways as I am trying to figure out next year. Last year I was at peace with not knowing but this week wasn't as simple. I have a lot of emotions about everything but I am confident that the Lord will guide my steps! Today I went with a missionary family to their children's home. The children all have some life threatening disease and some thankfully are being adopted from families in the states. I was able to meet a mother who is bringing a beautiful girl back to the states with her tomorrow. The 2 year old is HIV positive but such a joy to all. There are mostly babies at the children's home except for a 9 year old girl with sickle cell anemia. She has hardly had any schooling because all of the kids made fun of her for her bloated stomach or the fact that with a diseased liver, being pushed could kill her. She was living in Kumasi(5 hour drive from Accra) with an uncle until he decided he could no longer take care of her. He set her in a taxi all by herself and sent her back to Accra, giving the taxi driver only the address of where the mother should have been. Needless to say, the sick girl was dropped off with noone around and was sent to the hospital. Luckily, this missionary family is friends with the social worker and quickly rescued her. There are so many stories like this of how neglected children just need love. I met with the house parents who have a ministry to refugee children from Northern Ghana in the Yam market. I will be going with them tomorrow to see how the Lord can use me in this capacity. I am excited to meet these beautiful children.

One last thing that has changed quickly in the last 48 hours. Due to my grandfather's health, I have decided to go back to America for Christmas. I don't have a plane ticket yet and praying for a miracle in an awesome price but the Lord will provide! I like staying in Ghana for Christmas and had committments to help with but I know this is the right decision. I am excited to see family and friends but at the same time I have skipped the last two Christmas's in the states and I am a bit nervous. I have forgotten about Christmas decorations, or every store decked out, or lights or well there are still other things I have forgotten about! Oh yeah, not to mention the freezing cold! I don't even have a long pair of pants here nor a sweater! I am practically going to freeze to death and that is no joke! I do have some reservations as it will definitely be a culture shock but the Lord will get me through this. I will only be staying for around 2 weeks as I need to go to Togo to assist our principal with teacher training workshops. I am excited for this opportunity as this is a passion of mine and I am praying that it will give me more insight on what the Lord has in store for me next. Please continue to pray that the Lord will make His will clear to me in His timing and not my own.

I pray that you can all have a restful Sunday soaking in God's goodness.

Love is....

My awesome boys during character dress up day at the bouncy castle to celebrate reading month. We had a blast jumping up and down. What learning? Who needs that when you are having pure fun!

What happens when you give a student a camera during an ice cream party? This is proof! During our ice cream party, my kids posed with the gym teacher who was dressed as Huck Finn. Josiah had fun chewing on grass all day!

Do you think the ice cream is good? It has to be eaten fast as it melts so fast!

Boys just want to have fun!

The cutest version of Amelia Badelia that I have ever seen!

This week I was challenged to read 1 Corinthians 13. Yes, I am familiar with this chapter as the "love chapter" but it was such a great reminder of what love really looks like. After reading this chapter, I realized the depth of love that God shows me and I must show others constantly. I am so thankful that God's love is unconditional!

Friday was a crazy day as the kids could dress up as their favorite book character. I dressed up as the kid in "If you take a mouse to school" and carried around a mouse with a lunch box. One in first grade was pinochio with a hand made cardboard nose that culd extend and detract. The kids had a blast dressing up and sharing their books with the class. We also celebratred the close of reading month with our annual bouncy castel extravaganza. Once we jumped all the sillies out, we filled up with ice cream. My kids were put in charge of helping the other grades but they had the most fun taking pictures with my camera. They were posing and on the run way during some of the time but they were having fun and taking artistic licensing to the next level. I promise we learn something at school! Well sometimes, we learn something at school but just not on crazy fun Fridays!

Saturday was spent visiting our friend Gomer and his buddies who sell onions. They have nothing but are affectionate as they sit all together drinking nescafe and trying to read. Josiah and I will try to go more frequently to teach reading to the guys who are intelligent but just need someone to spend time with them. We are learning a lot from these guys like the importance of just being and showing your availability. It is hard for me to just be instead of doing but the Lord calls us to love all and meet their needs. Their need might just be a listening ear and thus I will do just that! Please pray that we have more opportunities to get to know these guys and share God's love with them through our reading.

This past week I was challenged to

In the area but on the wrong road

Josiah and I are pros now at lining the field with lime powder and a water bottle. Who needs hand dandy equipment to line a field? Actually I found it quite relaxing.

This is one of my favorite faces as he was acting out the solution to a story read and pretending to be a girl. There is never a dull moment in class!

Josiah and a girl in my class whose parents work at the school. We had our annual watermelon carving party and they turned out great. This time even included the girls wearing their broken watermelons on their heads. Needless to say, they had to take a bath before bed or the ants would be all over them!

Today's event are behind the title as a friend of mine and I went to visit a man from church. He moved here two years ago after living sometime in Niger to help boys from Niger who sell onions. He has just opened his house to them and allows them to make themselves at home as they learn how to read. On the way there, the taxi driver misunderstood, well and I didn't give the best of directions, so we eneded up going way out of our way! We figured we could just walk back to the place but unfortunately took the wrong turn and wandered around the area for an hour, passing the US embassy atleast 4 times! This reminded me of our relationship with Christ. We are in the neighborhood with God, know how to follow Him, but yet don't ask Him for directions to fall at his feet and into His warm embrace. We wasted so much time and missed out with Gomer and His beauitful boys that need the Lord due to being lost. How much time do I miss out with Christ because I try to do it my way and don't rely enough on God. If I ran right to God, I would spend longer in his glory. God is good and learning more about his Grace each day!

You've Been Joyed!

Alright, a random title but it makes sense once I tell you a little glimpse into life as a teacher. Of course we are always working hard and fulfilling our duties to love on the kids but sometimes you just have to have a little fun yourself. As I might stress at least once a month, my theme in life is Having the Joy of the Lord and I try to remind myself of this along with other good friends at school which sometimes they don't appreciate! The business manager, sometimes doesn't want to be reminded of this and he told me this on Monday which kind of hurt my feelings even though I knew he was kidding. The kindergarten teacher and I thought we should not allow him to forget JOY so we wrote JOY on tons of small pieces of paper and threw them all over his office, in his desk drawers, and in folders while he was out of the room. We then waiting impatiently for him to discover the JOY which didn't take too long. At first he was mad at the cleaner and though she had thrown paper all over the place until he started seeing the word JOY and somehow he automatically knew who it was. When he walked in, we were trying to cover up our laughter but we were having a hard time with this! Yes, we teachers are working hard, but when a fellow colleague needs a little help with JOY, you have to help them out.

Sorry, that took a long time to write that but it was quite hilarious. God has proven himself many gracious and loving many times this week as he always does. I was struggling with something in my head and a friend reminded me of the importance of loving all and showing that love to all even in difficult times. This woken me up to my own sin and weaknesses and gave me the strength to pray for all people in my life. God is not a far distant God but one right here who hears our cries and wants to wrap us in his arm. I am learning how to go to Christ first with difficulties even when they seem small. God is better than we can imagine!

A special time of the week that I love with my kids is chapel where we just sing praises to the Lord! We can be undignified before him and just jump up and down with thanksgiving. My kids are definitely showing me how to love the Lord more each day as they really do have child like Fath. What a tremendous blessing they are in my life! One of the girls said, "I love Christmas time because it is all about Jesus!" Wow, usually kids talk about the presents! Another kid started his prayer with, "In Jesus' Name Amen, Dear God." It was hilarious and we were trying not to laugh but he really was sincere about it. My kids love Bible and soaking up God's word and I am so thankful to take this time to share how much Christ loves them and how he died for their sins. On Friday, their journal topic was to answer the question if they would rather be rich and lonely or poor and happy. I got some interesting answers but one girl nailed it on the head that it is better to be poor and have God than to be rich. She didn't quite understand all of it but knew she had learned this in church. We then had the opportunity to talk as a class about how it isn't bad to have money but we have to use it for the glory of God who blessed us. Anything of ours, is all from him!


This happened a week ago Friday but well worth blogging about! A week ago Friday, we had a day off so we thought the perfect way to spend that time was to go to Togo! Yes, Togo is a skinny county to the east of us and we have never been so thought it was worth the stamp in our passport. We are still asking ourselves if it was worth going but it was fun being with friends and going on a new adventure! Ghana is definitely good for adventures! We arrived at the trotro station quite early and an hour later at 7:30 we finally left the station since we have to wait for it to fill up. This is always a fun game to see who will get in the trotro and how long it will take. Actually an hour, isn't horrible! We set off going east and waiting four hours to see the bright blue ocean just beyond the goldish sand. The road at this point rocked us back and forth in the roomy back bench but we eventually made it to the small town just by the border. At this point, we set out on a waiting adventure as we had to wait to renew our visa which had expired a week ago. We finally cross the border which required us walking through this delapidated building, such a funny border crossing! Right inside togo we stepped up to this veranda where two guys were sitting behind a bench. They asked to see our visa and we said we wanted to get it there. They said we would have to go back to Accra to get one which we obviously couldn't do. I talked in the little French that I remembered and finally got it straightened out for us to pay. There were so many miscommunications and he almost kicked us out several times or wouldn't talk to us but finally he did the paperwork slowly and then walked our applications across the street and then back again. The name of the game this day was patience, lots of patience. Finally, inside Togo, we realized we didn't have too much time before we had to head back. We wandered the streets by the beach and noticed some changes right away. The main road on this side was paved and more motorcycles inhabited the roads as these are taxis. My mother would be bummed to know I didn't ride on a motorcylce taxi but we definitely had offers. It was fun using my French to get around and things started coming back to me as I needed them. One peculiar thing we saw was small minnows on the sidewalks. I am not sure why they were there, but there was large groups sporadically on the walkway which made tiptoeing so much fun! We finally decided to go down by the beach which was gorgeous and pretty clean. After Josiah went in, we were convinced to go in as well and even changed in a pretty clean bathroom! We must be magnetic because as soon as the locals saw three white people, they came to the attraction and had to swim right next to us even though there was a huge stretch of open beach. The smart college graduates that we are, moved our bags so they were closer to us but then a large wave came up and got our bags soaked. I was the only one that saw them and tried to stop it but unfortunately the ocean is much more powerful than I am which reminds me so much of God. While we were assessing the damage and our wet, sandy clothes, locals came by and somehow during the conversation with them, they took Kim's camera. If that wasn't bad enough, somehow after that, they took her phone but she was watching it the whole time. It was the most bizzare thing! We decided at that point to head back to our beloved Ghana and had no problems getting back across where things are computerized and don't take all day. Josiah was grabbed by a trotro driver to get on their trotro to Accra and away we went. Four hours later, we arrived back in the city after watching the sun set across the flat, African plain full of tall ant hills and green foliage, and picking out constellations in the bright starlit sky. Overall, it was worth it although I probably won't do it again for awhile at least.


Saturday proved to be a beautiful day in many ways. I began the day by touching up the lined soccer field with lime powder and cut in half water bottle. I found it quite relaxing and might have to make it a regular activity. Anyways, our soccer boys showed up fairly on time for our soccer match against Jack and Jill which we have tied once and lost twice to last year. It definitely proved to be an interesting as we started with a goal right off the bat. One of my midfielders chipped it up to the forward which beautifully headed into the goal. You can't get much better than that. Sorry, for those non-soccer fans out there who might find this boring but details are important! Anyways, the other team came back and scored but we kept up a nice pattern of scoring and then having them score until we reached 6-5 us and finally held it until the end. We kept telling them to stop allowing them to score but guess that advice didn't work. I was really proud of the boys though because one of my backs scored a beautiful goal and some of the newer players played pretty well. They are learning and starting to play more as a team. We still have room to improve but we will get there slow but surely!

Overall, God is continually showing me patience and falling on my face waiting for an answer. We must be ready to hear the Lord call us instead of running away from his feet. I pray that you will find comfort in the Lord and have an opportunity to share Joy to all you pass!

How Great Thou Art

Well I think the title pretty much sums up everything you need to know so there isn't any reason to keep writing! That is my blog and I hope you enjoyed!

Alright, I was kidding, but seriously with the words "How Great Thou Art" what more can be said? We sang this song at church today and I am so thankful for the reminder that nothing can separate us from Jesus because He is Great and Mighty! I need this daily reminder!

Last Sunday we traveled again to Pram Pram to teach Sunday School. All of the kids were back to start school and they were praising Jesus with all their might! I love their heart for God even with worries of their own. We had 13 kids from school go and they did a great job teaching the parable of the mustard seed. We even planted seeds but then the kids drowned them with water and made mud soup. Oh well, you can only do so much with them! This is so good for are kids who have so much to give to others.

At school, Monday started with one of the girls praying that if people didn't know God, that God would bring them to their knees infront of them and they would accept Him as their Savior. I am not doing her prayer justice but it was so eloquently said for a 6 year old. Praise the Lord! This month is reading month so the kids are reading every chance they get! Reading the bible counts as double minute reading so they have all been sitting there reading the bible. I am not sure all that they understand but it is so cute to watch them trying to read the words. Some wanted to know where it talked about Jesus and others wanted to know if there was a Hannah in the bible since we have one in class. Good conversations have come from this and I am thankful for every chance. I just pray that the Lord will put it on my heart to share every chance I get!

I am loving my kids even though they are crazy like me! Last week, my principal walked in and we had sticky notes all over us as we were learning possessive nouns. On my eye, was a sticky note that said Miss Sop's eye. He wasn't quite sure what to think but then the kids started putting sticky notes on him that said Mr. Crosby's shirt. It was hilarious and he quickly shut the door on our madness! One day, I had a student who I stuck out in the hallway to finish work. However, I could hear him still whistling in the hallway and then I looked down and found his shoes still at his desk. Oh well, whatever works! We have been learning about community helpers this week so whenever they see another teacher or security guard the say, "hello community helper." It makes me feel like maybe they are learning something but as I learned in church today, I must not keep the praises to myself but give the glory to God! On Friday, a teacher came to me saying there was a Korean student with a hard contact stuck in their eye. I am the only one with hard contacts so I left him with my kids which were reading their "fake excuses for being late to school" on a chair infront of the class. I am sure he thinks we are ridiculous as well, oh well. Anyways, as you know, a Korean's eye does not open much as it is especially when it is irritated. I kept looking for it in the eye but then was told that it was still on the eye, oops! I then showed her how to pop the contact out without using the suction cup. Praise the Lord, it worked after I prayed as I was nervous about it! I am thankful that the Lord constantly reminds me of being faithful in Him with just the little things. I didn't do much but noone else knew how to get a hard contact out. Thank you Lord that you use our experiences and knoweledge in little ways to help others.

On Saturday, we had our first soccer game. The fun started early as Daniel my guard helped us line the field. We just used a tapemeasure and a cutless to mark the spots. Then they used lime powder in a plastic bottle to shake it on the tape measure in a line. I love how things are done in Ghana. They are efficient in what they do even though it isn't the easy ways we have in America. Sometimes we are so use to convenience, that we don't know how to do anything inventive! Of course the other teams was more than a half hour late even though they kept telling me they were a couple of minutes away. You have to love Ghanaians and their time management! I shouldn't complain because I am turning into that! Anyways, the first four minutes were great as we scored but it went all down hill after that. It was definitely a learning experience for us all. I know we will get better though. I do love these boys and they know it. Earlier in the week, some of the boys came in my room saying there was a new kid who was a keeper. They told him I was there mom at school and if he needed anything they could come to me. I felt honored and it reminded me of how much I need to show them love even when it is hard. However, they will take advantage of me if I am not careful. It is a fine line but learning the balance.

After the game, I rushed to the tutoring which is a highlight of my week. The mom asked if I had had lunch since she knew I was at the game so she made me French Toast which was so cute! I just feel loved here and part of the family as we sit on the ground next to a coffee table doing work. I have been convicted though to share Christ more with this family so please pray that I will find ways to show them the Love of Christ and that we could have conversations in broken English since I don't know Japanese.

I pray that you can can all find comfort in the Lord this week!

At Your Feet

I am probably sure that I have titled a blog this last year but I just can't get enough of this concept. There are moments when there is nothing else to do but lay flat on your face at the Savior's feet and just wait and listen. Yes, this can be difficult, but I have found it so refreshing everytime. I have the tendency to share my problems or frustrations with others first but I have just been reminded repeatedly of how important it is to bring praises and concerns to the Lord. Today I spent time just sprawled out on my bed praying aloud which was a glorious time with my Savior. What an amazing fact that he hears us all at the same time! I cannot even fathom all of his goodness and mercy but I am thankful for every bit that he gives me! I pray that you can find time to just fall at your Father's feet and worship him undignified and openly. I know I need to do it more often so I am refreshed for each moment.

I am trying to think of random moments from this past week. Well, in the middle of phonics, for some reason I started making glasses with my eyes where you flip your hands around while making a circle with your thumb and middle finger. We have tried this before but not many could do it then. However, we taught everyone to do it and clapped each time someone else learned the talent! I was like great, you are going to go home and tell your parents the craziest things at school! One of my kids said, "Yeah, last time I went home and said mom look what I learned at school! I learned how to make glasses with my hands." That is right ladies and gentleman, parents are paying thousands of dollars at a fin American school so their second grade students can learn how to make glasses with their hands! I think I should get the teacher of the year award! I do pray that learning is going on and I have seen it happening as they share with their parents or me the different skills we have been drilling in our heads. Yes, some days we take 10 very large leap backwards but we then start hopping towards our goal. I am loving my kids and the time with them. In this time, I need to be intentional of sharing Christ with them and just how much they are loved by me and especially by Christ. On Monday, we ran out of water at the school which made it interesting in the bathrooms. Right at the end of lunch, the clouds opened and it began to downpour! One of my precious students said,"Miss Sopcisak, God allowed it to rain so we would have water at our school." Amen! I love the faith of a child which has taught me so much on how to praise the Lord for every blessing even sudden rainfall!

On Friday, one of my parents organized a "meet and greet" with other parents. I only had about 6 parents show up but this was still a great time to get to know them better and share wonderful moments that have been happening in the classroom. The parents were talking about how thankful they are for the school and how their child is loved for each day and are taught important Christian values. I loved hearing this as it gave me a renewed purpose for teaching as I do have the opportunity to share Christ with these children everyday and impact their families. Please pray for the families in my classroom as they would bond as a family unit and grow closer to Christ.

Today, Saturday, I finally spent sometime with the kids on the street reading with them. I am still trying to teach the alphabet to several of them and we are getting there slow but surely. These children are just starving for attention and love and of course I love showing it! I spoil them with stickers and cookies and such but they are worth it. They were so quiet just taking in the pictures of the books and trying to sound out the words. These children do not have much to do so it is nice to be able to offer them so harmless, educational fun. Please pray that we will conitnue to be able to share God's gospel with the children on the street and they would listen.

Enjoy your week falling on your face infront of your Savior and Lord! Try not to give yourself a broken nose or too many bruises!

Throw it off and run!

It is always a beautiful day for a marathon even in the rain. Actually this is a better day for a marathon in Ghana as it isn't as hot!

Here comes the obruneis amongst the Ghanaians! You can see me head popping out!

We are ready to run after receiving out t-shirts with the thousands of others! It was fun running with our fellow Ghanaians!

The girls having a good time during our game day compliment party.

The boys are playing a serious game of uno! Actually they were struggling but having fun nonetheless.

Here is the beautiful cake we made with beautiful children!

One of my girls reading to the kindergarten students. It is funny as my mannerisms while reading are rubbing off on them!

Here is our chefs busy helping me make the cake!

This past Wednesday was a holiday to mark the birthday of the first president when Ghana became an independent nation. We just celebrate having a random day off at school but this year we decided to be a part of the community and run half of the annual marathon. Let me just tell you that this was definitely a Ghanaian event and worth the 5 cedis to partake in this festivity even though I am still very sore. The day began at 5 when we arrived at a place to get our t-shirts that we had to wear while running. There were many people lined up around this roped off area and we waited there for awhile until they finally began to give away the shirts. A man on the intercom kept saying, remain calm and stay in the premise but once people got shirts, they ran to the start line. I must say we were out numbered with all the Ghanaians but this was okay as I just love being a part of the culture. Once getting our shirts, we were quite the spectical and many tv stations wanted interviews which Josiah partook in one of them. The morning just got even better at the start line as there was many celebrations going on in Ghanaian fashion. Some men were on top of truck beds dancing and singing while others were jumping around and trying to get ready as the rain faithfully came down. The people were a sight to see as some we wearing short shorts as others were wearing pants. Some had normal tennis shoes on while others had flat converse shoes, flip flops with socks and a rope tied around their ankle, holy socks, or nothing on their feet at all. This seemed awful for running conditions but alas we are in Africa and that is just what they do! Of course we were popular and everyone wanted to come up to shake our hands and wish us good luck. Well, they offered that to the two guys with me but fortunately I was asked for my phone number! Never a dull moment being a white girl in Ghana as everyone wants to get to know me even during a marathon! At the least unexpected moment, a gun went off and we all just started running with a mob of green shirts lining the usually crowded streets. We finally settled into a pace and then managed to run for the next 2 1/2 hours. The view was quite scenic as we passed the ocean, towns, outskirt neighborhoods, and even the large Makola market. My time was never dull either as every guy I passed quickly started running since they didn't want to be beat by a girl! It was neat towards the end of my running as more people start to cheer for me as they surprisingly watched a white girl run by them, I guess that doesn't happen every day! They said at one point that I was the 5th girl but we only wanted to run half of it so we stopped with 9 miles to go. I must say that I do not want to run a marathon all the time but the experience was something else, as it was such a Ghana moment with all the celebrating and unorganization of it all. I do love this crazy place and am blessed to be here.





The rest of the week went well at school although the kids were crazy with having Wednesday off. On Tuesday, we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to practice writing out directions in sequential order. They loved this so much as many of the kids had never had a pbj! I know, who knew this was possible but it is true! They were so impressed and loved the taste of it. One of the girls said she went home and tried to make it but they didn't have any of the ingredients so she just made up her own. They just thought it was so cool and the americans in class were like this is a staple food!


Friday was a big day in class as we made a cake in the morning and then had a party in the afternoon for our good behavior in special classes. They were definitely wound up but did such a good job with the cake. I love doing fun activities with them and I promise learning is taking place! During our party, we played board games which was quite amusing to take part in. I was playing the Dutch version of Guess Who with an American boy who was trying to get me to guess his guy, easy for me! At the same time, I was monitoring the little bickerings over the princess items for a girls game, and watched the boys totally botch up the game of Uno. For the most part they were all having fun so that is all that matters.





Lately, I have been feeling like I don't do enough for God while in Ghana and just get caught up in school things or just hangning out with friends. I know I don't have to "do" for God but yet just be in His presence and be led by the Holy Spirit but I just haven't felt like i was doing the Lord's work as much. Today, God faithfully and graciously showed me His truths today as I started my Saturday morning with a usual run. On the way back, I met a lady I use to talk to more often and we are going to get together tomorrow. Then the kids on the street spotted me and I spent time playing "empe" with them which is a clapping and jumping game which I am not very good at all. They love playing it with me because they spend the whole time laughing at me. Later in the day, I played some soccer with the boys at school and just said hi to some kids on the street which lit up their faces. God is constantly reminding me that it is not the large items in life that count for doing something for God. God wants us to be faithful to Him in every situation no matter how great or smalland a smile can go a long way. God provided in such a way that was needed so I can realize how to stay strong and do the normal routines which can result in measurably large things!





Tonight just for fun we had a black and white party! This consisted of us eating pasta and blackened chicken, and plenty of black and white desserts. Of course we had to wear black and white which went well with my red body(oops burnt myself today in the hot African sun!), and we watched Casablanca as our black and white movie. Once again, we are the queens at planning random parties but is sure is fun.

In really random news, they opened a KFC not far from our church. We have been there twice and it actually is pretty good and even real fast food! I mean fast food like it comes within minutes! They sometimes run out of chicken and don't have all the same things like in America but hey it is Ghana!




Running in the race this week reminded me of Hebrews chapter 12.

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," Hebrews 12:1 I just pray that we can take away all the hindrances in our way and just run straight to the arms of Jesus and keep on running until he comes back! Amen!

s

I

Rays of Hope and Promises

Here are my kids leading chapel! There are so many of them but they did a great job praising the Lord!

This is just a random picture of my class but you can see them all trying to sit before lunch. Key word: trying! We do have a good time in my bright orange, you need your sunglassess, room.

One of my students reading to a kindergartener during reading buddy time. I think they look quite comfortable in my chair!

Some of the kids are practicing their reader's theatre script. Aren't they so happy looking?

This is random but they are acting out their play with quite the emotion!

As I am writing this, the sun is pouring in through my window, reminding me that life is in full throttle out in beautiful Africa. The squatters have already carried their water buckets from someone's house and trash has been emptied. The majority of Ghnaians are now decked out in their Sunday best(not sure how they stay so clean!) and are on their way to worship Christ for at least 4 hours! Alas, here I am still in bed but will be getting dressed shortly. I think it is important to remember my fellow Ghanaian brothers and sisters who work so desperately hard just for a small meal. It is a rough life and it is easy to take mine for granted even when I am in Africa. I have been reminded this week that in everything we must lift up our voices to the Lord so he may direct our paths and He will. I pray that all of us can find the hope and promises that God gives us each day, the ones as promises as the rays bringing sunshine and heat or of a parent giving comfort and support. Standing in the paths of God's rays must be the place to be.

Soccer officially started this week with only 2 kids last Monday. There is definitely change and some of the boys do not life this but it will get better. We must now run to the field which takes 15 minutes but this is a good workout for the boys even though they dislike it with a passion! I have thoroughly enjoyed practice as I don't have to run the whole thing! Who knew this was possible? I just sit back, let them do all the yelling at the kids, and I just instruct. I do have more of a voice left by the end of the week which is a definite bonus! I am still trying to establish a league which is proving to be more difficult but welcome to Ghana! The plan this week is to get a finalized list of teams but again Ghana time is different than my time! I just want the best for these boys even though they have a hard time seeing it or don't want to work hard for it. It will come, but it is a process in teaching them hard work efforts and how to work as a team.

I received another new student this week and am now up to 16! This is the most I have ever had which is still half than what my sister has so I shouldn't complain. This little one doesn't speak too much English as he is from Benin who speak French. He is very active and I know he will pick up quickly. It has been fun having more French students in the classroom as I have been throwing out words here and there even though I am really rusty! The amazing part is he actually understands me! There are some words that I can say to him in French and then he understands it in English which is a blessing. My brain though is having difficulty as I first want to speak Twi before French and then when someone asks me in English, I want to speak French. It is so confusing but a fun challenge! One of my precious students on Friday prayed for the new student that he would learn English quickly and understand the langugage. It was so cute and they do look after each other fairly well. We also led chapel this week which you can see the pictures above. The sound was working half the time but such is life and you move on. They did a play on the plagues that the Egyptians endured and it was quite humorous as my Pharoah was yelling No into the mike which he probably didn't need in the first place. I had very large frogs hopping by, hungry locust that seem to gobble up the paper hail stones, and very sick animals. This class had never done a play before during chapel but they handled themselves very well. I do love my class as they keep me on my toes but this keeps me young although one of them thought I was 80!

Keep rejoicing in the Lord in all you do!