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!