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!
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!
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