Early Christmas Present

Brittany, myself, Faith, and Kim at the beach with the high schoolers after teaching at Pram Pram. Yes, windy but beautiful! My beautiful kids performing at the Christmas concert. I was so poud of them!

Myself and two of the students before the concert. The boy looks thrilled to be in the picture with me right? The girl is to busy coloring! Oh well! They are all so unique and I can't believe a semester has already gone by with them. I miss them already and can't wait to teach again(did I really say that?) as I am forgetting how to teach!

These are all of my kids on the last day before Christmas break with their flat people.

Brittany and I on Brittany's first trotro ride. The first of plenty of other trotro rides!

This present wasn't late due to the postal service or Ghana issues. This present arrived on time and couldn't have come a minute sooner. Alright I won't keep you guessing any longer. My friend Brittany from college came to visit and we are enjoying each moment together! She arrived last Saturday in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas program. When I went to pick her up, I got a taxi out of the airport because I knew it would be cheaper. Then I had him wait for us. However, Brittany's plane was a little late and by the time we got outside, the driver was gone. It was definitely not what I needed at the moment as I had to get to the Christmas program but a great welcome of Ghanian culture! The security guard found us one but then a huge argumet broke out which we could not understand. Supposedly our taxi driver was illegal and they would not let him out of the airport. As they continued arguing, I grew impatient as I had somewhere to be and this was not leaving a great impression on Brittany. As always, God answers prayers and takes care of us in stressful situations. As we were arguing with the taxi and the airport security while trying to take our luggage out, a family from the school saw us who were just dropping off a friend at the airport. The girl plays soccer so I know her pretty well. Thankfully, they stopped and offered us a ride home. What a blessing as God is faithful in his timing! How can we never praise God when he makes stressful times disappear in such a huge way as that was certainly not a coincidence. Needless to say, we rushed home and quickly got read so we could leave for the Christmas program. The program was where we normally have it although we couldn't use te larger room so we were crammed into a smaller one. My kids had to sit outside and wait for their turn but luckily I brought papers for them to color! You always have to be one step ahead of them! Despite the crowdedness of the event, God's message of sending his son as a baby to die for our sins was beautifully presented. I just pray that all of the families present thought about this message a little deeper as it is my prayers that everyone will come to the realization that Christ is the true meaning of life and is the only Savior of the World.

Well, I didn't give Brittany anytime to rest as we went to Pram Pram the very next day where we lead Sunday School at the Children's home once a week. I love this place so much as the children are so sweet and they worship the Lord with all their might. Voices are lifted up to the Lord and dance joyfully infront of the Lord. The high schoolers that went with us did a good job presenting the Christmas story to the kids and we spent the rest of the time making a nativity scene. It was fun to watch our high schoolers getting down at the kids level and coloring with him. It is such an unique opportunity for our AIS kids to put theirselves aside and reach out to love on kids who are relly a blessing from God and really need personal love. Brittany of course attached right onto the kids and they loved her right back as they gave her a bracelet they had made. It was so fun having Brittany here as we both have a passion for children and Africa.

Brittany was a real trooper as I had my last week of school. I can't believe the first semester is already finished! I have taught for three semesters and I still have no idea how I know what to teach everyday but I do know that the Lord sustains me and gives me the knowledge and stength to engage these developing minds. Praise the Lord for his direction! It was a fun week with the kids as we did activities geared towards Christmas although I still made them work quite a bit. I know, what a Scrooge I am but I think I blended work and play in together. I had been wanting to read Flat Stanley and do an activity with it but I had to do it in forward motion as it came a week before our break. Flat Stanley is about a boy who gets flattened by his bulletin board and even mails himself to friends house because it is cheaper than a plane ticket. The kids had a good time reading this book and we even made our on Flat People. The students are required to take them on holiday with them and take pictures of all of their travels together. They are also suppose to journal about these times. I pray that the students to this assignment as it will be fun to see the creativity and imagination of what their "flat people" did over Christmas. I loved watching the kids make their flat people as they all showed themselves in different ways. We had very large flat people to very smal and skinny people with extremely long legs. Each one of my kids is very unique and I love them to express their own personality through their work. It was a blessed week especially having Brittany in the classroom as she was such a tremendous help with all the kids. I want to team teach with her! She also reminded me of the patience I need to have for each kid and to take the time to listen to each kid really get to know. It is hard sometimes to meet each kids need during a busy day but she gave me a renewed desire to pour into each child and offer them a listening ear whenever possible. I do love teaching in a Christian school where I can openly share about Christ and celebrate Christmas for the true reason. I got to share with my kids that we celebrate Christmas for God giving us the best gift his son, and the kids openly shared their desire to worship the King. I have kids with extremely strong faith at such an early age and they have remind me each day through their witness of the reason why I live and why I serve the might Savior.

Thankul for the Cross

After being disappointed earlier in the day, we finally saw an elephant at Mole National Park. Keep reading to find out more.

An elephant bathing in the hot Africa sun. This is real and not part of Disney animitronics nor are there any fences around.

The town close to the park, Larabanga, supposedly has the oldest mosque and building in West Africa. This is an all Muslim community. I would love to stay and give them the hope of Jesus Christ!

A running bamboon actually in their normal habitat. In this area, there were at least 15 baboons living.

From left to write, Jimmy-HS teacher, Kim-middle school teacher, Meghann-KG teacher, me, and William our driver who got us to Mole in 12 hours. Yes, we were zooming even on the rough roads.

Oh the beauitful African sunset. There has to be a God after looking at this.

A typical mud hut village on the way to Mole. It is a lot more dry up here in the North and more poor as they don't have as many resources.

Happy Thanksgiving! My class, the Native Americans, brought popcorn and supplies to make pilgrim hats to First Grade. There are adorable.

The International Pilgrims.

Today in devotions with the staff of AIS, I was reminded of where my focus should be as I must be most of all thankful for Christ's sacrificial death on the cross. The cross, not just wooden planks nailed together, but the symbol of our freedom in Christ for what we don't deserve. How many times do I actually stop and think about the cross and the pain that Christ endured for me. I mean I think about it but to actually THINK ABOUT IT. Do I live each moment in remembrance of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me? I must honestly say that I don't. It is easy to take my focus off of him but he is the one that I need to stay focused on constantly. He suffered a horrible death for my personal sins and for that I must put my attention on Him and sing praises to His name by my actions, thoughts and deeds. Wednesday was such a wonderful day as we had Field Day at school. The students were broken up into teams where they competed in different competitions to earn points. I worked the steal the bacon game where students had to take a water balloon in the middle of the playing field without being tagged by the other students. It was fun interacting with students from all age levels and watching them cheer on their teammates ranging from 12th grade to Kindergarden. Who doesn't love a little friendly competition. The highlight of the day for me came at lunch time when we had a soccer match betweent he high school boys and the staff. I got to play against my soccer boys and what a joy that was! I played with the drivers, the PE teacher, and the cleaners at the school which of course are good since they are Ghanaian. Unfortunately, we lost 5-3 but I had the first goal for my team! I was a little disappointed with my soccer boys as they kept the ball up in the air even though it was a small field. However, I received plenty of bruises and even the ballmark on my leg so I was ecstatic. Remember, I haven't played soccer competitively for awhile so a little bit of action and pain makes me happy!

For Thanksgiving as you saw in the pictures, a couple of teachers and I decided to travel to Mole National Park in Northern Ghana to go see the elephants. Yes, wildlife actually exists in Ghana but not in Accra. So we embarked early Thursday morning to travel 12 hours up North. Yes, it was an extremely long day, especially on the rough roads but I was with close friends so the times passed somewhat quickly. Now, Ghana is the size of Oregon and Accra is all the way South but we didn't even travel all the way up to the North which would have been another 6 hours. Of course in America, it would have not taken 12 hours to travel the distance we went but in Ghanaian terms we did not do bad as William our driver was booking it! During the two hour stretch where we were bumping up and down, we started listing everything we were thankful for especially when we found out that we were running out of gas and of course there wasn't any gas stations around. Here are a few things that I am thankful for.

1. A God who loved me enough to have His son die on the cross for my sins. He is gracious and never forsakes me even when I may turn my back on Him. I am so thankful that God loves me even as a sinner but I am thankful for the opportunity to serve Him here in Ghana.

2. A school environment where I can openly express my faith in Christ and a class of crazy 2nd graders who share the love of Christ with their classmates.

3. The opporrtunity to have the Joy of the Lord and share it with all I encounter!

4. The support of my friends and family members back home who pray for me and encourage me. I love and miss you all but am so thankful for the roles you have played in my life to show Christ-like characteristics with me and Godly ways of living. I would not be the woman I am today without your help!

5. My parents who allow me to call them at 1 in the morning to wish them a Happy Day and who are always there during the tough times. They really show me how to live for God and bring my every need to my Creator.

6. The kids on the street who have a desire to learn and read. They really bring Joy to each day!

7. My friends here who allow listen to my woes and help me establish boundaries in my life. I am eternally grateful for them and thankful that they love me for who I am. It is such a blessing to have them in my life.

When you really take the time to think about it, there is so much to be thankful for, for the Lord is good and meets our needs.

On Friday, we went on a safari early in the morning in hopes of seeing an elephant. They hadn't seen an elephant for 5 days even though sometimes they see 30 at a time. We prayed hard so we were hoping today would be our day! Unfortunately, during our two hour walking trip, we didn't see an elephant although we saw baboons, antelopes, warthogs, and crocodiles. This was still amazing to see wild animals in their natural habitats but the main intent of our trip was to see elephants. The land here is very different from the land in Accra or surrounding it as here looks like the African plain/desert that you think of. It was a dry bush area with one main water hole in which the hotel looked down upon. After looking at wild animals and the land, how could be still not believe in God? God is good to create such a contrast in beauty all around the world. After the disappointment of not seeing an elephant, we went to the near by community to see the oldest Mosque and oldest building in West Africa. This was an interesting trip as this is an all Muslim community. When we arrived at the mosque, there were many people there restoring the front of the mosque well in Ghanaian standards. When the man showing us around approached, an uproar broke out as this man supposedly did not show up form communal labour to help with the Mosque. We were thrown into village community 101 but luckily William, the negotiator, helped ease the enrage from the workers at the mosque. It was an experience to be in such a rural community but it was hard standing there as a white person as there was so much need here. Yes, part of me wanted to stay to help in their school and lead them to the one true Savior but I know it wouldn't be safe to stay there on my own. There is so much need all over the place and I pray that the Lord shows me direction when the time comes. All I can do now is pray that the light of Christ begins to shine through this small village.

When we arrived back to the hotel, a park ranger excitedly told us that they had spotted an elephant and were waiting for us to get back here so he could take us down to it. Where else would they wait for you like this? Here was our change to finally see an elephant! We rushed back into the van and drove hurriedly to the watering hole where an elephant was bathing in the water. We were able to watch him spray water on himself and then run out of the water to eat in the trees since we kind of scared him. We then watched him cover himself in dirt as this keeps them cool in the hot midday sun. What a wonderful opportunity to see one of God's larger creations in the wild. Did you know that the elephant is the second fastest land mammal after the cheetah? I never knew! The elephant we saw was a stranger to the park rangers as this one was more timid to most and they did not recognize it. This was definitely God working even though it was just a chance to see an elephant. This situation reminded me again of who is in control of life. We did not see an elephant during the expected time that were were suppose to see an elephant but we eventually did see one. Thus, God's timing is perfect in everything even when seeing elephants. He reminded me that He is in control of every situation and he does answer prayers, even as pity as seeing elephants but in his timing and not our own. What an amazing God that we serve! I have a lot of growing to do to fully trust the perfect plan of Jesus Christ but I am learning to lean more on Him for strength and guidance as I obviously cannot survive on my own.

As we approach this Christmas holiday, I pray that you can take the time to really remember the cross and the sacrifices Christ came to first come as a human baby and then die on the cross for our sins. I will not be home again for Christmas but I will be praying for you this Christmas and please make a snow angel for me! Fortunately, my friend is coming in a week for two weeks and I am so excited to spend time with her as we visit a village and help with ministries. God is Good all the time. Please keep in contact!

Signed and at Peace

Afterward the game against Kinder Paradise, we had a lunch together. Although the meal was an hour late, got to love Ghana, we had a great time fellowshipping together.

Can you tell I am not happy? I am burnt just on the places on my face where I wrinkled it. Kind of funny but I have proof that I was not happy! Oh the joys of the coach.

Here is one of the chances we had of scoring but it never happened. We did play hard in the first half.

The girls got to play a game as well on the smaller field. If you notice closely at the other team(in yellow) soe of the girls are not wearing shoes. They are Ghanaian and tough, what more do you need to know?

These are the girls before the match in my old high school uniforms. They are all beautiful girls in the inside and out. They were excited to play as this was their first game as just a girl's team ever! We are making progress.

Yesterday we had our second soccer game of the season. We played Kinder Paradise which is the children's home we go to in Pram Pram. After a year of trying to set up a game, we finally hosted them at our field. Although the game was at 11 which of course is the heat of the day, noone was injured, just my players pride. We lost 6-0 which I didn't mind losing since they were better, but my kids didn't try at all second half. This did not make me happy as everyone should play the entire game no matter the score. Granite it was hot but that is still no excuse for not trying at all. Tomorrow before practice, I am going to show them all the pictures of them standing, maybe this will get the point across. I love coaching these kids although they need more discipline and need to learn how to work hard. It is hard being a coach as everyone wants to tell you how to play the game and do your job but I guess that is part of the job title. We have a lot to work on but we will keep working hard hopefully and I know make better improvements.

After the game, we all went back to the school for lunch. I had the cleaning ladies cook for me and I told them to have it ready by 12:30. We all came back to the school at 1:30 to find that it was not ready yet. They said it would be finished soon but I told them I needed it now since I had a lot of hungry kids. I became very American on them as I expected them to meet the deadline. However, to them it wasn't a big deal as it is finished when it is finished. However, when I am in charge of a lot of kids, it makes it difficult to go off the schedule. Even when I try to think of everything and plan it out, it still doesn't go according to plan, welcome to Ghana. A quote from a professor at Taylor, "We have the opportunity to be flexible" which is so true here. Getting worked up about situations does not change it so you just have to relax and wait although it is good to push the Ghanaians some and help them understand how importance of staying with a schedule. I see there way of living and I see ours as well. I guess there should be a happy medium somewhere. Despite all this, both teams ended up having a good time together and even played more soccer in our school complex. I don't know how they still had energy but they did. I know this relationship will continue to be strong.

So in random thought, I was on the way to school one morning and I got to the place where usually it is overgrown with weeds. We usually walk on the wall of the gutter which was necessary this day since it was flooded. I hopped on the wall and carefully walked across the crooked uneven bricks hoping not to fall into the open disgusting gutter. I then looked up to see a chicken coming towards me on the wall. The thought then occurred to me that I was playing chicken with a chicken.(just in case you don't know, chicken is a game where you try to push the other person off of a small wall, or into the water, or off of the blob if you are at camp). I don't know why I found this so humorous but at 6 a.m. I guess it doesn't take much. Don't worry, the chicken became a chicken and jumped off first before I had to. So that was a pretty big paragraph to explain something ridiculous but I hope you enjoyed! we must learn to take joy and humor in the little things of life, it definitely helps me let go of the big things and realize it doesn't matter.

Now to the title. A week ago, we received the letter of intent from our director, asking us to decide by December 7th if we were going to stay or leave next year. I knew this time was coming but it became real once I had the paper actually in my possession. I tend to rush into everything so I wanted to make sure I was not jumping into this decision without praying about it and listening to the Lord leading in my life. When thinking of next year, there is no other place I would rather be than here. I love Ghana and would love to be here for a long although not at the school forever. However, at this point, I have not finished my work at AIS, as I want to use the materials I have a little more since I finally have enough to teach with. I also couldn't leave the soccer kids knowing they might not have a coach next year. On Friday, Mr. Crosby reminded me that I still had the letter in my school box and I explained that I didn't want to lose it. I finally realized that I was just putting this decision off and I since I already know where my heart is, I should just making it official. So with that thought, I signed the paper Friday night declaring that I will be coming back to the school next year. I miss people in the states, especially my family and it is hard to be away but I feel that the Lord has me here for a reason and this is where I feel at peace. It is hard knowing what is the Lord's will and what is my own but I have been praying about this and know this is the right choice. Thank you to all those who support me through prayer and financially. With your support, I have been able to feel at home here and know that the Lord has me here for a reason, for such a time as this, just as he has everyone else at a certain place. God is good all the time. So here I will be for another year, one year at a time, as God has given us one day at a time and he never gives us more than we can handle. I will leave you with Psalms 146. I am so thankful that my confidence lies in the Lord and him alone!

Praise the Lord!
Let all that I am praise the Lord. 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. 4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. 5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel[a] as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. 6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. 7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. 9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem,[b] throughout the generations.
Praise the Lord!

God keeps his Promises

Last Sunday, we went to Pram Pram as our normal first Sunday of the month tradition. This time was a little different as we took high school students with us who are part of Community Service. This was great because then they planned the lesson and not us on the way there like usual. Actually, I was very proud of the high schoolers as they planned the lesson and the craft. They did the story on Noah and talked about his promise to never flood the earth again with water. This week, I have seen how God does keep his promises and reminds me repeatedly of this. How quickly we forget that He is in control and provides in suitable ways for us when it is His timing. However, back to the conversation of Pram Pram; it is really important for students to be involved in ministry and community service as it teaches them the imortance of sticking with commitments and taking initative. Some of the students jumped in their right away to help while we had to tell others to go help with the craft. As time goes on, I know they will be more comfortable in just taking the responsibility they see a need for and going with it. In addition to a God-centered morning through the joyful worship and then the story, the time with all the high schoolers was entertaining as they all have stories to shae about home life in school. No other school do you have the opportunity to come in contact with the students out of school in a healthy way without it being too weird. It really is a blessing as most of these kids do not have anyone else to talk to at home as their parents work all the time. These students are all so precious and just want a voice to be heard.

Yesterday(Saturday) we had a joyful occassion at school as we had a party for all of the workers who helped put up the building. Noone can believe that we added another floor to the school in just two months as everything takes forever in Ghana! We had painters sleeping in the school so the work would get finished. It certainly is a miracle but most importantly it is God working in His timing to provide for His children. We had over 30 families there which was really fun to watch the fathers interact with their children. The morning and afternoon were even complete with a bouncy castle, sidewalk chalk, a water fight, bubbles, and a random dance party which I think thrilled the teachers more than the kids but we are allowed to have fun too! These men are proud of their trade and their familiy and it is a privilege to know eaach one of them as they work so hard for this school since they see how God is working here. One of the students had been turned off to the bible and had never set foot in a church. This year he accepted Christ during a chapel and now loves to proclaim Christ's name! He asked Mrs. Crosby one day if it was important to proclaim Jesus' name. She said yes and he told her that he had a conversation with a little boy about God being the only one to constantly remain as everything else will pass away. He was excited that He was proclaiming the name of Jesus. For the first time this year, we have two Chinese students. They explained to the parents that the kids would have bible everyday. The mother said the she didn't believe in God but she didn't care if the child did. God is tugging at these students' hearts and He is winning the battles. It is such a blessing to witness God working in these students' lives but there are many more who are still hurting and don't see the need for Christ. Please pray that the staff will be committed to talking with the students and really taking the time to get to know them on a personal level so they see the need for a personal savior.

In exciting news, Laurie happen to have lunch with someone at the Embassy who gives grants to different American organizations. The administration met with this company on Friday and there is a good chance we will get a lot and I mean a lot of money to so we can actually build a school that actually functions as a school. After reading Esther, I have started to realize how God works for such a time as this and this is true again in this matter. We went from being stuck in this building forever to almost having land and the money to pay for it. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 63: 1-8

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. 2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

Jesus is our Sheepdog

Team on three! I love our huddle of hands as each hand is unique and diverse. I love these players who come from all different backgrounds.

Half time talk. They look sharp in their uniforms which were my old ones from high school. We need to work on getting East Central off the back but other than that they look great! I had everyone and the guard or driver, literally trying to help with the game.

Well hopefully with my animation, they are getting the point. I don't think they are paying attention but I am trying!

Our lovely field is lined with Charcoal. My two guards did it for me. I am so blessed to have their help.

This is a random picture but it shows in the foreground one of my injured players, Mr Crosby the director who loves soccer and puts in his two thoughts, and one of my players who has a patch on his head because he scraped some of his hair off after falling on the rocks. Alright, it isn't the best playing conditions, I do miss the grass, but it works!

This is a picture of my kids getting ready for a corner kick against them. I like this picture because I ca tell who i marking and who isn't! A coach always has to analyze everything!

Some of you might be wondering about the title of this blog but don't worry I will explain it to you. We have been doing the sh sound in class this past week and one of our words was sheepdog. One of the girls automatically said Jesus is our Sheepdog, well I guess that works instead of Jesus as our Shepherd. I was telling them that a sheepdog protects the flock and rounds them up to take them from one place to another. That is exactly what Jesus does for us which makes sense in a 7 year old mind. Then one of my girls said Jesus takes us from our home here to our heavenly home. Amen! So there you have it, the theology of a second grader; Jesus is our sheepdog who gently keeps us on tract so he can safely lead us from the pasture to our eternal home.

This was an exciting week for soccer as we had our first game of the season. My parents graciously sent us old uniforms from my high school that I wore and even though it was a fiasco to get them out of the post office, we are able to put them to good use. They really feel like an actual team and I like seeing them have pride in themselves. Well, I survived the game even though I was a nervous wreck! As a single coach, the games are nerveracking. Well, at least I wasn't giving directions alone. I had drivers, the cleaning men, my guards, past players, parents, and friends trying to help me out. During the game I could hear English, Twi, Korean, and French. No where else can you experience this! It was getting a little out of control. I do love the diversity of it all as you can tell from the pictures how diverse we are but how we can be united through a great sport like soccer. This is definitely Christ's international community. I love that we can pray before games and even talk about our responsibility to play for Christ and play clean. Although not all of my players are Christians, they know where myself and others stand which is an amazing platform to share Christ. We are a hodge podge of people but we managed to tie 3-3 which was a huge accomplishment for the kids since we had lost the other two last year. One of the new kids said, "Did we win?" We said no but then he asked, "Why are we all celebrating so much?" Well, because we didn't lose! I am excited that my kids were pleased with themselves although we have a lot of work to do before our next game on the 20th.

On Friday night, some of us went to a cafe to play games. We were playing phase ten when all of a sudden the lights went out(nothing new). We automatically got out our cell phones with flashlights on them(best invention ever) and continued to play. We then laughed about it later as the darkness didn't even bother us. I was thinking about this funny event when a realization came to me. This is how I need to be in Christ! When I am walking in Christ's light and all of a sudden I am faced with a difficult situation that leaves me in the dark, I can't allow myself to stay in the dark. I need to without faltering, get out my light and keep going on with God's business. It sounds much easier said than done but God has given us the necessary tools like a flashlight on a phone to help us keep away from the darkness I just have to remember to pull it out right away like pulling out my cellphone from my purse. As we are doing God's work, the devil tries to pull out all of his tricks but I am learning the importance of spending time in the scripture and memorize His Word. I am a work in progress but being here as really helped me rely on God for every aspect of my life. God is amazing and we need to sing His Praises on High continuously!

I was in the market on Saturday morning and mud got splashed on me. Right away everyone said sorry and then offered their towels to clean my foot. It wasn't a big deal but it just shows you the compassion of people here as they are willing to help and be of assistance to make you comfortabe. There are even people who walk around waiting to carry your purchases. We feel bad using them as it looks like a servant following us around but at the same time it gives them an income and don't worry we tip them well. I hate using people to make our lives easier but it is a way to give back to them. Still don't know if it jestifies it but it is food for thought.

Today, Sunday, are taking the high schoolers to Pram Pram for them to lead Sunday School which is great so we don't have to come up with it on the way there! Also, it gives them a chance to be involved and give to others.

I will leave you with some scripture. Thank you for taking the time to read this and God Bless! Keep in touch! I hope you find the connection in it!

Psalm 95 1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice, 8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,[a] as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. 10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest

Power of Prayer

Happy Waterween! Mr. Crosby and I relaxing on the front porch.

Here are the two watermelon lit up. Ghi Nyame means except for God which is next to Mr. Crosby. So much fun!

So we just got our screen fixed from two little boys who went through it and then I totally walked right through the screen even though I was the one who shut the door. Oops! However, it was really funny!

It is the 2nd annual Carving Watermelon Party since we don't have pumpkins. The three of us who live downstairs did Mr. Crosby. Well Faith and I scooped out the middle and Diann the art teacher did the face.

This is the symbol Ghi Nyame whick means "except for Christ. Shari and Kim did this one and it was fabulous!

The beginning stages of cleaning out the watermelon. The best part is that we get to eat it!

We took the high schoolers out to eat as part of Sharpeners. The two on the end are my girls. We were an embarrassment and I am sure the whole restaurant was glad we left but the girls had a good time so I guess it was justifiable.

Faith and I on a trotro ride to the market. This was one pretty nice but you never know what adventures await you on a trotro. Don't worry, I didn't have to hold any doors closed on this one!

This is a random picture of Medina market at the trotro station. We went to get fabric and are now on our way home as way we wait in the queu. This is life, everything just as it is.

We stopped to buy pineapple from this lady who cut them for us. I loved her outfit and she was so enthusiastic to cut pineapple for us.

Character dress up not Halloween. Since witchcraft is real here we can't really celebrate halloween but the kids were able to dress up as book characters. Aren't they cute?

Here is the rest of my kids in their outfits. They look thrilled to be there.

This is the 9th grade dress up. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 10th, 11th, and 12th kids in the line are all soccer kids. This lineup is even complete with James Bond and Michael Jackson at the end. It is never a dull moment with this group.

After kids club, some of the kids stayed behind to read books that I finally got from the container. Thank you to those who donated books during the summer to make this possible. The kids were so good and quiet! Unfortunately, a lot of them cannot read well as they don't know their sounds and phonics. I am hoping to work on this with them so they can be better readers. It was truly a blessing to see themlove reading or looking at the books.

I do not have some new revelation to share with you but just a hodge podge of memories from the week. First of all, last Tuesday we had Kid's Club followed by the first Reading Frenzy as I think I might call it. The kids have been asking for weeks to stay and read books but I haven't had enough. Now with the container arriving, I finally have enough! The kids were so good and quiet as they set there absorbing in the books. Unfortunately, too many of them can't actually read well as they are only taught sight words and not how you actually sound out each sound. I hate these realizations because it makes me want to go in the public schools and show them the right way of doing things. This is my ultimate passion but it is hard right now as I see the struggle but feel as if I can't devote my entire time to this problem as I have my own classroom to run. I know my time will eventually come but I don't want more kids to fall through the cracks. Thank you to all those who donated books! I will start the alphabet with them shortly so they have a foundation to build from.

Friday was character dress up day at school, as the kids could dress as their favorite book character. We cannot celebrate Halloween here as it is seen as a pagan holiday and very dark since witchcraft and all that is a very real thing here. The entire school spent the morning outside presenting their costumes on the stage. I never got a picture of myself but I was Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus. I think these books were more of my time as most of the kids were not familiar with these books. I taped pictures of animals all over my dress as Ms. Frizzle always wore dresses that depicted where they were going on their field trip. I tied a little bus around my neck as the bus transforms into different objects to get them to their destinations. All of my pictures had falled off in minutes but I did put some thought and creativity into it!

Quote of the week so drum roll please............... "Miss Sopcisak, I love Wednesdaybecause it is chapel day and I get to dance with Jesus." This is coming from one of my Muslim girls who is really close to understanding Christ and his saving grace towards all sinners

All of the soccer kids were in a big buzz last week as students from British International School approached me for a soccer match. The plan right now is to play next Thursday. My kids don't feel ready but they never will be until we start playing matches and they realize the necessity to work hard in order to get results. I don't want to be too hard on these kids as I want them to enjoy soccer but at the same time they need to learn discipline and how to work hard which will cary out for their entire life. I do love these kids as I am able to be more of a friend than a teacher to them. Also, I get to be sarcastic which I love! Please pray for my sanity this week as I prepare for the match.

Also on Friday, we took some of the high school kids out for pizza at a nice place with lots of Obruneis as part of the mentoring program. That sentence had too many prepositions, please forgive me. Anyways, we had a great although we were a little loud and obnoxious. Good thing we were sitting in the corner. Lets just say we definitely all had the Joy of the Lord. These girls all come from different cultures and backgrounds but they all have a sweet spirit which yells to feel connected with others and to feel like it belongs somewhere. It is a privilege to be friends with these girls and share some of my struggles or experiences to better benefit them and the problems they are faced with each day. Keep them all in your prayers.

Today in church we talked about the church being honest and sharing with one another. We also talked about the power of prayer. I forget sometimes how powerful prayer can be and how we need to share with one another so we can really see prayer working. Pretty soon I need to make a decision about next year and I have to make sure I am making a decision that will honor God and not just myself. Please pray that I will listen to the Lord talking to me and not my own thoughts. God has a mighty plan for all of us and the only way to stay true to Him is to be open to His calling. Please know that I am praying for all of you and would love to talk sometime if you ever have the chance.

I was glad to have met friends on the way home who were excited enough about the books that they carried them for me. They are so strong. I admit that I tried to carry the box on my head for awhile but couldn't do it for long.

This is when the boys got the uniforms. They were so excited that they all tried them on right away. They look sharp.

Chistmas in October

I will give you a warning before you get too far into reading this. This blog might be not be that exciting as but for those who trek through, thank you. Yes, some of the things that happen are a bit out of the ordinary than in America, but now it is life and I don't remember them as well because they just aren't usual anymore. I still feel weird just blogging about my life since everyone has a story to tell about how God is working in their life for his Glory. As my grandpa would say, just say thank you to those who take the time to read and then just get on with it.

I love being infront of kids and making a fool of my stuff. I love planning lessons and helping the children but one aspect of teaching that I have been afraid is talking to parents. Now for those of you who are parents of school aged children, don't get me wrong, I love you to but it can be a tight nerveracking especially when your only 24 and never have had kids before. Monday and Tuesday started as nail biting days as they were only half days followed by parent teacher conferences. I had 7 back to back on Monday and despite none of the copiers working to print out all the needed materials for parents, they went smoothly. I had one parent who had some good constructive suggestions which I appreciated. The rest were just thankful for what I was doing and thankful for the school. One parent told me that as a family they pray specifically for me and the rest of the teachers. This really touched me and helped me realize the body of believers that uphold this school. It truly is the only way to explain why we are still functioning as and growing as satan tries many times to interfere but through the prayers of many, God has sustained us more abundantly than ever. So after facing my fear of parents, I see that they can be my biggest advocates. I truly am blessed with great parents who are involved and want to help their children succeed. In some places, you might be left alone but then the students have no support from their parents. Also, the majority of my parents are well educated people who are capable of helping their students and understant the importance of a good education. Please continue to pray for my kids as they still grasp who God is and as they share with other classmates about Christ. One girl went home and told her mom that the other girl had accepted Christ from my story from last week. I guess the girl was jumping up and down and just ecstatic that this other girl had made a decision for Christ. Pray that this young beautiful lady finds her own personal relationship with Christ and that we would be there to uphold her in her decision.

This week I was reminded how much God is involved in each aspect of life including soccer. I forgot to tell you last week that the uniforms my parents sent for the kids were at the post office but they wanted 200 Ghana Cedis for them which is still over $150. I refused to pay that much since I shouldn't have to pay extra money for something that is already yours. These uniforms are already 7 years old and they aren't even a name brand as we called them K-mart specials in high school. However, they love jerseys here so they were willing to raise the price. How kind of them! Mr. Crosby, the director, showed his grace on my and decided to pay the money to receive them. I told him I would foot the bill but he declined my offer. I must give a shout out to Mr. Crosby because he does care about us and the kids a lot. Fortunately, when William our driver came back with the uniforms, he told me that it only cost 65 Ghana Cedis which is a huge different. Praise the Lord! Mr. Crosby was very excited to show me as he found my class and I upstairs in the hallway looking for land as we were pretending to be Christopher Columbus. Mr. Crosby then swam next to our boat all the way to land and even beat us. Man, he is a fast swimmer! Sorry, I went into second grade mode there, please forgive me. Anyways, after school, I got to show the kids and they were so excited! I have pictures but I don't have my camera at the moment so hopefully on next year. The boys were trying to find their favorite number and were just chilling with them on. I informed them that they are for the matches which they understood but I just got a kick out of how excited they were. Again, these aren't the best uniforms and I wore them myself! It is cool that now the kids I am coaching are wearing my uniforms. I never dreamem this while in high school but it is cool how God designs everything perfectly for His ultimate reason. I must admit that practice is tiring on days as the kids don't have discipline or hard work ethics. However, we are working on it and we now have new motivation as we have uniforms and games to play. Please pray for patience with me and these kids!

Christmas in October continued as the container with all of our books and workbooks on it finally arrived. Before this, we have been all making copies of the workbook pages we needed as we didn't have enough books. You can all say that we were rejoicing with the final arrival of the container. It has been in Tema, the port city for over 6 weeks but for some reason it took this long to arrive here. Who knows? It's Ghana! We spent a long time Thursday night stamping all the books and putting them in their perspective classes. It is exciting to know that our school is making improvements and progress as continue to add more resources and books for the kids. It is hard not being able to pull any book I need from the library but we are getting their slowly but surely. I sent five personal boxes on the container with three of them containing books. Oh happy Day! Thank you to all of you who donated books during VBS at church. Some I am keeping in my classroom but the rest I am taking back to my house to use for reading time after kids club. They kids have been begging me to let them stay and read but I just haven't had the books for them. They keep lingering but unfortunately the container was slow. So to their surprise, on Tuesday, they will be able to stay after kids club and read for awhile until it is too dark. These children really need phonetic practice and I am going to start helping them get the sounds down as all they know is rhote memorization.

Faith downloaded the Amazing Race episodes that were tapes in Ghana. They are hilarious and I recommend watching them as they give you a little taste of crazy life here. I have been to most places that they traveled to so that was exciting. I have such pride for Ghana! There are scandals and corruptions but also genuine people who care.

May God continue to show his light to in each day!