Akpeh. (Thank you.)

It feels like months since I have written. So many emotions, realizations, and events have transpired in a few short days. I feel this pattern will not change. Ghana for me is an experience I would not take back for anything in the entire world. I have realized many things that I plan to change upon my arrival back to the states, and ideas are spilling out of me like rain, I have so many new thoughts on how I want to go about helping in an NGO sense, in not only Africa but anywhere. I cannot wait to learn more.

Sunday I went to church with my host mother. I did not have any idea what to expect. I was mostly going out of the constant want I have to see her big lipped smile spread wide over her face. Chip once told me about something that made his heart smile, (i loved this expression) I feel these are moments where my heart smiles the widest. Ghana has brought out some of the most deep, intense smiles i have ever had internally. It turned out to be an experience of a lifetime. A time i considered getting on my knees and rejoicing. If not for religious reasons at least for the sheer amazement at how astoundingly amazing life can be. When we walked into the church, which was a tent more or less made out of tree branches and dried leaves, my heart was sinking. I felt that this would again be a time i was looked at as nothing but a Yevu. I did not want to seem like I was trying to hard to fit into 'Africa life'. I was destined, as always, to be shocked at how wrong my general perception of things are. We were welcomed with open arms, and when i say open arms I mean big beautiful black woman arms, stranger arms followed by kisses with thick lips, Welcome! You are Welcome! My heart, shatters in smiles just Thinking about these moments. We were pulled into the dancing. Provided with a translator. Prayers were made in our honor, thanking God for visitors, the chance to show black or white we are all his children. I felt at home by how welcomed I was. Perhaps that's why Ghana feels so much more like a home than the states do at times. Greetings are incredibly important here. Strangers say hello. Good afternoon. You are welcome. They expect you to do the same, it is not proper to not acknoledge one another, stranger or not. I love this aspect, I hope to carry it back with me to America.

I am constanly amazed at how much we take for granted, but i am also proud at how advanced our young country is in the states. Here they mow lawns with machetes and I sleep under a moscito net in hopes to avoid malaria, but these things I feel are tradeable in some aspects. I feel entirely safe here. I dont, but could, walk the streets alone. Apart from my skin gaining constant attention the people here are extremely polite. The violence here is absent from what I have experienced. I never feel in danger(apart from crazy taxi drivers that is haha), I never feel like I must watch behind me, as I do often in the states. There is a common understanding of mutual respect here we lack in America. It is not what God would want for us to war with one another, so why do it to your neighbor. This is a very Ghanaian view. For this I am so greatful, I recommend a visit to Ghana to anyone who would like to see how much hope really is in africa.

However, I do have my moments. Yesterday was a hard day for Vicky and I. The culture shock set in a bit. We were craving not being looked at like aliens, resenting my white skin I was getting impatient with constant songs from children about "white man with black hair", the bugs, the sweat that clings as if it is a second skin, the food that makes my stomach feel like I just ate a pound of oil, being asked to marry a person based on a want of a green card, getting laughed at from time to time. I miss my mothers salads and the comforts of home from time to time, but I always just have to stop and think. I am in Africa. Life is Great. I am blessed. I would not trade comfort for this experience at all. The lack of comfort makes this experience that much more fantastic. I have learned more in this week alone about myself and the world than I have in a long, long time.

I see what Ghana needs most is the ability to sustain itself without forein aid. The hospital system here also is in need of very much help. Some of the mentalities of how the western world is are very skewed here. But lets be real, our image of Africa is a misconception just like theirs is of how we live. It is all relative.

I took my host mother out for dinner with Vicky a few nights ago. It was the first time she left the house in one year and 8 months. Pause. Think about that. She is the most joyfull, thankfull, AMAZING BEAUTIFUL woman. You would never know her trials. But she is not suffering. I have come to know suffering is a lack of happiness and spirit. This woman is not lacking in these areas what so ever. This woman is Full of life and wonder. She was so greatful. I cannot wait to take her to dinner again. She has taught us how to eat Kasava, fry yams and "take" (eat) Fofo, her favorite, and very common, Ghanaian dish. I adore it.

My face is finally left unstung by vickys impregnated moscito net. I happen to be allergic to it. Last night we had a friend spend the night who is a girl that has been here for almost 10 months on foreign exchange. Vicky and I shared a bed and used a new net. We woke up after what I will dub our "off-cry-over-wanting-salad-missing-my-mama-culture-shock-day", which included seeing men stop to pee without an even an 'exuse me' on the side of the road (normal here, laughable now.) and getting sick as Hell of being treated like a zoo animal from time to time because of being white. However here they think if they go to America we will tell them they are a monkey and not let them use certain buildings. (please note that not all ghanaians act like eachother, just as we do not all act the same, please to not ever generalize to this extent, it is not fair to them just as it is not fair to us, i am simply writing about cultural differences that seem prevalent here.) Anyhow, we wake up with our faces feeling like they were melting from some odd allergic reaction to the repelant in her net, take a cold (but glorious in the sense that all night we sweat in our beds dressed in practically nothing) shower, and just laugh. We laugh untill our stomachs hurt. We laugh about how strange some moments have been. How rediculous some cultural differences are. How uncomfortable it is to not poop for 4 days straight. We laugh. And laughing changes everything. Now when called Yevu we will yell "daveh!" back (child!) I no longer will cry in the name of missing my mothers glorious salad but laugh at how much fat I just consumed. Screw it, ill probably sweat out all the weight i could gain from it anyway. (Jess- thanks for letting me rant to you on the phone last night, it made all the difference.)

Apart from the trial and laughter and getting to know the place I finally have begun work at the orphanage. What I came for is transpiring, and thank God! :) I love it already. I helped teach english and made friends with some of the children today. Vicky and I washed their dishes by hand and will be responsible for doing the same with laundry and bucket bathing children if we get there early enough. We cleaned their rooms and thought of things the orphanage needs. It is very different however similar to the experience in the orphanage in Mexico. In mexico they had everything in order, the orphanage was established and had a set, and used system, with a steady stream of volunteers and sponsership. The orphanage I work for here is called Drifting Angels. It was started by the kindest-eyed woman I have seen who says God came to her and told her to start this orphanage to get these children off the streets. It started with 2 in her house and has grown to an orphanage that houses and schools, and teaches bible studies to around 30 children, all of whom I know will grow into usefull, amazing human beings, who I hope to watch turn into adults and see them off into the world. They have little at this orphanage, they have to farm everyday for food and have a lack in supply, little money and no sponsers. It is new. I am so excited to be a part of helping it build itself up. Vicky and I already have asked to contribute by buying cubbies, rice for breakfast, and painting the childrens rooms. I am more excited for this than a girl in scottsdale is for prom.

I miss home, especially my family and friends. I also miss smoothies and salad. But I know I will crave me some kasava and fofo. I will miss the smiles, the constant "you are welcome"'s. Even being called a Yevu. So for now, I choose to soak it all in. Not let a single minute go to waste. I know it will all be over way too soon. I love you all.