Hey, I'm not sure if anyone still reads this but if you are in or around Bismarck, I am going to be speaking about some of my experiences at First Evangelical Free Church on Sunday, October 23 right after church (so around noon).
Amanda

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Thank you for sticking with me through my random ramblings this past year!! Yesterday I made it safely home. This past week has been a bigger mix of emotions than I have probably ever experienced in my life... there should be at least one more post once I get a chance to slow down a little and think things through!

In one week

In one week...

• I will get to see family and friends
• I will probably feel clean for the first time in a year
• A little more variety and tastiness will be added to my diet
• I will be able to sleep in past six without having kids outside doing chores or knocking on my door.
• I will experience air conditioning
• I will drive again (maybe-yikes)
• I will have many things right at my fingertips

but I have a feeling I would give it all up again...

• to be able to give the kids here another hug
• to sit and talk with them about life
• to have them up to my apartment to bake and dance and be a little crazy
• to read with them
• to comfort them
• to teach and tutor them
• to experience with the kids everything that life brings their way

I don't know what my next step in life is, I haven't felt ready to fully commit to anything in particular long term. I do know that a big chunk of my heart, thoughts, and prayers will be back here with the kids, and right now I'm not exactly sure when I will next see them, but I'm glad God is here and with them when I am not and he is infinitely more capable than I am.

A busy week!

The summer months (although that's not what we call them here and it doesn't seem like summer since we are still in school) have brought many exciting people to the home! This past week we had a visitor to the home who did some puppet shows for the kids which they absolutely loved, and some of us staff got some training in puppets. There is a lot more that goes into doing puppets well then I could have ever imagined!

I also got the opportunity to visit with some people from North Dakota and Minnesota as a team one of my friends is on came by for a day to visit the home, help with painting, and talk with the kids. What a blessing! The boys are very happy with their much improved bath house.

And, this week I finally convinced some people to come along with me on an adventure I've wanted to have since I got here. We woke up at 5 to go to the train station in Kotoku and ride the train into Accra to market.
I was not disappointed. The train is definitely one that would have been taken out of service a long time ago if it were back home. It took us a little over two hours to go the fifteen or twenty miles into town. sitting facing into the next car it was a little questionable watching the car behind us rocking back and forth (or maybe it was ours doing the rocking) and seeing the many people standing and hanging out the windows. But we made it in one piece to market and had a busy day wandering through finding the things we needed.

I look around at the kids at the home and I see so much potential.

· kids who will be amazing leaders who are loved and respected by their peers

· a boy who could become an amazing inventor

· future teachers

· a future soldier

· a future doctor

· a writer

· dancers and singers

· mothers and fathers

· pastors and missionaries

I hope and pray they get the opportunities to be those things. Walking through the village paths and looking at the people around Ghana outside of Accra, or on the streets in Accra there are so many children who have potential but no opportunity for a good education and no support from people who love and care. Things that would make it possible for them to have the opportunities to become many of the above things.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with being someone who has a shop and sells vegetables, pots, or anything else for a living. I know God has placed them there and has a plan for them. But I also see the dreams of some of the kids here and the gifts and talents they possess and I hope that there will be a way for them to have a future doing those things.

As I start to think about leaving (in a month ahh!!) and I’m still unsure about if/when I will be back I start to worry about the kids and wonder what will happen to them. Not that I have control over their futures or can do anything at all without God, but I selfishly sometimes feel like while I’m here I do. I pray that the seeds planted in their lives by myself and the people before me will take root and grow as some of them are nearing and entering “adulthood.” And that they would have the support, discipline, and means to do the things God has called them to, and to do them well.

Ghanaianisms

Over the past few weeks we have had a lot more American visitors at the home than normal (with more to come on summer teams!) Spending time with them has led me to realize all of the random things I say, noises I make, and words and phrases that I now use that I never used at home...

• Plenty can be used in any sentence. Ex. Why yes, I have plenty pencils.
• When asking if I can go somewhere I now ask, "Am I among."
• "o" be added to any adjective. Ex. It is sweet-oh.
  
• Trashcan = dustbin
• "At all" is only one word, usually followed by cra. Ex. I don't like it attallllll cra!
• At the home you don't say no, you shake your head and click.
• Flashlight = torch
• BOMA!!!!!
• Everything I don't like is my "best." Ex. I could say that every road in Ghana is my "best road."
• Bandaids= plasters
• No one is too old to use the words "wee wee"
• flashing= 1. Farting 2. Calling someones number and then hanging up right away so that they have to call you back, and therefore they have to pay for the call instead of you.
• Pants/shorts = knickers
• Anytime you are eating and someone walks by you say "Please, you are invited"
• Sandals = slippers
• If someone is on break from work they are "on their off"
  
• Whenever you leave you inform people that you will "Go and come"
• Plastic bags= rubbers- which are used for everything, they're not too into going green here yet...
• If something is dirty or has been ruined it is referred to as spoiled. Ex. My slipper has come to spoil.

And that is only the start... just a forewarning to the people back home who I will be seeing in not too much longer!

God is not just a prayer answerer

I am not here in Ghana to be each of the children’s best friend or to have everyone love me, although I admit I at times get caught up in thoughts and desires for that. I am here to bring God glory, to be a representative of him in whatever way I can, and to love serve and help the children here in whatever way I can. Lately there has been a couple times where I get caught up thinking the kids don’t care about me, they just want me to take them places, do things for them, give them things, or punish people they feel have wronged them and I struggle to not get frustrated and hurt by that. I find myself thinking “I’ve sacrificed a lot and come a long ways for you why can’t you appreciate me”… well my thoughts aren’t quite that bad, but I do get more annoyed and I am more selfish than I should be.

I was reading a book the other day and it talked about God wanting to be more than just a prayer answerer, and I realized I am no better than any of the kids.

When do I spend the most time praying? When I need something…

When do I feel a need to cry out to him? When I am unhappy and want something to change…

God has done so countless many more things for me than I have a clue about and yet I don’t bother to spend more than a few minutes in the mornings with him.God loves us deeply and desires our time, our fellowship, our love and devotion, and so often I only really seek him or turn to him when things aren’t going how I want them to and I want them to change. Luckily he never gives up, gets frustrated, or says “I’m done, I need a break, you guys are just using me for your own selfish desires.” He keeps on loving and waiting for us.

I don’t want to just get my prayers answered, I want to get to know the Lord!

A day at the beach

Last Saturday we loaded up the two vans and the truck with 50 people and headed to the beach in Winneba. I LOVE the ocean!!! It was pretty rough so we couldn't swim very far out, but enjoyed playing in the sand and splashing around!

The highlight for me was probably crab hunting with the boys... they are too funny!

Life without God's love is like a donut

Friday night...

beautiful weather...

22 years old...

Whatever to do??

Well watch and sing along to "The Donut Man" with a group of 6 giggly preschool aged boys of course! It might sound pretty unentertaining, but I can't think of many things I could have done tonight (even at home) that would have been more exciting or brought more laughs than this. Watching a six year old who now knows maybe twenty words of English (if you count Miss Amanda as two words) shouting "Hosanna" and "Jesus loves me" is more precious than I know how to explain, and hopefully soon he will understand what those words mean.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with "The Donut Man" but it's a Christian movie series that tells bible stories and sings songs all based on their theme "Life without God's love is like a donut 'cause there's a hole in the middle of your heart."

What a great reminder of how blessed I am to be a Christian and possess what so many people on this earth are searching for.

Eggs aplenty!!!

Today I acquired 12 dozen eggs to hard boil and dye... this could be interesting!Not sure how well brown eggs dye, but if there's one thing I know it's that these kids love hard-boiled eggs.

I now have two terms of teaching under my belt... this past week we had final exams and wrapped up the second term (of three). My over-achiever self still struggles some days with where I would like to see the children and what I would like to be teaching them, versus where we are. I can't teach them everything I feel like they need to know, and I wonder what is most important? What things will they really be able to use? Can I teach them those things with the few months I have remaining here? How do I make them see how important and useful reading and writing can be when all many of them have known is people who make a living by farming or selling things.
Writing poems for sponsors in the library with class five.

It's good to have a little break now to reflect on some of these things and hopefully come up with some new activities and approaches. My past few weeks have been filled with getting all the kids to write sponsor letters, writing exams, typing exams for teachers, tutoring for finals, normal weekly activities and bible studies, and good-byes.
When I first arrived there were four obroni girls around my age living here at the home. At Christmastime we said goodbye to Dana, a month ago my roommate Lauren finished her time here and headed home, and at the beginning of April Tawnee also headed back to the states having been here for a year. (Sorry this is starting to sound like a bad rendition of the book the kids loooove to read "There Were Ten in the Bed")
These girls were a great source of fellowship, community, accountability, encouragement, and numerous other things so it will be different. I've been here long enough to pretty much know how to get around and take care of things, but it is nice having someone your age to laugh (or cry) with about the situations that come up living in a different culture and working with fifty kids. God has definitely been teaching me about relying on him and trusting in him for everything and reminding me that he is in control since I've been here. Now I guess I'll see if I really trust in his provision. My faith isn't based on those around me, it's all God, he can help me to stand and continue on. God help me to remember you are all I need.

NOT SO OKAY...

Fear Factor- AHH!!

We had our own version of fear factor this weekend with the kids, no jumping out of helicopters or eating ground up bugs, but it was pretty fun.
We assembled the kids and our first round was fishing marbles and rocks out of ice water (which for these kids is quite cold) with their feet.

Then the top three girls and boys moved on to the eating contest. We had made a special concoction for them of olives, rice, pork and beans, apricot ham, macaroni and cheese baby food, and a few spices thrown in...
The kids were troopers
The final round for the win was an obstacle course where they were jumping, balancing, climbing trees, running, weaving and just about anything we could think to add in.


I don't know that it was really scary for them but we dubbed the event a success!