so its about 3:30 a.m. and i cant sleep... i love jet lag! :) i am staying at Sarah's house (thanks your the Best!) until i find a job and apt. and i can't help but feel this overwhelming love and blessing to live in America! its very different being back home. I can try to explain it but until you have really lived somewhere and experienced a totally diffferent way of life its hard to imagine. i already miss the children from the orphanage so much and its hard knowing i will probably never see them again. here are a few things that i have thought of that EVERY person should take time to be thankful for and realize how much you are blessed to live in America! When Megan and i arrived in Denver Colorado from Germany it was the BEST feeling in the world to know I was back in the states... safe, free, abundantly blessed, secure and comfortable!
I have never felt more pride for my country and where I live. Even when we were in ghana, once people knew we were american, they almost revered us in a way! they wanted us to take them back to the "obama state". Security at the airport let us pass without even checking us and said to say hi to obama for them! People save up their whole life for the opportunity to move to America, people sacrifice so much to live here and it was just handed to me.
okay so here are a few things i took for granted (in no particular order) before I left for Ghana...
#1. electricity. before we arrived in Ghana, there were no lights or fans in the rooms. there are no ovens, stoves, microwaves, washing machines, hot water, dishwasher, blender, fridge, freezer, toaster, kitchen sinks, hair dryers, AC, electric toothbrushes... anything you plug in! there is also no premaid food like the frozen pizzas ... everything was cooked from scratch and took about 3 hours to prepare a meal! the "kitchen" was outside under a hut and everything was cooked under a fire in huge pots. meals consisted of roots, vegitables and plants (kasava root, leaves, peppers, onion, corn, maize)
preparing Banku
the kitchen
#2. cars. everyone walks everywhere! to top that off they carry 30-40 pound bags of who knows what on their heads. Ghanians are very strong people!
#3. governement. most of Africa is still run by chiefs which makes it hard to abide by laws because even with laws, the chiefs are still in charge. because of this many people dont get married, aren't trustworthy, and each villiage speaks a different language. The chief is very wealthy while the rest of the town is very poor.
#4. my home. these people live in extreme poverty. they sleep on cement floors, with no bug nets, pillow, or sheets. they live in houses made from mud with no bathroom or water. they urinate outside wherever and most use the fetch and pour shower system. (collect water in buckets to pour over yourself)
getting water from the well with Pearl
typical Ghanian house
#5. my parents and family. i lived with 30 children who either didn't have a mother or father or both. Megan and I hugged them and they didn't hug back (they are not hugged often so they aren't really sure what a hug is or means). Megan and I said "I Love You" as often as possible and I'm pretty sure that was the first time they had heard that word. There was constantly a child crying and no parent there to care for him, to nurse his wounds, to just hold him! The twins David and Daniel (who were found wandering the streets when they were 2 years old) clinged to megan and I! They always wanted to be held and I know it was because when they were little they never recieved that nurture that children NEEd and require!
#6. a can opener. they use a knife to cut around the can
#7. a mirror. most of them probably never really see what they look like!
#8. school and education. classrooms were outside under trees for shade. the teachers were unorganized and we saw one teacher sleeping on the floor nursing her child while her class talked to their peers. megan and i taught kindergarten and there were two 8 year old boys in our class because they were so behind in schooling and education! they also use the punishment of caneing the children which is horrible!
outside classroom
9. health. I am so grateful for my health! the childrens bellys were so big from being malnurished. they hardly ever had protein, fruits and vegitables in their diet. their arms were skin and bones! i am so grateful for yummy food (yes its suggary, has corn startch and saturated fat.. but its GOOD american food)
poor little courage's arms
calvins cute belly
K one more thing...
With all of these above said, I wanted to write a happy note about Ghana!! Oh my goodness I LOVE that place! It really is a very safe place to travel and I know that is because of the wonderful people that live there! They are all so kind and generous! They are always asking how I am doing and if I am okay. They always greet you with “Good afternoon” or “Good evening” and Megan and I were constantly being told “You are Welcome” meaning we were welcomed into Ghana to live there. I was constantly amazed at how everyone was just one big family. They were always helping each other, carrying other people’s babies, helping unload things and giving a helping hand! Whenever the children would come home from school, they would come up to Megan and I and greet us with “Good Afternoon”!
They are also very hospitable people. Whenever we would go to other houses, they would sit down and chat for a very long time! They would bring you out water to drink and they are never in a rush to go anywhere!
They live off the land and are very resourceful as well. They use lemons as deodorant, bamboo for just about anything (fences, cups, chairs, beds), mud to build with and roots and leaves to cook with.
