I have realized/learned over the last 5 months so many things... here is a list of a few of them:
1. I appreciate, love, and respect my parents more than ever
2. I love Ghana, it is my home now... I am going to US (as they say here) on vacation...
3. Trust is fragile, and I give mine to people pretty easily
4. Trust is fragile, and people will abuse it
5. God blesses us through other people in ways we would never expect if we allow Him to
6. There are some people who are just fun to be around and make you feel great
7. Most 5 year olds fit into the above description :)
8. There are some people who will make you feel small and inadequate so they can feel big and powerful
9. I wish that everyone agreed with us, and it really didn't matter if you were black or white, Mr. Jackson!!
10. I am extremely blessed
Through my experiences here in Ghana, I am being stretched. God knows my weaknesses and is presenting me with challenges and giving me opportunities to grow and learn. I pray that in my sinful human nature I do not take this for granted and simply place blame and point fingers, but consider the lesson to be learned, and what I can do to rectify any problems. If I never had tough times in my life, I wouldn't appreciate all of the wonderful times quite as much. If there wasn't pain there wouldn't be growth, and if there wasn't growth, I wouldn't be satisfied. As I get ready for this exciting time of Christmas vacation that is coming in the next few weeks, I will be challenging myself (and I hope that you would too) to intentionally seek out good & positive things, reject evil & negative ones, and be a light that shines brightly for Christ, one that people just know that there is something different about.
May God truly bless you over this Christmas and New Year!!
