I need Africa more than Africa needs me

the title of this blog is so true... I am here, and I am doing my best to help anyone that I can... but on the same token, that's just what I would be doing in the US as well.

I am so torn on the subject of aid... my roommates and I talk about this every now and then, and Mariah actually just posted this article from BBC to her Facebook:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7740652.stm It's a very good article - check it out if you can!!

Anyway, back to why I need Africa more than it needs me... and why the heck I'm writing this in the first place - there is an org called Mocha Club - I'm not yet a member myself, but I have lots of close friends who are, and do intend to become a member, most likely this summer when I return home and am back to having a normal salary - it's a great org that asks for $7 a month, instead of one Mocha, to go toward aid in Africa. Again, I am torn about this, but I really feel that this org is doing a great job at seeing to the money actually getting to the people who need it. There are several different projects which you can choose to have your money go toward. I found the site of a woman named Kate a few days ago, and she challenged her readers to post about this topic, to join Mocha Club, and is even offering a contest to win a print from her and her husband's trip to South Africa/Zimbabwe (the pictures are BEAUTIFUL!!). I have visited the Mocha Club site several times in the last few weeks after hearing about it so much from my friends who are a part of it, and after reading her post and accepting her challenge... well, here we are!

Ok... finally! The project that I identify most with on the Mocha Club site is the one called Orphan Care. I am drawn to this cause for so many reasons... from wanting to adopt children myself someday, to getting to know personally a house full of orphaned children here in Ghana. If only I could take them all up in my arms and keep them forever... unfortunately I can't - and even if I could adopt even one now, it wouldn't be fair to my future husband or the child. I can, however, get their stories out and encourage others to actively take some role in helping to care for orphans around the world - not just in Africa, but even in the US (orphan care is even in the Bible! - James 1:27). Here is an excerpt of the comment I left on Kate's blog yesterday to help explain why I relate to Orphan Care:

"Since I’ve been here in Ghana (I’m working as a teacher at an international Christian school) my heartbeat has been a local orphanage. The stories of the children who I’ve gotten to know and love with all my heart are incredible… sad, hopeful, encouraging, and heart wrenching all at the same time. When I visited Mocha Club last week, the first project that jumped out at me was Orphan Care. I have always felt a longing in me to have a family, and there has always been a still small voice that has said over and over again that part of that family was going to be adopted - children from around the world, a rainbow of skin, children who God has a special plan to become a part of my family - precious gifts wrapped in a different package, adoption. Until that time comes, I want to do whatever I can to stay involved with the orphanage I volunteer at here in Ghana, and others such as the ones through Mocha Club."

Please check out the Mocha Club website and seriously consider joining - only $7 a month, only 1 Mocha that you have to give up! Here is the link to their site:

https://www.mochaclub.org/mochaclub/welcome

and for real finally... why I REALLY need Africa more than Africa needs me...

Almost 2 years ago, God started me on my journey to Africa. A journey that has not always been easy, one that has shown me sides of people I didn't know could be so dark yet has shown me pure joy in Jesus at the same time. God has taught me lessons that I never could have learned in Ohio, that He had specially planned for me to learn during my time here. I have been stretched and pushed outside of my comfort zone, and been ok with it, so many more times here in Ghana that I ever would in the US. I needed Africa to teach me so many things... that I am independent, but only through the support of my Savior. That people are not always what they seem... both negatively and positively. That the passion that I talked about for orphans is a real one and that it really does come from God. That I love teaching, but am meant to be teaching Special Education. That my parents really do know what they are talking about, and that I am so grateful to them & have so much respect for them because of everything they have done for me. That I really can do ALL THINGS through Christ, because He strengthens me. And that my God is a GREAT BIG God, that He holds me in His hands, and that He will NEVER leave me. Not only these things but so much more... that is why I needed Africa so much more than it has or will ever need me.

Saturday

Some days you can do nothing but throw your arms up in the air and laugh. Either that or fall in a heap of frustration born tears. Yesterday was one of those days for me... except there are two distinct halves to it... let's have story time, shall we?

I woke up late (I guess I hit snooze on my phone without really waking up) and didn't have time to shower... I went into my roommates bathroom to wash my face (because the water is off in my bathroom only because of a broken pipe in the wall which produced flood #4 - but that's another story...) and as I walked back to my room I heard a honk... oh dang! My ride was early. I threw on clothes as quickly as I could, grabbed half a bagel (ya, I got some bagels Friday - that was exciting!), and ran down to the car, hair a hot mess.

Pantomime practice was fine... nothing exciting but not as terrible as last Monday's (that is yet another story...). We did a FULL run through of the entire thing... a total of 4.5 hours sitting out in the heat w/ not much of a breeze. I was ready to go to say the least. And very hungry. The other teacher who is also in the play asked if I would like to go to lunch with her and her daughter after practice, and of course I said sure! So, off we went to drop of her son & a few other kids. Just as we got through sitting in 1 1/2 hours of traffic... the car stopped. Just... stopped. On a hill. With all of the traffic behind us. Ug. Sooo... we pushed! I'm sure it was quite a hilarious sight, 6 Obroni's pushing a huge SUV up a hill - the men in the passing trotros called out "obroni, push hard!" or "Oh, Obroni, why, why??". Thanks guys... Eventually about 5 Ghanaian men ran over and took over the pushing and got the truck off the road into a side street. Of course we didn't have any money, so the kids walked on to Youth Group where we were to drop them off, and the other teacher and I + her daughter walked to an ATM... shew - I sure am sweaty!! She was able to get some cash thank goodness, because I was plum out of it (we had to give what little I did have to her driver to be able to buy some water for the overheated car and just in case he had to get a taxi) so we took a taxi to a restaurant nearby and had lunch. Lunch was really good and her husband made the 45 minute drive to come and pick them up. They were kind enough to take me home so I didn't have to walk/taxi, but when we drove up...

The gate was locked... now the gate to the front door is always locked, and I have the key for that... but the gate to the driveway had a padlock on it - a padlock to which only the guard and one of my roommates have a key. And I remembered - the movie theater opened up and they were all going to go see the new James Bond - I couldn't go because I probably wouldn't be back in time. They took the guard with them as a treat for him... but I guess didn't think about the fact that they locked me out... crap... well... uhhhh... OK, can you drive me to... uhhh... where do I go?! I tried calling another teacher but she texted and said her and her husband were at the movie - I texted back immediately and asked if i could go sit at their house till they got back... no response... ummm... uhhh.... OK, closest missionary families house - how about there! I made a call to the daughter of the family, and she said it was no problem to come sit there.

I rang the bell and Rebecca, the intern, came to the gate. She was surprised to see me, and as I started to explain the horrible afternoon I was in the midst of she just smiled, gave me a hug, and asked if I would like a massage... umm ya! Rebecca went to school to be a massage therapist, and is so amazing for giving us all free massages as part of her ministry while she is here... not to mention she is just fun to hang out with :) - I was able to have a massage, cookies and ice cream, watch a movie, and then ended up sticking around even after my roommates got home and had homemade cheeseburgers (which were SO good) and french fries, and even got a ride home.

Isn't it funny how God can take what has been maybe one of the hardest day's I have had here and turn it into a fun and relaxing evening?! While giving me the massage, Rebecca said "I think God just likes to laugh sometimes, so he throws us off by blessing us out of nowhere" - so true!! Thank you Jesus for blessing me with friends who welcome me into their home, a roof over my head to come home to (even when I get locked out sometimes), food to eat, and especially for Rebecca!!

Stones

This beautiful little lady and her rockin awesome family have blessed me in so many ways... in devotions this morning Mariah talked about 'collecting stones' like the Israelites did to remind them of the things God had done for them. They collected stones and made them into an altar to God, a memorial as Mariah put it. I just wanted to share a few of my stones - the ways God has worked in my life through this particular family :)

When I first started going over the the orphanage I hang out at every week I heard about a little one who had travelled to the US, to Southern Ohio, to have surgery & I got to see a picture of her... the little girl in that picture looked scared and distant and my heart broke for her. There was talk of me flying over with her at Christmas time, but nothing came of that. As I continued to visit the orphanage I began to develop relationships with several of the kids, 2 in particular because they were so excited that they were going to live in Ohio like me. I realized eventually that they were being adopted by the same family as the one who was caring for the girl I mentioned above.

Fast forward to the day before I was leaving for the summer... I had heard that Mrs. K was going to be at the orphanage that week to pick up those 2 kids I had gotten pretty close to & I was so excited to meet her. We got lucky (or God had a plan... ya I think that's what happened!) and were both at the orphanage at the same time that day. Phone numbers, emails and addresses were exchanged so that while home for the summer I could see about coming to visit and meet the rest of the family. Of course when I got home I had such good intentions about contacting Mrs. K soon in the summer... but I got busy and as the summer flew by I just didn't ever email or call. Eventually I smacked myself in the forehead and said "you have to email her Ashley!!!" and I did... God's timing is so awesome because just as I emailed they were trying to arrange for the girl from the picture to come back to Ghana for her final adoption process which has to take place with her here in person. It was arranged that I would come and visit the 2 children who had just been adopted, and meet the little girl from the picture as well as the rest of the family. I absolutely loved thier home and the loving atmosphere that was gushing from the walls... the 3 children that are adopted from here in Ghana are only 3 of 10 children... 3 biological and 7 adopted - amazing!! The girl I met that day in Ohio was not the same girl from the picture I had seen in Ghana - she was certianly not afraid or distant, but curious, energetic, healthy, and loved. Fast forward again... it was decided that she for sure would be flying back to Ghana with me & because of this (HERES A STONE!) I was able to check an extra bag of stuff for my classroom. You have no idea how much difference an extra 50 lbs. is when moving across the ocean!! The process of the flights and layovers was a long, somewhat tedious, and exhausting one... but she was a trooper!

Since we've been back in Ghana I have been able to help Mrs. K and her keep in contact through emails and squeeze hugs that get passed back and fourth. Mrs. K decided she was going to come to Ghana for about 10 days after all to get the adoption process moving along. We started planning and I was able to help find her a place to stay while she was here, and set up a mini-vacation for the 3 of us to go on for a weekend (STONE). Mrs. K offered to bring me items for my classroom, and my parents were actually able to buy me some things and drive them over to the K's house to bring to me (MORE STONES!!). While she was here, I got to play tour guide and learn so much about thier incredible family and even got to use the 4 extra hands in my classroom one day for an art project. Mrs. K had to return to the states and with tears and hugs we said goodbye. Since then, the process of the final adoption paperwork has been long and complicated, slow and confusing, but God is so good and it is finally all over. That girl in the picture at the top of this blog (and bless you if you've made it this far!!) is ready to go. She is ready to go HOME. Back to a family that loves her dearly and has blessed my socks off... Pray for them as they prepare to get her back - pray that the flights go smoothly and that Mrs. K doesn't get knocked out when she gets the biggest hug shes ever gotten in her life on Sunday at the airport :)

My heart (which broke for her the first time I saw her in a picture) is now overflowing with joy for her.

A few of my stones look like this beautiful girl and her family... what do your stones look like?

Happy Halloween! Errrr... Storybook Theme Day!!

At AIS we have our own version of Halloween called "Storybook Theme Day". The students (and teachers of course) dress up as a character from a book (and in our class if they had the book they brought it in so we could read it). It just so happened that we had reading month in October this year, so it was the last day of this and the 2nd grade and lower classes had a party (bouncy castle and juice bar!!), and I had asked my student's parents to send in treats for our class party... and then remembered it was also bake sale Friday (the last Friday of every month) - can you say SUGAR??!?! Oh well... it was so much fun, all 9 of my kids dressed up and had so much fun all day :) - enjoy the pic's :)

My girls :)

My boys :)

Me and Meg :)

My whole class on stage for the "parade" - Nana Adjoa (the fairy w/ the wings) won a "most creative" prize!

The high school & their teachers :)