twisted

This weekend I went on a trip with all of the Global Mamas interns and some staff from the Cape Coast and Accra offices to Busua beach. It's known to be the most gorgeous, cleanest and quietest beach in all of Ghana and I'd have to agree! We took this huge safari-esque truck with open air windows and headed to the "resort" after we met up with everyone at the Cape Coast office. All along I've wished to be there or at least somewhere different than Accra but once we got there, I realized Accra is exactly where I want to be. Cape Coast is so much prettier but also so much quieter, apart from the inside of the volunteer house. Around 15 or so interns live at the house there and I mean I enjoy friends and all but my Scooby Doo bottom bunk is treating me just nicely these days. I thought the grass was greener in Cape Coast but I'm happy to be in Accra for sure. Oopsies I always get sidetracked. Okay so Busua Beach. We got there early evening, put on our swimsuits and headed straight for the water. Let's pause for a second though. We were told very little about this trip. Basically just to meet up with the group and we'd get there. So I didn't ask questions, for maybe the first time ever when it comes to planning a trip (a huge duh for all who've traveled with me or just been around me for more than 10 minutes). Looking back now though I kinda wish I'd spoken up but yay for learning experiences right?! We pulled up to this pristine resort with a guard house and a gated entrance... to turn around and go to our "resort." I actually love the roughin' it lifesytle here which is a huge surprise to me. I'm fine with the 5 minute cold shower, bucket showers even, bugs, sweat, dirt, strange odors, I can do it all no problem. But here was a different story. The Alaska Resort is owned by a group of rastas. Not judging but just stating facts- the whole "don't worry bout a thing" is pretty accurate, even when it comes to our living conditions. I was handed the key to my grass hut and off we went. Luckily I got to room with just my friend Tori but not so luckily was the day-long power outages, community unisex bathroom 10 huts away with an inch of water on the floor, and never-ending poundings of African drum circles that I never could locate. It sure was an experience though! A few girls got robbed, our towel rack broke in the night to dump our clothes in the mud, we got rained out from the beach for a good day and a half, but it wasn't the end of the world. All of these things were just things- many things I've already dealt with and some that just seemed minute in comparison to other strange or inconvenient things that have happened previously this summer.

Something else was just unsettling. Sure there were amazing times of laying out on the beach, enjoying a very fresh catch of lobster and eating it straight out of the pot on a porch on the beach, and waking up to banana pancakes served on the beach (minus the honey as syrup and ants in the sugar). As a whole though my weekend was just bleh. Just not satisfying. Not enjoyable. Not what I was hoping for. I've tried to place that feeling ever since it began and I think I've narrowed it down to this one thing. Twisted paradise. This place that's supposed to be so pristine and so perfect just wasn't. These people who were supposed to be just like me, just weren't. For some reason I just had this uneasy feeling the entire weekend, itching to get away from it all. I was in paradise, literally, yet that couldn't be more from the truth of how I was feeling. I prayed and cried out to the Lord asking Him to meet me in this low place but I wasn't met with any revelations or visions or even fuzzy feelings. I felt like I had screwed something up or that I hadn't laid it all out on the table before God and I was somehow being punished. My fear, doubts, and insecurities flooded into my mind. The more I examined the situation, the more I felt... inadequate. I tried to find joy in the weird weekend, celebrating how "paradise" isn't even close to Paradise in heaven. And for that I do rejoice! I just didn't FEEL it. I kept reminding myself of truth. I'm not supposed to be able to fit in with everyone; I represent Christ and have been set apart. The dissatisfaction I felt from everyone just hurt my heart. We all feel it but we all handle it different ways. For me though it was just heart-breaking to be in this incredible place and just see people who haven't experienced true joy, who don't know of the One who brings complete satisfaction and security. Something inside of me wanted to burst it out but with that was a tension to keep it all bottled up. I just wanted to tell them what kept repeating in my mind and in my heart all weekend: temporary pleasure pales in comparison to eternal treasure. Sounds cheesy but it really was like a broken record in my mind. Instead of being some beach preacher I instead just ran to the Lord. All of my feelings of inadequacy I put on Him. Christ died for every single burden, every single fear or disappointment of mine, even in myself. It is finished. There's nothing else to be drawn out or held against me. Even when the fuzzy feelings aren't there, even when I "feel" like God is millions of miles away, I have a Truth I can cling to. God never changes. He never feels unsure about His love for me. He never feels unsure about His love for all people of the world.

That's faith. It's also a challenge to pursue each day but I've found that every single time, God meets me in that. It didn't come this weekend, it didn't come last night when I got back to Accra but it came today. God's mercy is new each and every day, and today I could wake up with such peace in knowing that, knowing that He's for my good and that His plan is always better. Being completely honest, it's been hard for me here this time around. No one knows me or where I stand with my faith so it'd be easy just to let things fizzle out. But instead I crave even more time with the One who saved me from eternal pain, the One who reminds me that satisfaction is only found in Him and that every moment and every person was created to glorify Him alone. Here there's no Christian friends, no Bible studies, no church sermons, no church groups, services, accountability; nothing. There is no Christian music blaring from the radio, no trendy videos or deep conversation. It's just raw. It's a choice to live by faith. It's a choice to seek God in the hardest times instead of running to what's comfortable or what's easy. It's not easy but God DELIGHTS when I turn to Him in the hardships. He doesn't create hardships for His joy but instead He finds complete joy in seeing me choose Him over it. Wow I've just been rambling and completely threw my heart all out there. But I don't regret it a bit. I tend to overuse my words but to end I'll just keep it simple.

I choose Christ.

crash

Maybe the title of this one isn't so great but it was honestly difficult for me to think of just one word to sum up this entire weekend. It was incredible, definitely one for the books but just like an amazing sugar high after one too many chocolates, there's gotta be a crash.

This weekend me and a few friends went on an adventure to Wli Waterfalls in the Lake Volta region of Ghana. The drive is supposed to be just over 3 hours so we packed up the car Friday afternoon and head off (this time also with a driver thank goodness). Our home in Accra just ran out of water Friday due to an electrical shortage with our pump so I had just experienced my first bucket shower with a Glad container. But we were ready. We had our hotel booked, military itinerary printed out to the hour from the US Embassy, and plenty of cedis ready for great food and attractions. We hit a ton of traffic heading out of Accra and this should've been a sign. The traffic lightens up and right when we think we're good to go to catch up on lost time, the sky turns this awful black. Maybe the blackest I've ever seen but that may have to do with just the sheer visibility of such flat land here. We could see for miles and we could see that it wasn't going to be good. Our super experienced driver, Emmanuel, even wasn't feeling so great about it so once the blinding rain began we had to pull over a couple of times to let cars pass to go the safer speed. All around became flooded and roads became backed up with traffic but we were certainly warned about the rainy season. They sure weren't kidding either. So this unexpected storm put us back a few hours and after dark in Ghana, nothing really can happen. Nothing good at least. (Sidenote to any concerned individuals: I felt safe the entire time riding in a US Embassy vehicle with an experienced Ghanaian driver, Marine, and new best friend so no need to worry.) Anyways, as we got closer to the town with the falls and our hotel we could see that the roads weren't going to be so nice to us. We called the hotel and they said there was no way for us to get there. The road we needed to take was blocked off due to a funeral weekend (which is a huge deal here and actually really neat). We missed the detour with the dark and the rain but managed to get on the right street again. This next part of the story sounds like it'd be like 5 minutes but in Africa, everything is 10 times more complicated and takes 10 times as long. We searched from town to town for a place to stay but people literally said "we have no room." I thought for sure we'd be sleeping in some stable or at least in the car. It was the weirdest thing. Even the dingiest of hotels, no room. What?! We called people to connect us to other people who would recommend us to others and finally found one place. We drove there as fast as we could and no joke, as we pulled into the driveway the power shut off. As if the night wasn't difficult enough. The guys were worn out and just wanted a place to sleep when they were told that they'd have to be the ones to start up the old-school generator. And of course after a billion tries, the city power finally comes back on! Thank goodness though! We looked around at the place we'd decided to stay based off of sheer exhaustion and it turned out to be the most incredible, home-y inn I've seen yet. No bed bugs, no mosquitoes, no dirt, and even furnished with homemade quilts on the beds. Perfection. Our weekend turned around at that very moment, and as the giant bowl of veggie pasta hit the table as we had forks in hand ready to eat. Go figure the one time we don't pack a billion snacks we get stranded but that's always when it happens right?! The huge feast of a dinner made up for it, along with friends, laughs, and the power staying on the rest of the night.

The next morning we slept in later than expected, fueled up with a HUGE breakfast then drove up to the Wli Waterfalls Reception. I was still a bit beat from the adventure the day before so I thought I was still dreaming but nope! My favorite animal of all time, an ostrich!, was just roaming around reception looking for hand-outs from tourists stopping in before the hike. We were warned about the strenuous nature of the hike but again, it's Africa... what do they really mean? Difficult? No. Try hardest hike of my entire life. Like probably 3 times worse than Camelback in Arizona that I hiked in November. And in 90 degrees with humidity. But what a great test of endurance both mental and physical. I caught myself just praying to the Lord as a friend, as a comforter in thanksgiving for even being able to walk up a mountain and asking for strength that I didn't think I had. From the first view of the mountain I didn't think there was a way but 3 hours later we arrived at the top falls of Wli and it was the most incredible thing. Drenched from head to toe we traded sweat for the cool water and mist from the falls as we jumped in right away. There's just something so peaceful and rewarding about a great hike. For me I think it was that I honestly didn't think I could make it yet it was only my mind holding me back from doing so. We had a great guide, Samuel, who showed us different natural remedies for bug bites, tree fibers for energy, berries for survival and pointed out different landmarks along the way, such as the village with reception that got smaller and smaller the longer we hiked up the mountain. From the top of the falls, I just sat and marveled. It may sound cheesy but it really was just a moment in awe of God's creativity, His power to create all of this to bring Himself glory. I sat on a rock in the sunlight with my Luna bar lunch and just closed my eyes to listen to the sound of people singing in the church in the village as it drifted up the mountain and rested where we were. There aren't many moments like that, allowing us to just sit and marvel. The ones we do have are just such sweet ones. After a long rest we began the hike down the mountain, just as difficult but felt so refreshing knowing we were heading back with a bit more energy and lifted spirits. The sky was gorgeous the entire time and right when we headed back to the car at reception, the craziest downpour began. It came just in time as we were worn out, hot, tired, and just put the icing on the cake for the most difficult yet most rewarding hike of our lives.

The next morning we packed up the car, said our goodbyes to sweet Margaret, the owner of the inn, and her son who were both so hospitable to us. We were the only guests in the inn those nights so it really was like a home away from home for us. We left early so that we'd have plenty of time for travel but mostly to catch the Mona monkeys before they went into the forest for the afternoon. At Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary nearby we enjoyed a private tour of the grounds, protected for the conservation of the forest and monkeys. The Monkey Sanctuary fees are poured directly into the community and have provided schooling for all the children, a new clinic, and improvements in housing in that region that really needs it. Besides that, we got to hold monkeys! We were each handed an unpeeled banana and just told to hold our arms out tight. The tour guide was also named Emmanuel. Ah crazy! As I'm typing it just hit me! Emmanuel means God is with us. And as evidenced from all of our escapes from near-tragedies, He absolutely was! Anywho I diverge. Emmanuel just told us to hold on tight as he let out this crazy monkey call and pointed to the branches as they began to shake closer and closer in. We looked around the forest edge where we were standing and we spotted monkeys all around us! The tour guide said that Mona monkeys favor white women, oddly enough, but it seemed to be true. I had two monkeys fighting on my arm- twice- with monkey scratches up my arm to prove it. A younger monkey jumped on my arm once and just sat peeling the banana with his little hands. So surreal. Another highlight of the trip and a memory I never want to forget. We then headed back home and on the ride home I was just praying, talking to God about the weekend. I realized this: God never says no, He just says "I have better." Maybe this isn't in the form of visual blessings and provision like my weekend was, maybe I'll never see the "better" of certain situations, but I believe that statement with my whole heart.

So that's all the sugar. And I hate writing novels but it always turns out like this. But with the sugar comes the crash. Our crash came quicker than we thought it would as we walked into our volunteer room straight into a solid inch of brown water covering the entire floor, including the bags I left behind for the weekend with books and chargers and such. No. way. The cheery, high spirits mood faded real quickly as we found two mops and a bucket and went at it for an hour until I enlisted some help from my boss's husband. He brought the electrician to fix the burnt out bulb in our bathroom who dropped the good bulb which shattered all in the water we were cleaning up. And then the power went out so we were mopping brown toilet water in the dark in the stinkin (literally) heat of the day. I have to admit I was livid. I was not a happy camper. How did this happen? Did no one care to move my things that were ruined? I wanted to find someone on which to place the blame but I was smacked with the reality that accidents happen. Maybe they happen a bit more here with a bit stronger severity with much more chaos, but they happen. And it's okay. Life will go on. God is still with us and if anything, He used that low to show me my lack of trust in His good. And for that I really am thankful. It's the low moments that draw us close to Him.

grace

Last weekend was our first big adventure! And an adventure it was, even from the very beginning. There's no trotro (mini-bus) stop anywhere around here that gets us out of the city so we had to get a taxi to the city center to Tudu Station to get a tro. The language barrier, or my accent, became apparent that it'd be a challenge for us from the start. The taxi driver finally worked it out and dumped us off in the very middle of Tudu with no station in sight. Tudu is unlike anywhere African I've been so far. Thousands of Africans, thousands of individual stands selling produce, perfume, random products but everything you could ever want or need. We were the only bruni's anywhere but luckily people were only extremely helpful. The second we popped out of that taxi, 2 guys immediately offered to help to bring us to Tudu station to catch a tro to Shai Hills. Another adventure. We circled around parts of the city 2 and 3 times, with the sky getting darker and darker as a huge storm was rolling in. I just prayed and prayed that the rain would hold off until we sat down in that tro. They kept checking to make sure we were following and lead us so well through the thick crowds and street sellers. After around 20 minutes of this craziness, with no one REALLY understanding where we needed to go, I pulled out the pen from my backpack and wrote it on my hand. Little did I know, this would be the only way we'd get to Shai Hills. Everywhere we went with the guys as they talked with bus drivers and tro drivers, my hand was pulled into the air to show off my writing so that we could find the vehicle we needed to be in. It worked! We were lead up to this one tro with the drivers all haggling prices as we walked behind a line of tros. And I just stopped. Something seemed off that I may have caught in my peripheral vision as I was following the guys. I backed up a few steps and couldn't have been more right about the whole something is whack thing. In the back of the tro, our tro that we were supposed to take to Shai Hills, was a kicking and screaming baby goat tied up by it's neck to the seat post in front of it. Woah buddy. It was crazy! Luckily that tro filled up as Tori and I stared for a few seconds and we got the last 2 seats on the tro next to it, headed to Shai Hills! I thought the guys were leading us around town for a couple extra cedis but at the end of our journey, one came up to me and shyly asked for my address. Instead I gave him a couple cedis and jumped in. Ghanaians were starting to prove us wrong and really are some of the kindest, most helpful people!

Promise the next phase of our journey won't be this detailed. But neat thing, the second (and I'm not exaggerating) we got seated on the tro and the door slammed shut, it started to downpour! Not just rain, but like blinding rain. Which wasn't the safest feeling in this old-school form of mass transit. But if God was providing already through answered prayers, I could easily trust that His will would be done throughout the rest of our adventure. We arrived safely as the rain slowed down and stepped off right at the Shai Hills Reserve sign. We had made it! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Here after it rains it's cool and breezy instead of all sticky and muggy like I thought it'd be. The clouds still kept the sun from beating down from us and we were able to walk to our hotel and just enjoy the afternoon. We checked in at Shai Hills Resort and it was unexpectedly empty. The room was around $25USD and was yet again another sign of grace- A/C was blasting, TV, mini fridge, shower, huge bed, closet, just perfect. When I was researching our weekend plans, I really had no idea if it would all come together, as is life in Africa, but it surely was! And was such a blessing.

We got settled, unpacked our big packs, and headed out for an afternoon of hiking. We met other German volunteers at the reserve who wanted to split the costs of traveling through the reserve. Hello, another blessing. One I didn't even expect or plan for but one that saved us a pretty penny. In the reserve, you have to hire a guide for the whole time and you can only get to the great places with a car. So with the Germans, we split a taxi and went on the most ghetto-fabulous safari ever. But somehow it really worked out! We got dropped off part way to finish walking up to the bat caves and were just treking in the middle of the grasslands with mountains ahead of us, sun shining, antelopes frolicking and baboons calling out to each other. Surreal. Our guide was the nicest, most smiley man ever and had this giggle that just warms your heart- though the giggle may just come out when Americans ask silly questions- but I enjoyed it nonetheless. We reached the bat caves and learned all about the Shai people, how they lived in the caves for protection during wartimes up until 1890ish, how the tribal people of this region worship the Boabob tree and make a yearly journey to perform their rituals at the tree outside the bat cave, covering it in ceremonial cloth that remains up for the rest of the year. They even perform animal sacrifices to present to the tree. Pretty fascinating, yet kinda crazy stuff. Anywho, we "walked" up to the bat caves. Our little guide just jumped the rocks and got there in no time but for America, it would probably be considered a "difficult" hiking trail. Whoops. We made it though and were thankful for such a great, unexpected workout. The bat cave is where the chief resided for maximum protection. The had traps in the cave and the narrowest of passage ways (ones I didn't think I'd ever fit through but because of a childhood of preparation from Twister, I sure did) leading to the chief's quarters which also was home to thousands of bats screeching and flying around.

We then walked back a while before the taxi returned to get us and it was just breathtakingly gorgeous outside. Like out of a movie or something. We returned to the main gates after a few bumps and stalls down the dirt road just in time to go looking for baboons before they went away for the night. The baboons on the safari are afraid of people but the ones who live at the main gate are comfortable around people and will even eat food out of your hand, though I wasn't about to do that and catch some crazy disease. I always knew baboons were big but dang they're huge! The largest male was probably the size of my golden retriever at home. One female had her sweet little baby with her and it was so awesome to see them up close for a bit. Tori and I then bought a watermelon, an entire one for like $1USD from the sweetest lady in the world. She cut it up for us so we could eat it on our walk back to the resort, and even brought a friend over to get their picture taken. They screamed and squealed in delight about the picture and it was such a sweet moment. We later returned to the hotel to watch the Barcelona/Manchester soccer game and enjoy the most delicious dinner ever at the hotel restaurant. Great day.

The next day, one of our friends we've met here joined us for a long hike up the tallest mountain in the reserve. He's stationed at the US Embassy so with that comes a driver, a Land Crusier with A/C and American music. Not too shabby. I'm glad we experienced the reserve the African way the day before because we sure were spoiled on Sunday. Until we got to the hike. Again the African guide just ran up this mountain trail, a trail that would be "difficult" or even more in America. I hadn't had the biggest lunch which was a huge mistake. I didn't feel so hot for part of the hike and was so bummed that I wouldn't be able to finish. But of course our friend came prepared with boxes of granola bars and saved my life, allowing me to push on to reach the peak. And I'm sure glad I did. We could see clear for miles and I could've stayed up there for hours. Unfortunately that wasn't an option due to our guide freaking out about sun setting soon and snakes coming out which I guess is a valid worry. So we booked it down the mountain with a few bumps and scrapes from climbing up and down this vertical cave but we all survived! We jumped in the too nice of a car and headed home without the tro adventures which I didn't mind a bit. I am glad though that we're able to have the crazy goat tro stories to contrast to the Land Cruiser rides to experience all of it. And I'm grateful that the entire weekend was an outpouring of God's grace on us. Such a great reminder of His sovereignty in how things work out, and that even God wants us to enjoy this life. So overall, our first weekend adventuring was a great success.

In 2 hours we're off to another adventure at Wli Falls and Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary! Hopefully I'll be able to post pictures quicker this time!
(ps I just realized the photos are all in reverse order. Oopsies sorry! Hope it still makes sense.)

good

Got the iTunes on shuffle during work here at my internship and I didn't even hear the other lyrics to the song when this line popped out at me:
You never said it would be easy
You just promised You'd be with me
Good stuff. This truth hits every aspect of my life- in Ghana, Zambia or in the US- and brings such peace.

Photos & stories from last weekend's adventure will be posted soon! Tomorrow we're off to Wli Falls and another monkey sanctuary. Such a sweet reward for ourselves after a tough week of work!

home

This weekend was full of adventures to share soon! Weird enough, we were pulling onto our street tonight after a long weekend and it just felt good. I think "home" finally means something to me and Tori and it's strange to think home is our lodge for the entire summer but I'm glad we're finally getting used to things around here. Here are some photos from our home.

learning

I left America just a week ago today, though I'm feeling strangely settled into our house here in Accra. I haven't mastered Ghanaian life by any means and I'm learning so so much each day. Today was our first big day of adventure: traveling outside the compound walls for more than 5 minutes! We worked at the store in Osu, Accra for the morning and boy was that an experience. Here's a recap of just a few things I've learned so far pretty unique to Ghana:
1. The constant honking of taxis will never stop and we've come to accept it. Both Tori and I have blonde hair. And don't exactly blend in around here. The honking means that there's space in the taxi but we don't think it's coincidence that the noise follows us around everywhere.
2. Whenever someone yells "Obama!" at us, they're being friendly! It's strange to find that incredibly comforting but I certainly will if it means I have a new friend.
3. Spice & food in general is an acquired thing. We eat Jollof rice (spicy rice), Waakye (pronounced wachee: spicy beans & rice), fried rice (spicy spin on chinese), fried plantains and chips, fish (skin on or dried/fried), ground nuts (little peanuts), fresh like real fresh eggs out of the chickens running around, white bread and luckily tons of fresh tropical fruits and cheap cookies.
4. A white person is a bruni.
5. The "world's nicest people" aren't always nice. But there are some incredibly sweet people here, don't get me wrong.
6. Milk doesn't reallllyyy need to be refrigerated. And overall as Americans, we're way to cautious when it comes to hygiene.
7. Blonde hair also communicates "please rip me off."
8. Shopping bags are called "rubbers" and you must have a bag for every single item you buy, even fresh bread which seems dirtier than if you just carried it, but it works.
9. The worse the litter in the gutter smells, the better you think you smell.
10. Traveling is a pretty complicated endeavor. But I'm convinced it'll be well worth it for our big adventures.
11. Gummies do not exist in the groceries, even the nice ones. A tub of lollipops is $70 USD. And that's a little hard to handle for my candy obsession.
12. Just point. And speak in some broken accent. Anything will be possible.
13. You will never stop sweating, but same with everyone else.
14. "A/C" is relative. It doesn't usually mean any temperature below 80.
15. Life is just slower and demands you to slow down and enjoy people. And that's good.


On a completely different note, Accra is kind of a lonely city. It's a huge city with tons of people but it lacks that community feel of a smaller village or community. Americans/foreigners here are all pretty independent but luckily I'm blessed to have the other intern Tori as a good friend already. Sitting at work today I plugged in the headphones to listen to some music for the first time since I arrived in Ghana. This place, completely apart from friends, family, a church community, hasn't been the easiest. But it's also brought about a whole new level of faith: desperation. Here I just crave the Lord. Maybe that sounds weird or a bit over the top but it's true. It's like missing a best friend, but a best friend who won't ever disappoint, who's always there, who loves unconditionally, who always knows the perfect thing to say, who knows every single detail about you and loves you more than you can ever comprehend. I miss my friends and family a lot but through that has just shown me that no matter where I go, I will always be fulfilled and complete. I have everything I could ever want or need. I get to talk to God through prayer because of what Jesus did for me and for the whole world. Being away from people for me has just meant realizing the desperation of my soul to grow closer to the Lord, to strengthen our relationship that He's been working on my whole life but I fail to acknowledge it so many times. The desperation stems from an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people knowing I can do nothing apart from God's will. This has all been hitting me very recently and I couldn't think of any better way to word the plea of my heart than the first song that played on my iTunes:
These hands are yours
Teach them to serve
As you please and I'll reach out
Desperate to see all the greatness of God
May my soul rest assured in you
Show me your heart
Show me your way
Show me your glory

My heart's been craving Jesus. And the good thing is that the craving will always be satisfied. I'll find wholeness in Him.

today

Woah. I've been posting like crazy. We have a lot of downtime that I haven't really figured out how to use yet so once I do I don't think I'll be writing as much. So enjoy for now?

Today was my first day of work. The first work day since winter of my sophomore year of college in retail. This day didn't go quiiite like your typical internship day as it was full of the most random interruptions. To start the day off, we woke up at 7:30 for breakfast before "going to work" which for us consists of just walking into a different room with desks and boxes in it. After a bowl of oats and fresh fruit I realized that it seemed a bitttt too early. Oh right. It's 3:30am my time and I've been pretty much living off my time since I've been here. Probably should've gotten adjusted before work but oh well! So as if that wasn't enough kicker for starting, I wasn't sitting at my "desk" for more than 15 minutes when the guard comes in to tell us that the vegetable woman is here. A lady comes by twice a week with her huge basket of fresh veggies that she carries on her head so that she can sell them to us Americans/white people. First break of the day with just a few minutes into the day to buy food? Why not! We (the other intern & I) get back to work and cram out a few hours of number crunching and analysis of sales data for the retail and wholesale departments. At around 11, the guard comes back in to tell us that the food man is here. More food?! It may sound like I get a lot to eat, but don't be fooled. My dinner tonight was Groundnut Paste & Jam on biscuits. I still gotta learn the ropes around here. Anywayssss this man, known as "meals on wheels" to the rest of the staff comes by a few times a week. He pays a taxi driver to drive him all around selling prepared food: fried rice, spring rolls, Jollof rice, and another type of rice I couldn't understand. He just has boxes stacked up in the backseat of the car and sells it to you like a reverse drive-through. Like delivery, but you have to meet halfway by coming outside the gate to get the food. Anyways word on the street is that fried rice is the way to go but unfortunately he sells his last one before I order. So I ask for something not spicy. I was fooled real bad yesterday with the whole "not spicy" thing and wasn't going to fall for that again. I had our guard translate plainly that I didn't want spicy and he assured me that I was safe. I think Ghanaians have a skewed perception of spicy, but this is also coming from a girl who can't even handle Medium salsa. I take my box of food all wrapped up and head inside for my first lunch break but I open it up to see RED rice. Not a good delish kinda red. But an "oh no" kinda red. As if that wasn't bad enough, this glob of blackish reddish stuff was on top of my rice. The stuff that torched my mouth yesterday as I took a curious taste of it. Turns out it's just raw red and green chillies mashed up with dried fish and shrimp. Mmmmm. And it's hot as fire! I cried for a good 10 minutes after drinking a liter of water. It was nothing I've tasted before! Anyways, that was yesterday. Each day is a lesson learned so I learned from that lesson and just scraped it off my rice and did what I could with eating that box of deliciousness. Tori and I will have to figure out a better way to feed ourselves around here. So back to work we went on our first project of analyzing best and worst sellers, making suggestions for improvement and predicting trends. Time went by pretty quickly for a while there since Renae's son was down for a nap (after I played cars with him for a bit) and the interruptions ceased a bit. So then the parrot decided it needed to fill that void of noise and just squawked "hello" and "ok" for the next 5 hours. The view outside of my window was of the ducks being chased by the guard to stay in the backyard; the huge guard dogs were getting feisty and barking and drooling, and Ben decided his nap was over and came out crying in his undies. Typical day at the office right? This is Africa. :)

As much as it's crazy, I kinda really like it. I like the idea that I can help contribute to the success of this company to help out Ghanaian women. I enjoy working with the volunteers and staff here at the house. I strangely love the culture here and am excited to get to know the locals better. Cold showers are oddly refreshing in this heat though we don't get them often. Just finished up my second one of the trip. Don't do the math or else you won't talk to me again but that's how life is here. And it's just fine! I can't say I wouldn't go for some Chickfila and a hair straightener right now but it's only a few days in and I'm actually excited to live this new life for a while. I feel it's only preparing me for next summer's move to Zambia though it's hard not to compare Ghana to Zambia all the time. Just for the record, my heart is still with my first love and I can't imagine living anywhere in Africa except Lusaka. Don't tell Accra though.

Getting into this groove of work and lots of rest will take adjustment. Just as the extreme spice, suffocating humidity, constant pounding of Ghanaian pop from next door and strange interruptions will. But I can't help but be reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:31: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." He's purposed this moment, this frustration or this laughter for His glory. It's up to me to give credit where it's due.

Kinda off topic... I've been emailing/texting Elina, a widow from Ng'ombe who we met last summer who ran the Deborah Orphanage, about updated plans for Clothed in Hope and seeking her advice on it. She's such a blessing to the children there as she really lives out the Gospel in her everyday life, giving it all though she has next to nothing. Her heart is incredibly inspiring and she's one of the most beautiful people I've ever met. She radiates grace and gentleness and I just really wish you could meet her. Anyways, I asked what I could be praying about for her life. Rather than asking for provision or blessing or safety for her and the kids, she sends me this today, "My prayer request is that we should find women who are strong, committed and faithful." Nearly brought me to tears through her incredible selflessness, petitioning and believing God for great things through Clothed in Hope. Please join us in praying for women to feel the tug of God's plan on their hearts.