Push Start Public Transportation

Awesome week this week friends! I have been able to see a distinct difference in the behavior of my students. By Tuesday, the majority of my students were focused and on task, completing their work, asking questions, and working together! I think that the change was instigated by my altered perspective and therefore lessened visible frustrations. In turn, they are responding to me even better. All relationships within the classroom are much more positive and now, the learning can occur, though very slowly (huge sigh). It doesn’t hurt that I have also begun a type of reward system in which the students can earn points for positive behavior throughout the week and then on Friday, the student with the most points receives a butterscotch candy! Oh the wonders that food can do around here! At dinner club this week, 6 kids, all but one under the age of 10, ate 2 full packages of spaghetti noodles. We were absolutely shocked as they all continued to file into the kitchen and refill their plates! Shortly after we first arrived here, Prince told us that “whoever has food has power”, a bold statement that is right in more ways than he could have possibly understood.

Now for those of you who have ever seen the movie Little Miss Sunshine, this next story may be a little easier for you to visualize. Elise and I have been taking the tro tros everywhere since we got here and are getting pretty good at getting around downtown. So, on Saturday, we took Miss Carolyn with us to try and find the Accra Mall (which ended up being really nice) and just wander around some. On the way there, prior to our first stop, our tro tro stalled and would not start back up again. A few men piled out of the van and started pushing it until it hit first gear, they were able to start it up again, and then struggle to jump back in the moving vehicle. This happened several more times before we reached our destination. Then on the way back, we apparently chose a faulty car again and continued to witness this hysterical event all the way home to Medie! This experience not only provided us with a lot of laughter and a really good story, but also a new perspective on thankfulness. I found myself in those moments thanking God for the little things. I was thankful for the laughter. I was thankful for the cool breeze. I was thankful for the kindness of the people here. In Paul’s first letter to the people in Thessalonica, he says “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances.” It does not say to give thanks only when things are good, only when your tro tro works properly and you arrive at your destination in time, but in each and every circumstance. While I experienced a single moment in which I thanked God in a slightly unpleasant circumstance, I have been so humbled by seeing that thankful heart in our children here day in and day out. They constantly thank Him for waking them up in the morning and giving them a bowl of rice for lunch and dinner. They thank Him for the health of the little kids, and the chickens and goats. They thank Him for the chance to go to school and for our families letting us come here to stay with them. These children who have very little are the first to thank Him for every single thing that they do have. May we, who have so much, not take anything for granted, and learn to thank Him in ALL circumstances.

This week’s child is Mary, though she is not much of a child anymore. She is 12 years old and is better at soccer than most of the boys. She is very athletic and very smart, but her standoffish attitude can make it difficult to get close to her. We are in the process of breaking through those walls and connecting with this beautiful girl. Please pray for our efforts!

I love you all and hope things are going well at home too. Keep me updated!

Love,
Obruni

Dancing Baptists!

Again, first things first, I believe that I should let you in on some big praises and answered prayers! Now a month in, Elise and I have remained healthy as ever and are optimistic about it staying that way. We also met a few other Americans last week that work at an orphanage called Rafiki only a couple of miles away. They are all very sweet and have offered to have us over any time we like! I firmly believe that God knew that my social personality couldn’t do this alone and He has surely provided me with the companionship that I need to keep going! Thanks for those prayers!

“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.”
~ Psalms 149:3.
I think that I have a much better idea of what that really looks like after last Sunday. Elise and I were invited by one of the teachers that we work with to attend church with her at Shepherd Baptist. So, after hopping 3 different trotros (which come to find out, are what “cho chos” are actually called), we arrived at a school building with hard metal chairs, a pulpit, and few drums and a large red rug in the middle. Immediately I knew I was in for a treat. Most of the service was conducted in Twi, which is their common vernacular, but they threw in some English here and there to help us out. However, there is a language that needs no interpretation and that is DANCING! And that is what we did, sure enough, in the middle of that large red rug. We might have been worlds apart in language and background, but here we worshipped the very same Almighty God! Amazing. Plus, who needs workout videos when you tote children around everyday and have 3 hour dance parties every week?

Besides church, a few other highlights of this busy week have included, getting stuck in the mud trying to walk to the market, teaching the kids jump rope tricks, getting to the “good part” in Prince Caspian, the incredible storms, and celebrating our one month anniversary by finding a pizza place in Accra!

School is still challenging, but it makes the little improvements all the more exciting. More than anything though, I am beginning to understand that for these kids who have grown up with very little encouragement, my purpose as their teacher is to let them know that they are loved, smart and capable people! Besides that, if I can get them to use their manners and keep from hitting each other from 8:00 – 3:00, then it is a successful day!

On Thursday, a huge blessing arrived from America. Their names are Jim and Carolyn Driscoll and they are going to be long term missionaries here, helping to organize and run the home. The kids absolutely adore them and really respect them more as a mother and father figure, which has already helped in enforcing behaviors and setting schedules. It has also been a welcome change to have someone look after us as we look after all the little ones!

This week’s kid is a sassy little girl in my class. Her name is Tawiah and she is as loud and loving as they get! She is very smart, one of the brightest in my bunch, but can’t keep herself from talking and distracting everyone else. Somehow it’s hard for me to get onto her though, since she kind of reminds me of myself at her age! Please pray specifically for Tawiah this week, that she, with time, would learn how to channel her passions and energies!

Love,
Obruni

The Bigger Picture

First things first, I want to thank all of you for your overwhelming response to my first update! Your emails and comments were unbelievably encouraging and enjoyable to go through at the café last week. It is so nice to know that I am literally covered in prayer by so many wonderful people throughout the country! So, thank you! Additonally, many of you have asked for my mailing address here in Ghana. Unfortunately, like many other things here, the postal system is extremely unreliable and somewhat corrupt. If packages are sent, they will most likely never be received. So for now, your electronic words of encouragement will have to do, and believe me they are more than enough!

Shortly after my last update, I came across some very insightful information that I feel necessary to share with you so that you may understand the big picture of the organization that I am working with. I got a first hand look at the background of many of the children that live at Haven of Hope, where I am staying and teaching. Contrary to what I had originally thought, Haven of Hope is not an orphanage because that term implies children without parents. Most of these children indeed do have mothers, but it is doubtful they have any idea who their fathers are. After leaving the internet café last week, Elise and I headed to the railway station in Accra where we will be working with ECM’s street ministry every Sunday. Haven of Hope was actually birthed from this original ministry, when they saw the glaring need to bring as many children as possible out of their situation on the streets. In the area where we hold the street ministry, there are sheets and blankets, beer bottles and empty food cans marking the territory of various “families”. This is their home, where they eat, sleep, live, and “work”. A large portion of the women in the area have turned to prostitution as a way to support themselves, but in turn have brought many hurting children into this world. When we walked into the station, we were immediately bombarded with over 50 smiling faces! These were the children that daily live with the consequences of their mother’s poor choices, and they were beautiful. Each week, our organization provides a message, a meal, games, and basic first aid to these amazing children. It was humbling and heart-breaking. Soon after we had arrived, an old woman came up to us and simply said, “Regina and Mary” and pointed to herself. I quickly realized that these two girls that she named from Haven of Hope were her daughters. Again teary-eyed, I tried to explain to her that they are doing well; they are very strong and smart young women. Having now a better understanding of where these children come from and the lives that they have led up to this point has provided me with a new perspective and an abundance of patience as I interact with them daily.

Despite that patience though, the beginning of the school week proved to be quite a challenge. Most of my struggles stem from the fact that my class is the largest in the school with 14 students, 10 boys and 4 girls. Half of them can read at a 1st grade level, and the other half can hardly read at all. Most of them also do not understand respect or hard work because of their backgrounds, providing me with a tough disciplinary issue. And finally, we spend a good deal of time figuring out ways to keep our papers from flying away with the wind, and then chasing them when we are unsuccessful. In the face of those challenges though, by Friday, Ms. Lindsay’s P3 class was having a blast. We were able to laugh and enjoy each other while reading Hop on Pop (my personal favorite), playing flash card games, and digging for earthworms in the black soil.

Elise and I remain busy after school as well. In an attempt to provide some structure and organization for the kids, we are facilitating various clubs Monday through Thursday. Small groups can choose to participate in art, bible, puzzles, and cooking clubs (which leaves Friday and Saturday for market trips and laundry)! We also help the kids with their homework for an hour each night and read a chapter of Prince Caspian before bed. Needless to say, I am usually ready to go to sleep before the kids are! Please pray for endurance for me and Elise as we are completely exhausted, physically and emotionally, by the end of each day!

Finally, the child of the week this week is a little boy that I am extremely fond of (who we affectionately refer to as my hunny bunny). His name is Nii and he is 3 years old. He and his little sister Comfort are the most recent additions to the home. He is such a happy boy (especially when he can play with a ball of any kind) but can also be extremely withdrawn. He has strange scars on his hands and chest that tell stories of his previous situation. I ask that you pray that he will learn boldness and be able to overcome whatever events in his past inhibit his interaction with other children.



Love,
Obruni

The Two Week Mark

Well friends, it has been 2 weeks now. The days are starting to get busier and the only thing that keeps them from absolutely flying by is my desire to see all of you!

The kids started school on Monday. My classroom consists of one corner of a large covered concrete gym, an old blackboard, and a few wooden desks. One thing is certain, I will never complain about a lack of materials in a classroom in America! As I mentioned before, I am teaching P3, but still do not have all of the books or materials necessary to teach. Also, the age range is more like 8 to 13. Hmmm. Normally, in America, I would be completely stressed out, but nothing seems to be of any urgency around here. We have met the other Ghanaian teachers and they are very sweet, but the lack of organization or motivation is unbelievable. It is not simply an issue with the school or orphanage though; it seems to be pretty common among the rest of the population as well. Frustration! Elise has recently gotten to witness my sarcastic side coming out, as that is how I seem to deal with this frustration best! Sarcasm, along with the occasional reading of Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. Both have been pretty therapeutic, but nothing has helped as much as the further understanding of what it means to really abide in the Lord; to remain or endure in Him. It is one thing to say it, and another thing entirely to rely on it in every moment.

On a brighter note (no pun intended) we finally got some electricity this week. It comes on at about 6:00 pm and turns off at about 10:00, but we are usually in bed by then. The running water is still minimal. My roommate and I dart for the shower anytime we hear the generator running. Despite the occasional shower though, it remains absolutely impossible for me to obtain clean feet. I know that many of you may know my tendency for “grocery store feet” but you really have no idea!

Some other highlights of the week have included showering in the rainwatching the Ghana vs. Libya soccer game on the tele, catching bubujas (fireflies), riding a cho cho (their public transportation), putting flying beetles on a string, and watching the Little Mermaid with the kids. They have a small TV in the dining hall and can watch movies on occasion, but I had to spend most of the movie explaining to the kids that we do not have mermaids in America.

Finally, I would like to start sharing with you about specific children that live at Have of Hope from time to time, with specific prayer requests for each. So this week’s child is a boy named Prince. He is 11 years old and we have immediately become buddies. He loves retelling me bible stories and is constantly asking questions about anything and everything. We have been able to share some sweet moments reading books on my porch, and he has an intense desire to learn. I think this is a child that has amazing potential, but is many years behind in his schooling, having arrived here only a year and a half ago. I ask that you pray that he will be provided with all of the necessary tools to not only carry on his education, but be successful and challenged; realizing his full potential.

I hope you are enjoying looking at the pictures I send over email, because I cannot seem to attach them to the blog over here. If any of you are not receiving those emails and would like to, send me a quick note at lindsay.hendrix@gmail.com.

Love,
Obruni