Pool Times!

“Swimming, swimming in the swimming pool. Days are hot, days are cold, in the swimming pool. Side stroke, back stroke, fancy diving too….”

Sorry, that’s all I can remember… but that was part of a song that I sang when I took swimming lessons in the backyard of a big house with a funny lady who gave out Skittles, many years ago. In America, learning to swim and enjoying a relaxing day at the pool are things that we take for granted, along with many other things, because they are so readily available for us. However, here in Ghana where an underground pool is extremely hard to come by, we have been fortunate enough to expose our kids to the joys of a pool along with their first swimming lessons.

Thanks to a generous gift from back home (you know who you are), Elise and I have had the privilege of taking small groups of kids to a hotel pool in Accra for the past two Saturdays, and we will continue to do so until all have had the chance to go. It has really been a thrill to watch some of our kids, who with both feet on solid ground are as tough as they come, cling to you for dear life when brought out into the water. While the kids have been to the beach a couple of times before, the feeling of being completely submerged in water is something very foreign, and frankly quite frightening to them. In a funny way, this fear on their part has brought me a happiness that I did not anticipate. Due to their uncertainty with this new environment, the kids tend to express quite often and quite loudly that they need me… and feeling needed feels good. That is a satisfaction that I have never felt before, but I’m going to venture a guess that most mothers out there can relate. However, I must also say that I have been very impressed and proud of how quickly they have picked up the basics and how rapidly their confidence can return. It is such a fun experience that I am so glad to have the ability to share with them!

This week’s boy is someone who is quite precious to me, whose first impressions are not always the greatest, but who has a heart of gold! His name is Enoch and he is a 7 year old boy with more energy than should be contained in only one child. Though his attention span is not long and that often gets him in trouble, he wants so badly and tries so hard to do the right thing. He is a young boy whose character is solid and I can’t wait to see what the Lord does with him in the future!

JOY

Frustrations were aplenty this week as a small group of boys decided that I am the worst thing that has ever happened to them! I have the uncanny ability to scatter a crowd now!

It’s humorous to write about now but a few days ago, I was not in such a light hearted mood. Following some misbehavior on their part, they received a punishment from their house mother. When I did not “take their side” and supported the mama’s decision, they snapped and began unleashing every hurtful thing they could think of. Later, a hilarious little spy hidden among the boys came to us and rambled off a list of insults that had been thrown out and then said that their main goal was to “pain us”. In other words, these few boys wanted so badly to make Elise and I miserable and they knew that because of our intense love for them, their words would cut us deep. And they did. It’s true what they say, that us humans have the capacity to hurt those who love us the most!

Their initial success in “paining me” was overcome after a little venting and much thought and prayer. I quickly realized that I do not need their approval. I did not come halfway across the world to be liked. That’s what friends and family are for. Rather, I came here to help these kids and to show them the love of Christ, whether that is displayed through a hug or a spanking. Besides that, my joy is not something that is contingent upon the consent of pre-teen boys, but it is something that comes only from the Lord and cannot be stolen. With my revised outlook on the situation, I continued my week killing them with smiles, waves, and as many hugs as I could grab. It frustrated them to no end and while they have not come around yet, I am confident that they will soon forget while they were even upset in the first place! In the meantime, please pray that they will have eyes to see the reason for our discipline and will learn to accept our love.

Additionally, please pray for Kofi. She is a quiet 9 year old girl who works hard in school, especially English. She enjoys playing dress up with the little girls and is a great football player. It took us a much longer time to get to know the real Kofi because of her shyness, but her amazing character is now very evident to us. Pray that the Lord would bless her with a boldness to accompany her other great attributes!

Reflections...

Throughout the course of this past week, much of my time after school has been spent writing the final exams for the end of second term. I can hardly believe that that time has already come around… again. Having been here for nearly 7 months now, I find myself thinking more and more about coming home. However, in thinking about coming home, I find myself thinking even more about how much I will miss these kids that have been my whole life for so long. So along that line of thought, I’d like to share a short list of things that make me happy as I think about my time here so far.

- The greenness of Ghana
- A crowded tro tro playing country music
- Having a baby tied on my back
- The way the kids take care of each other
- Rainy afternoons
- Getting stuck in that afternoon rain
- The kid’s laughter
- When they talk really fast to each other in twi
- The white powder they put on their black skin after they bathe!
- Taking them on walks
- Teasing them and letting them tease me back
- Prince’s prayers
- Kwame’s laugh
- Abigail’s dance moves
- Gabriel’s dimples
- Bernice’s voice
- Stephen’s stubbornness
- Sylvester’s goals
- Reading bedtime stories
- The joy that is found in small pleasures
- Drawing Disney characters with them
- Being independent and learning how to get around in a foreign place
- Seeing the stars at night
- Dancing to High School Musical
- The look on a student’s face when they “get” something
- Hearing that student teach another student
- Super speedy worship music (with a double clap)
- Seeing bright white teeth outside my window at night
- Fried plantain and honey
- Our vegetable lady
- When the kids hold my hand
- Trying to kiss them goodnight as they pretend to hate it!

Fifi is our precious 10 year old boy this week. He is a rock solid kid who you can always count on and who can withstand more pain than most, but is as tender hearted and caring as any I’ve ever met. He is also a big help with the little kids and has a sweet spirit about him. Please pray that he will be encouraged and that his spirit will be lifted up and he grows in age.

A week of CELEBRATIONS!

A burial celebration, my birthday celebration, and Ghana’s 52nd Independence Day celebration were all mixed into this week’s regular schedule.

While the first may sound slightly strange, it was actually a very unique and joyful experience for Elise and I as we attended on behalf of one of our students from the village nearby whose uncle had passed away. I have only been present at a couple of funerals in my life and both were rather somber, but this was a party in every sense of the word! The whole village attended, bringing out hundreds of friends and family. They were all dressed in bright clothing. There were traditional drums and dancing going on in one area while an enormous sound system played music in another area. People all around us were dancing, playing, laughing and singing (and bringing us into it all as well) as they celebrated the life of the deceased. It was wonderful and it is exactly the way that I think funerals should be!

Two days later, I celebrated my 23rd birthday with a full day of school, lots of hugs from the kids, a conglomeration of cards, letters, and drawings, a little bit of laundry, some homemade meatloaf, brownies, and a good movie! While it was pretty low key and much like an ordinary day here, I know it was probably the most unique birthday I will ever have.

Then on Friday, the kids and I, the house mamas and the cooks all piled into the small dining hall to watch the Independence Day parade on the television. Unlike our fireworks and festivals in the United States, kids from schools all over the country travel to march at Independence Square in Accra, Ghana. They are accompanied by the nation’s soldiers, and the military is put on display by land, air, and sea. It was interesting to watch, but what was even more interesting was the pride and patriotism that our kids display in regards to the love of their country. Maybe it is something that has been lost throughout the generations in America, and maybe our independence is something that we simply take for granted, but having achieved their independence only 52 short years ago, this nation of Ghana is well aware of it’s value and they thank God daily for it!

Now, Victory, Victoria, and Comfort are our children of the week, being our three baby girls. These three beautiful toddlers are two years old and bring so much life to the girl’s dorm and to the entire compound. Please pray for the growth and development of their bodies and individual personalities as they are raised in this place!

Beautiful Misadventures

Haven of Hope Academy got two days off this week to mark the midway point of our second term. So to celebrate, we took the kids to a place that is a favorite among locals called Boti Falls. We inquired whether or not this would be the best time to go since we are right in the middle of dry season, but everyone assured us that it would be great! So we all piled into the vans with 2 huge coolers full of rice and headed to the falls, but upon our arrival we discovered that the falls were really not falling at all. I was pretty disappointed as we walked a couple hundred steps down to where the waterfall pools and was afraid the kids would be severely disappointed as well. Instead of feeling bad for themselves though, they ran as fast as they could, shedding clothing along the way, and dove straight into the small pool of water where the falls usually descend. It was a beautiful sight. I was so proud as my kids taught me a lesson in making the most out of every situation!

After the kids had their fill of swimming in only a few feet of water, we went on a little hike to an area nearby that is the sight of what the Ghanaians call “umbrella rock.” Elise and I braved it and climbed the shaky bamboo ladder to the top and were met with a breathtaking view. We all ate our lunch, piled back into the vans wet and smelly, and drove home full and happy. That trip could have gone a lot differently and in the end made all of us miserable if it wasn’t for the glorious optimism of our children! There is so much they can teach us if we have the patience to listen and observe.

Paa Kwesi is the boy of the week and is also a student of mine! He is 8 years old and has a smile to melt even the hardest heart. He is very bashful and gets embarrassed easily when I smile back at him. He is a very smart kid but struggles with motivation in school, as I think is the case with many of the students. In a culture that relies very heavily on manual labor and street sellers, I can understand that it would be difficult to see a different future for yourself and therefore see a reason for your hard work in continuing education. I ask that you join me in praying that these kids see a glimmer of hope in a continent that has very little, and that they will remain motivated to work hard in school and change their futures and the future of Ghana!