Day 22-24.5

When I said my tour was over, I meant my tour was over. Now that I’m back in Accra with nothing to do, I am officially on my own. There was a time when I was here when they would barely let me go to the bathroom by myself. Now I’m finding whole hotels by myself. Lol. Well, it’s not that bad, but they sure have done a disappearing act on me. Reggie, however, manages to stick around and Angie tries to call once to check in. But you know what, none of it matters, cause I’ma goin home. There was no point blogging about every day this week. I really haven’t done much of anything….so I figured I’d just give you a few of the bullet points.

Hmmmmmm, let’s see.

Did some gift shopping. I’m becoming a pro at bargaining here. The trick is to say your price and if they don’t comply then to walk away. Once you walk away they beg you to come back and sell it at the price you want. So I got all the gifts I needed to get for my family and some of the Brooklyn kids that requested gifts and a friend or two. And today, I’ll try to figure out how to pack it.

Oh! Reggie’s car broke down again. Big shocker that was. But he somehow found a few young men to push the car and as they were pushing it, it started again. He was like, “See, that’s all it takes.” Great. Well, again, I’m just thankful it survived the sticks. I mean, if you woulda seen some of the places we’ve been in that car, you will know that it was God that helped us even survive let alone make it back to Accra with no problems.

Let’s see, stopped by the King’s office again and said goodbye to him.

Got a "2 more days" text from Pastor Soaries. Even he's counting down. lol! I thought i'd only get those messages from my family and a few friends, but his are great.

Oh! I finally watched all the DVD's Shaun copied for me to see while I was here.

I switched to yet another place to sleep. This will make 10….10 different beds and places that I’ve slept in since I’ve been here. This place is decent. To be honest I don’t care because it’s close to the airport.

At any rate, I’ve had the opportunity to spend this time to myself…time, to be honest, that I really haven’t gotten since I’ve been here. Time to pray for my loved ones and others. Time to really talk to God about…well just about everything.

Well today, I’m sure the gang will take me somewhere seeing that it’s my last day. It was supposed to be to see Michael Jackson’s movie, but I’m not sure I want to spend that many cede’s on a movie. We shall see. I'm currently packing my suitcase and looking at some of the things that I don't need that can be given to someone who does need them. Many of us have a thing about hand-me-downs, but to some of these kids, it's like striking gold. There are some shirts I have that I just don't want or need for that matter. The shoes I came with...some of the flats I probably won't wear anymore....goes a long way for people who have no shoes at all. I'm going to pack some of that up and give it to Angie or Reggie and ask them to give them to someone who needs them. It's not a lot...but it's something.

I end this blog at 24.5 because after this afternoon I won’t have internet. I only paid for it for 24 hours and chances are I will be out tonight. So when I get home, I will write my final one…but it’ll be extended! Yay!

Sherbet & Ice Cream: Day 21

I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. My body is so tired. My mind is pretty much alert but this has been one full month. I rolled out of bed and got dressed for church. I was supposed to join in the teen chapel today at Calvary. Reggie came to pick me up around 730 (330am your time). We decided to go up the street to grab something to eat first. Well about 5 minutes into the ride his car stopped working. He was so upset. I wasn’t. I was just glad that didn’t happen in the way to or back from Kade or any of those other far off places that we had been traveling. A tow truck just happened by to take his car off the road and bring it to the restaurant parking lot. We got some breakfast and waited to hear from the person that usually fixes his car. Well, turns out that person was in church. So I just suggested that we walk back to the guest house and he can watch tv in the tv room and wait there. So we walked about 15 minutes back to my place and low and behold Ali was on tv. And not just any part….the part when he arrived in Ghana for one of his fights. It was the scene where him and Malcolm X were talking and Maya Angelou was in the background. Legends I tell you. Anyway, I was so tired I took about an hour ½ nap and then the guy came to fox Reggie’s car and we headed to Angie’s house. Church, of course, had been over by then. Angie fixed me a great meal…rice, plantains and one piece of chicken. Usually when she cooks, I’m not a vegetarian.

We then hopped in a cab and set out to one of her friends’ wedding. It was at a beautiful place….well actually we went to the reception. It was in a big backyard and of course the weather was near perfect. Anything taking place after 4 or 5pm here will have near perfect weather. The sun is going down and the breeze is terrific. It was a standard Western wedding reception. From the dancing to the band to the cutting of the cake to the bouquet toss. The colors were orange and white which typically would seem like sherbert and ice cream but actually it all came out nice. I met a few of Angie’s friends…all guys. They had clearly been drinking up until that point and I will say that they did absolutely nothing to help my perception of Ghanaian men. It’s a good thing there are a few I know that are semi-respectful. They were loud and obnoxious. One guy was cool though…he clearly had an anger against African Americans and their perceptions of Africans which I did try and defend at times even though I did agree with him at times. We talked for a long time about media and stereotypes etc. But I think his problem was also with America in general…actually I saw that as being all of their problems really after talking with them…they disdain being classified as 3^rd world (which I’m wondering is Ghana is…it shouldn’t be….well some parts at least) and disdain America as 1^st. That to me was not a problem I could have a conversation about...i can’t explain it away nor can I control it. Anyway, Angie and her friends dropped me back off at the guest house. Off to bed for me. Only a few days to go. Now that my tour is over, I’m ready to go home. I'm curious, you know? Curious about just how much God has changed me in these twenty-something-odd days.

The Day I Did Nothing: Day 20

Well it’s the 20^th day, otherwise known as “The Day I Did Nothing.” I did nothing blogworthy today. I didn’t even plaster myself out of bed until after 2pm. All of this traveling has really gotten me worn down. Well no let me revise that…I woke up around 1130 to have leftover plantains and rice. I’m still at the guest house so I heated them up in the kitchen and went down to the TV room (where they have satellite tv) to watch a little tv. Oh yes, and it was then that I came back to take a nap so I think it was closer to 3 when I woke up. Anyway, Angie called and said she wanted to take me to eat Chinese food. I said “sure” but the entire time back in my mind I was thinking, “I’m not so sure how this one’s going to turn out.” She picked me up and we headed to this Chinese fast food place/restaurant. The first people we saw at the counter were Chinese. Angie said, “Well that’s a good sign.” Lol. And of course there were some Ghanaians as waitresses. I didn’t see the standard on the menu. Well, the meats were pretty much the same. Shrimp, beef, pork, chicken. But no broccoli, no snow peas, no string beans. (sigh) oh well. I mean, those veggies would have to be imported anyway. Everything was basically meat and rice. So I had, fried rice and a little sweet and sour shrimp on the side. It wasn’t breaded and really they were just small shrimps with sauce over it. But it was good and I ate it all. After we took a walk down…hmmm, I forgot the name of the street…but it’s a busy street in Accra. Kind of like South Street is in Philly. Very busy with people everywhere. At one point when we were walking this kid came up to us begging. And he walked alongside us practically hanging off Angie’s arm…then mine! The parents…some of them…send their kids out in the street to beg because they know it will gain more sympathy. We walked up and down, hung out a while and then headed back to the guesthouse. See, I told you I did nothing today. And you know what? I'm okay with that.

From Koforidua to Kade to Accra: Day 19

Woke up early to have some breakfast and check out of the hotel. Can you believe how many different beds I’ve slept in this week? I keep looking at my poor suitcase. It looks all worn out. Anyway, we made a quick stop at Reggie’s mom’s school to say hello to the kids and meet the teachers. Sometimes when I’m on this trip I question whether or not I’m a minister or a school teacher…I have been to see so many schools!!!! Anyway, after that we took a 3 hour bumpy, bumpy, bumpy, bumpy, bumpy ride to Kade. The potholes we ran over would have been an automatic flat tire in the States. Reggie’s tires actually survived them. There is no speed limit, no road signs and barely any traffic lights here so needless to say I feared for my life. Anytime you can drive 140 miles with no problem, I get a little weary. He slowed down a bit for me though because I was clearly in distress. Well, we finally got to Kade and boy is it hot. They say the more north you go up here the hotter it is. One of the chief’s people met us at the palace. His name was Ben. What a nice man he was too….full of joy and laughter. It was nice to be around after such a frustrating ride. Reggie went to get something to eat and Ben and I walked around the market place. It was right in the center of town and everyone who was anyone was there. They were playing music and shopping, selling food, clothes, appliances…you name it, they sold it. I was meeting some of the area people who all thought I was from Ghana of course until I opened my mouth. They were all very nice. It was so hot, I was sweating bullets, but I didn’t complain because it hasn’t been blazing every day up here as some people would think. The weather has been good. Some days hotter than others, but some really cool and breezy nights that I just love. We went back to get Reggie and headed to the first High School. I met the headmaster and walked around a bit. There weren’t too many kids there because this was the second site of another main campus.

When we got to the main campus there were teens though everywhere and I had a chance to go into each class and say hello. They were learning some really hard topics from what I perceived. The school is a day school, but the kids live in dorms on campus, which is kind of weird because if it’s a day campus that means they don’t provide food. If they don’t provide food and the kids live there, how do they eat? They basically provide their own food which I assume can be quite difficult. Those were some of the questions I asked. On to the last school. A Private School for primary kids. This school is not government funded and they basically run off of the students fee’s. At this point in my trip all the schools and all the kids are all starting to look alike. But, I enjoyed meeting them as well. This school I believe Rev. Soaries visited on his trip to Kade a year ago. They said they’d like to expand and get more computers and books etc. I felt a little bad because I’ve visited so many schools and churches and colleges here that all need computers and books and money. You want to help them all, but I’m not sure our church can do that. Those chairs alone for that one costs thousands and thousands of dollars. Anyway, I will bring all this back to Rev. Soaries when I get back. For now I will collect everyone’s info and see what we can and can’t do to help. There are some practical things the kids can do when I bring them up here next year.

Well, when we dropped Ben off he presented me with a scarf on behalf of the Chief of Kade and we set out for our 2 hour ride back to Accra. I can’t tell you how happy I am that all of this traveling and touring is over. I have some visits to make at another church and I believe maybe one more school before I go, but it’s all within range of Accra. We made it back to the wonderful guest house I was staying in, in Accra. Angie came by and we talked for a few hours. I was so happy to see her. She's so cool. Well tomorrow I will sleep and do nothing all day.

A Change of Plans: Day 18

Woke up early and did some devotional reading and journaling and then met Reggie at 9am so we could check out of the guest house and head to Koforidua. We stopped first at the hotel to check in and then went to the “New Creation Baptist Church.” The Pastor said he wanted me there at 11am till 2, then again at 6pm. Turns out though that they just had a bible study at both those times. I wasn’t sure what to do to be honest. I think he wanted me to talk more and participate more but I had no idea really. The first session was on Discipleship. Actually for 1pm on a Thursday there were like 20 young adults there which was pretty surprising. But again, this is that young church that we had gone to when FBC was here. They all participated asking questions and making comments. There were even more young men than there were women. Anyway, afterwards the Pastor asked me to give a few words and I just encouraged them about being the future of the church the world’s next leaders blah blah blah. Lol. Anyway, then I went back to the hotel to get on the internet FINALLY and take a nap. This was the hotel we stayed at when I got sick so I really didn’t get a chance to enjoy it much. It’s actually pretty nice, with the exception that the beds are like sleeping on table tops, but hey, what can ya do? Reggie came to get me around 5 and we went to his Aunts to have a meal. She wasn’t there but she made kontomarie (I think that’s how you spell it) and green plaintains. I had a little, but I wasn’t that hungry. I think he thought I didn’t like it or something, because he told Angie that I didn’t eat much, but to be honest, there wasn’t a huge spread on the table…just plaintains and sauce. It’s hard because when Reggie’s around he’s so self-conscious all the time about everything and I can’t actually get comfortable without him thinking that I don’t like something or that I’m too hot or too cold so on and so forth. At his Aunt’s we spoke to the Chief of Kade about me re-arranging my trip. While I was in Koforidua, we thought it’d be easier to just head to Kade the next day and then back to Accra for my final stop instead of waiting around all weekend and then going to Kade Sunday night. After a little convincing, the chief said that it’d be okay. He’s actually out of town and merely wanted to be there when I came to visit but if I came early he wouldn’t be able to. But, it didn’t matter my mind was made up. We left and headed back to the church for the last session where they talked about the fear of God. These discussions had really been good and I’d love to see our youth and young adults just as engaged. I actually appreciated the format a bit. I met with the Pastor briefly about the church’s needs and what the kids could do if I bring them back next year at the church. He also handed me a packet that he did for me and a memo for Rev. Soaries about the church’s building project and their need for chairs. Back to the hotel after that. A long day awaits us tomorrow.

Bus Ride to the Sticks: Day 17

It’s official. I am in the sticks. In the woods. With all the bugs and animals to dwell with me in my living space. And then when I heard that we are an hour away from my worksite for the next 4 days, I almost lost it. Well, I haven’t had a temper tantrum in quite some time so I suppose today was the day to have it. I woke up this morning in that great, big, home I’ve been staying in and had a great breakfast with Angie. We went to the school to say our goodbye’s to Mr. Yamoah and he then sent his driver to pick us up to take us to the bus station…or bus stop. Well, the bus station here is a little unconventional. A bunch of people everywhere trying to get you to ride their bus and carry your bags. It can be overwhelming. Angie and I waited for the bus that she was used to riding called, “VIP.” We got on that bus and set off to Bunso. The ride took about 3 hours. I slept a good part of it. There was a preacher on the bus preaching to everyone the entire time, but it was in a language I couldn’t understand so I just put my headphones on and slept. At one point the craziest thing happened. I was praying and in my prayer I asked God to allow me to see myself the way He sees me even if only for a moment. I’m not sure what made me pray that but within minutes, out pops the biggest most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. Angie and I just sat in awe. She even agreed that she’d never seen anything like it. It was so big and every single color was so vibrant. I thought to myself, “wow. Was that the answer to my prayer?” I tried to take a picture of it, but I just kept staring at it. You wouldn’t even believe me if I told you…it was huge and big and bright. Anyway, I love how God just manifests things in the most unsuspecting of ways.

Well we arrived in Bunso and Reggie was there to pick me up. Angie would stay on the bus and head to Accra. )-: We got so close. I was sad to see her go. I got in the car with Reggie and headed to the guest house. It was right in the middle of the woods. lol. It seemed so far from civilization. When we got in to see the rooms, it was very different than where I was used to staying. Very quiet. Very woodsy. (is that a word) The accommodations were decent and the bathrooms…well, I wasn’t really feeling the,m too much. I was tired but didn’t mind heading to a night service the church was having where I would be for the next day. But Reggie said it was about an hour away. I couldn’t understand why I was an hour away from my worksite. Here comes temper tantrum number 1 for the week. After going back and forth for a little while, we decided to stay there for the night and then head to Koforidua in the morning and stay there. I had a little rice, spent some time journaling and reading and watched a movie on my laptop before I decided to turn in for the night. Still no internet.

A Dream Come True: Day 16

Woke up this morning to a nice breeze and decided to go for a run. (My workouts here have been little to nothing and I figure, if I don’t start working out a little now, I’m in for a very unpleasant surprise when I get to my Boot Camp class when I get back.) I did about 10 laps around the soccer/football field behind the student center and watched some of the kids play soccer while I ran. When I got back, I took a shower and breakfast was waiting for us when we got downstairs. Porridge & fried egg. Mmmmm. More fiber and protein for my wailing stomach. But it was good. Had some hot green ginger mint tea (from my bottled water of course) to wash it down. Then I spent some time upstairs watching a little t.v. and getting ready for my talk later. Angie came up to join me and we caught the very beginning of a movie called, “Rebound” with Don Cheadle about Earl “The Goat”- the old Harlem, Rucker Park basketball start who never made it to the pros due to drugs. Good movie. Right when it was over, a man came by the house to tell us that the session that I was to speak at was about to begin. We asked him what time and he said “3pm.” Angie said, “But it’s 3pm right now.” So we rushed to get dressed to head out and low and behold no one was there. We should have known. Even I by now know about Ghanaians and their time. So we waited there for about an hour until it actually began. All the high school kids came in. They were blasting their music and in their cliques and laughing and joking. It was no different than that very same sight at Franklin or New Brunswick. Crazy how similar kids are.

Finally about 250 of them were all in one room and I was introduced and I went up to speak. I talked to them about having to define yourself, for yourself, by yourself. I kinda made that up when I got up there though lol. But I just spoke with them about how everything around us for all of our lives is set out to shape us into definitions and images that are contrary to what God called us to be. So that was it I a nutshell. Told them a little bit about myself and my story and talked about letting go of the past in order to see clearly for your future, so on and so forth. At the end, I asked if anyone had any questions about anything. They all just stared at me with these blank faces. In my mind I was like “Well okay. Guess I didn’t really get through.” Lol. Anyway, I just thanked them and said a prayer for them all and then went to the corner where Angie was to get my things. Well when they dismissed one girl came up to me at the end and said she had a question.

Then like 30 more rushed over. It was so overwhelming. They asked all sorts of questions about life, career, relationships, beauty and self-esteem. It was really great. A real dream come true because I love speaking to teenage girls and it was always a dream of mine to speak to some internationally…especially in Africa! We talked about everything and then we all exchanged emails and facebooks and after I prayed with a few of them. Later on Angie and I watched a movie and then headed to bed. What a fulfilling day it was.

Productivity: Day 15

When we got up, breakfast was waiting for us downstairs. French toast and apples. It was a nice break from the protein bars that I’ve been scrubbing down running out in the mornings. After that we went on a tour of the International Community School. What a big, beautiful campus filled with children of all backgrounds and of all ages. We saw science and computer labs and dormitories and library’s and campus centers. There are kids here from Ghana, Liberia, Togo, Nigeria, Guinea and other places. When we met Dr. Yaboah at his office we discussed creating a Summer Youth Leadership Academy where kids from the U.S. would come out here and spend 2 weeks with the kids on this campus and learn from each other. The focus would be on leadership, education, sports, technology and arts and culture…from both sides. So we talked about making something like that happen in 2011 and brainstormed and planned for a while. That was one of the reasons why I came to Kumasi in the first place. To see the school and speak with him about starting this Summer Institute. Then we had a brief lunch and headed to Ghana Baptist University to meet the President of the School, Pastor and former head of the Ghana Baptist Convention- Dr. Kojo Osei-Wusuh. He’s interested in partnering with Baptist colleges and seminaries in the States. They are more affiliated with Southern Baptists interestingly enough and there are plenty of schools like that in the South. I only know of a handful of Baptist seminaries and universities in the north, but I told him I’d take all of this back to ABCNJ when I speak with them before the year is out. We talked about what these partnerships would entail. He also explained the needs he had at his school which includes computers and library books. Their library is so deficient...when I saw it I almost got upset. So I told him I will see how we can help in the states get this part of their school off the ground. He then took me to his church Grace Baptist and I looked around. It’s even bigger than the church I went to yesterday. And they have a school as well for elementary and middle school students. It’s something to see. After, we stopped by an internet café to see if I can get on something for a sec. I typed a few emails and then headed out. We went to another woman’s house which was just so beautiful. Her home looked like botanical gardens it was so beautiful. I could just sit and look at it for hours. We sat and conversed a bit on why there is such a gap between African-American’s and Ghanaians. Even though we talked about some things that were negative, I did highlight how even Garvey, Dubois, King, Stevie Wonder and even Maya Angelou found something unique in Ghana that they would come spend time here and even live here. What was it that they, as leaders, saw? We talked about that for a while and I got to be an intellectual again for like an hour or so….reminds me of my Princeton days. (sigh) Anyway, we left there, headed back to Dr. Yaboah’s and had some dinner. “GRUMBLE, GRUMBLE, GRUMBLE,” says my stomach. It doesn’t understand why I am abusing it. It can’t take any more rice and reacts to just about everything. I keep trying to tell it to hold on, I’ll be home next week. But I’m not sure it trusts me anymore. Pray for it please. lol

The Flight Out: Day 14

Woke up early to pack and head to Calvary Baptist Church for their 9am service. Reggie picked me up and we got there about 20 minutes late but hadn’t missed much. The church is about 3,000 members strong. I was also able to visit their Teen Chapel which easily had 100 teens in there. The service was nice. Typical Baptist service, just with an accent….lol. The Pastor was cool. I like how focused he is on helping those in need. We left there and went for a quick lunch…of course I had rice. We then went to pick up Angie but we had some time so Reggie drove me past the house where he grew up and I met his aunt, his grandmother and cousins. His grandmother…or great-grandmother….i’m not sure….she is in her 90s and had really never seen a Black American before. The only American’s she’d ever seen were White, so she was quite shocked to see me. When his cousins explained how someone like me could be in America they went as far back as the slave trade to remind her. At that point she remembered about all that had happened. Astonishingly she even began to thank God for all that He had done for African Americans and how something so horrible could have turned out for the good. She couldn’t speak any English so she was saying all this in her language and even began singing at one point. That moment was very enlightening. Well at that point it was 330 and we still hadn’t gotten Angie and we had a 4pm flight. Reggie is almost always late for just about everything. We rushed to Angie’s house to meet the driver and rushed to the airport. We arrived at 420pm, paid for the flight, checked in our bags and ran outside to the plane. It was a small domestic plane and when we got on, they shut the doors behind us and we were barely in our seats when the plane started pulling off. I was praying, “Ok, God, I don’t do the whole Tuskegee airman plane thing, so please let us land safely.” Well, one conversation with Angie and the pilot was already saying that we were descending. The flight was only 40 minutes. We got off, got our bags and met Dr. Yaboah who is the head of the International Community School. We didn’t know what he looked like and he didn’t know what we looked like, but when we walked out and looked like lost tourists, he said, “Khristi! Angie!” lol. Kumasi is very nice. The roads are very different than Accra…less bumpy. We went to Nana’s house for dinner. Nana is a member of First Baptist who is here for a month in Ghana for the 1 year anniversary of her mother’s death. Her home is beautiful and we stayed there for a few hours and had dinner. Then we drove another ½ hour or so to Mr. Yaboah’s home which is like…a huge mansion. Once we finished marveling at the home we went to our rooms and headed to bed….with NO INTERNET. Lol

Ghanaian Style: Day 13

Got another late start this morning and was happy to just take my time and listen to music and read the beginning of “Good Morning Holy Spirit.” Decent read… Anyway, Angie picked me up around 1130 and we headed to her home. I was happy to meet her mother and her three daughters and to just spend some time with her in her home. She was determined to cook for me and I let her! I sat in the kitchen and watched her show me different vegetables while she cut them up and washed them. She made green plantains, yellow plantains and some kind of spinach (with bits of salmon), I forget the name every time. It was great watching her cook and explain to me everything she was doing while she cooked. When the meal was done, we went out on the porch and she challenged me to eat it Ghanaian style…with my hands. So I did. I dug right in with both hands as she laughed at me. Typically Ghanaians eat with just one hand and that is their right hand. I dug right in with both. I must’ve looked archaic. But it was a good meal. Green plantains are hard and they’re not sweet like the yellow ones. Eventually they do turn that way when they get ripe though. I was thankful that she took the time to make a meal for me. I promised her that when she came to the states, my mom would cook for her. Lol. Notice how I said, “my mom.” Anyway after that we headed out to Edmond’s uncle’s funeral. Well they sure don’t do funerals here like they do in the states. Here it’s a 3-day ordeal. We came for day 2 which is the celebration/party. Everyone looked so beautiful in their red and black…hundreds of people were there. There were dancers and drummers and performances and everyone was eating and drinking and talking. It was a sight to behold…well, I’d say for the first 2 hours. But after 4 hours plus of the same drumming and dancing my head was about to explode. I was like, “Ugh when is this going to end?!” We walked to the back area and hung out a bit with Edmond and a few of his friends and cousins, which was nice. I loosened up a bit and talked about the States and the state of the Black church and relationships and just about every subject you can think of. I enjoyed hanging out with them, but I tell you I will be glad to leave Accra tomorrow. I need a change of scenery. I’ll go to church in the morning with Reggie. I won’t speak because they canceled the teen chapel. After that we’ll head out to Kumasi to meet Mr. Yaboah....my home for the next 4 days.

Going With The Flow: Day 12

Got a chance to sleep in this morning. I tell you, I don’t know what it is about the bed in this guest house. I love it. I do think however, about just how many more beds I will sleep in before I get home. Let’s see….1, 2, 3, 4….it may be 3 or 4 more, not sure. Oh well, gotta go with the flow. I found out that there is a washing machine here at the guest house and the lady that keeps the house actually came to my room to pick up my clothes and the detergent I brought and washed them! I was so happy. I was starting to have to reuse a few things that I’ve sweated in and I wasn’t feeling too good about it. Anyway, the driver came to pick me up around noon and I headed to the office to meet Reggie. When I met him we left again and went to lunch. Angie told him to take me to this one restaurant and we went to what we thought was the place. I kind of knew it wasn’t the place because it was a little…hmmm, how do I put this?- hole in the wall. It was outside and it was in this small corner somewhere with just a few people and even when we asked for a seat, they found some random table and placed it on a nearby stage for us to sit at. Dirty dishes were everywhere…I was trying to just be grateful. Reggie wasn’t feeling it either, but he figured since Angie suggested it, he’d stay. He just kept asking me if I was okay and if I was happy and really just not wanting me to go back and give Soaries some kind of bad report. But I just told him to relax because he was so worried about pleasing me that he kept making mistakes. Lol. It turns out it wasn’t the right place after all and later when we saw Angie she kind of jumped all over Reggie for taking me there. She was like, “Why would you take her someplace I wouldn’t even go? Why would I recommend a place like that Reggie. You know me better.” It was so funny. Anyway, I got to the Street Academy late and was only able to spend 2 hours there working with Philip and another young man names Stevie. Philip knew all the spelling words from yesterday when I tested him again. Today we worked on reading and I had him read some children’s books to me and I tested him on the spelling words that he read. He did good today. I’m going to keep in touch with the school’s director, Mr. Lartey, to make sure everything is working smoothly with this new project. He keeps going on and on about how I started the project and it’ll have my name on it and the like, but I just came for 2 days! Lol. But I’ll continue to help him on it in the States. After I went back to the office to meet Angie. We decided to go to the mall and the movies tonight…me, Angie, Vivian and Reggie. The mall here is new and it’s pretty nice. The movie we chose to see was “The Ugly Truth” with Kathryn Heigl. Came out a little while ago in the States but I never saw it. What a treat it was too. That movie is Hilarious. I haven’t cracked up at a show or movie like that since “The Post-It Sticks Twice” episode of Sex & The City Season 6 when Burger broke up with Carrie on a post-it. It was very funny. For a second I missed the States a bit watching the movie. I haven’t watched any tv since I’ve been here and the only American channel I had was ESPN…CNN is global. In the guest house, I don’t have tv so I may watch some dvd’s my brother burned for me but I’m usually too sleepy to get into them. When we left everyone was honking their horns and dancing in the streets because while we were in the movie Ghana’s soccar team won the World-Cup- the 21-and-under World Cup that is. It was a big deal because I think it was the first for an African Country. Plus the other professional team was the first African country to qualify for the real World Cup in 2010 in South Africa. So it’s a great time for Ghanaian’s right now. Tomorrow I will spend some time with Angie’s family and head to Edmond’s uncle’s funeral. We are going to show our support.

*Hi Ashlee! Miss you friend.

"For Such is The Kingdom of God": Day 11

I got to The Street Academy today at about 9am. Again, the Street Academy is a school specifically for “street children” who are either homeless or live in impoverished conditions. The school is right in the slums (for lack of a better word). I brought crackers and water for a snack because I knew I’d be there a few hours. I met with the head of the school Mr. Lartey who was very happy that I had come and says that he rarely gets time to spend with Rev. Soaries when he’s here because he’s always busy and he was very happy that he sent one of his people. Instead of teaching a class as I thought I’d do, Mr. Lartey explained to me that he’s starting a new project for teenagers that have not been to school, or have not been in a long time. He will have them come in the afternoons and structure 50% of the program around learning and the other half will be a football program…or soccer as us Americans call it.Most of the kids love football and this will attract them to the program. The program was to begin today with one young man named Philip, who I was instructed to work with. Philip is 16 years old and he has not been to school since he was 6…10 years! He said that he stopped going when his father died and it was him, his mother and his 5 brothers. I asked him if he’d been working all this time and it turns out that his oldest brother is the only one that works and drives a cab. So Philip has essentially done nothing for 10 years. It’s not like he has the means to travel or even get anywhere substantial. It was hard to hear. I started Philip out on Primary English…just to see where he was at. He knew his alphabet and has excellent handwriting. He can identify basic things like dogs, tree, bed. But he has a hard time spelling. So for about 2 hours I worked with him on being able to identify and spell the things that he was identifying and then I’d quiz him. And for the most part he’d get everything right. He was a quick learner. I’d slap him hi-five every time he’d get something right…and wrong really. I kept trying to encourage him. I asked him what he loved to do or even wanted to do. Every answer was football. That’s all he wants to play and do. And I’m glad the program will help him with his passions, but it’s like, his world is so small, he can’t even see beyond that. How do we get these kids and ours to see beyond their limitations? How can we expect them to even formulate passions and desires when what’s right in front of them are basically prison bars? Tomorrow Philip will come back with 3 other boys and I’ll be with them in the afternoon. Then I hear that the dance and arts group will come and teach me a dance. I don’t dance, but I’ll humor them. Lol

Anyway, the owner of the school and I took a walk around the school to take a look at where most of the students come from. Everyone who lives back there live back there illegally he says. No one owns the land, and the government can just come and remove them when they want but they ignore it. As we walked back there…to see them in those conditions…and those aren’t even the worst from what they tell me! People were also cooking so it smelled of fire and coal and cows and urine and fish…it wasn’t very pleasant. Pollution was just about everywhere and people were basically re-using water in big pans for their cooking, cleaning and even bathing. I had a tough time for a second back there to think of those kids.

When we got back we talked about planning for when I bring some of my kids back next year and he told me some of the projects they are currently working on in getting a new building and books and fundraising etc. I gave him some money towards some of his goals and then went around to take some pictures. By that time Angie was there to pick me up. Angie, Reginald and I went to get some lunch and I ate beans and plantains. No Rice! Lol. But we had a good time talking about television shows and I found out that they watch “24” too! We went through every single season over lunch. Oh how I miss Jack Bauer. We went back to the office of the Okyenhene so Angela could finish up some work and then came back to the guest house to drop me off. Angie and I talked a bit. I really love talking to her. We swapped stories about working for our bosses and I showed her pictures of my family. She looked at my dad and screamed, “He is a Ghanaian!” lol. Yeah, well at least I know where my Dad’s side of the family is from…it’s pretty clear. She looked at my mom and was like, “Now she is an American.” lol. I can just hear my mom now...“I’m from Africa!” lol Oh well…tomorrow’s a new day.

My Journey Begins: Day 10

The FBC crew set out to the airport at 530am this morning. I was sleep, so I said my goodbyes last night. I met Rev. Soaries at 630am to say goodbye to him though. He gave all of his final instructions, asked me what my central purpose was out here, all the goals etc. He told me that he gave the people that’ll be with me money for me and made sure they’d get me a phone so he can call. Then he told me not to meet my husband, but if I do, to send him his picture. Then he hugged me about 2 times and then began to walk away and then came back and hugged me one last time and then left. 3 hugs huh? lol. I know he’s just as concerned as my parents are except they show it in different ways. I went back to my room to sleep and watch a little ESPN (the only American station I can get) and then got up, re-packed and headed out to the lobby to wait for the King’s assistant Angie to come back from seeing them off from the airport to pick me up. I waited a little over an hour ½. Typically, I would have been concerned but one thing I have learned on this trip is that Ghanaian time is always in hours…not minutes. One lady came up to me while I was waiting and said, “Are you Khristi Adams? You have a phone call.” It was Angie assuring me that she was on her way. When I went back to wait, I met a man here from Baltimore who is a professor at Elizabeth City Univ. in North Carolina. We got to talking about Dubois and the first African President, Kwame Nkrumah. I didn’t realize how much I’ve learned since i’ve been here until I got to talking. This is the most practical education I’ve ever gotten really. I think everyone should come to Africa at some point in their lives. For my sister Chloe, I will make it my duty because she’s my sister. I will be planning a trip to Ghana for teens either next year or the beginning of 2011. That’s really why I’m here…

Angie, Edmond and the driver came to pick me up and take me to get something to eat. Then we went to check in at the guest house where I’ll be staying until Sunday. Angie stayed and we went over my itinerary and we talked for a few hours. She is just 28 and so wise. She talked about her daughter and the two daughters she adopted who did not have homes. She works for the King, owns a business and takes care of those children and her mother. It is so wonderful to hear and makes me want to work harder. She, along with many Ghanaians have such a rich understanding of their culture and history. She explained to me the history of the Akyem and the Ashanti areas and how King Osagyefuo is working so hard to bridge the gap between the two as well as how progressive he has been in revitalizing his communities. Her and Edmond will go for a 1-year Master’s in London next year. The more I’m here and I talk to people the more I want to travel the world. I’m like, “Hey I want to go to London for a year!” lol

After we talked we went to the King’s Accra offices where she finished up some work and I talked to the staff and went in to see the King and talk to him for a little while. He’s so wise and so humble! I just love talking to him. Then we got a cab and went to a quaint restaurant for dinner with Edmond and some of his friends. I love how we’re all the same age. And I love how much smarter than me they are. It makes me want to work harder. Plus they’re pretty chill…I’d say they know how to work hard and chill hard too. Angie dropped me back at the guest house and tomorrow morning I will work at the Street Academy from 9-1:30. I’ll let you know how that goes!

Goodbye First Baptist Folks!: Day 9

Well it's simple...we did nothing today...and it was a good day. We woke up, ate a little breakfast and then headed out to do some shopping. I got a few items...got something for my Dad, Jada, Jeremiah, Chloe and I think one of my Brooklyn kids....oh right, got something for Minga. I have a lot more shopping to do, but I have nothing but time! lol. Well, after that we just relaxed...I took a nap, went to workout, watched yet another business talk with Mr. Corpening and the guys and had some dinner. For dinner....I actually ate. I had a piece of fish, a little cabbage and tomato soup. And then I had some hot chocolate. Hey, it's a long way from rice and bread. But i'm still pacing myself and even though I ate fish I am still a vegetarian until I get back home. Anyway, today is our church groups last day here in Ghana. I will miss them. We all got so close. They will check out at 6am and head to the airport for a 10am flight. Please pray for their safe return. I'll stay here in the hotel and check out at 10am. One of the King's assistants will meet me here at 10am and take me to the Street Academy where I will volunteer for the next 2 days. We were at the Street Academy yesterday if you remember. Don't worry, i'm not staying there! lol. I'll just work there and then i'll be at another hotel in Accra for the next few days. I heard it was nice too. They better have Wi-fi. lol. The King's Assistants will be with me for my entire stay. Gotta love that King huh? Anyway, i'll be in Kyebi on Saturday for an event that the President will be at....as in President Mills, the President of Ghana. Then back to Accra that night...not sure if i'm looking forward to that 3 hour drive and back in one day...the roads are so bumpy, but at least i'm not driving. Then on the 18th i'll preach at a teen chapel in Accra. Then head to Kumasi that night...not sure if it's by plane or car. I'll meet the head of the Internation Christian School Mr. Yaboah and stay with him and his family until the 21st. Then back to Koforidua for 3 days to work at the church that we visited this past Sunday...worship with them Sunday...maybe preach. Reginald, one of the King's assistants will take me to a football/soccer tournament one of those days too. Then on the 26th and 27th, i'll be in one of the King's 900 villages called Kade and will be with the Chief of that village for 2 days and talk to the kids in their village. Then back to Accra the night of the 27th to relax and shop on the 28th...to head home on the 29th. There! There's my schedule for all you worrying folks. Of course all of this is subject to change by the Holy Spirit.

The second part of my journey begins!

Giving Back: Day 8

We set out to the WEB Dubois Memorial Center for Pan African Culture this morning. I had no idea that it was the actual home of Dubois when he stayed here in the 60’s. It was so cool to me. I was actually standing in his living room and in his bed room and got to see the books in his study. It was really cool because I had read so much about him. Rev. Soaries rained on my parade though because he kept insisting that Dubois did “absolutely nothing for Ghana except come here and live like a King.” Lol. I’m sure this is true a bit though. I mean, Dubois died at what 96…perhaps older. Well, he lived in Ghana for 3 years until he died, so he came out here when he was in his 90’s? I don’t know. Anyway, it was cool to be at the place where he lived though. Then we went to A Street Academy, which is a school for both homeless and impoverished kids. We had to walk a distance to even get to the school. The kids were so beautiful. We presented them with gifts and school supplies. I kept thinking about our kids in the schools in America…how blessed they are. They would NEVER go to school in these conditions. But these kids have a passion to learn and they don’t have access to the education and the resources or even the amenities that our kids have in the States…and yet they don’t complain. They’re happy that people are taking the time with them. I will be back there, I think my last week, to do some teaching and volunteering. Then we went to a Jazz restaurant for lunch. It was nice, I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed some soup and rice…my meal of choice here. I just find it so amazing to see how the various cultures mix here. To see people from Italy and Fineland and other parts of Africa and Greece. And they all hang out and have such a good time. It’s really great to see.
Then the crew went to Databank for a tour. I didn’t want to go another bank and neither did Pastor so I jumped in the car with him and we came back to the hotel and sat in the lobby and talked a bit. He said, “Did your hair get longer since you were in New Jersey.” I said, “No, this isn’t my hair.” He said, “Oh” and shrugged his shoulders. Shoutout to Golda by the way, my friend and hair dresser. Miss you girl, taking this hair out and coming straight to you.

Anyway, relaxed for the rest of the day. Doing work stuff now.

*Click here for more pics

Moving Along: Day 7

Got a full 10 hours of sleep last night and boy did I need it. I felt at about 90% by the time I woke up. I got up quickly with just enough time to get dressed, go grab a piece of toast (yes, one full piece of toast) and then head out to the bus. We were supposed to go to one church but something happened and instead we wound up at a small church in town names Clearview Baptist Church. We had to park and walk about 5 minutes to it. It was right in the middle of a small community. A very impoverished community…moreso than the communities that we were in, in Jamaica this summer. And for some reason today was our first-what felt like-200 degree weather. The small church was amazed that we were there and very happy to see us from “America.” Rev. Soaries greeted the Pastor of the church and we all walked in to dozens of smiling faces…most of them under 30 for some reason. We may have looked a lil cute for a second when we left the hotel, but after 10 minutes in that church everyone was sweating bullets. Rev. Soaries spoke briefly to the congregation and let them know that we weren’t just there to worship, but to partner and help. They worshiped in song and dance which was a sight to see. Then the guest preacher spoke a word on Faith, which Rev. Soaries thinks was specifically for me because he seems to think I lack a great deal of faith. When I blessed the table the other day, he wasn’t there and when he got to the table Mr. Corpening told him that I prayed over everyone’s food and his already. Rev. Soaries joked that he had to pray again because he didn’t think I had enough faith to pray over his food. Ha ha ha. Well, if I lack any faith, this trip will surely help me overcome that don’t you think? Lol After the word, we agreed as a church to help with this churches building fundraiser, gave them offerings and I think we promised to purchase chairs because they said that was their immediate need. I actually think I’ll be at that church sometime the week after next to speak to their youth which is about 90% of their church. When we left we went to check out of the hotel (did I tell you the beds at that hotel is like sleeping on a table?…no joke…so hard. Nice hotel but really).

We then headed to the King’s brother’s house for lunch. What a beautiful home. The King was there and his entire staff and entourage listening to music and drinking. It was like a family barbeque really. The King’s brother…one of them…is the owner or a bank. When we got there we sat and had appetizers and drinks. Well, I had nothing, I’m still in recovery. (My poor mom, I wonder what she was thinking when I told her I was sick. I think this trip is a lesson on faith for her too.) Anyway, at one point I looked up and there was Rev. Soaries handing me a glass of some sort of concoction and low and behold, it was lime juice. This morning when I got on the bus he said, “I am determined to find you a lime.” And he did. And got them to squeeze a handful into a glass too. I just didn’t understand what was up with him and this whole lime thing. It was so bitter and…just horrible. But he was so proud, you would have thought it was the cure for AIDS….so I drank the whole thing. According to him I’ll never have stomach problems again. SIGH. Anyway, I had not one, but 2 kinds of rice for dinner…thank you, thank you. The King talked to us about his 9 years living in the states and how he got to First Baptist Church. He also talked about being King and told us stories of being with Zulu King's in South Africa. This man is really brilliant. AND he's a man of God. What a sight to behold!

Well onto the bus for yet another 3 ½ hour bumpy, bumpy, bumpy ride back to Accra. The bus had troubles and we almost broke down. So yeah, it’s official…I am one of those people that can say, “Remember that time I was in Africa and the bus almost broke down?” Yeah…that’s me. lol The good news is, we’re back at La Palm. And we’ll stay here till they leave on Wednesday. No worries though fam…the King’s people are putting together my itinerary for the next 2 weeks as we speak. The King’s people are just great. They make me feel very comfortable. I love Jesus more and more I’m on this trip and the mighty works of God. I’m excited about the journey.

Hi Ebonee! Miss you friend…)-:

King Jaffe Joffer...Meet King Okyenhene!: Day 6

Well if I was at 0% last night, I woke up with morning at about 50%. There you have it. I am officially one of those people who tell those stories about how they got sick in Africa. You know…”Remember when I got sick in Africa?” Yeah, that’s me. I was going to stay at the hotel today. (Nice hotel too, by the way.) But I decided to stick it out. I wanted to see the festivities. I went to breakfast and declared to everyone that for the remainder of my trip, I am vegetarian and sometimes vegan. I will eat rice and bread. I had a piece of toast and sprite this morning and we headed on the bus to Bunso for the read Inauguration Ceremony of the college. Bunso is at the center of the King’s kingdom, the Akyem Abuakwa kingdom. I didn’t realize how big it was until we arrived at the college and all is dozens of chiefs and their entourages showed up…all with similar vestments and umbrellas and some even had 10 wives with them! Lol. Then the King arrived and it was even bigger than yesterday. I keep thinking that it is a shame that the only think I can compare it to is “Coming to America.” But I mean, really. The entire movie. When the King enters, it’s that big. People everywhere, cameras from tv stations and music and the drums and singing gets louder and louder as his time comes to get out of the car. They layed out some kind of leopard skinned carpet for him and his big chair. Remember, “What is that? Velvet?!” And the person behind him carrying his staff. I mean, it is really a sight to see. He really is the man. The President was on the schedule to come, but he sent his people instead at the last minute. They say the real reason is political. That Osagyefuo, the King…that’s his name. Well they say his brother ran against the current President in the last election and lost, and that guy was there, so it would’ve been a bad look for the current President. Oh well lemme explain a bit more about the whole name thing. The Okyenhene is basically the name of the family…they’ve been ruling for years in that area and the current Okyenhene is Mr. Osagyefuo. Whew…was that as hard to read as it was to spell? He’s brilliant too. I mean to hear him speak, wow. The ceremony was not just for the college, but for the King’s 10 year anniversary as…well, King. Anyway, the ceremony was nice and Rev. Soaries spoke at this one as well. He can really preach anywhere…the people just loved him. The King still considers Pastor his Pastor which is why he, and all of us, get all of this special treatment…escorts and drives and assistants and the like. Our goal is to work with this community in Ghana to help with the type of community revitalization we have done in our own. Rev. Soaries says to them a long time ago we were taken to a foreign land and estranged from our African family and now we have come back home to partner together to make each respective area the best it can be…in so many words he said that…with scripture and everything. Well, I didn’t stay for the whole thing. I had one of the King’s people take me to the car to rest. I could feel myself fading in every moment. I wasn’t sick…I was recovering….and I was extremely dehydrated so I had lots of water too. When I woke up, everyone was going to the bus to the banquet for the King. The food looked amazing….I had rice and bread. I am sticking to that and I mean it. I will gradually go back to food eventually. Maybe even before my stay is up. But no time soon. Rev. Soaries seems to think a lime will cure me. He even went up to one of the chiefs and said, “She’s not feeling well. I need you to get her a lime.” Lol. I never got that lime, but it was funny to see. I feel a little more comfortable staying knowing the King’s people will be here to drive me around and take care of me while everyone else leaves Wednesday. He really is the man. We’re back at the hotel now early…THANK GOD. I’v managed to take a short nap and blog and maybe I’ll go to the restaurant to get some more rice. Lol! Oh Africa…while i'm here because i'm so far away from home and this is such a different experience, i'm allowing myself at least one temper tantrum per week...you know the "Why isn't the internet working Why are there ants in my bathroom I'm sick and I wanna go home" tantrums. Yeah, had one of those and i'm better now. That was my one for the week! Oh Africa...

p.s.- I told my brother I’d shout him and his own tribe out. Hello Shaun! Tia! Jada! Jeremiah! (Chloe I have 24 days here, you’ll get a shoutout soon too. Lol)

Brain Freeze & Illness: Day 5

I woke up feeling a little stuffy and my stomach a little noisy, but in the beginning it was all just a little…nothing to put me out. As a result I stayed sleep through breakfast and woke up and rushed out to meet Mr. Corpening because Pastor was sending a car for him to go to a meeting and said I should come to watch. We drove through Accra….again, quite different than Cape Coast…city, city and more city. We picked up Pastor somewhere where he was have yet another meeting and then drove to Data Bank where we were to meet with Ken Ofori-Atta, the founder of the bank who was also named the among the world’s top financial people under 50…I think the only one in Africa. Anyway, they got to talking their jibberish…lol…investments, banking, products, partnership…you know, all of the stuff I slept on in classes at Temple…yeah, those. It turns out Ghana is quite rich in resources, just with not a great deal of people to advise them and/or partner with them on how to use those resources to theirs and their countries benefit. Unfortunately, Rev. Soaries and Mr. Corpening wanted to me to get it more than that so they just keep asking me questions in the car after and explaining things over and over…and never gave up either. “What was the meeting about in 25 words or less?” “Explain what types of investments Mr. Corpening does for a living.” On and on till we got back to the hotel. The other group had gone off sightseeing and shopping until we were to meet them later. There we sat and had lunch and talked more business talk. My brain was fried trying to make sense of it all. But what I did know was that it was important to know. Ministry is more than just a pulpit and laying on of hands. Jesus wants us to get involved in the practical. The earth is the Lord’s and fullness thereof…not just Sunday mornings and empty words. Rev. Soaries thinks it’s a travesty that seminaries don’t require business courses….as a result, we have a lot of messy churches, bad budgets and Christians that can’t go out into the world on another scale. I agree…cause I didn’t even do a lot of business in college…and I have an advertising degree!

After we set out to the University of Ghana for the Inauguration Symposium for the University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies. When we got out of the car, King Okyenhene arrived. He is the King, who wasn’t a King when he was a member of First Baptist over 10 years ago, who then became a King and moved back to Ghana to carry out his duties. Take a look at the pictures, his vestment was amazing…real gold he had on too. Though the person carrying his staff told us the staff wasn’t gold…just everything the King had on. There were drums playing and people dancing and people everywhere surrounding him and carrying an umbrella to put over his head. Of course. Rev. Soaries was right next to him. And we walked with the King inside the lecture hall. Rev. Soaries went up to the front table and me and Mr. Corpening went in the audience. The whole event lasted 2 ½ hours. Rev. Soaries prayed and the King spoke as well, but there was a whole agenda around the theme, “Sustainable Environments for Quality of Life.” Finally First Baptist came…but it was over. We were already downstairs at the reception…me, Mr. Corpening, the King, the King’s wife and Rev. Soaries of course! Lol. People came around to shake the King’s hand and take pictures and there was still music playing and dancing going on. We rejoined the crew…well, I rejoined the crew…Mr. Corpening stayed with Rev. Soaries in his car to drive to Koforidua to our next hotel. I grabbed some of Rev. Soaries’ sinus spray because my sinuses were stuffy and achy, and got on the bus to try and get some sleep. AND THAT IS WHEN IT ALL BEGAN. Whatever I ate at lunch…I think it was some salad they say, because it was washed in the water here…it completely messed with me the entire dark and bumpy 2-hour ride up. And that was the story for the rest of the night. I had some Sprite because no one told the Ghanaians that Ginger Ale is a good investment and headed to my room where I would be sick (no details) for the rest of the night. By 4am, I had nothing left in me and finally went to sleep.

*SORRY THE INTERNET IS SO SLOW SO I CAN ONLY POST A FEW PICS. WILL GET THEM ON FACEBOOK FOR YOU AND POST MORE WHEN WE GET BACK T ACCRA*

Kakum Adventures: Day 4

We set out on our adventure to Kakum National Park at 930 this morning. We weren’t sure what to expect but we knew that it was a rainforest in Ghana so that was enough for some of us to wear baggy clothes, hats, scarves and bring extra bug repellent.

It took us about an hour to get there.

When we arrived we were told that we wouldn’t be walking too long and that there was a long canopy that awaited us in the park that we could choose to walk over. You know…the ones like in the Indiana Jones movies that someone always winds up chopping with a sword and they go crashing down…or in that 80s movie “Romancing the Stone” with Michael Douglass and Kathleen Turner….I love that movie…yeah…I love the movies because they’re movies….i’m not trying to bring it to life. So I was not a big fan of walking across the canopy.

We walked and walked and walked higher and higher and higher and even though it was a great workout, many of us didn’t expect all of that. Well we finally reached the top…the canopy. The guide looked up and said to me, “there goes the first one right there.”I should have paid attention to him when he said that because there were 7 total and we didn’t know that till we crossed each one. I followed Mr. Corpening (the head of our trustee board and he’s pretty young too). He was so confident about going…I mean he was really fearless. So I figured, I’d follow him because I mean, if he was fearless, then I was going to be fearless too. I had never in my life done anything like that. I don’t think any of any of us have really. We were about 350 feet above ground. After I crossed the first canopy walk, my earring dropped and we were so high up that it just went into the abyss. I was a little nervous at that point. But Mr. Corpening went ahead, so I went ahead on to the second one and third and fourth all the way to the seventh. I was pouring sweat because it was great exercise and all the nervousness made me sweat too. I just kept looking ahead…I mean, I looked down a few times but I felt myself freezing so I just looked ahead. Obviously there were all those life’s lessons that you think about while you’re up there. Like following Jesus Christ the all time fearless leader.

We may be afraid, but with Christ as our guide, we cannot fail…or fall shall I say. Even lessons in mentorship and how important it is for us as leaders of those who look to us to remember that there are those behind us who are following our lead and if we waver, they waver…if we show fear, they may fear as well. Well, when we crossed the last one, I felt so accomplished. I was able to exasperate my fears up there…and that was one of the things I came here to do. Praise God!

*And speaking of God, I had another poor devotional day. But I must say that God is getting me out of that whole mindset that I have to be so rigid and religious in my thinking when it comes to our relationship. Because our relationship is just that…a relationship…a 24/7-365-day-a-year relationship, that’s not limited to the confines of the human limitations of time that we put on God. That is what we do with our own human relationships. With God it can be so much more. A constant communion. Hmmm…*

We got back on the bus and we stopped along the way to see crocodiles at…somewhere…I don’t know, I just stayed on the bus. I had seen enough for the day. After we went back to Cape Coast Castle Restaurant for lunch and it was really good. I don’t think any of us expected that either which is why we enjoyed it so much.

We had black eyed peas (not that way we have it), green beans and carrots, plantains, rice and chicken. And we ate every bit of it. Then off to the bus for about a 3 hour ride back to Accra. Accra is VERY different from Cape Coast. Cape Coast is like the Jamaican country. Accra is more city. We found it very interesting that people can live in such impoverished conditions just a short drive away. But then again, it’s like that where we’re from too in the States. We were exhausted when we reached the hotel…but then we saw the hotel. I really like it! The hotel in Cape Coast was decent…I probably couldn’t take it there longer than a few days. But here…it’s beautiful. Its kind of got an “International Chic” feel to it. There are people here walking around from Greece and India and other parts of Africa and lots of other places. And they’re all chic and businessy and the like…(businessy isn’t a word but whatever). We finally saw Pastor Soaries for the first time since we landed. He’s so cool. You know you’re cool when you’re important six thousand miles away from home. I’m going to go to banking meeting with him and Mr. Corpening in the morning. And even though I know nothing about banking or business, they’re trying to get me there…by Monday he said. lol.

We all had a light dinner and we’re going to turn in soon. Me and Rev. Gipson are sitting in the lobby…(the big lobby!) updating blogs, checking emails and enjoying our one day here. Tomorrow we’ll pack up again and head to Koforidua…let the King’s celebration begin!

HI MOM & DAD!!

Click here for extra facebooks pics from the day...all in the same album...just growing.)

Reflective Thankfulness: Day 3

Our day got started at about 3am your time, so needless to say, we got an early start. Breakfast was a choice of eggs, baked beans, sausage, and fruit. I had eggs and fruit. I did some devotions, but I kind of fit it in and then headed out which I’m kind of disappointed in myself about. God deserves so much more than I shell out and I'm realizing that more and more. At that point we set out to Elmina Castle, which is…and was the largest slave castle in Cape Coast.

Please keep note, they weren’t always called castles…there were referred to as barracks and other names. We walked through the dungeons where thousands of men and women were kept. It was pretty intense. We had a tour guide the entire time who gave us plenty of facts on the slave trade. It’s difficult to hear the conditions they were in. Hundreds were kept there and those that died because of the conditions were just dumped in the ocean. We’ve all read the books and heard the stories, but to visit is an entirely different experience. We then headed to the Cape Coast Castle. This was the one that President Obama and his family visited in July. Again, there are pictures of him everywhere.

The fact that Obama was there, will no doubt bring tourism into the area, which it already has. At Cape Coast we had a similar tour. We were able to walk through “The door of no return” where men and and women were escorted to the smaller boats to take them to the larger ship that would carry them for 3 months to Jamaica, Europe and America. They would not return.

Less than half would survive the trip. After hearing these stories we walked back through “the door of no return.” We called it “the door of return” to symbolize how generations later we could walk back through those doors that our ancestors once walked through and reclaim our heritage. Powerful stuff huh? Anyway, altogether there were over 70 forts and castles here that held and traded slaves. There are about 17 or 18 left. We then ate…or shall I say, they ate. Wasn’t really feeling the tuna sandwich, but enjoyed the entertainment we received from the man with the guitar that played songs for us while we ate. Well, I had some pineapple.

After we toured through Cape Town traveling on bus, because we were on our way to the office of the Regional Minister of agriculture, trade and…something, I forget. She’s basically the governor of the Central Region in Ghana. Cape Coast is the capital. There’s about 1.6 million people in population here. There, she thanked us for coming and a presentation was made to us about the Central Region. Then she gave us Ghanaian scarves…each one of us too and shook out hands. Victoria, who was one of our guides today, said that she was excited to meet her because she’s always on tv with all the male politicians doing her thing. Then when she met her I asked her what she thought…she said, “She looked old.” Lol. Victoria is about 24…so we clicked. She’s in her last year of school training to be a midwife and psychologist. She lives in Accra and hopefully we can hang the last week I’m here after everyone leaves. For some reason it is very clear to Ghanaians that I am not from here at all. Chocolate skin and all. They don’t even ask…from down the street they can tell I’m American. Jamaica was different though…I got mistaken for Jamaican track runners and I’m not even that thin. Oh well.

This day was very informative and I really think it’s an experience everyone should have. It’s our history. We’re going to have dinner at 7…3pm your time…and then I think that’s it, though Reginald (out tour guide for the entire week) wants to head back out to the restaurant for entertainment and stuff. You think these old folks are going back out for entertainment? Lol. I don’t think so, but some of the older ones may surprise me. I was thinking, should I go out for entertainment? Nah, I think I’ll finish reading The SHACK. (it’ll change your life I promise!)

(p.s-click here for the rest of the pics on facebook. )

Akwaaba! Day 1...oh...and 2

Akwaaba! I’m pretty sure that’s the standard Ghanain greeting. There were signs everywhere when we got here. But wait, let me first begin with the flight. I haven’t been on a plane longer than 6 hours before, so needless to say I was a bit anxious to get off before we even got on. It was a little bumpy for my taste, but everyone else slept like a baby while I looked out of the window at the dark sky and tried to make sense of the shaking, as if my looking would change things. I read…really read for the first time since I graduated seminary. THE SHACK. Get that book. It will change your life. I could have finished it too, in one sitting, but my eyes began to burn around 1am. The man next to me was from Philadelphia by way of Ghana and was coming back home to visit for the first time since last year. As the flight decended, his face lit up more and more. The smile on his face comforted me and made me forget about the lack of sleep that I had…I mean I literally watched it go from light to dark to light in one sitting. He was so happy to be home…and so was I.

You gotta love Rev. Soaries because he just has this confidence about him where it’s as if he owns everything even though he doesn’t. It’s actually pretty comforting when you’re thousands of miles away from home. Lots of people were trying to carry our bags and people were surrounding Rev. Soaries as we walked out. To them, he looked important. It was kind of like that scene in Ali when Muhammed Ali was running and they were surrounding him screaming “Ali Bumbaye!” Yeah…that was pretty funny to see. He took off in someone’s car and we got on a bus to Cape Coast. We’ll see him again Thursday back in Accra…he has meetings. Anyway, I slept a bit on the 2 hour bus ride to Cape Coast. Probably because we were on ground. lol. Obama signs are everywhere…He may as well be the President of the U.S. and Ghana. It’s not as hot as many of you may think…it’s October in Ghana not July. There is absolutley no humidity so the weather is pretty much perfect. The hotel is pretty nice…nothing like Jamaica for all of you who did the missions trip this summer….a world’s away from where we were. But it reminds me a lot of where we were too at the same time…the area that is. I’m really thankful to God for the Jamaica experience this summer. I couldn’t have received better preparationfor this trip. Tomorrow we will head to the slave castles and do some touring around Cape Coast a bit. I do think about how blessed I am to have an opportunity to not only be in the land but actually be in the same spot where my ancestors were taken and walk through and hear the stories. How many people can say that they’ve had this opportunity? To come back to the place where it all began. Wow. Gotta wake up in the morning and spend some time with God…but I must say, THE SHACK has even challenged my perception on how we interact with God. Get that book. It will Change Your Life!

Plenty of pics to come…