Friends

I am loving Tamale not only because of Tamale but the people I have been able to hang out with thus far. I have been wanting to use the word THUS. How fun. Probably not grammatically correct...alas, I digress. I wanted to use the word alas too. Ok, finished, for real.Yes, I am loving Tamale. I miss my Accra peeps but I really don't miss anything else. I am very thankful about that. I need you to meet some of my friends.Damary is my new roommate. She is a new missionary coming from Northeast India. She has never been to Africa before but in some ways her culture is a bit similar to Ghanaian culture. She is the cutest little thing! Don't tell her I said that. It is nice to have her around to find things in the city. It is nice to eat her food. It is nice to go shopping with her because she can really bargain! Ei! I love it. She will also learn Dagbani and work with youth here in Tamale.My other fave friends are Pastor Andrew and his wife Jemima and their little baby Bernice. Yes, Bernice is my friend! I don't care if she can't say my name yet, she will...very soon.My Tamale team leader has traveled to his home country for a few months and another team member of mine in Tamale has traveled outside Ghana as well, leaving me and Damary a bit stuck when we have questions. BUT with Pastor Andrew and Jemima around I have questions no longer! When I was looking to buy some meat he told me where to go. When my tire got punctured...and then the other got punctured the next morning he had his brother and friend come out and help. When I feel the need for some fufu I go to their house. When we feel like hanging out with some fizzy drinks we all go. When I have a cultural question I ask it to them. When I need directions to a church I call, and even in his SS class he answered me. He wasn't teaching though :) I am so very thankful for how they have supported me. They have been so hospitable. (But, really, find me a Ghanaian who isn't.) They have prayed with me. They have laughed with me. Ohhhh, I wish I could record Pastor Andrew's laugh. It is a great one. Jemima told me the other night she likes it when I come because I make things light. I think they just like laughing at me! This is the Body of Christ working together.Pastor Andrew and Jemima have a church that he leads. He also works with a youth hostel and oversees all the High School students who have come to board while going to school. In the evenings he does tutoring, Bible studies, and prayer. They also have people coming in and out of their house for counseling or for food or maybe just to hear Andrew laugh :)UPDATE ON THE HOUSE: We went to see it the other day. Fadel is the landlord and was there. He took us through and all the rooms have doors. All the floors have tiles. The kitchen has tiles and the bathrooms have tiles. They have cut out a door in the kitchen and I will be able to have a storeroom/pantry sort of area. I was so excited I wanted to scream. But, they would think that's weird, so I suppressed it and waited until I got inside the car. Damary, Pastor Andrew and myself have all put our dates out there when we think we can move in. I am the most optimistic and think October 19th. P. Andrew thinks October 25th and Damary thinks October 28th. The winner gets to keep their money in their pockets while the others will pay for some drinks. (and just for a FYI- when I say drinks, I mean NON-alcoholic. I know some of you raised your lil' eyebrows.)Thanks for praying!