People Are Praying--Yay!

I sent off a prayer letter at the beginning September asking people to pray for me every day. I know people are doing it. I can feel it. I have been going a week and I still want to keep going. I sensed progress. I learned something new and then caught it in conversation. Of course, I'm not running around the end of a rainbow, I had hard days too :)

The Dutch couple were able to bring back some allergy meds. Yay! But it may take some time for them to kick in. The eye drops help, though one night I woke up and rubbed my eye and the next morning I looked like I was sparring with Rocky. I tried to keep sunglasses on so people wouldn't ask too many questions. And, yesterday as I was out, I was so tired. As I sat with people I hardly said a word. Then I went to sit under a tree with some kids and a lady. The lady told me she was going in her compound and I told her I like the breeze and would remain. Then as she left, it occurred to me that in the morning I took 2 allergy pills which brings drowsiness. Duh! No wonder I'm a zombie walking around with my eyes glazed over... but at least they were not itching! But, yeah, not much accomplished that day.

There is a gal named Cara from the UK visiting. She is interested in missions. She has spent some time seeing different ministries and talking to us. Her background is physiotherapy. I have enjoyed listening to her observations. When you stay out here for so long everything becomes normal. And then she starts talking about cobwebs in the hospital and people laying on the floors. Oh, yeah, that is not nice or normal. There were other things too and I went to bed telling Jesus that I am so thankful for being rich. So stinkin' amazingly rich...for no reason. Just grace. And just so I can bless others.

As I ride my bicycle into town every day I do ask God that he would make me a light and that I would love whomever I come near. I also know He is here in Gushegu and ask Him to show me where He is working so I can join Him.

I preach tomorrow at church. My theme is "The God who sees me" using Genesis chapter 16. Every day I am out I tell myself the truth that God sees me. I will read the Bible chapter in Dagbani and say my first paragraph in Dagbani and then do my closing prayer in Dagbani too. I have it all written out. Let's see how it goes!

Thanks for praying!

Bye Bye Damary

Time kept moving and the day came for Damary to go. She was so nervous at the airport. I usually am too when about to fly. We had a couple fun outings in our last weekend but the best part of everything was after she checked her bags at the airport. Then we went to eat and talked. We shared a bunch of things we love about the other person. We talked about how each other's strengths made the other one grow. And we talked about the funny times too! Man, I will miss her. And days later I have already sent her text messages and audio messages etc, etc. I am thankful she was in my life in Tamale.

  • She owed me a head massage.

Thursday I drove to Gushegu. I sat and talked with Vronny and found out her father is not doing well. He hasn't been well for years but now he had a stroke. Friday morning she heard that he passed away. She was able to get a flight on Saturday and get back to Switzerland. The Dutch couple here needed to go to a meeting in Tamale so they left and put me in charge of their sheep, chickens and cats. I realize, again, how much I hate smelly, hairy animals. Haha. And then Fela and Puii have traveled down to Accra. So, it seems I am the only 'Siliminga' around here. At church they said, "Wunizooya, you are the only white person."

The rains did not really come in August and farmers were nervous for their crops but the rain is really consistent now. And with the rains come my allergies. Ooooo they are really bad this year. Even the weekend in Accra I was drugged on pills and trying not to claw my eyes out. The Dutch couple who went to Tamale said they will bring back some good stuff to help with that. I am so thankful. Sometimes I can't help but itch my eyes and they get so puffy I cant see my eyelashes because they are sucked in. LOL.

I had a couple days of language and realize I need to branch out to find more non English speakers. My progress is so slow yet I'm not down and out. I know that God sees me.

Thanks for praying!

Always Thanks For Praying

I was in Accra last week for a youth camp called Higher Purpose 2019. This was the first year. I joined in on Thursday evening and heard the opening speeches from the CEO and a Rev minister. The camp is not Christian centred or academic centred. It is a mix of everything. They had a talk on Robotics, English, counselling, health (that was me) and other topics. They went out on excursions to see different areas of Ghana. They had free wifi! They had a time for games and painting. I mean, it was everything crammed into a few days. I kept thinking these kids are going to fall over with exhaustion but they were so into every speaker and event. I was really proud to be a part of something so well organized, so different from any other camp and so much fun. There were kids from every region. Even two children from Gushegu! Yes, I practiced my Dagbani a bit. We all slept in tents and had air mattresses. We had beautiful weather. I got to go with half of the students group to visit the Accra zoo and other places of Accra. Some I have seen before and some were new to me. To these students, I think it was all new to them. Thenks for praying!

This past week I was in Tamale. I spent a few days with Rafia. I did one day of administration and another day of running errands.

We had a team meeting on Saturday in Buipe which is where some of my colleagues are. It is less than 1.5 hours away. I had a car of people and Fela and Puii had their car with the girls. We were about a half hour behind them. Getting near the destination, Damary got a call and looked at me and says that Puii is telling us not to come there are armed robbers. I pulled the car over and Dooshik got out to talk with people in the village that we stopped at. They were able to get a number and call police patrol. Within 15 minutes police were there. We slowly moved forward and when we reached the place of the robbery the security were in full force. Unfortunately, it was too late. Thankfully no one was hurt. The bad guys with AK-47s apparently stopped a line of cars and made the drivers all get out and lay on the ground. They took phones and money. Puii was able to stay in the car with the girls who were oblivious to it all. Another praise. When the men left, Fela, though shocked, drove the few kilometres to Buipe and got to our teammates home. We arrived later and they shared the whole story. How awful! They got money stolen and Puii's phone but they are physically safe. Randomly we hear of this but this one is so blatant and out in the open and no one was wearing masks. It was 10 am. We already have security measures in place for our team. I am so well cared for here! But we will take extra measures. This road to Buipe has been getting worse. Tamale still feels very safe to me and I am thankful. Thanks for always praying for me.

Lots of Goodbyes for Damary as she will fly to Accra on Friday. I will go with and take her to the airport on Monday. I cant believe her 3 years are finished! Ei!

Keep praying. Will do language this week. Love you all.

Ashamed

I did not write last week because we were celebrating Fela and Puii's baby girl naming ceremony. They do naming ceremonies here in the Northern Region. They gave her an English name- Mercy. They gave her a Northeast Indian name- which I cannot pronounce. And now they gave her a Dagbani name - Daliri. It means good fortune. This girl is so cute! Reverend DooShik gave a message in Dagbani for all to hear the gospel. There was food and lots of people. It did not rain (it is rainy season). It was great to see the missionaries in the midst of the community. I am very thankful to see strong relationships. Some of the women from church came to cook. Some neighbors cleaned. The men Fela sit with all came and sat and laughed. (Such a man thing! Ha! :)) I asked Fela and Puii how they thought it went and they just heaved out a tired sigh and said they enjoyed it but are glad it's over.

Ok...let's be honest...the real reason I did not write was because I was ashamed. Ashamed at my bad attitude. Ashamed at letting 2 days pass in Gushegu and not really learning anything. Ashamed of all my whining. Ashamed I return to Tamale and people wonder if I am learning anything in Gushegu. It was/is hard and discouraging and I just make it worse by being miserable.

So, Monday thru Wednesday came around and I was determined and prayed and did all I could but...nothing. Of course, you will tell me I got more out of it than nothing, but I felt like nothing is sinking in. Nothing is coming out. Nothing is making sense. But I just keep at it.

Thursday was just another day but I really think people were praying for me because I had so much VIM! I was out almost the whole day. I sat with some new ladies. I forced myself to put sentences together. I just couldn't figure out why I was enjoying this :) but did not dwell on it because I wanted the attitude/ feeling to stay!

Friday was not bad. I had lots of good opportunities but felt my ears closed up again and I couldn't grasp anything. Sigh...

Back to Tamale. I leave for Accra on Wednesday to help with a camp. They had to modify the week so I really am not doing very much. One aerobics work out in the morning and then a talk on health. I should be back to Tamale on Sunday.

Sorry you have to read my whinings...actually you dont have to! But thanks for making it to the end. Just know that I am ok. I will still keep at it. I need prayers. God loves me. There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And I will hope!

Thanks. Love you.

Still So Hard

So, I was in Gushegu this week. My heart was sooooo not there. I had to drag my feet to get out and talk with people. One day it rained the whole day so I was happy to sit in the house and listen to my recordings and review past dialogues. But the other days, phewwwww pure force. Pure grit of teeth. Pure fighting against the flesh of laziness. And then that lovely bicycle...ooooo how my butt does not like it! It seems it takes time to get used to it and by the time I do I head back to Tamale! I head back to Gushegu on Wednesday and am not looking forward to getting back on it. But it is much better than walking, so I will try to be thankful for it :)

I had to come back for our team meeting on Saturday, which always is encouraging. There are many of us in language learning so we all can be miserable together, I mean, we can all encourage each other!! Ha Ha! I am now the only missionary from the West (Europe or America). Everyone else is from other countries. I am the minority! I love how other parts of the world are taking up the call of God and serving Him in his kingdom! WooHoo!

That is about it for the week. Still fighting the flesh. Still living in discontent, even though I know God is so good. I know He is faithful. I know He gives me everything I need for the day. I know, I know, I know...but I think I am too passive to care right now. I am worn out by language. I still do not see the end of the tunnel and I am wondering how I can keep going. I want to be faithful, I do. But maybe I need to be real too. Maybe I am just one of those people...(I hear my Auntie Ruby yelling at me right now)

Anyways, I will press on. Keep praying. Love you. Thanks so much!

Holiday Finished & Kid's Outing

Ok, in regards to my last post...we did not end up staying at the beach place. They had no kitchen and so we had to get a taxi and go to town. Our showers were a bucket of water, which the staff made a face, when I asked them to bring it to our bathroom. Our toilet had no water. The water that was not used for the shower could be poured down the toilet to flush it. Our lock inside our room was a nail that you pulled down to keep the door from banging open. Our car was parked in someone's home. The mosquito nets had holes and there was no way to climb into bed without getting sand in the bed. Not exactly the restful beach stay we were expecting. So, I called a friend who had a friend and we got rooms to a different place about 2 hours away. It was 5 dollars over our budget but we didn't care, we really wanted outta there. Wait...one more thing...our breakfast, that was included, consisted of us walking to town to buy local porridge, which none of us like, and costs about 5 cents per person. We were like...that's ok.

So, then we headed to our next place and it was a gem! It was on Lake Volta. We had adjoining rooms and a pool. It was serene. It was just what everyone needed. H.E.A.V.E.N. We were so thankful.

We got back to Accra on Monday. I did some running around with Damary because she will be leaving Ghana in September and needed to think about gifts for her family.

We took the bus up to Tamale on Wednesday. Today, Saturday, Damary wanted to do something fun for her Sunday school kids so we took them to a pool. They spent hours in the kiddie pool. It was such fun. We had lunch and then we brought them back home. Something that is not-a-big-deal for us turns into one when you spend it with people who think it is such a big deal. I love when my perspective shifts.

I head to Gushegu on Monday. I am fighting it. I know I need to go but quitting would be easier. Yet, I have come so far, by God's grace and your prayers, I cannot quit now. Keep praying!

Bullet Points

I feel like these past two weeks have been a blur. Let me just give bullet points otherwise I will go on for hours and hours.

-- The day after I came from Gushegu, one of my girls, Deborah, from Accra came to stay with us.

-- I drove for a friend's wedding and was even included in some of the wedding photos. Haha

-- I did three language lessons. One was just learning praise and worship songs which was great.

-- Deb and I came down to Accra on the bus Friday, which took a never-before 14+ hours. Ugh...at least I had someone to be angry with :)

-- We were picked up by Baaba and Amponsah but before driving home we had to make a quick stop to greet our brother's family, who had a death.

-- Saturday morning I had a meeting with resource people who are all participating in a youth camp in August. I had to present my outline on 'Health and Fitness'.

-- In the afternoon, it just so happened that my ballroom club was having a party at a beach and it was not far from where my meeting was. It was fun to see everyone again.

-- That evening I met up with another friend and ate delicious banku with Tilapia! Sometimes I amazed that I went from never liking fish to loving it.

--Monday was my birthday. It rained heavy from 7am -12. Baaba, Amponsah and I talked the whole time. The weather was cool. We were all relaxed and chilled. In the afternoon we went out for pizza and chicken. It was lovely. Their daughter shares the bday with mine so we were able to celebrate together. Baaba got me a purse, not made of African cloth and earrings. Just being with them was a gift.

-- I came back to the office to stay. I went out with Avi and Jules. Always a great time. Afterwards, i realized ice cream was much needed and Jules treated!

-- When I got home, Charity and Damary were in. They took the bus down. Charity and I went to see the movie Aladdin and tried a new restaurant. For dessert, we bought doughnuts. They were legit! We had a Strawberry filled one and an Oreo filled one. Ahhhhhh! The fatness of Accra!

-- My laptop keyboard is not working! May need to get a keyboard to plug in with USB. Some letters on my top row are not working. Sigh...

-- Thursday morning Damary, Charity, Penny and I headed to the Volta Region for a holiday. The road was the worst in Ghana and apparently it is a main highway! Ugh...but we arrived at our lodge near Wli Falls.

-- Wli Falls was stunning. We all loved it. Our lodge was simple but cheap and clean. The food was delicious. The ambiance and environment was wow! Spectacular!

-- Charity and I went to climb the tallest peak in Ghana but it was really intense so we decided to save it for another time.

-- Still with me?

-- Then we headed to a beach place. The owner told us to take a different road, which we did and it was also very nice and the landscape was beautiful. I need to come back to the Volta. So Nice.

-- The beach place...it is quite simple. No running water. Huts on the beach. Sand floors. The security of the place is not so good. Will have to let you know if we stay or if we go.

-- So, that is my nutshell of the past couple weeks. And now we are coming to mid-July! TIME! Goes too fast.

Accra, Beach, Back to Gushegu

Wooo-weeee I turned back into my American self while in Accra with Auntie Ruby (AR or Rube-ster). We ate our way thru the city with local food and American food. We even ate at a Pizza Hut. We had a couple days at a beach which was quiet and restful. There is something about sitting on the sand watching the endless tide come in and out. We were able to visit church and see lots of friends. Rubes has lots of friends there too and then afterwards we went out with a few of mine. Then, as it goes, all good things end and I took her back to the airport. The next day I too went to the airport and arrived in Tamale.

So, by Wednesday I was back in Gushegu. I always feel after time away from language I have to scale a mountain to get back to where I was and that is such a downer! On Thursday there was a big funeral for the chief in Gushegu who died years ago. Vronny and I went. I love cultural events like this. To sit and watch people dance, shoot guns (only with gun powder), play drums and see dignitaries is cool for me. And as I looked at this large crowd of people I wondered how many of them know Jesus. Yet, he knows each one of them and he loves them. What a great God.

Accra pulled me out of my disciplined routine and I was not really reading my Bible or having communion with the Lord. As I settled back in Gushegu I could tell. My flesh was acting out and I was telling myself lies and entertaining thought that were destructive.

Starting tomorrow I will get back on track. I hate this fleshy feeling and self centred-ness that rolls around in me sealing the lips of my Father who speaks truth.

Thanks for praying. Seriously, Thanks.

Holiday With Rubes

A week ago, Auntie Ruby (ar) and I flew down to Accra. We had enough time to go to church where we could see many people and be encouraged. Then we surprised a long time friend at lunch. I invited her but she did not know ar would be there. Her face was great when she saw ar!

We saw many friends. We ate at so many places. And then we kept eating. And then tried more eating places! Rubes and I know how to vacation together. Hahaha. We also had a couple nights away on the beach. The place was quiet and simple and cheap. We did not need much, just sun and waves and we got it. I think for the 2-3 days together we spent 35$ each for accommodation and food. Pretty good deal for being right on the beach!

I felt very relaxed. There is a sense of home being in Accra since I lived here so many years. Yesterday at another church we visited, it was fantastic because many of my friends go there and children I used to teach are growing and I love how they sing and praise God. Auntie Ruby also got to see many of her friends. It was like a condensed reunion :)

But all good things must come to an end. I took ar to the airport and today will go myself to get back to Tamale. I hope to leave for Gushegu on Wednesday. Gotta get back to Dagbani. It is calling me but I haven't been picking the call hahahaaaa:)

So glad God is my Redeemer and makes things beautiful. So glad you are praying for me!

Orientation for New Missionaries

I work with SIM Ghana. My home office is SIM USA. I am sent out of there. Now SIM has an office in West Africa so that those who are called to be missionaries from West Africa have an office to be sent from. They have to go through all the orientations and trainings that all of us SIM-ers go through.

Several missionaries helped with the orientation of 18 missionaries from West Africa, which they did here in Tamale. Some of the candidates have done mission work independently and some are completely new.

As I came to share my talk, which was "How to Learn a Language and Culture", I was so proud to be sitting in a room with such different yet like-minded people. We all have Christ in our lives and we want that to pour out to others who have not heard of who He is and how he is in the business of transforming lives. But I also had thoughts of who am I to talk to these people who already speak 3+ languages and have been born and raised on this continent??! They were very encouraging to me and we laughed a lot together.

Other than that, I had a few more language lessons but not much chance to use my new words. In the midst of the orientation and lessons Ramadan finished. I went and visited friends who were celebrating. Everyone was dressed in their new dresses and giving food to each other. Rafia gave me some yummy beef! It is cute to see kids in their matching dresses or their sunglasses. Some little girls even had lipstick on. I am sure many enjoyed their holiday. I think I would compare it to how I would celebrate Christmas.

Auntie Ruby did many talks at the orientation. She and I will head to Accra tomorrow and stay for a week. It should be a lovely break. It is so amazing to have family here!

Thanks for praying!

Sandema

Last week Damary and I were invited to Sandema (in the Upper East Region) to help with a children's program at a church. I have known the pastor there for many years. Damary really did the work. I was more like her driver and back up. Haha.

We arrived Wednesday eve and started teaching the kids choreography to a song about Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave. Then she taught kids a drama about Lazarus which would go at the same time as the song and choreography. It is very powerful and the kids picked it up very quickly. That was good since we only had 3 days to prepare. I taught a short song with actions to little kids. On Saturday, the church rented a bus and we went on an excursion to Tongo Hills about two hours away. The kids sang on the bus the whole time! Tongo Hills was really just a bunch of rocks. But the stories that went with it were good. One open cave we were told is where the kids from that area had their first school. One rock that had hidden passages in it was used to fight off slave raiders. Very interesting! The day was really hot though and the kids were fading fast. We had some lunch and headed back to Sandema. On Sunday the kids did a great job with the choreography and drama. Damary also taught them a song with actions. After they did those things they had kids say memory verses, one preached, one led in sharing testimonies and a choir sang praises in their local language. I think it was really great. We were also told some children's parents who don't come to church came to see their kids. Cool!

This week I met with Hannah, my new language helper three times. My brain nearly explodes after our lesson but the really great-great part is that words that she has taught me I usually hear as I am out and about. That is so cool! I have gone round and round visiting my neighbors. Everyone asking me where I have been and what I have been doing. One woman had a baby and he is already so big. I guess I have been gone longer than I thought. I have sat with Rafia a few times. Sometimes I sew sometimes I hold her baby so she can sew. We talk or we chill. I am so thankful for her.

Two kids these past couple days asked me why I don't believe what they believe. I told them I don't believe it is true. Part of me doesn't know how much to say or if they understand me. Hannah taught me a story about Jesus healing the blind man. Kids always love stories and they usually say the whole thing right back to me. May God's Word go out!

I have to lead a talk on "How to learn a language and culture" to new missionaries from West Africa on Tuesday. PRAY FOR ME!

Thanks for praying. Seriously. God is at work here.

Old-Older-Oldest

I had a good week in Gushegu. My posititive self would like to say it was great but it seems when it has to do with language learning...(sigh) it cannot be great. Every time I think I may be getting the hang of it I talk to someone else and cannot understand a single thing! Keeps me humble, I guess. I am becoming a more confident bicycle rider though :)

I went to visit a compound that has so many people. There has to be at least 40 adults. And the children! I cannot even count. They are all over the place. The place is organized chaos. I don't know how they all live like that but they know how it works and I guess, for them, it works. There is an old lady who I sit with. There is a younger old lady who also sits with us sometimes. They do not speak English so our conversations only go so far.

There is an older lady to the first old lady I mentioned. I am not sure how they are related or maybe they are wives of one husband? Or maybe their husbands were brothers? I don't know. Anyways, the oldest one was sick. (I would call them by their names but I do not know them because in Dagbani they call them "old lady" too.) They told me to go and greet her. As I went in to greet her, her daughter was putting a clean shirt on her. I happened to notice her very extended belly. Also her legs were very swollen. Her cheeks were sunken in and and her arms were so thin. I was so sad. She was still eating and I was thankful for that. I greeted her and went back to the middle old lady.

I asked the middle old lady what is wrong with the oldest lady. She said they do not know. She has visited many hospitals. Doctors do not really give a clear diagnosis to their patients and if a patient is dying they will not tell the patient that either. HUGE No-No in this culture. To me, it seems, her time may be short unless there is a miracle. I knew I needed to go and pray for the oldest. I went back into the oldest's room. Her daughter was still there. I asked if I could pray for her mom. I prayed a very choppy Psalm 23 in Dagbani and then a prayer in English praying that God would give her time to know him. They thanked me and I left.

I asked a couple Christian people about praying in a home that does not believe in Jesus. Would they be angry? Would they kick me out? I was assured that being a visitor allows me a few gestures of kindness. Also, when people are sick they are willing to listen to anyone with any idea on how to be healed. So, I learned a prayer in Dagbani for healing. I also learned how to ask someone if they would like to follow Jesus and pray with them.

Two days later, I went back to the old lady and talked with her a bit. Then I asked where the oldest lady is. She told me, but I didn't understand the words she used. I wrote them down. I went to a friend and asked, "What does this mean?" She told me it says, "She went to the juju man." So, my oldest lady friend went to the witch doctor for healing. That is sad. She was not back before I left for Tamale. I don't know if she will be here when I come back in a month. Let's pray. Let's pray she gets the opportunity to know Jesus.

In Tamale, I will be meeting with a language helper. She is a Dagbani woman who is a Christian. I don't really know how to move forward. I hope this woman can push me!

Love you. Thanks for praying.

New Place in Gushegu

I did some banking, emails, residential permit renewal, and visiting with neighbors before I came back on Thursday to Gushegu. I will only have a week here but a week here for language is better than a week in Tamale for language.

In Gushegu, I am staying at a different place. There are missionaries from Europe who work with Frontiers that live on this compound. They have offered me a room. Fela and Puii are trying to get into a new routine and way of life with their second little baby girl. I didn't want to be a bother to them. I am so thankful for this place. I stay with a gal named Vronny who is from Switzerland and also a farm girl! She is a nurse and works in a nutrition center. The other couple is from Holland and the husband is a doctor and the wife is a nurse and they have 2 little boys. They did a bbq for us and it was delicious! We sat outside and ate and talked. I almost felt like I was in Wisconsin during the summer.

They are on the other side of town. Vronny has lent me her bicycle so I can get to town since they are a bit far. I have not really rode a bike in years...like probably more than 10 years! I am a bit wobbly. The motorbikes behind me beep-beep me but I can't move over. Haha. It will get better.

I have not been able to find a language helper. I have visited my friends and will just continue and then also make new ones. I can learn as I sit with them.

It is Ramadan. People are fasting. They eat before it gets light and then eat when the sun goes down. They don't drink water. It is so hot! I don't know how they do it...and honestly wonder if they do. I am joining in the fast too. I don't eat in the morning but I do drink water. During meal times I pray. I really pray for these people that God would reveal himself to them. I eat when it gets dark- around 6pm. Ramadan ends June 4.

    I spoke at church today. It was really short. If anything, people love a short message. Haha!

    Okie, so a language week is in store for me. I will head back to Tamale on Friday because we have a meeting on Saturday. Love ya. Keep praying!

    SLC 2019

    Hey Hey Hey, thanks for pray, pray, pray-ing! I feel refreshed from our Spiritual Life Conference. It may have been the most humid one I can remember in a long time but still, to be surrounded by green grass, diverse team members and food that I did not have to cook or put away makes up for that. Our speakers were long time missionaries who now live in Scotland. They had much to share with us from the Word and also their life experience. It was a time to see how amazing the SIM Ghana team is. Every morning in our morning session we started out with praise and worship and we would have one culture teach us a song in their language. It was great!

    We had times to sit and chill and times to play games. I played some volleyball. I cannot remember the last time I played! We each had a time to share what God has done the past year. In sharing my past year the tears poured down. It was a way better year than last year and I am so thankful. But I still have a tough road to climb and Damary and my other colleague Yvonne will be leaving me. I have other teammates but these two ladies have been very special to me these past (almost 3) years. God is faithful and I have Him and all His amazing promises to keep me going! We had a time to say farewell to a couple who have been in Ghana for 19 years. I lived next to them while I worked in Accra. They are such an amazing couple and I will really miss them too.

    Mission life is always filled with hellos and goodbyes. Sometimes it really stinks! But, anyways, we have our hope to see each other in Eternity.

    So, back to real life. I have some random things to take care of before I head to Gushegu. For sure I need to be there by Sunday since I am the one giving the message. You can pray for that. Also, I hope to have a new language helper in Tamale and meet with her this week. I need to figure out in what new things to learn and how to make my own sentences and...and...and... you know, all that great stuff.

    Again, thanks for praying. My goal is to do a level 3 exam by Christmas. I got 8 months to really kick this language and overtake it! Be praying! Love you.

    Needing Ooomph

    My friend, from Accra who visited, had a nice time. We went to Mole National Park and saw elephants and antelope. The baboons tried twisting our door handle of our room to get in but thankfully we locked it. Apparently, they know their way around tourists and are always looking for goodies. But it was so interesting to learn more about my friend Nhyira. Like, for one, she is a total. city. girl. She hates bugs and trees and dirt. HA! She was so proud of herself that she went on the walking tour at the park thru the bush and told me she would have never chosen it for herself. We also did a lot of Tamale things.

    When I took her back to the airport she was so happy that she came. She has a new respect for Northerners and how hard it is to live here. She also kept telling me and Damary, "you girls are doing so well, so well!" She wouldn't want to live up here but she said she realized how much she had in Accra (and Nhyira is poor by Accra standards).

    When I came back home from the airport Thursday morning I was exhausted. I love people but also am glad when they leave :) I barely had a chance to breathe when I came back from Gushegu and then Nhyira came and then I had a day until we had another couple come and stay with us. In the meantime, I went to greet some of my neighbors, wrote up a prayer letter, baked for our upcoming conference, sat with Rafia (I baked her a loaf of banana bread too), went errand running in town, emailed and sat with Damary going over songs for the worship time at the conference that we will help lead. I feel physically drained. I felt bad for my auntie who called me a few days ago and I just kept responding with, "I don't know" or single word answers. I just couldn't think and did not have the energy to engage.

    We will leave on Monday for our Spiritual Life Conference in Kumasi, which is about a 6 hour drive. The whole SIM Ghana team will be there (about 50 ppl). We have a speaker, coming from Scotland, game times, rest times, a time to share what God has been doing in our lives, meals and snacks are provided, there will be an environment of cooler weather, and peace and quiet. I seriously need this. I can't wait.

    Be praying I would be refreshed. I gotta lot more work ahead of me!

    Yay for Easter

    I arrived in Tamale on Tuesday. I left Gushegu exhausted. I finished the last few days telling people about Adam and Eve. Then I went to a friend's wedding. Then a pastor and his wife celebrated a new baby. I was all over the place and always covered in sweat.

    No rest for the wicked here in Tamale. A gal from my Bible studies in Accra had some time off and asked to come visit me. She has never been to the north. Southerners have a negative outlook on northeners and so I really want her to see the good here. Her phrase over and over is, "it's so hot here-it's so hot here." Damary and I are like welcome to our world! And to make my friend really feel welcome- on this 106 degree day the power shut off so we have run to the KFC restaurant and are eating ice cream and sitting in air conditioning with wifi! You gotta do what you gotta do!

    Hopefully in May I will find a language helper in Gushegu and start learning new words and somehow figure out how to put compound sentences together. I really need help. I am a bit stuck. I am thankful for where I have progressed these past few months. I have to admit, though, I still have pockets of negative thoughts...like, I will never get this or I should quit or maybe I should move some place where they speak English and work at Starbucks or something ;)

    But this is Easter weekend! A time to put my focus on the Saviour who is alive and giving new life to our mortal bodies! Who walks with us and understands our struggles. I pray you have a great Easter and look at the empty tomb.

    Let me just end rejoicing!

    Plugging Away

    Back in Gushegu, where the power has been consistent, well until Friday night, and it was out all day Saturday. Saturday was to be my day off. Not very day-offy when you cannot rest because there is no fan or work long on your computer or check instagram because you don't have so much battery life or use the machine to wash clothes. Does this even count as a day off? :)

    But let's talk about language. I was out every day this week. I sort of felt that my first few days in the week were a dud. I mean, I was out there but...I just couldn't grasp what people were saying. Sometimes I was not even talking. I have noticed that when I talk it seems Dagbani stays with me so it is important to speak...I mean, duh, of course it is important to speak, but for those of you who have learned a language you know what I mean.

    Every day I am thankful that I am here. This is a good place to learn. It is just so hard. And maybe, I am one of those people who just cannot learn language. I don't know. I don't want to get all down and discouraged, and I will keep working hard, but maybe, just maybe, I can't do it. (Insert shrug of shoulders) I was encouraged to start reading my Dagbani Bible more often. In the mornings, I line it up with the English text I am reading. Maybe it will help? I'm trying everything.

    The boys keep coming. I bought a ball and they popped a tiny hole in it the second day! But they got it patched. They return it to me every night and have been respectful. One afternoon though, I think I had over 20 kids in the yard! That gets a bit out of hand.

    The weather is a strong-consistent over a hundred, as if it doesn't want to disappoint me. Haaaaa...ugh...even at 8pm it was 100! Cra-zay! One afternoon the boys came for the ball and about 20 minutes later they brought it back and said it is too hot. At least I am not the only one who thinks so. With the heat comes unfortunate things. I have gotten rashes from sweating. I use baby powder but it is just not enough to keep it dry. Such joys (sigh). And waking up in a pile of neck sweat. Such bliss. Livin' the dream, eh? :)

    Okie- let's get this next week going. Keep praying!

    Not As I Planned

    I came back to Tamale on Saturday all excited to rest and refresh myself. HA.
    Did.Not.Happen.

    My first few days I did not have power. Then I thought I would go to some place that had air conditioning (like I mentioned in the last post). I asked them questions ahead of time if they have a/c and a generator. Yes to both. Yay! As I am leaving my house, the power comes back on! I was so angry. So, then, I head to this place and he gave me a room but they did not have power!!! I was so peeved. I said, "but you guys have a generator" and he said, "yes, but to start ours we need a certain car battery and that car has gone to town." ARE YOU SERIOUS??? I waited for 2 hours and said "forget it. I can have a/c at my own house" so, I left and went home.

    I tried putting my a/c on but the current kept going up and down I thought I might blow it with the surges so I shut it off. And then...the power went off. It was like 90 degrees at 9pm. I cried. I had to. I mean, seriously?? I laugh now, but at that moment I just could not take it.

    I called an a/c repairer guy to ask what I could do to run my a/c and he said I should buy a stabilizer which would help protect it from the surges. So, I did. And $100 later, the man came and hooked it all up. BUT that night we also had no power. Insert tears and whining. I am the worst. You know, when you have all these big ideas of what is going to happen and how great it will be and then the TOTAL opposite happens??? And so, when difficulties come, they seem even worse than they really are. And Damary is in Accra so I am alone. No one to whine too :) but I called her so she heard it all :)


    Another day went by with surges and even though I ran the a/c for a bit I still was too afraid it would break so I shut it off. But a little bit sure was nice.

    Thursday was the first day we had power all day. Then Friday the power was a bit better but I think tonight I will run the a/c all night.

    What a week! I mean, Wow. It was not restful, though I did run away to a hotel pool for one day. That was lovely. And one day I took a really long nap. That was great too. I also ended up in middle of the Tamale when the new chief was going thru town. I love cultural things like that. Imagine a famous person coming to town. It was something like that. It was loud. People were so excited. Kids left school. Women were dancing. Men were shooting off guns that just make huge boom sounds. It was very cultural. There were so many people. Thankfully, I saw two of my neighbors and they called me to come stand with them and explained all that was going on. It was over 100 degrees and we were just standing out there cooking like an egg on a hot skillet! So glad I did not forget sunscreen.

    I head back to Gushegu tomorrow. I think I am looking forward to not being in Tamale :) I gotta push myself this week in language. Push myself the next three weeks! With God's help I can do this!

    Sorry I used the word "so" so many times. And I think I also used "and" in the beginning of too many sentences :)

    Week 3

    My week went fast. I thought maybe it would go slow because I would be dreaming of heading to the big city of Tamale at the end of it.

    Last week I mentioned boys climbing over my wall to climb trees. When they see me they jump back over. I decided instead of fighting this I will join them. No, I did not climb the trees. I yelled at them, knowing they were just over the wall waiting for me to go inside, and told them to come (and use the gate to come). They were a little sheepish, knowing what they did was not right, but they came. I told them if they want to climb trees they just need to knock and say, "Madame" and if I am free I will let them in. This was told with very broken Dagbani and gestures. They go to school so they can also speak a little English, but am glad they usually do not. They climbed and ran around. They found a water bottle and filled it with water. They asked me for everything- from food to using the toilet to complaining, "my friend is beating me" when I saw the whole thing and knew they were only playing. If they were at a Ghanaian home they would not ask or do any of those things. They took liberty because they think I do not know. But thankfully, I do know and have lived here many years! I did pop some popcorn for them. They asked me for a ball and I told them if they do well I will buy them a ball. So then they start cleaning the compound! HA. I care about their obedience not them serving me. It took a few days to make that understood. For example, the first couple afternoons when they would come, when it was time to leave they would whine and not leave. The next day when they asked me for a ball I told them they did not listen to me yesterday so why should I buy a ball? That was the last time they did not listen to me. This whole week, every day they came they were very respectful and I told them when I go to Tamale I will buy them a ball.

    I did have them listen to some Bible stories in Dagbani that I have on my phone. Maybe I can do that before they start playing on a daily basis. We also played simple catch and throw games with a ball, though hardly a ball. I also needed to learn some phrases like, "close the door/go home/use the gate/throw the ball" so they are helping me!

    I asked Fela if it was ok for them to be in the compound and he says it is fine but not their house. I can understand that.

    Another wonderful thing, as I go around and visit my neighbours I find where these boys are staying and when they know I know their parents they are even more kind and respectful. They know I could report bad behaviour to their parents :)

    I left Gushegu on Saturday morning. I thought I would be excited about getting into the city but...found myself wishing there were not so many motorbikes and traffic lights. I did some shopping and went to an internet cafe to download some things. I do love the many items I can find here.

    I met with Yvonne for dinner. We started at one outdoor restaurant but quickly left to go sit in an air conditioned one! It has been so hot. 104-107 degrees. When I got home that night, our power went off. I was annoyed to say the least, knowing it would not come back again.

    I signed up to run a 10k race Sunday morning. I needed to be at the start at 6am. I got about 2 hours of sleep in the midst of sweat dripping down my face, neck and back. Ewwww. I thought maybe I shouldn't do this race. It is not like Ihave been training super hard also.

    But despite my lack of enthusiasm and rest the race went well. My goals were to meet people and not walk. I accomplished both! Most people who ran work with non-governmental organisations in Tamale and it was interesting to hear what people are doing and how they are helping. One restaurant opened their doors to us and someone donated bagels, fresh coconuts, fruits and drinks. Many of us just sat and chilled. I am glad I did it. (And I got a tank top too!)

    When I came back home our power was still off. I went to visit some friends and thought I did a little better in Dagbani conversation. Yay! I messaged Yvonne and told her i had no light so she invited me over. I came around 6pm and we slept upon top of her roof. It was lovely! We had a mosquito net and a cool breeze in this balmy humid-hot season. I was so thankful.

    As I type this up our power apparently came back last night while I was at Yvonne' s but it went off again. They said there is an issue with a cable that they are fixing. Hmmm...

    So! I am leaving. I found a little lodge for 20$/day with air conditioning and a small pool and I will hide away for a few days and charge my batteries.

    Love you and your prayers!

    There Is Always Somethin'

    There is always something. Everyday I come home and add a funny or incredible experience to my journal.

    -- one boy, who has known me from before when I would visit Gushegu, said, "Auntie Sherri, yesterday your hair looked nice but today it is not nice."

    --learning how to say "my father only has one wife".

    --an 8 year old kid circling me, unsure if he should come close or not, as if I am some rabid dog. Anytime I would make a move he would jump.

    --Agreeing to marry a man who then asked me to get him a tractor. I can see true love is in the air.

    --the word for smell is hear. So my nose can hear things!

    --A shop that sells gasoline started on fire. Huge fire but was contained and no one was injured.

    --Buying food items so my new friends can cook fufu for me!

    --Getting asked why I am walking because the sun is hot.

    --Sitting in a round room with a widow who has so little, trying to figure out what she is saying but almost not caring because I could sense the Spirit in that place.

    --Meeting new women and going back the next day and one of them not recognizing me because I was not wearing a hat. (I'm the only white person in her area!)

    --Being thankful on Ghana's Independence Day that this country I work in is peaceful.

    --Little boys jumping over my wall to climb trees.

    --Sitting with neighbourhood women and catching random sayings.

    --Finding a response to, "Will you marry me?" is, "What will you cook for me?" It is a taboo for men to cook.

    --I can handle killing mice and cockroaches, though, have realized I would rather deal with the mice.

    --Chickpea flour pancakes are not so good but cassava flour pancakes are good. But what is even better are pancakes made with only a banana and two eggs!

    --God speaking to me thru His Word during my quiet times.

    Keep on praying. I have another full week ahead before I plan to spend a week in Tamale. So thankful again for this time and your prayers. I sensed progress...just a little, but still! Biella, biella (Small, small) is better than nothing.

    • Fire at the shop

    Love you.