Week of April 25

      Well after this week, I am pretty sure that I have solidified my ability to be the most Patient person ever haha Oh Africa. Paul went every single day this week to the license office from when it opened until when it closed and everyday it was the same story, "Please wait, we'll be with you" and everyday, Paul would come home empty handed. He amazes me though with his perseverance and patience haha which are traits you HAVE to possess if living in this country. He said they are waiting for a bribe to speed things along, as they do with everything else because everything in the government is So corrupt.

     We have been trying all week to sale the taxi and are realizing that we are Never going to get back even close to the money that we have spent on it. Most people are offering 1600 or at most 1800. We bought it for 2700 and have put in atleast another 1500. However, the longer we keep it, the more that we spend and we are both ready to be free of it. Paul's eldest brother has been very generous to offer us his Honda (he recently got a new car) and is giving us a really good deal on it and it's Very reliable unlike our disaster of a taxi. So, once we rid ourselves of the wretched taxi, we will be able to purchase the honda and Never look back on all the money that has gone down the drain. Lesson Definitely learned.

    In Ghana and all over Africa, there is JuJu which is a black magic.  It is done various ways, whether it is mami water sent from a sea dweller, using voodoo dolls, or having an owl sent to cry your death. When someone is envious of you, they will seek out a witch or wizard to harm you. If you are able to realize what is happening in time, you can seek out a fetish priest who will then find a way to counteract the Juju. I don't totally understand it and am skeptic but I saw it being done for the first time this week. In  the post office square there was drumming and dancing when we drove by one night so we went to see and apparently a tribe's brother had been killed and so they were performing a ritual to scare away any bad juju that would be sent to harm their deceased friend. There were guys dancing around with machetes and cutting themselves all over their bodies, however because the protection of the juju they were casting, there was no blood. There was another guy warding off any juju trying to interfere by circling the group and continuously dipping a broom in a calabash and spreading water around. It got pretty crazy with a lot of smoke, screaming, drumming and dancing and it is just one of those things that reminds me that I really am living in Africa.

     Other than that, we had a great trip on Monday to the Wli Waterfalls, there were TONS of people and cultural dancing as well, and it was a lot of fun. All Paul's family but his youngest sister have gone back to Accra after the holiday so the house is quiet again. Yesterday at church instead of the normal meetings, they showed a session and a half of General Conference. Paul and I were so happy that we were able to hear from our leaders and the message that resonated with us was one of Charity, Family and continuing on with faith. It was exactly what we needed to hear and the spirit was wonderfully there. Paul's friend Matthew also came along with us and I hope he enjoyed it as well. Also, rainy season has officially begun and everyday we have a massive downpour and despite the fact that I get a little scared of how strong it storms, it's so nice to have the rain cool things down a bit. T.I.A.

Week of April 18

My week was full of frustrations with the car, (which is currently unstartable) and Paul's license, (which the officer at the office has mysteriously misplaced) and many other things, so I am just going to fast forward to the Holiday! I was really trying not to think about home but luckily, Celebrating Easter in Ghana was unlike any Easter experience I have Ever so my mind was kept busy. Paul's siblings except one were able to come to Hohoe to celebrate with us and it's been So fun having them here, I love the noise and the energy of family and it makes me feel a little more at home. Ghana is very Christian and Easter is Really celebrated. Last night at 3 in the morning there were people parading through the neighborhood playing drums and singing praises for the resurrection of Christ. There was also a goat brought to the house yesterday, to be slaughtered today... yes, slaughtered and it knew it was going to die because it was crying all night long. Paul has been shown since childhood how to kill a goat, so this morning he got up and built a fire at the side of the house. Then with the help of the two little boys, he tied the goat, dug a hole in the ground for the blood to pour and then I will just let you imagine the rest. After he killed the goat, his brothers then brought four roosters for him to also kill. It was amazing because he acted like it was no big deal, but for me (american girl who has Never before seen anything like that) I was shocked. He laughed saying that now I know where meat comes from instead of just going to a store and buying it in packaging haha and he's right. The rest of the day, was mellow because we both had a fever so mostly we just relaxed, read Luke 24, and then this evening went for a walk behind his house through beautiful farmlands to a river that I didn't know existed.
 Tomorrow is a holiday and his family ever year goes to Wli Waterfalls to swim and picnic and I'm really excited for that! I just am striving everyday to find the positives. All I can say is, I'm so happy that I have found my partner in life and with him everyday is a wonderful adventure and because of him I feel like the most blessed girl alive!

Week of April 11

This week in Ghana I have learned to let go of the things that are out of my control and to focus on my blessings. This taxi is the most out of control thing Ever. Literally, every single day this week there was a problem:
Monday: His friend who works at the bank (supposedly respectable guy) calls him at 9:00 at night and begs him to come get him from Boondocks, which is a bar on the outskirts of town. So Paul goes, waits for three hours while his friend finishes drinking with his girlfriend, then the friend and the girlfriend get in a fight and she ends up stealing his wallet and running away so Paul didn't get paid.
Tuesday: There is a volunteer who was with CCS in Hohoe who got her bags stolen while walking to the Geduld Hotel (like 2 minutes away from CCS) so Paul's friend Jojo had been helping her try to get the things back. They found the bag, but everything was missing out of it, then they found the thief who apparently sold all her things to people in Kpandu, a town about an hour and a half away from Hohoe. So Paul being the sweetheart that he is, spent the whole day driving them there and around the town without any success of getting the things back. The girl promised she'd pay Paul for his driving and gave it to Jojo, who pretended like the girl hadn't paid him, then when confronted about it admitted he'd spent the money that was supposed to be given to Paul, so again, nothing!
Wednesday: Because of the long trip to Kpandu the day before, we had to take the tire to get air pumped into it. Then discovered that the exhaust pipe had fallen down so we had to get it welded back on.
Thursday: Paul was driving someone on a "rough road" (which means that it's dirt and has more craters in it than the moon) and anyways, he fell into a hole which led to the engine getting hit from underneath and the thingy that hold the oil exploded and all the oil fell out. So he had to have people help him get out of the hole, then get a mechanic to fix it so all the money that he'd earned for the day was spent.
Friday: It was Market day and some people said they wanted to buy the car but before they would buy it, wanted us to put new rings in the engine, (no idea what that means) and we'd had enough so we parked it and are giving ourselves a break from it for a couple days.

Other than that though, this week has been great! My school is on Easter Break for 3 weeks and so while poor Paul was dealing with our wretched vehicle, I had to find something to occupy my time... Well lots of you know my Famous Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars that I invented :) well I decided to make them for Paul's family and after a trip to 3 different stores, and the open market I was able to get all the ingredients. The kids were fascinated while helping me and we watched disney movies (just like being at home) and without any measuring cups, (they are unheard of hear) we baked up my masterpiece. To cook it, I had to light the top of the oven with a match, leave it for ten minutes, then light the bottom. Then Paul suggested that the kids could try selling them so, we individually packaged them in baggies, and Eric took them out on Tuesday for a "test sale" and people loved them! I sale them for about the equivalent of 20 cents haha but I made 4 batches and 10 cedi and it made me feel like i was actually contributing something.
Also, Paul had to go to Accra yesterday to get his friend from the airport and the flight got delayed 6 hours so they ended up having to stay the night. Well this morning I gathered my courage and took the 1 hour and 45 minute trotro ride to Ho to go to church by myself. I'm SO happy I went, the spirit was wonderful and Ghanaian people really amaze me with their conviction and faith in the gospel. I got a calling as the Young Women Advisor and the Branch President also told me that Paul is being called to be a Sunday School Teacher which is So great!
Despite the challenges, I can't even count all the blessings that I am receiving here! I know that every challenge is an opportunity for me to grow! I love my husband and I love my life :)

Up to the Week of April 4

      Well I am updating not on a Sunday and 2 and a half weeks late because we didn’t have the internet (This is Africa) but it’s back and running J I have too much to write about but will do my best to hit the high points and not go on forever!

     Teaching at Suzzy Mother Care definitely keeps me busy but it gives me a sense of accomplishment when even one of my children show signs of learning. We have been having final exams this week to test on what the kids have been learning which is shapes, colors, ABC’s and numbers. Most did pretty well but there are about 3 kids in my class who flunked every test and no matter how hard I try, they don’t learn like AT ALL but I won’t give up. They are absolutely out of Control though most of the time (ages 4-8) and so the headmaster will come in every like 15 minutes with his cane to threaten them, “I will Beat you.” The lady that owns it, Suzzy, is super nice though and everyday has water delivered to me in my classroom and twice a weeks she sends me home with fruit. Also, Abby Chester, my friend who I met while volunteering my first time here, donated a ton of storybooks which have been Very helpful and the kids love being read to because it opens them up to a world of things they have never/will never see. Teaching in Ghana, although Totally different from teaching in the U.S., is getting me really excited for when I can get my degree and begin my career as an actual teacher one day!

     This last week I was really sick with a fever and a constant “runny stomach” as they call it here. There has been recent cases of cholera here and people have died so Paul got way worried and alerted his mother, Mary who then went to work on healing me (she’s a nurse) and made me take about 10 different pills. She called different pastors too and had them pray for my evil diarrhea to be gone too. She brought me in like full on meals every couple hours and would stay to make sure I ate. (Side Note: In Ghana, to be fat is desired because it means you have food to eat so Mary is doing her best to “plump” me up so that people don’t think I’m suffering for food in her house. However, because I’m me and am terrified of getting fat, I’m fighting it every way I can.) Anyways, then Paul’s dad came home for the weekend and stocked me up on a variety of food to show his concern for my health. They are so great and after all their efforts, I have been healed J

     As for the wretched car, because of the mechanic overheating the engine, the gasket broke along with 2 other things that I don’t know the name of in the engine so we had to pay to get that fixed. Plus, in Ghana they require a fire extinguisher nailed in the car by the windshield, well because of the intense heat here, ours exploded, sprayed stuff all over the car and smashed up the windshield which showered glass in the car. Paul used his “Ghanaian creativity” and bought stickers for the windshield which hold the glass together haha so we are just going to leave it like that for now. However as of this week, it is finally functioning to the point of driving and Paul has been driving it during the day while I’m at school and then when I’m done, we drive until dinner which means we are finally making money at last!

     Other then that.... After endless amounts of visits to the police station, we are still without possession of my bike. But Paul’s neighbors have bikes and we have been borrowing them to enjoy night bike rides, which has been really great. My running shoes were stolen as they were left outside to dry after being clean which has been a big bummer but tomorrow is market day and we are going to try to get another pair. I love the kids though at Paul’s house and we have fun playing in the rain, playing Go Fish, watching them climb the Mango trees and bring in bags of mango, and lately they have really been teaching me Ewe which is a continuing process. I have finally convinced Paul that cartoons/Disney movies aren’t just for little kids and we have been enjoying watching them.

I love my life and although, sometimes living in a different country is a challenge, I have Paul and the gospel and am on a great journey through life J

Week Of March 14

Wow this week has gone by Super fast and we have been BUSY! First, to report on my bike situation (we haven’t even begun to pursue Paul’s bike) but after Paul went to the police station every day this week; he had to pay the officer who then had to fill out a form to release the bike, the officer lost the form, he had to fill out another one, the police commander had to stamp it, he wasn’t in, he came and then wanted money to stamp the form so Paul paid and finally after 4 weeks we were going to get the bike… But of course that was PSYCH because the police officer in charge of locking the bikes misplaced the key. I wish I was joking but there you have it.

The bike situation is ridiculous but it doesn’t even compare to the car. So far we’ve fired two drivers after they’ve almost ruined the car, right? So Paul decided to get his own driver’s license. All day Tuesday he was at the license division and they granted him a learners permit which meant he had to put L plates on our car. (which no one will stop a taxi with a driver who is learning) Well his driver “friend” wanted to take the car and make money for us doing the day. Well we let him take it and he brought it back with the shaft broken which I don’t even know what that is except that it cost us 40 cedi. Paul decided he was going to find his driver friend and have him pay us back but first he had to come pick me up from school (I’ll explain that below) but on the way to come get me the police stopped him. (someone in town who was jealous and knew he didn’t have a license reported him) Paul told him that he had a learners permit but it was at home plus he didn’t have the L plates on so Paul had to pay to not be taken to jail plus the car would be kept until he paid to get it. Paul decided to have the driver friend that broke the shaft pay to pick up the car which I thought was a great idea. However the driver didn’t bring the car to us until Late in the evening and then left. Paul got a flashlight to inspect it and surprise surprise, the man had broken the key off inside the lock!! Plus had broken one of the dirt flaps (haha I don’t really know what they’re called) behind the tire. So yesterday he spent all day at the mechanic shop while they somehow removed the broken key from inside the lock. Today a mechanic came and picked up the car to have a key made but on our way home from church 4 hours later we passed him on our way into Hohoe. When we got to the station we found our car parked in the middle of the road, keys in the ignition, gas cap off, and the mechanic no where to be found. Paul just got home and informed me that the mechanic drove the car without putting water in the take so the engine was so overheated that it almost exploded and was smoking….

But other than THAT haha this week has been really great J Paul played football with his friends on Tuesday, scored a wonderful goal and was easily the best player out there! (although I’m a bit bias haha) It was pouring rain and lightning but still they played on. I also taught Paul his first keyboarding lesson this week and he picked it up really well. We dropped off some fabric to Bertha (the seamstress) to have made into a dress and purse for me, a shirt for Paul. Yesterday morning too, I was super sneaky and had the kids helped me get water in the buckets and soap to do my washing (Paul’s mom doesn’t allow me to do my own) but after about an hour and a half with the kids laughing at me the whole time, my fingers were raw haha and I was only a third done so… I gave in and the kids quickly finished. Paul’s mom Mary said, “Blacks are meant to do hard labor while whites have machines.” Hahaha she is the funniest woman.
Oh and then I guess the biggest news of mine is that I started at Suzzy Mother Care which is a small school in Hohoe owned by a spunky old woman. I am teaching KG 2 (kindergarten) and the kids are rowdier than anything and have Zero comprehension of anything. So far we have gotten from A-D and some of them still can’t tell the difference haha so it’s a work in progress but I’m determined. I am also teaching them colors and I made up a song for them to learn the rainbow (which they had never heard of before) and Friday was Red day so I wore red and the kids were like “Sister Annie that’s the color you taught us!” And I was so excited but when I asked them what it was called they shouted out “Blue! Black! White” Haha so basically I have my work cut out for me but it should be fun to volunteer again.

Okay this is Super Long I just realized so I’ll stop but I’m still loving my husband and loving my life here in Ghana J I’m so blessed and grateful for all the love and support too from home! Until Next week!

Week of March 7

This week was another Wonderful week in Ghana and I am learning more about myself than ever before! While Paul is dealing with car problems (daily occurance) or going to try and get the bike (still has not been released from the police station) I am at home either learning the Ghanaian ways from his sweet mother, playing with the sweet kids that live with their family, getting good exercise time in, having time to sit and study the scriptures, and really am just focusing on bettering myself as much as possible (which is an endless process). It is so different than the US where you can just go out and apply for a job, go to school or even walk around town without having people yell at you to either come to them or go back to your country but we are making the most of it and although it is not as I expected it to be, I am adjusting and am truly enjoying my life as it comes everyday. Plus, when Paul gets home from working to get stuff done in town and I see him it's like my heart leaps for joy and my other half is back. We have so much fun just being together and are really coming to a new understanding of each other's needs.
 Paul too is teaching me an Ewe word a day (the tribal language that is spoken in the area) and I'm not going to lie, I'm practically fluent :) He also everyday has been showing me different areas in Hohoe that I never knew even existed, and the town is bigger than I would have thought. Today too, he surprised me with a trip to the Talking River which is absolutely beautiful and so peaceful and we had a great time just talking and relaxing.
This week too, Hohoe held like a sports competition for all the high schools where they played football, volleyball and ran track. Paul and I went and watched but there was a Huge rainstorm so we had to run for cover. The rainy season has started and when it rains it Pours here in Ghana, which is great because it is So So hot and the water tap gets turned off less, however now there are more bugs than ever and the power goes off atleast twice a day.
Confidence (the sweet girl from the village who lives with Paul's family) and I waged a MASSIVE war this week against the beetles that are taking over the fridge in the room (I'm determined that they live inside the lining of the fridge) and although the beetles put up a good fight, after a lot of soap, and copious amounts of bug spray, we conquered the little devils! They have since been trying to make a comeback but their reign is ended :)
Other than that, we got rid of our second taxi driver. He was just dishonest and would always make up stories as to why he didn't bring home the money he was supposed to, some days wouldn't even bring the car home at night, would give out the car to his friends to drive or would park the car during the day instead of doing his job so Paul said enough is enough. This coming week he is going to work on getting a driver's license so that he can drive during the day (at night they don't check licenses but it's really dangerous) because we have realized it just isn't practical to give our car out to anyone to drive with them being so irresponsible and untrustworthy.
Well that's my week and basically, I just love my husband So much! Although I definitely miss family, friends, home and American life; I am with my partner, comforter, best friend, greatest teacher, laughing buddy and love of my life so how could I not be blissfully happy?

Week of February 28

Well this week I am happy to report for the first time in 4 weeks, we had minimal car problems. (just a fan wire broke and the fuel tank leaked) Also, we have a new more reliable driver who brings in 20 cedi on regular days and 25 cedi on Monday & Friday because those are Market days. Paul too has been driving it at nights and has been bringing in actually really good money. After much "marketing" as Paul would call it haha which really is just bargaining over the prices with tons of different buyers, we found a man who is going to buy it. We just have to get the car ownership papers from the guy that we bought the car from in Accra, and then the man will give us our money and we will be free of this car :) I am actually getting a little less hostile towards the Blinksta. I have actually learned a lot about owning a taxi in Ghana:
1) In Ghana, when passing a car on the road, taxis say hi to eachother. If it is day time they honk like 5 times. If it is night time, they flash their brights and then if they are feeling really friendly (haha Paul always) then they will also honk along with the lights. It's quite exciting haha.
2) In Ghana, no one fills their own gas well they actually use petroleum. So the man who fills up the pump is totally in charge. There is a switch on the fuel gage that stops the fuel from going in and just puts in nothing but it is still charging at the same time. So the pump man will press the switch, rack up the price and then pocket the money that was not used for fuel and no one will know the difference. That's why instead of telling them the amount of money you want of fuel, you always have to say the amount of gallons.
3) There are massive holes in the roads here so as you are driving there will be Many times where a car will be in the wrong lane, headed straight for you trying to avoid the enormous pot holes and will swerve at the last second to miss you.
4) Or boys from the villages will decide to make some money and will put some dirt into the holes. They then will pull a string across the road to make sure that cars stop and throw coins out the window before passing by.
5)I don't know if they do this in the US but here, the cars need water so every half hour, we always have to stop, get water and pour it into the Blinksta like we are feeding him.
6)If Paul takes half as good care with our children as he does with our care, we will have the most well kept, clean, orderly children Ever haha!
Also this week I went to Happy Kids Orphanage which is in area of the Hohoe district called Wegbe. There are 20 kids that live in the home permanently and then 60 kids that come from town to school. I taught the Nursery class and there were like 30 3-5 year old children. They truly are absolutely beautiful though and sang and danced the morning away, it was adorable. At times, as they danced, someone would get hit or walked on so there would be crying and I would just get to pick them up and hold them. Unfortunately, one of the little girls that I chose to hold had wet her pants so that was an unpleasant surprise. The book selection for kids isn't the greatest, but I was able to read them 4 books including Berenstein Bears, and a Disney ABC book (which they have No idea what Disney is) but they'd repeat after me, "A is for Ariel" haha and it was pretty cute.
Also, on Friday Paul's parents had us go see a man that they call the "prophet." It was like a 4 hour drive and when we got there, the "prophet" was a bigger man wearing a New York Yankees baseball jersey. He said a prayer for us though which was actually really nice minus the cursing away of evil spirits that were coming for me and Paul haha. Luckily though we had missed the Prayer day (which was the day before) where tons of people apparently come to gather and yell, sing and pray. The prophet then rebukes from them all the demons or devils that are inside them because of the witches and wizards that have used black magic or juju against them. However, there was still one man left from the day before in the dirt, chained to a tree because his demons were stubborn and wouldn't leave him. The prophet said that he would be chained for up to 3 weeks. It was quite an experience as is most of my time in Ghana but I truly am enjoying every minute to the fullest.
Yesterday Paul and I had a resting day and enjoyed in immensely; eating fresh cut fruit, hanging up pictures in our room, putting up the one mirror in the whole house, watching Casino Royale and playing Kings in the Corner. (a card game) We've now hit our One Month Anniversary and I can definitely say I've never been happier!