Directions.

      If you know me at all, you know I am terrible when it comes to directions. I am not humbly saying this at all… I am seriously lost most of the time. Anytime someone gives me directions I practically need a play by play to make it to my final destination. My sweet mom use to draw me a map and write out the street names for me just in case I needed them both (typically I did). Anytime I would go somewhere in a caravan I would tell my friends, “be sure to use your blinkers etc. so that you don’t lose me”. Let me just say, this is a bad problem. I was so happy this past summer when I got a new phone that had free GPS on it. I wear that thing out. However, now that I am in Ghana I have to learn a new system to telling and comprehending directions. When I ask, where such and such is, the common answer is a point with the hand straight and then I am told “just there”. “Just there” can mean a many of different things. It can mean walk 3 miles turn 2 lefts and 1 right and it is “just there”. It could mean go straight till you run into it… o, but it will take an hour or so to get “just there”. Or it can actually mean it is literally next door (this is pretty rare though). The funniest thing is when I am trying to understand what trotro I need to take to get to the next stop to flag down another trotro to get to my destination. “Just there” doesn’t typically work for me. However, people have been gracious and patient with me when I keep questioning “where EXACTLY is ‘just there?’” 


      Directions are a funny thing. Depending on who is giving them and the way the recipient listens makes a big difference. If I am half way listening to the directions I am suppose to take then I will most likely make a left turn when I am suppose to go right. This is the same thing I am trying to understand for my life. Should I be taking a left or a right? For the past few years I have had times in life where I tried to go one direction, while being told the correct direction is opposite of what I was doing. I am learning more and more how to actually listen to the Instructor who is giving me the directions of my life journey. Since being here I have really struggled with where my destination actually is. Yes, I came here for Lady. However, I don’t believe that is the only reason God told me to turn this direction. I am with Lady most of the time. However, things have been at a complete stand still for the past 3 weeks. It is a really frustrating feeling to know you are somewhere to accomplish a goal and nothing is happening. I really enjoy playing with Lady and loving on her. However, I am ready to give her a more consistent life. The directors assistant (the one who is suppose to take us to “meet” Lady’s family to get the paperwork going) took the past month off of work and then two weekends ago she got married. So she is now off work again for an unknown amount of time. So, even though I am here for Lady I can’t help but knowing I need to be doing more. There is so much need here and so many people calling out. I could go anyway down the road and find a need. I am not talking about just the physical needs of water, clothes, food, and shelter. Although those are so important, I am talking about the need of love. I have felt Christ’s love for me so much more over the past few months. I have been loved in life but His love is power and a relief to a spirit. I give Him all praise for this. 


       The people here hear about God all the time. The stores here are called “God is good - chop bar”, “the good shepherd store”, etc. But the way they are told is in a condemning way. God here is a ruler. Not a Savior. I am not trying to down play how He is our Mighty Judge and yes, we will be judged. However, I personally see a God who is way more than that. While I see our judge, I especially see someone who loves me more than I know how to describe in words. I see a compassionate father wanting to hold me up and not needing me to hold Him up. I see a God who searches my heart and knows all my hearts desires. I see my Dad hurting when I hurt, not in a pathetic way, but in a way that shows me He understands me. I see a Savior. I see a Mighty King wanting the best for all of His kids. I see someone who gave all so that we can have all with Him one day. I see beauty. I see a God that holds all my secrets and pains. I see Him as all. I desire this for his people here in Ghana, Africa. I want each person to see this Beautiful Father who is not just waiting to pounce on us when we mess up. But rather One who pours His grace on our screwed up lives, because of His Love. 


      The nagging question in my heart is, “what direction SHOULD I go in doing this?” I want to do all that He wants me to do. Time is short and I want to make the most of every opportunity. However, I don’t know what direction to take in doing this. Parts of me questions if I go to the left and do things one way, is that best? The other thought is to go right and do things another way. Well the more I ponder this question; the more I am being told to “Be still and know that I am God”. Through this stillness with Him I am learning that I want to go the direction that will show Christ. I don’t want to be full of words that many of these people have heard before. Rather, I want to be His hands and feet. I want to sit with people when they are sick. I want to talk to my neighbors and play with their kids. I just want to love them. I don’t have much money and I am definitely not a teacher, but I know how to love. Jesus was a Perfect example and although I won’t be nearly as good as Him. I hope I can at least look different to a world of people who hear His name daily but don’t see His loving heart. I often feel useless here, but I hope to at least show the Joy of having a relationship with Christ. I will just use His map of love to help me in my daily struggle with my directions for this life journey.

My African Lifestyle

   I have had some people ask me what my normal day looks like. Well let me just say, there is no such thing as a "normal day" here. Each day has something new and different to it. However, I did decided to post a sort of album to show what I see and do on either a daily basis or weekly. Believe it or not, these are just a few of the pictures that depict my African life. 

Between 3:30 and 5:00 am. I wake up (roommates get up)

Actually get up around 7ish

My Home.

Bucket Bath. Sometimes Ivy will get it for me, other times I gather it from the well.  Both in the morning
then again at night. 

I use the small white one unless I am going to wash my hair,
then I use the big green one. 

My house the the green roof one. To the left is our well. 

I typically wash my clothes once or twice a week. I also wash Lady's many times.
However, she is now learning how to do it herself, so I typically just help her.
So all in all I wash 2 to 3 times each week.

Sometimes I wash and make breakfast at the same time. 

Our clothes line.

Our dog Brownie. Original name. 

No big deal, We have palm trees.

O and fresh fruit anytime we want. :)

I take the walk from Afiaman (where I live) to Amasaman hospital which is probably somewhere under 2 miles-ish. This is my walk.

The road to my home.

This is the bar right outside my house.

This is where some more of Mama N. family lives. right across from us.

This is the home of some of my favorite kids.
Some days on my way home I will play some Futbol with them.

Some more friendly faces that live in the home above. 

These are my boys. We talk everyday and sometimes play Futbol.

I don't know why, but I think this sign is pretty funny. I see it everyday on my walk. 

I LOVE these little girls. They run to the road to welcome me everyday as I walk by.  

This is their mom. She sells food.

This is Elizabeth and her family. We talk each day as I walk to town. I like to buy coconut from her. 

On my walk the shepherds take their flock out to graze.

My good friend Sofia. I buy most of my fruit from her. 

This is the taxi station on my walk to Amasaman.
Typically people try to give me a ride, but it is with a marriage proposal,
so I typically decline. 

A few oranges. 

Some more friends.

Crossing the 4 lanes traffic to get to town

These are some of my friends that I talk to most everyday once in town.

Part of the Amasaman market.

Market continued. This is also where I use to take the trotro to go to Korle Bu to see Lady.

Faustina's store 

Faustina and the twins at her store. Most days now I spend some time with them
helping sell stuff (I am not too good at it sine I can barley understand what people
are asking for).

This is Christian he likes to have his picture taken...Daily. 

Love this guy. He tries to sell me this mystery purple drink on a daily basis.
He sings me a song and all.

Best cloud that helped keep my walk cool. 

At the hospital

       Once I arrive at the hospital, Lady and I do everything from playing, washing clothes, me washing her hair, her playing with my hair, hand games, playing with the other patients, etc. Since she "goes to school" at this hospital, our studies have really slowed down. I dont blame her but she doesn't want to do school with me when she has just been in school. My only problem with that is this school does nothing. This is where I am finding it hard to balance what I should be doing.

I bring Lady 3 meals a day. This is a pretty standard meal. Banku and fish. 

She loves to call my family. 

Cheers. 

You have to have a microphone to sing...she is coming around to the idea.
Ha but she likes to laugh AT me

Eating chicken, while looking at the chickens.

On Saturdays, I will sometimes bring Lawrence's boys to the hospital to play with Lady. 

when we play phone, she does a lot more talking.
But I am not allowed to look in her direction while we are on the phone. haha.

Some of the other patients that Lady likes to sit with and take pictures of.
Here they are playing a card game (a lot like spades).

After I washed Lady's hair she wanted to wash her doll "Pricilla's" hair. 

Not only does she do her dolls hair but look at this masterpiece hahaha. 

Lady loves doing this!

 My favorite days are when it rains. It is a beautiful sight and it smells wonderful! I love that everything cools down for at least a small time.

This is Heritage College

Life was totally different when I went to Korle Bu each day. Instead of spending the mornings in the house, I would wake up early and walk to get the trotro to see Lady. We would spend a lot of time doing school and playing. These next pictures are some of the typical faces that I saw.

The boy in the front would also come and hold my hand.
He was burned really badly however, he is doing much better!
The last time I saw him, he had most of the bandages off his sweet little hands.  

It was always hard to hear all of these little kids crying out for their moms when
visitation was over. You would see them putting their faces against the window crying.

I love this kid. He always broke my heart but I liked to see his mom with him a lot of the time. 

Time at the house.

Since I spend most of the morning at home I sometimes play with the neighbors and
PK (He is living here with us now with his prego mom, she is due this week.
Soon we will add another to the house :) ) These kids love the crayons and color sheets
I brought.

These are my twin neighbors. Penny and Cocra. They practically live with us. Their mom is the one who owns the bar next door. These two crack me up on a daily basis.  I mean look at that smile. 

She was trying to hear the music without earphones. 

ahha 

 Time at church.

She slept on me for two hours during service.

Sunday morning.

It is nice because I can take Lady to church now. O and she LOVES coming.
She always asks when the next time will be. 

On Thursday evenings I go with Lawrence to a youth event class. 

 Coming home. On nights minus Wed and Thur, I come home as it starts to get dark (around 6ish).

This is Angelia and Rita. Sometimes we meet on the road on their way home so I walk
with them home and we dance and talk. I adore these two.

Just chopping some food to help with the family business. 

This is Vera, Sofia's granddaughter. 

Each evening on my way home I am welcomed with "Auntie Mary!!"  by all of these awesome kids.
Sometimes I will play Futbol with them. Lots of hugs from the little ones.
I love it. 

Once I am home. I will sometimes help prepare dinner. Once dinner is ready,
we will get infront of the tv for some Soap Opera action. This is also the time when Mama N and
Aunt E. talk to me about getting married. Marriage and pregnancy are their  normal topics for me haha.

         I never know what the day will bring. For instance, yesterday I loaded Lady up and we went to Korle Bu for a new brace (it broke 3 weeks ago and no one was fixing it). And the fact that for the past week our well has been empty, so that gave a new look to how daily life went (especially when it came to washing clothes haha). 

         Even though, I never know what to expect, I am so thankful to be here and have all of these experiences to see God's Beauty. Although I don't understand why most things are happening the way they are, I am constantly seeing Christ working. He is so Mighty, words can not describe. I hope you are able to see His Beauty in your day today.