Life Is Good = )

I’m just feeling so happy and blessed right now = )  I am seriously living such a charmed life…especially when I have electricity and water…haha = )  No but really…it’s amazing how NOT having something makes you so much more grateful when you actually have it!  But yeah…it’s so weird because today was quite an uneventful day…but it was so wonderful!

It started off with my usual walk to work.  I passed by a group of little kids walking to school who were so friendly!…and then I passed by the lady who sells eggs (I hope to get pictures of her at some point) and we greeted each other.  That was exciting since the first couple times I said, “Good morning” she didn’t respond.  And then as I was nearing the school a man said, “How are you?” in Tree…and I was so excited that I understood and could respond!  But then he kept speaking and I had to tell him, “Sorry…I don’t understand anything else.”  And then it was so cute!  There was a group of JHS boys out front of the school cleaning out the ditches, and one of them asked me if I knew the guy that had been speaking to me.  When I said I didn’t, he responded, “Don’t worry; we’re here to protect you.”  Is that not the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard?!
 
I went in to work prepared for battle.  We sent home the letters yesterday to the students who haven’t paid any fees yet, and were told to be prepared to have parents coming in who are very angry because they thought they had paid everything, or didn’t know they had to pay lunch separately…etc. etc.  So…I went armed with kindness, and the day was unbelievably enjoyable = )   Gosh…it’s no wonder that Jesus says in Matthew, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  It makes us happier, and it makes others happier - it’s a win-win situation = )  I’m learning that when you do things the Lord’s way, somehow everyone wins! = )

The picture I was taking when the girl called me over...haha
The sun here just never ceases to amaze me!  I wish you could
see it in person!

And then tonight I got to eat Kontamire (another favorite of mine…kinda like a squid luau-ish stew…sorta), watch Ghana play their last pool-play game in the Africa Cup of Nations (they’re advancing at the lead of their pool! = ), and see the GORGEOUS dresses that Mandy bought today = )  Oh...and on the way home I was stopped by one of the little girls that I mentioned earlier (they were playing outside and stopped me and asked me my name and stuff - and I'm pretty sure she wasn't calling me by my name...but it was close...haha = ), and she asked me to take a picture of her...so cute!  And then when I turned into our alley, there was a group of little kids down a bit who started shouting, "Obroni (sp?)!  Obroni!"..."White person!  White person!"...haha = )

As we were bathing Chi-Chi, I was reminded of something

The little girl who wanted the picture = )  And the store behind
her is what pretty much all the stores look like.  They all have
those metal doors...and they sell like everything!...right on the
side of the road.  Everyday they bring the whole load out, and
then pack it up again each night

I forgot to mention earlier…Mandy said baby girls here all get their ears pierced.  Like it’s done in the hospital!  Isn’t that so interesting?!

Oh yeah…and one other thing…last night I had real fufu for the first time!  It was so good!  It’s not really like what you made, Mama…but it’s no wonder ‘cause it’s SUPER labor-intensive!…mortar and pestle required!

In the brown bowl is the plantain portion and in the pot by
her knee is the kasava portion.  These are then mixed together
to make fufu.

They smash it with so much force and for so long!  It's
amazing!  And I don't know how she doesn't smash her
hand...it's like fold, smash, fold, smash...