I'M SO SORRY!!!!

So...we haven't had internet for the past month (I had over 700 new email!!!!) and I still won't be able to get on very often, because now the only way to get on is using Chuks's modem which he is usually using, and which uses a lot of money because you have to by credits for it.  But yeah...I can at least update you with I've written during this time offline (I know...I've been slacking, knowing that I couldn't post it anyway).

But yeah...I feel SO bad for those of you who have been worried!  It wasn't until my mom mentioned that some people had been asking if I'm okay that I even thought of the fact that me not posting would cause concern for my safety.  I'm HAPPY, healthy (except for a cold...haha = ), and totally safe!  Thanks, Jules, for thinking to post an update!  Funny that the day you think of it I can get on = )

So yeah...here's an incomplete summary of what my past month has been like.  I didn't write about some of the biggest events and happenings...so I'll get those things typed up and hope to post a lot more next weekend = )  Oh...and I have tons of pics...so I hope to be able to post those next weekend, too!

This Little Piggy Went to Market

I never knew what a hard job this little piggy had!  Well…at least if it was going to market here, it was not an easy task at all!

Chuks, Mandy, Chichi, and I caught a taxi this morning to Madina Market.  Madina is the town next to Adenta (where we live), and is older than Adenta, so has a much larger, more established market (which is unfortunate because the one in Adenta is very close…but it doesn’t have everything all the time, and the prices are usually higher).  When we got there, I was overwhelmed by the size of it all!  It’s HUGE!  I don’t even know what to compare it to…but I definitely would’ve gotten lost if I hadn’t have stuck to Mandy like glue the whole time (which was difficult because there are so many people and they walk through the markets like taxis drive on the roads here).  We dropped Chuks and Chichi off at a restaurant in the corner (restaurants here are few and far between…pretty much everything is just food stands or drink spots) and, of course, I had to use the bathroom - which was a wooden stall outside with a concrete floor (and a small hole in the corner for drainage) and walls so low that I could see all of the people passing by a couple feet away…haha - and then it was off to shop.

The whole place was crowded and busy and chaotic.  Outside there are tons of people selling, well, everything, and taxis and trotros and people all trying to get around each other.  Then inside, it’s even more packed, but luckily with no automobiles.  I don’t even know how one decides which person to buy from because there are tons of ladies selling the same products…but Mandy skillfully wound us through the maze, finding all of the things that she needed.  Now, when you don’t have a shopping cart, the load becomes VERY heavy and burdensome.  I swear, if our grocery shopping in the states were changed to mirror market shopping in Ghana, gyms would go out of business.  We got our cardio and weights…and I was definitely sweating just as much as when I go to the gym…haha = )  Oh…but I guess we’d still need gyms for the men because I could count on one hand the number of men I saw.  But yeah…it was so sad, too, because there were all these young girls walking around with buckets on their heads asking us to use their services (you pay them to carry what you buy).  My heart just broke for them because some had to have been only 7 or 8...and when I, a grown woman, struggled with the load for just the half hour or so that we were shopping…I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for them.  I was just glad it was Saturday because if it had been a week day and I knew that they were there instead of in school, it would’ve been all I could do to not drag them out of there and into a classroom = (

The produce in the market was just beautiful!  I’ve never seen such red tomatoes in my life!  And there were mangoes and bananas and pineapples and plantain…mmmmm-mmmmm!  That was actually pretty much the extent of the fruit that I saw…there aren’t a lot of kinds of fruit here it seems…but the variety of vegetables was amazing!  There were so many things that I’d never seen before…and unfortunately it’s not an atmosphere where you can stop and ask questions, especially if you’re not buying.  But yeah…there were the fruit and vegetable stands, as well as fish stands, baking stands (with bags of real wheat! - Mandy’s gonna teach me how to cook a breakfast with it = ), packaged product stands, egg stands, a groundnut paste stand, yam stands (oh man…the yam here are so delicious and SO ugly! - never judge something by its appearance = ), leather stands (where they sell the skin of cows, and goats, I think), snail stands, and that was just the food stuffs (oh gosh…I’m sure I’m forgetting tons of them).  But yeah…our last stop was to get meat, but I had to wait outside because it’s this room full of men (here was where I saw 90% of the men I saw in the market) cutting up animals…and just the sounds and the little bit I could see through the screens told me I wouldn’t be able to handle being inside.

At this point the bag was cutting into my hand so badly (Mandy had TWO!…and used to go to market by herself!  I really have no idea how it would’ve been humanly possible to carry our load on her own…talk about a strong woman!) and was so heavy (she said that one passerby told her that she was really making the obroni, white person, suffer…haha…I guess I gotta toughen up), but by some miracle I made it outside = )  We met up with Chuks, caught a taxi, and headed home.  These are the experiences that I really love!…getting to see what it’s like to live as a local = )

I So Admire Ghanaian Women…

…and any other person in the world who does their laundry by hand - which I’m sure is far more than those who have a washing machine.

For those of you who’ve never washed by hand, let me explain it to you.  I had a bucket of water that I put some powdered detergent in.  I dropped in a couple of white shirts first that were really dirty, so that they could soak while I washed the rest (the water ended up so dirty by the end, that I think I dirtied those shirts more than they were in the beginning = /)  Then I put the first garment, and used bar soap to scrub the armpits, collar, and any stains.  Then it was dunk and scrub another part, dunk and scrub, dunk and scrub, until every surface of the shirt had been scrubbed (whatever you don’t scrub by hand doesn’t get clean, so you have to be really thorough).  After washing about 30 pieces of laundry, my back was sore, my arms were tired, and I had spent about an hour and a half washing (and these were just shirts and skirts and such - no jeans, towels, sheets, etc.).  But at least the hard part was done, right?  Wrong!  Then I had to totally clean out the bucket and start rinsing the clothes…and it was so hard to get all of the soap out of the clothes (which I never actually accomplished = /…at least I’ll have fresh smelling clothing = )  And by that point, wringing the clothes out was so hard because my arms were literally at muscle exhaustion.  Then it was time to hang all of the clothes, and 2 ½ hours after beginning, I was finished…with ONE LOAD!  How any mother gets anything else done when she’s washing for a whole family is beyond me!  I just think about how my mom would be doing laundry all day when we were growing up, as she washed our 5 or 6 loads of daily laundry, and that was with a washer AND dryer!  It’s just amazing!

The Last Day of Volleyball

Wow…what a great day with my girls today! = )  It was our last practice…and it started pouring in the middle of it…but they just kept right on playing…even when the boys ran for cover = )  They worked so hard, ran with little complaining, were excited to do our circuit training, only needed gentle prodding and pushing to complete it…haha = ), didn’t get mad at or criticize each other when we were playing, and showed so much improvement in their game!  At the end, I felt like we needed to do something special for our last practice, so we gathered in a circle and shared one thing we learned and our favorite part of the season.  The things they learned were so thoughtful, some remembering all the way back to the very first day when I gave them a lesson on calories in/out, metabolism, etc.  But Nana Yaa said, “I learned that you aren’t mean to people.”  Oh my gosh…it almost melted my heart!  I’m like close to crying right now just writing about it!  And then when we talked about their favorite part, they all said stretching!  Who woulda thought!  So we ended with their favorite stretch, the one where you lie down and cross one leg over the other while keeping both shoulders on the ground and your arms stretched out.  As I lay there serenely, feeling that wonderful stretch with the rain (which had settled down from a torrential downpour to a light misting) falling gently in my face, I thought, “This is a perfect moment.” = )

Most of my volleyball girls = )

We Found Love In a Hopeless Place

When I moved home from college and was learning how to adjust to fit into the dynamics of the family at home, I had a difficult time.  I was a different person and they were all different people; I wasn’t used to living with them and they weren’t used to living with me.  I especially had a hard time getting along with Ayo.  We were so similar that we clashed!  We would often get into these huge arguments, and we’re so stubborn that neither of us would back down.  We’re also both so sensitive that little disagreements could become very emotional and heated.

But it didn’t take long for those similarities to become the binding that tied us so tightly together that we became inseparable.  If I went somewhere without her, someone would always ask where my “other half” was.  Our similarities meant that we loved doing the same things, said the same things at the same time, and loved talking to each other because we had a lot of similar opinions.  We were best friends…and said that we would get married when we found guys who were like the other.

Funny thing…she married my twin (okay…not really…he actually has a real-life twin…but he’s, like, me in male form).  I am so grateful because he’s SO good to her and for her…and she deserves nothing less than exceptional!

She is always thinking about ways to serve and bless others.  I still have these texts on my phone that she sent me every day for a week straight when I was going through a hard time.  Each day it was a new thing that she admired about me, and they were so detailed and thoughtful.  And when I first moved home and was a poor college graduate with no clothes, she graciously allowed her wardrobe to be mine also - and in a house full of girls that’s HUGE! ; )  I remember, once, I needed a shower in Kaneohe because I wanted to play rugby in the morning and attend a baptism at the Stake Center at like 11.  There was no way I’d have time to go home to Kailua in between.  And if you know me and my sports, I would’ve been really bummed if I had to miss rugby.  So Ayo kindly let me intrude on her boyfriend’s home and use his shower.  When I got there, she knew I would be in a rush, so the towel was laid out already, and the shower was stocked with great products.  And then, when I got out, she had made me a portable, DELICIOUS breakfast burrito that I could eat in the car since she knew I’d be hungry after playing all morning.  I was overwhelmed by her kindness and thoughtfulness!

Ayo is BEAUTIFUL!!!!  She always has been, and I was always so honored whenever someone said we looked alike = )  She also has such great style, and taught me how to shop (haha…I don’t know if I should be grateful for that or not ; ) and dress myself.  I’ll often put together an outfit, only to realize that my style inspiration totally came from her = )  For my birthday one year, she helped me get ready for my party by shopping for an outfit with me and curling my hair (which I totally am so bad at, which is unfortunate because I love my hair curled that way), even though it took her a long time and got her all sweaty.  But that’s just Ayo…she’s always willing to help someone else try to be as pretty as her = )

Ayo is HILARIOUS!!!!  It’s funny to me when people think she’s quiet and reserved because SHE IS NOT!  She’s the biggest drama queen around…and her acting chops include great comedic timing - humor! ; )  When you’re with her, you’re gonna have a great time.  She brings so much life and energy and laughter to all that she does (except when she’s stressed about her wedding…haha ; )  I always want Ayo there, whether we’re playing a board game or going to the beach, because she’ll make things so much more fun…chanting “Yahtzee, Yahtzee, Yahtzee” or going along with my crazy beach workouts…haha = )  I’m digressing from the topic of this paragraph, but speaking of going along with my crazy workouts, she’s my reliable Zumba partner, my P90X partner, my running partner…and she even came with me to play ultimate Frisbee even though she hates it.  If there’s a way to my heart, it’s definitely through exercising with me = )

I could go on and on about her incredible qualities and talents - she’s the best singer I know (I used to bribe her to sing for me), so musically talented in other ways…like song-writing and piano playing, the best listener, huge-hearted (I don’t know if that’s a real term…but when describing Ayo it must be), an amazing artist, brilliant, a quick learner, a great healthy cook = ), a perfectionist…in a good way = ), persistent, hard-working…like I said, could go on and on.  But the best thing about Ayo is that when you have her in your corner rooting for you, any happiness, sadness, excitement, disappointment, accomplishment, failure that you have is her own.  She is so selfless in the way she always wants the best for me, even if it’s not the best for her.  She laughs with me, cries with me, and buoys me up.  We’ve had our ups and downs, but now I understand why guys are always best friends after they get in a fight with each other.  It’s been the great times that have bonded us (oh gosh…saying that is reminding me of a certain bathroom-cleaning incident that we got to share together…haha! = ) and the hard times that have sealed that bond, so that nothing could EVER break us apart.  My Ayo-lyn…I LOVE YOU SO MUCH and am SO grateful that God placed us in the same family so that we can be together forever! = )  Happy birthday sister!!!!

My BEAUTIFUL sister = )

The Weekend

Yesterday was really fun = )  The boarders asked me to come (well, told me I had to come…haha = ) for the Sports Festival that they decided to put on when they found out the Sports Program at the neighboring school was cancelled (the school, which is like a really good, highly sought after school is called De Youngster’s Academy…just think that’s funny = )  They did such a great job organizing it, going back and forth between girls’ games and boys’ games (I was very impressed with the time they gave to the girls = )  And the girls actually really got into it, especially when it was the Form 2s and Form 3s playing against each other (that’s the oldest and second-oldest classes).  They seemed to have so much fun, and everyone was watching was really entertained…so it was pretty great = )

Of course they didn’t start when they said they would.  I was told to come between and 11 and 12 because they’d be starting at noon, right after lunch.  Well…when I got there at 11:30ish I was told, rather, that lunch was at noon, and we’d start after.  We eventually ate lunch at 1:45...haha…and started after that, at about 2:30.  I thought Hawaii and Mormon Standard Times were bad…but we got nothin’ on Ghana Standard Time…haha = )  But yeah…those extra hours gave me the chance to practice some plays and drills with the boys…meaning football plays and drills, of course…haha…so that was really fun!  I never really get the chance to just take shots or dribble around.  I even taught them butt traps, which they weren’t really getting, but we all had fun kicking the ball high up in the air and trying to be the first to it = )

When I got home, Nana Yaw, Natasha, Dante, and Iris were over watching General Conference with Chuks and Mandy and Chichi!  I hadn’t even remembered it was this weekend since I was told we watch it really delayed here.  But Chuks had spent 20 cedis to buy enough credits to watch the first session, and then another 20 to watch the second.  I got there right for the closing song of the first session, but I got to watch the second.  I wished I had been more prepared.  I didn’t have the same experience that I do when I’m going into it with questions I want answered and spiritually ready, but it was still great = )  For the second session, Natasha brought up delicious, homemade popcorn that transported me home a little…watching conference while eating popcorn (or anything for that matter…haha = )  I got to talk to Julia later that night (which was WODERFUL!!!!)…and apparently I had missed that Elder Whiting was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy!  So cool!  I guess I shoulda taken notes because I can’t remember anything right now = /…thank goodness I’ll get to watch them again and read them!

Today was an awesome Fast Sunday!  I have such a testimony of the power of fasting!  I haven’t felt the Spirit very strongly for a long time, but today sacrament meeting was so wonderful and the Spirit was so strong, and I believe it had a lot to do with me fasting.  It was also very special because today was Chichi’s blessing (they call it a “naming” here).  She received a beautiful blessing…and looked so beautiful in this glittery, pale pink, poufy dress (that got glitter all over Mandy, Chuks, and me…haha = )  Patriarch and Sister Opare were there, and both shared their testimonies, recounting the miraculous experience they had in regards to Sister Opare’s healing.  And then some youth boys shared such sweet, simple, humble testimonies.  Oh yeah, and there were THREE confirmations today!  A young boy, a young adult woman, and an old man.  They weren’t related in any way…and it was SO neat to see the Gospel taking hold in such different lives - it really is for everyone and God is no respecter of persons.  The young boy was sitting right behind me, and when he came back to his seat he was just glowing! = )

A lady in Relief Society shared a story about when she came to gain a testimony of the divinity and importance of Visiting Teaching.  I didn’t understand all of it, but she said her landlord told her (she’s a single mother…I don’t know what happened to her husband…but divorce here is VERY rare) that she had two weeks to get out.  She had been longtime friends with him, so didn’t really believe him (the culture here is one of a lot of empty threats).  The next week he told her she had one week, and if she wasn’t out she’d see the bad side of him.  She was so hurt and lost and at her wits’ end…and she just sat down and cried with her children.  She decided that they’d all be better off if she just poisoned herself and them.  It was then that her visiting teacher stopped in…and ended up finding a place for her to stay while she got back on her feet.  The Bishop also intervened, allowing her family to stay with his family for awhile and assisting her in finding work.  Wow!  Talk about people living the way Christ wants us to!  That’s really what the Gospel is all about, isn’t it?

Tonight we got to watch Conference again = )  Like yesterday, there were a lot of technical difficulties, and I thought about how much more spotty it is when watching it over the internet (at least when it’s not a good connection) than on TV.  Then I wondered how often my sweet Obachan silently deals with these same kinds of problems when she watches General Conference in Japanese over the internet.  Of course, if she does have problems when watching, I’d never know because she never wants to trouble us.  Mom…please tell her how much I love and miss her!  I especially loved Elder Anderson’s talk, where he kept asking us to ask ourselves, not “Do other people know that I’m a Christian?” but “What does Jesus think of me?”  That’s something I want to do so much better at - caring about what Christ thinks of me more than what others think of me.

Talk About Modern-Day Conveniences

My boots (soccer cleats) are spoiled (the sole is coming off from the top along the outsides of both, where it’s like my foot is totally popping out).  I was worried because they got a lot worse yesterday, when we were training for our match.  I didn’t think they’d be usable today.  Terry was like, “Kay, well, we’re just gonna have to sew it.”  I was like, “Okay,” but then afterwards, as I thought about it, realized that I don’t know how to sew a shoe, and don’t have any sewing materials even if I did know how.  I was asking some of the girls who I train if they have sewing materials that I could use to sew up my shoe, and Grace was like, “We do, but our needles are for sewing material, not for sewing shoes,” looking at me like I had just asked for a trip to the moon…haha = )  Sometimes I feel so dumb.  But yeah…then she told me that I just needed to find one of the guys who walks around hitting the wooden box.  I’ve never seen one of these guys before, so I was curious about what they do.  She said, “They’ll repair your shoes.”  So they just have cobblers who’ll fix your shoes on the spot for a couple of cedi!

It’s amazing what services and goods come right to you!  In the office, we’ve had people come in selling clothes (they know the sizes of the ladies who work there, and bring them clothes that they think they’ll like in the right sizes!), jewelry, bags, shoes.  People walk around selling all kinds of food…my favorite, of course, being the ice cream man = )  Wait…have I told you about these guys?  They have these carts that have a compartment for ice cream (I don’t know how it stays frozen in the scorching sun with no electricity!) in front, and then a glass box for like egg roll things and meat pies and pastry things and other hot foods on top (I know how these things stay warm…haha…but it’s still a wonder that they don’t spoil).  And they squeeze these little beepy horn things as they walk by…which kills me when I hear it from my room…haha = )  It’s like ignoring the ice-cream-man-song multiple times a day = )

Disappointment

The boarders’ program for this Saturday (2 days away) was just cancelled today = (  The girls were so down about it at practice today (I was so proud of them for still wanting to practice, though, even though we were originally practicing and learning to play against the host school)…but the worst part was how well they took the news.  When Ampadu (the guy who’s been coaching the boys’ football team) told me, and saw how sad I was, he tried to console me by saying, “It’s okay.  They’re used to it.”  And by the girls’ reactions, I could tell this was true.  It was as if they were expecting it = (  But when they saw how sad I was for them, they started to open up about how disappointed they really were.  It’s just that they never get to leave…and so this was so exciting for them.  They were gonna get to spend the day outside of the gates with other kids their age.  They had also put so much hard work and time into preparing for it!

But I guess there was a lot of good that came out of it, too.  The kids developed some “school spirit and personal pride” = )  The girls started exercising and being successful at a sport, which they loved!  And I got to get closer to the JHS girls that I coached.  One even came and confided in me after practice.  I felt so honored.  I’m just so proud of those girls, I can’t even put it into words.  They’ve come so far, and it hasn’t been easy.  There’ve been a lot of setbacks and difficulties and frustrations…but the girls have become increasingly persevering and determined.  It’s been such a neat transformation, and such a blessing to watch and be a part of = )

My First Bucket Shower

We ran out of water tonight (I feel so bad…I did a load of laundry last night…so it’s my fault = /)…but, luckily, I got to use a bucket to bathe, instead of baby wipes = )  And it was actually really quite fun = )

When I first got into the shower and was standing next to the bucket of water, I had no idea where to begin.  My main concerns were keeping the water clean and not running out (because if that happened, I’d be stuck).  So I took a clean sock (I don’t have a washcloth) and started dipping it in the bucket and squeezing the water over me.  The sock washcloth worked really well for cleaning and rinsing my body.  But then it was time to wash my hair, which I thought was going to be the trickiest part.  I just ended up bending over and dunking my whole head in the bucket.  It worked quite well, except for the getting water up my nose part…haha…but it just made it feel like I was swimming = )  Rinsing the shampoo out was difficult because there wasn’t really room for both my head and hands in the bucket, but I managed = )  And by the end, I was so impressed with how little water I had used!  It was only like six inches of the water gone!  So now I had an almost full bucket with all of this soapy water, which I just had to pour down the drain (I couldn’t think of how else to use it…although later I realized I shoulda put it in my toilet tank…shucks), but if any of you are looking at ways to conserve water, might I recommend bucket showers = )

How Trusting Is Too Trusting?

I’m pretty ticked off right now.  Sorry…I need to vent.  If you don’t want a downer, go ahead and just bypass this entry.  There’s a guy who lives right by the school, and we first met when I was looking for the money that I dropped out of my pocket that one time when I was running.  He was really caring and really helpful…and after that, he started coming over and chatting every time he was around when I was walking by.  So I gave him my number when he asked (I have a hard time saying no to anyone…especially someone who’s been really nice and who I know I’ll see all the time).

A couple of weeks ago, he texted that his uncle didn’t believe that he had a white friend, so he wanted me to go with him to the internet café so that he could prove he wasn’t lying.  I’ve been busy, but finally…today, on my way home from work, he stopped and asked if I could go right then.  I knew that every other afternoon this week I’d be leaving school late because we’re picking up volleyball practice again tomorrow, and I had nothing to rush home to tonight…so I figured I’d just get this over with and go (he’s been calling and texting a lot about it…so I wanted to do it sooner than later).

We walked to an internet café, and everything was fine.  Once we got there, we had to wait for awhile because the open computers weren’t working, and then the power went out (I was getting worried as it got later and darker), but eventually we got on and got connected.  Oh yeah…while we were waiting, I got the full story that his uncle is Muslim and moved to Saudi Arabia for work, and I’d be meeting his uncle’s friend who was the one that didn’t believe me.  Well…we got on, and were like chatting (typing) with video, but there was no sound.  I don’t know how I could be so stupid!  He kept telling me what to write…but I was glad because the whole thing was awkward…and I really didn’t know what to say.  I thought it was strange that he wanted to type as if it was him talking…but again…it didn’t register what was going on.  Some of the comments the guy made were strange…but I chalked it up to language barriers.  It wasn’t until I was getting off, and the guy I was with started typing, “Please help me…sms me later…byeeeeeeeeee” over and over again that I started to realize something was fishy.  And it wasn’t until the walk home that everything finally made sense.

He didn’t know this guy.  The whole story about his Muslim uncle’s a lie.  He was me!  Or I was him!  And he wants the Saudi Arabian guy to give him money or something…who knows what…and had me pose as the person the Saudi Arabian guy has been texting!  I’m so frustrated right now!  It doesn’t help that I had to walk home after it was completely dark, so was kinda freaked out, and, of course, had a creepy guy stop his bike right in front of me and didn’t want me to pass until I gave him a hug (I didn’t…in the mood I was in I had no trouble saying no).

On a lighter note = )…the guy we were sitting next to in the café said, “Moshi moshi” to me…so cute!  I was like, “I actually am Japanese (since everyone else seems to think I‘m Chinese)!  How do you know moshi moshi?”  He was like, “I studied in China for a little bit.  Do you remember me?  I saw you when you were running.”  I couldn’t remember who he was at first, but I think he’s a guy that was in a car and yelled something in Chinese out the window.  Because traffic was so bad, he slowed down to my pace, and I guess I must’ve said that I wasn’t Chinese, I was Japanese.  Anyways…it was awkward because we passed a couple of times after that since traffic was so backed up…haha…but how random that I’m seated right next to him at the café!

A Little Bit o’ This, A Little Bit o’ That

We haven’t had internet for the past week and a bit.  I don’t know how long it’ll be down, but I know it’ll be a while, so I decided to just write down thoughts I have during this time so that I don’t overwhelm you with a million entries once I can get on.  So here they are = )

• “Aunty Jackie.  My teacha told me to go see Aunty Daclyn.  Whea is she?”  This cracked me up! = )
• Natasha has given me some fantastic readings on how to improve my teaching practice (she’s been doing tons of research so that she can help train the teachers here).  One article that she gave me had a part in it that I loved!…and that I think would be useful to any parent, teacher, future parent out there.  

The work of a child is to play - not “play” in the frivolous sense - but to collect, manipulate, practice, and experiment with the stuff of life.  Most often, their play is based on imitation.  The Montessori approach capitalizes on this innate need magnificently.  First, the lesson is modeled, usually silently and very precisely, for the child, who is then invited to try it - as often as they wish.  If the lesson is not understood, the teacher simply presents it again, usually silently, as often as needed.  Direct correction is minimal or non-existent.  The child “plays” (experiments, practices) with the lesson until mastered.  Pay is the natural inclination of a healthy child and a highly effective learning and teaching tool. 

Our job is not to chisel too early, but to feed, nurture, encourage, and build up the child.  If he tries to stretch himself, but is then made to feel that his experiments have failed to produce a good product, future attempts at anything “risky” at all will not be much less likely to occur.  He will “play it safe” in order to avoid being “wrong.”  Aptitude will shrivel.

• “Aunty Jackie, we want wotah.”

“Okay, so go get water.”  

“But we don’t have any money to buy.”

Boy, did I feel guilty running those girls so hard when they weren’t gonna be able to get water until I don’t know when.  The things we take for granted!  Another reason why exercise isn’t as common here, I bet = (

• The subjects they study in school are so interesting!  Every school and every child takes the same classes (no electives = /) because they take country-wide exams at the end of Junior & Senior High School.  The subjects they’re tested on are English Language, Social Studies, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Basic Design and Technology (includes pre-technical skills/building skills, sewing, catering/cooking, and visual arts), Religious and Moral Education, Ghanaian Language and Culture, French,  and Information and Communication Technology.  
• Amanda likes me! = )  I’ve been walking 3 girls to school everyday…Grace (Aunty Belinda‘s daughter - one of the ladies who lives downstairs and cooks the school’s food), Naa Adoley, and Amanda (Aunty Vero’s daughters - another one of the women who lives downstairs and cooks for the school).  Everyday I try to hold 3-year-old Amanda’s hand, and some days she’ll let me at the beginning, but about a minute into our walk she’ll shake her hand free and grab her sister’s hand.  And if I try to talk to her, she just stares at me.  Today…I don’t know what came over her!…but she talked to me = )  I didn’t even realize she was talking to me at first, since it’s never happened before…haha…but when I leaned in close, I realized she was asking me my name.  Then, SHE GRABBED MY HAND!…of her own free will!…and let me hold her hand ALL the way to school! = )  That was a triumphant moment for me = )
• We haven’t been able to play volleyball this week because it’s the week of exams.  Well, first I have to say, the girls actually came to and said that we’d better not practice because they would need the time to study - really?!  Talk about self-discipline (and they really wanted to!)!  But yeah…exam week is so intense here!  Each student is tested on every subject, beginning in nursery!  Exams last for five full days, and then the teachers mark for three days (and the kids just do….I don’t know what…because they’re still in school those days).  The last day of school, results are announced.  And by results, I mean that each child is ranked based on how they did on the exams, and those rankings are shared publicly.  They’re even posted out front of the office for the oldest children.  
• Natasha and I were talking, yesterday, about how neat it is that people here dress so modestly.  It seems like a lot of the values that used to be normal in America 50 years ago are still the norm here.  I wasn’t in school 50 years ago, but it sounds like education is also still very much like it used to be in America. 
• It’s so fun being at the place that I am with my relationships here!  Yesterday, when I came home, Julius, Amanda, Princess, and Obaya came running at me with hugs = )  This was especially wonderful because I was in a lot of pain, and bummed that we didn’t get to play football…even though volleyball with the teachers was fun, too.  I don’t recommend playing volleyball for 2 hours with a football, unless you’re prepared to have bruised & swollen forearms.  And today, when I got to the school (I promised the girls I’d come help them practice volleyball…even though I knew I‘d be putting my arms in even worse shape = /), the girls came running out of their dorm rooms cheering and yelling, “Aunty Jackie’s here!  We’ve been waiting for you for hours!”  It was so unexpected (not only are most of the girls pretty reserved, but I still wasn’t sure, until today, whether they even liked me)!
• At church today, they were announcing that Stake Conference will be held at the Accra Conference Center (it will be 4 stakes meeting together).  The last part of the announcement was, “Parents will be expected to provide water for their children.”  Isn’t that crazy that that has to be addressed.  In a place where there are no water fountains (at church, the Bishop’s office has water sachets for the members), something so seemingly becomes a little more complex.  The things we take for granted…
• The people here are BEAUTIFUL!!!!  Now…I know from what I’ve written, you already know how beautiful their insides are…but I am repeatedly struck by how gorgeous the people here are!  For one thing…their bodies are amazing!  The guys don’t have to lift weights or work out, and they have cut arms, six packs, etc.  But the girls…it’s amazing!  They have these tiny waists and thin legs…and still have huge booties and, uh, aren’t flat-chested.  Like seriously, their bodies are just naturally like super-human…what we in America would die for!  Even heavier women still have these beautiful shapes.  And then there’s their skin.  I’ve never seen such flawless skin in real life!  It’s as if it’s air-brushed or photo-shopped or something…no pores or wrinkles or anything (granted the OLD people have wrinkles…but everyone looks so young for their age because the aging process doesn’t seem to hit them until way later).  Many of the girls, and some of the women, have super short hair, like almost shaved (some schools require that their hair be kept this way), and still they look so feminine and gorgeous.  And when the women are wearing their African wear, a lot of times they have their heads wrapped in cloth, so all you see is their face.  Now, I don’t know if you’ve noticed how much of an effect hair has on making a person “beautiful,” but it takes an extremely beautiful face to be able to look good without hair.
• Anytime you’re driving and have a screaming child in the car, be grateful.  During my traveling over Easter Weekend, I was so impressed by the children (and mothers) who were cramped in the trotros (usually the children didn’t even have their own seats) and not complaining.  I couldn’t believe how well-behaved the little kids and babies generally were, and I felt so bad for them and their moms on the rare occasion when they were unhappy.  One woman was traveling with 2 little kids and a baby, as well as some baskets and such, on a couple hour long ride, and I was just amazed!  To think we complain about trying to buckle a child in a car seat.
• My favorite thought from church today came from our Relief Society lesson.  We were going over Sister Thompson’s talk from General Conference, titled “Personal Revelation and Testimony.”  She tells a story about a German sister, Hedwig Biereichel, who suffered much during World War II.  Even with her own great needs, she shared the little food she had with starving prisoners of war.  When asked how she was able to “keep a testimony during all [those] trials,” she replied in effect, “I didn’t keep a testimony through those times - the testimony kept me.”  

I feel the same way!  It has been during my hardest times and my lowest lows that I’ve wondered how anyone survives difficulties without relying on the strength, comfort, and companionship of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The very next sentence in the article, however, reminds us that, “Because we have a strong testimony doesn’t mean it will always remain that way.  We must nourish and strengthen it in order that it will have sufficient power to sustain us.”  This was such a good reminder to me, as I’ve become kind of spiritually complacent recently.  

So how do we strengthen our testimonies?  Through personal revelation (thus the title of her talk).  And she gives the criteria that we need to follow in order to receive personal revelation.

• Desire to receive it
• Don’t harden you heart
• Ask in faith, truly believing that we will receive an answer
• Diligently keep the commandments