Banda!

Time is flying here in Africa!  I can’t believe we only have 3 more
weeks here!  The town we are currently in has definitely been my
favorite so far.  We are pretty busy, but I now understand the
ministry and culture better…I also got to hold a baby goat!!  A dream
of mine since arriving in Ghana!  We are still going into the
elementary schools for half the day, and I have loved teaching second
grade.  We worship and share a story from the Bible before going into
the classrooms, as we did before.  Lately I have been telling the
story about Jesus walking on water, while my team members act it out.
It is really refreshing to see the simplicity of the children’s faith
and the joy a short story or a few songs brings them.

We have also started to become more accustomed to the local songs and
dancing.  During our worship times with the people of the community,
we are dancing and clapping with them.  It is so fun!  One time we
travelled out to a remote village and worshipped with them.  They
would take turns, about two at a time, coming into the middle of the
circle and dancing while everyone clapped around them.  They laughed
when we all took our turns, because of course we looked ridiculous!
That remote community though, was probably my favorite time so far.
We took this flatbed truck about an hour out into the bush called a
“bone shaker”…the name is very appropriate, let me tell you.  We were
all laughing the entire ride, and seeing how the people lived in that
community was so eye opening.  It was there that I really started
seeing how Africa will change my life in so many ways.

Something that I have found myself being drawn to more and more is the
mental health system here.  Every so often we come across a man or
woman that is clearly mentally ill, just as we do sometimes in the
United States.  I asked one of our missionary hosts one day what the
care for mental health is like in Ghana.  There are no private mental
health practices here, just government run hospitals that family
members must check someone into.  There are only a few, in the bigger
cities, and they are obviously very expensive.  It struck me how
incredibly lucky we are to have that “in-between” mental health care
in the U.S.  The ability to have social workers in our schools,
counselors to go to, and that you aren’t just put in a hospital.  The
next location we go to there is a mental health hospital that another
girl studying psychology and I are trying to visit.

Thank you for all your prayers!  This next week is probably our
busiest so prayers for strength, especially now that we are all
missing home, are much appreciated!

Al