TIA

TIA

This Is Africa

I think for the most part I have adjusted quite well. I'm doing better than I expected. Jordan, on the other hand makes me look bad! He eats all the food and loves it (or at least says he does), he can speak Twi better than I can, he can make cool noises with his mouth and everyone loves it...he puts me to shame! HAHA!

I'm trying to learn Twi, but it is a difficult language! I have already picked up on a few things and can understand some. Hopefully within this next year I will learn plenty more! I have a number of people who are willing to be my teacher...but finding the time is the problem!

So, I just wanted to give you some TIA experiences:

• RICE, RICE, RICE...we eat a lot of rice. TIA
• We have been without water for a little over a week. I am perfecting my bucket bathing! TIA
• Lights out can occur at any time...and the kids LOVE it! TIA
• Lights out can occur at any time...so SAVE your work on the computer every 2 minutes! TIA
• The Tro-Tro has ripped or should I say spoiled 3 of my dresses so far. TIA
• The school has adopted a new curriculum but we have yet to receive our books and the resources we need. TIA
• FACEBOOK is blocked!!! TIA
• I have 31 students in my class. The Head of Primary told me that if I still had 31 students on the 14th of September, they would make another year 3 class. I am still waiting...patiently.
• I now say WATA instead of water and NOT AT TALL instead of not at all. TIA

These are just a few and I'm sure there will be more along the way! Enjoy. Laugh if you want!

Blessings.                                                                                        

A Case of the Lies and FORGIVENESS

 Teaching is a blessing. But it is not always easy, and this past week has proven to be a very difficult one for a number of reasons.

I am still learning about my students, what their likes and dislikes are, what they are good at and where the struggle. It is my job as a teacher to meet the student where he/she is and help them to succeed. I told my students that I want every single one of them to be successful in my classroom and that we will work together as a team to make that happen. Unfortunately this week we were set back with a particular incident.

I brought some things from the US to have in my classroom here. Things for my treasure box, and then also other learning manipulatives and teaching supplies. I have my treasure box put away, but for the learning manipulatives and teaching supplies, I have them in a wall hanging organizer in the classroom. My students know that I brought those from the US and that it is all for me and for them. To help me teach better and to help them learn better. We had this conversation a few times...I wanted to make it very clear.

I have one student whose mother is Ghanaian and his father is from Denmark. They are living here in Kumasi and all 9 or some outrageous number of children attend ICS. Well, last Tuesday, we were finishing Literacy and it was getting close to snack time and the students were moving about, getting their snacks and drinks ready and this boy (I will call him Kwame for the sake of the story) was rustling about his backpack. He pulled out a sticker that said "I did my BEST!" WOW, I looked at it and it looked exactly like the ones that I brought from the US. So, I questioned Kwame and asked him where he got it and he told me that someone was selling it outside of the Preschool. Hmm...that is ironic isn't it??? So, I went over to the wall hanging organizer that has my supplies in it and looked through the stickers and I couldn't find the pack of stickers that said "I did my BEST!" So, l gave good old little Kwame a second chance to come clean. I asked him if he took the stickers from Ms. Johnson's organizer? He said NO, I bought them at the preschool. I asked him how much he bought them for and he hesitated with an answer. He said 30 pesewas. I said ok and let him go have his snack break. I honestly was a little frustrated, but with all the stress of school, I quickly forgot about it...until...Friday.

I was eating lunch with the teachers and some of my girls ran into the room yelling MS. JOHNSON, MS. JOHNSON, MS. JOHNSON!! I had no idea what they were going to tell me. I just looked at them and they began to say that 3 out of our 5 class puzzles are missing!! OH BOY WAS MS. JOHNSON NOT SOOO HAPPY! I didn't finish my lunch, I just got up and walked back to the classroom. Sure enough, more things were missing out of my wall hanging organizer. I started questioning some of the students, they were giving me names of people. I called those 2 people in and everyone else left, I searched their bags they had nothing. I asked them if they knew anything about the missing puzzles...and guess whose name came up in the conversation?? Yep. Sure enough. Kwame.

I told my assistant, Ms. Apam about what was going on and so she started helping me. I called for Kwame and he came into the classroom with me and Ms. Apam. I asked him again about the stickers and he still had the same story, I asked him about the puzzles and he said he had no idea. He was uncomfortable and dying to get out of the room. I asked him over and over again if he was telling me the truth and every time he told me yes Ms. Johnson, I am telling the truth. I couldn't do anything. I had no evidence that he had the puzzles. So, I told him that I was going to leave him in the room with Ms. Apam and he can talk to her and I will leave. About 10 minutes later Kwame walked out of the room and didn't say anything to me. I asked Ms. Apam what had happened and sure enough, he had taken the stickers and the puzzles. He was under strict orders to bring them back to school on Monday. So, I let Kwame be the rest of the day on Friday. When school was over and I was giving my students the 3 H's (hug, handshake or high five) Kwame came to have his, and I asked him what H he wanted, and he told me he didn't want one. And I said, oh, but why, Kwame? He didn't answer. So I just told him to wait in the room and I would be with him in a minute. I finished giving the 3 H's to all the students and went back into my room. I sat and talked with Kwame. I told him that I knew he had my stickers and puzzles. He started crying. It's a tough lesson to learn, and everyone has had to learn it in some form or fashion. It's better to tell the truth than to lie about it. KwameKwame opened his backpack and pulled out about half of the stickers. He said, "Ms. Johnson, I am sorry and I will never do it again. I already used some of the stickers, but these are the ones I have left." I gave him a hug and said thank you, I forgive you, and be sure to bring me the puzzles on Monday. Kwame left with tears in his eyes, but, the important thing was, he knew I still cared about him, forgave him, and he learned his lesson. 

I love Kwame, regardless of the lies that he told me. I'm not perfect, nor is Kwame, nor are you. We all struggle, we all mess up, we all fall short day in and day out. We should not forget to give thanks to the ONE who forgives us and loves us just the same.

"There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love." Bryant H. McGill

God Bless

 

The Village of Hope

I still have 31 students in my class. There is talk about them making another year 3 class. But talk is just talk. I won't believe it until I actually see it...especially here in Ghana. They say it, but it could be months before it ever happens. So, I am making the best of what it is now. 31 sweet seven year olds who LOVE talking! I guess I am getting paid back for all the talking that I did when I was in school. I love my students, some days are difficult, some days are easy, some days they make me proud, some days I get disappointed...but that is what being a teacher is about. At the end of the day, when it's all said and done, they are my students, I love every single one of them and they have all been a blessing to my life.

Now, when I got word that the 10th of September was going to be a holiday, I was more than ecstatic!!!!!! Teachers need a break just as much as the kids do right???

It was a Muslim holiday, and nationally recognized by Ghana. No problem, I will gladly support the Muslim holiday so that we may have a day off of school!! 

So, with our day off, Jordan and I decided that it would be best to go and visit the Village of Hope. For those of you who don't know, the Village of Hope is an orphanage and the main reason that I fell in love with Ghana. The children at the village have BIG pieces of my heart, I have very good friends there and the parents are absolutely wonderful. It was the place that I came in 2007, in 2009, and was eagerly waiting for when I could come in 2010. The Muslim holiday would be a perfect time to go!!

Jordan and I, along with our friend Eric got on a bus at 9am on Friday morning heading for Accra. It was about a 5 hour bus ride. We were stopped for a while because some Muslims in a town that we passed along the way were having quite a celebration in the road! Needless to say, we had to detour and find a way around them. Once we got to Accra, we took 2 more tro-tros and finally one taxi to the Village of Hope. I told one person we were coming and that was all! So when our taxi turned in and started driving down the hill, the kids were doing double takes. Before I knew it, we had about 15 children chasing or taxi down the hill and finally to our stop in front of the guest house. The children pulled Jordan and I out of the car. Very surprised by us! They couldn't believe we were there. Many, many, many, many, many hugs were given and every time I go to the Village, I am reminded of why I love Ghana, and why God put this passion in my heart, and why I love and care about children so much.

Thank you, God, for teaching me every day, I learn more and more what it means to love you and follow you.

Spending the weekend at the Village was awesome, Ruben cooked way too good of food for us, we had our first warm shower, and I got to be with my friends and the children that I love so much.

They are all getting bigger, it is crazy how just one year goes by and they become taller than you, they have lost their teeth, some even have the awkward, too big for your mouth kind of teeth! I love it and I love getting to see them grow and become the young men and women God created them to be.

The weekend went by too fast, but one of the best things that I could say was "I'll be back in a month to visit again!" Isn't that better than waiting a whole year to visit again??? I'm happy that I am so much closer to them and I can go and visit more frequently.

Bismark walked me to the taxi when we were leaving on Sunday after church and asked if he could come to Kumasi with me. I wish I could take him, he is my boy, but I know the village is a good place for him as well as everyone else who lives there.

We got in the taxi, took just one tro-tro and then boarded the bus and came back to Kumasi. It was a rejuvenating weekend, much needed, a blessing in so many ways.

I am thankful to God for giving me a family in Ghana.

Now, it's back to the job, and I can't forget why God brought me here to Kumasi...

I hope you are all doing well. I miss you all so much, think and pray for you often.

Blessings and love to you all from Ghana, Africa

Ghanian Wedding

Let me be the first to say that I am terribly sorry for the delay in blogging! Who would have known it would be so hard to find the time to blog?? 

Well, as you can imagine, a lot has happened since my last post. I'm adjusting more and more every day and that feels great. 

Last year, Emily, Jordan and I were invited to a wedding but unfortunately time was not on our side and were were not able to attend. So, when Jordan and I got invited to a wedding, I was more than excited! I wanted to see what Ghanaian weddings are like. 

What was even better was the couple getting married were some of our friends that we had met last year when we came to Ghana. Seth and Akua are great for each other and it was nice to celebrate their special day with them.

Now, their wedding was not all that different from American weddings. It was just looooooong. And any of you that know Ghanaian culture at all would not be surprised by this! They run on a different kind of time :)

Akua looked beautiful in her wedding gown which was made by Joyce her sister-in-law. And Joyce is the one who made all of my Ghanaian clothing and purses that I brought back to the US. She is extremely talented. I am in the process of getting more dresses made as well as curtains for my room. But that is just a side note.

The wedding was done in Twi, the local language here, and Jordan and I opted out of having a translator. Not because we didn't want to know what was going on, but sometimes it just draws attention to us, and for the translators sake...we wanted him to enjoy the wedding as well.

The only major differences were, the sermon was very long, and the bridal party sits down most of the time instead of standing up, and other than that, it was very comparable.

After the wedding we went to Elder Opong's house (the father of Akua) for the reception. WOW, was this something fancy or what! They had tables and chairs set up all over their compound, decorated very nice, a special table for the wedding party, the cake was beautiful and the number of people was plenty! Again, not so different than wedding receptions in America. We had a nice time, and enjoyed our first experience with a Ghanaian wedding. Next on the list...funeral. Not to be morbid or anything....

Speaking of which, I asked my assistant what people in Kumasi like to do for fun on the weekends, and one of her answers was "going to funeral." So...that is something I have yet to do, but once I do, don't worry, I will tell you all about it!

And Then School Started...

Finding time for myself has been near to impossible. I decided this morning that quiet time is a MUST, and so, this very morning was my first time to wake up about 45 minutes earlier than normal. And, I can't even find words to describe how I have felt today. I have had more energy, motivation, patience, and just an all around brighter day. Don't get me wrong, my time in Ghana has always been bright, but today, I just had a different kind of brightness that is hard to explain. I spend all day talking, teaching, listening to children, working on lesson plans, grading papers that sometimes it's difficult to find time for myself and really sit and listen to what God has to say, or to simply be still and know he is God. Today, I did just that and it completely altered my day. I think God was trying to tell me something...what do you think?? This is going to be a part of my daily routine now, and I ask for your help and accountability.

Well, I know most of you are eager to know about my class and teaching experiences. It has been quite a week and today was the first day of the second week of school. I had 5 new students come today which made my total up to 29 seven year olds in one class. Pray for me! HAHA.  I am still waiting on 3 students to arrive. It's been challenging playing catch up with the 5 who missed last week and yet still be able to carry on with our normal routine and schedule. I'm getting to know my students more and more every day and finding a love for them that I honestly didn't even know I had. They bring smiles to my face all the time. Every day before they leave school, I have them do what I call the 3 H's. I told them that before they leave the classroom, I will give them a Handshake, Hug or High five, in which they can choose what H they want to have. Most of them tell me that they want all 3! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this, it is my favorite part about my day, and the reason that I love being a teacher. The most important thing that I want my students to know is not all the times tables or the life cycles of animals and insects, I want them to know that I LOVE them, I BELIEVE in them, I CARE about them, and I am INVESTED in them. That is what is important.

I have been busy, busy, busy, busy....can I say busy again... I'm doing all of my teacherly duties, and then I just recently found out about new duties that I have. Since the teacher apartments are apart of the boarding house, we has boarding house duties as well. I wont bore you all with the list of my duties, but there sure are a lot of them. I was even approached by an administrator who asked me if I wanted to start a school newspaper for ICS. Oh dear...does he know who he is taking to? Me? A school newspaper?? Well...anyways, I said sure! Wish me luck on that one! 

Jordan and I are learning our way around Kumasi more and more. We have been traveling from place to place by ourselves!!! It's good for us to be able to do that, but I know that if we had any problems that there would be friends to call who would help us right away. 

Did I mention that the KING of the Ashanti Region's granddaughter is in my class. No big deal...no pressure or anything right?? Google him...I'm sure you can find out all kinds of information. He is the King of the Ashanti people and the Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti Region.

And, one last story. It was just this past Friday, we had just finished our first week of school and let me tell you, I was exhausted...actually, more than exhausted. I felt like collapsing in my bed and sleeping until it was time to wake up for church on Sunday. I will even admit, I wasn't in the best of moods. We went to dinner and I was standing in line and I saw people ahead of me getting french fries! So...that lifted my spirits a little bit. I was going through the line, I got a little rice and then I got french fries and then a women was about to scoop some kind of red sauce onto my fries and rice. Before she did that I asked her what it was and she said tomato sauce, so I said ok and she put it all over. I got back to my seat and the only thing I could taste was FISH. And, for those of you who know me....I DO NOT like fish at all. So, as kindly as I could, I ate around it, didn't say much, but in all honesty I was frustrated that I couldn't enjoy my french fries! I know, you are probably thinking stupid American who is living in Africa...be happy with what you get. I'm thinking that too! But, it was all relative. So, anyways, I just put on a happy face and finished my dinner. On Friday evenings after dinner they have a time for praise, prayers and a short sermon, they call it SU. Once everyone finished dinner, we all went down to the auditorium for SU

Blessings and Love to you all

New Experiences

Just as I predicted, so much has happened since I last wrote that I don't even know where to begin! 

God teaches me something new every single day, and every day I am reminded why I am here and why I love Ghana. I'm so thankful that God uses people and things to speak to us.

Jordan and I moved into our new apartments on Friday. Jordan...who brought only one bag lives on the first floor, and me...who brought 4 bags and then some lives on the fourth floor. The only thing I can say is THANK GOD for Ghanaian men who carried and I might add, on their heads, my four 50 pound suitcases up 4 floors and into my room! WOW! I was impressed. I am still getting settled into my apartment. Slowly but surely it is coming along. My roommate's name is Georgina and she is the French teacher for the primary school. She has been welcoming and making my transition much easier! I will be posting pictures of my apartment once it all comes together...so be looking out for those!

We had a great weekend. Spent a lot of time with friends from the Bomso Church of Christ. Jordan and I really enjoy getting to see them. They take good care of us, take us around town and are ALWAYS so willing to help us out when we needed it. The weekend went by toooooo fast and before I knew it, it was Sunday evening...the night before the first day of school! Oh goodness, I was just like a little kid before their first day of school. I was nervous one minute and excited the next minute. Needless to say, I didn't get very much sleep on Sunday night. I woke up on Monday and had the BIGGEST butterflies in my stomach. I kept questioning what I was doing, how did it happen, what I was going to do! God...Am I REALLY over in Africa?? Am I really about to teach 7 year olds for at least the next year?? Wait....are you sure?? I had all these thoughts going through my mind, I couldn't even think clearly. Before I left my apartment, I pulled out a journal that had been given to me at our going away party. In this journal, so many dear people wrote blessings and words of encouragement. I read through many of them and had a sense of peace that came over me. This is just one way that God uses people to speak to us. At that moment, I remembered why I was here, I remembered why God put this passion in my heart, I remembered why I am pursuing this passion, it brought light to me and it felt so good! 

So....my first day of teaching in Africa was a success. I have 32...yes, 32 students enrolled in my class. 12 were absent on the first day. If I end up having more than 25 students, they will spilt the 2 year 3 classes and have 3 year 3 classes. That sounds a bit confusing. The point is, if I have more than 25 students then there is a possibility of them making another class which would cut my students down some. I'll let you know what happens! 

We spent the first day getting to know each other and asking questions. They are so interested in me and where I come from and they are full of questions! I love that they are so eager to learn and know more and more about life. 

So....my immaturity might be showing a little bit in this next story. So, I was very thrown off when on the first day, one of my students came to me and asked if he could "wee wee". I said, "I'm sorry, can you do what?" He whispered again to me, "May I go wee wee?" OHHHHHHH, yes...wee wee...sure, you can go! Don't worry everyone, I have had several ask me if they can go poo poo too! I'm sure I will get use to it, but I'm not going to lie...it did throw me for a loop at first! I will write more about my class, my students, my teaching experiences and life here in Ghana as it comes. I'm so excited about this year, I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me, for my class and for all of us at ICS!

I encourage all of you to find the different ways that God speaks to you and THANK Him for that! God is good all the time and all the time God is good. AMEN!

Blessings and love

A Little Catch Up

Well, since I last wrote, so much has happened and it has only been a few days! I have a feeling that this is how this whole experience will be...and I'm ready for it!

We traveled by bus from Accra to Kumasi on Thursday.  We left Accra around noon and did not get into Kumasi until about 9 in the evening. No, it does not usually take 9 hours to travel from Accra to Kumasi. Normally, it will take around 4 to 5. The traffic and the actual "roads" are what slowed us down. SOOO, moral of the story: someone, please remind me never to complain about traffic in the US again!! When we finally arrived in Kumasi on Thursday evening, I thought that I would be going to the school so that I could move into the apartment. But, there were other plans in store. The apartment was not yet ready, and the staff was not yet back to the school, so I was told that I would be staying with a family whose children attend ICS. I was picked up by the father and brought to a what I thought was a BIG house. But, it was not his house, it was a hotel. I was confused. He told me that he has some other guests in his house now, and that it would be best if I stayed in the hotel. So, here I am, living in yet another hotel in Ghana! Never thought that would happen. It is very nice, comfortable, safe, and has free wireless internet!! I'll be staying here until Wednesday or Thursday of this week and then I can move into my apartment at my school. OH, speaking of my school...

I visited ICS(International Community School) today!!!!!!!!!! (That's the new school that I will be teaching and living at). Anyways, this morning, Jordan and I were eating breakfast and one of the receptionists came into the dinning hall and said that there were 2 men here for me. I wasn't expecting anyone, Jordan wasn't expecting anyone...hmm, who could it be? Well, we went to meet them, and found out that they were sent by Dr. Yeboah(the head of ICS) to come and pick us up and take us to the school to have a tour and to familiarize ourselves with our new home! So, Jordan and I went. It was about a 15 minutes drive from our hotel to the school, it is just right outside of Kumasi. You get the feeling of seclusion and quietness, but yet it is only a few minutes drive to get back into the city. I felt so excited when we turned into the schools premises. It is a pretty big place and very nice. I was able to see a few of the primary school classrooms, the boarding house for the students as well as the teacher's apartments. We passed by the secondary school classrooms, science labs, art rooms, libraries, dinning hall, soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts. It was all so nice and it was an even better feeling to finally be able to see what I have been working towards for the last 9 months! We will be going back to the school tomorrow for staff meetings. I'm really, really excited about my new job, new home, new experiences, new opportunities and learning from all of it.

On another note...whoever said that friends make the world a better place was absolutely right on target. I have been so blessed by my friendships all around the world. God has given me some of the best friends a girl could ask for. There are no words to even describe how it feels to be reunited with friends that you haven't seen for over a year. That is what Jordan and I have mostly been getting to do since we have arrived in Ghana. I'm so thankful for my friends that I have in Ghana, they have become my family, and I honestly don't know what I would do without them. I'm excited that I get to spend the next year with them, get to know them better and to make memories that will last a life time. I'm also looking forward to all the new friendships that will be made!

Ok, ok ok, one last note and then I promise I will be done. 

Last year when I was in Kumasi I attended the Bomso church of Christ and so that was the church I wanted to attend this year. So, on Sunday, Jordan and I went to church there. Walking in the compound where the church and Bible College are, I just couldn't help but smile. I was so happy to be back, and part of it feels just like home. It was nice to be at a familiar place and nice to see familiar faces. The thing that I love about Bomso is their worship. I have never been in a church where the people sing so loudly to honor and praise God. The singing alone will make you want to come back! It is such a moving experience to see so many people pour out their hearts to God through song. I wish that the churches I have attended in the US could learn from the hearts and attitudes of the Bomso congregation. I know that I have been moved and changed every time I am there. Bomso is a very welcoming and loving environment and I know that it has and it will bless my life in many ways.

Please, continue to pray for me as I am here. School will open on the 23rd of August, so it is just around the corner. I thank God for what He is doing in my life, all the praises and thanks go to Him!

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..."