... from Ghana that is. The plan is that I will fly out of Ghana on the morning of the 28th and arrive in Canada minutes before the 29th. I'll go to my parents' place then back home sometime on Labour Day weekend.
Accra has been fun, but I'm ready to leave. The city life is certainly not the place for a small town girl. Tumu would be good, but I am looking forward to going home. I've spent this week visiting friends, riding in trotros (public transport vans)and getting lost in this big city. I thought I knew where the trotro was going, but when I got off, I was not where I wanted to be. I knew I was close, I just had no idea where I was. I had a map, but that is not as helpful as you'd expect because all the streets aren't labelled. Anyway, I didn't panic or anything. I knew the general direction of the shop and started walking. I stopped for directions and nearly an hour later, I found the Art Centre. Fortunately for me, since I was meeting a Ghanaian there, I was still there before him (in Ghana, 11:00 means sometime after 11:00 - hehee).
I have managed to meet up with some of my friends I met in 2000. It's hard to catch up on seven years of life in one day, but we tried. It was good to see them (Aryees, Dzunu, Lamptey) again and hear that they are doing well. Meeting up with them made this week of goodbying much like an emotional roller coaster (another reason that I'm ready to go home).
I have a meeting with SIM Canada on the 30th for debriefing and whatnot. By then I will have gathered my thoughts (I hope) and will be able to write a coherent report on my time in Ghana and post some pictures.
I look forward to seeing most of you Canadians in the next little while. Thanks to all of you for praying with me these last four months.
Thanks for reading ~*
Saturday 25 August 2007
Monday 13 August 2007
Thoughts and things
If you've been reading along, you probably have a good idea of what I have been doing here (that is unless I have not written very well). I have had some time to think a bit about all that I experienced, so ...
Living in Tumu was good. Certainly there are many differences between my home in Canada and Penny's house in Tumu, but nothing to sweat really.
I spent my first two weeks in Tumu learning Sisaali, but after the "real work" started, I didn't have as much time just to increase my vocabulary/skills. That was a disadvantage at church because there were many people whom I couldn't speak with beyond greetings and obscure comments about the current goings on. I had a good time at church and with the church people, but I certainly missed the fellowship I have at my home church and WIVCF. My being somewhat antisocial didn't really help with that either. Since it was difficult to really connect with most of the church people, I don't really know how their relationship with God has developed in the last little while; fortunately, God knows. As they grow as individuals, they will grow as a church as well.
I had the opportunity to speak to about 250 students about HIV/AIDS but more importantly about God's love for them. I had a great time with them despite my anxiety about teaching. I have said this before, I am no teacher, but I think God was gracious to me and allowed me to reach people through teaching. I was able to talk to two students individually about God and his purposes for us and I met a few Christian students. I pray that they were encouraged in their faith and gained a deeper understanding of God's idea about sex. Abstinence apart from God doesn't make any sense to me, so I wanted the students to know that it's not just about avoiding HIV.
Thinking long term, I wonder if I can work here in Ghana, and I wonder how I will deal with some of the stresses of life here. This time around I could handle almost anything because I knew it was all temporary (since this is like a break from my real life). What would it be like to be here knowing that this is my real life? It seems I a painting a bleak picture here. That is not my intent; I enjoy my time here. Anyway ... what I had the most difficulty with is relationships (surprise, surprise) given the cultural differences and my personality. This is a relationship-oriented culture, and I am task-oriented person. Ghanaians value politeness/repect more than truth and I value truth more than politeness. When I look at my interaction with people (in ministry, while socializing, while working) I realize that they were huge barriers to me really getting to know people. I wondering if I can ever change and learn to connect with Ghanaians. If I can't can I really come here long term? Is God calling me to a place where I feel like I can't be myself? I am leaning towards yes, but sometimes the voice of logic/fear briefly tips me towards no. I have three more years of school ideally, so in that time, I hope to figure out where I'll be practising when I'm finished. I've been (semi)joking with people, saying that I have a seven year plan for my return to Ghana (as it was seven years ago that I was here last). I need three years to finish school and four years to pay my school debts before coming back to Ghana. One pastor in Tumu says I should make it a three year plan, but I think I am more likely to find a husband (who wants to come to Ghana!) in seven years than in three - hehee.
I just want to say thanks to all of my supporters in Canada, the US and Ghana. I feel like that is not enough, but I'm not sure what else to say right now. (Perhaps this would be better in person.)
Thanks for reading ~*
Living in Tumu was good. Certainly there are many differences between my home in Canada and Penny's house in Tumu, but nothing to sweat really.
I spent my first two weeks in Tumu learning Sisaali, but after the "real work" started, I didn't have as much time just to increase my vocabulary/skills. That was a disadvantage at church because there were many people whom I couldn't speak with beyond greetings and obscure comments about the current goings on. I had a good time at church and with the church people, but I certainly missed the fellowship I have at my home church and WIVCF. My being somewhat antisocial didn't really help with that either. Since it was difficult to really connect with most of the church people, I don't really know how their relationship with God has developed in the last little while; fortunately, God knows. As they grow as individuals, they will grow as a church as well.
I had the opportunity to speak to about 250 students about HIV/AIDS but more importantly about God's love for them. I had a great time with them despite my anxiety about teaching. I have said this before, I am no teacher, but I think God was gracious to me and allowed me to reach people through teaching. I was able to talk to two students individually about God and his purposes for us and I met a few Christian students. I pray that they were encouraged in their faith and gained a deeper understanding of God's idea about sex. Abstinence apart from God doesn't make any sense to me, so I wanted the students to know that it's not just about avoiding HIV.
Thinking long term, I wonder if I can work here in Ghana, and I wonder how I will deal with some of the stresses of life here. This time around I could handle almost anything because I knew it was all temporary (since this is like a break from my real life). What would it be like to be here knowing that this is my real life? It seems I a painting a bleak picture here. That is not my intent; I enjoy my time here. Anyway ... what I had the most difficulty with is relationships (surprise, surprise) given the cultural differences and my personality. This is a relationship-oriented culture, and I am task-oriented person. Ghanaians value politeness/repect more than truth and I value truth more than politeness. When I look at my interaction with people (in ministry, while socializing, while working) I realize that they were huge barriers to me really getting to know people. I wondering if I can ever change and learn to connect with Ghanaians. If I can't can I really come here long term? Is God calling me to a place where I feel like I can't be myself? I am leaning towards yes, but sometimes the voice of logic/fear briefly tips me towards no. I have three more years of school ideally, so in that time, I hope to figure out where I'll be practising when I'm finished. I've been (semi)joking with people, saying that I have a seven year plan for my return to Ghana (as it was seven years ago that I was here last). I need three years to finish school and four years to pay my school debts before coming back to Ghana. One pastor in Tumu says I should make it a three year plan, but I think I am more likely to find a husband (who wants to come to Ghana!) in seven years than in three - hehee.
I just want to say thanks to all of my supporters in Canada, the US and Ghana. I feel like that is not enough, but I'm not sure what else to say right now. (Perhaps this would be better in person.)
Thanks for reading ~*
Thursday 2 August 2007
A quick note
Please pray for safety in travelling in the next few weeks. I have only one week left in Tumu (sigh). I have finished all of my teaching and church and the schools, but now I have to write reports about all of that (oooo, fun!). I am currently in Tamale. The car is being (routinely) serviced on our way to Mole Game Park. We will return to Tumu on Saturday, then driving all back to Accra on Friday (two days' drive, if you recall). In Accra, I will attend a workshop, Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills, for a week. Some SIMmers will be joining other Christians for the workshop. That's all I know about it. Then I will spend my last week in Ghana visiting friends from Youth for Christ. I will meet up with Emma (pronouced Eeema), short for Emmanuel) and see who we can find. It will be sad leaving Tumu, but I am also looking forward to meeting up with old friends in Accra. My brother, Xan, has a friend from Japan who is currently in Ghana. I have spoken with her only once, but I hope to contact her again when I am back in Accra.
After I have written my various reports and articles, I will write a reflection here. I haven't had time to really process things yet. My work has gone well. Praise God with me for great opportunities to share the gospel with students and teach about HIV/AIDS, relationships, and love. Pray for them as they digest all I have taught. Pray for the girls in my discipleship groups from church that they would grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for them to develop a good relationship with the next associate who will come to Tumu and continue the Bible Study with them. Please pray for me as I say good bye in Tumu and again in Accra. I had my first cry last week when one of our church members gave me an eloquent valediction (real word?) in a rather informal conversation we were having as I was preparing my last Sunday School lesson.
Time's up at the internet cafe.
Thanks for reading ~*
After I have written my various reports and articles, I will write a reflection here. I haven't had time to really process things yet. My work has gone well. Praise God with me for great opportunities to share the gospel with students and teach about HIV/AIDS, relationships, and love. Pray for them as they digest all I have taught. Pray for the girls in my discipleship groups from church that they would grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for them to develop a good relationship with the next associate who will come to Tumu and continue the Bible Study with them. Please pray for me as I say good bye in Tumu and again in Accra. I had my first cry last week when one of our church members gave me an eloquent valediction (real word?) in a rather informal conversation we were having as I was preparing my last Sunday School lesson.
Time's up at the internet cafe.
Thanks for reading ~*
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