England

I have been having a very resting, relaxing time here in England since I arrived on Tuesday morning. I will be here until Monday morning when I will get on my plane back to the States. Last weekend I had a wonderful time back in Liberia with some friends on the new ship. It felt really good to go back to Liberia. I NEVER thought I would be comfortable in Monrovia but as I was landing there and driving to the ship I felt so happy to be back. It was great to be able to spend a little more time there before leaving.
This is a picture of me as I was leaving Mercy Ships. Many sad goodbyes- especially to Niki (a nurse from Canada) and Moira (xray/CT tech from Scotland). What a dream come true all of this has been. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. Soon I will be chatting with many of you and catching up...I look forward to it! God bless you and again, thanks for being a part of all of this...

Bye Africa!

I have made it back safely and without delay to Liberia. I have had a marvelous weekend with friends here on the ship and tomorrow evening I will be on my way back to London! I can't believe that these 3 months that I have dreamt about are already over. They have been SO blessed! I feels surreal what I have experienced. It has far surpassed my expectations! I praise God for what He is doing here, what He has allowed me to be a part of and what He will continue to do both here and in my heart as I return home. I thank the Lord, and all of you, for your support and for entrusting me to come and do the Lord's will both here in Liberia and Ghana! It has been a privilege! Be praying for workers to come here- "the harvest is plentiful, the workers are few."
I will be in London from Tuesday morning until Monday the 25th when I return back to the states! See you soon!

Goodbyes

I am now in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, ready to get on my plane tomorrow back to Liberia. We stopped by the airport today to confirm my flight because we hadn't been able to on the phone or the internet. Well, as expected here in West Africa, the system is down and they are unable to confirm seats (and the flight is full to Monrovia). So their only suggestion is that I arrive early! So, pray for me as I show up to the airport tomorrow to get on my flight back to Liberia. I have peace. God has surely protected, guiding and had His hand over every minute of this time, I don't expect that to change now! I am excited to get back to the Liberia- see my friends and the NEW ship! It will be a fun weekend!
This first picture is of some of the students in the school. The room they are sitting in used to have walls and the post used to be standing a bit more straight! It works for now- except when it rains and the hatch roof has holes in it. The next picture is of me with one of my students at his house. His mother is working on dinner. The last picture is of me with all of the Primary 2-5 graders. They seem to be proudly holding the exams that we gave. Not that they did all that well but they seemed happy!
I am so grateful for this time I have had in Ghana! It wasn't anything I had ever thought I would experience as I stepped out on this adventure. God has been good and called me to places I had never dreamt I would see. He is so exciting and it has been so blessed! The worst part of all this is leaving...it was difficult to say goodbye to the students and it will be hard to say goodbye to Kirk, Christine and Praise tomorrow- they have been out of this world good to me!
So, it's off to Liberia again tomorrow. My slow journey home is beginning. I can't believe that it is all coming to an end! What a gift it has all been!

Goodbye Ghana

I can hardly believe that I will be leaving here this week! The time has gone so quickly. It has been quite an adventure! There have been many challenges and some wonderful experiences!
This is a picture of some of the students carrying our school things back at the end of the day. The students here are wonderful! It has been so much fun being with them and getting to know each of them. We gave their "final" exams last week. That was interesting! First of all, neither Christine nor I knew what kind of tests they could even handle. The first test we gave was quite concerning. I had told them to raise their hands if they had any questions and they should start the exam. Well, by the time I turned around EVERY ONE of them had their hand in the air. They couldn't read the first word on the test- IDENTIFY! Oh, gosh!!! BUT, we got through it and Christine and I had a good time correcting the tests. One question I will share with you:
Who are God's chosen people?
A. Muslims B. Israelites C. Americans
AHH...some children put AMERICANS!!! Oh, my heart was saddened by that one.
I wish I had more time to write but I don't right now. I will try to write a bit more before I start my journeys home. Please pray that I stay healthy as I have a of traveling to do starting Friday this week. Also pray as I say goodbye to the students this week. It is difficult for them as people are always coming and going. Thank you for your continued interest in what I am doing here. I marvel at what I have been able to experience. I sometimes can't believe this is my life- God has been SO gracious to me! I can't wait to share more with you...

Things I have learned in West Africa

1. Those pokey things that stick to your pants from tall grass- well, they don’t come out when you hand wash your clothes…you get to pick them out one by one.
2. Starbucks isn’t everywhere! Neither is Visa or electricity for that matter!
3. To pray for mud houses to be standing after it rains.
4. Pineapple doesn’t grow in trees.
5. To be flexible.
6. You can buy just about anything from a man with a wheelbarrow.
7. Regular marriage proposals aren’t uncommon.
8. How to eat without utensils
9. How to kill snakes.
10. I really can’t dance.
11. Much of the world doesn’t have a closet of clothes.
12. Regular fevers aren’t so uncommon.
13. God may ask you to do something you don’t know how to do.
14. If He does, he’ll walk you through it!
15. Small taxis are meant to hold 7 people, sometimes more.
16. Make sure you know if the water is safe to drink.
17. No need to fillet a fish- just throw it in the pot.
18. Tylenol is an adequate pain reliever post operatively.
19. The faith of a child- now that is something to admire.
20. You can pretend you are a princess under a mosquito net.

The Great Snake Hunt!

Yesterday I started my day off like none other. I slept in waking to my alarm at 800am. I was just laying in bed reflecting on my life and all that God has been showing me. I woke in quite amazement actually. I then was listening to some music on my IPOD when I thought I heard Christine calling my name. I then turned off my music to confirm that I heard Christine yelling, “Dara, Dara turn off your music! I need you!” So, of course, I hop out of bed and go running to find Christine standing under a tree with the fruit picker in the air. She had a very serious look on her face when I got there.
She looked at me with seriousness in her eyes and said, “There are 2 snakes in this tree. Do you see them? I need you to keep an eye on them so I can go get something so we can kill them!!” So I grab the fruit picker from her to stop the yellowish snake from getting into the next tree as he is attempting to do. I stand there intently shifting my attention between this yellow snake and a black one that is a few branches above. In the meantime, Christine is running from building to building gathering weapons to kill these snakes once we knock them out of the tree. When she has gathered the necessary tools she joins me and says, “We need to kill these snakes. They can’t be running around if we are going to be in the yard and Praise (3 yr old little boy) is going to be playing in the yard today.” She then looks at me intently, “Can you do it? Can you help me kill the snakes?”
I quickly respond with, “I am afraid but I will try.”
Christine responds, “I am afraid too!”
I then say, “I may be screaming!!”
She says, “I will be screaming too!!”
So with that we reconfirm our plan and we start the great snake hunt! Christine takes back the fruit picker with the intention of hooking the snake and bringing it to the ground for me to pin with the mop and then for someone to kill. I should mention that prior to my arising from my bed, Praise (the 3 yr old) had been sent off to get the neighbors to come help us. The Ghanaian people are really afraid of snakes so Christine was not too confident that when they showed up they would be of much assistance. They were not coming any too quickly either so we had to proceed with the process….
So, Christine tries to knock the yellow snake out of the tree. As she did he slithered away and moved to a different part of the tree. The next swipe to knock him out the tree the fruit picker gets stuck in the tree so she just starts shaking the branches (as she stands under the tree) to knock him out of the tree. Finally, he comes to the ground and she has him pinned with the end of the fruit picker. I then grab the mop to hold him but we both quickly realize that we are both holding him down and know one is there to kill the thing. SO…I grab the shovel while Christine is yelling, “Kill him, get his head. Kill him Dara.” So, I did… I took a shot at him with the shovel, screamed, did a little dance, took another shot, screamed, danced and repeated this a few times before we were for sure he was good and dead! I couldn't believe it! I went from laying in bed to killing a snake in a matter of minutes. By the way, there are still no Ghanaians here to help us!!! So, after a few minutes of celebrating our defeat we remember we are only half done! But, of course after all this the other snake has moved. Now finally the neighbor, Cosomos, Praise and a friend, have showed up and we are all kinking our necks to look up into the tree for the black snake. Finally we find it but it has moved from the mango tree to a much taller tree. The men then started throwing rocks which soon lead to sling shots to try to hit the snake and make him come down. This went on for about 45 minutes. They were hitting the poor thing but he was clever and kept moving higher up in the tree. He was a very smart snake. After a few hits he was now strategically positioned so that when he fell he should be able to get on another branch and be home free into the bush. But, after another good catapult from the sling shot and the snake came falling to the ground. Christine again came with her fruit picker and pinned him so he couldn't’t go anywhere. I then realized that the 3 or 4 Ghanaian men that had now gathered weren’t doing anything but standing back out of the way. So, here I come again with the shovel ready to chop the head off this thing! Christine is again yelling, “Get it Dara, chop his head. Kill him!” And, I did! I killed the cobra!!! Finally when the thing was good and dead one of the men came and decapitated the thing with his machete! All the while I am thinking, “why is it that the American girl is the one killing these things!” Anyway, it makes for a great story. I am sure the whole village heard the “Obrunis” (what they call all white people) killing these 6 feet long snakes! One was an egg eating snake that is relatively harmless and the other was a cobra- strange that they were both in the tree at the same time.
It is true, the Africans are very fearful of snakes! So am I, but I apparently was able to deal with them. The Africans were frozen in fear. Even after they were dead they weren’t able to get near them and they put LOGS on top of them so they wouldn’t get away. It was quite an adventure. Things like this just don’t happen at home!!!

I ate rat!!

30 May 2007

Yesterday I had a wonderful cultural experience. We have been at the village all week and yesterday in the evening I had to stop by one of my student’s house to tell her something. I stopped by and they happened to be eating. I told Ophelia what I needed to and then her sweet mother offered that I stay and eat with them. Immediately my mind raced as to what the culturally appropriate thing would be. I couldn’t quickly come up with the right thing to do. All I was thinking is that there are all these children and this woman sitting around, on the floor, and they probably are thankful they have food to eat tonight. There is no way I want to eat their food, knowing they would give me the last bowl if they had to. But I also didn’t want to be offensive if I said no. So I tried to gently tell them that Auntie (Christine) had prepared dinner and I needed to get back and eat with her but that I would be delighted to join them another evening. Well, this made them very happy and Ophelia’s mom, who doesn’t speak but a few words of English was smiling so big and saying, “Fine, Fine, Fine!!!” She was so excited for the day I will join them for a meal. So I went back to “our” house and told Christine my experience. She kindly said, “You should have joined them. They would have LOVED it!” So we discussed if it would be appropriate for me to go back. When I did the children were screaming, Ophelia’s mom was pulling up a stool for me to sit on, Ophelia was gathering water for me to wash my hands. I was praying, “Lord, help me to know how to eat and to be able to stomach it.” So, they slide over “the bowl,” not my own, and I join in eating with my fingers from their dish. I had had fufu (a substance similar to a dumpling, but slimier, it is made of cassava root and plantain) and stew a few times previously so at least it was familiar. Honestly I don’t particularly like fufu. Especially because of the texture- you aren’t suppose to chew it, you are just suppose to swallow it and let it slide down your throat, this is taking me a while to catch on to. So, as I start eating with them the kids are still delighted that I have joined them. Ophelia then says something to be about the meat in the stew. I then made my mistake! “What kind of meat is it?” I ask. She simply tells me it is rat and goat! Oh, gosh, I am about to eat a rat! So I strategically decide that I will just talk to them, distract them and they won’t notice that I am not eating the meat! Wrong!!! A few minutes later Ophelia translates to me what her mother has said about me not eating any meat. So, I went for it. I grabbed a piece and, like the fufu, I didn’t chew. I just prayed and swallowed! I did it, no gagging and I pray I had no inappropriate facial expressions! This too, they thought was wonderful. So I sat with them a bit more before finding away to go eat my other dinner with Christine. When I returned to Christine we had a good time laughing about my experience. But, I will say, this was probably one of the best things I have done since I left. I became a real part of these people. Their culture teaches them that any white person is far superior to themselves. If eating at their table lets them know that I love them and they know that I don’t consider myself better than they, then I will eat rat any day!!

Life in an African Village

WOW! I am not sure quite where to start…I feel as if I have gone from one distant world to another. Daily I have to remind myself that I am NOT at a State fair exhibit.
I have been staying in 3 different places in rural, Central Ghana. Kirk and Christine move between 2 small villages and one small town. Monday through Thursday Christine and I are in the smallest village, about 50 people, and this is where we are trying to be teachers! Hmm…I never wanted to be a teacher but for some reason God thinks I can be and I am really enjoying it. We also are faced with any injury or illness that comes up. My nursing skills here are quite limited here. I have no idea of the cultural and natural treatments that they use and there is no local Osco to run to. Christine has been here long enough that she has seen a lot of the tropical diseases and knows how to diagnoses and treat. I am learning a lot from her.
As a teacher I am Sister Abena Dara. I am curtsied to and when I call on the students they stand next to their desk to give me their answers:) They are a VERY respectful culture. Today as I was teaching a chicken walked through the classroom and I wanted to stop to laugh and the kids didn’t even realize it! There were also chickens in the tree- they didn’t notice this either.
I am eating a lot of African food (with my hands), bathing outside with rain water, washing my clothes by hand and sleeping under a mosquito net. It has all been quite humbling- relearning how to bath, eat, cook- everything. Kirk and Christine are very patient and have been fabulous!
From Friday to Sunday afternoon we are between another small village which is more peaceful and just a place to relax. And their other home is in a small city where they can buy things for the week from the market and there we can also catch up on emails. The electricity is on about half the time so we try to plan our errands depending if it “lights on” and “water on”.
I am really enjoying being part of this culture and getting to know what gets them out of bed in the morning. I can clearly see the impact Kirk and Christine are making by becoming part of these people.
Again, there is so much to learn from these children. I wish you could all hear them pray in the mornings. One student from the class gets up in front of the room and leads them in prayer and then all the children pray at once. And they PRAY- from the bottom of their hearts they pray! They know that without God they have nothing. He is their provider and sustainer and they believe it! I am seeing a living example of child like faith! I have seen a true example of Matthew 18:1-5…
“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”
That is all for now. I will have many stores and pictures to show when I get home!
Also, please pray for me to get and stay healthy. I have been sick with a fever for the last 3 days which has kept me in bed. We are not sure what it is, nothing serious but enough to be miserable. So I want to be healthy and well to be ready to teach again on Monday. Miss everyone!!

Ghana

I just wanted to let you all know I arrived safely in Ghana. Although, there is no bus to my destination today so I am spending another night in Accra with Kirk and Christine's friends. Please pray that I will be able to be on my way tomorrow. I only have 5 minutes left on this computer at the internet cafe so this will be brief. Ghana is very different from Liberia- much more prosperous.
Alright, sorry so brief. Please be praying for me. Pray for disernment and strength to live this lifestyle. It is going to be a real adventure!

"Report to your cabin to remove your belongings!!!"

Friday night was quite an adventure here on the Anastasis! We had a Scottish dance (Ceildh) on the aft deck! It was great fun! One of the crew members did a little instruction and then we had an opportunity to put our skills into action. We were all having a grand ol' time when their was a overhead page saying, "Duty plumber please report to C1." Interesting we all thought- one of the toilets must be overflowing again. Not much was thought of it and we continued dancing. Not long later we heard, "All deck hands please report to C1." Hmm...now we are all thinking this must be a little bigger than an overflowing toilet. This still didn't stop us- we kept dancing! But then the announcement came stating- "Anyone living in C1 please report to your cabin to retrieve your belongings!" Oh, gosh, I thought...that is my area- what is going on??? So myself and my roommates and the few others living in my area take off running to see what is going on! It was quite exciting actually- racing down the hallways of the ship going to see just what is going on. As I got closer to the steps down to C1 (my area of the ship) I heard water running. Not water like the shower got left on, WATER! Like a waterfall! As I saw the steps water was pouring down the stairs. So we sloshed down the steps to find about 6 inches of water in the hallway to my room. Thankfully there is a bit of a ledge into the rooms so the water wasn't that deep in my room yet. More importantly someone had already gotten in my room and removed my PACKED suitcase from near the doorway! Praise God for that- that could have been a huge mess! Needless to say the next hour or so consisted of a chaotic assembly line of filling buckets of water, passing them up the steps and dumping them overboard as the deckhands ran around trying to manage the water supply and set up pumps. Thankfully nothing was damaged and the whole mess was just an error of not containing one of the water tanks properly. It was a wonderful experience actually- everyone working together and getting things done! It felt a bit like a scene from The Titanic- dancing, loving life quickly turning into a panic of rushing water! At one point I did hear someone ask, "are we going to sink??" Hardly! but it was surely not an experience many people have had!

So, that was the climax of my time here on Mercy Ships. My flight to Ghana was cancelled yesterday so now I hope to leave here today. I will be leaving the ship in just a couple hours. I am excited to go to Ghana but also really sad to leave what I have experienced here and the WONDERFUL people I have met. I better get going. I don't know when I will be back on my blog but I will write as soon as I can and let you know what is in store for me in Ghana. Blessing!!!