Random thoughts on my day ...

Despite how today ended, today was a good day ...

After an hour or so of hanging out in bed and chatting with my delightful and adorable son ... we got up and got ready to go!

I had wonderful G the taxi driver pick me up and bring me to the Ghana Art and Culture Market! It is a HUGE market, full with SOOO many vendors, full with SOOOOO much STUFF!!!!! I don't think I even made it through 1/4 of the market! I bought ALL my kids a Ghana outfit ... it was quite the chore finding ones I liked for all of the different sizes of all of our precious jewels! I bought some other things as well! G also took me to a store where they make beautiful things out of flower sack, and to a place that makes super YUMMY dried plantene chips! G is so wonderful because he is totally trustworthy, super nice, totally honest, and so knowledgable about places to go in Ghana and Accra! It is like having your own tourist guide! He also showed me the theatre, and some other things ...

On the way back from the market to Beacon ... it took us double the time than it did on the way there!! Traffic in Accra is INTENSE ... I mean intense! Especially by the grocery store/mall and especially on Fridays, George says it is because everyone gets paid on Fridays so they are all going to get groceries! The lane into the store was stopped and backed miles and miles, some people would be waiting an hour just to go a couple of miles ... I know my explanation does not even begin to do justice the traffic here ...

Although to me it seems silly that you even need to go to the grocery store ... as you can LITERALLY buy ANYTHING ON the road, WHILE you are driving! I am not kidding and I am not exaggarating! Just on my drive today, I could have bought ... toilet paper, a blender, water, toys, bread, apples, a phone card, a door, an Adidas shirt, a motorized helicopter toy, a soccer ball, a vaccum cleaner, a skirt, chocolate ... I could go on and on!! Yes, really I could have bought all of these things without even getting out of the car! The roads are FULL of people selling ALL sorts of things ... women carrying objects on their heads, men carrying HUGE bags full of stuff, boys carrying just a few items, and on and on ... NO exaggeration! Just watching all of the people makes a drive through Accra worth it, even if you are not going anywhere ...

While at the market, a group representing the current government party was there! With all the hours we have spent with G I have never seen him get so frustrated! He shared his frustration on the current waisting of the people's money, and how instead the people's money is being spent on purchasing new hotels, big buildings, and elaborated trips ... I want to limit what I share here, but I think you get the idea! It was heart breaking for me to hear a man who works SO hard for his family feels so discouraged and disappointed in his leaders! G works SO hard trying to feed and take care of his 3 children and wife!!!

Along the side of the road you can also see the local's homes! When I say homes, I don't mean homes in the way that you might think! Although yes there are some REALLY nice looking homes, most of the homes I saw today looked nothing like the homes at home! Instead today I saw people living in homes made out of cardboard, homes made out of a blanket underneath a tree, storage containers made into homes, run down and either old or not completed buildings turned into homes ... You can see people cooking over an open fire, you can see them do their laundry and hang them out to dry on a near by tree or log or anything that will suffice, you can see men using the bathroom facilities (there are no facilities), you see people REALLY nicely dressed and then also you can see women, men and children dressed in nothing more than rags! Amazing how thankful and feeling blessed a drive through Ghana can make you feel ... actually amazing how simply reflecting on this can make me feel TOTALLY THANKFUL and TOTALLY BLESSED!!!

Usually by the end of the day I'm wiped ... so after a sweet little visit full of coloring with some of the Beacon kids ... I came home and was wiped!! One of the little girls (3 year olds) was very timid about coloring a picture ... but after some encouragement and me showing her, putting my hand on hers, she did wonderfully! The weather here (although it is the coolest time of the year here), is super draining! After an hour or so of sitting in the taxi, I felt completely drenched and completely ... I can't think of a more appropriate word ... so gross it is! I felt completely gross!

Another random thought that I have been wanting to share ... the mangos, avocados, and pinapples here are SUPER yummy! I would have to say they have been my MAIN staple here - on top of the cliff bars and oat meal I brought from home :) I can't remember the last time I ate so many avocados! I don't think my honey (Sam) would be too thrilled with my food choices if he were here ... although I wish he were here anyways!

Another random thought ... SO many of the Ghanaian women are BEAUTIFUL and are often wearing BEAUTIFUL dresses made out of such beautiful colorful fabric ... Seeing them wear the dresses makes me want to buy one, then I have to remind myself that I live in WA state and not in Ghana ... :)

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To my 3 Precious Jewels Bella, Faith, and Matteus

Mamma misses you TOTALLY and COMPLETELY! I can't wait until I come home and can give you all big hugs and kisses! Know that mamma thinks about you all the time - and that I think each one of you is TOTALLY WONDERFUL!!! Faithie -have FUN with Auntie Esther - you will be home with daddy soon - and then mamma will come home soon after! And then Faithie we can all ride our bikes to the park!!! :)