Day 1:
I woke up at 4:00am on my day off to travel up north to the Volta region of Ghana. We drove 3 hours and arrived at Mountain paradise. We unpacked and order dinner and then set off on a 4 and a half ours of hiking to the top of the second tallest mountain in Ghana which is Mount Gemi. The climb of the mountain was pretty good. We hiked up on the road through villages. That was a really neat experience because I got to see how Ghanaians that do not live in the city more of what you think africa is then where I live. When we got to the top we had to pay some money to climb all the way to the top but it was pretty cheap. Then we hiked all the way to the top where their was a cross. It was amazing to get to the top where you accomplished so much to get there and you think to how beautiful it is and how amazing God has to be to have created all of it. You just really focus on who God is. All I could think of was the verse where it says "I lift my eyes up tot eh heavens where does my help come from? " Clearly on top of the mountain there was a realization that through Christ was the only way I made it up the mountain. The way down was really hiking. It was so beautiful we went through trees and bushes. I almost fell a couple times going down the mountain but William saved me. God is good all the time and He puts people in our lives to save us in a sense. Then we got back at the hotel which was more like a cabin at a camp at like 2 or 3 and we just relaxed and had some drinks, read, or laid down after showering. Then it was dinner and that was good it was real Ghanian food. After dinner we got the guitar out and we worshiped God.
Day 2
On Saturday we went to see the waterfalls which were beautiful but I had to again conquer my fear of heights which was really hard and stressful for me. There were times I really was ready to quit but i just kept going. I held one of the girls hands for the last part of the journey. After all this in the words of our guide this is not hiking this is climbing and that is what we did. We climbed up a mountain. After about an hour and a half of literally climbing this mountain we saw the top of the waterfall. It was so refreshing eating snacks and lunch by the pool of the waterfall, it was just amazing. One thing that really got to me and gave me strength to continue to go back down the mountain was William our driver that took us was telling us at the beginning of the day when we asked him how Ghanians thought about americans coming over to Ghana. He brought up that there is no reason some ghanians don't like when white people come over because with out them there would be no hospitals or schools in Ghana. He also said that we fought for something in America just like they did in Ghana, and we all help each other out. I knew that the girls I was with were going to help me down the mountain and they did. However, lunch was over and we had to go back down the mountain the way we came up. THis was very scary for me but I was determined to make it. We finally made it to the bottom! YAY! By that time I was so tired and sore. We got some water and walked back to the car. Now the best part of the whole trip.
We had found out that our driver William grew up in a village ten minutes from Ho Hoe which is where we went hiking. So we got to go to his village. THis was so exciting because I work with WIlliam every single day and didn't know that much about him. So we drove for about 10- 15 minutes and we got to see Joshua, the associate pastor of the church in his village, and we got some rice from him and picked him up to go into the village. Then we headed to the village where we met the elders of the village and the chief . We got to meet a lot of his relatives and saw the school where he had taken classes, and we also got to see the church. It was awesome to see how he was in his home and how happy he was to be home. It was definitely the highlight of my day. Even though I was tired and sore being there made me forget about everything else.
Then we made the trek back to mountain paradise, where dinner was waiting . We had a good dinner and then we all went to bed. However at about midnight a really big storm came with no rain but thunder, lightening, and high winds. If we were in the states we would be in the basement. It was kind of fun to see weather like that because it is not often in the city that we get weather like that. Overall this weekend I learned more about Ghana, and how to just spend quiet and be with GOd in nature. I also learned more about William and where he is from which has been my favorite part of the trip.
Now I am home on this Valentines day where I can relax and reflect on my day. I get a call from one of my parents and she has a gift for me and so I go and meet her and she has cake and grape juice and clothing it was huge and I didn't expect it.
God is good all the time, All the time God is good.
Psalm 121:1-3
I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of heaven and earth, He will not let your foot slip he who watches over you will not slumber.
For pictures http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2078891&id=141301902
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