two suitcases and a baseball bag...

Life the last couple of weeks has been crazy with the wedding of my sister and packing and leaving to go back to Ghana. It was so nice to see so many friends and family the last couple of weeks and to see people that have made impacts in my life that I had only talked to but never really met. I have found that more and more I have known people without even meeting them face to face.

The trip back to Ghana was pretty adventurous. I get to the airport and I can't find my reservation on the little computer so I was in this long line. Let me remind you I have two large suitcases one that ways about half of what I do and a bat bag that is a little bigger with all my clothes in it. So I finally get to the front and I know I have lots of baggage fees. So finally she fines my reservation and I get all of my bags checked through security and get to my gate. So I get to my gate and I am delayed about 20 minutes because of weather. They get us on the plane and we go to the runway and they tell us all flights to D.C. were grounded because of the weather going through and that we would hopefully take off in a few minutes. Finally we take off and we land in D.C. at 10 o clock. My flight is already boarding for Ghana, when we arrive. So I get off my flight and walk really fast to my gate. When I get there they call final boarding and I make it just in time. I get on this flight and we get to the runway and we are delayed because of an emergency landing. Finally we take off and this flight was so bumpy.

Finally I get back to Ghana and it is now about 45 minutes later than when i was supposed to come in. So I finally get out of the airport at 3:30 and I get picked up by the directors wife and Laurie. They take me back to my house where I get a very warm welcome. Then they take me to the school to see my new wonderful classroom. (pictures to come) My classroom is amazing I love it. So immediately I get to work organizing. Laurie had invited me over for dinner that night so after working in my room for about 2 hours we go to Laurie's house. Fellowship and food are great things when you are just overwhelmed with everything you have to do. So just getting you would think I would be exhausted but not me I was totally jet legged.

I get to school extra early today Tuesday (the second day of school) excited to see and meet all my new students. Its exciting to see what an impact you make on some one and someplace when you walk in a place and you get bombarded with hellos and hugs. I didn't even care that I was unorganized and havoc was everywhere in my classroom with books and posters laying everywhere.

Today was a good day with my class even though i was pretty tired and very out of my organized element. My class is awesome and they seem pretty independent. This was good today because as they were working on projects to get to know each other I was able to pass out their books put up some bulletin boards and organizing which they helped with also. My class has already debated between Christianity and Islam. It is amazing what these kids know and what they discuss. I am most excited about Bible this year! I have 14 as of right now and could get more. It was a little relief knowing that I didn't have 21 right off the bat.

Pray that God teaches me especially in the next couple of weeks to balance my time at school and with my friends. Fellowship is something that keeps us going while here in Ghana. Thanks so much for all your prayers. They are what got me over here. God is good! enough said.

Excited

This summer has been a busy one with traveling around and seeing different people and meeting new friends that are going to other NICS and OASIS schools all around the world. I spent two weeks in Memphis at Pre Field Orientation which is training that all new teachers go to, to learn how to relate to the students that we encounter on a day to day routine. THis Here I got to have a small group of 4 amazing young women who have been called to go to 4 different countries. I loved hanging out with these girls they reminded me of how faithful God has been to me these last two years and how He has calmed all the worries and fears I had about packing up and leaving my comfort zone to Ghana.

I thank God that He has put me in GHana and that I am blessed to go back to Ghana for a third year. Not only am I blessed to be going back but I am blessed with about 21 students nine of which are new to the school. THat means I get nine new students to introduce to Jesus or help them grow deeper with him. I am also thankful for students that I would have never thought I would be in contact with this year. One I think of in general who is going in to 12th grade this year and just the conversations that I got to have with about Christ. I wrote earlier this year about a student who after a soccer game waiting for his parents and looking at the moon and the stars, which you can see very clearly in GHana, talking about who created all of this and why. THen just this past week he messaged me on Facebook to see if the soccer coach had Facebook because he had a question for her. So I asked him how he was doing and I let him know that I was praying for him. (I should say that I have been praying for this student ever since we had that conversation in March, I can remember because it was the monday before my birthday.) I then got a message back saying really you are praying for me. All he said was wow. THen he went on to ask me to pray for him to be a good kid, and that he would not make his mom sad, and that he graduates. I of course said of course but i also told him that he could pray to Christ too because He loves him and cares for him and he listens to him too. I also told him that we all make mistakes and that is why Christ came to earth to die and to forgive us, and that His grace covers us. Just pray for this student that his heart would be opened to who Christ is. THe seeds have been planted and I am praying the God works in his life and brings him into the family.

I still have a couple of weeks left in the states. It is funny how in the last two weeks i have had this yearning to get back to GHana and back to these students. I am so excited for this year and the ministry I have with these students. I think I am more excited because i have a relationship with these students now and they have gotten to know me the last two years and hopefully begin to trust me.

Please Pray for these students that I will come in contact with this year. As I coach volleyball, work in the mentoring program and teach. Pray for the families that I will come in contact also. That I can share Christ with these families. That my enthusiasm will stretch throughout the year.

I want to leave with a verse that i came upon this week that I think is a great promise that is confirmed all the time over seas but also is an encouragement to those who are showing Christ to people in their neighborhoods, jobs, schools, and communities.

we have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted, but GOd does not leave us. We hurt sometimes but we are not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

blessed

I have been home for just over a week and I have been blessed so many times. Here are some of them

Blessing One

So my computer broke 4 days before I left Ghana so the day I got in I went directly to the apple store. They had to send my computer in and I was going to have to pay almost 300 dollars to get it fixed because my warranty had expired. So I was prepared to pay it and my person was very nice he fought for me and so I didn't have to pay anything to get my computer fixed.

Blessing two

VBS at our church. I was kinda jet legged and probably could of slept a long time. I am so glad I pushed and went to work with these kids. They were so cute and they really made me smile. I once had a friend tell me that every hug or smile you get from a child is a hug or smile from God.

Blessing three

Vacation. Being in San Diego is amazing. It is so beautiful here and so many different types of people. Getting to hang out with my sister and see a lot of cool things. Not worrying about anything for school or home just being where I am is amazing.

These may seem like a really small things but is it not the small things that sometimes make your life worth while and gives us the best attitude.

My last week of school

Wow, this past week has been one stressful week. Please pray for the unity of our school there is a lot of division right now. We have 3 and a half days of school left and it is going to be a busy one. My week starts tomorrow with our last Sunday of this year at Pram Pram. Then the high schoolers are coming over for lunch. Christy's parents come in today so it will be nice to be able to hang out with them and meet them. Then on Monday my students will be watching CHarlotte's Web and playing yahtzee with the second graders. THen on Tuesday is my class party. FOr my class party we are going to one of the students house who has a pool and we are going to spend the whole day at the pool. Wednesday we are going to be cleaning the classroom. Thursday is the last day where we are going to just celebrate the year we have had. This year I am giving each student a book that I will write a memory verse and note in. In class we are going to be working on memory books where I am going to be sharing a verse also.

This past week I have more than one opportunity just to pray for students in my class one on one with them. Its amazing how much these kids just need someone to listen to them. With all the drama and stress that goes on at school the reason I am here is not for the school it is for these students and to share Christ with them. The last couple of weeks I have been focused on how much drama there is at our school and yesterday I realized that these students are the reason and they are the ones that see Christ through us.

Today I realized how much I care about my friends here. I was supposed to go play volleyball this morning and I got up to go and got ready and actually got a taxi and was on my way. I called the person I was supposed to be meeting and nothing phone is off. This never happeneds. So I get to the place not where we met before and they were still not answering their phone so I came home. 17 cedis and an hour later I was back home still trying to get ahold of my friend. Here in Ghana travel is not always the safest and is not always reliable. So knowing that they traveled home late at night on trotros got me really worried. I just kept calling finally they called me back like 5 hours later with their phone which shut off last night and then was feeling sick, but I was so relieved that they were okay. It is going to be hard to say goodbye to some really good friends that I have made this semester.

PRayer Request

1. finishing up the school year strong

2. the see ya laters (instead of goodbyes) to some great friends

3. my traveling home on Friday night, Saturday morning.

4. getting everything ready for the first four days of school that i will be missing next year.

I cant believe I am done with my second year of teaching. It was crazy just yesterday I was sitting in the fourth grade room with my third graders and I realized how much my third graders have grown from last year and that it was crazy that another one of my classes was going to be moving on to another grade. I can't wait to see how much these kids have grown over the summer. looking forward to seeing you all very soon!

One Amazing Saturday

I had the best day yesterday. I hung out with Christy and two of my friends from Lincoln Elrom and George. Yesterday Christy and I hung out with Elrom and George the whole day. We got the opportunity to help out with a football tournament and we were there from 8am-6:15pm. It was so much fun. It wasn't even that we were having a bunch of fun but it was the people I was with. We got to chill and talk afterwards. Christy and I got sunburn but it was totally okay with us. We came home and knocked out we were so tired.

Its funny how life changes after being here a year and a half. Its nice to know that i have some good friends that are not from my school and people that are not americans. I realized how much I need people outside of AIS. Yesterday I got a chance to just be part of something that didn't have the stress of school. It was nice to help out some people who got to see Christ in us and make a difference to some kids and these two teachers at a different school. It was so much fun.

I am glad I have another year to hang out and become better friends with George and Elrom.

Prayer:

1. three weeks of school left

2. saying goodbye to friends for two months

3. finishing up strong.

Its been a while

Wow, its been a while since I have written. Not to much has happened here. We had spring break and I got to enjoy a nice relaxing break in Germany hanging out with some really good friends of mine. I got to lay in a blanket and read a book and eat american food. It was awesome. After spring break it was in the swing of things again. Now we are closing down the school year. I am kinda of excited I am ready to be relaxing. We had our spring musical last Saturday it was the Sound of Music so the students just sang songs from the musical. Life here has been pretty normal playing lots of volleyball with my friend Elrom and just chilling at home playing games and trying to lay out at the pool if it is not raining.

Praise the Lord we are in Rainy season!!!!

the funny thing about being a teacher

isn't really funny. Something I realized is that being a teacher is not your only job. As a teacher you are sometimes the steadiness in a child's life. You are their counselor when they have no one else. You teach them not only subject matter you teach them life.

Sometimes life is just to hard. You may say what does a third grader know about life being hard. Being here has really made me thankful for how I grew up. Some of my students don't see their parents for weeks sometimes months on end. Some of them have in more schools then they are old. Some of them have been let down time and time again and they are only 8 and 9. Plus some of them, most of them in a culture that is not their own. So I am OKAY being that steadiness and a counselor and teacher of life because if I am not then who else is going to be.

I thank God for every single one of my students no matter how trying they may be. They all have something they bring to our class. Please Pray for my class as some of them are going through a really hard time.

PRayer

1. for a little boy in my class who was in tears for like 15 minutes today. He has a lot going on and I dont know the details but God does.

2. Pray for the details of my trip to Germany to come together. Plane tickets bought.

3. SAT testing that is going on in school this week.