A New Year and a lot of fun

This semester has been so much fun already and I have only been here a week. So many times I would just get in a routine and it was that same routine everyday never really seeing the excitement of what I was doing.

This started before I even left the states. My whole trip was full of new experiences. First leaving Chicago we had about an hour delay where we sat on the plane because something was broken but I was really excited because I got to sit by the window. Then I get to Washington D.C. and we go to get on the flight and when I handed my ticket to the guy it flashed red and I was like what is wrong and he said I had a seat change. I look at my new ticket and I had been upgraded to United Business which is just like sitting in first class. It was amazing! Never would I have imagined sitting up enjoying all of that. It was totally a switch up, definitely out of my routine.

Wednesday when we started school I was so excited to get back into my routine of being in school. It is funny how God works in little ways and reminds us of why He put us here. Wednesday was probably the best day of this year, I had so much fun being with my students and it made me realize how much I love teaching these kids. I have never had so much fun being in my classroom. I was excited to see if I would have any more students added to my class and I only had one new friend. My class is now up to 14 wonderful students. 6 boys and 8 girls. It is really amazing to see how my class welcomes the new students and it is really awesome to see how God unites them and allows them to all get along for the most part.

I also got to see the impact of having the study hall last semester. I don't get the pleasure of having them this semester but they still come by my class and say hi. It was really cool because I had more than one of them come by and tell me how much they miss being in the study hall. I do miss them a lot.

This weekend me and three other teachers went to our favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner on Friday night and it was such a blast I really do love hanging out with these teachers. This was a random night in itself. So we always go to this restaurant we want to order the sweet and sour pork in a whole pineapple but they never have to pineapple. So this time we decided we were going to bring our own. So we stopped on the side of the road picked up the pineapple and took it to the restaurant. Kim is ordering so she says we would like the sweet and sour pork in the whole pineapple. Waiter- We don't have that. Us- no worries we brought our own. Waiter- laughed and took the pineapple to the kitchen. We all laughed so hard. Never in America would that happen.Then on Saturday we got to go to the Koffee House which is our new little spot that we like to go to and just hung out and talk.

As I was thinking about how I could keep everyone better informed of what God was doing each week when I write I am going to add a section called Get your Praise On and I am just going to say a couple of things that God has done.

GET YOUR PRAISE ON

1. We have our land purchased and will start clearing for a soccer field hopefully next week.

2. This new semester is starting off great with 14 students.

3. I got here safely and in style.

4. A wonderful family and church family at home that really supports me. Thanks soooo much !

Home sweet Home

It is so good to be home. I can't believe how much I missed it. It was great to get home and then go shopping for a Christmas tree and decorate it. It was such a surprise after a long trip. It was so nice to worship with people at my church and to see the Christmas program. Being a teacher sometimes I just don't want to see or be around kids because I am always around them but it is such a reminder of how we are to have faith and worship God and remind us the real meaning of Christmas.

I have also been amazed at how many people now about what I am doing in Ghana. I would have never fathomed how many people would know about me going to Ghana. I also have noticed how people have surprised me with little blessings that mean so much to me.

I am adjusting to the time change pretty well but the cold weather not so much. It is cold here but I am super excited about wearing sweaters and I have straightened my hair which may sound stupid but for someone who loves sweaters and hates having crazy hair because of the humidity loves it.

Missing Ghana but loving it here. God bless you this CHristmas.

It's Christmas time

The thing about Christmas in Ghana is that it doesn't really feel like Christmas. It is beginning to get hotter here. We had our Christmas program on Saturday and it was good very hectic but the message went out. Now going into the last week of school before break and I am excited about all the Christmas things I am doing with my class this week. It is so important for these kids to see what Christmas is really about and that it is not about getting gifts and santa. That it was about us receiving the best gift that we could ever get JESUS.

I am getting everything ready to go home. I have my presents packed, some random things packed and just have to wait till Friday to pack some other things. Please pray for safe travels. Also pray that I wont have to pay a fine when I leave the country because of my visa or if I do it is small small. There is a group of us on my flight so hopefully they will take pity on us as we go through immigration here in GHana.

Praise God for all He is doing here in Ghana.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE.

ISAIAH 9:6

Thankfulness

This week has been a fun week at school. I only had two teaching days and then we had field day which was a blast. It is awesome to see the older students take care of the younger students. I was originally supposed to be a leader of a team and I was really excited about that opportunity because I had an amazing team. However, instead I get put in charge of a game because we didn't have enough parent volunteers but I loved hanging out with all the students.

This is one of my third graders that was on team New Zealand.

This is one of third graders from last year also on Team New Zealand.

This little girl is the cutest. When we first started field day she was scared of her team captain who is an 11th grade boy. By the end of the first game she wouldn't let go of his hand. It was adorable. It also shows the heart that these students have. They get a little taste of what we as teachers get a chance to do every day. I am so thankful for that.

Of course Thursday was thanksgiving and coming into this week I was not sure of what I would be doing . A lot of my close friends were leaving to go see the elephants and then a lot of the other girls were going to their pastors house. I am so thankful God has placed an amazing family who really show Christ to our staff and they had a bunch of us over that did not have anywhere to go. I am so thankful for the wrights. I don't know what I would do without them here. I am so thankful that they are staying here next year.

Friday I got to just relax by the pool and take in the sun. I got to hang out with one of my housemates Erin. She is probably one of my best friends here, I am so excited that God put her in my house this year. We have gotten close and I love that.

Being here in Ghana I realize how much I am blessed. I have a house to live in, I know where my food is going to come from and I have a hope that keeps me going every single day. I am so thankful that I have something more to live for .

Prayer Request

My flight home in 13 days. I fly out on December 10th.

The last weeks of school. These are very hectic. I have a couple of students leaving early so I have to get everything ready for them.

So Life this week has been a little crazy, but a lot of fun. So this week we didn't have school on Tuesday. So we took this opportunity to hang out with our mentoring girls. So we went to the movies and we saw the movie Unstoppable. Then we went to the coffee house and play games. It was a blast. Then this week we had volleyball and it was unusually fun. Thursday I played with them and we had four people and then three high school boys who just watched but I gave them each a job. THen on Friday their was a teacher who held tryouts for praise band so we had music during volleyball. After volleyball it was kind of a dance party. Then there was a movie night at school and Christy and I went to get dinner and then we went back to watch the movie. It was a blast.

Saturday I did something I have never done before, I coached a soccer match. It was a lot of fun. I coached 6 girls and we lost but they did well. I learned a lot about soccer and by the end of the first half I really was getting the hang of it. The second half of the game I was telling them where to mark and where to stand. It was great. We played against the team that we go to do minister against once a month. So we knew some of the players on the other team. It was a blast and hang out with the students. That night we went out for sushi my new favorite thing to do.

I Have some exciting news I have decided to stay for another year here in Ghana. I have such a peace about being here and working with these students. THese kids just need someone to listen to them and just be here for them. I feel like God has given me the students this year and I have been put in charge of especially of the high schoolers for a reason and they are starting to open up to me and how can I leave them now. I am so excited about where God is leading me. THis year has not been easy by any means but God gives us not so easy things to teach us something.

life as a teacher

How do you know what to say when you have a student searching for something that is more. Struggling with who they are and what their purpose is. On Friday I had a student just share what was going on in their life and it just broke my heart. They keep everything inside of them until it is just overbearing especially when there is a lot of decisions. I thought about what I could say or how I could relate to this student. I then remembered Job and how his friends didn't have to say anything. They just sat there with them. We have been doing Esther for our Bible study and we have been seeing that Esther was put in the palace for a time as this to save the Jewish people.

What happens if I were brought to Ghana for the second year of teaching Third grade and having a random high school study hall is not random at all. Maybe for a time as this to be here with this student listening to what is going on in their life. More and more I realize that nothing is random we are brought to certain places and given certain students for a reason. God is good and He gives us the people we need. I am so thankful for God using me in a time as this.

Please pray for this student their is a lot decisions they have to make. Continue to pray for the decision I have to make for next year. I will be with you in a little while. Just remember God has you where you are for a reason.

oh to be in Ghana...

There are some things that rarely happen in the states but in Ghana it happens very frequently . THese happened to me all this week in a matter of like 4 days. Okay so here we go...

1. Thursday night after our schools soccer match I walked home was home for about ten minutes when I hear this awful screeching noise. A dog had chased a chicken into our compound and our guard, Daniel was trying to catch it. He finally caught it and we decided that we wanted to take a picture so we took our pictures but then however, one of housemates was like I want to hold it and I was like I am not holding that thing.

However in the end of course I held a live chicken.

2. On Friday night we went to our new favorite place the Koffee House and we went to have dinner and play some games. We were not there for more than an hour and a half hour later of course the electricity went off. So we immediately pull out our phones that have flashlights turn them on and set them on the table and continue to play our game.

3. So I get to sleep very easily on Friday night excited to sleep a very long time. However, at a bright and early 5.45am a car decided that this was a good time to get someones attention and was honkey his car horn for 15 minutes. so by that time I was wide awake. Hence exhausted for the whole day.

This week has been a rough week I have not felt the best. I had a cold like thing this whole week and didn't feel good at all. I went to school everyday even though I should have been at home asleep. I am still not feeling the best, so please pray I get better. I think the toughest part about being overseas is not being informed of things going on stateside, and things changing without knowing.

I have included some more pictures.

THese are most of our "sharpeners" girls, we went out for pizza last week.
My third graders
Liz, Kim, and Me at the AIS soccer game on THursday.
Me and Fanny she is one of my mentoring girls.

ALno and me one of the high school soccer players.