The Ghana weekend

So the Ghana weekend was pretty freaking amazing. On Thursday, I traveled to Pittsburg Pennalvania. In Chicago, I indulged in a turkey sandwich, french fries, and frozen yogurt with strawberries(only 110 calories). When I got off the plane in Pittsburg and saw Lyndsey, I started jumping up and down! I was SO EXCITED TO SEE HER. We drove to Westminster College (an hour away) and I spent the night in her dorm(Ferg). I slept in her friend Steph’s room, because Steph’s roommate is away so she had an extra bed. I slept beneath a Justin Bieber poster.. which was interesting.

The next morning I woke up, showered, and read for fun( 1^st to Die by James Patterson). Lyndsey took me to lunch at their version of the Burrow. I had pasta with marinera & grilled zucchini with parmesan(the most incredible zucchini I have ever had in my life).

The rest of the afternoon I spent reading, checking e-mail, writing down directions, talking to Lyndsey, and taking a 2 hours nap(WIN). When I woke up I ate a PB & J sandwich and Lyndsey and I left for Ohio. During the 3 hour drive we rocked out to country “ If I Die Young,” K LOVE, 80s music, and Adele. I definitely belted “Someone Like You” like there was no tomorrow. When Madonna’s “ Like A Prayer” came on I was in the process of calling Scott to see where he was. I immediately hung up the phone so I could sing the song. We also sang the song “We are young heartache to heartache we stand.” It was in the movie 13 going on 30. I need to find out the title.

Besides the singing we spent a lot of time talking about Africa and how much we wanted to go back .

When we finally arrived in Gahanna, Ohio, I attacked Evan I was so excited. When we went inside to see the others, Scott immediately handed me his trash. Some things never change. After meeting Evan's parents, e brought our stuff in and proceeded to wait for Adam Folken to arrive. Once he got there we watched an episode of a show called “ The Walking Dead” which is apparently really popular. I found it weird and disturbing. The themes of the show included the apolcalypse and zombie wars.

After eating way too much trail mix, we headed upstairs to bed. I volunteered to sleep on the floor, because I like my personal space while I sleep. When Evan came in to say goodnight, he apparently brought us a dream feather(BAHAHA) as a joke. Unfortunatley the dream feather did not work, because Lyndsey woke up in the night and said, “Something from the wall came out and attacked me.” My response, “Well, are you ok?” Lyndsey replied, “ Yes, I just have to settle down a bit.”

She then proceeded to make some weird noises and then fell back asleep. This experience was definitely one of my favorite Lyndsey Katherine moments.

The next morning I woke up at nine and took a shower. I ate half of a pumpkin muffin. We then journeyed downtown to pick up our race packets. It was cool to at least get a shirt- even though I wasn’t going to get to run the race because of my stupid flight.

Evan walked us around for a bit and then we headed to the zoo. Evan and I had a decent talk on the way to the zoo – which caused him to completely miss the exit.. what a fail...

When we finally arrived, Scott and Adam(in my journal I originally wrote Evan- GOSH WHAT IS IT WITH THOSE NAMES) said they didn’t want to go the zoo since it was going to close in an hour. We took some stupid pictures and then left. On our way out, Evan stole a pumpkin. I was appalled.

When we arrived back at Evan’s house, he watched football and insisted we all enjoy the experience with him. I was able to consume a lot of trail mix and play Angry Birds with Scott, so I didn’t protest too much. After the first football game, Evan suggested we all play hearts ,which of course we all agreed to. Ghana flashback. We also ended up playing BS which proved to be interesting. Scott just kept losing because he called BS on everyone.

Evan’s parental units prepared a fabulous feast for us. The menu consisted of chicken and this incredible pasta.We talked a lot about Ghana and how much we all missed it.

After dinner, we skyped with Sarah for an hour and a half. It was so great!! We watched the puppy pictures video, and she showed us this video that contained a lot of British humor which none of us got-however, she found it hilarious, which provided us with several laughs.

Soon afterwards, Lyndsey and left. Before we left, Scott hugged me instead of handing me his trash. Win for Kate. When I hugged Evan, I apparently pounded his back or something and he told me I hugged like a man. Loss for Kate.

We ended up having to go back to Evan's because she left her wallet. Lyndsey fail. On the way home, we consumed way too much caffeine and chocolate.

On the way home, we talked about the unspoken bond we have with all of our Ghana friends. The bond we all share and feel, but never talk about.

I thought it would be weird seeing everyone again, but it wasn’t. It felt like we had been friends our whole lives. It was so natural, so normal.. so wonderful.

What a privilege it is to know such amazing people who not only make me smile & laugh, but who also challenge the way I think about things , and don't make me feel like a total idiot even when I act like one.

:)

Ghana time is finished.

It is finished.

This is one of my favorite sayings from Ghana- along with You're invited.

My time in Ghana is over. I have been home for over a week now and I must say it has been extremely emotional and hard. The first weekend I chose to stay holed up at home with my family , cleaning out the closet, doing laundry, working out, and watch some good movies- Country Strong was SO good- one of my new favorites. I have seen a couple of friends since getting back, but I look forward to seeing the rest of them in the upcoming week. It has been great to get to eat American food- lots of strawberries & salads- food has a whole new taste- although I could really go for some red red right now. I got my hair cut, my retainers adjusted, started work, and delayed finishing my books- Lolita and The Lacuna. I am just not in the mood to read those two works right now.

It's just easier to be happier in Africa. I don't know what it is about that continent, but I felt the same way in Guinea. I don't have to try as hard to be happy or work as hard to keep myself sane and emotionally secure. I can just be. I am more confident in myself and work harder at my relationship with God. I write more. I read more. I listen more. I am more focused on what I need to accomplish in life and how I can be there for others. I don't know why I am so different in America, but I am. It's frustrating and I hope I can work harder to become the Africa Kate, here in the U.S. I want so badly to be her all of the time. To be a strong individual, a hard worker, a compassionate woman.

I want to have it all, but being here in America often allows me to become less of who I was meant to be.. This is extremely frustrating. I need to work harder to be ok. I was watching a video on Project Lifesize-a channel for size acceptance - today and Gretchen said the following:

“I don’t feel broken anymore.. and really that was all I ever really wanted.”

I think that is what I need to work on over the summer months- not feeling broken anymore. In Africa I feel complete and whole- and I need to feel that here.

So here's to a summer of self-reflection, analyzing, writing, time with God, and recovery...

Hospitals, Tro-Tros, Dates, Rhetorical Questions, Death, and Laughter

The past month has been filled with craziness. I finally ended up going to the hospital after having the worst abdominal pain of my entire life. I sat there all day, got my blood drawn, and ended up with a diagnosis of bad worms. After being given de-worming medication and pain meds, I headed home to chill. All seemed well and after de- worming with 4 magic pills, my energy returned.

Unfortunately, come Saturday night, I would be back to throwing up in the bathroom on the first floor of ISH. That bathroom floor became my second home for about three weeks. I have no idea why I got sick, but, unfortunately, I was stuck in the bathroom all night and most of Easter day. I was seriously bummed to miss Easter service and a wedding, but thankfully I got to hang out my friends during the Easter dinner we had on Sunday night. Sarah Worthing said a beautiful prayer and it was great to have community time:)

Being in Africa has really allowed to realize how important it is to make time for people and conversation. I am an extremely independent person and love doing things on my own, but being in Africa has really taught me the value of community and relationships. I have built relationships with some of the most incredible people in the world since coming to Ghana. It is going to be so hard to not see them every day. I know I will be calling, skyping, and texting a lot when I get home. The relationships that I have built here have really motivated me to work harder on my relationships at home. I need to make more time for my friends and work harder to really love them as Christ has called me to love.

After Easter, we had our last week of class and went to see our dear friend Caitlin(from Billings, Montana- she goes to school at UM in Missoula:)) in a play on campus titles "Through a film, darkly." She played a British woman married to a Ghanaian and the play explored various relationships between individuals of different races and the difficult task of assimilating into a particular culture. Perhaps the most entertaining part of the evening was the audience response to the play. When the actors asked rhetorical questions, the audience responded. When scandal occurred, the audience responded with suggestions as to what the actors should do. There were many funny comments throughout the night- including a line in the play “Do you think it’s fair that she used me as a specimen for her thesis in anthropology?”

My last several tro tro rides have been especially wonderful. I have had several men pay for my tro tro, talked to several amazing Ghanaian women, been proposed to around a dozen times, and gotten to ride in the front of the tro tro - just the driver and myself. I love hissing at the mate and paying my 30 peswas- such a simple action, but something that I will definitely miss once my time in Ghana has ended.

This week is revision week which essentially means that we sleep in until 10 or 11 every day, eat amazing Ghanaian food, read books, "study," laugh, and travel. With the beginning of revision week came the news that Osama Bin Laden was dead and the subsequent letter from the U.S. Department of State and US embassy in Ghana to be safe in light of recent counter-terrorism insurgency in Pakistan. I have never felt unsafe in Ghana and have no doubt that all will go well the rest of my trip. After hearing the news of Bin Laden's death and seeing some of the footage on CNN and the barrage of facebook statuses', I whipped out my journal and began to write. I was absolutely appalled at the excitement over this man's death. This MLK quote came to mind during my journalling.

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

I can't believe it is almost over.

The Prayer

Several years ago, my dad introduced me to the song "The Prayer" sung by Josh Groban & Charlotte Church. The lyrics of this song have been flowing through my mind these past several weeks as I prepare to leave the home I have made in Ghana to return to the United States.

"I pray you'll be our eyes

And watch us where we go

And help us to be wise

In times when we don't know."

I don't think it has hit me that I am going to leave this place three weeks from today. Ghana and ISH have become my home. I am scared to leave this place. I am scared that the person that I have become over the past several months is going to disappear and that I will once again become the person that I was before this journey. My time in Ghana has molded me in ways that I never expected. I have discovered more about myself and closer to God in 4 months than at any other point in my life. My journalling has certainly helped me process a lot of my feelings and emotions, but I have often found myself thinking too much and becoming increasingly disheartened. Having so much time to process and analyze has led me feel depressed some days. However, I wouldn't trade this time in Ghana for any time in the world. It has been hard to think this much, deal with this much, and realize this much about myself (both stuff that I like and stuff that is less than awesome). As much as I needed this time, I think there is a reason that time doesn't stop and wait for us to figure out who we're supposed to be. I think time keeps going, because if it were to stop and give us a break, there is a good chance that we would go a little crazy.

We are alive.

breathing in and out everyday,

struggling,

evolving,

changing,

moving,

not remaining in one place for too long

leaving..

"And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?

It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out.

I want to repeat one word for you:
Leave.

Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed."

-Donald Miller

Togo Togo Togo

Over a month ago, several ISEP students made to the journey to Togo to renew our visas. We spent some time on the beach on the Ghana side and then walked across the border to Togo. The border consisted of a man with a wooden stick letting people through. IT WAS SOO COOL.

After crossing the border, several people boarded motor taxis and headed off to the market. We arrived and got really amazing food- cous-cous and vegetables and walked around the market for a while. As we were heading to purchase the famous avocado sandwiches, standing in the middle of the street Casey and I watched as a little girl crouched down and began to urinate. I believe my exact words were "WOW." At that moment it really hit me that I am in a totally different place. I feel so at home in Africa that I often forget how different the culture is. I could write an essay about it - so I clearly register it- but I guess I just don't think about it all the time.


After getting our amazing avocado sandwiches we hopped onto a bunch of motorcycles- yes- it was a scene getting taxis for 5 white girls - they guys were going insane. Riding on the back of a motorcycle in the glorious sunshine was by far one of the highlights of my entire trip. Once we reached the border, we paid our taxi drivers and waited to the cross the border. When we had crossed the border the first time, I noticed that my friend Evan had his passport hanging out of his back pocket waiting for some thief to reach in and steal it. I commented on it and he instantly accused me of staring at his butt- which I WAS NOT- and then asked me to carry it in my purse for him. Since this trip I have decided to make him a shirt that says, " I am not an object" for his half-birthday in July. Since Evan had not yet arrived I ended up waiting for him. Of course while waiting I got several proposals and comments that I was looking good- which I was not- sweaty with my hair all over the place. Anyway Evan finally showed up and a bunch of crossed the border back into Ghana. We ended up waiting for about an hour for Theresa to show up, because the visa people would only give us thirty days instead of the 60 days. Thankfully Theresa's husband did work and we got our sixty days:)

Our day in Togo was super fun & I can't wait to go back!

38 days..

38 days from now I will be arriving in Missoula, Montana. This journey will be over, and I will be half way done with college.

These past few weeks have certainly been rough- I have had stomach issues and a persistent headache which have affected my mood a lot. There have certainly been times when I have wished for the comfort of my bed at Hendrix. Last semester, I remember a time when I had a high fever and my friends and room mate watched over me like a hawk- taking great care of me. I don't think I realized how much my Hendrix family does for me- until this trip. Thankfully I have great friends here who have expressed concern and while I am feeling much better I am still refusing to go to the hospital. I have been a couple of times with friends and I really don't want to go waste money and a day to find out I have a bacterial infection.

Other than not feeling well, the past few weeks have been filled with classes, lack of sleep, good times with dear friends, an amazing pot luck -guacamole- bruschetta- mac & cheese- and other yummy food, the discovery of vegetable kabobs from the night market wrapped in fax paper, and the leaving of one of our good friends, John.

While I know that I have limited time left in Ghana, I can't help looking forward to all the exciting things that summer will bring. My class, internship, weddings, a trip to Colorado, camping trips with Ghana friends(THERE WILL BE 4 of us in Montana this summer:)) and time with family and friends all occupy my mind and I can't help but find myself ready to embark on these new journeys. However, I really don't want to waste the rest of my time here. I still have finals, volunteering, books to read, and time spent with my wonderful new friends to have.

It's so hard when you are caught between two worlds.

This time in Ghana has answered many questions that I have about my future, but it has also made me realize how unsure I am about how my life is going to go. I have no idea where I am headed in the next two years let alone any time after that. I think God has really opened my eyes and shown me that I definitely want to go to grad school and get my masters in clinical psychology. I have also realized that I am certain that I definitely want my life to be focused on some sort of homeless ministry. I also know that I haven't found a people group that I am really passionate about on a global scale. I think for so long I thought I was headed back to Africa, but my time here has shown me that I am definitely not called to this specific area. Whether that means I need to head back to Guinea or another country outside of West Africa or head to a totally different location such as South America or Central Asia remains to be seen. I think reading the book Three Cups of Tea really helped me realize that wherever I choose to go- I need to allow God to lead and I need to have an intense passion for the area which I am serving. I completely believe that God will place this desire in my heart and tell me when and where I am called.

Realizing this was extremely difficult for me. For so long I had the idea in my head that Africa was where I was called and that returning would provide me with absolute assurance. Instead God totally changed my plan- and I feel guilty. How could I not be called to Africa? How could the passion and sense of direction that I felt leaving Guinea just be gone. I don't feel compassionate or good or worthy. I feel helpless, unsure, and unsettled.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ghana. It has been such an amazing experience and I am so glad that I decided to study abroad here. I just know that it's not where I am called. I hate that I feel relieved that I have certainty about this decision. I hate that it can be so easy to just discard a nation and a people. Maybe it isn't discarding.. .but I just feel like it is. The more I study and read and pray- the more I realize how much there needs to be done in this world and I find myself feeling that I need to do it all- that I have to do it all. That I have to have each portion of my life fully in sync with God at all times. That I must constantly be thinking on a global scale and reaching out to each people group- which is obviously ridiculous- I can't do it all.

What I can't understand is why I feel I have to? Why do I feel that I am a failure if I don't help each and every area that I come in contact with- when I don't feel compassion on everyone that I meet- when I don't feel called to each area that I go..


There is hope for me yet.. because God won't forget .. all the plans He's made for me..

I have to wait and see.. He's not finished with me yet..

The Park

Ok, I apologize for the lack of cheeriness in this blog post, especially since yesterdays was so happy, but I just have to get some stuff out of my system.

Since being here, I have realized a lot about myself through time with God, journalling, or through conversations with other individuals.

I love people to get love in return.

While I always knew this on some level, the extent to which I do this did not hit me until my time in Ghana. I do stuff for my friends, because I love them, but not only do I love them, I want them to love me in return. I want them to see what I do for them and love me because of what I do, not what I am. Shouldn't it be the opposite of that? Shouldn't I want my friends to love me because of who I am. Part of me is someone who desires to go back to the days of letter writing and send things to my friends, who wants to pick them up, send them cakes, throw them parties, tell them I love them, but that is certainly not all of me.

There is a part of me who exists merely to enjoy the simple pleasures in life like a nice cup of chai tea, a good book, a perfect chord, a smile, a look, a moment in time where I feel God's presence. There are parts of me who need to be held, that need to be told on a daily basis they are loved. There are parts of me that need someone to hold my hand, to listen to my story.

I don't think anyone has ever done that. There have certainly been points where a few have been let in. They have walked away. This unfortunately teaches me that opening up and letting people in is a bad thing. I am not saying that this is true, it is just what my emotions tend to tell me after such occurrences. The good thing is it provides me with a never ending need for God. It forces me to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, to seek His comfort.

While this is certainly wonderful and I would never say that I am not grateful for this opportunity to draw near to God, I think that there is a reason that I am not the only individual on the planet. I was meant to live in community with other people.

I wasn't meant to sit on this park bench alone.

There is supposed to be someone beside me.

I am very much alone. The majority of the time I like being alone. I know that seems strange, but being alone is when I am safest. When I am alone, there is no forced conversation or reason for me to open up. I can remain as I am. I think that is why when I am around people, including my good friends I tend to have word vomit. I can't form coherent thoughts or make statements sound the way I would like them to. I think my mouth is incapable of forming the words "You have hurt my feelings." I am much better at writing letters or phone conversations than actual real life interaction.

Why is this?

One of the things I love so much about Ghanaian culture is that the family is the center of society. Even your friends are your sisters and brothers, elders are your aunties and uncles. Life is centered around your family. You do everything together. You talk to each other every day. I certainly don't talk to my family every day. There are times in my life where I have gone several weeks- maybe even a month since being in Ghana that I haven't spoken to them at all. I could chalk it up to being busy, but isn't that just another excuse. Shouldn't we talk more? I don't know.

My friends and I have similar relationships. We talk once in a while, but never on a consistent basis. People who I love so much and that I desire to know. I don't make time for them. I don't even give them the chance to get to know me. I never call someone up and say - "Hey, I know this might be an inconvenient time for you, but I really need to talk about said issue. I know it is stupid, but it means a lot to me and it would really mean a lot if you could just listen." I am not saying that I should learn to be selfish, but I should learn how to have real relationships with those around me- ones that are based on mutual love and support. Certainly there will be people in my life who don't want that, and while I shouldn't discard them, maybe they aren't supposed to be my closest friends.

Not only do I want real friendships, but I want to learn how to love people better. I want to learn how to love my friends and family like Christ loves them. I want to love them unconditionally, seeking their higher good rather than my own. I don't want to care about them loving me back or them listening to my problems. I want to just focus on LOVING them the way Christ has loved me -without agenda. If we all learned how to love like this I am convinced the world would be a significantly better place to live.

I am seeking abundant life.

Ghana, How I love thee

I have seven weeks left in Africa. Where did all the time go?

This amazing experience has FLOWN by. I feel so blessed to have come here and met these amazing people. I am going to make sure to treasure every single moment left here in Ghana, for I know that in the blink of an eye it will all be gone. Thus, I have decided to make a list of all of the many wonderful things that I love about my home of the past four months, so that in the coming weeks as I prepare to finish my semester and journey back across the sea-and inevitably cry a lot- I can look back on all that I have experienced with a heart of love and appreciation.

1. Akwaaba- This word means welcome in Twi(pronounced tree). I LOVE THIS WORD

2. Plantain chips and sachet water available right outside the tro tro window

3. Tro Tros - the entire experience is marvelous- the sights, sounds, smells, bargaining with the mate for the regular price instead of the obruni one. I LOVE BARGAINING with tro tro or taxi drivers. It is SOO much fun. My friend Casey always lets me take the lead.

4. Being called Obruni(foreigner).

5. Being called Auntie Kate - by the kids at Kissemahn & Beacon House

6. Jolif rice, plantains, red red, yam chips w/tomato sauce, coke in bottles, pineapple, bananas, and egg sandwiches

7. Spending the night in the hospital with Casey.

8. The night market - need I say more? Everything you could ever want or need all in one place. Vivian = best night market friend ever.

9. Phrases such as Charlay, eh(pronounced VERY dramatically), Ete sen

10. Chaco tans made by the red dust of Accra

11. Osu smoothie place

12. THE KIDS AT KISSEMAHN AND THE ORPHANAGE .. there is so much I could write about these beautiful children .. how beautiful their smiles are.. how fun it is to play football with them and sing songs .. how wonderful it is to hold them in my arms.

13. Bible study on Tuesday nights with my ISH girls

14. Shadrach introducing us to the song SHAKE THAT BOOTY THAT JESUS GAVE YOU

15. Daily texts from my Ghanaian friends asking if I slept well, how I am doing, do I need anything, etc.

16. Taco Bell- a restaurant on campus that does not serve tacos, but does have really good vegetables & fried rice- and FANS

17. The insanity of class in Ghana- the yelling, craziness, inability to figure out what is going on... it's beyond frustrating, but wonderful

18. Coffee Q- berry tea, wonderful ladies, great egg sandwiches, and shade:)

19. AVOCADOS in Ghana :) I eat avocado on sandwiches(thanks Togo) and pretty much everything else.

20. Singing with my ISH peeps. Someone always has a guitar out and is strumming some tune or other.

21. My awesome Ghanaian friends - and my ISEP peeps. This experience would not be nearly as wonderful.

22. Being proposed to on a daily basis. The most recent proposal occurred in a taxi on the way back from the orphanage. The cab driver asked Lyndsey if he could marry her sister(me)- her response "She's already married." Another fun one was at the Ivory Coast - Benin soccer match where four Cameroonian guys asked for our picture(at least 5 times) and kept trying to be "friends." Casey made up a story about how I was engaged and getting married in August and that she was hoping her boyfriend back home would give her a ring like mine. It was beyond funny.

23. Being told you look beautiful while soaked with sweat and in t-shirts, shorts, and chacos.

24. Heat comas- my term for afternoon naps.

25. Seeing the kids at Kissemahn write their numbers for the first time.

26. Buying dinner for 50 peswas.

27. Riding in Tro Tros or cabs and narrowly avoiding death every time. It is always exciting to drive in Accra.

28. Seeing Jesus everywhere:)

29. Shadrach's church.

30.Ivory Coast- Benin soccer game. Watching two of my friends living their dream on the field with Drogba.

31. falling in love with God every day.. my relationship with him has never been this amazing:)

hallelujah :)

Hello World:)

Last October, Julianne and I attended a Lady Antebellum concert at TCU for free:) The title of this particular blog post comes from one of their wonderful songs:) I recommend ya'll go listen to it right now.

Life is pretty perfect right now. I am living in a truly amazing place, that has slowly become home. I am surrounded with beautiful people who truly make my life so incredible. Not only am I surrounded by beautiful people in Ghana, but I have an amazing set of people back in the United States who I love dearly and who make my life so incredibly rich.

My time in Ghana is almost halfway over and I can say with absolute certainty that I have grown in ways that I never thought possible. My relationship with God is growing so incredibly much, my time in the word & in prayer has become consistent, and I have slowly been giving up many of previous feelings of inadequacy. I have slowly come to the realization that I am extremely passionate about PEOPLE- more specifically I am passionate about getting to know people and their stories. I love listening, which may come as a surprise to many of you who know that I am quite the talker. Not that I don't like to be listened to once in a while, but since being here I have realized that I much prefer listening to talking.

I definitely feel God calling me into clinical psychology and homeless ministry. I also feel called to start some sort of new church community in Missoula someday- one that is much like that of Imago Dei in Portland or Mars Hill in Grand Rapids. I have such a passion for the wonderful people in Missoula. I never thought that I would someday return to Missoula, but now I feel that someday it will be in the cards for me. I see so many of them who are hurting and are in need of a place to ask questions about God and faith. A place to question, to discover, to learn, and to fall in love with a Savior who is crazy in love with them.

Another amazing thing Ghana has given me is a new self- confidence in myself and where I am headed in life. While I definitely still have a passion for travel and ministry outside the states- and plan on pursuing this for a while- I think that eventually I will end up back in the US. I see such a brokenness there that is not evident in many of the other places I have visited. I want to help people in the US learn to love service as much as I have grown to love it. I want to see more people begin to pursue careers as social workers, ministers, international aid workers, etc.

Since coming to Ghana, my approach to my body has changed as well. Since I was 15, like many other women, I have struggled with self-hate. I have never liked my body and have often resorted to starvation, excessive exercise, and the occasional fingers down the throat to try to achieve perfection. My weight has fluctuated up and down over the years and I have often struggled with feeling like the "fat" girl. Here I have begun to work out more consistently to try to get my body to become more healthy, rather than to achieve the perfect "thin" look. Not to say, that I don't struggle with those feelings- let's be honest every day- but they have definitely lessened significantly. I know that these feelings will be a life long struggle for me, however, I am confident that with hard work & God's mercy I will be able to overcome my feelings of inadequacy.

life is beautiful, my nails are shades of orangey pink(shocking right?), i'm reading crazy love & three cups of tea, listening to phil wickham, marveling at Ghana & the incredible people I am surrounded by,

and falling crazy in love

with my dearest friend, my Savior:)

"I see your face in every sunrise

the colors of the morning are inside

your eyes.

The world awakens in the light of the day..

I look up to the sky and say

you're beautiful."

you're beautiful- phil wickham:)

Enchanted

These past few weeks have been filled with joy, tears, confusion, soul-seeking, odyssey proposals, and much laughter. Classes have gotten into full swing and I can say without a doubt that my History & Practice of Islam class is by far my favorite class at UG. My professor is really nice, always prepared, accommodating to international students, and full of great information. Besides classes, the weeks have been filled with travel, amazing INDIAN food, great bible studies, time at the orphanage, God time, skype dates with friends, amazing bonding time, odyssey proposals getting approved, trying to formulate summer plans, letter writing, and all around amazingness.

Since the last blog post, I have spent some time at the orphanage and I have decided that I am going to make my Odyssey proposal a combination of time at Kissemahn & the orphanage. As hard and challenging as serving at both places has been for me, I know that God is calling me to spend time at both locations. We have been so busy traveling-that this upcoming week will be my first full week of volunteering.

A couple of weeks ago we traveled to Kumasi, to visit a museum, cultural center, and some small villages within the region. We went to a Kente weaving village where I picked up a piece of cloth to wear around my neck at graduation- when I am SUPER STOKED about. While there, I witnessed my first funeral procession. There must have been hundreds of people all dressed in black or red, with those in the choir- wearing graduation caps, walking down the road carrying the casket to the burial site.

The highlight of my weekend in Kumasi was by far our second night there. Several of us went out to a very yummy meal which lasted for several hours. We all sat around, sharing our various dishes of food, talking, laughing, and just being in community. As I looked around, I remember thinking to myself this is what life is about- community.. people sharing, talking, laughing, lightening each others loads, and just being with each other. Later that night a bunch of the ISEP kids all hung out in the boys larger room which had a couch and several chairs. We all sat around giving each other back massages, talking, laughing, and singing. At one point we decided to see how many of us could lay down on the boys giant bed - which literally took up almost an entire room(9 of us fit!!). We also spent at least a good 20 minutes laying on the roof of our hotel just watching the stars in silence. It was quite lovely.

On Thursday of this week, several of us were planning on going to Mole National Park to see elephants, warthogs, monkeys, etc. We got up at 5:00 a.m. to arrive at the bus station at 6:30 a.m., to get on our bus which left at 8. We ended up sitting there for 7 1/2 hours, when my friend Casey, who had come down with an eye infection that morning, finally decided she needed to go to the hospital. We got a refund on our tickets, and the two of us headed to the hospital to get her treated. We later found out the bus didn't end up leaving until 6:30 that night. It was a disappointment for sure. On the way home from the hospital, after what had been an extremely frustrating & disappointing day, I found myself humming Jesus Loves Me in the taxi. Casey caught on and we both sat there and hummed it for a while. Such a simple song was able to comfort us in such a frustrating moment.However, it is has been a blessing to have a nice relaxing weekend in Accra. Casey and I got sandwiches & smoothies last night and I woke up at six this morning - ON MY OWN AND FULLY RESTED( I am hoping to get in this routine for this summer when I have my job, internship, and class at the U). I spent some time talking to a dear friend, watched a movie, worked out for an hour(Jillian Michaels kicks booty), and am now planning on taking a shower, doing some reading for class, stocking up on water, and eating yummy jolif from the night market.

I cannot believe that I have already spent 7 weeks in Ghana!! It has gone by so fast, and I can't believe that in less than two weeks I will be halfway done with my time here. Life is flying by so incredibly fast & I want to make sure to soak up every bit of time I have here- as I know the likelihood of an experience of this kind happening again is rare.

This weekend we are headed to Togo for a day to renew our Visas for another 60 days. I am planning on going on one more trip to Togo & Benin at the end of the semester, to renew my visa one final time. Other than that, I hope to get an opportunity to go to Mole at some point, however, I want to make volunteering my first priority, so we will see if that happens.

God has been so incredible and provided so much grace and love over the course of this trip. The title of this blog is in reference to the song by Taylor Swift(cheesy I know). I realize this song was written about a boy, however, when Casey and I were jamming to it the other day I totally realized that it could be applied to GOD.

"There I was again tonight forcing laughter, faking smiles

same old tired, lonely place

walls of insincerity

shifting eyes and vacancy vanished when I saw your face

All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you."

Over these past seven weeks, I have had the incredible privilege to get to know God on a deeper level, a level I never thought possible...

and I can honestly say

it has been enchanting

to meet

Him.

:)

I can't let this go .. I'm on my way

Sorry for the lapse in blog posts. I have been super busy and happy and wonderful and blogging is pretty much the last thing on my mind. Thankfully I have kept up with my journaling so that will definitely be of help when trying to catch ya'll up on my happenings. The past several week have been pretty amazing. I am enjoying some aspects of most of my classes. I am taking- The History & Practice of Islam, Psychology of Religion, Women & Children's Rights and Protections, and Personality and Behavioral Disorders. All of these classes fall under the religion or social work domain and are all at the 300 level.

The past several weeks have been filled with many exciting events including Valentine's Day, Lyndsey's 20th birthday, and a weekend trip to the Volta Region. On Valentine's Day, my friend Casey and I watched The Ugly Truth & Notting Hill(perhaps my favorite romantic comedy of all time- besides Love Actually) while the boys cooked pork shoulder stew. It sounded disgusting, but after dipping a piece of bread into the broth, I determined it was very tasty!

On Tuesday night, Casey was running a fever, so we headed off to the Nyaho clinic to get her checked out. After taking her blood & urine samples( I got to carry them down to the lab- I told Casey that makes us real friends now), they admitted her to the hospital and after a shot in the butt they began to treat her for malaria. Unlike the United States, they did not wait for the lab results to come back before they started treating her. I stayed overnight with her at the hospital and the next morning the doctor came in and told her that she tested negative for malaria- but that did not necessarily mean she did not have it. It was interesting hanging out in the hospital and actually being COLD for once & having access to weird American tv( some 80's films, bones, and friends). That afternoon I left the hospital and headed back to campus. took a long nap and then we all went out for Lyndsey's 20th birthday. We went salsa dancing which was super fun and then we went out to a bar place and had a yummy dinner. I had vegetables, french fries, and a virgin pina colada(healthy right? that was the only vegetarian thing on the menu). Unfortunately, Casey had to stay until Friday-thankfully a bunch of the awesome ISEP kids went to visit her.When I went back on Thursday this taxi guy tried to charge me 10 cedi for the cab sometimes I dislike being an obruni. When they finally let her go - she apparently had a bacterial infection- not malaria .

Last weekend we went to the Volta Region and spent time at Tafi Atome monkey sanctuary where I got to feed a wild monkey:)

After our time at the sanctuary, we headed to WLI falls. It was about a 45 minute hike to the falls. As soon as we arrived, I was in complete awe of GOD and his wondrous creation. The falls were absolutely breathtaking. Standing close to the falls with the wind blowing the mist over my entire body, I was in complete bliss. It was my own personal heaven. I wish I could have stayed there until it got dark, just to hang out by myself. I would love to go back with a picnic and a book and spend my day swimming in the falls, reading, and sitting in awe of my Father.

After our time at the falls, we headed to a place called Virgin Lips(weird name huh.. I immediately texted Alex once I saw the name of the restaurant) for dinner. The place played country music and served Ghanian food. I had yummy jolif rice(extremely spicy but my FAVORITE) and vegetables. We headed to our hotel, where several of us got single rooms which was an awesome treat:) I took a bucket shower, spent some time in the word, and read Eat Pray Love.

The next day we headed to Kente weaving village, where we got to spend some time learning how to weave- and played with several of the local kids!

After our time at the Kente weaving village, we headed back to Accra. Yesterday, Casey and I went and visited the Beacon House orphanage and signed up to start volunteering. Our trips to Kissemahn have left us very disheartened and we are currently praying about the extent to which we can be of service there. While I am certainly not going to stop going, I am praying seriously about whether of not I am supposed to be there for the majority of the semester. The majority of the trip I have tried to have low expectations, but when it came to volunteering at Kissemahn, I think I set myself up for frustration. I had several high expectations for what my time like there would be like. God has definitely challenged Casey and I a lot, and I ask that you would pray for wisdom and discernment as to where we should go. I am headed to the orphanage tomorrow morning for about 4 hours, and hopefully after another week I will be able to decide where I feel the Lord calling me to spend the majority of my semester( and where I would like to do my Odyssey project).

I can't believe that I have already been here 1 month and 3 days!! Time has flown by and while I don't like to think ahead, I already know that going back to Montana for the summer is going to be extremely hard. The friendships that I have made here are already so strong and I know that many of these people will continue to be a major part of my life after I leave Ghana. Last night we had a huge torrential rainstorm(water pouring down the stairs of our hostel and walking around it was extremely deep). A bunch of us hung out in the ISH cafe and as we watched the rain fall, played a game of truth for several hours. It was great to getting to know several of my new friends on such a deeper level- we laughed and some of us almost cried. I can't believe that I have been blessed with such a great group of people to share this experience with!!

I have been able to skype with several of you, but would love to see more of your shining faces. I usually skype late at night, because of the time difference, so please let me know if you want to set up a time!! I love you all!

peace,

kate

51 Books in 2011

So, one of my goals for this year was to read 50 books in 2011. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of a book when the new year started so I decided to do 51 since there was an overlap. So here are the books, I have read thus far. I would highly recommend all of them.

1. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green * the overlap book

2. Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

5. Sex God by Rob Bell

6. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson

7. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson

8. The Irresistible Revolution by. Shane Claibourne

9. Paper Towns by John Green

10.Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller * my 2nd read through

11. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

12.Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

13. Eat, Pray, Love *2nd read through

14. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

15. Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

16. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen

17. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

18.Crazy Love by Francis Chan

19. Stones into Schools by Greg Mortensen

20. The Romantics by Galt Niederhoffer

21. Radical by David Platt

22. Light in August by William Faulkner

23. All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Janelle Brown

Currently reading The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver & Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov

Much love,

k

We need good friends to do good things:)

As I write this, the sky behind my back is almost completely black. The soundtrack of this blog is a combination of Regina Spektor & the pounding of the rain on the roof. This friends, is my first rainstorm in Ghana & I am currently tempted to run outside and play in the rain. Unfortunately, I must get to work on my Odyssey proposal & try to be somewhat productive. However, as soon as this school stuff is over, I will be outside jumping in puddles and playing with all of my fellow ISEP students in the rain. One of my favorite smells in the entire world is the smell of rain. As the scent of rain wafts in through the open window, I feel that something is right with the world again. Rain or any precipitation for that matter is one of the few things in the world that makes me feel completely at home. I am not a sunny weather kind of girl. My ideal day would most certainly be nestled inside my house, curled up with a cup of tea & a good book, watching the snow (or rain) fall outside. I certainly appreciate the sun- after all it is much more delightful to hike & camp in the sunshiny weather, but nothing will every make me feel at home as much as snow (or rain) does. I only wish I had my rain boots.

My first day at Kissemahn was absolutely amazing. Casey and I took a tro tro going the wrong way so it took us an extra 10 peswas and 10 minutes to get there. Fortunately, we did not make the same mistake on the way back. As soon as I stepped off the tro tro a little girl in a colorful sweater walked up to me, whispered obruni (the twi word for foreigner), and grabbed my legs in a giant bear hug. It was hard not to burst into tears on spot. Unfortunately she was not of the students we would be teaching. She was on her way to school with her mom and sisters. Casey got a big hug too, and then Eric met us to walk us to school. When we arrived at the school the kids were brushing their teeth, but as soon as they were finished they ran up and grabbed our arms to lead us to the schoolroom. We began the day by introducing ourselves to the kids and attempting to learn each of their names. They sang us a welcome song and then we got to working on our counting. Casey and I worked with the youngest group of children. Since we were thrown in to the class, we had to make up everything on the spot, which was fun, yet challenging. We are thinking of making some sort of lesson plan for next time. Thank goodness we came up with lots of different ways to practice our counting and writing our numbers. The kids were all SOO cute and fun, however, it was probably the most exhausting two hours of my life. It was difficult trying to keep all of the kids in their seats and paying attention. I don’t know how many times Casey and I said, “ Hey guys let’s not hit each other!” or “ Let’s all pay attention to Auntie Kate (or Auntie Casey).” My new motto for class is hugs not hitting!

At noon we had an hour and half break and Casey and I walked into the office and sat down on the couch and dozed off for a couple of minutes. We had lunch from a stand across the street, but since we vegetarians we ate just rice. I couldn’t eat all of mine so I let the kids finish it. One of the boys literally took the whole section of spicy chili sauce and put the entire thing in his mouth. This sauce is so spicy that if I did that I would most certainly throw up.

The afternoon was devoted to working on our ABCS. This section of the day was a lot better than the morning. I knew most of the kid’s names so I could call on them individually. Casey and I both took turns coming up with ways to work on our ABCS with the kids. Towards the end of the day I read the kids The Cat in the Hat. Casey followed up with Peter Pan & a book about space. For the last thirty minutes of the day all of the kids came together and a guy named Fire led all of the kids in music. It was so wonderful to hear all of the kids singing!! One of the songs that said “we need good friends to do good things" was absolutely incredible. Another song, talked about their love of Africa and used the phrase “Africa is a peaceful place.” I pray that by the time these kids are grown up it will be.

Our day at Kissemahn was absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to go back next week!

GHANA week two!

Our second full week in Ghana was filled with the start of classes. I am currently taking four 300 level courses in Islam, Personality & Behavioral Disorders, Women & Children’s Rights & Protections, and the Psychology of Religion. I tried to take a dance class but they wouldn’t let me audit it the entire semester, so I was forced to drop it. This past weekend was filled with relaxation and fun. On Friday night a bunch of us hung out and watched The Tourist in the TV room at ISH. As I was walking up the stairs to the third floor I fell up the stairs-this would be the start of my weekend of falling. The next day Lyndsey and I walked to the IPO to try to get a good enough connection to Skype our parents. As we were leaving the IPO, my foot fell asleep and I literally fell over in front of about 10 Ghanaians. It was a very awkward fall because I fell sideways instead of backward or forward. Lyndsey couldn’t stop laughing and I am sure that all of the Ghanaians in the room thought I was pretty stupid. Way to go, Kate.

After my fall, we went back to ISH, took showers, and took the shuttle to our Welcome Durbar. It was an event held for all of the International Students. We had performances by a local group and several of the students and we ate a lot of really good food. Since coming to Africa, I have been following a vegetarian diet to try to allow my sensitive stomach to acclimate to the spice in all of the food. The problem is that I love all of the food and the spice my stomach however, does not. Red meat and fish always makes me sick at home, so I am going to try to avoid them. Hopefully I will get up the nerve to try chicken sometime this week.

After the welcome Durbur, a bunch of ISEP students went to stock up on some food at the night market and then we all hung out at ISH. I called it an early night because I had been having difficulty sleeping for a couple of days. Sunday was filled with some great time in the word, a lot of reading, and a “girl’s night out.” Lyndsey, Julie, Sarah, Caitlyn, and I all ventured out to Frankie’s – a place the guidebook said was good- which served a combination of Ghanaian, American, and Falafel. On the way there several guys came up to our taxi and stuck their hands in side the car to stroke Sarah’s hair and one of them grabbed my arm and scared me really bad. One of the guys grabbed Lyndsey’s and tried to kiss it. Over and over they told us they loved all of us. While I have had several marriage proposals and comments that I am “looking good” or “gorgeous” (let me tell you- I am neither of those things- as I am sweating all the time and wearing grubby clothes), this was my first experience with anyone actually grabbing my arm or touching anyone around me.

Last week Lyndsey and I got told we were looking good in our shorts and t-shirts and then some guy came up to us and asked us for our number or facebook names- did he know us? No. He just wanted to “be our friend.” Later on that same guy was driving and pulled over and got out of the car to ask us where we were going and if we wanted a ride. Then he wanted to know where we lived and what room we were in. We lied and told him ISH 2. Such is the life of a white American in Ghana. Luckily we have met several nice Ghanaians who make up for the few creepy ones.

At Frankie’s we all split a vegetarian pizza, which was one of the best pizzas I have ever had. Then we split really cheap dessert- a coffee cake that tasted a bit like tiramisu & almond torte from a bakery beneath the restaurant. Thankfully the taxi ride home was less eventual- although Rihanna’s Umbrella came on so there was definitely some singing going on that the taxi driver did not necessarily appreciate.

This morning I woke up and did laundry early. Here we have to wash everything by hand so it is best to get up early before it is extremely hot and get all the laundry done. Then I walked with Lyndsey to the dance department where I sadly had to drop my class, and then I walked over to the IPO hoping to send some e-mails out to the International Programs office, the guy in charge of my internship this summer, and to surf the net for job opportunities this summer. Unfortunately about 5 minutes after I got there, I experienced my first Ghanaian power outage. As I write this the power is still out (I am typing on a word document), and surprisingly I am not freaking out. I think that God has been giving me a lot of grace over the past two and half weeks. Thus far whenever something unexpected happens, I haven’t had a negative reaction. I have just brushed it off and moved on with my day. Everyone who knows me will tell you that when things stop working or can’t get done right away or plans change, I tend to freak out and get extremely frustrated. PTL (praise the Lord) this has not happened yet. It is only because of his grace and awesomeness that I have been so laid back here.

Tonight I am planning on working out for an hour & then going to a play with some friends. Tomorrow is my first day teaching at Kissemahn and I am beyond excited!! Casey and I are leaving ISH at around 8:50 just to make sure we catch the right tro tro to get there. I am so excited to get to meet all of the kids (I met some last Thursday when they came to school) and begin what I know will be a life changing experience. I really hope to learn a lot from these kids and I hope that by the end of my 3 ½ months here I will leave part of my heart behind with them. I know that these kids will become like family over these next few months and I am so excited to see all that God is going to do in our lives as we hang out together.

Please pray for this time at Kissemahn that I might be filled with patience and love for each and every child that I come in contact with & that God will use me in the ways that he sees fit. I know from my last experience in Guinea that they are going to teach me more than I could give to them, but I pray that I would be able to be the hands and feet of the mystery of Christ to each and every one that I come in contact with there, as well as here at UG.

“I have seen so many good deeds - people helped, lives improved - because someone cared. Do what you can to show you care about other people, and you will make our world a better place.”

-Rosalynn Carter

P.s. I found a good area where I can skype so if you want to set up a skype date let me know:) I would love to see you all:)

a prayer..

Dear God,

Logically I know you exist…

I know that the way of Christ is the only true way to live

However, lately I have not felt you .. I haven’t really felt much of anything.. and I am frustrated…


I am no longer amazed by your grace.. I no longer marvel at your story ..

I don’t feel empty. I don’t feel happy. I don’t really feel much of anything.

I have been reading the bible more & trying to improve my prayer life..

I have been amazed at the life that shane claibourne has.. and I most certainly want to have a spirit like his..

I want to be passionately in love with you, my Savior.. I want to give my all to you.. I want to marvel each day at this life.. I want to be completely consumed by you..


I want to not only know that I must have compassion for others.. but to actually feel that compassion.. to feel that sorrow.. to feel that joy.. I want to be your hands and feet because I have to.. not just because I know that I should

I don’t want to be walking aimlessly through life.. I want to be alive and awake.. I want to feel everything..


Shake me up…

Awaken me from my slumber..

Help me to feel again

Help me to be amazed by your grace.. by your sacrifice…



Let me not forget to tremble….


You can have all this world just give me Jesus…

That’s all I want God.. just Jesus…

Perhaps my weakness right now is that I lack wonder .. I am praying for these feelings to return…. Greater than they have ever been…

Please pray…


Has anyone ever felt like this? Stagnant… longing to feel healed.. to feel his grace..

I hate this feeling.. it is worse than depression.. it is the feeling that you are missing something…

Missing the passion you once had.. the compassion you once had..

I feel that maybe this current problem is caused by the fact that life is good..

I don’t really feel the need for God… which I hate.. sometimes it drives me insane..


I want to be weak.. because when I am weak.. there He is..


Lord, bring to light my weaknesses so that I might find you there..

I want to be weak so that you can consume me with your perfect love..











Drown me in you…

Akwaaba, Ghana

I finally have a functioning, but very slow internet modem!!!

YEAH!!

This means that I will hopefully be able to blog at least once a week over the next three and half months.

My first week and half in Ghana has been absolutely incredible!! It has flown by so incredibly fast & I feel so blessed to be here experiencing Ghana with so many wonderful people.

Our first days here in Ghana have been filled with sweat soaked clothing, dusty red feet, water from the bottle, cold showers, trips to Cape Coast castle & Kakum National Park for the rain forest walk, the Ghanaian beach, vegetarian eating in a foreign country, doxy & b-12 induced stomach aches, mosquito bitten legs(over 20 bites on my left leg below the knee- thank the Lord they are starting to heal), dancing and clapping in church services, orientation lectures, fan ice(an amazing creamy treat) nights, mango, cooking meals in the ISH kitchen as a group, eating at Tasty Treats way too much, Twi, African dance classes, realizing the thousands of ways to cook plantains & which style we like to eat, lots & lots of rice, hanging out with our wonderful student guides, trips to the market, our first rides on tro tros, lots of group games & conversation, lots of great reading, the start of classes, and so much more.

Before coming here I was frightened that I would not love Ghana the way that I fell in love with Guinea. While these two nations are certainly different, I feel that Ghana has definitely started to capture my heart in a different way than Guinea. Ghana is a predominantly Christian nation & the majority of my ISEP group are people who are passionate about their faith. These next three and a half months( I can't believe it is less than 4 months already) will most certainly be filled with bible study(the girls are going to start doing one on Wednesday nights- I am so excited to have a community group here in Ghana:)), community, conversation, a lot of sweating, laughter, tears, volunteer work, and growth. Since being here my prayer life has improved dramatically and I have had more time to read a lot of the bible. Currently I am reading a Psalm & Proverb a day along with a chapter of Isaiah in the morning and a chapter of Romans at night. I am also reading a chapter of the Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claibourne every day. If you have not read this book I suggest you check it out immediately. I read half of it a while ago, but stopped in the middle of it because of a trip. I restarted the book and six chapters in to I can say I have been challenged beyond my wildest dreams. God is doing some amazing things in my heart already & I can definitely see a revolution happening in my own spirit.

I want this time in Ghana to be one filled with spiritual discovery & service to those around me. I want to learn how to better love people & how to better glorify Christ in all that I do. Since I have been here my attitude about things has changed pretty dramatically and some of my actions have changed dramatically. It is amazing to me what God has done in a week & a half- I can't imagine what he will do over these next 3 1/2 months.

peace,

kate

Legon, Accra Ghana:)

I have spent my first four days in Ghana & I can say with absolute certainty that the next four months is going to be absolutely incredible. I am not in my permanent room yet, nor do I have my internet modem, but once I do I will be able to write a thorough blog containing all of the many adventures I have already had and will continue to have the next four and a half months. I have a phone so if any of you want to have a phone chat let me know and I will give you a call. We are seven hours ahead of those of you back in Montana. The internet modem will allow me to have high speed internet access anywhere in Ghana(awesome right?) so once I get that I can have internet on my laptop and will be able to upload photos, skype, facebook,etc.

I am journaling every day and so I hope to take these journals and compile them into something that makes sense for all of you back in the states.

I am currently sitting in an internet cafe where I paid one cedi(Ghanaian money) to use the computer for an hour. Whilst I e-mail/blog I am sweating profusely and Norah Jones is playing in the background .. come away with me.. one of my favorite songs of all time.. that song makes me miss dad and think of the time we went to that wonderful concert in Dallas:)

Miss you all


-k

GHANA!!

I am jumping up and down excited because tomorrow I leave for GHANA!!! 4 1/2 months in West Africa is truly going to be an incredible experience. I have prayed about this time for months and feel so blessed that I get to spend this time of my life in such an incredible place.

Almost three years ago to the day, I made my first journey to Africa for three and a half weeks on a medical mission with church. My time in Guinea was a mind-blowing experience. I learned so much while I was there and I think about that experience literally every single day of my life. I can only imagine how 4 months is Ghana is going to radically change my life. I feel so unbelievably blessed to take this journey. I am so excited to meet all of the people that will become my closest friends over the next 4 months and I am so excited to experience life in Ghana.

I could literally go on for hours, but I need to run some final errands, go through my bag one more time, and spend some last minute time with my dear friends.

Should you wish to write to me while I am there this is my address-

Katharine Gillett

International Student Exchange Program

University of Ghana

Private Mail Bag L4

Legon, Accra

Ghana, WEST AFRICA