Week 1 Report

Hi everyone! It's hard to believe I've been in Ghana for a week now . . . some days it seems like I just got here, and some days I feel like I've been here forever! But I still often find myself just looking around in amazement . . . who would have dreamed that the little farm girl from Iowa would one day be living in Africa?? God does funny things, doesn't he? I think rather than write a report, I'll answer some frequently asked questions I've gotten over email.

Q: Are you bringing a kid home?
A: How could I choose just one? These kids are so adorable! My favorite of the day is six-year-old Emmanuel. Yesterday it was four-year-old Kofi. The day before is was baby Apea. They just steal your heart and wrap you around their finger. I would like to build bunk beds in my basement and bring home ten of them.

Q: Have you had to eat rabbit yet?
A: Nope! So far, so good. But my diet is definitely different. Dr. Atkins would roll over in his grave if he could see all the carbs I consume in a day. I eat at the volunteer house. Breakfast is bread and water. Every day. That's it. A girl from England who's volunteering went out and bought a jar of jam, so that livens things up a bit. I'd pay twenty bucks for a box of Special K and a carton of milk right now. Lunch and dinner are usually either pasta or rice with some sort of sauce (I feel better not asking what it's made of -- better not to know, I figure). And twice I've been served "chips" for lunch -- basically oversized French fries. And that's it. A plate of chips. No side dishes, no condiments. But I've seen the orphanage breakfasts (a bowl of gruel? porridge? I can't tell what it is . . . ) so I consider myself pretty lucky to be at the volunteer house for meals.

Q: What is the area like?
A: I thought I was going to the middle of nowhere, but this is a metropolitan area! It was a six hour bus ride from the capital city, then another hour by tro-tro (think fifteen passenger van with seats for twenty-seven!), but it's a fairly big city with taxis and buses and people everywhere. I walk half a mile down a dirt road to get to the orphanage, and it's an odd mix of very nice homes, half-built abandoned buildings, lush trees, little shops, corn, and children everywhere! It's like being in a parade every day . . . the children shout "Obroni!" (rough translation: hey whitey!) and I wave and smile. There's one adorable little girl who can't be more than three or four who at least once a day (and I walk by four times a day, so she's got plenty of chances) shouts "Obroni!" like we're old friends who haven't seen each other in years, comes out into the street, and shakes my hand. Yesterday we went to church, and I had to sit in the back of the truck with the kids . . . that really felt like a parade!

Q: Are you homesick?
A: Not really. I miss my queen-sized extra firm mattress and hate having to limbo in and out of bed because of the mosquito net. I miss foods. (I get weird cravings . . . yesterday in church I wanted a Fudgesickle like crazy, and I can't even remember the last time I ate a Fudgesickle!) I miss calling family to catch up or hanging out with friends. I miss air conditioning!! I miss lots of people, but I'm feeling that this is where God wants me to be, so I'm happy to be where I am.

Okay, my time at the Liz Mart Internet Cafe is about up, so I'll save some questions for next week. Thanks again for the prayers!

Alive & Well in Ghana!

Better than well -- fantastic!! Thanks for your prayers -- I'm seriously feeling the effects of them! My health is back to normal, I'm living in a palace (by Africa standards!), and the kids at the orphanage are great! So far I've supervised a mass coloring session, held babies (diapers here leave a lot to be desired -- I've already had two diapers leak on me -- so gross! -- sorry to disappoint you, Mom and all the women at church who keep pressuring me, but this is not making me want to have any anytime soon!), taught guitar lessons to a very eager & faithful 16-year-old named Isaac, gone to a boys Bible study (it meets weekly and is moving up to a sex talk . . . should be interesting!), played lots of rounds of Go Fish with a paralyzed 11-yr-old, and, the best part yet, worshipped with the youth group. Sanctuary was the only song I recognized, but it was awesome to hear them sing and see their passion for God. So things are going great! Internet access isn't widely available, but I'll do my best to check in as often as possible. Thanks again for all the prayers!
Love,
Tiffany

Ngorogoro Safari

Do any of you remember Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom? That's pretty much what the safari felt like. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to see a tiger attack and eat a gazelle or anything truly exciting like that, but we had a lion, an elephant, and a rhino all pretty much parade and pose for us. And I really didn't know that there were so many zebras and wildebeest in the entire world, let alone in one place like that. It was awesome. I was pretty much out of it the first half day since I had been up the entire night before with digestive issues, but I was much better for the second half day after a good night's sleep. Obviously I haven't figured out how to download pictures in Africa yet, or I could show you some pretty awesome things. I'll work on it!

Today is a rest day before I fly out early tomorrow morning for Ghana. Then a new adventure begins at the orphanage! I'm very excited! Some prayer requests:

• safe flights from Tanzania to Kenya, then Kenya to Ghana
• good health, especially since my digestive system does not seem to be agreeing with much of anything and I've already gotten a severe sunburn (on my hands, of all places!)
• that I won't be overwhelmed by the sadness of the children's stories at the orphanage and will just be able to do all I can to make them feel happy & loved

I'm not sure when I'll get to post again, since I won't have an internet cafe just down a few floors like I have now at this hotel! But I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for your prayers, and talk to you all soon!

Love,

Tiffany

Mt Kilimanjaro

We survived the trek! Our guide said we could tell people we conquered Kili, but honestly it pretty much kicked our butts, so I think survived is more accurate!!

You can probably imagine what it was like . . . four and a half days of walking uphill and a day and a half to walk down. I'll spare you the details and just hit the highlights in my Academy Awards style speech . . .

I would like to thank . . .

• my mom and dad for not tying me down and refusing to let me on an airplane to Africa like they threatened, or I would have missed out on one miserable and five fantastic days on Kilimanjaro!
• the makers of Snickers, grape Gatorade, and Clif bars for powering my trek.
• the many airport and airline employees who got our bags to us an hour before our trek began (close call!) so we didn't have to hike naked, especially since my SPF 50 sunscreen was in my luggage.
• my friend Cheryl for arranging this adventure (you can bet I'll never let her talk me into anything crazy like this again!!)
• the sixteen English schoolboys who were on the same route we were and kept us entertained with random comments like, "I could draw you a trajectory of your odds of rolling a five or a one" while playing a dice game and "You Americans may drive on the right side of the road, but we British drive on the correct side of the road."
• the English, Australian, and South African men who managed to make us feel attractive, despite not having showered for days.
• to Cheryl (again), for not puking on me or even expecting me to hold her hair back or anything that would put me remotely near the puke when she puked eight times (at least) on the way to the summit.
• and last but not least, to Joachim, best Kili guide ever, for pushing, pulling, and dragging me up the last half hour or so, just so I could say I made it to the top of Kilimanjaro!

I've got tons of pictures and can give the long story to anyone who wants to hear it when I get back. For now I'm ready to get a good night's sleep before leaving for the safari tomorrow morning!

My Time With Thomas

So I go halfway around the world, and where am I taken on my first day in Africa? A LUTHERAN CHURCH!!! I kid you not!! The Compassion International project for this particular suburb is housed at a Lutheran church. Getting there was a bit scary -- they have no stopsigns, traffic signals, crosswalks, or any sort of traffic rules in general from what I can tell. It seemed like a giant game of dodgeball with cars, tractors, bicycles, and pedestrians, and I was quite sure my taxi driver was going to kill someone. We made it, though!

For anyone who sponsors a child through Compassion International or any other relief organization, start saving up your money so you can make a home visit! And if you don't sponsor a child now, start! Not only did I meet Thomas, but I met his family, people at his church, every kid within a ten mile radius (so it seemed), and saw the impact sponsorship is having on his life. He and all of the adults I met kept telling me over and over to thank all of the children at the church.

Thomas is a very quiet and sweet little ten-year-old. He lives with his mother in a room that's smaller than my bedroom. Maybe about the size of or a little smaller than Mrs. Judy's Sunday School room. The walls are made of a dirt/dung mixture and are covered on the inside by cardboard. There are no lights or windows. When his mom met me, she gave me a big hug and several kisses (after a loud "lelelelelelelele"). She said that without his sponsorship, he wouldn't be able to go to school, have clothes to wear, etc. The sponsorship also provides food for both of them. He LOVED the soccer ball, especially with all of the signatures from Ascension kids on it. He has an 18-year-old brother who lives in the neighborhood and I told him to make sure none of the bigger kids steal it! I think his favorite thing, though, was the bubbles!! He didn't know what they were at first, but I have a feeling he spent the rest of the day blowing them!

I also went to his school, walked all over his neighborhood, and generally saw things that will now help me picture what he writes about in his letters. When I asked him what he wanted to be when he grows up, he said, "A teacher, so I can make money and sponsor other children who need it." Pretty amazing for a ten-year-old.

Can't wait to tell all of the Sunday School kids about my visit when I get home -- and I've got lots of pictures!

We're Here!

We made it to Africa!! Unfortunately, our luggage did not. We're not quite sure where it is right now . . . we had a very tight connecting flight at JFK in New York, and the bags didn't make it on. They sent them on the next flight to Dubai, but they hadn't made it to Dar Es Salaam by the time we left for our last connecting flight to Kilimanjaro. Luckily I thought ahead and packed all of the gifts for Thomas, the Compassion Child, in my carry-on, so the visit tomorrow will go ahead as planned. We're just hoping that we get our bags by tomorrow (Friday) night since we're supposed to start hiking Kilimanjaro on Saturday morning!! Other highlights of the long and tiring journey thus far: getting served roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy and cooked carrots on the flight across the ocean (yum! one last great American meal!), and walking into the men's restroom at the Dar Es Salaam airport (I'm pretty sure I was out before the man at the urinal even turned around and saw me . . . ).

Now we're going to take showers using the one bar of soap provided by the hotel, crawl into our twin beds that look better than king size to two sleep deprived girls, and get some zzzz's! Just wanted to let everyone know we got here safely!

Love,
Tiffany

I'm Leavin' On a Jet Plane . . .

I'm driving to Denver tonight and flying out at 1AM. Keep me in your prayers, especially for safe travel and good health and a meaningful visit with Thomas, our Compassion Child, on this first leg of my adventure! I'll post again as soon as I can!
Love,
Tiffany
P.S. Ascension members -- Thank you SO much for the great send-off on Sunday and for the basket full of money I was given at the end of the day! You have no idea what an answer to prayer it was -- on Friday I had found out that my insurance company denied my request to pay for part of my daily malaria pills, leaving me with a whopping $678 bill. The money you gave me covered it all!! You guys are the best!