Rain Rain Go Away

The weather has been kind of cloudy and drizzly all week which is a nice break from sweating but it not as cheerful and sunny how it usually is. The kids are aware that we are leaving soon and are giving us a daily count down… “Seven days right?” “Six days right?” It’s is cute but I would rather them not remind me each day is getting closer to not seeing their shining faces each day. Everyone who asks us when we are leaving follows up with the same question: “After you leave when while you be returning to us”, I wish I had an answer for them but I always just say, “It is in my future plans for sure, I love it here, but I do not have a trip planned”. They just smile and squeeze my shoulder.  

We brought over all the school supplies and filled and organized the supply cabinets today with all the educational supplies we brought over from USA. They look great and the teachers and students were so grateful, they just said thank you over and over again all day long, every time they saw us. I brought over three puzzles today, to the orphanage, which were at the school compound, but were covered in dust and clearly not being used. The children I think thought that I had bought them for them and that they were new, apparently they don’t use them often. It was rainy so the kids sat down, and were able to finish the 100, 200, and 500 piece puzzles. They were so proud they just stood in front of me and held them out and smiled as if they had won a medal. They DID NOT break them… all the puzzles were kept intact and laid out for showing. I took their pictures with the puzzles they had accomplished.

Thursday- 

Rachel and I both taught the older children today because the little ones stayed at the orphanage due to the rain and weather. We didn’t have anything planned to teach them and teaching 2^nd, through 6^th graders in the same class is not possible AT ALL. Instead of teaching we showed the children the letters we had the kids at Stepping Stones write to them and then gave them art supplies to write their own letter/picture back to the kids in America. The older kids were able to read the letters we brought but the younger ones needed us to read them to them. They each wrote their own letter telling a little bit about themselves and then asking the kids some questions. I think it will be interesting when the kids at stepping stones get the letter in return and see “favorite food=FuFu or Banku” (mashed and boiled ball mixture of cassava and plantain). The kids took forever drawing their picture making sure they were just write using rulers for the flag and soccer goals and copying pictures in their literature learning book so the people looked exactly so. Everything the children do is perfectly precise. After the pictures were finished, they took break, and we all played soccer, we taught the children how to play charades. It went well but they didn’t understand the concept of NO SPEAKING and when they went up to do snake they said ssss, goat, “aaaaaa” and dog “ruff ruff”; they guessed it instantly.

Our break in between school and play time at the orphanage seemed long today but it is always the same amount of time- 12-3. We picked up some purses we had made at the local Beatrise; they were cheap but not exactly what we had in mind when we ordered them… but who doesn’t like a new bag?

When we returned to the orphanage for play the kids were setting up for sewing and we were helping them get it all arranged so they were ready to sew their dresses and shirts when the seamstress came. When the older children started sewing we brought some of the other kids to the field to get some soccer in. At the field we were joined by Emanuel and two of his friends one of which had a motorcycle and offered us to learn how to ride on the field. I know this may sound like a bad idea but the field is huge and it is where all the locals learn to ride because it is the perfect amount of space, a good shape and there are no obstacles. Rachel wanted to do it, maybe not as much as I did but she was scared at first so I went first. He didn’t explain anything to me he just tapped the seat in broken English and said “hop on, you can do it I’m sure of it”. I got on and it was already running; I go on the bike…. It was freaken’ heavy like HEAVY! He had me accelerate and get it into first, then second and then third and he helped me balance out the bike and make the turns for two laps then he turned the bike off and got off as if we had previously discussed something and said “ok you go now, you understand” I looked at him with a crazy face, eyes open and 105 pound body struggling to hold the huge bike up between my thighs and said “you’re kidding me right?” his only response was laugh and a gesture to go. I pressed the little button in, pulled the throttle to give it gas with the clutch in place, and clicked it to first gear and began to take off. I quickly went from 1^st to 2^nd to 3^rd and was doing laps and turns by myself in a field in the middle of Ghana on a motorcycle!! “AHHHHH” I said as I smiled from ear to ear like a grinning idiot; I was so excited. The guys, Rachel, a few of the kids form the orphanage and some local bystanders were all cheering me on whenever I passed them, it was the coolest experience ever. Rachel gave it a try after I stopped hogging the bike and was terrified. She is very brave though because she seemed scared to begin but we all pushed her to do it anyway. She went once with Emanuel’s friend who taught me but got freaked out and felt uneasy about it so she got off. I don’t think the guy was explaining it very well to her. I got back on and the guy got on with me and took me on a new path through the woods and into a dirt road which was cool but very bumpy, he took me around the back of a compound to this road that was a straight away to the field and had me get up to fourth gear. Don’t worry I wasn’t going too fast but it was fun! When we got to the field we continued doing a few laps, but he must have jumped off when we reached the field, because when I came around to where they were all standing, he was standing with Rachel and Emmanuel and wasn’t on the back of the bike. The young men from town watching me were making fun of him for riding on the back of the bike; I guess women don’t really ride motorcycles too much in Ghana. And if they do they don’t men don’t ride behind them. I was full of energy and adrenaline for dinner and can’t wait to do it again tomorrow. Rachel got back on the bike after a lot of persuading but this time with Emanuel and they were able to figure out her problem… she couldn’t turn right because the throttle is on the right and she would pull it when she turned… She was able to do it with Emanuel on the bike but only turning left. Hopefully tomorrow she will do it on her own and master right hand turns. I need to take Benadryl for all my bug bites and get to bed. I hope I can sleep. Tomorrow is the last day of our last full week here- I don’t know what I will do without these kids.

<3 Good Things