Paitience is a virtue

This is a reality for traveling anywhere, but here in Ghana it seems to be a necessity. Not in a bad way, but in a way that makes you need to slow down and deal with life as it comes at you. The heat and humidity have been pretty intense here and has definitely gotten to some or all of our group, but the overall spirit is to persevere and move on and do what we came here to do which is to work with the kids from the Ghana Youth Photo Project.

I don't want to say too much, because the students have been saying a lot and I think at this point it's their words that matter. I will add more of mine soon, but for now I just want to say that I have never felt so welcomed as i did the day we arrived in Nima. Not only did the students welcome us into their class, but their families, and I mean families, all welcomed us into their houses and lives. This is in no small part to the relationships and good will that Jamie has built up here. There is no other way ANY of this trip could have happened without everything she created. Never could someone, especially non-Ghanaians, just walk into Nima and be able to feel as warmly greeted as we did. That first visit to Nima was perhaps one of the most amazing moments of my life. The shear joy that was felt in Nima that day was unsurpassed, except maybe by the next day when we had a party for Jamie's birthday and it became a mad dance party with music and sodas and tons of smiles.

I want to get back to the word patience. The word came to my mind for many reasons recently, but when Vivian and I joined the Castro's for their Sunday morning church service the preacher addressed the topic of patience and it just really hit home. I haven't been to a church service in many years, but this one really inspired me for many reasons. One of the things that I think we have all learned here is that a lot of patience is required when traveling in a group like ours. There are many personalities and feelings to be considered when anyone does or says anything and I think that this service reminded me of the importance of patience and how it can help us keep on a more even keel. All this said, I feel that the group of us now here are a really strong group and I feel that the eight of us are experiencing something unlike anything we have experienced before. Now I need to catch up on some much needed sleep! I'll be back soonish...