WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE.!

wow, we're finally here. well we arrived yesterday but it felt like it would take forever.! it's actually really cool weather right now which I'm glad about because i cannot stand too much heat. the first day we arrived was great.! the car rides are an adventure all themselves--thankfully our driver, James knows what he's doing because the driving here in Ghana takes skill. they have NO SEAT BELTS, NO STOP SIGNS, barely any stoplights, and they drive all in each other's lanes. i share a room with Karen and might i add our rooms are great.! they all have air conditioning and sometimes a fan, each room has a bathroom and close space to put your clothes in. we decided to fully unpack and settle in as if we were home. strangely enough, i feel very at home. we also went to Sunshine Salad Bar and the food was deeeeeelishhhhh. it's a restaurant that caters to foreigners so you'd find all kinds of food from KFC wraps to Thai food to Indian food.! Although they have favorites what we eat at home, the food was very different. i ordered a meatball, cheese and tomato sauce sandwich thinking i was going to get a meatball marinara from subway. instead i got meatballs, cheese and some soupy tomatoey sauce in a bun with a salad.
oh, let me rewind for a second though, you would not believe how aggressive these African boys are. not only were they trying to hustle us out of our cash, but they were trying to ask our hands in marriage. i must admit i did give in to buying some handmade bracelets from this boy named Bizmark but his friend Raegan kept following me trying to ask me to marry him in exchange for a free poster.! don't even bother telling these boys you have a boyfriend or are married because they'll just call you liers and say you should have "variety."
the evening was the highlight of my day--these men performed for us. they did drumming and cultural dances and taught us some of the steps. the lady who is keeping us, Joanna made a delicious dinner--gelof rice and chicken. exercise and a good home-cooked meal was all i needed to knock out.
now on to today's adventures--our morning started off with a nice big breakfast. we had oatmeal, fruit, bread and hot chocolate--all American favorites yet so different in Ghana. after that we headed off to the Dubois Center, a museum of Dubois artifacts and possessions and grave. it was actually his home and was turned into a museum when he passed. one of his quotes really caught my eye: "one thing alone i charge you. as you live, believe in LIFE! always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life. the only possible DEATH is to lose belief in this truth simply because the GREAT end comes slowly, because time is too long." this was his last statement to the world before he passed in 1963. Next we went to lunch at a restaurant called Papaye, which is supposed to be something like Popeye's i think. The food was so good and our server was very kind. On the way over here (Internet cafe), we spot Bizmark and Raegan with some of their friends and they came swarming at the van like flies. this one boy kept bothering me and Raegan told him to back off because i was his wife.! as i'm coming to the end of my post for today, i realized Raegan's waiting for me--outside.!
i love it here and i know our adventures are just beginning. i give glory to God for blessing me with life and this opportunity. I'd also like to thank Eric, Jamie and all the generous people who donated and supporters who made this possible. i am truly blessed.