January 12th – Ate breakfast and did little shopping to find a rope for the “carrier” of suitcases. Went to the meeting for Lutheran Church for the Deaf to suggest for the future. Left Acura to Cape Coast takes us get there about 3 hours – Wow! the Ghanaian drivers was impossible – not like USA? What is hurts me so much to see how could they lives their own homes? So far, I don’t see any beautiful homes so far! All I see it was homeless like shed especially small children working on the street! Full of dusts all over the places even covers the dust on the trees and plants. Arrive Cape Coast School for the Deaf – all the deaf children were so excited to see us especially Linda because they remember her from last year.  The girls wear “red and white checkers” dresses and the boys wear “blue” uniforms looks so cute! Then, all of us went to Botel to stay overnight and ate dinner there.  The foods really very good but different from USA foods. We all went to bed with blessing evening!

 

January 13th – After breakfast, we all went to Kakum National Park. Beautiful forest trees to walked on the trail but it was pretty steep up the hills. Karen couldn’t go any further so she stayed in patio area in the middle of forest.  Wow! there is 7 different sizes of “rope bridges” with very narrow board to walk on it – only allow one person to walk on the rope bridge! Really, it is beautiful view to all kinds of tree with hazy sun – it is about 150 feet down. I really enjoyed walking through the rope bridge till 6th bridge, Betty Jo got real scared and couldn’t move with her scream “NO!”, more than once. Pastor Reinke walked to her to tried get her up because she was knee down so tight but thank God, he comfort her to get up to walked to end of the bridge. Finally, she accepted to walked on 7th rope bridge (last one) with Pastor Reinke to looked each others by eyes, not looked down because she is really frighten of “high height”. Then, we went to Cape Coast School for the Deaf to dropped Linda and Betty Jo. Arrived to Lutheran Retreat Home at evening. Really surprise me, Pastor Reinke cooked scrambled eggs with sausages for us. Then, all of us unpacked all the suitcase to put all things on the shelfs for tomorrow. I went to bed pretty late but I have no idea what time because I am using USA time, not Ghana time! Karen and I pray together every nights. Good night to all!

 

January 14th – Ate light breakfast. Then, three of us went to School to use for Church Service to meet deaf Ghanaians people. It is really amazing me to see their different sign languages. The service was very nice. I was reading my Bible to prepare for tomorrow – eeekkkk!!!! At evening, went out to dinner with Karen, Amadu and Pastor Reinke – still can’t believe the roads is so bumpy and the drivers still impossible – their own rules! I ate a dinner but I couldn’t remember what I had but I know it was chicken with rice and it was very good dinner. Then, went to bed but still I don’t know what time! Have a nice evening!

 

January 15th – Ate breakfast – eggs and left over rice, bread, banana and cup of tea. My first shower as I had to hold shower handle to wet my whole body with soap then I put the shower handle into the bucket to fill up the water while I washed my hair. But, I didn’t realized the bucket was heavy to pour over my head so I put bucket on my chest to pour over my body to take the soap out but not my head! I had 3 deaf Ghanaians to teach about “Noah the Ark”, it is my FIRST teaching but it wasn’t too bad. I felt so bad for Karen as she have no students in her class so once awhile, I go to her room to act like “student” to make her feels better during my break time. For lunch, we ate chicken with rice. Back to teaching till 4:30 PM, four of us went to Ghana restaurant – I ate chicken, pineapple with rice and it is really very good – very much different from American foods.

Went to bed but still I don’t know what time – is that awful? Good night and Bless you all!

 

January 16th – Wow, I couldn’t sleep almost all night because I felt so cold and I couldn’t find any “BLANKET”! Karen told me that Ghanaians people do not use BLANKET! – UGH!  Ate breakfast – GUESS WHAT! – eggs with RICE, again! Before the class start – I went to Karen’s class as I am her “student” again and she is really surprise I was there to make her feels better because I asked her tooooooo many questions and she says “UGH”. It was really so nice to see her smile again! In the afternoon, 3 deaf Ghanaians to teach the bible of “The Story of Ruth”. Finally, Karen’s students came and it was successful teachings. I am so happy my prayer help her so much and also, she really helped me so much, too as “great team works!” I was really very tired to read more stories from the Bible because it was long day! Opppps!, I forgot to tell you for my dinner was chicken with yams with mixed palm leaves, fish and spinach – very spicy – wow!, it was really very good! NO RICE! – Hurrah! Good night and have a pleasant dream!

 

January 17th  - Oh boy, for breakfast – eggs, RICE, bread and cup of tea. Then, I taught the students about “Joseph and his Brothers” from around 9 AM to 11:30 AM to stopped for lunch. I ate bread with butter and banana and cup of tea. After lunch, went back to class to review the lesson until about 4:30 PM. Betty Jo and Linda came here from Cape Coast School for the Deaf. It was really good to see them, again. All of sudden, there were “black-out” – all electric went out even all the town! We all went out to eat and saw all the street of the town using candles because they don’t have night lamp poles! We all ate pizza and it was so good but not like USA pizza! Thanks God, for no RICE! I went to bed and still I don’t know what time but I know it is very late! Good night and may God Bless You All!

 

January 18th – Four girls washed our clothes from bathtub. Ate breakfast – eggs, pineapples, sausage and cup of tea.  I still taught to continue about “Joseph and his Brothers” from around 9 AM to 11:30 AM to stopped for lunch. Again, I ate butter with banana and cup of tea. Really, taste good! I am telling you the bread taste so different from American bread because they don’t use yeast! Back to class till 4:30 PM for supper. YUP! Chicken with RICE (different flavor of Rice) – still very good but still spicy! Back to class to review the lessons. One deaf Ghanaian guy and I sing a song with sign languages together to make others to follow us and it was really so much fun and very enjoyable evening. It is really very inspiration songs! Again, went to bed late but still I don’t know what time it was! May God Bless You Always and Good Night to all!

 

January 19th – Really surprise me as I was “LAST” person to get up in the morning! For breakfast was so delicious because Karen cooked “French Toast” with hard boil eggs, pineapple and cup of tea. It was really very delicious breakfast and blessing Karen!  No teaching for me today so Betty Jo and Linda taught the class about “The Life of Moses”. For lunch is same as yesterday! After lunch, I went to Karen’s class to learn her lessons to prepare for her students to come late afternoon. For supper, chicken, spaghetti, RICE and salad. Very good and still spicy!  After that, I went to my class to help Linda with her students as I wrote more than 15 questions on the blackboard for the answers from students till about 8 PM. What a long day for me? At evening, Betty Jo, Linda and I stayed in Pastor Reinke’s room for more laughs to enjoyed the evening. Poor Karen as she went to bed already! Again, went to bed late as I still don’t know what time! Again, what a day and it is really makes me feels good and the life is so different but I do miss my cat, Macaroni very much! Good night and I pray for Betty Jo and Linda for safe trip to Tamale up north (about 6 hours) to stay couples of days to leave early tomorrow morning.

 

January 20th – Surprise to see Karen cooked again as she made turn-over eggs with bacons, bread and cup of tea for breakfast for both of us. After that, the taxi picked us up to go to Ashanti School for the Deaf. Wow! what a big school with 408 deaf children. Took us there for about an hour but the Ghanaian drivers is much worse than American drivers!  The kids was very excited to see us and both of us taught them about “Adam and Eve” and “Noah the Ark” for about an hour. Then, they asked us lots of questions about Jesus’ Love. It is very inspiration feeling today what I see the whole school. They showed me around the school to see Kitchen, Laundry, Weaving, Dorms for Girls and Boys, Gardens, etc. GUESS WHAT! YUP!, again RICE but no meat. It was very good and no spicy! Came home to relax this evening to type all my journals to you all. Wow!, Pastor Reinke cooked Fried Potatoes with American cheese, ice cream with banana and Sprite soda. It was very nice supper and blessing Pastor Reinke!  Cross Fire Groups from Lutheran Youth Mission Teams from USA to spend Ghana for 4 months – Encounter Puppet Show, Drama and Songs. Good night and God Bless You All!