It is a beautiful warm Tuesday!

So it is a really beautiful day, so I decided to journey to the Internet cafe. Matt, my husband, arrived this last Saturday, and it is really good to see him. He didn't sleep at all on the plane, but he met a really interesting man who shared a lot about Ghana's culture with him throughout the 10 hour plane ride. Though we had a challenging morning trying to get him (our TroTro was 2 hours late and Matt struggled a bit to get through customs), it all worked out in the end. We spent the day in Accra, picked my African drum (it is amazing and I love it), headed to Independent Square again for Matt which allowed us to see the beach, and then to the Accra mall for pizza and cake. It was amazing. Loving Day was on June 12th (the anniversary of the case that legalized interracial marriage), so we celebrated a day early on June 11th at the mall with a little comfort food.

I am heading into my fourth week here and the challenge is consistent yet always changing. I can't change a broke educational system, but I know there is a purpose for me being here. I was given advise from a friend to narrow my focus down to what will really matter once I leave Ghana in July. As I reflected on what really matters I thought about how much I have adapted to this place. I live a simpler life.....mostly cold showers, a mild breakfast (one slice of bread and applesauce), I walk most places, wear the same clothes for several days, am learning Twi, and find it just as important to greet each stranger I walk by similar to the locals. I appreciate sitting in my new friend, Ben's, cell phone shop just looking out the door at the green mountain ranges.

At the school, it is important for kids to lean to read and do math (the students are growing and improving each day), but if I can't be completely successful at that, and I only focus on that, then I will miss what matters most here. Their education is paramount to their success, but so is encouraging them to dream and have hope. The aspects I have control over is hugging each of those little and some times big kids each time they reach out, and showing them that they matter to me if only for a moment. It is learning as many names as possible because when you can remember their name when they ask you, it means you are friends and will not forget them and that matters.

This experience has been an emotional roller coaster. I have had moments of frustration, fear, uneasiness, happiness, success, excitement, laughter, panic and joy. Though I don't have control over every aspect of this experience, I have control over many aspects which are typically the most important ones. This doing what matters each day has become my new outlook, so I can appreciate and fully experience Ghana and give what I am here to give. This experience is continuous beginning a new and I still have plenty of time to make the most out of it.