Anna Meets Africa

May 29, 2009

I arrive in Amsterdam to find that from the aerial view of the place, I think I like it. The airport was confusing and I had to walk a long way to get to where I was going. I leave with Dave, the Gideon, and we find it together. I would not have found it on my own. When we arrive at the gate I see more of these white men. I also see someone else. I am introduced and his name is Chris. He is a Marine. He was told two days ago that he was to ship out to Accra to protect the US Embassy. As it turns out he went to Green Mountain High School ’04 and he is from Lakewood, CO. So we were able to laugh about the mountains and the American water that I had in my 32 oz water bottle. I said I was going to hold on to it as long as I could. I went into the gift shop to find shot glasses. I do not drink but I do collect shot glasses. Never have I seen prostitution and marijuana publically displayed on items. They had the red light district as well as marijuana leaves to make there shot glasses accustomed to Amsterdam. I was fairly amused. There were other things as well besides that. I also bought some post cards.

We have to do another security check before we can get on the flight. Well just my luck, I cannot take my full water bottle on the plane. So instead of throwing it away, I decided to drink the enter thing. The guard looked at me in some sort of amazement. When I got done I looked at him and said, “My mom bought this for me.” He laughed and said, “Good thing it was not whiskey.” I smiled and went on my way. I had an aisle seat this time. I was sad that it was not the window but I was thankful that it was not the middle. Once I sat down and got situated I started to become sleepy. I do not mean like yawning sleepy but I cannot even keep my eyes open. I was asleep before we took off and before they were able to give the “In case of emergency” speech.

As we are flying over the Mediterranean they serve us food. It was different than anything I have had. We had rice and beef, with some sort of fruit separating the two. We you combine them all they taste very good. Then for dessert there was this AMAZING dish. Sarah would be in awe. Growing up I would never try anything. It was only months ago that I had my first strawberry! Anyways…this dessert had graham cracker crumbles on the bottom, coconut whipped cream fluff stuff and then covered lightly in a guava jelly syrup substance. I was surprised that I was able to identify the fruit. When I would be in Concordia, KS with my family, my Nana would always have Guava nectar. I would drink it so much! It tastes just like that. When I get back to the states I think it is something that I am going to invest in. I hope this dessert is something that Mathias knows about so we can talk about it. Hannah and Ansley would be surprised because I always save the middle for last…not this time. I saved the edges!

I am noticing that since I got on the plane that I was starting to break out into a rash on my forearms. I used to get this in my earlier months of Accutane when I switched climates. This is probably also because my arms are confined and do not have air to breath.

I am reading my grandmother’s collection of Bible verses and stories and as I read I feel like, by some of the words and expressions that she uses, they are coming out of my mouth.

I have found that living is hard. There are so many decisions and challenges. I think I understand why people ‘check out’ early. Sure I am off living an adventure but where am I going on life. I know what I want to do and I think I know how to get there but everything seems like such a toss up. I have gone from being a planned organized freak of nature to being a leaf blowing in the wind.

5:22…we have officially hit the African continent.

I have seen more Obama shirts on this flight than I have anywhere else. Mathias told me that he is visiting Ghana in July. I believe he has become a global inspiration. I think it is good that he is our president because it is giving not only the United States but also the world a chance to be apart of a historical event. It has taken far too long for blacks to gain independence. Yes we say that all men are created equal, but we do not mean that. Racism surrounds us everywhere we go in the United States. Whether we stereotype every Mexican to be an illegal who wants to rape the economy, every black to be someone who steals, does drugs, and is a ‘thug’, and every white to be arrogant and selfish. We surround ourselves with people that are like us, we conform.

We are 100 miles from Accra. The moment of truth is arriving very soon. I woke up on May 28th at 6:45 to my mother’s voice in my own bed. It is not 12:40pm on the 29th of May and I have maybe slept five hours. It has been 24 hours that I have been awake and in this time I have left two continents and about to land in my third. Not bad for a day.

Now they are saying that we have fifteen minutes left until we land. The worries and fears have left my heart. This is probably because I had some way to express them. People, especially in relationships, would get upset at the fact that I can just forget. Once I express fully a fear or an emotion it is no longer there. It simply leaves my mind just like the words flow onto the paper I was writing on. I enjoy that I am only upset for a matter of minutes, there is so much time that is wasted holding onto the past. I know that I have been guilty of this at times. I mean honestly something that happened last week, last month, or years ago, does it really matter? For some people they carry this transgression with them for years if not until death. That takes a toll on someone, to remember all the hurt and bad people have done to them. Forgiveness. “Forgiveness is not something that you do for another person, forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. There are things you want to do, you want to move on.” Quote for thought.

Honestly there is no room to be frightened…yes there is bad in the world. Take notice to the word world. This means that it happens everywhere. I just so happen to be out of reach when it comes to my world. In all honesty if something bad were to happen, no one could save me. God forbid this happens but no one from America could come to my rescue. I have my God, he is the only one that can save me from harm.

READY OR NOT HERE I COME…ANNA MEETS AFRICA

We landed! They said that we were forbidden to take pictures. We also landed outside and had to walk off the plane and into the building. As we are walking to customs there is a sign that we would not see in America;
Ghana accepts all good willed people
Ghana does not accept pedophile or other sexual deviants
Ghana imposes the right to severe punishment to all people not of good will
If you are not of good will we feel it is best for us and you that you go elsewhere.

I like this country already, straight and to the point. See I am in favor of the prisons they have in the Middle East and third world countries. The crime rate is low because jail is a very bad and dreadful place. We are so spineless in America; we have to care about everyone’s feelings.

I met up with one of the Gideons while I was in line waiting to get cleared. He and I started talking and he gave me his card. He is from the UK. He starting talking to me about something called M.O. Basically you travel the world on a ship selling books to all sorts of countries and you do this for a job. This sounds interesting, he said to email him and he will give me the details.

So I was praying that my bag did not get lost. I had lost all hope, shame on me. After ten minutes of waiting my bag arrived. I felt bad because I prayed that all would go well and I doubted it when I should not have. I could not find Pastor James anywhere. I walked outside of the airport because there were more people out there with signs. He did not have a sign…he just came up to me and said my name. However, he says it like this,”Aud-ree-Na.” We hugged like we had already knew each other. He drives an older BMW with no radio or air conditioning the leather is torn, but it works and that is all that matters.

As soon as we started driving I got my camera out. I did not take one picture. I was in awe. Sure I am in the capital but I am in the outskirts. Where there are few paved roads, no traffic signs anywhere, where there are abandon building, where people are everywhere. I have never seen so many people. I do not know if I was scared to take pictures or if I thought it was out of place. I mean these are people’s every day lives. There would be a gorgeous luxurious building next to ruins.

Pastor James is from the same tribe as Mathias so we have been working on how to say things. Also there is a special handshake that they do, it is pretty cool. I cannot wait to show Mathias when I get to Kansas.

I am staying in a hotel. It is very simple; bed, closet, bathroom. Here is the weird thing. The sink and the shower are in the same room. I mean it is a 6’x4’ room with a door. There is no plumbing for the sink. Only a pipe that goes onto the ground and eventually goes down the drain. There is also a mirror in the shower.

Pastor James said that I will be doing some Evangelical speaking in his church. I am a little nervous as to what it means. I still cannot believe I am here! I am in AFRICA!

GET EXCITED AMERICA!