My First Day

May 30, 2009

I got up this morning to the sound of one of the biggest rainstorms I have ever heard. As I gain consciousness I notice that water is also dripping from the ceiling to the end of the bed. Foolishly I grab for my water bottle so I can catch the rain…I cannot use my water bottle now, because of the contamination until I get back to the States, but I caught the water so that there was not a big mess. For breakfast they made me what I think is an egg (it was white instead of the yellow color I am used to) with onions and two pieces of bread. The bread was amazing, it was just plain, but I knew that it was not bought at a store, someone had to make it. It was served with pineapple juice. Pastor James came to get me around ten. His wife Lydia and a friend, Immanuel, were also in the car. We were going to Pastor James’ church.

I knew we were going there but when we got there it did not register that we were there. It was the base of a torn down building and then right next to it was a tin shed being held up by about twenty wooden poles. Lydia and I sat and visited while the men got to work. Lydia and I talked about the youth here and the lifestyle of a third world country. I was left speechless to say the least. All the little shops I have seen are usually run by teenagers and they work those shops to make a living. This means that there are days when they only eat once if at all. She also said that many of them sleep on the side of the road. How are you supposed to tell someone that God loves them when they are living in such poverty? This will be my biggest struggle I will have to face…but I learned from someone once that if you force your faith on them they will turn away from you and possibly never believe at all. It is going to be very important that I am open and honest and share. Part of me wants to share nothing of where I come from. Lydia was telling me that when she was in America it was hard for her to distinguish the poor from the rich just by seeing them on the street, because all of them have the basic needs; food, water, shelter. In Accra, which is roughly five million people, there is a noticeable distinction between the poor and not poor. One can notice this distinction because the basic needs are not met when you are poor.
There were a few other men that came up to the church to help. They nailed 2x4 boards in between the poles and then dug out of the rubbish some sort of covering. This did not cover the walls completely but it did the job. There is no door, and it is a dirt floor. There was a place where there was cement and there was a broom next to it so I picked it up and started sweeping. They let me sweep for a whole four minutes. They would not let me help at all and it made me wonder if women were not suppose to do labor like that because Lydia just sat there as well. They would not even let me put up my chair. They said it looked good, but this broom is not like any broom I have seen in America. The bristles are made out of twigs. The weird thing is that I absolutely love it! I love the run down buildings and the dirt floors. I love the random herds of goats and chickens. Lydia made a good point; God is everywhere, which means that church does not have to be in a building.
I am ready to let my heart pour into Ghana. I am ready to learn the language and refine through Mathias when I get to America and I am ready to come back. Tomorrow I will walk the streets and look in the shops. I am excited. Monday I am getting my hair done. Words cannot explain what is going to be done to my head but it will be shapes and colors. They are going to teach me to take care of it so that I may have it when I return to the United States and weeks after. Lord I am so so so so so so excited. I want Ghana to imprint me; I also want to use this experience to give me the opportunity to go speak in churches to fundraise to come back. The thing with me is that it is hard for me to just do something once. Like Hawaii, it has been in my life and I want to continue to have it in my life. These are people and relationships that I am establishing and why stop at just once. Do what you love and I love experiencing and living outside of my comfort zone.
The looks went a little better today. I actually had people wave to me. In the area of Accra that I am in there really are NO white people, but I am completely okay with that. It does not bother me. When children see me and have to take a double take it makes me wonder if I am the only white person they have seen up close.
We went to the mall to eat lunch. Lydia and I both got a beef burger. She got fries and I got a chicken salad. The salad was okay but the burger was the SPICIEST things I have ever tasted! Legitimately my mouth was on fire, my lips felt like they were swelling, and my nose was running. O heaven! Lydia thought that it was very spicy too. So I did not eat all of that. I knew that I would be hungry later so I tried to push through but I just could not. We had an afternoon snack before that. He brought me a Sprite and some Lemon cookie things. One of the weirdest things here, which should be expected, is that there are not calories counts anywhere. Lydia and I started talking and the first question she asked me was if I was married. I said no, I was not. We talked from 10:30 to about 5:00. I really like her. I feel like she is my age, she looks my age but she is 37 with three kids. She jokingly told me that maybe I might find a husband in Ghana. I laughed and said then I guess that would mean I would have to stay.
When Pastor James found out that I had a leak in my room, he instantly called the hotel and said I would be switching rooms. I told him it was fine. Lydia said that since I am a guest I should have the very best. When Lydia came in the room I asked here what I should wear for church and she said whatever makes me feel confident and happy. That is some of the best advice I have ever been given. Image is not something of huge concern for the people I have encountered. Probably because there are other things, more important things to worry about and it makes me feel like I have been worrying about some very very stupid unnecessary necessities. For example, we were at lunch talking and the topic of working out was brought up…I realized that it is not everything, though it is important for my American lifestyle, it is not everything.
I feel like they are serving me American food so that I will like it enough to come back. For dinner the hotel made me grilled chicken with fries (they call them chips). The French fries were very salty, but it was like baked-in salt. The ketchup is weird too. Like it taste a more solidified and colder version of tomato soup. Even the chicken tastes different, but it is a good different. I mean everything here does not come processed and from a store. I see all of these chickens crossing the road and wonder if they are now one chicken less because they eat them. Just a thought I am indifferent either way. Even though I rarely eat French fries, sprite, and cookies, I did. Something about wasting food in Africa just seems morally wrong to me. So I am going to eat everything that is in front of me, good or bad, because I get to see the starving children in Africa.
It is 8:15 and I am already sleepy! I have to be ready to go by eight tomorrow for church. He said after church I will have the day to myself. So I will wander the streets of Africa. They said to go as I please as long as I can make my way back. Also Lydia told me to walk around Ghana like I have always been there. So basically walk with confidence and act like I know where I am going when indeed I do not. This sounds very familiar to something that I do in the states.
Is it bad that when I see white people I am a little upset by there ignorance? When we were at the shopping mall there were tourists and for some reason it bothered me. Maybe because people are vacationing in a place of poverty…whatever it was, I am completely content with not interacting with a white individual until I get on the plane to leave. Everything is so simple here. I think I like it so much because there is no pressure to be anything else but me. There is no pressure to own many cars, a big house and have a successful husband. I really do like it here…a lot.