Our life here

Slowly, it is creeping upon us. This sense of normalsy. A new normalsy. It feels like it has been so long coming. And yet.. we are still settling. It's a big change, uprooting oneself, the family. It takes a bit. Upon arriving here, I know that Robert and I had different impressions entirely. I hope that he will put his impressions down sometime for you to read them. In a way it feels like we have been stuck in survival mode since we arrived in Kyekyewere. There have been intense spiritual struggles, mental anguish, child training despair, sickness, and other things that have caused us to turn to God and plead for His strength to carry us. We need courage. Courage to not grow weary of our ever slow twi comprehension. Courage to trust each moment to Him. Courage to trust that He will shine through us, as long as we follow. Courage to go on. But no. We don't want only to go on. We want to go on in enthusiasm. And, praise God. We are. It doesnt feel like we are only surviving anymore. We both are so enthusiastic about the next few years here. That being said, it felt like something must be said about the valley we have just come through. I want to be transparent. I want to not only focus on the good. The exciting. The interesting. We are living life here, the same as you are living life there. We all have our good days, our bad. The devil works the same here as there. Sometimes I must confess, it seems like he works overtime here. So. Friend. We will pray for each other. And we will take one step at a time, ever onward toward heaven. Satan shall not conquer.

And now. For a little lighter reading, perhaps. I had written, or i should say i had began to write, a very boring entry about the house here.. and so on. It was not flowing. And I gave up. I'll try again. I know that you want to know our setting here. If you are like me, its nice to have a rough idea of where people are. It makes them seem.. not so far away...more relatable.. I'm not even sure what it all is. I guess, I like to be able to picture you in your kitchen, cause then I can imagine for a tiny bit that I am there to. It is just a backdrop. I don't want you to have us in front of a bank canvas.

"Broni, how are you, I am fine, thank you!" The chant will follow us wherever our feet take us in this village.  The little children have been taught this phrase, and they seem caught off guard when we join them in the chant... "I am fine! Thank you!" Some are shy, but most will crowd in around us, reaching to touch the white baby. Wanting to hold maddies hand. Touch her hair. The mama's love it when I braid the top, and let her curls loose in the back. Every time they see us, it's like they expect us to have learned the whole language in a few days. No. Sorry. I wish. But they smile, and point to Ivan on my back. They ask if we can trade babies.  They love seeing us try to use our small twi. My tongue has a hard time finding it's place in my mouth to make the strange sounds. When I get that somewhat right, my brain forgets all the words and what they mean. More than once I have told someone "thank you" instead of good evening. In market one day I thought the lady was trying to tell me how to say something in twi so I was trying to copy her. Then I figured out that she was actually talking in English. Her accent was thick, but I definitely should have understood her. We both laughed. As I left with my goods, she was telling someone else the story of the white lady that didn't understand her own language. And they laaauuughed. And I swallowed my pride and told myself maybe they needed something to laugh at. They are so kind, so warm. There is nothing mean in their laughter.

Leaving market area we cross the main drag and head up smaller road. There's a water tower, reaching far above the small businesses. It is spoiled, they say. It doesnt work. A hair salon. There is always a congregation of Ladies there, braiding hair extentions in, taking them out. Straightening their hair. Talking. Laughing. Watching their small children. Occasionally admonishing them. There are other small shops and stands as we walk along. Not to fast, or we will be out of rhythm with the surrounding speed of life. Toddlers run between the shops. Everyone has the right to discipline everyone's children. Sometimes I'm not sure who is who's child! Maddie is painfully shy still. I guess she is paying me back for my shyness as a girl. I think it will continue to get better. It's hard being the center of attention all the time. Hard to constantly have mamas and grandma's wanting to hold you. Hard to have them scold you in a language you don't understand yet. Hard to get used to their high energy responses to her bashfullness.

We walk past a clinic, a cell tower, and there's our gate. And Mr.  Turkey. Strutting his stuff, fanning his feathers, making sure, as always that we don't forget he is there. When we got here starla told me that the turkey doesn't like white people. He'll chase us, and even chase our vehicles! I'm always a bit cautious of him, but he never does any harm.

Then. One day, this last Thursday to be exact, we decided to try our fancy Land Cruiser out. So the gate was opened, dog held back, vehicle pulled out, and Robert was going to lock everything up. I climbed up into my regal seat, air conditioner blowing in my face. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mr Turkey. He wasn't happy. He did not like this big, white box that made rumbling noises. I contemplated yelling at Robert, but decided it might be funny if the turkey would come around the corner of the vehicle as he was coming up to it. Sadly, that didn't happen, but oh I thought it was jolly to watch that fat, pompous bird chase us away. It's not the white people he doesn't like. It's the white vehicle. 

* edit to add.

He didn't cause any trouble until one day Maddie looked like a perfect target for his rage. Then he got a solid kick that sent him skittering sideways.

"Oh. This mama is gonna be an issue!" he thought. "If I act very nonchalant and just eeeaaase around her, in a very round about way... yes. I'll try that."

Kkkuuu- THUMP.

"Gobble. Gulp. Uhhum. Now I am angry. Not at the small girl. The mama." Feathers puffed. Beady little eyes focused on one thing only. This white mama with the ready foot. "Ready. Go!"

Ker-THUUUMMPP.

He picked himself up from across the road where he had landed.

"IS SHE LAUGHING AT ME? The nerve. I will GET HER this time!"

Except, at that instant, a van passed inbetween us. The men hanging out the backdoor were getting their jollies out of the small battle. Mr. Turkey was quite taken aback after his close shave with death by van collision. He thought about attacking again, but he was a ways away from his normal territory, and he seemed to realize he was fighting a losing battle. I didn't see him for about a week. Now I see him from time to time again, but he respects me.

Well, I got somewhat sidetracked, I was going to show you our house. Our gate is two painted grey metal with a design on the top 1½ feet or so. The design looks to be rebar, bent strategically to create the pattern. That part is painted white. There is a matching walk-in gate alongside the large one. The rest of our compound is surrounded by a concrete wall. I'm glad they put that design on the gate because that's the only place we can see out. Our yard is beautiful. It has grass over a good ¾ of the yard. A 'big mango' tree, a sweet mango tree, a cocoa tree, a stand of banana trees, a papaya tree, a Norfolk island pine, and some palm trees make our yard quite attractive. We also have some flowering shrubby, viney flowers. I'll have to figure out what they are and download some like them onto here. They are so pretty.

Bougainvillea in Accra (not my picture)

Then. Our carport, the front porch.. it's all so nice. There are two doors off the front porch. One leads to the kitchen and the other to the living/dining room. One  of the first things I noticed was our large bookcase in the living room. It was hard for me to leave the collection of literature we have scrambled together back in Iowa. It was hard to leave all my classics. But what really was the hardest for me to leave were the children's books. I brought some along. But oh. How I love to take my children into this world, then that one, and see them learning as the pages turn. And here. Oh! There were SO many children's books! A lot that I haven't even bought stateside yet. We have had so much fun reading them. Robert and I have also enjoyed escaping into chapter books when we need a break. Then there are study books. And song books. Coloring books. Recipe books. You get the picture. 

The living and dining room are a shared space. I'll attach a picture to give you an idea of how things are laid out. The dimensions aren't all right, but close enough:) and my washer is in the hall between the master bedroom door and the outside door. I forgot to add that.

The next thing I noticed was the kitchen. Of course, I had wondered many times what it would be like. It seems like the middle of a family's existence is found in the kitchen. Many hours are spent there. And it is perfect. Not perfect, but perfect for me. I love my kitchen here. Four large windows. White walls. Some open shelving. The bottom cupboards have curtains made of bright, beautiful African fabric. Often when I step into the kitchen the breeze from the windows or the ceiling fan will be making them sway a bit. It's like they are welcoming me. Then there is a gas stove/oven, stainless steel. The stove and I get along quite nicely. I've always wanted to see what I thought of gas, so this is neat. Then a huge, beautiful, rustic/ primitive, freestanding cabinet, stands betweenthe stove and the fridge. It is painted dark red. I think it's elegant in its own simple way. Our fridge is full-sized, the freezer on top. And get this. We have a whole 'nother one in the pantry! PLUS a small upright freezer. Crazy, right? I'm learning that the freezer and fridge space is also used to keep bugs out of things. There are some odd things in my appliances if I must say so myself. The pantry has a bunch of storage space and utilities looks to have been used for other miscellaneous things as well as kitchen things. Our medicine/ kitchen linens/other-assorted-things cabinet is in there as well. It is the size of a small armoir. Anyway. Back to the kitchen. There is also another freestanding cabinet. I fancy myself to be at least somewhat smitten with this one as well. It's painted a blue/turquoise color, also fits the rustic/primitive look, and stands about chin height on me.

The bedrooms all are, well, bedrooms. Not a lot to say about them. The two rooms we are using are side by side. Our room has three large windows, all screened, and outfitted with shutters. They stay open most of the time. The walls that the windows are on have been painted navy. At one point someone put the wall words ," It is you I love..." on the wall. Robert's office also abides within our room. It is comprized of a desk, safe, and another cabinet that locks - this one is about the size of a gun cabinet. A printer, desktop computer, our wifi parafernalia and other, more menial, yet crucial, things complete the ensemble.

The children are sharing a room for now. It has two red walls, one large window, two twin beds. The windows in our room are the only ones that have shutters. The rest are similar to these I have pictured below. ( not my image ). I absolutely love this shutter style window. They are so practical for our life here!

We have one bathroom. It is a somewhat interesting layout but works very nicely.

The other side of the house has two more rooms and a small classroom. One, of course, would be the teacher's room if we had/needed a teacher. Both of these rooms are equipped with a full bed, a desk, and an armoire. They seem to be in better repair than the two rooms we are occupying. I'm not sure if they have just been worked on? The two rooms we are using and the bathroom have some paint peeling, but they are just fine. The cement/plaster that the paint is covering has began to crumble a bit. (Trev was saying that their house has been tiled a ways up the wall because of the moisture problem. It wants to make the paint peel. The problem is, where their tile ends, the paint bubbles anyway. I guess to avoid it the whole house would have to be tile. Haha. ) I must add; although it was beginning to peel, it has been helped quite mightily by two pairs of small, speedy, sneaky hands. I think that we have (maybe? hopefully?) been successful in teaching them that wrecking the mission house isn't a good occupation.

I also have a small but mighty washing machine. I am exceedingly grateful for this convenience. I think she needs a name, but the right one hasn't come to me. Anyone have a suggestion? Sometimes the clothes smell a little musty due to...I'm not sure what. Water quality? Thorough-ness of the washing? Cleanliness of the inside workings of the machine? Probly a combination. I have learned that laundry simply cannot sit in the washer for long at all if I want to avoid smelling very unappealing. After adding essential oils to my laundry soap, my laundry does smell clean. It also helps tremendously to tote a bucket of very hot water from the bathroom and add it to the washer. ( Our only hot water is from the shower tap. ) All the praises sung, I'll now confess. A few days after typing this I noticed one of my dresses had some obvious spots on it so I put it in a concoction of water and various cleaning agents. The water turned brown alarmingly fast. It had been washed twice already. I'm still thankful for my washer tho.

Our Ghana home is easy to feel at home in. It's not too nice. Not too shabby. Just right. It feels lived in, and I love that. Sometimes I like to think of all the many families that have lived here. The children, running in, and then out again, screen door slamming behind them. I think of all the mamas before me. Sweeping up piles of sand, wiping red dust off the windowsill. Wishing they could feed the child at the gate without attracting the whole village. Hanging up clothes on the line, wondering if they will dry, or get rained on. Planting some seeds. Catching a small boquet, tied together with some trash found on the road. Hearing, " I love you!" drifting over the wall with those flowers. Wondering.. does little Sofie know love? How can I show her love? Without consequences? What would Jesus do? Oh. If only I knew the answer to that question. "Madasi! The flowers. They are pretty!" Of course. The next time I go out, I notice several more small arrangements, lying on the ground. Did she know I had gone? So hungry.. for love... my mama heart aches for her. But, is that my baby crying? Yes. And surely it's time to start supper. Another load of laundry. And I really must run to market to get some eggs. There are never enough hours in a day.

I know I told you a bit about the yard, but I'll expound a bit. As you know, we live in a compound; cement block walls close us into our own little world. Except, as I sit typing, the sounds of Ghana drift in. A radio blares in the distance, the beat very distinct. Then, it is drowned out by the sound of a tractor driving by. Children jabber in Twi. The steady thump, thump, thump, of the mama next door pounding cassava, never breaking pace. Thump. Thump. Thump. Some one yells at a child. Then a chase ensues. Cries for mercy. A very adamant mother. The child must have done something to deserve a "beating". Beating is mostly to be taken lightly. More like a spanking. They don't attach quite the negative connotation we Americans do to the word. A sheep, or maybe a goat, baaaaas his input. The turkey gobbles.

And now. We have supper plans. So, another day. There is so much to tell you. The problem is, whenever I sit down to do so, the power goes out, the wifi is down for a day, and other such inconveniences. So bear with me. I think Robert also has a report written that you can read soon. It will be about similar things, but a different viewpoint. I can't wait to read it. Farwell. May God bless, as the Ghanaians say often. We miss you, but we love it here. Thank you so much for your prayers. Your messages.