Lessons Learned in Ghana

Hey y'all! I know it's been a while. Quick update: I've been home from Ghana for about a month now, and at times it really doesn't feel like I went there and often times have to look at pictures and read old blog posts and stay in touch with the people I met during my time there to remind myself that yes, I really did spend four months in Ghana, away from family and friends and anything familiar. And it was absolutely i n c r e d i b l e.

This blog is more of me processing my thoughts and themes that I noticed in my life during my time in Ghana, and honestly, my thoughts are still very much so being processed and I'm still trying to learn how to take it all in, so this blog isn't going to be as thorough and informative as I would like, but hey it's something, and it's all I have at the moment so it'll have to do haha!

I really just wanted this to be a space where I can attempt to verbalize some things I learned while I was in Ghana, and I hope that even if it means absolutely nothing to you, it can help you see things a little bit more from my perspective.

Lesson #1: I Can't Do This
For as long as I can remember I had been looking forward to leaving home and traveling anywhere. It didn't matter where, I just wanted to get away. And I did. But what I wasn't prepared for was for how hard it was, how homesick I became, and how much I struggled and wanted to go home. I wasn't prepared to be faced with the reality that I am not cut out for that kind of lifestyle. It hurt. It was hard. I cried. There were so many days where I just came to terms that I could not do this. I couldn't handle it, and thought I never would be able to. And while that is true, while it is beyond anything that I can handle in my own strength, the Lord reminded me over and over again that this life I live is not by my own strength. It is by His. So no, on my own, I can't do this. But in Him, I can.

Lesson #2: I Don't Want to Be a Missionary
After I got over feeling like I was not cut out for this missionary life, I came to an even bigger conclusion that I don't want to be a missionary (which is HUGE because I've wanted to be a missionary for quite some time). I talk about this more in a guest blog post on my friend Jessica's blog, but basically I state how I don't want to go on a mission trip, tell people about Jesus and then leave. I don't want to go somewhere thinking that I'm the hero saving the day by telling people about a much needed Savior. I don't want to enter in as the foreigner thinking they have the right answer and without me everyone else is doomed. No. I want to let God be God, and sit back and humbly fit in wherever He wants me in the world. I want to love people like Jesus, and not just tell them about Jesus. I want to engage in the community and learn from them, not barge in with my own ideas and tell them how I think they should live their lives. I don't want to be a missionary. I want to be the love of Jesus in a person, and through my life I want people to come to know the love of our Savior.

Lesson #3: I Hate Goodbyes
I never knew how hard it was to say goodbye until I was leaving Ghana. I've said goodbye before, plenty of times. But those goodbyes were temporary. Goodbyes at my high school graduation? I knew I would see my friends over the summer and during breaks in college when we all returned home. Goodbyes at the end of every semester in college thus far? I knew I would see them when we returned for the next semester, if not sooner. Goodbyes when I left to go to Ghana? I knew that 4 months later, I would be back and reunited with them. But the goodbyes leaving Ghana? Man. That was hard. It's still so hard. As I was leaving I could so confidently say I will be back and we will surely meet again. But along with that confidence comes the questions. But when? How long will I have to wait? How long will they have to wait? When I do come back, how long will I get to be there until I have to say goodbye yet again? Is it really realistic to think I can keep traveling back and forth to Ghana? Where am I going to get the money for all of that? Who will come with me? What about the other Americans I met over there? When will I see them again?  So. Many. Questions. So. Many. Goodbyes. And as much as I hated the goodbyes (and still do), I had to come to terms with the fact that saying goodbye is a part of life. It sucks, it really does. But it's inevitable. And somehow I was able to find the beauty in goodbyes. Goodbyes that are hard are painful, but more than that, they're a blessing.

"When goodbyes are hard, it means you've been changed, you've been taught, you've grown. It means you have opened up your heart to be impacted by the people around you. It means you have allowed yourself to really be with others and grow relationships that matter. When goodbyes are hard, it means you've made friends, you've been a part of a community, you've found a family. When goodbyes are hard, it means you have loved and been loved well. When goodbyes are hard, it means you have given your heart and invested it into people who matter. And all of these things describe Ghana for me. Ghana has taught me so much. Ghana has caused me to grow. Ghana has changed me. Ghana has brought some amazing people into my life. Ghana has given me a family and community that I absolutely adore. Ghana has shown me love and helped teach me how to love. And I have surely been loved well here." -It's Ghana Be Hard to Say Goodbye

Ghana was an incredible treat, and I'm extremely blessed to have been able to live and take part in this amazing culture. I know I learned so much more than just these three things, but I'm still processing everything. I'll be processing and doing a self discovery journey for a while, and I'm not entirely sure if that's something that will ever come to an end. I look forward to being able to return to Ghana and go through this all over again. But until then, I will hold on to the memories I made and the people I met there.

Also, I am so beyond thankful that our God is constant. A good portion of my time in Ghana, I felt like I was drowning. Drowning in confusion, in inconsistency, in anxiety, in mixed emotions. Just constantly felt like I was drowning. But the God we serve is constant and faithful. He is my anchor. He is my ever present help. And I could not be more grateful.

His love carried me. His grace kept me. His goodness pushed me on.

Y'all. God is SO good.

Blessings, blessings, and more blessings to you all.

With love,

Elisha

It's Ghana Be Hard to Say Goodbye

“When do you leave?”

This question has become quite prevalent in these past few weeks, and as time goes on it gets harder to answer. At first the answer was “June 1st.” Then it became "In two weeks." Then it was “Next week.” And now, “Wednesday.” Just like that. In two days my life will never be the same, and quite frankly I'm not ready.

Over these past four months, Ghana has become home. It didn't start off like that of course, as there were so many difficult moments and challenges throughout this semester that I look back on and can laugh about now, but through it all, that's what it has become.

As it comes closer to time for me to leave here, it gets harder to face. It's hard to know that in just a few short days, I will never be in this country under the same circumstances with the same people ever again. And I'm not ready for that.

It's hard seeing people bringing full and overflowing suitcases and bags down the stairs as they get ready to leave. It's hard walking past a room that used to belong to your friends, but is now empty. It's hard going down to the first floor of ISH where we all used to sit around for hours and eat and talk, but the majority of them are nowhere to be found. It's hard seeing everything come to an end right before my eyes, and it's hard knowing that my time in Ghana will also meet its end very very soon.

While I know that as this chapter of my life comes to an end, God has a lot planned for the next chapter of my life– it is still hard. Goodbyes are hard. Goodbyes are always hard. Goodbyes were hard when I left for Ghana, and they will be hard when I leave to return to the U.S. The goodbyes I've already had to say to people were hard, and the goodbyes I have yet to say will be hard. There's no way around it. I don't think there's a such thing as an easy goodbye. Some are surely harder than others, but I don't think they're meant to be easy. Goodbyes are hard, and that's okay.

Although leaving Ghana and saying goodbye is hard, it hurts, and it's painful– I'm glad. I'm glad I came here and had an experience that makes it hard to say goodbye. I'm glad I came here and met people who make it hard to say goodbye. I'm glad I came here and made friends who make it hard to say goodbye. I'm glad I came here and got involved with a community that makes it hard to say goodbye. I'm glad that Ghana is a country that makes it hard to say goodbye.

When goodbyes are hard, it means you've been changed, you've been taught, you've grown. It means you have opened up your heart to be impacted by the people around you. It means you have allowed yourself to really be with others and grow relationships that matter. When goodbyes are hard, it means you've made friends, you've been a part of a community, you've found a family. When goodbyes are hard, it means you have loved and been loved well. When goodbyes are hard, it means you have given your heart and invested it into people who matter. And all of these things describe Ghana for me. Ghana has taught me so much. Ghana has caused me to grow. Ghana has changed me. Ghana has brought some amazing people into my life. Ghana has given me a family and community that I absolutely adore. Ghana has shown me love and helped teach me how to love. And I have surely been loved well here.

It's hard to say goodbye, but that's okay. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's hard to say goodbye, but that means it was good, it was a blessing. It means my heart is happy and full and I am so incredibly pleased. It's hard to say goodbye, but that means I have absolutely loved it here.

It's hard to say goodbye, so I won't. Pieces of my heart will always remain here. We're all familiar with the phrase “It's not goodbye, it's see you later.” But here in Ghana, it's not goodbye or see you later; It's “Mekwaaba” (I will go and come).

So, Ghana. It's been a blessing. It really has been. I am so thankful. I am so grateful. My heart is so very full. Everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly, has brought me to this point where it is so hard to say goodbye. It's hard, but that means it's been worth it.

Family and friends at home, I will see you very very soon.

& Ghana, mekwaaba.

Thank you everyone who's been with me on this journey, literally or metaphorically. Thank you all so very much for the prayers, the messages, the phone calls. Thank you for keeping up with this blog and the sweet comments you have given. Thank you for your words of encouragement and for cheering me on. Thank you all of my dear friends and family who have put up with this 4/5/6 hour time difference and my lack of a stable wifi connection. Thank you for listening to me rant and vent and dealing with my range of mixed emotions over the past month (y'all know who you are lol). Thank you thank you thank you.

I love you all so very much!

In Christ,

Elisha B.

I'm Ghana Miss It Here

And just like that, classes are done, finals are finished, my spring semester at the University of Ghana is complete, and I am officially a senior in college (where has the time gone!?). Before we know it, I will be on a plane headed home, getting adjusted back into “normal” life.

Now, before you ask. Let me answer.

Am I ready to come home?

Yes. Well, yes and no.

I'm ready to see my family.

Being so far away from them for so long has shown me to an even greater extent how important family is and how blessed I am to have the most amazing family in the world (yes, I'm biased, but it's still the truth). From my parents, to my siblings, to aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, this trip has surely given me a greater appreciation and love for all of them and I can't wait to be reunited with them.

I'm ready to see my friends.

From the friends that I consider to be more like sisters, to the people I can just laugh with for hours on end over the littlest things, to those who I just love running into at the least expected times around campus, I've missed all of them tremendously and cannot wait to be back to make the most of our last year together before we graduate.

I'm ready to see my church families.

Churches here are great, but there's nothing like the churches I attend back home. I miss being surrounded by people who have known me for longer than I can remember, and people who I have met just last year but have become like family and have poured so much into my life and truly transformed my walk with the Lord. I'm excited to come back and be in fellowship with all of them again.

I'm ready to go back to Agnes Scott College.

Never in a million years would I have thought I would miss it there, but I do. I really do. I miss my fellow Scotties, the professors, and the multitude of other campus staff that put a smile on my face when I see them. I miss going to Evans or Mollies (or somewhere in Decatur when those options don't sound good, lol) to eat with friends. I miss being able to walk to Chickfila (Seriously. I miss Chickfila so much). I miss studying in the library until 2am and then having to go to Campbell to finish lol. I miss pancake jam. I miss self scheduled exams. I miss having an honor code. I miss Pinky Promise and KC3. I could continue, but long story short: I miss Agnes and it took me coming to Ghana to realize how wonderful that school is. (I will still probably complain about it when I get back lol, but deep down inside I promise I love it.)

If you would have asked me if I was ready to come home even a week ago, you would have gotten a different answer. And if you ask me again in a week, I'm not entirely sure what the answer will be (so many mixed emotions these days). But for now, this is my answer. And while I miss all of these things from home, I know the second I get on the plane to go home, I will miss everything about life here in Ghana.

I'm going to miss sharing a room with my amazing and hilarious roommate who definitely made my time here 10000x better than it would have been if she were not here/if we weren't roommates.

I'm going to miss walking to the night market every day for fresh fruit or an egg sandwich or jollof or waakye or loads of other random things you would be surprised that can be found there.

I'm going to miss going to the first floor of ISH (International Students' Hostel) to eat and spend time with people from all over the U.S. and different parts of the world. People who have come from completely different backgrounds and various walks of life to all spend a semester (or year) in Ghana.

I'm going to miss eating fufu and banku and rice balls and ground nut soup and other local Ghanaian foods.

I'm going to miss eating with Ghanaians, together, out of one bowl, and with our hands.

I'm going to miss getting on tro-tros and being amazed at how many people they manage to fit before it is considered “full”.

I'm going to miss being able to buy water, ice cream, snacks, and other things out of the window of a tro-tro from people selling it on the streets, in the middle of crazy Accra traffic.

I'm going to miss bargaining with sellers at the markets and being able to buy things for almost (if not less than) half of the original price.

I'm going to miss being called “Oboruni” (white person/foreigner) by different people and being able to respond in Twi (local Ghanaian language), and seeing the looks of shock on their faces.

I'm going to miss being surrounded by kids asking “How are you?” over and over again at the excitement of seeing an “Oboruni”.

I'm going to miss hearing “You are invited” when someone around me is eating, and hearing “You are welcome” when arriving at different places.

I'm going to miss looking up at the stars in the clear night sky and being reminded/amazed at how big our God is.

I'm going to miss being greeted in Twi by my classmates who are always so happy to see me.

I'm going to miss the sunrises I get to see every morning and hearing the roosters crow.

I'm going to miss going to different parts of town with other international students to find American restaurants for different occasions.

I'm going to miss my Twi professor and all the times he started beat-boxing and dancing in class in an effort to get us to remember different words in Twi.

I'm going to miss feeling so ridiculous as I attempted to learn traditional Ghanaian dances.

I'm going to miss the random adventures around Accra with friends.

I'm going to miss having absolutely no idea what is going on 90% of the time but loving every second of it.

I'm going to miss going to plays, dance performances, and concerts on campus with my roommate, and supporting her when she had band performances.

I'm going to miss 7am Bible study every Friday morning with others who were just as eager as I was to see and be a part of what the Lord is doing here.

I'm going to miss seeing women carrying babies on their backs and just about anything on their heads.

I'm going to miss my ISEP group and our wonderful coordinator and her assistant. (Literally would not be here without them, so I'm extremely grateful for everything they've done).

I'm going to miss the workers at ISH and greeting them every morning as I go down the four flights of stairs (I will not miss those stairs. lol).

I'm going to miss being constantly surrounded by people speaking a language I can barely understand (but have enjoyed trying).

I'm going to miss my professors making sure that I'm okay when they make references to Ghanaian things that I have no clue about.

I'm going to miss hearing Christian music at random times in random places, and the joy I feel when it's a song that I know from home.

I'm going to miss walking around in the heat and being so relieved when it decides to rain.

I'm going to miss everyone at Mawulolo Youth Network, from the board members, to the other volunteers, to the children. (They have all been an incredible gift from God this semester and I could not be more grateful for the experience I have had with this organization.)

I'm going to miss holding children's hands as we walk through the village.

I'm going to miss the kindergarteners that I've been teaching for the past few months that have grown so near and dear to my heart.

I'm going to miss the beauty of this culture and everything I have gained from being here.

I'm going to miss being in Ghana.

Two more weeks and I'll be home. It's mind-blowing because it seems like just yesterday I was packing to come here, and soon I'll be packing to return home.

However, unlike in my last blog post, this time around, I'm content with the fact that I'll be home soon. I'm content with the time that I've had in Ghana. I'm content with the way the Lord has changed my heart while I have been here. I'm content with the things I have seen and done this semester. I'm going to miss everything without a doubt, but I am most definitely content.

I'm excited to see how God is going to use these last two weeks of me being in Ghana, especially since I no longer have classes to attend or exams to study for. I'm excited to see what God will continue to show me and how He will continue to share different aspects of His heart with me for His people here.

I'm surely going to miss it here when it's time to leave, but for now I'm living in contentment, eagerness and expectancy.

In Christ,

Elisha

I'm Ghana Make It Count

So, May 1st was the other day. Big deal right? Well yeah. My alarm woke me up that beautiful Sunday morning, and when I looked at my phone to turn it off, my heart dropped. I obviously knew a new month was approaching as April came to an end, but actually seeing the date made it a reality and sent me into a panic.

May 1st. Exactly one month until my flight home. May 2nd. Exactly one month until I land in Georgia. May 3rd. Exactly one month until I wake up in my bed at home in good ole Douglasville, Georgia, instead of waking up in my dorm room at the University of Ghana.

One month until life supposedly returns to “normal”. One month until I see family and friends whom I have missed so dearly. One month until I can get a long awaited meal from Chickfila (other than people, this is definitely what I've missed the most from home lol).

While one month may seem like a long time to those who are back home waiting for my return, for me it definitely seems to not be long enough. With only one month left in Ghana (a country that went from just being another place on a map to being a country where a piece of my heart will remain forever), I feel at a loss because I feel like I don't have enough time left.

I don't have enough time left to spend with the people who have come to mean so much to me. I don't have enough time left to fully embrace this culture that was once so new and so different. I don't have enough time left to continue discovering new things about myself as I discover new things about this country (and the world). I just don't have enough time.

And even still, though I may feel like one month isn't enough time, one month is plenty of time. As I am currently struggling with the thought of having to leave here in a month, I am reminded of a similar situation I found myself in this time last year.

It was the end of April, exams were about to start, and I would be moving out of my dorm in two weeks. I was having this same conversation with my Intervarsity (a campus ministry) leader, explaining to her that two weeks was not enough time for disciple making and there was no way I could reach out to those I wanted to reach out to with only two weeks left in school. And what she told me was true then, and it is true now. “God can do so much in two weeks. He can do so much in one day. He is not limited by your limited amount of time left here, He can and will still move.”

So while I could go on and on about how a month isn't enough time left for me to be in Ghana, I am choosing to look past that, and focus on the fact that God can do so much in a month. While my time here may be limited, He is not. He can and will still move while I am here and even after I leave. He can and will still use me in so many ways, even ways I won't realize, during my last month here. It seems like a short time, in fact it is a short time when you look at it in comparison to how long I've been here, but God can still use it.

I have a month left in Ghana, and I may not be super happy about it, I may wish I could stay here longer, I may want this month to go by as slowly as possible (sorry for those of you back home, I promise I'll be back soon❤), but more than any of those feelings, I have a month left in Ghana and I'm ghana make it count.

❤ Elisha

The Power of Sponsorship: It's Ghana Change a Life

One of the most memorable moments I've had in Ghana, and definitely one of the most meaningful to me, was when I had the opportunity to participate in an interview with two of the children who are in the Mawulolo Youth Network Scholarship Program.

Mawulolo Youth Network (MYN) is an NGO based in Accra, Ghana that serves the members of the Christian Village community. The main goal of Mawulolo Youth Network is to provide an education for the underprivileged in the community in hopes of eradicating poverty in Christian Village. Three times a week, the children in Christian Village come to MYN for an after school program. I am one of the several volunteers for MYN who come to teach different age groups in the after school program. I have been teaching kindergarteners for the past few months and I have absolutely loved every second of it.

In addition to the after school program that MYN offers to the children of the Christian Village community, MYN also has a scholarship program that is available to the children. The scholarship is funded by sponsors, and is given to those in the community who would otherwise not be able to afford school. The scholarship covers the school fees for them, and also covers the cost of other things, such as books.

As I mentioned earlier, about a month ago I was able to sit in on an interview between two of the scholarship recipients, their grandparents, the MYN team, and some of my fellow volunteers. We sat with them and listened to them talk about how receiving this scholarship has changed their lives. They mentioned how having their school fees paid for took a burden off of their grandparents, whom they live with, and they talked about how because they received this scholarship they are more eager and passionate about learning. They talked about how much of a difference having this scholarship has made in their pursuit of an education. They concluded by discussing with us their love for science and their dreams for what they want to do in the future. Their grandparents repeatedly thanked the MYN team for the ability for their grandchildren to be sponsored and receive this scholarship, and they thanked myself and the other volunteers for what we are doing for the children.

For those of you who don't know, I have been sponsoring a child through Compassion International for over two years now, and I read all the time about how much of a difference the sponsorship is making. Sponsoring through Compassion provides children with an education, medical access, nutrition, safety, and a chance to learn about Jesus. I know that. I read it. I hear about it. I get mail that tells me all about the difference I am making in a child's life, and I even get letters from my sponsored child herself, but it was not until I got to Ghana, and more specifically not until I had the opportunity to be a part of that interview, that I truly understood the difference that sponsorship makes in a child's life.

Hearing first hand the difference that it makes for a child to be able to receive an education made me think about the difference it makes for a child being sponsored through Compassion to not only receive access to an education, but also everything else I just mentioned. I can't describe it, I wish I could. But it does so much more than I can put into words. It gives them hope. It gives them a chance to escape poverty. It gives them the ability to overcome the many obstacles they are facing. It enables them to live out their fullest potential. It enables them to become a doorway of hope for the others following behind them, who may find themselves in similar situations.

I know that reading about the difference you can make in a child's life does not come close to hearing it come from their own mouth, but try to let it sink in. It's easy to read that sponsorship changes lives and then continue on with your day without giving it a second thought. But don't do that. Don't brush it off. Don't ignore the facts. Don't let this just be another post you read without putting any action behind it. Let this time be different.

If you've never thought about sponsoring a child before, think about it. Pray about it. See what God is calling you to do. If you've thought about it, but have been putting it off, ask yourself why. Read my story of how I started sponsoring, and let the Lord move your heart. See what He wants you to do, and stop making excuses. You never know who's life you will be impacting.

“These are the lives that the world has forgotten, waiting for doors of our hearts and our homes to open. Boys become kings, girls will be queens, wrapped in Your majesty when we love the least of these. Then they will be brave and free, shout Your name in victory, when we love the least of these.”

-Kings and Queens by Audio Adrenaline

If you are interested in sponsoring a child's education with Mawulolo Youth Network's Scholarship Program, or if you are interested in sponsoring a child in poverty through Compassion International, feel free to ask me, or visit their websites, for more information.

Mawulolo Youth Network: www.mawuloloyouthnetwork.org

Compassion International: www.compassion.com

Find out what kind of difference you can make in a child's life, and then do it. ❤

"If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."

-Isaiah 58:10

In Christ,

Elisha

It's Ghana Be Challenging

Wow, keeping a blog updated regularly while abroad (and in general actually) is a lot harder than it seems, so to those of you who are better at this than I am, major props to you because I'm not entirely sure how people do this lol.

In other news, it is now April and that means it's been a while since I've posted a blog (sorry!), and it also means that I will be coming home in less than 2 months which is CRAZY because it seems like I just got here. I can't believe we've passed the halfway point in the semester (although I still have not had an IA/midterm exam in some of my classes) and shortly we will be preparing for finals.

I know it's been a while since I've posted so here are a few things that have been going on:

Midterms

Like I mentioned, I've been in Ghana now for more than half of a semester, but have yet to have an IA (interim assessment, what they call midterms here) in half of my classes. The way the education system works here is probably the one thing that still continues to catch me off guard the most. Whereas I am used to knowing what to expect and when to expect it as far as class assignments, presentations, exams, etc. go, I do not have that luxury here. While it can be extremely frustrating, it also 1) makes me more grateful for the education I receive back home, and 2) makes me realize that stressing about it won't change anything in the slightest, so might as well just sit back and do my best to accept it/adjust as much as possible.

Easter

Spending Easter in a country on the other side of the world, so far away from everything I am familiar with makes me so grateful for the constancy of our God. Missing out on spending the day with my family, from enjoying dinner together to taking pictures and having Easter egg hunts, was hard, but I am thankful for the reminder that even though my Easter celebration in Ghana was different than it would have been in America, the importance of the day remained the same, even if things were done a bit different. I went to church, celebrated the death and resurrection of our Savior, and spent the day with dear friends whom God has blessed me with.

Nutrition Rehabilitation Center

A few weeks ago, one of my public health classes took a trip to a nutrition rehabilitation clinic in a children's hospital located in Accra. That was one of the most challenging days I've had here by far because although nothing was happening to me directly, just seeing the malnourished children in such a helpless state was extremely hard. Part of me was in shock while another part of me was frustrated that these are real children experiencing this, while yet another part of me wanted to hold, care for, and nourish them back to life and let them know how loved they are.

It was definitely a learning experience and it took things to a whole different level from just learning about it in class and seeing pictures of malnourished children to actually being there and seeing the desperation of the children right in front of me with my own eyes.

Kumasi

My group took an organized trip to Kumasi last weekend which was super fun! We visited the Arts and Cultural Center where we got to see how batiking (a style of printmaking on fabric) is done. We also went to a wood carving village and the kente weaving village where we got to learn how to make kente cloth. The trip ended with a visit to the largest market in West Africa which I found to be incredible but at the same time a bit overwhelming with everything that was going on and how crowded it was.

Overall Ghana is still absolutely wonderful. I'm amazed at how fast the semester is going but I guess the saying is true, time flies when you're having fun. While I do still have difficult moments and the uncomfortable and challenging times never come to an end (as you can imagine), I can rest assured that God's grace has carried me this far and He will continue to carry me throughout the rest of this journey. I mentioned it before, but His consistency in a constantly changing world and environment is something I'm learning more and more to depend on each and every day. Yes things are challenging, I wouldn't expect them not to be. But even more apparent than the challenges I face here every day is the fact that God is here, He is with me, He goes before me. When I am overwhelmed by the challenges, I can look to Him and feel at peace again. (No it's not always that easy, but regardless, that is still a statement of truth that I stand on). I am blessed beyond measure to have a God that is trustworthy and loyal so even in the midst of challenges and other difficult moments, I can come to Him, depend on Him, and continue marching forward in His strength.

I pray that no matter where you find yourself, no matter how challenging life may be for you now, no matter what difficulties you are facing, that you can do the same.

“I look up to the mountains. Does my strength come from the mountains? My strength comes from God, who made Heaven and earth, and the mountains.”

-Shoulders, For King and Country

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.”
-Psalm 121:1-3

In His Grace,

Elisha

Bienvenue au Togo!

This past weekend, a group of friends and I took a trip to Togo. About a week before, we began making plans to go, and I wasn't really excited or anything because I had no idea what to expect in Togo since I had never heard anything about it before. However, I decided I would go on this trip and I can say I am SO glad that I did. I love being in Ghana, I really do, but being in Togo gave me this sense of joy that I can't really put into words. I've been in Ghana for about two months now and have finally settled into a routine for my everyday life, so being in Togo was like having a breath of fresh air and excitement.

This first sense of excitement happened when I realized that we were about to walk across the border from Ghana into Togo. I've never walked across a border before and this definitely felt like a movie moment (It reminded me of the scene from A Walk To Remember haha!).

After crossing the border and getting through Ghana Migration Services, we went through customs in Togo and this was the second sense of excitement because all of a sudden I went from hearing people speaking English to hearing people speaking French! I'm pretty sure throughout the many years of taking French in school that I knew Togo was a French speaking country, but that didn't really hit me until I got there and heard it for myself. I don't think I've ever been so excited to hear French in my life!

For those of you who don't know, I did a home-stay in France for two weeks while I was in high school, and those two weeks are two weeks of my life that I will never ever forget. So arriving in Togo and hearing French brought back so many memories of living with my awesome French host family, traveling around France with my wonderful best friend, and eating some amazing French food. I also haven't taken French for a little over a year now, so it's been a while since I've heard anyone speak French and unexpectedly hearing everyone speaking French in Togo was extremely heartwarming. As soon as I realized I could (to an extent lol) understand what they were saying and attempt to respond back in French, I was overjoyed.

Once we finished going through customs and were getting ready to head to our hotel, I felt the third sense of excitement. As we were figuring out where the hotel was and how to get there, a group of seven guys on moto-taxis pulled up to us and next thing you know, we were all getting on. It wasn't a very long ride, but it was sooo much fun! (We enjoyed it so much that the next morning we got up and rode around the city for two hours on moto-taxis just for fun lol!) 

Arriving at our hotel and talking to the staff in French, and then getting to a restaurant and being able to order in French made me so happy. Even though most Ghanaians speak English, they often speak in Twi which I've just recently started learning. So going from being surrounded by Twi any time I'm not with other international students, to being surrounded by French was extremely comforting because even though I'm not fluent in French, I know and can understand French a million times better than Twi lol.

For a seemingly perfect end to this trip, we went to a French bakery where I got French pastries and a real croissant (foods that I haven't been able to enjoy since I left France– almost 4 years ago!).

Togo, you outdid yourself. I will definitely be back.

À Bientôt!
Elisha :)