Ghana - an attempt to put it into a blog post

It's hard to know exactly what to post and how to post it...one long post (VERY LONG)???  numerous short ones???  I think I'm going to try for one really long one (basically my journal from our time in Ghana along with some pictures to go along with the words).  Then maybe another post with more pictures...really I just want to post SOMETHING - making a blog post has been near the top of my mental to-do list...and I want to get it DONE.   

Honestly, just sharing these journal entries doesn't feel "complete" - there's no nice bow to wrap up the package.  Maybe that will come later.  And I've been trying to add pictures to this (cause that would make it much more exciting!)  But I've been met with lots of frustration and challenge.  The end result is that there aren't as many pictures as I would like.  One note on the pictures:  some of them are mine/nick's and some were taking by a guy on our team named Josh (super talented creative fun guy named Josh!).  Happy reading (i'll understand if you don't make it all the way through)...

One last disclaimer:  these are my thoughts and feelings - Nick's experience was a bit different and I can't completely wrap my head around my kids' experiences - at least not enough to put it into words that would be blog-able.  So...without further adieu (?), Field Service from dianna's point of view...

Thursday, July 19, 2012
Ghana…wow…wow in a good way and wow in a hard way!   It’s Thursday night, July 19…I’m sitting in our little “home” for our time here.  It’s hard to call a one room place home…not necessarily because it’s just one room…more because it’s so incredibly foreign – if home is where the heart is, then this IS home…but it doesn’t necessarily feel like home!  We have our own shower and toilet and a room for all 5 of us to sleep in. (we're rather blessed to have our own toilet -- all of the single ladies – about 20 of them! – have to share one toilet and shower)(the guys have one of each, too…but there are only 8 of them…so that’s not so bad!).

Our room....We've got 2 beds...well, one bed and one mattress.  Nick and I sleep in the bed...the kids all sleep on the mattress.  Miraculously, it's working out fine.   I'm kind of impressed with the flexibility of the Cash kids at this moment (and they were excellent travelers!).  Our floor is concrete…but quite dirty. It’s been swept multiple times…but still manages to get clean feet dirty on the short trek from the toilet to bed.  Shoes are a must (at least for this mama’s feet!).   Seeking to be grateful for what it is rather than discontent with what it is not.


This place –  the physical geographical location -- is beautiful! God’s creation is so amazing!  (the picture doesn't even look real!) There are mountains and green hillsides…beautiful sunsets…nice breezes.  And lovely children!  Lots of children who go crazy over bubbles (and knock one another over as they attempt to pop them)….children who are eager to know our names and super excited when they get to touch our skin.  Children who like to sing “Jesus Loves Me” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”  We did the hokey pokey today and “singing in the rain” – maybe those will catch on. 

We’ve had a full week of traveling and getting settled and beginning work….in some ways it seems like forever since we left Texas – we’re worlds away.  In other ways, this doesn’t feel completely real.  We’re in Ghana, Africa….causes me to breathe deep. 

Recap of things so far:

Sunday afternoon we rode vans to Dallas.    We successfully boarded our plane and flew to London (we even got to board early since we were flying with children – THAT was a nice perk!).  The flight was good – the kids slept some, the parents did not.

We landed in London on Monday morning and spent the next few hours at the airport.  We colored and played on the fun playground and ate lunch at “the Giraffe” (I fell asleep at the table…) and then played on the playground some more (I fell asleep at the playground). 

Monday afternoon we successfully boarded another plane (no early boarding this time) and flew to Accra, Ghana.  Enjoyed multiple plane cokes – and several cups of ice (that flight attendant gets major bonus points!!!!!).

We landed in Accra around 8:30…going through customs/security/getting luggage/loaded the bus was a bit hard. 
new country + new continent + different language + not super clear instructions + tired kids + tired parents = kind of difficult. 

We finally managed to get our entire group and luggage onto the bus and rode a few minutes to a university (maybe the university of Ghana?) where we stayed the night.  In hind sight, it doesn’t seem so bad…but in the moment it was tough!!  We had some pizza (not sure I’ve ever been so thankful for the familiar smell of pizza!) and then headed to bed.  Getting cleaned up was a little interesting (the kids were not fans of the cold showers).  Emma and Eli fell asleep, no problem.  Caroline took a while – I fell asleep telling her about all of my birthdays as a child. 

Tuesday morning we slept in a bit later than we should have (missed breakfast), got all of our stuff packed up in a hurry, listened to a bit of an orientation and then loaded a bus to head to pai katanga, ghana.

The bus ride was about 5 hours – it was nice! A 5 hour bus ride doesn’t sound like something that would be pleasant and enjoyable…but it was! 

We arrived here to the village around 4:00…unloaded…ate some dinner…realized that we’re more “in the bush” than we realized (or at least more than I realized!).

Felt overwhelmed again.  Definitely a moment of , “I can’t do this!”  and God reminding me that He can…and He will..and he is with us…and this is temporary! Our set up is less than ideal…but we’re managing.  I’m trying to figure out how to paint a picture of our reality without complaining.  It’s not fun being hot and sticky – but we’re thankful for the chance to get clean!  It’s not fun not having warm water – but thankful for the cool water!  It’s not fun not having air conditioning  - but we’re thankful for the windows that open and for the ceiling fan (and are selfishly praying that the electricity doesn’t got out…we’d lose the comfort of the fan.  Lights, we can do without…not having the fan….ack…don’t want to think about that!).  It’s not fun not having food that we’re used – but we’re thankful for things that have been served that we do like (Rice! Noodles! Chicken!).  It’s not fun not being able to communicate well with the local people – but thankful for the phrases that we have picked up and are able to use.  It’s not fun attempting to wash our clothes by hand – but it makes me alllll the more grateful for washing machines (though I’m not sure I ever took them for granted before….i’ve always been a very thankful for washing machines kind of girl).  It’s not fun that the freezer outside of our door smells like fish and other raw meat – but it IS FUN that there’s a freezer outside of our door…we’re so very thankful for the chance to chill our water and cokes!!!!  (and even have ice if the water stays in the freezer all night)(amazing, ice is made the same way in Africa as it is in the USA…)

And now it’s Thursday night, we’ve had 2 days of work “up the hill” at the construction site.  Eli and Caroline have been working along with everyone else!!!  It’s a joy to see them work and pitch in.  They’ve shoveled dirt and moved rocks.  Caroline helped teach a 4^th grade class J.  Nick’s been working hard on a couple of drainage ditches.  I’ve gotten to do a few things here and there – mainly bring water and have encouraging conversations when people come to the shady tree to take a break.  I love asked “is there anything you need?”  I’ve offered songs and dances…so far no one has needed one of those.  Maybe tomorrow. 

I’m really impressed with our team – the general lack of complaining is beautiful!!  No one is denying reality….but there’s very very little whining and complaining.  The Cash family likes that!!!  That’s one of our core values:  No whining.  It’s not really one of our family’s core value…and the truth is that we do more than our fair share of whining…but we try not to!   And we like it when others try not to, too!



The other thing that has been a HUGE blessing is the way the team has loved on our children.  Some have carried emma when my arms felt like they were going to fall off (though a huge accomplishment was that emma walked all the way to the worksite today!!!  It’s not “that far”….but we usually pick up quite the following of Ghanaian children along the way…I think the crowd overwhelms her and she just wants to be held).  Some have “looked out for” Eli and Caroline on the worksite – helping them serve and helping them feel like an important part of the team. Some have simply asked me how I’m doing.  Some have carried bags and genuinely sought out ways to serve us. Some have prayed for us (and prayed specifically for our nights…the “going to sleep” parts of our nights have been challenging – though those were challenging at time in Columbus!)  Some have just talked with our kids – checking in with them and asking their thoughts on all of this.  All are more than willing to do anything we need them to do. God is really taking care of us through our team!! 

I will say this much, this is challenging for us.  I am trusting in what the Lord said “There is blessing for you (the Cash Family) in Ghana.”  We don’t want to waste this time in any way….though I must admit that I’m reaaaaaaaly looking forward to the day we get on the bus and head back to Accra…and even more excited to board the plane for Las Palmas, Spain…and even even even more excited about getting on the ferry boat to get to the Island where the Africa Mercy is docked. 

I am certainly looking forward to life on the ship more than ever!!!!  There will be ice…and reliable showers…and washing machines & dryers….and air conditioning…and shelves and drawers for our things.  Sounds luxurious!  (maybe that’s the whole hidden reason for field service!!  Just kidding!). 

BUT, in the midst of looking forward, it’s important for us to be fully present right where we are.  We’re excited to see what the Lord does in us, through us, and around us in Ghana.  May we not waste a single second here…

Saturday, July 21, 2012
I’m still trying to figure out how to put all of this into words!  How I long to share what we’re experiencing with all of you…but I’m not sure that an “after the fact” blog post will do it justice – I don’t think an “after the fact sit down and talk about it for 3 days” will do it justice!  It may just be a “guess you had to be there” kind of thing. 

Today was a day off!  There was talk of getting a group together to go to a lake that is about 15 kilometers away…but that didn’t end up happening.  Most everyone ventured to the market area (the main road).  I attempted to carry Emma like the local ladies carry their children…I don’t think I had the cloth and/or girl situated quite right!  Maybe next time (my Moby wrap would come in handy…though it requires about 4 x’s more cloth than the Africans use!).  Nick found us some yummy cookies - he has a special knack for finding the shops that sell cold sodas – he’s the excellent shopper in our family!  After our shopping experience we came back and had lunch…and then rested a bit.

It rained this afternoon….it was the perfect excuse to nap and read and color and rest together as a family.  The breeze blowing through our room was fantastic! 

Fun things to know: 

• There are goats and chickens and turkeys and cats (and the babies of all those animals) wandering around all over the place (makes for fun things to look at…think: constantly at a petting zoo)(…but lots of animals produce lots of poop.)
• Emma attracts a crowd wherever she goes.  She and I walked down the “road” (and by “road” I mean walking trail/path…) to the ladies dorm this afternoon – by the time we got there we had a little following of children about her size with us.
• Having a cold coke with dinner makes most everything better! (our team leaders decided that since our conditions were less than ideal they would bless us with a cold soda each night…sweet sweet sweet treat to look forward to!)(we heard that teams usually get coke one night during the trip….we’ve gotten it every night!)
• Bucket showers are not so bad.  I think I actually prefer the bucket shower method even when the water is on and a “regular” shower is available.
• It’s possible to get blisters while washing clothes (the “wringing things out” part is tough!)

Monday, July 23, 2012
Ei Yi Yi.  That’s my favorite phrase today.  We woke up to the rain…which doesn’t really make for fun working conditions. We met as a team to discuss how everyone’s doing – it was very beneficial and good to hear what’s on the hearts and minds of the team.

This is hard to write about.  I’ve started dozens of sentences only to erase them.  

I miss the smell of clean.  Clean clothes. Clean sheets. Clean water.  Clean kids. Clean me.
The 2 things I felt that I had to offer – smiles and ”hellos”  - are gone.  I don’t even have those to offer.
Our team leaders led an EXCELLENT meeting this morning – they gave everyone a chance to share their thoughts and feelings (most everyone is struggling in some way or another)…but it wasn’t “just complaints,” it was constructive complaining (I’m not sure I thought that was possible!)….and it was also a time of sharing where we see God at work in this place. 

Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Things are starting to look up…maybe because the end is in sight?  Next week this time…we’ll be flying to Madrid.  I STILL don’t want to waste this time though…I don’t want to miss out on a single thing that the Lord has for us to do or experience here in Ghana.

Chris Empadu (not sure I’m spelling that right) came on Monday – he’s our contact person from Samaritan’s Strategy. I think his presence is really helping things to make more sense – he is our bridge to the community and to the language. 

The team really seems to be getting into a neat rhythm – a few people have been going to the local health clinic each day….the VBS is finally getting off the ground…a few of the teachers have been serving by teaching the 4^th grade….lots are still faithfully shoveling dirt and moving earth.  One of our guys, a trained chef!, spent some time with the ladies who have been cooking all of our meals.  I really appreciate the freedom that allows for each person to use their gifts and abilities to serve in whatever way the Lord leads them to serve. 

Honestly, I’m not sure what the Lord is up to – I WANT to see Him…but my vision feels blurry.  I know He is here.  I want to REJOICE in the midst of not so pleasant circumstances.  I want to delight in the sacrifice (is it really sacrifice though?).  I want to honor my God with my attitude and with the opportunity to be less selfish. 

Raw thoughts:  these people are doing “fine” – this community is well fed, clothed (for the most part! The parts that aren’t well clothed are ones who are choosing not to be clothed!  Ahh, the freedom!), there’s opportunity for education and religion.  There are systems in place that seem to be working well.  As “rich white people” I don’t know that we have anything to offer (but did we come in thinking that we really did have anything to offer?)….they don’t need to do things the way we do them – it wouldn’t work here!  And it’s not that “it wouldn’t work” because of lack – it just wouldn’t work because there are other things that are working. We can smile and laugh and dance and sing….we can help get some projects done around the school…..we can be a tangible representation that this village is thought of and cared for by others outside of it….we can boost their economy by buying lots of cokes…we can seek to be the love and light of Christ – but that’s no different than what we are called to do wherever we are – that’s exactly what we were seeking to do in Columbus. I don’t know…just continuing to question why we are here and wondering what we are accomplishing.  Do I have to know? Do I have to see? Does it really matter?  God has us here….may we be faithful to be and do only what He has called us to be and do.   

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Admittedly, I am counting down the days until we leave this place…3 more days and one Monday morning left.  Monday after lunch we’ll ride a bus to Accra (about 6 hours, I think)….then 2 nights and a day in Accra (there’s been talk of finding a beach on Tuesday?!) and then an early morning flight to Madrid on Wednesday followed by a flight to the Canary Islands.  Wednesday night we’ll sleep in a hotel (supposedly a super nice hotel….though, at this point, I would dare say that I would consider most anywhere super nice!) and then we’ll get up on Thursday morning and go to a ferry that will take us to the Island where the Africa Mercy is docked.   So the reality is that we’re still a week away from moving onto the ship….but really it’s just Monday that I think I need to get to!

Tomorrow we’ll go up to the hill once more in the morning for work (for me and the kids that means sitting under the tree and singing/asking names/smiling (well, we try to do those things…eli and caroline aren’t particularly fond of the crowd that naturally surrounds us.  Emma doesn’t mind it as long as no one is trying to hold her…I don’t feel like I have much to offer other than singing Jesus Loves Me, If You’re  Happy and You Know it and the Hokey Pokey) …then there’s a soccer game planned for the afternoon followed by some prayer time for the village as a whole (I’m excited about the view). 

Still seeking to experience God and all that He has planned for us in this place.  These verses from Psalm 119 were my prayer today (parts of verses 25-32) “…help me understand these things inside and out…build me up again by Your word…grace me with Your clear revelation…I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me; I’ll run the course you lay out for me if you’ll just show me how.” 

How I want to run the course He is laying out for me…I just need Him to show me how!


After the Fact Attempt to Wrap It Up:  I don't know how to wrap it up.  I still don't have a cute bow to tie on the package.  We're on the ship and I am oh so grateful...I know there was blessing in Ghana...there was purpose in our going...I've seen bits and pieces of that blessing and purpose - I'll continue to ask God to give me His thoughts on it all.

We do have tons of pictures that we want to share (it was taking a reaaaaaaly long time to load them - I kind of stopped about 1/2 way through).  Hopefully there will be more pictures to come...maybe blog posts that are only pictures!!!  For now, thanks for loving us and supporting us and investing in us (and thank you for giving us so much of your attention in reading this blog post!)(I'm sorry for the terrible formatting....technology is not my friend tonite!).
Surely there will be more to come (hopefully pictures!).