My middle school in America is fundraising to purchase and send wheelchairs to Ghana for people who are disabled. Below is an article that ran in the Seattle Times last Sunday: (Here's the link, too, if you'd like to see a few pics: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/southeastkingcountynews/2004033574_wheelchair25s.html ****************************************************************************** School pushes wheelchair fund By Karen Johnson Getting to Ghana takes two days and costs well over $1,000, but a group of students at Nelsen Middle School in Renton has found another way [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! I missed America yesterday. In fact, I woke up with a heavy heart, thinking of years past, spending the holidays at my parents' house. Pajamas, Macy's Day parade, coffee, scrambled eggs and sausage, a lazy day...then I remembered that, no...I have hosted Thanksgiving at my house for the past three years. If I were in America I would probably be frantically cooking and cleaning, anticipating the arrival of my guests. Funny how I didn't feel as sad after I remembered that fact. Katy, Nathan, and I (the Americans) walked around the Ejura yesterday saying, [View Full Entry]

---

---

Last week was rather exciting. I woke up Tuesday morning with a fever and a sore throat. "No Malaria," Dada said. It lasted for two days and then was gone, so I was happy. I stayed home from school on Tuesday and Wednesday. I have to take back all the bad things I said (and thought) about the P4 class. On Wednesday, the ENTIRE class, including the teacher, walked to the house during their breaktime to wish me a speedy recovery. How nice was that??? David (the volunteer from Canada) had been planning a weekend excursion for the obrunis. Initially it [View Full Entry]

---

---

So, I'm sure you've noticed...I've started to write more than one blog per day. That's because I think I have some form of Adult ADD and I can think better in "compartments." One subject at a time. Or two. But not more than two. Or my brain starts to misfire. I will be happy when I get my new charger for my laptop so I can type again at home. (Thanks Bro and Deborah for your help on the matter). Luckily, it was still covered by the warranty...however, I didn't disclose that I think it was struck by lightening. In talking [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hello... I'm sitting in the internet cafe today in Kumasi...determined to post a photo!!! So far I've been here for over an hour with no luck. So...I figured I better write something in my blog while I am sitting here! This past week flew by despite the fact that we've been without electricity since October 31st. We're on day #11. And, actually, it hasn't been too inconvenient. Besides charging our phones and ipods, and cooling off in front of the fan at night...the biggest change has been to our bedtime. It gets dark here around 6:30. So...after dinner and a shower, [View Full Entry]

---

---

The Ejura Yam Festival was on Friday. It was a fascinating experience. The festival celebrates the harvest of the yams. I have been looking forward to it since I got here. It's a big deal and all the area chiefs attend. We had a special invitation to attend (that means that one of the area chiefs stopped by our house one afternoon and invited us AND asked us for money for food for his baby granddaughter). All the teachers at school were planning to attend and wanted to bring us with them. Madame Sala, the nursery teacher, was especially adamant that [View Full Entry]

---

---

So - Halloween in Ghana was so much fun!!! Nathan and David (volunteers) went all out in planning a holiday celebration. It was funny to try and explain the concept of Halloween to the boys at home. Ghosts, goblins, and witches? And you dress up in costumes like animals or people and go to other people's houses at night and knock on their door...and they give you CANDY??? The afternoon started with watermelon carving. There aren't pumpkins here, but there are watermelons. Three watermelons were carved and sat on the porch. After that, there was a water-balloon toss. I was impressed...all [View Full Entry]

---

---

So...I finally succeeded in getting my visa extended (I think). It was a bit more complicated than I expected. I never did get a return ticket to take with me. The internet is so slow here. And the only ticket I could find cost $2400 and that was only to get to Amsterdam. Instead, I asked Dada to write me a letter of application. The man at the Immigration Office said I could bring a letter if I couldn't get my ticket in time. I asked Dada to write the letter on Saturday. I reminded him several times and we were [View Full Entry]

---

---

I didn't do our church trip justice in the last blog, so I want to write more about it today. Eric, Katy, Maaike, and I headed to the Lighthouse Chapel, which boats itself at "The Mega Church." We were a little intimidated, expecting hundreds of people. We walked up to the church, an open-air structure, and were were worshippers #10, 11, 12, and 13. And we were a half-hour late!!! Not even the preacher was there yet. We took our seat in a row of plastic lawn chairs. We were about five rows from the front. Luckily, the service was in [View Full Entry]

---

---

Just a quick entry today. I'm back in Kumasi trying to buy a return airline ticket. Seems I can't extend my visa without a return ticket. I'm not having much luck, though. Think I may have to spend some time on the phone tomorrow, instead. The tree farmer returned again yesterday. He just appeared out of nowhere. I was sitting on a bench on the porch, sewing one of my skirts, and suddenly, there he was. He sat next to me for awhile. Talked on his phone for a bit. I asked him how his trip was. I continued to sew [View Full Entry]

---

---