Dancing.

I apologize for the delay in updates!

I've been sick for the past couple of days.

Our leader, Amy was actually diagnosed

with Malaria last Monday evening.

A few of the girls took her to the hospital

and was given tons of meds and a couple

of lovely shots.

No worries though, 

we caught it early enough that she just 

needs plenty of rest and to take her medicine.

I, however, came down with a wonderful

case of food poisoning on Tuesday evening.

It was an extremely rough night,

but I guess I can't always expect my body

to agree with all of the African dishes here.

I stayed home from school yesterday

(Wednesday that is) and for part

of the day today.

I just had my first full meal

a few minutes ago and am starting

to feel much better!

Last weekend half of our group

decided to travel to Ho.

There's hiking and waterfalls

and an awesome monkey reserve there.

I decided to stay home and spend

a weekend with Jesus and the other 

three girls.

We went to an actual 

American Grocery Store in Accra!

They had a lot of food they 

sell in the states.

We only get breakfast and dinner

here so it's nice to be able to buy

food I was familiar with.

Then we went onto the Accra mall.

And wow.

Talk about American.

There were white people everywhere!

It was as if they were on vacation.

There was a Mac Store,

other clothing stores,

and even a food court.

Some of us honestly felt a little awkward

and we left shortly after.

Honestly I think it was just too much

American at one time! ha!

There was even a public restroom

with REAL toilets (rather than a hole)

and you didn't even have to pay.

yeah…

On Saturday the Deaf school had

an event.  The morning started

out with a Marathon run (yeah no big deal)

and then the Primary School teachers

played against the Secondary School Teachers

in a game of football (soccer).

The students hung out with us on the sidelines.

Playing with our hair,

sitting on our laps,

"pressing" on our skin to watch it change color,

and tracing our veins.

During halftime,

the giant speakers donated by the nearby church

played music loudly.

The kids could feel the vibrations.

And guess what they did?

They danced.

They smiled.

They laughed.

They were just kids.

And we danced with them.

It meant so much to them.

And it was so great to be amongst

so many happy and joyful kids.

One little girl attends the Deaf/Blind school,

she's probably about 8 or 9 and she can

see a little if you're close to her.

She was standing off to the side of the

dancing group by herself,

slowly swaying to the gentle vibration she could feel.

I put my hands out in front of her face,

waving them back and forth so she'd see them.

And she knew just what to do.

She placed her brown little hands into mine

and smiled widely.

We danced.

She cannot see.

She cannot hear.

But she can dance.

My heart smiled.

On Sunday I met up with a missionary

named Dayja.  My friend Hope met her

back in Indiana and she "just so happened"

to be coming to Ghana that very next week.

So after exchanging contact info,

turns out she's only about an hour from me.

She invited me to come to her church,

where the sermon was spoken in Twi,

but I was able to follow along in my Bible.

There were so many African women 

in beautiful dresses.

Fabrics of so many different patterns,

neatly wrapped into perfection.

Some with shoulder sashes

or tight head wraps.

Then,

the music started.

And you know what all of those

neatly sunday-dressed

African men and women did?

They danced.

Up and down the aisles,

around the pews,

singing, clapping,

and waving their hands with thankfulness.

It didn't last for just a song or two,

but for about an hour.

So all of those neatly dressed women

in beautiful dresses,

had now put down their

shoulder sashes,

and head wraps,

or used them to wipe the dripping

sweat from their brow.

Their sweat produced by their love for Jesus.

A Ghanaian man named Prince

took me by the hand and danced 

up and down the aisles with me.

Women smiled and waved their handkerchiefs

at me in excitement and glee.

I'd never seen God's spirit move

so vibrantly and excitedly amongst

a group of people.

Besides my sickness,

this week has been somewhat uneventful

in Ghana.

God has been teaching me many things.

And if I'm honest, it hasn't been easy.

I'm learning to find my stability and my comfort

in Him alone, rather than other people.

We have so much down time here,

it's difficult to keep busy all the time.

This leaves room for homesickness,

loneliness and dreadful feelings of isolation.

I'm learning to bring this to Him.

After much encouragement

from my prayer warriors back home,

I'm learning to embrace my painful feelings.

So,

this morning,

I cried.

Hard.

I cried hard for Jesus.

I told Him I was tired of pretending like

I was fine when clearly I was not.

I told Him I couldn't do it.

I told Him I honestly wanted to give up.

And to go home.

I said I cannot.

I cannot.

I cannot.

But You can.

You can.

You can.

I acknowledged my human limitation

and asked Him to show up and Be God

in a Big Way.

I need to feel His physical Embrace

and to knowingly experience

Peace in His Presence.

After admitting all of this to God,

I opened my Bible to James

and read a familiar verse about 

"Submitting myself then to God. 

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Come near to God and He will come near to you."

But then I kept reading

and learned what I had just done.

"Grieve, mourn and wail.

Change your laughter to mourning

and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves before the Lord

and He will lift you up."

-James 4:7-10

Sometimes God just wants us to come

to Him broken.

I was mistakingly coming to Him

thinking I had His plans and lessons

already figured out.

Like I was expecting Him to move

and act in a certain way.

But maybe I just need to

approach my loving teacher

as an unlearnt student.

As broken.

As weak.

Because through our weaknesses,

His strength prevails.

And with that,

Jeremiah 29:11 says,

"For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord, plans to prosper

you and not to harm you.  Plans to

give you hope and a future."

His plans for me are for GOOD.

Why?

Because He works all things together

for the good of those who love Him

and are called according to His purpose.

(-Romans 8:28)

Because He says so.

And because He loves me.

And love drives out fear!

(-1 John 4:18)

So amidst standing in the very

grounds of Ghana, West Africa

in which He called me to,

His plans for me are STILL good.

So somehow,

someway,

my painful feelings are meant for good.

And my sufferings are meant to

be thankful for.

Through perseverance comes character.

And through character comes HOPE.

(-Romans 5:3-5)

Maybe I've been searching for hope,

before I've stood the test of my faith.

This weekend we are going back

to the wood district

and hopefully to the beach again.

Look for more updates.

Still working on photos.

Thank you for your continued prayers

and words of encouragement.

They truly mean more to me than

you all know.

LOVEfromGHANA

-Ali