Today we said goodbye to a country where we have made many friends and had our hearts changed. It is always hard to say goodbye to people you have become close to. Kelli is coming back in July, but in my case, I am not sure.
I believe that the Lord places certain people and experiences in your life for a reason. I am committed to doing whatever I can to help Africa. I know my sister feels the same.
Before I go, I must update all the readers on a few funny experiences we have had in the last couple of days:
1. Car Gas Leak- We were on our way home from school and all the sudden we hear a big thud and our driver pulls to the side of the road. We immediately start smelling gas and are confused because both the driver and another passenger jumped out the car and started working on it and calling a mechanic. Finally, Kelli and I looked at each other and jumped out of the car. When we got out we realized that there was gas literally pouring out of the car and that they were trying to collect the gas. The car was still running and Kelli and I tried to explain several times to turn it off so that the car did not explode. We even tried to turn the car off ourselves. Finally, they understood and turned off the car and Kelli and I caught a taxi.
2. The never ending “Bus and Van ride.”- Kelli and I needed to catch a bus to Accra to visit the health clinic that Kelli helped start. This required us to take a six hour journey yet again, only this time it had a new flavor. The large bus was filled and so we caught a van. We soon realized that they were trying to put us in the back seat in between people. We were there first and had already reserved the front seat so after at least ten minutes of negotiation, we were able to get the front seats. Then we realized that they were trying to put another person in between us and so we paid a little extra money so that we were able to be comfortable. The second thing that made it exciting was that our suitcases were sent on another bus and were promised that they would be there when we arrived. We kept picturing our bags being forever lost in Ghana. To our surprise, they were there waiting for us when we arrived. The ride in the van was equivalent to a roller coaster that is very bumpy. Every twist and turn was a new adventure.
3. Sister Negotiation: The African market had never had two sisters like us meet them. This is a craft market that is designed for foreigners to come and buy African crafts. All the prices are negotiable and are tripled for people who are not African. Kelli and I decided to go as a team and try to get better prices. Our negotiation leads too many people coming to watch and us going home with three prized items. We were followed out of the market by at least 10 to 20 Africans wanting us to buy crafts. This continued when the car we were riding in died and we had to be pushed out of the market.
4. Kelli’s Film Crew- This group consisted of me with a lot of instruction from Kelli. We are filming shots for Kelli to be on Animal Planet, a show that is a feature on Malaria. We were given specific shots we had to get, and this can be a big challenge with a camera person who has no experience (me). I have climbed on more chairs, found more rocks to set the camera on, and took more footage then I could have imagined. My favorite technique I have found is acting like I am taking footage of my sister while I am filming the scenery behind her. A lot of times people will begin shouting and want you to pay money if they think that you are filming them.
This trip has been an amazing experience and I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience this with my sister. I am sure we will have many more adventures together. We will forever be Sisters Fighting Poverty. We both have different talents and different gifts, but we have the same heart to help people who are in need.
It will be exciting to see where the Lord takes us in the next chapter of our journey. Thanks for reading our blog, we are in New York City right now. I will begin updating a blog when I get back to Oklahoma. It will be, http://www.unveiledthoughtsbyamy.blogspot.com.
Signing off,
Amy Shackelford
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Note from Kelli
Note from Kelli~
Well, since it is our last day I decided I should write on our blog! Amy does such a good job telling the stories that I thought I would leave it to her. Our adventure and time here has been incredible. I hope we will have another sister trip again soon.
The women entrepreneurs I have met are incredible and inspiring. They work tirelessly from morning until night. I tried to capture their stories and take pictures of their faces and businesses. I hope to do something cool with the pictures and stories…. Any ideas? It is amazing how different lives are in different parts of the world. It makes me wonder… if I were born in Africa, would I have the courage to start a business? Would I be able to carry one child on my back, one in my arms, and a basket full of clothes on my head? These women are up at dawn walking to market, and work until the sun falls. What an inspiration!
If you would like to see a few pictures of the women I met, here is a link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2199367&id=34304037&l=4deffe308f
Here is a glimpse at a few of the inspiring stories:
Yau Mansah (woman with smoked fish)
Yau started receiving loans from SAT seven years ago, and has now completed 14 cycles of loans. Her businesses have consistently grown and expanded over time.
Yau leaves near a small market in Offinso, at a place called Dentin. The living conditions can be very tough, but Yau works hard and continues to grow her business.
Yau travels to Eiji to buy smoked fish to sell in the market. Her sister died and left four children in her care. "The money I make from selling the smoked fish helps me create a better life for my sister's children who are now in my care. I am able to provide them with clothes, education, and hope for a better life."
“The training Vida (loan officer Yau works with) and SAT have given me has been very helpful. I have learned better how to attend to my clients, which has allowed my business to grow.”
Before taking her first loan from SAT, Yau could only grow vegetables to sell, and the money did not provide enough income to support her sister’s four children. "I am very thankful for SAT and the loans I have been provided."
Prisca Ajaari – Loan officer at Central Market
Prisca served her year of national service at SAT. Following that, she completed a six month apprenticeship program at SAT where she learned how to be a loan officer. Now Prisca covers 17 trust bank groups which includes 320 clients.
“There is a great need for additional microfinance services in Ghana. Most people in Ghana cannot get any money to start a small business. This keeps them constantly dependent and struggling to get by day to day. They keep working on the same $100 for their whole lives. They make so much of a small loan, and it allows their profit to increase. Most of our clients are women, and they are the breadwinners who must take care of their families. These women work very hard to take care of their families, but it can be difficult to get ahead.”
“In addition to working with the women on their business, I get to know their personal lives. This is part of doing my job well. I need to know my clients very well, and get to learn about their lives. If my client has a problem with her kids, her business, or anything, she can talk to me about it.”
A typical day for Prisca involves a lot of meetings with clients, primarily collecting repayments and holding training and orientation. Some days are “disbursement” days where clients receive their loans.
One memorable client was Fati, who had a really tough health problem. Prisca invited Fati to come to the office, and found a friend that was a doctor to help her. “I felt very happy knowing I had a difference to not just help Fati financially, but to help meet her other needs as well.”
Prisca also told me, “At SAT we are very focused on transforming lives through microfinance, and we really want to do that. We have to turn away people because they are not qualified borrowers. Supporters will help us to continue to expand our reach to the poorest people.”
Thanks very much for reading. May we all be inspired to work towards a world without poverty!
Well, since it is our last day I decided I should write on our blog! Amy does such a good job telling the stories that I thought I would leave it to her. Our adventure and time here has been incredible. I hope we will have another sister trip again soon.
The women entrepreneurs I have met are incredible and inspiring. They work tirelessly from morning until night. I tried to capture their stories and take pictures of their faces and businesses. I hope to do something cool with the pictures and stories…. Any ideas? It is amazing how different lives are in different parts of the world. It makes me wonder… if I were born in Africa, would I have the courage to start a business? Would I be able to carry one child on my back, one in my arms, and a basket full of clothes on my head? These women are up at dawn walking to market, and work until the sun falls. What an inspiration!
If you would like to see a few pictures of the women I met, here is a link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2199367&id=34304037&l=4deffe308f
Here is a glimpse at a few of the inspiring stories:
Yau Mansah (woman with smoked fish)
Yau started receiving loans from SAT seven years ago, and has now completed 14 cycles of loans. Her businesses have consistently grown and expanded over time.
Yau leaves near a small market in Offinso, at a place called Dentin. The living conditions can be very tough, but Yau works hard and continues to grow her business.
Yau travels to Eiji to buy smoked fish to sell in the market. Her sister died and left four children in her care. "The money I make from selling the smoked fish helps me create a better life for my sister's children who are now in my care. I am able to provide them with clothes, education, and hope for a better life."
“The training Vida (loan officer Yau works with) and SAT have given me has been very helpful. I have learned better how to attend to my clients, which has allowed my business to grow.”
Before taking her first loan from SAT, Yau could only grow vegetables to sell, and the money did not provide enough income to support her sister’s four children. "I am very thankful for SAT and the loans I have been provided."
Prisca Ajaari – Loan officer at Central Market
Prisca served her year of national service at SAT. Following that, she completed a six month apprenticeship program at SAT where she learned how to be a loan officer. Now Prisca covers 17 trust bank groups which includes 320 clients.
“There is a great need for additional microfinance services in Ghana. Most people in Ghana cannot get any money to start a small business. This keeps them constantly dependent and struggling to get by day to day. They keep working on the same $100 for their whole lives. They make so much of a small loan, and it allows their profit to increase. Most of our clients are women, and they are the breadwinners who must take care of their families. These women work very hard to take care of their families, but it can be difficult to get ahead.”
“In addition to working with the women on their business, I get to know their personal lives. This is part of doing my job well. I need to know my clients very well, and get to learn about their lives. If my client has a problem with her kids, her business, or anything, she can talk to me about it.”
A typical day for Prisca involves a lot of meetings with clients, primarily collecting repayments and holding training and orientation. Some days are “disbursement” days where clients receive their loans.
One memorable client was Fati, who had a really tough health problem. Prisca invited Fati to come to the office, and found a friend that was a doctor to help her. “I felt very happy knowing I had a difference to not just help Fati financially, but to help meet her other needs as well.”
Prisca also told me, “At SAT we are very focused on transforming lives through microfinance, and we really want to do that. We have to turn away people because they are not qualified borrowers. Supporters will help us to continue to expand our reach to the poorest people.”
Thanks very much for reading. May we all be inspired to work towards a world without poverty!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Goodbye and Hello
Today has been a bitter sweet day. We had to say good bye to Kelli’s friends at SAT and my friends at the school. The kids put on a great program for us consisting of songs and traditional dancing. I even joined in on one of them. One of the teachers wrote a poem and had one of the older girls read it to me. It brought tears to my eyes. As I was leaving they were all grabbing me and begging me to stay or take them with me.
It is always breaks my heart to say good bye to the children in Africa. It is amazing how close you can become to these kids after spending such a short time with them. As I waved goodbye to the school, I knew that part of my heart would now be in Ghana.
The people at SAT were so sad to see Kelli leave and said they were patiently awaiting her return. Kelli was able to get a lot accomplished and get the machines up and running and the time study started. It will be interesting to see how things go when she returns in July.
We are now back in Accra after a five and a half hour bus ride. We are staying at the guest house that Kelli and a group of her friends and colleagues stayed at last summer. We have an action packed day planned tomorrow and I am most excited to see the health clinic that Kelli helped start.
It is late here and I will update everyone more tomorrow.
It is always breaks my heart to say good bye to the children in Africa. It is amazing how close you can become to these kids after spending such a short time with them. As I waved goodbye to the school, I knew that part of my heart would now be in Ghana.
The people at SAT were so sad to see Kelli leave and said they were patiently awaiting her return. Kelli was able to get a lot accomplished and get the machines up and running and the time study started. It will be interesting to see how things go when she returns in July.
We are now back in Accra after a five and a half hour bus ride. We are staying at the guest house that Kelli and a group of her friends and colleagues stayed at last summer. We have an action packed day planned tomorrow and I am most excited to see the health clinic that Kelli helped start.
It is late here and I will update everyone more tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
School Days
The past couple of days I have continued to go to the school. When I was in Uganda, I was always amazed with how excited the children were to come to school, this has not changed. The children pack into a bus (a big white van) and are packed so tightly that you can not see many of them. The schools have limited supplies, and the teachers at most schools are not professional teachers, but the children put on their uniform each morning and head to school, wanting more than anything to learn.
I have often wondered, what motivates these children, why are they so passionate about coming to school each morning. I am quickly reminded as a ride home on the school bus and see mothers and fathers pick up their children that these children are desperate for a chance to be educated so that they can one day have a job. They don’t want a job so that they can live in a fancy house, drive the nicest car, or wear the most stylish clothes; they want a job so that they can survive. They dream of being able to provide for their family a better life then what they had growing up.
The school that I have been teaching at has impressed me and captured my heart. The woman that runs the school started the school from the ground up and is constantly reaching out to her village and serving the families in her community. She has big plans for the school and hopes to continue to be able to serve children who come from families who can not afford education for their children.
I have taught the children Jesus Loves Me, This Little Light of Mine, and the Hokey Pokey. I have sung these songs so much that my voice has started to hurt and at the end of the day I am exhausted. None of that matters the next day because I can’t get enough of singing and dancing with these children because of their beautiful smiles. It is their smiles that will remain in my heart and continue to drive me towards wanting to help Africa.
The reality is that as much as I help Africa, it is truly Africa that helps me. When I come to this continent, my whole heart changes and I see the Lord in a whole different light. The people of Africa have a lot to teach me about hard work and joy that can only come from the Lord.
When I get back to the states I plan on meeting with as many school teachers that will meet with me and developing a curriculum that I can give to village schools in Africa. These schools need materials on how to teach English, Math, Physical Education, Health, Religion, and Phonics. I know many teachers who could share so much knowledge with the schools in Africa. This will be the start of a ministry that can outreach too many schools in Africa.
If you know any teachers that would like to get involved, please email the information to Amy Shackelford at Amy.unveiled@gmail.com.
Kelli has been working hard on the project. She has gone in early and stayed late. The technology that she is implementing is now up and running and the pilot is off to a good start.
I have often wondered, what motivates these children, why are they so passionate about coming to school each morning. I am quickly reminded as a ride home on the school bus and see mothers and fathers pick up their children that these children are desperate for a chance to be educated so that they can one day have a job. They don’t want a job so that they can live in a fancy house, drive the nicest car, or wear the most stylish clothes; they want a job so that they can survive. They dream of being able to provide for their family a better life then what they had growing up.
The school that I have been teaching at has impressed me and captured my heart. The woman that runs the school started the school from the ground up and is constantly reaching out to her village and serving the families in her community. She has big plans for the school and hopes to continue to be able to serve children who come from families who can not afford education for their children.
I have taught the children Jesus Loves Me, This Little Light of Mine, and the Hokey Pokey. I have sung these songs so much that my voice has started to hurt and at the end of the day I am exhausted. None of that matters the next day because I can’t get enough of singing and dancing with these children because of their beautiful smiles. It is their smiles that will remain in my heart and continue to drive me towards wanting to help Africa.
The reality is that as much as I help Africa, it is truly Africa that helps me. When I come to this continent, my whole heart changes and I see the Lord in a whole different light. The people of Africa have a lot to teach me about hard work and joy that can only come from the Lord.
When I get back to the states I plan on meeting with as many school teachers that will meet with me and developing a curriculum that I can give to village schools in Africa. These schools need materials on how to teach English, Math, Physical Education, Health, Religion, and Phonics. I know many teachers who could share so much knowledge with the schools in Africa. This will be the start of a ministry that can outreach too many schools in Africa.
If you know any teachers that would like to get involved, please email the information to Amy Shackelford at Amy.unveiled@gmail.com.
Kelli has been working hard on the project. She has gone in early and stayed late. The technology that she is implementing is now up and running and the pilot is off to a good start.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
What a Weekend!
Words can not express the last two days of action packed Ghanian fun that Kelli and I have had. We will try to give you a glimpse of what has been going on.
Orphanage
We went to an orphanage on Saturday and again we were reminded of how much of life we take for granted. This is an orphanage supported by the Adakum Foundation who Kelli has partnered with to build the health clinic. This orphanage had babies to high school students staying there. The babies were the first room we visited and there were at least 20 babies lying all over the floor. We immediately began to hold each baby and it brought tears to our eyes. One of the babies that I will never forget was two years old, but looked like she was 4 months old. Her mother had taken drugs that someone told her would help her abort the baby. The drugs were not successful and so her baby was born unhealthy. The mother brought the baby to the orphanage and the orphanage had been taking care of the baby ever since. Even writing this post, I cry thinking of these children who are so precious to God, who are abandoned by the world.
As a small child I made a poster for school about my three wishes. The first one is that no one would go hungry. My second one was that every child would have a mom and a dad. My last one was for world peace. If you asked me my three wishes today, they would be the same. My prayer would be that no one in the world would die from starvation. Coming from a county where food is available for many, it is hard to be in a country and continent where people are literally starving to death. My prayer would be that every child would have a mom and a dad that they deserve to have. Working in the US with homeless youth and youth in the foster care system and working with orphans in Africa has really given me the chance to see the effects that the break down of the family structure has had on our children world wide. My last prayer for this continent would be that countries would have peaceful governments that took care of their people and lead in a way that put their people first.
These three wishes are big wishes, but I will dedicate my life to doing what I can to help out with these problems. It has been amazing to be with my sister in Africa and see her passionate about the same thing. It is an honor to be a part of this mission and a blessing to be on this continent yet again.
Benin Soccer Team:
We are staying at the same hotel as the Benin soccer team. We were sitting eating dinner one day at the hotel and all the sudden there was a large commotion out in the hall and then in walked the soccer team. We were told immediately that they were playing Ghana on Sunday and that it was the first game on the way to the World Cup. Kelli and I immediately knew that we were in for an adventure.
We were befriended immediately by a Benin man who spoke no English; they speak French. He wanted to be our friend and so he sat by us and smiled and told us to come to the game. We originally thought he was the team manager because he seemed to always be telling everyone what to do. We later found out he was the team driver. He then introduced us to the team treasurer and this is the man that gave us the tickets.
We met the team today in the hotel lobby and were escorted by the police to the stadium. The game was unbelievable. The fans were unlike any other fans we have ever seen and the enthusiasm was tremendous. Things got crazy when the two teams were arguing and screaming when they didn’t even speak the same language. There were also fans that were shooting off fireworks from the stands; lucky for us we were not close.
The game ended and we our friend that speaks no English found us a ride. We were immediately concerned because no one on the bus spoke English and there was a lot of commotion going on outside the bus. People were pounding on the bus and Kelli and I had no idea if we were even on the right bus. Finally the Ghana police got the people to move and we found a man on the bus that told us they were angry because they wanted to be treated special like the Benin fans that were on our bus. We thankfully made it back to the hotel and ate dinner with the team. Many of these players play in Europe and come back to Africa to compete on their national team for the World Cup.
African Mine
In Ghana there is a huge mining industry for gold. We visited the underground mines and were given a tour. The outfits were interesting to say the least. They had us wear long sleeve blue button up shirts, helmets with lights on it, large oxygen tanks that we never got trained how to use, and a large battery that powered the light. The most important part of our outfit was the knee high boots that we also got to wear. We hiked into the mine and went under ground 850 feet. I looked at Kelli and said, “What goes down must come up.” We were in for a real hike on our way out of the mine.
My favorite part of the trip was Kelli’s first interaction with the tour guide. Everywhere we go Kelli speaks to whoever she can find and asks them questions. The tour guide spoke very good English and so Kelli asked him to tell her all about the history of the mine. He responded, “we do it to make money.” And that’s all he said. I had to laugh because knowing my sister she wanted all the facts and this was a funny answer. She then did not give up and asked more questions and we found out all about the mining process. We were very impressed with their concern for their worker’s safety. This would be a VERY hard job and we admire the men who are willing to do this job to support themselves and their family.
African Church
We originally got dressed for church in our American dresses, but the hotel workers convinced us to wear our traditional Ghanian dresses that were made for us. Kelli and I changed into the dresses and were ready for church.
The church we went to was similar to American church in a lot of ways. We knew all the worship songs that they sang; there was more dancing, but the same songs. They also did the service in English, which was much different from when I went to 8 hour church services in Uganda and the pastor did not speak in English. The one big difference from America is that the service did last three hours and there was a book sell done by the pastor in front of the entire congregation. The pastor was getting ready to release us when all the sudden he began to ask the church who wanted to buy a book and had people raise their hand and pay money to him. We then found out that the books were not written by him. He said that although he was not the author of the book, he would autograph the books because he was licensed to do this. J There was also a baby dedication and everything was just like the USA until the pastor asked the mother to promise to make food and not send her kids to get “take away food” AKA fast food in Ghana. I do not know any American family that could promise that.
Orphanage
We went to an orphanage on Saturday and again we were reminded of how much of life we take for granted. This is an orphanage supported by the Adakum Foundation who Kelli has partnered with to build the health clinic. This orphanage had babies to high school students staying there. The babies were the first room we visited and there were at least 20 babies lying all over the floor. We immediately began to hold each baby and it brought tears to our eyes. One of the babies that I will never forget was two years old, but looked like she was 4 months old. Her mother had taken drugs that someone told her would help her abort the baby. The drugs were not successful and so her baby was born unhealthy. The mother brought the baby to the orphanage and the orphanage had been taking care of the baby ever since. Even writing this post, I cry thinking of these children who are so precious to God, who are abandoned by the world.
As a small child I made a poster for school about my three wishes. The first one is that no one would go hungry. My second one was that every child would have a mom and a dad. My last one was for world peace. If you asked me my three wishes today, they would be the same. My prayer would be that no one in the world would die from starvation. Coming from a county where food is available for many, it is hard to be in a country and continent where people are literally starving to death. My prayer would be that every child would have a mom and a dad that they deserve to have. Working in the US with homeless youth and youth in the foster care system and working with orphans in Africa has really given me the chance to see the effects that the break down of the family structure has had on our children world wide. My last prayer for this continent would be that countries would have peaceful governments that took care of their people and lead in a way that put their people first.
These three wishes are big wishes, but I will dedicate my life to doing what I can to help out with these problems. It has been amazing to be with my sister in Africa and see her passionate about the same thing. It is an honor to be a part of this mission and a blessing to be on this continent yet again.
Benin Soccer Team:
We are staying at the same hotel as the Benin soccer team. We were sitting eating dinner one day at the hotel and all the sudden there was a large commotion out in the hall and then in walked the soccer team. We were told immediately that they were playing Ghana on Sunday and that it was the first game on the way to the World Cup. Kelli and I immediately knew that we were in for an adventure.
We were befriended immediately by a Benin man who spoke no English; they speak French. He wanted to be our friend and so he sat by us and smiled and told us to come to the game. We originally thought he was the team manager because he seemed to always be telling everyone what to do. We later found out he was the team driver. He then introduced us to the team treasurer and this is the man that gave us the tickets.
We met the team today in the hotel lobby and were escorted by the police to the stadium. The game was unbelievable. The fans were unlike any other fans we have ever seen and the enthusiasm was tremendous. Things got crazy when the two teams were arguing and screaming when they didn’t even speak the same language. There were also fans that were shooting off fireworks from the stands; lucky for us we were not close.
The game ended and we our friend that speaks no English found us a ride. We were immediately concerned because no one on the bus spoke English and there was a lot of commotion going on outside the bus. People were pounding on the bus and Kelli and I had no idea if we were even on the right bus. Finally the Ghana police got the people to move and we found a man on the bus that told us they were angry because they wanted to be treated special like the Benin fans that were on our bus. We thankfully made it back to the hotel and ate dinner with the team. Many of these players play in Europe and come back to Africa to compete on their national team for the World Cup.
African Mine
In Ghana there is a huge mining industry for gold. We visited the underground mines and were given a tour. The outfits were interesting to say the least. They had us wear long sleeve blue button up shirts, helmets with lights on it, large oxygen tanks that we never got trained how to use, and a large battery that powered the light. The most important part of our outfit was the knee high boots that we also got to wear. We hiked into the mine and went under ground 850 feet. I looked at Kelli and said, “What goes down must come up.” We were in for a real hike on our way out of the mine.
My favorite part of the trip was Kelli’s first interaction with the tour guide. Everywhere we go Kelli speaks to whoever she can find and asks them questions. The tour guide spoke very good English and so Kelli asked him to tell her all about the history of the mine. He responded, “we do it to make money.” And that’s all he said. I had to laugh because knowing my sister she wanted all the facts and this was a funny answer. She then did not give up and asked more questions and we found out all about the mining process. We were very impressed with their concern for their worker’s safety. This would be a VERY hard job and we admire the men who are willing to do this job to support themselves and their family.
African Church
We originally got dressed for church in our American dresses, but the hotel workers convinced us to wear our traditional Ghanian dresses that were made for us. Kelli and I changed into the dresses and were ready for church.
The church we went to was similar to American church in a lot of ways. We knew all the worship songs that they sang; there was more dancing, but the same songs. They also did the service in English, which was much different from when I went to 8 hour church services in Uganda and the pastor did not speak in English. The one big difference from America is that the service did last three hours and there was a book sell done by the pastor in front of the entire congregation. The pastor was getting ready to release us when all the sudden he began to ask the church who wanted to buy a book and had people raise their hand and pay money to him. We then found out that the books were not written by him. He said that although he was not the author of the book, he would autograph the books because he was licensed to do this. J There was also a baby dedication and everything was just like the USA until the pastor asked the mother to promise to make food and not send her kids to get “take away food” AKA fast food in Ghana. I do not know any American family that could promise that.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Out in the Field Again
Kelli and I wanted to give you a quick update on some recent occurrences that have happened while in Ghana:
Number 1: Every single African we talk to asks about President Barack Obama. They call us Obama's people. The other night we talked to two men about the President and they explained that they were excited that someone that was black was able to hold the highest office in the most powerful country in the world. They then said that America named it the White House because only white people could be president. Kelli quickly jumped in and said that a woman had never been president. I added that the white house was not called the "man house."
Number 2: There are custom checks everywhere in Ghana. Today we saw three and our favorite one included a rope across the street that they would pull up and have you stop if they wanted to check your vehicle. We never had the rope pulled so we didn't get to see how it officially worked.
Number 3: There is NO African standard time in Ghana. Every single person arrives on time, or ten minutes early. This has been an adjustment for me since I am used to being in Africa and running at least two or three hours behind schedule.
Number 4: There are actually prices marked on some items in small street market stores. Today we went to buy some African medicine for my mouth and there was a price that was on the item. There was no negotiation or higher price for me.
Number 5: School buses in Ghana still can fit at least 80 children in the buses, only these are large white vans with closed doors, not a truck with bars you hang onto. I still enjoy riding on the bus to school.
Number 6: Today we went to a large meeting with SAT and there was 29 groups making repayments on their loans. This took a long time so Kelli and I had a lot of time to interact with women from the village. I have named myself Health and Safety Manager for the Trip and so I was spraying but spray all over myself and encouraging Kelli to do the same. I look up and see at least 15 African women staring at me and laughing. Finally, I figure out that they think it is perfume and want a spray. I sprayed it on the women and they were happy.
Our trip today started out by us zooming down a road at 125 km per hour on a Ghana highway. This road was actually very well constructed and had few pot holes. There are no rules on when it is appropriate to pass and everyone in Ghana has the right away. Kelli and I braced ourselves and were relieved when we made it safely to the village.
We shadowed a loan officer that held multiple group meetings at one location. There was a total of 29 groups of women and men at the meeting and the place was packed. Kelli gave a short presentation on Malaria prevention and the audience loved it.
Everywhere we go we are greeted with smiles, hugs, and hand shakes. I was able to hold an African baby for a long time and this brought great joy to my heart. We were also able to talk to women who have been able to do amazing things thanks to the loans they have received from SAT bank. It is amazing to watch this whole process unfold. The loan officer collected over $12,000 today and all the groups re payed.
We met one woman that we spoke to for a long time. She had a small business where she sold cloth at a local stand. She once only sold four pieces of cloth and she now has hundreds to sell. This is all thanks to a loan she was able to get from SAT.
Kelli and I are enjoying our sister bonding and this exciting adventure. We are currently at the SAT main office and Kelli and our friend from Kenya (The Technology Man) are busy trying to get the POS machines working. These are the machines that Kelli is doing her research on and trying to find out if implementing this new technology makes since from a business stand point. These machines are remarkable and are able to identify loan officer and client finger prints and can work in remote villages.
There is something remarkable about how the Lord works on your heart when you are away from your normal life and forced into a new situation. I know that the African people have made far more of an impact on my life then I will ever make on theirs. I have learned so much about myself from this trip. I am excited to see what all the Lord has planned for Kelli and I.
I am currently thinking that I might need to help, but enjoying updating all of you! Please continue to read our blog and make comments! Please continue to pray for our trip.
Number 1: Every single African we talk to asks about President Barack Obama. They call us Obama's people. The other night we talked to two men about the President and they explained that they were excited that someone that was black was able to hold the highest office in the most powerful country in the world. They then said that America named it the White House because only white people could be president. Kelli quickly jumped in and said that a woman had never been president. I added that the white house was not called the "man house."
Number 2: There are custom checks everywhere in Ghana. Today we saw three and our favorite one included a rope across the street that they would pull up and have you stop if they wanted to check your vehicle. We never had the rope pulled so we didn't get to see how it officially worked.
Number 3: There is NO African standard time in Ghana. Every single person arrives on time, or ten minutes early. This has been an adjustment for me since I am used to being in Africa and running at least two or three hours behind schedule.
Number 4: There are actually prices marked on some items in small street market stores. Today we went to buy some African medicine for my mouth and there was a price that was on the item. There was no negotiation or higher price for me.
Number 5: School buses in Ghana still can fit at least 80 children in the buses, only these are large white vans with closed doors, not a truck with bars you hang onto. I still enjoy riding on the bus to school.
Number 6: Today we went to a large meeting with SAT and there was 29 groups making repayments on their loans. This took a long time so Kelli and I had a lot of time to interact with women from the village. I have named myself Health and Safety Manager for the Trip and so I was spraying but spray all over myself and encouraging Kelli to do the same. I look up and see at least 15 African women staring at me and laughing. Finally, I figure out that they think it is perfume and want a spray. I sprayed it on the women and they were happy.
Our trip today started out by us zooming down a road at 125 km per hour on a Ghana highway. This road was actually very well constructed and had few pot holes. There are no rules on when it is appropriate to pass and everyone in Ghana has the right away. Kelli and I braced ourselves and were relieved when we made it safely to the village.
We shadowed a loan officer that held multiple group meetings at one location. There was a total of 29 groups of women and men at the meeting and the place was packed. Kelli gave a short presentation on Malaria prevention and the audience loved it.
Everywhere we go we are greeted with smiles, hugs, and hand shakes. I was able to hold an African baby for a long time and this brought great joy to my heart. We were also able to talk to women who have been able to do amazing things thanks to the loans they have received from SAT bank. It is amazing to watch this whole process unfold. The loan officer collected over $12,000 today and all the groups re payed.
We met one woman that we spoke to for a long time. She had a small business where she sold cloth at a local stand. She once only sold four pieces of cloth and she now has hundreds to sell. This is all thanks to a loan she was able to get from SAT.
Kelli and I are enjoying our sister bonding and this exciting adventure. We are currently at the SAT main office and Kelli and our friend from Kenya (The Technology Man) are busy trying to get the POS machines working. These are the machines that Kelli is doing her research on and trying to find out if implementing this new technology makes since from a business stand point. These machines are remarkable and are able to identify loan officer and client finger prints and can work in remote villages.
There is something remarkable about how the Lord works on your heart when you are away from your normal life and forced into a new situation. I know that the African people have made far more of an impact on my life then I will ever make on theirs. I have learned so much about myself from this trip. I am excited to see what all the Lord has planned for Kelli and I.
I am currently thinking that I might need to help, but enjoying updating all of you! Please continue to read our blog and make comments! Please continue to pray for our trip.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Market, Paparazzi, and Noah, O My!
Market Adventure
As promised, it is time to share briefly about the market experience. Kelli and I decided to venture out into the market place and get a small taste of what Ghana is all about. The market is the second largest in all of Africa, and so we knew we were in for a treat. We had no idea the sights and smells we would encounter. Our first shock was a large basket filled with the largest snails you have ever seen. If that is not enough, the snails were still alive, crawling around. The lady was convinced that since Kelli and I lingered that we wanted to purchase one of these tasteful creatures. We did not purchase one, but she allowed us to take a picture of her and these enormous creatures.
Paparazzi Kelli
Speaking of pictures, we have tried to take as many photos and video of the market place as possible, but our endeavors have been cut short several times by people shouting and police officers threatening to arrest us. Kelli would not give up and kept sneaking around the corner and on top of buildings to get footage. I would describer her as the paparazzi, African style.
Amy’s Experiences
There are moments in your life that you will never forget, moments that change your life and heart forever. I have had many moments like that, when I became a Christian, married Eric, met Tony (little boy adopted from Uganda by Linda), and now when I met the woman I am about ready to talk about.
This woman is a founder of a school that currently has around 200 students. She worked in Israel for a while and saved her money and came back to Ghana and put all of her money into building a school. She is an honest, hard working, wonderful woman of God who in a few short hours changed my life.
She has a son with a man that is an American citizen and works for the UN. Her son is American and she could come and stay in America. She has chosen to start this school and make a difference in the country she was born in.
We began to discuss the differences between America and Ghana. I asked her questions about “black power” and the Ashanti Empire. She began to talk about how her pastor and church had a week long debate on whether Africans were decedents of Ham, Noah’s youngest son. If you do not know the story it can be found in Genesis 9 and it is about Noah being drunk and Ham walking in on him being naked. Instead of covering his father up, he went and told his two older brothers, Shem and Japheth. The older brothers then went and covered up their father Noah without looking at him. Noah then cursed Ham. He blessed Shem (Europe and the USA), and Japheth (Middle East). She asked me, is Africa cursed because of Ham?
I then talked to her about how when sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve, suffering began to happen. I told her that people in America suffer in different ways, but still suffer. I told her that although we are a nation that has many things available to us, we are a depressed nation in many ways. I described how many people are not satisfied with their life and live in bondage. I told her about poor people in America, sick people in America, violence in America, and corruption in America. I explained to her we all suffer because of sin. Africa is not the only continent suffering and they should not give up and believe they are cursed.
We then discussed how in Africa they still worship Idols and perform black magic. I explained to her that in America, we also worship idols such as money, body image, power, and fame. I told her it was the same on both continents. We both disappoint God in different ways.
She smiled at me and said we are sisters; we are all children of God. She then said that she had promised God she would go into full time ministry and then started the school and felt a heavy burden on her heart. She asked, "Am I disappointing God." Here I am in front of a woman who has sacrificed a lot of things to provide education in a county that desperately needs amazing teachers. Here is a woman who has given up a promised more comfortable life in America for one of hard work and dedication in Africa. When she asked that question, I was almost knocked off my feet.
I explained to her that in the world we have enough people telling others about Jesus. We have plenty of pastors, evangelists, and people doing full time ministry. I told her that what we need more of is people being like Jesus and serving people the way that Jesus did. This woman is being more like Jesus then I could only dream of being one day, and she doubts her service to the Lord. It opened my eyes to how much more I could be doing with the resources and talents the Lord has given me.
I was reminded today again of the joy and resilience that African people have. Although many live in poverty and conditions we would never be able to survive, at the end of the day they find Joy and their strength in the Lord. There is something about this continent that stretches you and brings you to a whole new level with the Lord. I feel so alive in my heart when I touch the soil of this continent and am surrounded by the beautiful children.
As promised, it is time to share briefly about the market experience. Kelli and I decided to venture out into the market place and get a small taste of what Ghana is all about. The market is the second largest in all of Africa, and so we knew we were in for a treat. We had no idea the sights and smells we would encounter. Our first shock was a large basket filled with the largest snails you have ever seen. If that is not enough, the snails were still alive, crawling around. The lady was convinced that since Kelli and I lingered that we wanted to purchase one of these tasteful creatures. We did not purchase one, but she allowed us to take a picture of her and these enormous creatures.
Paparazzi Kelli
Speaking of pictures, we have tried to take as many photos and video of the market place as possible, but our endeavors have been cut short several times by people shouting and police officers threatening to arrest us. Kelli would not give up and kept sneaking around the corner and on top of buildings to get footage. I would describer her as the paparazzi, African style.
Amy’s Experiences
There are moments in your life that you will never forget, moments that change your life and heart forever. I have had many moments like that, when I became a Christian, married Eric, met Tony (little boy adopted from Uganda by Linda), and now when I met the woman I am about ready to talk about.
This woman is a founder of a school that currently has around 200 students. She worked in Israel for a while and saved her money and came back to Ghana and put all of her money into building a school. She is an honest, hard working, wonderful woman of God who in a few short hours changed my life.
She has a son with a man that is an American citizen and works for the UN. Her son is American and she could come and stay in America. She has chosen to start this school and make a difference in the country she was born in.
We began to discuss the differences between America and Ghana. I asked her questions about “black power” and the Ashanti Empire. She began to talk about how her pastor and church had a week long debate on whether Africans were decedents of Ham, Noah’s youngest son. If you do not know the story it can be found in Genesis 9 and it is about Noah being drunk and Ham walking in on him being naked. Instead of covering his father up, he went and told his two older brothers, Shem and Japheth. The older brothers then went and covered up their father Noah without looking at him. Noah then cursed Ham. He blessed Shem (Europe and the USA), and Japheth (Middle East). She asked me, is Africa cursed because of Ham?
I then talked to her about how when sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve, suffering began to happen. I told her that people in America suffer in different ways, but still suffer. I told her that although we are a nation that has many things available to us, we are a depressed nation in many ways. I described how many people are not satisfied with their life and live in bondage. I told her about poor people in America, sick people in America, violence in America, and corruption in America. I explained to her we all suffer because of sin. Africa is not the only continent suffering and they should not give up and believe they are cursed.
We then discussed how in Africa they still worship Idols and perform black magic. I explained to her that in America, we also worship idols such as money, body image, power, and fame. I told her it was the same on both continents. We both disappoint God in different ways.
She smiled at me and said we are sisters; we are all children of God. She then said that she had promised God she would go into full time ministry and then started the school and felt a heavy burden on her heart. She asked, "Am I disappointing God." Here I am in front of a woman who has sacrificed a lot of things to provide education in a county that desperately needs amazing teachers. Here is a woman who has given up a promised more comfortable life in America for one of hard work and dedication in Africa. When she asked that question, I was almost knocked off my feet.
I explained to her that in the world we have enough people telling others about Jesus. We have plenty of pastors, evangelists, and people doing full time ministry. I told her that what we need more of is people being like Jesus and serving people the way that Jesus did. This woman is being more like Jesus then I could only dream of being one day, and she doubts her service to the Lord. It opened my eyes to how much more I could be doing with the resources and talents the Lord has given me.
I was reminded today again of the joy and resilience that African people have. Although many live in poverty and conditions we would never be able to survive, at the end of the day they find Joy and their strength in the Lord. There is something about this continent that stretches you and brings you to a whole new level with the Lord. I feel so alive in my heart when I touch the soil of this continent and am surrounded by the beautiful children.
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