Week 54 - Anniversary, Looking Back & Reflection

Well, it's hard to believe, but this past week on Jan 23rd, we hit our 1 year anniversary of when we started this crazy adventure - mission life!  Wowza!  Seems like an eternity but also yesterday. In one more week, we will have been in Ghana for 1 yearr!  Time truly flies!

LOOKING BACK & REFLECTION

I've been thinking about things I've learned so far while being on our mission in Africa.  Soooo many things come to mind, but here are a few...

1. You can acclimate to just about anything, including hot and humid weather, whether you believe it is possible or not!  I'm surprised at how we feel with the heat and humidity now, compared to 1 year ago. Getting off the plane, we thought we might die. The first few days, weeks and months felt so heavy and hot. Over time, our bodies gradually adjusted, and every day seems less brutal, even though conditions are essentially the same!

Reflection 

When we submitted our mission application, we requested all cold locations and no office assignments. Obviously, that did not happen. We came to the hottest place on earth and sit in an office all day. I cannot tell a lie, there are definitely difficult moments that can make you question your decision to leave everything behind and navigate a foreign land and experience. There are moments that test us to our limits. We miss our children and grandchildren dearly, but we know why we are here and our purpose for these 18 months. We press forward every day, doing the work we are called to do. Some days are easier than others. All in all, we feel we have acclimated quite well!!! We are also completely aware of and grateful for the many compensatory blessings our family has already received and continues to receive while we are on this mission.

P.S.  Harmattan (a very dry, dusty, northeasterly wind on the West African coast, occurring from December to March) is back with a vengeance!! AQI today was 334 = Hazardous. The air quality index doesn't lie. It was a hazy hazy day.

 

2. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.. you may just get it!  We have noticed a trend here in Ghana. People will ask for what they want, with a clear hope that the request will be granted. They are not afraid to ask, even if the query is unreasonable and seemingly ridiculous. When you have very little food, shelter, clothing or money, any request is worth the ask. It is not uncommon to be asked for money or food here, several times a day. While driving, we encounter SO many people (adults and children) on the street, begging for anything. They wait on the sides of streets until the light turns red and the vehicles come to a standstill.  We carry crackers and snacks in the truck and where possible, hand them out. Sometimes it gets crazy though, with more than 20 kids surrounding your vehicle and hanging on every part of it. So we are judicious about which intersections we hand out food, and where we just roll down the windows and talk with them until the light turns green. They love feeling the air conditioning vents with their hot little hands. Life is not always FAIR! At times, it is hard to hold back tears when you see the conditions and level of poverty here.

Reflection

Be kind, be generous, be reasonable. It doesn't really help a young couple already struggling to pay their bills, to honor a reqeust for money to install an air conditioner on their rental shack, and then put them further in debt to now pay more in utility costs. Doing our best to teach them some skills that can bring in additional money seems like a better option. There are no easy answers. 

3. Patience is a virtue. Nothing, and I mean nothing is fast here in Africa. The road congestion leaves you sitting in traffic jams regularly. Shopping should only be attempted when you have sufficient time and energy to brave the crowds necessary to search for the items you want. Waiting for receipts at the check out counter can seem like an eternity. Trying to drive 36 miles out of town to see a new place can take 5 hrs. We have learned to sit back, relax, and listen to a podcast or good music while traveling. I mean really, why not take advantage of all that together time and have a little fun!  

Reflection

Learn to embrace the moment. Look around and enjoy the people and culture, find opportunities to learn. We certainly don't have the answer to many of life's dilemas, but embracing another culture and celebrating the differences makes us less anxious and more open for growth! 

 

The Power of Reflection

"Through self-reflection, we find calm amidst the chaos. It allows us to thoughtfully contemplate underlying issues and devise mindful resolutions. Self-reflection is like a mental sanctuary, engaging our logical minds when emotions threaten to overwhelm us. Yes, it might be painful at times – looking inward often is. But the clarity it brings is worth the discomfort. It's like cleaning a wound; it might sting initially, but ultimately it promotes healing."

More on Patience...

"There is also a dimension of patience which links it to a special reverence for life. Patience is a willingness, in a sense, to watch the unfolding purposes of God with a sense of wonder and awe, rather than pacing up and down within the cell of our circumstance. Put another way, too much anxious opening of the oven door and the cake falls instead of rising. So it is with us. If we are always selfishly taking our temperature to see if we are happy, we will not be.

When we are impatient, we are neither reverential nor reflective because we are too self-centered. Whereas faith and patience are companions, so are selfishness and impatience. It is so easy to be confrontive without being informative; so easy to be indignant without being intelligent; so easy to be impulsive without being insightful. It is so easy to command others when we are not in control of ourselves." -- Neal A. Maxwell

Happy Anniversary to us!!!!  Sending much love from Ghana!! 💗💛💚