January 24, 2010
So today was an early start. I got to bed around 1 or so and woke up every now and then and got up at 6 am. I am going to go get a fan soon. I thought I would be okay, but now I am thinking for 15 cedi, it would be very nice. I got up so early because I needed to do laundry, and then Fred was taking me to go see the rock where the giant named Asebu placed his fingers and made scratches in the stone. I kept asking Fred if they really thought the Giant story was true, and I think he really believes it. While I was at the Monkey Sanctuary last week, the lady who owns it took us to the top of the hill and showed us a granite stone where students came and studied it as a project. They concluded that the stone was super old and that the original people during that time would sharpen their knives and blades in a certain fashion that would make lines and big groves. They looked like people had sat down with their bums, and the other rock that Fred will show says that there is where the giant sat down. So I find it interesting that he really does believe the myth as truth and not the study of science, but I still admire his faith. Nowadays, there is a fight between faith and science, implying how can you have faith if it cannot be proven or it can be proven false? So I admire him in that respect. After that, I read my scriptures, fell asleep and got a ride to church with the Incooms. I was late because they start at nine but so did Pastors church, so I think in the future, I will catch a choo-choo or more likely a taxi. Church was good though. It is a two-story square building with a very nice sign. The bottom is about as big your living room plus a bit more. They had just barely become a branch so there was about 20 or 30 people there. It was different. Fans were going, people talking in mainly Fante, and those that invited to have me sit with them were very friendly. The doors to outside including the noise were open for airflow so the kids would just run and the mom just let the baby cry. So I guess that is common between countries, huh? ^_^ But The sacrament had already been passed when I got there so I walked in when the Bishop was doing his announcements. I guess he had welcomed me but I wasn’t really sure. The men I met would continually talk and where I was from, etc. and I felt so rude because I wanted to say “shush” but it is common to talk to newcomers, and plus, I really was just glad to have someone talking to me. After Sacrament meeting, the Bishop and first councilor invited me to go upstairs and join in a quick meeting. There I met The Bishop, First councilor, 2nd councilor, Relief Society President, Young Womens, Sunday school President, and they all welcomed me. I gave them my basic information so that they could introduce me next week. I wasn’t really sure where to go next so I just went to the adult Sunday school where I sat with the 1st counsilor’s son. Again, people would just be talking to me and the lesson was being taught. I asked at one point for him to translate, but he took so long and was too loud that I decided to not ask for translation again. So I didn’t understand but it was so hard. I knew that people had questions and I could contribute, but only the language was our barrier. After Sunday school, I was going to go to Relief Society but I was told by the nice Missionary Couple from Logan Utah, Brother and Sister Saunders, that they only speak fante. So I joined the combined young men and womens. They wanted me to teach the lesson but thankfully it turned out I didn’t need too. By the end of church I felt a little more at home. I decided to talk and get to Sister Saunders while Brother Saunders was driving everyone home one car load at a time. It was very nice. I told her I was homesick and that if it was okay, she might just be my mom away from home for a little while. She shared some things with me, and it was so wonderful and such a blessing to be able to come here. The bishop also lives in Asebu so maybe I will start seeing him around. He seems like a very good man and that he is trained in the gospel. So I started to walk home, thinking “Maybe I will walk, it would take about an hour or take a taxi for 4 cedi, but they drove by and packed me in on their way. I guess that The 1st Councilor’s son wants to bring the Missionaries to the orphanage and also teach ICT. He is very eager so I just encouraged him to come visit the Orphanage before making plans so we exchanged numbers. I have already handed out about 10 or so business cards. They have been very helpful. Jessica, my nurse friend, left to go back to Cape Coast University so I will miss seeing her. She was such a good friend. I am glad that I am making friends around the town and also the church. Whoever said I would start feeling at home was right I think because I am starting to eventually although, I am still making some mistakes. For washing clothes, there were two wash bins and I thought, “Well that is what I use at the orphanage, so I will just use those again.” So I used them and later Bertha said “We are sorry to inform you but, but those bins are for PePe’s spirit. So they only wash PePe’s cloths in their for his spirit. I don’t understand but I respect it. But that is going to make laundry a little harder now because no I will just have two buckets. Bummer, but that’s okay. We will make it work. I will be so thankful for a washer when I get back. I came home before the Incooms and turned on the Discovery channel. It was a little slice of home there. I also had some jerky I brought because I hadn’t eaten, I didn’t know what to cook or how to cook, and I needed to take my malaria pill so I just opened one of the four packages. Once they got home, I continued to chill and read my book. Berth cut open the top of a coconut and Mrs. Incoom brought me 4 small bananas for lunch, and I had about a cup and half of rice for dinner. When Bertha came in my room to pick up the plate, she saw the extra school supplies I brought that I haven’t found a use for yet. I had decided that the kids already had so many things and school supplies and the school doesn’t use them, that I would just hold on to them until I found a purpose for them. But she got excited, and I found out that she didn’t have anything for school tomorrow. Since she had left her family and school to come help out the Incoom, and I guess her family was robbed or something happened so that she couldn’t get paper and pencils and other things, I told her to take some. She was so happy. “God bless, God Bless. Thank you” and she was so happy giving me hugs and just her face lit up. So I am glad they are going to where they will be used. Plus, I still have some more if I works out that I find someone else needs them too. The mosquitoes have started eating me alive now. My ankles are the worst. Probably about 12 bites just on my ankles. Bummer. So tomorrow I will set my alarm to help Bertha get up early and do chores around 4 am so that she can leave for school around 6:30. So this week will be interesting. The Saunders want to come see the orphanage too, so I will have to talk to Ester to make sure that is okay. I believe it would be but of course I will check. I don’t know about the ICT training or missionaries yet, but I hope it will work out.
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