14 March 2017

In a totally un-Rachel-like fashion, I opted in to going to church this past Sunday. Let me just tell you that it was nothing I had expected or even experienced before in my life. Though I’ve been to church numerous times in the past, my family identifies now as Quaker, so I’m now used to Meeting for Worship and sitting in silence for an hour. This church though, while Christian, was so different from everything I anticipated. There was nonstop dancing and singing and music. It felt like a huge happy party to me, but at the same time people were really getting into it and letting it move them. There were tears and shouts and lots of “Amens”. It was an awesome experience and the whole congregation welcomed us so openly. They provided us a translator as the service was in Fonte, they also  welcomed us to the front at the end to introduce ourselves to the congregation over the microphone. It was truly an amazing and moving experience. I’ve never been so happy to have gone to church.  I can not reiterate enough how kind and welcoming everyone has been to us.

The rest of the week thus far has been pretty normal, we are in a routine with teaching  in the daytime and service project in the late afternoon. We eat dinner at 6:30 which all of us look forward to because the food is amazing. Then we  have free time for the rest of the evening. Some days we play Bananagrams, watch movies, or  buy sodas from the “convenience store” outside the house. The kids keep us entertained and make us feel at home. Or we can opt to take a walk to the local town (as we did tonight).

Well, I guess I take that back, tonight wasn’t normal! We walked into town to go to this outdoor restaurant, Jimmy Com, where we bought sodas and even learned dances on the patio. Mercedes some how persuaded me to dance, still not sure  how that happened… but there was apparently a dance battle going on, though one competitor claimed an injury, and despite that injury, seemed to have won. The music and dancing was fun despite the heat. I’m not  really sure I buy that the dance battle happened, but it was a great time nonetheless.

Tomorrow and Thursday are our last days of teaching. We definitely have a new found respect for teachers, it is not easy work.  I can’t even imagine saying goodbye to all the friends we have met. It will not be an easy task. We leave for Accra on Friday morning to see the city and to prepare for our early morning flight Saturday.

These two weeks have gone by so so fast and I’m seriously having the best time ever. If you want a souvenir, hit me up!

Rachel