Free Flowing Love.

Week 2 has come to a close! The first week here in Africa was really, really long. Luckily, this week went way faster than last week. Knowing the schedule of days really helped a lot! I've decided to write this week's blog a little bit different, to make it more interesting for you! Before I start, I have to apologize. I have been terrible at keeping up on my blog because my laptops hard drive crashed on my second layover on the way to Africa! So I have to use someone else's laptop every time so...sad day but it's all good!

Here goes week 2...
-Last Sunday in church, we all literally thought we might drown in our own sweat! The power goes out often here and at the church they only have ceiling fans. It's an open-air building, but there's rarely a breeze here, and if there is it's a HOT breeze. Since the power was out, the ceiling fans didn't work so we were raining sweat! 3/4 of the way through sacrament the power came back on, turning on the fans and man, I wish I had our reaction recorded!
-Since out reaches are usually about at least 1 hour from our hotel, we travel all over Ghana. We went to some amazing places! In total, our group served probably around 300 people just this week. Glasses are sold for 7 cedis which converts to $1.86. Eye drops are sold for 15 cedis which converts to $4. Those of you reading this that donated, I hope this helps you realize how much your donations help!! All that money goes to this fund.
-Nanayow is my favorite little boy of the week. He is 21 months and the cutest baby ever. His mom was waiting to get her eyes checked, which is generally a long time (Ghanaian time is super relaxed) and he was restless! We have enough of us volunteers that everyone once in a while I can take a break to play with the kids. I saw Nanayow and had to go play with him. I had sunglasses that I kept putting on him and he would smile so big! Then I'd take them off him and put them on me. He especially loved this because he could see his reflection in them. He would smile and stick his tongue out at himself and just laugh. Some of my group was going to buy lunch and I was going to go with them, but when I got up to leave, Nanayow just cried and cried. Short story, I didn't eat lunch that day.

-To be honest, being in Africa is a love-hate relationship. Being somewhere extremely hot, where not many people understand you, where the food is not good, where you are so far from family and friends has been a hard adjustment for me. Yet I love being here serving people who are so loving and I have always wanted to visit Africa, so being here is a dream come true. I've prayed everyday to understand why I'm here and guys, prayer works. On Tuesday, I prayed before we left to out reach that I would understand better my purpose here in Africa. We met the most loving and amazing people. One of my fellow BYU volunteers, Lily and I saw a bunch of little kids about 100 yards away from us just staring at us. (happens a lot here!) We started waving and dancing and they loved to copy us. We walked over to them and just started talking and playing any and every game we could thing of. Finally, I suggested we play Goat, Goat, Chicken (like duck, duck, goose but with animals they know). Once we started playing there was no stopping! Our group of about 10 quickly grew to around 35 as we were playing. The group wasn't just kids, but men and women of all ages. Laughing and singing was happening all around. 2 older women came to the circle and insisted that we dance with them. So much happiness! I realized then, what my purpose is here. To realize the importance of slowly our own lives down, to take time to enjoy those around us. The people here work extremely hard, but always stop to talk and laugh with us. As we left, kids held onto my hands and legs and asked if we would be back. Since we hit different villages every day, it breaks my heart having to tell them no.

-Last story! Simon is my new Africa dad. Last week, I met a man at one of our out reaches who just started talking to me. I wasn't going to sit and talk with him just because I was needed by the glasses dispensing station, but somehow I knew I needed to sit and talk with him. He asked me lots of general questions about my family, schooling and America. When he left we just normally said our goodbyes and I didn't really think more of it. This week at surgery clinic (we got to St. Thomas eye clinic once a week to watch cataract and other eye surgeries), I didn't feel like I was going to pass out and was actually able to watch them which is a blessing let me tell ya! As soon as I stepped out of the van to go into the clinic, Simon was at my side! What?! I never though I'd see him again but he was there for surgery! He was beyond happy to see me. It brought tears to my eyes seeing that someone could be so happy to see someone they barely knew. He said, "Megan! It's Simon! Remember me?! We talked about your dad who is ... many years, your mom who is ... years, your grandma who is ... years and your grandpa who is ... years!". As you can see, we talked about a lot of random things the first time we met. I have no idea how he remembered everything perfectly. He then said, "I want to be your dad in Africa. You have a dad in America, but while you are here, I want to be your dad". Later that day, he saw a woman selling donuts and said, "Here! I want to buy some for my daughter!" and gave them to me. I was overwhelmed by how easy it was for him to give. I was deeply touched by his kindness and love. As I left that night and he was waiting for his ride back to his village, he said, "If we never meet again, know your dad in Africa loves you". Tears.

From reading about these experiences, I hope
you can realize the love I have for these people and the love that they are so willing to give. People here are always trying to help us with the Twi language (even though they laugh). They're gracious people and it helps me remember my purpose. Until next week!

Obruni.

(Sorry if the pictures don't work! Look on Facebook. My laptop is broken.)
1 week down and still alive friends! Africa has already given me an experience I never knew existed. I have seen a way of living 100x different than how we live in America. People here don't stop working. When it gets dark, they light candles by their food stand and continue selling. They're up and going so early. It's consistently 90 degrees with 90% humidity, yet they continue on. I was talking with an 18 year old boy this week at an out reach (more on these later). I asked him, "Doesn't it hurt people's necks when they carry such heavy things on their heads every day, all day?!" He simply said, "Yes it does hurt. But they carry food on their heads to get money, to have food in their stomachs". After his answer I felt stupid for asking. People here don't buy in bulk ever. (That's why we run out of toilet paper and never have it at our hotel!) They live day to day. They buy food and pay bills. It is amazing how hard they work ft so little. I am continuously amazed.
This week we started our out reaches! I'm here with a non-profit company, Unite for Sight. We travel to surrounding cities every day at about 7 am and set up our clinc. It's usually in the middle of a school or church yard. We give eye acquity tests, then they see the doctor, and then they get prescribed medications and glasses. We have 1 Doctor which makes for looongg waiting lines for him. We can get through visual acquity pretty quickly, but 90 people waiting to see the doctor is what usually keeps us there until about 5 or 6 pm. Makes for a long day! But...I've realized how amazing it is, despite the heat, to be able to help so many people. I never realized how many people truly need help.
We went to Cape Coast, Akotolanta, Ashimma and Kpone. It's amazing because we get to see so much of Ghana through our travels. Everyday I get to meet new friends! All the Ghanaians call us Obruni! Especially the children. It means "white person". In America, you'd get beat up for that but here people are so cool. They don't worry so much about what people say. I love it. When they call us Obruni, we must wave and they smile so so big! It melts my heart! We went to the eye surgery clinic on Thursday and I almost passed out. I took anatomy at BYU and never had any problems but these surgeries are so so bloody! And it's a quick process, while the patient is awake. They have local anesthesia, but it's hard for me to watch. Hopefully this week watching them will be better because it's really actually amazing.

Random thoughts/stories:

-I miss American food more than anything. Food here is...very interesting. Very fishy. I ordered white rice and chicken the other day and the lady looked at me like I was an alien! I thought I missed Momma's cooking while I was at college...
-The whole no make up and pony tails everyday? Yeah I love it!
-The group of BYU students I'm here with are some of the most awesome people ever.
-I love watching the people here smile when they put on their glasses and can see.
-Ghanaian babies are ridiculously scared of us. It all makes sense now hahaha
-It's really hard traveling somewhere different everyday because they kids in the out reach cities ask us if we'll be back tomorrow and we have to say no...really hard. Two little girls have asked to come to my house in America when I leave. One boy told me he loved my skin. My "fair skin".
-People here drive so so crazy! There's seriously like no rules. I feel like I'm going to die driving in cars here.
-We got smoothies here, expecting them to be super good. They tasted fine, but we realized how dangerous they were. Who knows where the fruit was cut, and there were ice cubes in them which is very dangerous (dirty tap water).
-I get sunburned so badly here. I'm gonna come home as dark as the Ghanaians!

Although everything is very, very different, I love being here so much. Being in Africa for even just 1 week has made me feel so much love for the people here and the service they need, that I get to give to them. I can't wait to continue serving the people here!

So. Much. Sweat.

I've officially been in Africa for 1 whole day! Goodness...the past 2 days have been so crazy. Amazing, yet crazy. My mom dropped me off at the Salt Lake City airport Friday at 5:30 am. My flight left SLC at 7:30 am, and I arrived officially in Ghana, Saturday at 3:45 pm. I never realized how uncomfortable airplanes are, or the impossibility of sleeping on them is. I had to ask a random girl next to me on the plane for some of her sleeping pills, since my second layover flight made me check my carry on, and all my pills were in there! I had only slept 20 minutes the past 24 hours and was so desperate. Once I took those sleeping pills, my flight to Ghana felt the shortest of them all, although it was the longest because I was out cold! Overall, my flights went super well even though I had to run past 76 gates to make a flight leaving in 17 minutes and my laptop's hard drive crashed, making it pointless for the next 6 weeks! (luckily I've got super awesome friends who are good at sharing theirs) But hey, I'm now in Africa and it's been the most amazing days ever.
We started off our Ghana experience with 9 of 13 of us BYU students going through Ghana customs. Since we're here volunteering with eye clinics, we all had to bring 600 pairs of reading glasses. We were given exemption letters to pass us through the customs, but that custom woman was not having it! She was telling us that we would have to pay 600 cedis (3.75 cedis=1 US dollar) taxes on the glasses. Luckily, John, our driver guy was able to come in and talk to them. However, they only let us past once we gave them each one of our glasses! I'm so glad we don't have to go through that on the way out...I sure hope not at least. On the plane, I wore sweats...which I realized was a terrible idea 10 feet before I even stepped out of the airport. The weather here is about 90 degrees all day everyday, with 90% humidity. I have never sweated so much for so long. I have always hated going to bed feeling sticky, but here there is no choice! The water gets turned off in the nights, so we get about 2 minutes for showers in the mornings. Best 2 minutes ever. We're staying in a pretty nice hotel here. It's just us here, since we take up all the rooms, and we've just sat outside on the covered porch (because if you stay inside, you will die of heat, I'm sure of it) and played so many card games. It's super fun already!
Last night once we got into our bedrooms and changed, we all desperately needed water. The tap water here will make you deadly sick, so we have to buy it. All 13 of us Obruni's (white person) headed out onto the Ghanaian streets in the dark. (Sorry Mom!!) It feels pretty safe here luckily. At least until 13 white people show up at an ATM on one of the busiest streets in Ghana. As soon as I realized how stupid/dangerous this was, I decided not to exchange any of my money until I had to. So I did that today and bought some water. We drink water out of little sealed plastic bags that they sell on the street. About 30 150 mL bags for 3 cedis. I even showered with one of those tiny bags tonight. It's hard to sleep so sweaty, but no showers because the water is turned off so I improvised!
Last thing...church today was so amazing. Walking in to a random building, hearing hymns from the piano brought the spirit so quickly. The people in the ward are amazing. They welcomed us and were awesome about talking with us. They all sing the hymns so loud. Their testimonies were amazing. They're truly grateful for little things that us in America would never think to be thankful for in our testimonies. Their prayers are straight thanks. They are amazing people who LOVE the prophet. Definitely love President Monson. Despite dripping sweat continuously for 3 hours, church was amazing. The kids here...kill me. Anyone who knows me at all knows how much I must be dying over the kids here.
We also ate our first Ghanaian street food today...fufu...I'll save that for the next blog. It wasn't pretty. All I'm gonna say! Read my next blog to find out about that experience! Tomorrow morning we head out to our first outreach! I can't wait to get started!!