I'm Alive!

Wow. I'm officially the worst blogger ever. It'd be a lot easier if we had consistent wifi but, that definitely isn't a thing here! About 2 weeks ago, on a Saturday evening, it rained harder than I've ever seen it rain. Apparently it rarely rains like that in Ghana and lets just say our hotel wasn't prepared for it. All of a sudden, there was rain pouring through the ceiling right above the electrical box. The electrical box isn't secured so multiple wires were getting a better shower than I've had in 5 weeks! This ruined the Wifi router, hence the reason none of us have been able to blog or really talk to our families for 2 weeks. This experience has helped me to realize how blessed I truly am to have what I do. Now that I'm back to writing...I have more stories than ever. However, it's hard to express my feelings through word because my heart has experienced so many new feelings these past few weeks.

-I'll start serious and move to the better things! I've found so much out about myself these past 5 weeks. I've always loved small children yet I never realized how drawn they are to me. Every day, I make new baby friends. Kids here love talking to us and love playing/singing/dancing with us. My heart loves these friends so so easily. I've realized that I can easily love many many people without really knowing them. Many times these past weeks, I've had a hard time leaving my new friends. I don't consider myself an emotional person, yet new emotion has seeped from me as I leave these kids who ask if I'll be back and I have to say no.

-I was very sick for weeks 2 and 3 with...problems lets just say haha. The pharmacies here didn't really understand my problem so gave me some medicines and told me to take a lot more than I probably should have. The day after taking the pills, we went to the Accra temple! Which was amazing from what I remember of it. I was rather distracted by trying to stay alive and out of the bathroom. Luckily after many prayers from family members and my friends here with me, I'm doing much better. Despite my sickness, the temple was so amazing. My Grandma Coleman gave me family temple names that my friends and I were able to baptize and confirm. It really was such a spiritual experience. That day outside the temple, I got proposed to multiple times. The men here love to propose to us. I'm not sure why I can get married everyday here...but not in America ;)

-One out reach was 2 hours deep in the bush! The roads to get there are full of pot holes, but the view far above the rainforest was so breath taking. Sydney and I had to go to the bathroom on the drive there, but there was no bathroom within hours of us so we told the Ghanaians we work with that we'd just go on the side of the road. They laughed at us so hard and said, "Women?!" but we definitely showed them. I've never had such a great view (the rainforest) while using the bathroom!

-All of the students that came to Ghana with me are BYU students, so we often sing together in the long van rides. One Sunday as we were traveling for a week long outreach, we all started singing hymns. Our Ghanaian workers loved it so much. They all recorded it on their phones and randomly would play it throughout the week. One of the days, before we started working, our Ghanaian worker friends had us sing "I Need Thee Every Hour" to all the people waiting. It was amazing. I know the Spirit works through music!

-Kiera and I walked to get snacks before work one day and started being followed by what they call a "crazy man, who stayed in the sun too long". He was seriously crazy. He wouldn't stop following us and he almost pushed us in the sewer ditch numerous times. Once we got back to our work site, our Ghanaian friends yelled at him and told us "don't mind him". He walked away, saw his reflection in a car and took off all his clothes. That wasn't the last time we saw him that day.

-Week 3 and 4 we saw at least 300 people a day! That is amazing. To think that we help 1,500 people a week see again is so amazing. Thank you to those who donated and have helped me help them! When I give people reading glasses to try, and then show them the Bible and ask, "Is it clear?" and they say, "YES! I'm so excited!" I remember the real reason I'm here.


-Raymon (4) and Eryka (2) are siblings I met. At first they were shy, but as I started talking and waving with them, they warmed up to me. I had gone back into work, and then I saw them watching me so I had to go see them. They were so smiley and happy. Tanner, my youngest brother, had found a motorcycle at home that he wanted me to give to someone while I was here, so I gave it to Raymon and he was so so happy. I had a little rubber duck that I gave to his sister.


-Baby T, a 2 year old sat in my arms all day one day. I had done visual acuity testing that day, which always finishes first so I had many hours to sit and hold her. She didn't talk, but just rested on my shoulder. When her dad took her at the end of the day she screamed and kicked him. My heart broke a bit watching her leave. This same day, I was taking about 3 to-go boxes of finished rice to the trash can and some of our little friends told me they would take it to the trash for me, yet as soon as I gave it to them, they opened the boxes and started eating it all. So amazing to be able to help out in even the most simple ways.


-My favorite friend of the week...Justice Eshun. This little boy (9) was in the courtyard of the church we were working in. Again I was doing visual acuity and finished early so I was able to play with him and eventually about 15 more kids. I guess seeing a white person is exciting! He stayed attached to my hip for probably 3 hours until an adult shooed the kids away. About 30 minutes later I heard "Obruni! Obruni!". Behind a cement wall, there was my friend Justice! He asked me if he could come back and play and there was no way I would've been able to say no! He stayed with me for the rest of the day. He danced for us, helped us clean up and everything. As we headed to the van, his face dropped in sadness. I teared up as we pulled away to his wave that day.

-The "washrooms" (not called bathrooms here) range from a hole in the ground to normal toilets to bushes. One experience was rather sad for me...this washroom was just a tile slab with a hole in the corner. As I was using it, my sweat rag (if I don't have this, I die!) dropped...which means it was now sitting in ages of human waste! There was no way I could've picked it up and used it on my face. #mournthehandkerchief Luckily I brought two. Funny things like this are always happening :)

-The Pizza Hut in the mall by our hotel finally opened last week so naturally, Buffy and I splurged and shared one whole pizza. It was easily one of the happiest times in the past 5 weeks!

So much happened these past few weeks. I have been confronted with a lot of struggle mentally and physically. As I've been surrounded by amazing friends, in such an amazing place, I've realized how important it is for me to work hard at things I'm passionate in to overcome the struggles. Africa, the people and all that I'm being taught is changing my life for the better!


Stay tuned! :D