Run Obruni, Run!

      It has been two weeks since I last updated the blog and a few interesting events have happened.  On Monday September 12th we started soccer practice.  On the first day we only had 3 players who were prepared and could actually come to practice.  Over the past two weeks we have had up to 11 on some days of practice, but it has been disappointing the number of players who have shown up to practice consistently.  The students at AIS love to play soccer, but as a whole do not understand the hard work that goes into fielding a competitive squad.  They want to just be able to play and not work too hard.  As coaches, we are trying to instill in them a willingness to work hard to become better at the sport, not just have fun playing.  It is tough when so many students want to "just play" soccer instead of become a real team.  I am not sure how the season will end up if we cannot get more students to come out to practice willing to work hard.  Many students even talk about playing in college, but just do not understand the hard work and effort that students have to put forth in the U.S. even to play a game.  Pray that the boys would begin to understand the concept of team and the idea that hard work produces good results over time, even if you don't see it right away.
     Moving on from soccer to one of the most random things I have ever done.  Two weeks ago, on Friday, September 9th, 3 of us teachers decided to run a half-marathon.  Originally the main reason we were running was because one of the students (Asantewa) wanted Christy to run with her, and me and John decided to join in on the fun.  Well, it turned out that we would not be running with Asantewa because everyone under 15 had to run in a different category of the race.  We decided to still run, and trained during the week and half we had to prepare for the half marathon.  We ran 3 times for over an hour and came into Wednesday hoping to run a half marathon in around 2 hours.
    This marathon was one of the funniest things I have ever been a part of.  I think it might be one of those things that is really only funny if you are there, but I will still try to help you understand how funny it was to all 3 of us that ran.  On Tuesday the 13th we all went with Asantewa's mom (she is the K4 teacher at AIS) to sign up for the race.  We parked on the side of a big highway which is under construction and walked over to this parking lot near a hotel.  We asked the guard and he said that we could sign up at this plastic table that was out in front of the hotel.  There was no one at the table, but as we walked up to it a few people standing over by this van on the side of the road came walking over.  There were no signs saying this is where to sign up, and the people who were working the sign in table weren't even where we were supposed to be.  This should have given us some insight of what was to come, but we were still oblivious to the madness ahead.
   Tuesday before the race was a busy day which left no preparation time for the next day.  School, then faculty meeting, then Kid's Club, then men's Bible study, and then bed!  Wednesday morning I got up at 3:10 and made myself an egg sandwich in preparation for the upcoming marathon.  At around 4 o'clock John and Daesha and I walked to the school to be picked up by William.  We arrived at the starting line at 5 am and there was no one around!  We were wondering what was going on!  So we took some pictures of us at the starting line.

After a few minutes of asking questions we were able to figure out that we needed to go back about a quarter mile to where everyone gets their jerseys.  By the time we got there, lines of Ghanaians were everywhere.  Luckily our friend Daniel, who plays guitar at church and comes to soccer practice sometimes, saw us and invited us over to stand in line with him.  After waiting for half an hour they finally started handing out the jerseys while people fought for a spot in line.  During that half hour several times a man came over a loud speaker saying that people needed to "remain calm" once they received their jersey.  Apparently there is a usually a mad rush to run to the starting line when the first people get their jerseys.  This should have been another hint that this was not your well run, organized American marathon.  This was a Ghanaian run marathon!  After receiving our jerseys and putting them on we took some pictures and I got interviewed by a Ghanaian TV station!

Me, John, Christy, and William (one of the school's drivers who drove around trying to follow us with Daesha in the passenger seat taking pictures and video)

Being interviewed!  I was asked by 3 or 4 other stations to give them an interview!  But one was enough haha....also check out that farmer's tan!!

Twi.  The whole time we were waiting we talked to the people around us and had a great time laughing with some of them.  While we were talking, all of a sudden the gun went off and everybody quickly turned around and started running! It was the craziest start I have ever been a part of, no one in the back where we were even knew the race was starting!

     We tried to keep the same pace throughout the whole race, so most of the people started out ahead of us, and we passed a lot of people as we went along.  I don't think the majority of the people racing had trained at all.  I ran for 2 hours and 12 minutes and then walked until John and Christy caught up to me.  From my calculations I assumed that I had run a half marathon as there was only one marker that I saw (25 km left).   After walking for almost an hour William found us and picked us up.  We only had about 8 or 9 more miles left and thought about completing the whole marathon, but decided against it.  All 3 of us were very sore and tired after running for over 2 hours and completing half the marathon plus!

10 Interesting Facts/Happenings from the Milo Marathon:

1. It rained for the from the time we got our jerseys to about an hour and half into the race!  Even if we were soaked, it helped keep us cool! PTL!

2. Mud puddles were everywhere! The roads were paved for the most part, but Ghanaian roads are not known for being too smooth, so it was fun trying to stay out of the mud.  Trying to stay out of the mud and puddles was impossible at some points and so all 3 of us were muddy and soaked by the end.

3. Apparently traffic is not very important to get out of the way of the runners.  Actually it is probably not possible for them to stop traffic in Accra because it would create mass chaos, but it did add an extra element to running.  We had to try to avoid being hit by the cars that were driving past and also sitting in traffic right in the way of where we were supposed to run.

4. The Milo Marathon is not really an international marathon!  We only saw 2 other obruni's the whole time we were at the race, and I think that is why so many TV stations asked me for an interview!  I think Christy was the only white girl in the race!

5. There is no need to warn people that the race is about to start! Just shoot the gun!!

6. Shoes are optional when running the Milo Marathon!  We saw so many people who had either taken their shoes off or lost them and were running in bare feet.  Also, flip flops and socks are a perfect combination for running a marathon.  I saw at least 10 Ghanaian's wearing flip flops and socks and trying to run! It was so funny!!

7. Everyone running in the green uniforms creates a great view from the back of the pack.  I don't know if you can really tell from this picture, but there is a huge mob of green heading up the hill in the distance.  It was really cool to watch while we were running.

8. Going to the bathroom just off the road is not strange during a marathon (or at all in Ghana, I can't tell you how many men I have seen peeing into the gutter on the side of the road, and apparently women do too, but thankfully I have not experience that yet).  Since it is ok to go on the side of the road, me and John took advantage and stopped about an hour into the race haha.

9. Although getting on the back of tro-tro's while they are driving by is not viewed very highly by other Ghanaian's who are racing, some people still do it!  I saw around 10 people riding on the back of a tro-tro wearing their green jersey.  Daesha even got a picture of one of them!

10.  Even if it is not the most organized marathon in the world, it still can create great memories for the obruni's involved!

The past two weeks have been busy with school and the above mentioned things, and I am excited about the opportunities I am starting to have with talking to students.  One interesting comment a little 1st grader made to me on Thursday was this: "Mr. Jones, when I was at home a red ant bit me on the wee-wee!"  What can you say to him after that?! haha

Continue to pray for the students and the opportunities the other teachers and I have to be a witness to them. I am learning more and more how I can relate to these students who have been through so many things that I can't imagine.  I will tell you about some more opportunities I have with students in the next blog!

One month and counting......I'm basically Ghanaian!

    The past two weeks have been ones of growing more and more accustomed to living in Ghana, teaching, and learning more and more about my Savior.  School is now in a routine and has been going relatively smoothly.  It is still not too hot here, but today and yesterday have been the two hottest days since I have been here.  So I know it's coming!!  As of now I can still be outside for PE all day and not be drenched with sweat!
    Last Saturday I went on my first trip to Medina.  Medina is the market where you can buy basically anything you want.  Wednesdays and Saturdays are the main market days when people go to buy anything they need or want to sell.  The vendors on the streets generally go to Medina on one of these two days to get their supplies.  Medina was definitely a new experience for me.  Even though I have been to Ukraine and Costa Rica, I have never been to a market like this one.  There were people and vendors everywhere and traffic was rediculous.  You could get almost everything and anything you could want, and smell almost everything you want to and don't want to smell!  While I was there I bought several things I needed including a broom and dustpan, matches, cutting knife, and welcome mat.  Check out the broom handle wrapping:

    While I was at Medina I had an interesting experience while trying to cross the road.  I had just walked across the busy street to ask about the price of a broom at the place where I eventually bought mine and was getting ready to cross back over.  There was a car coming so I tried to start jogging.  As soon as I started to jog I ran straight into a Ghanaian man.  I'm not sure if he got the worst of it, but I ended up with a sore forehead and a mark on my chin.  When I ran into him he started yelling at me, but I couldn't understand a word he was saying.  The vendors behind me were laughing and so were my friends watching on the other side of the street.  I just told him I was sorry and didn't mean to run into him, but he was still quite upset when he walked away.  I thought it was funny, but evidently he didn't have the same view of it as me!
   The container for the school finally came on Wednesday, August 31st!  There were so many things on the container including: lots and lots of books, chairs, house furniture, and some soccer balls and playground balls.  I also found some Nerf footballs in the office!  Wednesday also included another adventure.  While walking over to A & C (shopping mall where I get most of my groceries) after lunch I met Godwin.  I said good afternoon and he asked if we could be friends.  I was hesitant at first, but eventually said yes.  He walked with me and followed me the whole time while I bought groceries.  On the way back I told him what I was doing over in Ghana and asked him what he thought about me being a missionary.  He didn't have too much to say about it, but eventually we started talking about God and who He is.  We were almost back to my house and so I asked him if he would stay outside and wait while I put my stuff away.  He surprisingly said yes, and so I took my groceries and everything I was carrying inside.  I brought my Bible and went out to meet him.  We walked for about 45 minutes toward where he lived.  We talked about everything from Creation to Jesus and overall he seemed to know and understand everything.  I am not sure if he really applies  his knowledge of God, but Godwin has a solid understanding of what the Bible says.  Before we arrived at his house I told him that I needed to head back to meet some of the other teachers.  He told me that he needed money and I told him that I didn't have any to give him (I didn't, I had put it all in the house when I dropped off groceries).  He seemed very disappointed, and I told him that he could call me anytime if he ever wanted to talk again.  I gave him my phone number and we took our separate ways.  This past Wednesday (September 7), Godwin stopped by Accrib and wanted to talk to me.  I came out from reading and we had a good conversation about our families and also about trusting God for everything.  Again he asked me for some money. This time I had planned on him asking me for money so I was prepared.  Godwin does not look like he needs money by the way he dresses or acts and so I am suspicious of him actually needing money.  I think he might just think I have a lot of money because I come from America, even though I have told him that I am not here to make money and am just being paid enough to live.  Because of my suspicions I only gave him a small amount of money.  It will be interesting to see if he comes back to see me and talk to me to ask for money.  I also prayed for him and encouraged him to be proactive in searching for a job.  The Lord tells us to give and I am looking forward to the opportunity to give to those that I meet in Accra who have less than I do and need the love of Christ!

      After my first conversation with Godwin I went to a birthday scavenger hunt for Kim.  We had 4 people on each team with each team having the same list of tasks to accomplish.   You can see the list above.  Some of the list that I participated in included being a mate on the tro-tro (which means I was yelling out where the tro-tro was going to anyone who was walking by while every Ghanaian laughed at me and told me I was doing it wrong!), pushing a fan ice cart, and wheelbarrowing for one minute on the new field.  It was a great way to celebrate Kim's birthday even though both teams accomplished everything on the list in the set amount of time.
     On Saturday September 3rd I was able to Skype my family for the first time since I have been over here in Ghana.  It was great to be able to see them and talk to them for a while!
    On Sunday a group of students and other teachers traveled about an hour to Pram Pram.  Pram Pram is outside of Accra and really close to the beach.  In Pram Pram there is a children's home where students who are not able to be taken care of by their parents live and go to school.  On the first Sunday of every month a group from the school goes and runs Sunday school for the little ones.  We talked about the parable of the talents (Matthew 25) and how God wants us to use our talents and gifts for Him.  After several lively songs and teaching we did a craft with the students.  The students decorated their crafts and some even wore them!

    This past Wednesday (7th) and every Wednesday I attend a men's Bible study with a couple of men from the school and others outside of the school.  Usually we have 4 or 5 men there.  This week we looked at several passages and discussed purity and having a strong devotional life.  Several lessons I learned include attempting to get to the point in devotions where I am enjoying the presence of God, not just reading and studying to complete a to-do's, and also focusing on the good (Philippians 4).
    Friday night was another interesting experience.  A group of people from AIS traveled out to the Korean church for their Korean Bazaar fundraiser.  They had food and performances for a few hours.  I ate a few Korean dishes including chap chae (picture below), bung-a bbang, and hoddok.

    Some side notes from the past two weeks: 1. Whenever the power goes out (which happens at least once most weeks) during school I have to deal with the extremely loud generators right beside the field.  It is very hard to get any student to listen to you when there is a constant loud noise! Here is a picture of the field after only 2 1/2 weeks of playing on it (the generators are in the shed in the background).

2. Last Friday night (September 2) a few of us teachers and a friend named Mark went out to eat.  On the way back while we were walking I was talking with Mark and decided to hold my hand.  I had heard before that it is Ghanaian culture to hold hands with close friends, but never had expected it to happen to me!  I was quite uncomfortable, but it was interesting to say the least!

3. John, Christy, and I have decided to run the Accra International Marathon which is on September 25th! We only have two weeks to prepare! Yesterday we ran for an hour (about 8 miles), and today we ran about half of that as a rest day.  We are hoping to complete the 13.1 miles in under 2 hours and I am already looking forward to when (Lord willing) we cross the finish line two weeks from now!

Prayer requests: 1.  Christ would continue to be shown in my life and the other teacher's lives and that the light of Christ would be clear to the students.  (Muslim parents of a 3 and 4 year old at school are already contemplating taking their children out of AIS because the 4 year old is praying to Jesus after just 3 weeks!!)  2. Pray for Godwin.  I hope that I can continue to talk with him and find ways to help him out in his struggle to  find a job and grow with Christ.  3.  Soccer IS starting this week!  Pray that the start would be smooth and that the other coaches and I would have many opportunities to teach skills in soccer and also life!  4. Pray that God would break my heart for what breaks His!  (You should also pray that for yourself!)

School has started!

Last blog I left off right before school started.  So here we go!  The first day of school was Monday August 15^th.  The day started out with a quick chapel service to start off the school year.  They also introduced the new faculty.  When they told everyone I was the new PE teacher I received loud applause!  Everyone loves PE!!  The first day of school for me was very easy with only 3 classes to teach.

Second day was when school really seemed to start.  I found out that day that some secondary students considered me a mean teacher haha.  I think it was actually a good thing to start out the year as I am the youngest teacher on staff. I do not think the students were expecting it at all.  In the past at AIS the PE teachers basically allowed the students to play a lot of games.  The students did not have to do too many drills, and were allowed to play the sport they LOVE! That of course is futbol. My plan for teaching is completely different and it is taking a little while for the students to understand that. 

Overall the first week went as well, and maybe even better, than I had hoped.  Lessons I had planned went smoothly and most of the students understood my expectations of them.  AIS was able to start off school with a great first week! Praise the Lord!

Friday night I moved all of my stuff out of the Crosby’s house and into my second temporary residence! I am now staying by myself right next to the place I will eventually be moving into.  The place I am staying in now has two bedrooms and two and half baths! Way too much space for me to live in by myself.  So I am happy that  I will be moving into a smaller place, even if it isn’t as nice as the place I am in now.

Living with the Crosby’s was great in the area of food, as I almost always had a well cooked meal for dinner.  I thank the Crosby’s so much for their hospitality to me for the first 3 weeks here in Ghana.  My first meal living by myself in Ghana: Crackers with peanut butter and some dry cereal!  Both staples of any good meal. 

Saturday I cleaned up the kitchen some and got some errands done. (Construction here is very different than in the U.S.  When they are done they leave the place very messy.  They also do not have the high standards that we do for plumbing and other important areas, as you will see in the next couple of paragraphs).  Saturday afternoon/evening we went out to celebrate Christy’s 25^th birthday.  We went mini-golfing and ate at the Turkish restaurant.  Then came back and had icecream and fruit!  Pineapple here is so good!

The weekend flew by and turned into a great Monday full of classes.  Tuesday morning did not fly by as I was rudely awakened at 3 am by what I believe was food poisoning.  I threw up at 3 and 4 am on Tuesday and felt very week all day, but was still able to teach.  It was the first time I have been sick since I left home for college, and it definitely made me miss my Mom very much!  My stomach felt weird for a few days, but it wasn’t too bad and I didn’t have to miss any school.

Tuesday afternoon I helped with a Bible club that some of the other teachers run.  Monday night I helped put together the boxes of school supplies that we handed out to the 52 students that came!  When we were walking up to the compound where they have the Bible club around 10 Ghanaian kids came running up to us and jumped on us while yelling “Obruni, Obruni!!!” (Obruni is the Twi word for “white person,” I hear the term at least once every day while walking to and from school)  It is a blessing the way so many young students and children here in Ghana quickly love you, but sad to know that so many of them do not have good male or female role models in their homes.  During the Bible club we sang songs and shared the story of Creation with the children.  Then we handed out the boxes of school supplies and some cookies and water.  The hour that they were around went so fast and I look forward to the Tuesdays when we are able to share Christ with these searching young Ghanaians. 

The first two weeks of school are over and I am excited about the many opportunities I will have to share the love of Christ to so many students and also adults around Accra.  During the first two weeks I shared Galatians 1:10 with the secondary classes.  I challenged each class several times with the same challenge I need to hear each and every day.  I am not to be seeking man’s approval, but I am to be seeking to please Christ!

My room for now, still not able to unpack everything

My fun for the first night living by myself

My dinner for that first night

The washing machine hose that came off and was spraying water everywhere!

All of the boxes we made for the children who came to  Bible Club this past Tuesday

Now for some interesting side notes on my first two weeks living in Accrib (the new apartment’s nickname given by me and the other new teachers):  On Sunday I put in a load of laundry when I got home from church.  By the time I had walked over to my bedroom to put some stuff away the water pipe going into the washer had popped off and was spraying water everywhere into the cabinets below the sink.  I quickly ran over and tried to find the valve underneath the sink to turn it off, but what do you know? There was no valve underneath the sink!  I searched all over the area to find one, but could not find a valve anywhere.  By now there was a river running out of the back kitchen door (thankfully the house slants back and the water did not run all over the house!!).  I tried turning off the pump which was outside, but water continued to flow!  Finally, our guard realized what was going on and showed me that there was a valve on the outside wall which controlled the water to my kitchen.  Nothing was really damaged, but there was a lot of water that flowed out of Accrib on that day.

That is not the only flood that has happened in Accrib though! The other apartments have all had some type of leak, and a couple of them have been worse than that one.  The plumber evidently was a taxi driver who had no idea what he was doing.  He did not pressure test the system at all.  Almost everywhere that there is a joint, there is a problem.  It is not boring living in the new apartments we fondly know as “Accrib.”

Hopefully I will be able to update again early next week and actually catch up on the blog, but until then here are some more prayer requests! Thank you so much for your prayers!

1. God would continue to show me my need and dependence on Him for everything.  2.  For the other teachers and I, that we would not grow weary in doing good!  3. God would lead me in my decisions for where to serve outside of school (church youth group or leading a high school guys Bible study or anywhere else God may have in mind).  4.  God would continue to bring the many non-Christian students and families to Himself.

Something quick to encourage you which has been encouraging me recently: Christ is not always looking for you to glorify Him in spectacular ways, but He simply wants you to obey and glorify Him in “everyday” moments that He can turn into spectacular moments.

One more thing.  My Ghanaian name is Kwabena.  Which means I was born on Tuesday.  Many families in Ghana name their children based on the day they were born.  I tell people my Twi name and they just laugh and then tell me their name.  It is fun learning the culture and learning a few of the words so I can have short conversations with people in their original language.