This was a drum we brought back for Coach Julian....
Jake and Nana Yaw's little brother, Pepra.
The girls went inside the little stores to shop and do the bartering, and the guys stayed outside. :) We purchased a few gifts to bring back home with us and then Esi & fam took us to a wonderful Chinese restaurant for lunch. A few pictures I took as we drove:Kids playing with tires.
My flash went off when I took this picture, but if you will look closely this lady is carrying all of that stuff and she has a baby strapped to her back. This is a very common sight in Ghana.
On the car ride to the restaurant I saw one of the saddest sights that I have seen yet in Ghana. As we approached a stop light I saw a young teenage boy sitting in the median – his face was staring down at the ground as he drew in the dirt. As I looked down at what he was drawing it was then that I noticed his feet and legs. His feet and legs were blown up about 4 times the size of his other limbs. He had tumors and wrinkled skin from about his kneecaps down. His toes were unrecognizable. I could only describe his legs as looking like elephant legs. I found out later that this is in fact a disease called elephantiasis, also known as elephant leg syndrome. I can promise you this was the most awful disease I have ever seen with my own eyes. The disease is caused when thread-like parasitic worms enter the body, transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease is prominent in Africa. Treatments for this disease include surgery/radiation therapy, and antibiotics/creams. This young boy will likely never have access to treatment. His days will consist of sitting there on that curb being galked at by passerbys, and begging for money. He will be pitied, socially outcasted, and will never lead a ‘normal’ life. It is with these sights that I can tell you I have not become numb to the hardships of this country. This trip has had an entirely different focus than our last trip – our purpose this time is to bond with Samuel. And so, the absolute joy of creating that bond has certainly overshadowed the sad and frustrating emotions that I feel in watching these people work endlessly and tirely for next to nothing. It has been solemn for me to come back to Ghana 6 months after our last trip and see that there have been no changes and no progression. These people are artists, craftsmen, hair stylists, athletes, and fashion designers. They can cook amazing dishes with primitive techniques. They are resourceful, innovative, and hard, hard workers. They have SO MUCH talent. And yet, there are no options here of what can be done with it. It is just a poverty cycle here that repeats itself over and over and over, like a hamster running on his wheel. I just want more for them.
I think my mind has fallen into the trap of thinking there is no way this will ever change. But, I am thinking too big. I am looking at the country in its entirety of poverty and saying ‘it’s impossible’. But then I look into Samuel’s twinkling eyes as he splashes in a pool for the first time and I know in his life there is hope like he’s never known before. As he wrinkles up his nose in distaste after trying his first ever bite of pizza I giggle and think back to just a few short months ago when his mother showed me her pot that she used for cooking. When I tuck him into bed and say good night as he snuggles deep under the covers I think back to the night I saw his ‘house’ for the first time – a 5x5 shack with a metal roof. His life will now be forever changed. It is then that I realize that my husband has got this ‘change’ thing all figured out. He knows that he can make a difference in this country with the small little platform that God has given him with basketball. He will help one person at a time. I am so thankful to be part of this wild ride. I am looking forward to seeing what God has planned with Kingdom Hoops Ghana!
Well, after our lunch at the chinese restaurant we had to hurry back to Esi’s house to watch Ghana take on Australia in the FIFA World Cup football match. Let me tell you, this country LOVES their football team. Everyone was sporting Ghana football clothing and colors today. Everywhere we went people were crowded into little shops trying to catch a glimpse of the game on TV.
We were still driving to Esi’s house once the game had already started. We were listening to the game on the radio in the car when Ghana scored its first goal and almost immediately people ran out into the streets dancing and cheering and high-fiving and hugging. It was nuts….reminded me of a movie scene!My favorite experience from the day was when Esi took me to the market area. You could maybe somewhat compare it to a farmer’s market – only x 100.
Esi buys some lettuce & carrots.
This lady was stirring live crabs.
Esi said this particular market only runs on the weekends – by Monday every vendor will be gone. I just loved taking in all the vibrant colors and varieties of food.
Back at Esi’s house she had a few friends stop by to meet us. One of her friends was observing Samuel & JJ playing and conversing and she asked about Samuel and our adoption. When we told her that JJ and Samuel had just met on Thursday she was in awe – and really so are we! It is hard not to notice the friendship that the two of these have already. Praise God!!
After our time with Esi we went back to the hotel and I asked the boys if they wanted to go swimming (they had only dipped their feet in the pool the past few days and we hadn’t actually gotten a chance to swim). Well, when I asked the question Samuel almost jumped through the roof because he was so excited. I wish I would have had it on video – he clapped his hands, squealed, jumped up and down and shouted YES, YES, YES!!!! Once we got out to the pool I realized that this was definitely Samuel’s first time in a swimming pool. He had no fear of the water, but also had a very tight grip on my hand. The first thing I did was take him out to the drop off for the deep end and pointed out the line not to cross. Then back in the shallow end I let him experiment with the water while I stood right by him. At one point he was jumping and went under without holding his breath….and that was a good learning experience. :) So next, JJ and I showed him how to blow bubbles in the water which was hilarious to him! Once he got the hang of it I showed him how to blow bubbles while going under the water. He tried a couple of times without succeeding so I then showed him how to hold his breath & plug his nose before going under. He quickly got the hang of that and had fun practicing over and over. On a side-note, JJ is now able to go under for almost 5 seconds while holding his breath and blowing bubbles out of his nose! We had fun swimming for almost an hour. I cannot wait to take Samuel swimming back in the U.S. He will love the beach entry pool and the kiddie slide.
After swimming we had the Kingdom Hoops Ghana team over to the hotel for some pizza and a great speech from Jake (which I actually didn’t get to hear because I had two very tired boys on my hands).
Some of the Kingdom Hoops Ghana players (that is Ezekiel in the middle).
Listening to the ipod again. :)
After dinner and a few quick car races it was off to bed!
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