Classes

First of all I would like to say that I am doing much better both physically and emotionally. I have had a long adjustment period but I am finally starting to feel at home here. Today I start classes. In Ghana the classes are organized different than in the States. You only have class once a week and it lasts about two hours. Here are the classes I am taking:
Monday: Pentecostalism in Ghana 5:30-7:25
Tuesday: No Class
Wednesday: No Class
Thursday: No Class
Friday: Psychology of religion 9:30-11:25; Poverty and Rural Development 1:30-3:25; Archeology, Anthropology, and Cultural Evolution 5:30-7:25
As you can see my Fridays are pretty heavy. I am hoping that since I have three days free that I can do a good bit of volunteer work. I am going to sit down with the director of the program soon and find out where I can best serve.

Catching Up

Because I have not had Internet in a while I am going to combine several posts in one. Enjoy!

Second Thoughts
I have not fallen in love with Ghana yet. Since I have arrived in Ghana I have been wondering why I am doing this. From the moment I stepped off the plane I have been hot. The only relief I have is a cold shower or an air-conditioned bus ride. Many of you know that I do not handle heat very well and Ghana has no exception in my complaints of heat. However, I am slowly adjusted to sweating all the time. I have been adjusting to lots of things here: heat, food, housing, walking, ect. I know that in time I will become adjusted it just might be awhile.
Another issue I have been having is struggling with homesickness. Now I have not gotten homesick in quite sometime. I had like to think that I had gotten it all out when I was younger but apparently that is not the case. I think that it is because I have been thinking long term. I had a hard time unpacking because it made the fact that I will be here 5 months real. While everything was in the suitcase it felt like I was on another couple week trip and would be home in the air-conditioning soon. I have decided to take one day at a time and try not to think too much ahead. I am hoping that once classes start and I get into a routine then I will settle down and relax.

Sickness
Most of you probably know that I am sick. I went to the clinic a couple days ago after having really bad diarrhea. I was at the clinic from 8:45 till 2:30. During those hours I filled out paper work, waited, had my temperature, waited, saw the doctor, waited, had tests done, waited, got the results from my tests, waited, and saw the doctor again. Overall I was impressed with the clinic and the doctors. It turns out that I have a bacterial infection. I am doing much better now doing much better now that I am on medication.

Welcome to Ghana

Day 1:

1.     Landing in Accra

2.     Being charged money for something that should not be paid for.

3.     Heat rash (It’s just as hot as I thought it would be)

4.     Good food

5.     Broken fan

The Flight was uneventful.  Some how I lucked out and didn’t have anyone sit next to me on both flights.  But that didn’t help me sleep, I only got about 3 hours.  After 21 hours worth of travel I finally arrived in Ghana.  We were picked up by someone from the university and taken to our hostel.  A group of us decided to drop our stuff off and walk around.  We ended up walking all the way to the library and bookstore (This entailed a longer walk than expected).   All I did the rest of the day was eat and rest.  For the most part a good first day.  But then I got to my room and the fan didn’t turn on.  I wanted to cry.  Luckily I was so tired that it didn’t matter. 

ISEP has had us very busy with orientation and tours. Today we took a tour of the campus and it is HUGE.  I guess it would have to be with 22,000 students.  I am defiantly going to get a work out when I go to class.   I am going to try and update this blog about once a week…so keep a look out for my next post.  

P.S. Facebook me if you want to know more about anything or have any questions about anything.

Temperature Change

I have put off starting this blog as long as possible. This is for several reasons: I don't know what to write about since I am still at home and the fact that I do not enjoy writing, especially when other people will be reading it. However I know some people will enjoy hearing about my trip and how God is working in my life so I am going to power through these issues and try out the world of blogging.

Since I have been home I have been enjoying the nice cold weather, which has produced 3 snows. One of which happened to day. As I write this I am sitting by the fire having just accomplished reading The Lord Of The Rings. Looking online I find that the day I arrive in Ghana the realfeel is 93 degrees.....Yep 93 degrees and no air-conditioning. Now for some people this would be a welcome change from the snowy weather but I do not like the heat. In fact, I despise it. So I'm sure your now saying but Hannah, what did you expect in Africa. Well I was expecting heat but it was not until now, that what that truly means hit me. It is the change in temperature that scares me. If I was going from a hot Georgia summer to a hotter Ghana summer I would not be as concerned. In many ways this temperature change mirrors many other changes I am going through in my life. I recently went to passion (a Christian college conference in Atlanta) and realized that sometimes God calls us to make drastic changes in our lives. It will be uncomfortable just as going from 30 degree weather to 90 degree weather will be, but that sense of discomfort should not stop us but propel us. There are several reasons that I am going to Ghana and they all revolve around this concept. I want to push myself beyond the limits I think I have and fully embrace where God is leading me. I currently see myself as a Saul. He never could have imagined or accepted that God could use in such an awesome way. God changed EVERYTHING about him even his name. If God can do mighty work through a killer of Christians then surely he can do awesome works in those that love him. But it all depends on our willingness to change and accept God’s plan. The first big step from 30 to 90 must be taken.

"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have."

Philippians 1:29-30