OCBP

This most recent school year I got involved with a Christian group on campus called Liberti.  Through Liberti God gave me so many amazing friends, and  now am truly content with being at IUP for the next few years.  I have found a purpose, so to speak, with still being in Indiana by being involved with Liberti.  It is a group that has seen incredible growth in this past year alone, and we are only expecting it to continue growing at this pace.  In one of the meetings during this spring semester, our staff leader Ivan made an announcement about a program called the Ocean City Beach Project and I immediately felt my heart start to race a little bit.  So that night, I went home and looked up more information concerning the project.  The Ocean City Beach Project, or OCBP for short, is a CCO run program to train college students to become better leaders so that they are able to take those skills and leave a more significant impact on their campus.  Liberti is also a CCO organization.  CCO stands for Coalition for Christian Outreach, and they have partnered with Graystone Presbyterian Church in Indiana to reach the IUP community.  The CCO is a Pittsburgh based organization that places adult leaders at campuses throughout the north east, it also puts together the Jubilee conference as well as other conferences and summer programs all for college students. Anyways, I applied for OCBP, went through the interview process, and received my acceptance a few weeks later and now I am here!  I have accepted a leadership position at Liberti starting this year, and so this leadership development opportunity I have this summer has come at the perfect time!


As many of you know, last summer I spent a month in what I now consider to be my African home of Ghana.  During that time I wished to keep a blog, but due to the internet (or lack of internet) situation I was unable to do that.  Now being at OCBP I have wanted to keep a blog, but my schedule is so hectic that even keeping in contact with my immediate family is difficult!   This is a general layout of my weekly schedule:

• Every day, besides Saturday, we eat dinner together at 5:30.
• Monday there is House Worship 7-8 pm, and then Bible Study from 8-9 pm with our cook/clean team. 
• Tuesday we have class from  7-10 pm and the topic varies per week.  Each week there is a different speaker that has a specific focus.  
• Wednesday is an Optional Activity day after dinner.  Some weeks we have had support raising, game night, mandatory outside time, or a class led by our speaker of the week.
• Thursday is another 7-10 pm class night led by the speaker. My cook/clean/Bible Study team cooks for the house on Thursdays too.
• Friday, after dinner, my cook/clean/Bible Study team cleans up after dinner and then there is house clean. up.  
• Saturday is a free day, but I work around 10-13 hours so it doesn't feel like much of a free day to me!
• Sunday we all attend church together and then have a mandatory Sabath day of rest.  The house comes back together at 5:30 for dinner, we also have a house meeting and a Gospel in Life group which focuses on a series that Tim Keller has put together.
• During the week I also meet in a triad with one other female student and staff member where we go through A Gospel Centered Life together.  

 

There is so much more I could tell you, but this is already long enough!  I am still support raising, I have $1,170 left to raise to be fully supported.  Your prayers are greatly appreciated, and if you feel led to support me financially you can find donation information at  http://www.ccojubilee.org/donate/ways-to-donate/ or contact me personally!  I can't wait to share all that God has been teaching me during this time!  Thank you everyone!

Dear World

So, I am on the internet for only the second time since I have been here.  I thought that I would have internet access where I am but it ended up that I don't!  I wanted to do a day by day update but that obviously is not going to happen just yet!  Maybe when I get home I will put up important things that happened each day but for now I will just give an overview of a usual day and such!

I wake up around 6:15 every morning, shower, then eat breakfast.  The showers are outside, I have running water which is better than I thought it would be!  They are like metal sheets that seperate two showers; the doors don't really shut the whole way so I have to put my towel up.  After breakfast, I go to my classroom and teach.  Me teaching. Funny right?  I teach English to class four, the kids are about 11 ish years old. Give or take.  At first it was definitely intimidating and they didn't listen to me.  Apparently they don't usually listen to the white people so I told them just because I am white doesn't mean that I am stupid.  They thought it was funny but it is true!  They cane the kids at school which at first was unnerving, now it is just something that happens.  It is so funny because you can't even look at a kid the wrong way in the US without getting in trouble, and here kids hit each other and get caned by their teacher.  I only stay in the classroom until lunch time, and after lunch I clean my room, wash my clothes, or just enjoy a couple minutes of somewhat quiet time.  My first hand-washing clothes experience did not go so well... I had to wash them again.  Some of the kids thought it was really funny and the all said "Here in Ghana we don't use washing machines, we use our hands. Maybe you can teach people that when you get home."  School goes until eh, 3:30 ish. And then the kids are just everywhere.  The other volunteers that are with me usually are all together and so we really just try and keep order!  I get to play with the kids a lot, but my favorite time comes after dinner.  7:30 is prep time.  I am the only volunteer that goes and helps the kids with their homework and I love it! 
The way the kids learn isn't like in the US- they don't think for themselves.  If you asked them why 1/10=10% they couldn't tell you why.  They just memorize. One of the strangest things is how the kids use the bathroom during the day. They just go in the yard.  It was gross at first but now it is just how things work. 
The town that I live in, Ofaakor, is a great place.  There are a bunch of sellers and a tro-tro station right by the school.  A lady has a fruit stand and I get pineapple from her like, every night. So good.
Bathrooms.  Okay so this was a sore spot for me at first.  It is a toilet, but over a hole in the ground.  So there are SO many bugs (spiders- huge ones, flies, ants) and geckos.  It used to take me like two minutes just to walk into the bathroom but now I don't even look.  I am getting used to it! 
There have been some extremley frustrating times but I love it.  The kids are great, it is so sad to think that their parents don't get to enjoy them.

More will be coming as soon as I can but that is an update!!!
OH and I can see Royal Seed, the orphanage where the Rummel's adopted son is!!! I plan to see him a couple more times before I leave! He is literally a two minute walk away from me. So stinking cool.  Love you all, I miss you!

Blogging, Blogging, Blogging!

So I must apologize for being pretty horrible about posting in my blog!  Between my two jobs, packing, completing my nursing requirements for next year, and studying for finals, I've had little time to sit down and write something!  I don't have all that much time-6 minutes actually- but I want to let everyone know that I found out my placement today!!! I woke up with an email with that information and I am so excited! Sadly enough, my computer skills cannot find a way to copy-and-paste the letter yet; so I will try when I get home!  On Facebook IVHQ Ghana has a page-https://www.facebook.com/#!/IVHQ.Ghana
Click on their photos and view the Red Program page-That's where I will be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woo!!

Oh and by the way. I leave in 4 days, 5 hours, 52 minutes and 20 seconds.

Much Love!

Quick Update

I should be studying my Geography of the Non-Western World notes right now and reviewing Russia and the caucus region, along with east and western Asia... but I had a lot happen over the past couple of days!  Last Thursday I officially booked my flight and then this Sunday I paid my program fee, which covers food, housing, and a bunch of other things for my stay in Ghana!  I am so excited, my bank account is down over $2,000... but it is all done!  I will be sending away my visa application this Thursday, after I get my yellow fever shot!  Everything is coming along very well!

23 days till I leave!!!!!



Commonplace

It appears that I get the most work done at this time during the week.  I spend about three hours at the Commonplace every Tuesday morning/early afternoon and I get so much work done!  I think it is just because I can focus without distractions.  Well today I checked my fundraising campaign web site and I saw that I had a donation from an individual that I did not know.  Not being the most emotionally individual, I was surprised when I found myself starting to tear up! I can't believe that someone who doesn't know me would support me in this, it meant so much to me!  There is so much going on and I can wonder if I will raise the funds I need to; this reminded me of why I am going and that God has a plan for me in Ghana.  I am SO thankful for everyone's supprt, I know I saw that a lot but I don't think I can say it enough!  Today be reminded how God loves you and takes care of our every need- super small, medium, and huge issues!  Every single one is important to Him- isn't that so awesome to think about?  Oh my gosh, so I just read my daily Bible verse that is on my phone (an app) and today's verse is
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart..." This is found in Psalm 37:4, it continues on to say
"Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of yoru load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in  Him and He will bring it to pass. 6 And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday. 7 Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him..."

With that, have a great day everyone!  God bless!

Fundraiser

As some of you may have seen in your inbox, I created a web site to help me raise the funds necessary.  This is a cool way to reach a lot of people and it also makes it convenient- you can use a Debit/Credit Card or a PayPal account!  The web is the best way to reach people now-a-days!  The web site is http://www.indiegogo.com/liztoafrica?c=home&a=524618 

Your generous support and prayers are very much appreciated!

33 Days

This past week was so busy!  Sorry for my lack of posts!  This upcoming week is HUGE for me, I will be applying for my visa which requires me to have my Yellow Fever Vaccination as well as flights booked!  Needless to say I will be busy!  This morning I gave a very quick announcement in church concerning my trip which was cool.  I am glad that I am able to share this experience with the people who are important in my life.  The support of you all is invaluable.  I am leaving either May 12 or 13, making the official countdown 33 days.... unreal!  I will be sure to post updates more frequently to keep this on your mind!  Thank you!
Have a wonderful Easter Sunday and remember what Jesus did for us on this day!