Where have I been???

Well, it has been a crazy few weeks!
For those of you who don't know what is going on (at this point, I'm not sure who knows what!), I'll give you the rundown.
I started having some health problems about two weeks ago. The doctor I needed to see only comes to the clinic we use on Tuesdays. I'm sure that doesn't make sense to everybody, but that is how it is here. Not enough health care workers. Anyways, on Tuesday of last week John and I headed to the clinic. When we got there, we found out the doctor had traveled for a few weeks. After talking to the doctor and doing some praying, we decided it would be best ot head for Accra (the capital). We left at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. We were able to get to my doctor there, and the line wasn't too bad!
Side note -- doctor visits don't work by appointments here. It is first come, first served!
He checked everything out, put me on two different antibiotics, two pain killers, and two vitamins. He then told me to visit the doctor here in Kumasi for the follow-up.
So today we headed back to the doctor in Kumasi. He was back from his trip and able to talk through everything with me.
The verdict -- I have to have outpatient surgery on Saturday morning. I will be put under for a short while. After I wake up and everything checks out okay, I will get to go home. A few days after that all should be well. The really good thing is that I was told that this procedure should make sure that this problem does not return.
So there you have it!
Thanks so much for the kind notes and well wishes I've already received. Please continue to pray for the doctor, the procedure, and my husband and family at this time!

Candy

Candy.
Who doesn't love it?!?

When first moving to the mission field I thought about a lot of things. Candy wasn't one of them.
After my first visit to the "grocery store", though, I started thinking about candy. A lot. About the fact that all the candy I had grown up with was nowhere to be seen. That they sold strange candy in Ghana. Flavored like ginger, menthol, or black licorice. Nothing fruity like Starburst or Skittles. Nothing minty like York or Andes. Nothing like Hershey's Kisses or Skor bars.
Am I making you hungry yet?
What was wrong with this place? Where was the good stuff!?! Then one day I saw a familiar package -- a Snickers bar!!!
John and I spent way too much money to buy the coveted delicacy, but alas, it was not a Snickers bar! Not really!!! It was from Englad, and in England their chocolate doesn't taste like American chocolate. It tastes like.....British chocolate, I guess. Not very nice. I was so disappointed.
After a while, we got used to eating very few sweets. Unlike Americans, Ghanaians have very little sugar in their diets.
Then one day, I found out about one of their little secrets......Anlo tofe (pronounced on-ra toe-fay). WoW!!!!! I'd been missing out!
It's really quite simple -- cooked sweetened condensed milk rolled with a little butter -- but it is delicious!







As easy as that!
Now that I've been on the field awhile, I don't think about American sweets much anymore. Oh, they are good, no doubt, but my fancy seems to run more to fresh Anlo tofe. And I know right where I can get some!

Blessings

I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman. Don't we all?!?
But, to do that, sometimes we have to choose to do what needs to be done over what wants to be done.
Case in point: Proverbs 31:27 -- She looketh well to the ways of her household...
That is my challenge today. I'd like to be blogging, but today I have some other responsibilities calling....

I hope to be here next week!

Signs of the Seasons?

One interesting thing about where we live is our seasons. Or should I say, seeming lack thereof?
If you've ever looked at Ghana on a map or globe (do you know where Ghana is? :)), you will see that we are located just north of the equator. I think we are roughly located at 4 or 5 degrees north of the line. Technically we are located in the Northern Hemisphere, so our seasons aren't backwards like those living in the Southern Hemisphere. But, since we are located in a tropical climate, we don't have the normal four seasons, either.
We have four seasons -- rainy season, rain-at-night-dry-during-the-day season, dry season, and starting-to-rain-again season. If we are lucky, we sometimes squeeze in a fifth season mid-December to mid-January called Harmatan. Some years the winds blow from the north and bring the cold dry air from the Sahara Desert during this time. This is the only time of year I can straighten my hair! It is wonderful!!!
This is my normal 'do!

Anyways, to get back to the point, because of the times of year our rain falls, we end up having our hottest weather when most Americans have their coldest, and out coldest weather when most Americans have their hottest.
In the end, it sounds kind of like our seasons are switched, doesn't it???
Now, I told you all those wonderful scientific facts so that I could talk about food again. Hang with me, I'm getting to the point!
Coming from Michigan, I grew up enjoying four seasons (most years, anyways!). Tulips growing in the spring, berry-picking and gardening in the summer, apple-picking, pumpkin-picking, and leaves falling in the autumn, and lots of snow falling in the winter.
I used to love going strawberry and blueberry picking each summer. There is nothing as delicious as strawberry shortcake or fresh blueberry muffins! Every year on July 4th we would make a cheesecake with a strawberry and blueberry American flag on top! Nothing means summer to me more than beautiful sunshine and fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden or Farmers Market.
Fast-forward to Ghana. Berries don't grown in tropical climates. Not.one.single.kind. I was okay with that until I started seeing all the wonderful recipes and blog posts about a million things to make with strawberries and blueberries.
So now, not only is it cold and rainy in the summer (cold, as in like 75 degrees), but there aren't any berries. That made me sad. I refused to look at any recipes requiring berries, because I didn't want to think about how good they would taste. Out of sight, out of mind, right?!?
I was really irritated, too, because in January, THE grocery store got a shipment of frozen strawberries. I should have bought a bag and saved it for "summer time" so I could at least have had strawberry shortcake once!
And as for frozen blueberries, I have never seen them here. Not one time in six years.
But then, the Lord gave me a wonderful knock-up-side-the-head. Even though I was pouting, because I couldn't have strawberries or blueberries, He gave me two wonderful blessings. Nothing like a blessing to show me how much of a sinner I am!
We found these at a little shop in town:

We made strawberry muffins - mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Then if that wasn't cool enough, in the same package from my mom with the little muffin pan, was a package of blueberry muffin mix!

Wow! I needed a major attitude adjustment, and instead of a kick in the seat of the pants like I needed, He gives me strawberries and blueberries!
This all me me really start to think, though. Maybe if I would have just asked for some strawberries or blueberries, what might He have given me then?

What's for Dinner?

Ask any American (or Westerner, for that matter) what's the first thing they think of when they hear the word "Africa", and you will get some interesting answers. Jungle...lions...snakes...cannibals...hot...AIDS...disease.
When John and I first started traveling the country on deputation we were warned of many of these dangers. In fact, I had one dear sweet older lady buy me a very large butcher knife to carry in my purse, just in case. I.kid.you.not.
When John and I returned home on our first furlough, we got all kinds of questions. What was it like? Do you live in a hut? the jungle? a tree? Do you see lions on a regular basis? giraffes? snakes? spiders? scorpions?
To be fair, though, the most common question we got asked was, "What do you eat?" I'm not even going to include some of the dishes I was asked about -- and for those of you wondering, we do NOT EAT MONKEY BRAINS. I included that for those who wanted to ask, though :)
So today I thought I'd include a dish we are eating this week -- waakye. It is delicious!
The waakye itself is made from white beans, rice, spices, and red leaves. The stew for the top is made from tomatoes, oil, and ground dried shrimp and herring.

You can add any meat you like (I usually use chicken or fish), and then you add your favorite toppings. Cooked spaghetti noodles, gari (ground dried cassava), lettuce, tomatoes, and shito (our favorite condiment) can all be added.

Mix everything together and enjoy!
So now that I've told you what's for dinner at my house, what's on your menu for tonight?

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

For those of you who have never been to my house....(most of you, I think!), I do not live in a hut! I know that must be very surprising since I live in Africa :) I live in a flat. A flat is like a really big apartment -- connected to several other really big apartments. I think you get the picture. Anyways, we not only live in a flat, but we have a wall around the property and almost all the ground inside the wall is covered in cement. I don't live in a tropical jungle; I live in an urban jungle! Since I am surrounded by lots of concrete you would think my little kiddos wouldn't get very dirty when they play, but let me tell you, they have their ways!
The other afternoon the girls were playing out on the compound while I was cooking supper. After about twenty minutes I heard them coming in the door complaining that they were cold. Ummmmmmmmmm, what??? WE LIVE IN AFRICA!!!
They had managed to find a little tiny mud puddle left over from the rain the night before and had rolled in it. At least I think they rolled, because I can't figure out any other way they got sooooo dirty!!!

This puddle wasn't more than a foot square!
Well now they needed a bath before supper. That wouldn't be too difficult, except our water doesn't usually work during the day. So out to the water storage tanks we went!


We filled the buckets...

Got in the buckets...

Then started soaping up...


Some liked that part better than others!
Time for revenge, I mean time for rinsing...


All clean!

Ahhhh! Nothing like a nice relaxing bath before supper!

Out With the Old...

I'm back! and with a makeover, no less!!!
I don't know about you, but I was quite tired of my old look! And if I'm tired of it...I'm sure you are too!
I also changed my title -- from JohninGhana to Mrs JohninGhana. Why??? Well, I wanted to keep it close to all our addresses so it was easy to remember, but I wanted it to reflect the fact that it was about Ghana with a woman's point of view! People here seldom use last names, so most of the time everybody here calls me Mrs John. The addres of the blog is still the same, just a little change in titles to go along with the new look!
I'm also hoping to change the writing style up a bit. A little less reporterish, and a little more personal. On the ground. As a see it. Hopefully a little more fun to read, too!
So, out with the old and in with the new!