Counting Blessings

Monday began with the usual "Morning Devotion" and the most beautiful Psalm sung in Dagaare. Since I am unable to join in.....yet......I stood there listening and counting my blessing. There were so many I needed much longer than the length of this haunting song.

It was quite idyllic really, sitting in the shade under the trees with just a nice breeze to cool us. Four birds the size of starlings with iridescent blue wings landed in the branches nearby and a tiny insect was digging itself a hole in the sand by my feet. As it threw the sand clear of the centre a perfectly miniature crater was formed. As we tried to concentrate on the bible reading the smallest kid came bleating frantically into the circle of chairs. One of the officers picked it up and carried it across the clearing to its mother who had not yet missed the tiny goat. Most of the people in our office are farmers in the evenings and weekends. The wildlife here is a huge part of everybody's life and that affects their priorities and values.

The daily "Greetings" are always warm and genuinely shared. There are more on Mondays as everyone is there, before they take off to their far flung locality schools for the rest of the week. Some of these people are good friends now and show considerable concern for my welfare. They are kind people who live through the firm beliefs of their various religions.

Now that I have settled into the food, climate and life change, I have never felt quite so healthy in so many ways. (That's tempting fate!) I don't really want for anything that I need and have realised I don't actually need much of anything! Some things I would have regarded as necessities 4 months ago are now luxuries or completely unnecessary.

Michael and I head out to schools again on Wednesday. (I now have a list of heads & schools who need my support.) I shall get to teach Kindergarten pupils and teachers, and take some photos so that I can show you a privileged school in these parts.

I have had exactly 4 months in Ghana today. Despite the odd wobble, some evenings of boredom and periods of professional frustration, life is good. I like it here. It suits me. I know that coming here was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I am very blessed both here and at home, not least because so many of you are interested enough to follow my experiences and that gives me huge amounts of pleasure. Thank you for being some of my many blessings!