Last week...

Last week I wanted to tell you this....

Ever wish for a peaceful Saturday morning? Children sleeping, coffee ready, a mess being ignored.
I've got a peaceful start today.

I can hear some industrious workers beating the heat, pounding away with their hammers, the squawk & crow of chickens & the occasional greetings shouted out between neighbors.
I've been welcomed back by our most persistent neighbor girls,Abigail & Naomi & their cousins Nana Yaw & Nana Kofi. Hugs & conversation sent them on their way, all dressed up to go visit family.
Some days peace is internal but today my still furlough exhausted, jet-lagged children are snoozing. The power is off, the sun is shining & the breeze is blowing. Never mind I can't do the first things on my list. haircuts & re-organizing the freezer require electricity. Instead I'll begin to debug the pantry , the closets. & my tomato/flower bed.

And this....

 ( Not the best travel picture. But, hey, did you really want to see my tired face instead of this sweet little guy using every airline freebie at once? Yup, the whole way to the eye shield, ear plugs, socks & lip balm. )

I should back up a few days & say It's good to be home to house #5 in Pokuase. God (& my vigilant husband) guided us through customs lines, lost tempers & meal carts blocking the path of a certain small girl who urgently needed the toilet. Honestly, although I can't say travel is invigorating, 4 & 6 year olds do really well. Airline freebie socks, funny meals (Turkish airline) with really good desserts, & apple juice got us through. We flew from JFK to Istanbul to Accra, spending 18 hours in the air & enduring 3 time zones.

But this...

     Bugs that invaded our closets. Thankfully, the pantry was mostly lizard droppings, flour bugs & spiders. Not to mention plain ol' dirt.

...And this...Got in the way!

   

The power has been off part of every day. Heat exhaustion, the difficulty keeping things cold for my sweaty family, only so much time on the laptop battery, & managing tasks quick before the power goes off has kept me busy mentally & physically adjusting.
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This week holds the official start of school for my second grader & pre-schoolers. Pencil boxes & new books for all.
 We plan to begin the year with a thankful tree.
We are thankful. Thankful for noise, thankful for quiet, thankful for going & thankful for coming. Yep, in Ghanaian English we have gone & come.

My week also holds meal prep for our American evangelism team coming next week. I've got the bananas, now to turn them into bread. Team hosting is so much for than baking. My husband has been tweaking the schedule, confirming details & sorting out all manner of things with our director Ron Bontrager. They are committed to fasting & praying over many things related to this trip. There is a very real attack of Satan on everyone's mental & physical health as we prepare to minister in towns that strongly live out idol worship & juju practices.

I will post a link to the mission website with trip pictures & articles at the end of November.