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| Hola a todos!
I know, they don't speak Spanish here, but I'm teaching them, so soon they will :)
All is going better than I could have imagined when I was making my
plans to come here. I really had no idea what I was getting into, but
don't worry, the reality is better than what I would have pictured.
The average day starts with getting up between 4:30 and 5 am to do
work duty (this week I'm cleaning the bathrooms, so it's the earlier
time), followed by breakfast, then an hour of quiet time. After that we
have various activities depending on the day, then classes for a few
hours with a break for lunch in between. After our afternoon session of
classes we have a siesta (yes they call it a siesta and no I didn't
teach them...they also say fiesta, so Spanish is present)followed by
more work duty. Evenings involve different activities such as Study
time, intercession and an occasional movie. Then through the night, we
students take turns doing hour-long "Prayer Walk", the ladies always go
from 9-10pm, but the guys rotate their times. Saturdays are mostly
free except for the "Keep Fit"--jogging and then some other exercise
followed by either Volleyball or Soccer--at 5:30am. Don't worry, I
have yet to pass out from all the physical activity  although I did
trip on a rock while running a couple weeks ago--no major damage to
report, it was just a flesh wound. Sundays we go to Church in the
morning, then have an evening service at the base, but other than that
we're basically free to relax most of the day.
Obviously it's a busy schedule, but I'm loving it. The classes are
great and I'm really learning alot about God, and ultimately that's
what it's all about, isn't it? I've been going to church with one of
the school staff and last week we went to the Youth Church instead of
the adult church, it was a great time. No, it isn't a Presbyterian
Church for those of my fellow presbys who may be reading this, but
you'll be happy to hear that I did go to a presbyterian church a couple
of weeks ago. You won't be happy to hear that it was mostly in local
dialects, so I didn't understand about 95% of the service :)
The food is wonderful, I know you'd all be jealous if you had any
idea how good most of it tastes, but you don't so...yeah. I've heard
rumors of cheeseburgers and pizza somewhere in town, but have yet to
find them.
There is a Nigerian attending the School of Worship with YWAM (on the base with our school) whose brother lives in Ann Arbor of all places, and he has other family around Detroit...it's pretty crazy...
I'm out of time, or I would write more...please pass this on to anyone not on the list.
GOD Bless!
~Rachel Smallish~ | | |
| Major changes in this page (for a while) we will be following the mission journal of Rockysmalls
(my daughter Rachel)
as she works for YWAM in Ghana for the next 5 months + + + + + + + + + Akwaaba! Welcome to Ghana!
I arrived safe and sound in Accra on Saturday night (here, around 4pm at home). The flights to and from London were uneventful for the most part. In Heathrow I saw Keanu Reeves! He is a scruffy-looking man in person
On the plane to Accra I sat next to a man from Finland who informed me about his country throughout the flight, and he also let me know that Finnish people and Russians do not get along and that is why so many young Finns like American culture.
The program is just getting started and we are in our orientation week right now. There are supposed to be around 30 students total, although not all of them have arrived yet. The students are mostly from West Africa (Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana so far), although my roommate is from Switzerland (the french part) and so far the only other white person ( we're called Obruni  ) in the school. The days consist of waking up around 6:15 (1:15am EST!) and doing work duty, followed by breakfast and then orientation meetings, lunch, more orientation, rest, dinner, study time, free time and then sleep. This schedule is pretty loose right now and will get harder next week and I'll give more of an idea of a typical day later.
The conditions are pretty good, electricity (usually), running water (sometimes)-- all the comforts of home  I will say that it is very hot, especially at night, which is taking some getting used to, or maybe it's all the mosquito netting that is different. They tell me that right now we are in the middle of the "Hamattan"--a season when it is very dry, and not too hot.
We went to church in a local church this Sunday and it was very different than church at home, louder and more energetic! We sang a lot and people danced and it was really cool to get to experience something different than the way we do things at home.
Monday afternoon we went to the market to get a couple of things that we needed...Quite the experience. I got a SIM card that I thought I needed for my phone for only 65,000 Cedis (about $7). I felt very funny carrying around a huge wad of bills when I hadn't changed that much money!
Things are going well over all, although there are some things that will take some getting used to.
I appreciate all your prayers and support--please pray that I will get over homesickness, I'm already struggling with it and have only been here 5 days!
More later!
~Rachel the postings here are being relayed for Rachel/Rockysmalls while she's in Ghana: ...a few days later... Hye everyone! I hope all is well there, I am having a great time, although I've only taken about 3 pictures .Today we went jogging for an hour, and I didn't die! I continue to wash all my clothes, (by hand), although the other girls in the school are helping me so that it doesn't take me three hours. They actually said that I'm scrubbing too hard, and I shouldn't scrub so much. Classes are good, we've only had them this past week because last week was orientation week. But the speaker talked about prayer, integrity and inferiority complexes. I'm getting up at quarter to five every morning, going to bed at 10 o'clock and keeping very busy in between. Making lots of friends here, but I'm still one of only two Obruni (white people) , everyone else is from West Africa. more later....love, Rachel | | |
| MERRY CHRISTMAS!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!!This is not a post! (sort of) This is an invitation to enjoy yourselves...
I've modified my Christmas Music player, found on the left side of my site,
so that it will shuffle play continually.
I've also added a number of new, less familiar songs, including some in Spanish & Gaelic,
as well as others from the Caribbean, Cameroon & South Africa...
more will follow.
Please feel free to use this to play Christmas music while you're
stressing, unstressing, online shopping,
in-home baking or wrapping or protesting the rank commercialism of this time.
My wish is that it will soothe, spark, and enliven your spirit
as you do whatever it is you do each day. love to all...jim | | |
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OK, A couple of newflashes here.
First, my musicplayer is (for now) located at the bottom
of my page, but it works the same as always. Second, I finally figured out how to post a slideshow of some
pics from my Mexico trip(s), but it didn't work when I tried to embed it in my post,
so it's to the left (where the musicplayer was). 
What artistry is in God's hand,
 How rich His colors flow!
His palette spills across the land, 
and sets our lives aglow.
©james a. smallish 10/28/2006 | | |
| His Yoke
Oh gentle Savior give to me
That yoke you promised;
light and free.
Trust me with your load of care
for others, Lord;
Help me to share
their pains
in mercy;
be their brace -
to bear their burdens, Lord
With grace.
And as you give Your heart to me -
open eyes, help others see
It’s You, in love, who bears MY pain
-with You in me e’en loss is gain.
And be my way as dim as night
Your yoke is sweet;
Your burden light.
Oh, open eyes that all might see
It’s You, my God
Who carries me.
© copyright James A Smallish 2006
Take my yoke upon you ... my yoke is easy and my burden is light." from Mt 11:29,30
Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
...I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 | | |
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