Wakwaaba

I am in Ghana, alive and well, along with Erica. Thank you for your
prayers up until this point. They have been doing us well and I really
appreciate it! It has been really great to see how God has worked out
what could have been potentially distressful situations.
One hour before I was to leave for Ghana I got an email stating the
person who was going to pick me up could no longer do so. I was
getting in at night and typically stay with friends while in Ghana's
main city, Accra, however obviously some plans had changed.
As I was on my flight over to Frankfurt I realized I was going to miss
my Ghana connection. The vision became pretty clear. I was just a few
short hours away from being one of those travelers I had just seen on
the news; stranded in Frankfurt, exhausted, sleeping on an airport
cot.
As I walked off the plane I stuffed one of their tiny pillows in my
bag, thinking I needed to get crafty, but feeling a little guilty for
doing so.
The day ended up a very tiring one. When I saw the line to rebook my
ticket the only motivation for standing in it was that it would only
grow longer the more I waited.
"Excuse me? How long have you been waiting here?" I asked a man in the middle.
"Four hours." He said blankly.
I felt a sense of doom. Where would I sleep? When would I catch my
next flight? Would I make it in time to meet Erica who was flying over
2 days after me? However God quickly reminded me what this trip was to
be about. Putting trust in him.
I joined with the others, and the next person who stood behind me
looked to be of African descent. After a few minutes we started
talking, he was from Ghana. He, his wife, and three children live in
Atlanta and were going home for the holidays to visit his family in
Accra.
Then after a few hours of standing in line we became friends. When we
finally reached the front of the line (five hours later) we went to
shake hands and say our goodbyes.
"But actually" Oko, my new friend said "where will you be staying
while you are in Ghana?"
I told him I was still figuring that out.
"No need to figure that out. You will stay at my family's house. You
are our sister now!"

When we arrived in Ghana they set me up like a queen. His family
seemed to be very rich, with a large house, nice cars, and real art on
the walls. We enjoyed a feast-like dinner with over fifteen people,
full of laughing and merriment. They hired a driver (and refused
payment) to bring me to the airport the next day to pick up Erica and
to drop us off at the bus station (to make our way up to the village
where we will be working) And then, they brought me to my room. "You
will stay in here" they said, opening the door to a nice big bed with
fresh, soft sheets and four pillows. I have never met a Ghanaian who
owns four pillows, let alone on one bed!
When I went to unpack my bag and I pulled out the tiny pillow I had
taken from Lufthansa, I didn't really feel bad for stealing- I felt
more pathetic mixed with a deep sense of gratitude and awe. I held
that pillow- and I looked at my bed- and I realize how often I do
this. I have this idea that I need to take care of myself, figure it
out, provide, make things work. But then God, the source of all
provision and creative ideas, steps in and makes everything so much
better.
When I went to sleep I asked for him to make this a trip where my
mindset was less of the little pillow mentality and more focused on
His greatness and His plans.