BACK IN BOLGA PEEPS!

Hey everyone!!!

Just a quick run-through of what's been going on!

Two of my teammates and I arrived here in Accra on the 24th of June: Sara (friend from Ghana/Grand Rapids) and Walker (just graduated high school-never been to Ghana) and I.

Ben M. (friend from Ghana/Mississippi) and his NEW FIANCE, Cheyenne (never been to Ghana/from Arkansas), picked us up at the airport. The two of them have now been here in Ghana for about a month, working and traveling with another teammate Ben S. (friend from Ghana/Mississippi). The two Bens have headed up a brand new organization called The Desk Project. Please visit the website to learn more:

thedeskproject.org

All of us have come together this summer to build desks, spend time with and to encourage the students and teachers, and to spread some love of Jesus where it might not have already been spread.

So, we arrived in Accra in the middle of Friday the 24th of June. We spent the day eating our favorite-missed foods from Ghana. Hanging out with friends we saw around town and chillin' at our favorite orphanage with children that have grown tons of inches and pounds since we've last seen them! It was wonderful few hours full of hugs and play time. :)

We did some reorganizing of bags and left the next morning on our 17 hour bus trip up to a place called Bolgatanga (http://www.michaelchuck.com/images/WP-MAP-Bolgatanga-HiLited-690w_850h.jpg). To give you some perspective, Ghana is only about the size of Oregon, but somehow it takes 17 hours to get from Accra to Bolga. Go figure...

We arrived in the early a.m. and did some sleeping. We spent the next two or three days reacquainting ourselves with the area and its people. We met some new and old friends, and fell back in love with Mama Laadi and her children. If you remember from my time here before, Mama Laadi is the owner/manager of the Mama Laadi children's home here in Bolgatanga. She is in charge of 60-some children, who are either out at a school, or under her direct care at the home. There might be 30 children staying there with her now. She is sponsored by individual families and friends, as well as an organization called Afrikids. Help comes from everywhere.

If you have any desire to donate money to Mama Laadi and her cause, please e-mail me at megbauhof@gmail.com and I can hook you up proper. Your donations would help with shots, day-to-day supplies, school fees, clothes, government papers and so much more.

After those few days, we packed up, loaded up supplies, picked up a truck, and headed outside of town to a few small villages. We started in Buugu. After spending an hour or so in the classrooms, trying to occupy the three of the five classes that were not staffed by the 2 teachers they have for this one school, we built 25 desks. Luckily, we finished before dark, and set up camp. The chief came by during the day and gave us a chicken. So while some of us were setting up dinner/settling in, Ben M. was breaking the neck/plucking the feathers/cleaning/cutting up our new friend the chicken. He was a little tough with our hard black eyed peas, but we were satisfied and of course had some granola bars on the side.

The next day we loaded up with water (have I not mentioned that the water holes are usually a big-fat-walk away from our camp?), and took off for the next village, Bingo (somehow pronounced "boing"). We built 5 desks at the next spot. We spent a bit of time in conversation with the students because no teachers had shown up for that day of work (5 classes-no teachers-are you seeing a pattern).

Because the night before was filled with scary noises, goats, and plenty children to distract us from our four hours of sleep, we took this opportunity between villages to nap. We spent about an hour under a tree with the breeze and oh how glorious is Jesus to give us those blessings. We walked to a river that we couldn't go in, but it looked real cool. The walk took about an hour and gave us a bit of a burn, but we've all got some sweet chaco-sandal tans on our feet now. MAYBE a little melanoma on the side...no big deal :-P

At the next village, Nungu, we were able to build 45 desks. 20 the first night until dark. We had some impatient rice and beans (both were a little crunchy-but both were FABULOUS), with Koolaid in our water, and dark m & m's we've been saving as dessert-DUH-LISH. 25 desks the next morning, bright and early, after a much better night of sleep (no school that Friday-holiday in Ghana, so a million students weren't surrounding and staring in our tent to wake us up at 4:30 a.m. like the last night). We sang songs, told stories, and worked hard to finish our goal. We happily headed back to Bolgatanga with hopes of a shower and a mattress. Our dreams came true!

We are now at the end of a weekend and will leave in the morning for another week spent in two different villages. In one we will be building about 20 more desks. In the other, we will be painting bright pictures on the bare walls with some English words to help further the English learning they have been doing in class. Hooray! In both villages, we have come across a single believer in each. These are the people we will hope to focus a bit of our extra attention. We are hoping to help with some encouragement and favorite scriptures, and maybe a few teaching techniques that will help to share with friends the stories that we have known since childhood. The stories we take for granted. We have all heard the story of Jesus walking on water and the feeding of the 5000. Is it astonishing that some have not yet had the privilege? How about that one where our savior dies in a miserable way, and then rises from the dead to save us all. Doesn't it suck that some haven't heard?? Doesn't it also suck that we can't tell them because we don't speak their language. We are standing right in front of them and can just smile, stick out our tongues with silly faces, and show them their photo to make them laugh. We will hope to continue bringing laughter, but our hope is to also, help these two followers to use their own languages and new found passion to share with their brothers and sisters the truth that we take for granted. Pray that we find reliable translators.

We are lovin' each other and already have a quote page that is filling up with things that have caused explosive laughter. Please if you are willing, continue in prayer for us. We would love great health, as we are a bit of a distance from clinics and hospitals. Pray for courage as we share our faith. Pray for our truck's health as mechanics are few and far between. Pray for our rest and our cooking-none of us are real awesome at it. Annndd of course anything else you would like to add to the list. :)

We all miss our families. So families, if you're reading, we all send big hugs. Thank you for your love and your belief in us, that we were able to come here. Thank you especially to all of you that donated and prayed our way here. We and our new Ghanaian friends are all so grateful for your contributions. Love you all and can't wait for the hugs when we return.

(sorry no pics...in-ta-net is toooo sloowwwww)