My Ghana Adventures: Why I am Here

This balloon was the start of the attack by kids. Tons of kids
came over, the balloon popped, they saw a popped one in my
pocket and didn't understand that it wouldn't work, and then
attached me for it.

On Monday we were at an outreach and I almost died getting attacked by kids, but hey, it's all part of the experience right? However, the best part of the day was when there was a small group of boys ages 9-14. They just observed us while we worked and so I went and talked to them. In this area everyone spoke Ga, which we didn't know any of. So I had them teach me different words and phrases. One of the little boys gave me a little bracelet that says "I love you" and then taught me how to say it in Ga. They were so cute and funny. They taught us some games and we taught them American games and we just talked to them about life for a while. Then one of the boys turned to me with a sad look on his face and pointed at the torn up grass that was mostly dirt and we had a conversation that broke my heart a little.

These fun boys were hilarious. I love them and all the
things they taught me.

Him: does America look like this?
Me: what do you mean?
Him: I heard it's nice there. Does it look like this?
Me: America is nice, but guess what? Ghana is more beautiful. There are so many pretty green trees here. I love Ghana. Ghana is so pretty.
Him: *his faced changed and he began to glow and he got really excited and said "Wow! Ghana is more pretty than like I hear America is!?"

We are so blessed to live in a land that is taken care of much More than many parts of the world. We have so many benefits and blessings that we are so unaware of.

This little girl named Ivanna came to sit with me while I worked. She just watched me silently. We played with a ball for a little bit and she sat on my lap for a while too. She was there like an hour or two with me. Well she kept wanting glasses but we couldn't give them to her. I remembered I had my sunglasses with me so I pulled them out for her to wear. Well when it was time to leave I went to take the glasses back and she cried and didn't want to give them back. So off she went with my glasses. Her family probably needed them more than me anyway and she looked way cuter in them so it's all good. I will just need to buy some new ones when I get home haha
Also, I think the camera scared her haha but she was still so cute and was not shy to come play at all!

On Tuesday I went to the Crystal Eye Clinic to watch surgeries with just two other girls from my group. It was a loooooong day. It was rough, but in the little moments that I experienced, I felt Heavenly Father help me know why I was there. In the taxi on the way to the clinic an EFY song came on the gospel station that was playing and so it really set the mood and helped me remember that God has made this all possible and that the body is exactly how it is because God made it that way. Well once we got to the clinic and were shown around and what not, we were asked to wait in the waiting room with the patients until they brought us lunch. So we started talking to those who were there. There were two little 9 yer old girls there with their moms. Their names are Hanna and Emmanuella(Emma for short). We played with them and colored with them. We gave them candy and just helped them feel really comfortable around us. Well we went and ate and I didn't think anything of it.

Later on after examining some surgeries, Hanna came in. Because of how the medicine was affecting her, she fought the anesthesia so much that three people had to hold her down. (The young kids receive the anesthesia but adults rarely do). It was so sad. After her surgery was finished, in walked little Emma. Now she looks like she is 6 and is so adorable. She laid on the bed and when she looked over and saw us standing right next to her bed, she smiled for a second and waved at us and we waved back. I feel like she really needed to see a familiar face in there because she was scared. Since everyone has a mask and scrubs on, it's hard to tell who is who, but seeing white people was different so she knew it was us. Well Emma had surgery on both eyes. So she didn't get to see us after that. But we sent both girls home with candy and balls to play with once they recovered. We got to say goodbye to their families before we left as well. It was a neat experience for me to have that made me so sad for those little girls, but also so grateful for the ability for them to receive treatment. I'm grateful that this program (unite for sight) was able to pay for her surgery so that she can see again and so that the rest of her life won't be as hard. Thanks to the donations from many of you, people like Emma and Hanna are going to be able to do normal things now because their eyes were treated on successfully and price didn't stop them.
I love seeing so many miracles everyday. Watching the eye surgeries and learning how incredible the eye is is definitely sometime I will never forget. Even when days are long and hot and it would be easier to be at home, I know that I need to be here right now and that this is an experience I have dream of for so long and now it has come true. I love the feelings that come everyday as we help others have hope again.