Papa & Nana: WE ARE IN GHANA!!!

WOW! We are actually in Ghana! Every day I look around me and am amazed that we are having this experience! Why are we so fortunate! It's so fun!

We are here as volunteers to implement a Ghana E-Center organized to help grow the economy and create jobs. Our first project is the Golden Sunbeam School.

You can read about this HERE http://growingghana.blogspot.com. In our personal blog I will post our more personal impressions and experiences...the fun things about living in Ghana!

Our Family Gathered to Say "Goodbye" to one another
Though it's hard to leave them we realize that summer is
a time that everyone is going a different direction.

Then we were off the the airport, LOTS of luggage in hand!

We each took two large suitcases and a carry-on bag besides a personal item. All were packed to the hilt and thankfully, barely made the weight restrictions.

Those airport carts sure come in handy when you are traveling internationally.

One suitcase was packed with food items and emergency supplies. We have LOVED having the food items and had no need for the emergency supplies...not yet anyway.

We feel safe and comfortable...just learning new ways of living! Sometimes by making mistakes!

Our first stop was New York. These students were headed for Ghana to work in the orphanages and other charitable institutions. They were meeting each other for the first time, coming from all over the United States. I asked one of the students why she was going. She said that she had done a report on Africa and was so fascinated by it that she was determined to go. She had looked on the internet and found the organization. At the airport when they asked to speak to their leader, they said they had no leader.

Many people are doing good in their own way!

All the time we were talking about going to Ghana, I was never very sure it would happened. It seemed like some kind of a dream. It still does! Who ever thinks they will have such an adventure! Especially at this time of life.

For those of you who are raising children, there's still a lot of life to live once that job is done. Hang in there and enjoy the journey. We are determined to do the same

Our sweet Lucy gave us this
great "Goodbye" card.

After a night of travel, a few attempts at finding a good airplane movie and very little sleep, we finally got our first view of Ghana, Africa. Wow! are we REALLY here?

In the airport in New York we had our first taste of the Ghanaian people as we shared the plane with several who were returning home. Some were in traditional dress and some in Americanized dress. We see the same on the streets every day....a real mixture. I especially love seeing the men in their traditional dress.

We walked right off the plane on to

African land! This was our last view of our contact with the U.S.

The anticipation was thrilling!

As we entered the airport there was a large mural on the wall. I didn't get a very good picture because Bob was hurrying to get through customs.

He's learning to pause a minute for a picture or two.

Going through customs was never a problem. Even in the U.S. no one even checked our carry-on luggage but just waved us through.

I'm not quite sure why but somehow we must have just looked honest...

maybe it was that lost look in our eyes!

Right off the bat, we were greeted by people from home! Todd & Cassie Thompson from Nevada had traveled on the same plane to visit her parents who are here serving a mission. Todd struck up a conversation and introduced himself when he saw the BYU Idaho logo on our luggage.

It seemed the luggage had been delivered and the belt was empty, but we were still missing the one large bag with all of my clothes. I quickly thought through managing ok with what I had in my carry on if needed, then along came a lonely bag -

IT WAS MINE!

The Lord is looking out for us. I have no doubt!