Maa Chi! (Good Morning!)

Got good luck again with the internet cafe! So far I'm 2 for 2. The sun isn't even out today and it's hotter than ever.. I just sweat and sweat.

I have already fallen completely head over heels in love with a few of the children- I love them all but there are a couple that honestly do not leave my side from the time I arrive until the time I leave. There's Collins, who I mentioned in the last update, and Richard- who is so shy and quiet, I didn't hear him make a sound for a few days until yesterday morning I picked him up and tickled him and he giggled like mad. Now he follows me everywhere. He doesn't really talk that much but he's missing all his front teeth so when he smiles it's so adorable. Yesterday we did some lessons with the kids, Richard stuck with me the whole time. I wrote him out some easy math problems to figure out what level he was at.. he knew how to add and subtract so I moved on to multiplying, which he didn't know how to do, but I taught him. He understands it so well and can do almost any problem I give him. It's so amazing to see how hard he is thinking and how excited he gets when he realizes the correct answer. It's such a great feeling to know that I single handedly taught a little boy something like that.

I don't really like the director of the program. His name is Johnny, and he can be very nice to us but he is always telling us how much more money they need. The landlord isn't continuing the lease on the orphanage, which is up in September, so some past volunteers bought a few plots of land so that they can build a new one for the kids... but it's a very slow process. Johnny tells us every day, more than once, how much they need for concrete and all that- we all feel pressured to pay for it, because that's pretty much what he's asking us, or telling us, to do. All of us want to help as much as we can but just coming here was so expensive and we buy the kids food and treats in the market, we just can't afford to pay for the new place to be built. A bag of cement is only 13 cedis though, so I think we're going to buy a few bags today. We still have some money being wired from past volunteers also, except we just ran out of what was left from other volunteers today. Today we went to the pharmacy and bought medication- all the kids have scabes and ringworm so we have been giving them penecillian and some creams for their skin and the rashes are clearing up fast.

It's so strange how quickly your mood changes out here. I'm laughing and playing one second, and the next I watch one of the kids do something and I could easily just cry and cry... but you can't cry because you don't want the kids to see you upset. All the volunteers went for some sodas yesterday, up the road from the orphanage, and Collins followed us there and hid behind the building while we sat and talked. I went and sat with him and split an orange soda with him and I had to hold back tears the whole time we sat together. He has the brightest eyes and the prettiest smile. I want to bring him home.

I think when I get home I'm going to do some research on how to set up school fundings- some of the older kids are about ready to go onto highschool but they need to get out of Nkwanta and they need money for tuition... if the older kids are able to do that, the younger ones will see it's possible and strive to do the same.

Bath time is the best. It's chaotic and there are kids everywhere and you get soaking wet, but it's so much fun. The other day it was pouring during bath time and all the kids were running around butt naked dancing and laughing and playing in the water. I'm taking a lot of pictures but it takes too long to upload them here so I will have to wait until I get home to put them up. The kids love to take my camera and take pictures of everything... sometimes they aren't very interesting pictures, and they don't always get any people in the shot, haha. They love seeing pictures of themselves, and I take videos of them and play it for them and they think it's the funniest thing. I taught some of the older girls how to do the Macarena and they sing it all day, it's getting obnoxious, haha. I took a deck of cards yesterday and taught the little ones how to play "go fish". It's their favorite activity now, except they don't really understand the concept of taking turns and they all look at each others cards. There's an older boy, Williams, who is about 13. I read with him yesterday out of his school book and he's pretty behind. He was struggling with a lot of the words, so today while we're in town I'm going to buy some beginning reading books and have some one on one time with him to see what kind of progress we can make.

Alright well, that was a long update! My fingers are sticking to the keyboard, it's so hot!!! I got a little sunburnt but it's not too bad, I've been loading on the sunscreen like crazy!

Hope all is well in the states and I will update again as soon as I can!