Return to the US

Hello everyone! Sorry there has not been an update in a while... I've been a bit busy. Today we are going to Amsterdam:) and then on Monday, the 21st, I'll be back in the States. My flight comes into GR at 9:01 pm for those interested in coming to the airport.

I promise to give an update on my travels once I return to the US.
Until then,
I love you all and may God bless you in all you do!
Christina

Big changes!

Hello!!

My time in Ghana has ended. I admit, I am so incredibly sad. Leaving the village on Thursday was probably one of the hardest moments of my life and a memory I will never forget. Being in Ghana was the happiest time of my life and I wouldn't have changed anything about it, except for the fact that I wish it was longer. BUT, from talking with Mr. Ofie (the principal at my school) I may return in August!!

Friday was a day of goodbye again as I left my group in Amsterdam. While I was incredibly sad, I knew that I was going to see Victoria in a few hours. I borded the train and took a 3 hour ride to her. It was totally a scene from the movies when I got off the platform, we ran into each others arms! We ended up having to lug all of my luggage to her house because the busses were on strike. After an amazing lunch at McDonald's, we went shopping around Maastrict! It was so fun and nice to just hang out with my sister, shop, and see her city. I have really missed her. After shopping, I took a shower... with hot water and actual pressure!!! It felt amazing. Matt came home, and then we went out to a chinese dinner. It was pretty good. After that, we all just hung out and talked. I love it here.

Yesterday was my graduation day, and I spent it in Germany!!!! We went to Achen where they have a giant Christmas market. We talked around the market and then met up with Victoria and Matt's four friends from school. We all walked in the market, ate food and drank gluwijn (pronounced glue) wine which is a hot spiced wine. It tasted good. I admit, I was freezing and am pretty much cold all of the time. I'm not use to the weather here! At about 3:30 here, 9:30 Michigan time, I celebrated my graduation, in the middle of the Christmas market! It was fun, and I will never forget it!

Today, we went to the Christmas market in Maastrict. We went on the big ferris wheel, and I saw a lot of the city. I also purchased boots, a hat, and some scarves so I'm not so cold now. We then went to their church which was a lot of fun. Life is so different here, but I love the culture. This week will bring more adventures, and I'll keep you updated!!

God bless you all. Peace and love,

Christina

My last few days in Ghana

Wow... I cannot believe that my time here is coming to an end. I am sorry that it has been so long since my last post, but we have not had internet in the village, and there was one day we had no power!!!

Warning... THIS IS LONG!

Here is a quick (not really quick) update:
Wed. - Last day of exams at SOS -HGIC
Thursday- We woke up at 3:45 AM to leave by 4 AM to travel to Mole National Park. It was about a 16 hour car ride because our driver got us lost. One of the best memories of this day was when we were lost and driving around the jungle of Africa, all of us started to sing Christmas carols. It put me in such a better mood and everyone seemed happier. On a sad note, we learned that if we would have made it on time, an elephant would have been right next to the place where we were staying. Many of us were saddened by this, but we had hope that we would see one the next day.
Friday- We woke up for our 7 am Safari! We loaded into a Jeep and began to drive around the park. It was a VERY bumpy ride, but we are used to that by now ;)
We were lucky enough to see bush buck, water buck, baboon, warthog, Patas monkey, and cob. We were able to see whole herds of the bucks and cobs and we learned a lot about them. They are such beautiful creatures and they can jump extremely high! Oh another highlight... Nicole and I found a baby alligator in our toilet!
After our 2 hour Safari, we laid out by the pool. This place was amazing. We were laying by the pool, looking out over the jungle of Africa, seeing various animals. It was obvious that God was present. After lunch, most people napped, but I decided to read. Then, at 3:30, we went on our walking Safari. We tried to track an elephant, but were unsuccessful. It was still quite an adventure. Also, we were able to see a baby warthog who was only one day old! After dinner, we sat around and played cards and watched the World Cup draw.
Saturday - We slept in a bit and then left Mole for Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana. About 20 minutes after leaving, I realized I had forgotten my I-pod! Everyone agreed that it was ok to turn around. Thankfully, it was waiting for me! We arrived in Kumasi at about 4:30 and went straight to the cultural center to do some shopping. This center was set up like a mall with various shops instead of like a market. Also, there really wasn't any bartering, so most of us did not buy very much. We then traveled to Kumasi University where we were staying the night. This guest house was one of the most beautiful hotels I've ever seen! We arrived and freshened up for dinner. I took a shower for the first time since Wednesday because we had not water in Mole! It felt SOO nice to shower! At dinner, we all ate WAY too much, but it was So good. We had Kelewele (cut up fried plantains). I then chatted with Dr. Magarry about his life while he finished his coffee. It was a very good conversation. Then, some of use went to me and Nicole's room and we watched a movie. It was pretty funny, but only Adam and I were able to stay awake!
Sunday - We had a yummy breakfast and then headed to Accra. Here, we went to the cultural center to finish our shopping. I purchased the last of my gifts and then just walked around. I met a group of shop keepers, and I sat down and chatted with them. They asked about snow, Michigan, and they asked about my dating life. They were shocked I told them I was single and asked me if I would date a black man. I said I would. I also told them that I was happy being single and they thought that was interesting. It was an awesome conversation and I'm so glad I had that opportunity. They told me they liked me because I talked to them and treated them with respect. We finally arrived him to find dinner was going to be late, but it was worth the wait! We then divided all the supplies we had brought over to give to the 13 houses of the village. It was a fun night. Just after I finished showering, the power went out.
Monday - We woke up... VERY HOT! A whole night without a fan was tough! We still had no power. School was fun because I was able to teach classes! It was my last day with 2 classes, and many of them told me they were sad I was leaving. I also invited some students from a visiting school to my class. They were visiting from St. Claire's International School in Oxford. It was fun to have different students in my class. I wrote my name on the board and one of the boys jumped up and said, "Your surname is Orefice?! You are Italiano?!" It was cute!
Tuesday - School was great again... And we had power! I had some of St. Claire's students ask me if they could come to my class. I ended up doing a interview activity with them and my students. It was great to see barriers being broken and questions being answered. My students later told me they had made new friends and were very glad they did this activity. After school, we had our going away party with our teachers. It was a good time. We then went around to each house in the village and sang Christmas carols and gave them their supply boxes. It was so much fun to see the kid's faces.
Wed (today) - Is my last day at SOS - HGIC. I cannot believe I am finished student teaching today and that I will be a college graduate in just a few days!!

Words cannot describe how amazing this trip has been. I hope that God continues to bless you all.
This will probably be my last post until I get to the Netherlands, so I wish you all well.
Peace and love from the bottom of my heart,
Christina

I'm in love!!

It is official... I am in love with Ghana! :) Last night, I Francisca did my hair! It was awesome because I was able to have a one on one conversation with her for about 1.5 hours! She asked me a lot of questions about the US, and told me she wanted to be adopted. Of course, I would totally take her home with me! She has a twin brother, Francis, who I also love, so I'll take them both!! (PS. There are 13 pairs of twins in the village and 3 sets of tripelts!)

Here are some pictures of her doing my hair.
In return, I gave her my WWJD bracelet because she told me she liked it the first day I was here.
I have not taken that bracelet off in so long, but it made me realize that holding onto material things is stupid and that something so small could mean so much to someone. I also think I'm going to give her a few of my shirts, because honestly, I have way to much stuff as it is!