News from Sista Becky!

We had a great day at Luckyhill today! The kids got Polio Vaccinations! I've been trying for two years now to get vaccinations for all of the Luckyhill children. Becky came on board a year ago, and FINALLY the hard work has paid off. I was working with WHO (World Health Organization) but it was Rotary International who came through!

From Becky:

To tell them which children have taken the oral vaccine, they dip their pinky in purple ink. I have never been SO happy to have purple ink stains all over my pants in my life. A little three year old came up to me and touched her little purple pinky to mine and I thought to myself…one disease down. Again, I take my blessings one at a time. But, God didn’t stop there. I began to speak to the man from Rotary. He lives up the road. He is a member of the same church as Kingsley. He offered to take me to the office to talk to the Director. Within the hour, I had met with the woman who will bring Measles and Yellow Fever vaccine to Lucky Hill next week. Tetanus won’t be far behind. It is a slow process to wade through the Ghanaian politics of it all, but we made it. I have a promise, and a name to the face that made it. Mission accomplished.

Can you stand it? The person we have searched high and low for lives on Luckyhill Road! How many times have I passed his house? High probability that I sat next to him at church! When he came to the school Kingsley said, "Oh hello Brother Daniel." When Becky called with the news I cried from laughing, then cried from joy. God has such a sense of humor :D

My top 10 Ghana favorite memories...

It took me a long time to be able to wrap my head and heart around our time in Ghana. It was the most emotional, amazing journey of my life. I've  had some awesome and unusual experiences in my lifetime, but nothing has or will top this. I was in constant awe as I observed and participated in Lillian's homecoming.

Some of my top 10 memories were Lil's also but with a mothers twist to it! When asked about our trip I find myself describing this first, so it must be number 1.

1. Lil didn't have "culture shock," not once. I can't describe her familiarity of the sounds, smells, sights. Everything that takes me a few days, took her seconds. She breathed it in like a long lost memory. She was home.

2. Seeing and spending time with the Grandmothers. I have so much love and respect for both of them. Lillian's mother's mother (Abena)is from far Northern Ghana and had quite a long trip on a trotro to get to Luckyhill. She is 81 and, Lil says totally ripped! Her arms are beautiful from lifting baskets to her head and working on her farm. She was the one who helped bring Lillian in to the world. She is the one who held her daughter while she passed away. She is the one who loved her Granddaughter and took care of her as long as she was able to, and then entrusted her to Kingsley. Then she entrusted her to us. Incredible spirit. She shed tears at the Slave Castle, knowing she had ancestor's who stood at the very spot we stood, and would never see loved ones or their home again. She has vast knowledge of Herbs, I would love to spend hours asking her questions, with a translator! (Look at that arm)

Kingsley's mother. We have only known her as Grandma. She was a feisty lady in her day. We have video of her pounding fufu, washing laundry and baby Jean and Lillian. She could out walk me by a mile with a baby on her back and a basket on her head. A mother to all. When Kingsley and Gloria first started fostering children she and her husband, Joseph, were there to help and encourage.  She had a severe stroke a few years ago, but has made a lot of progress.  She seems stronger than last year, and more content. She now lives at the school and is happiest being in the midst of the noise, confusion and happy children. She has suffered great loss in her life as well. Children, grandchildren and her husband. Yet she has the most grateful heart.

When two of my friends, Shelley and Becky went to Luckyhill to help William and Comfort they also made Grandma more comfortable. They gave her a pedicure (African style) washing her feet in a bucket and they said she cried tears of gratitude. So did I. True service from my friends to a woman whom has spent her life serving others. How do you truly say thank you to such kindness...

3.  Shopping! I'm what Tracy gratefully calls "low maintenance". I'm not a shopper, which is a good thing since we don't even have a Walm*rt in our town. Taking a trotro to Kasoa is a must event for any Luckyhill visitor! Oh and a fan ice on the way back home.

On this particular day we bought one hundred oranges for the kids, all of them balanced beautifully on Ruth's head! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We bought fabric from the sweetest sister Gloria knows from church.  

Gloria told Lillian she should change to a skirt to go shopping. So proper, we wouldn't want to be under dressed :D

Gloria with yams. I would take a day of shopping with Gloria over a day at any mall in America any time.

4. Gloria. Kingsley was recently invited to a World Peace conference in  New Zealand. Gloria was given airline tickets as well as Kingsley but she didn't go, she didn't want to leave the children! I told her that if the opportunity to travel ever came up again that she should let me know and I would fly over and watch over them while she was gone. She said okay she would trust me and would go. Then I started thinking. I COULD NOT live her life for a day. She would arrive home from her trip and flip out. She would beat me. There wouldn't be any laundry done and there would be a HUGE pile of take out boxes from the Triple XXX.  The children would have the menu memorized! Here is her kitchen:

Her laundry room:

This is Gloria a few years ago. A print is framed and hangs in my laundry room as a gentle reminder to GET OVER the never ending laundry I'm putting in my front loader!

The sacrifices that she makes on a daily basis humble me. Thank you Gloria for your example of selflessness and love.

5. My favorite photo of our trip. Lillian and Kingsley visiting where she lived with him before we adopted her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No words can begin to describe this experience.

 

 

 

 

Thank you Father for leading us to our precious daughter...

Merry-go-round installed at Luckyhill!!!

It's been an exciting week at Luckyhill. Kingsley said they had been installing the Merry-go-round and would finish up on Saturday. I've been wishing I could be there and watch the children as they played for the first time. Tonight the next best thing was passed my way. An accounting of the occasion by Alan Riser.

"Got to be part of installing a mgr in an orphanage. We had some struggles but everything turned out very well in the end. It was dark before the children got to play on the mgr. In the dark African night I sat and watched the children screaming with joy as they played on the only piece of playground equipment they had ever seen. They did not even know they were making power for the new lights that would be lighting their dark rooms. I kept feeling something pulling on my shorts, as I was engrossed in watching the children. When I finally looked down to see what it was I saw a little set of white eyes sparkling with joy in the dark night looking up at me. As I bent over I could see it was a little girl about 3 years old. As I picked her up and held her in my arms she melted my heart as I thought of the humble circumstances I was in. She soon pointed to the children playing on the mgr. so I stopped it and put her on. There are no words to explain my feelings as I climbed in our vehicle and drove away from Lucky Hill Orphanage."

With a humbled heart and tear stained face I want to thank all who have prayed, phoned and advocated for LH to be apart of this miracle!

Photos of our kids playing will be coming soon. Becky, Shannon and Melissa are there this week. Enjoy our Luckyhill kids, your kids, bucket baths AND light that was literally given to us from heaven!

Sweet Reunion...

It's hard to describe how it felt visiting Sarah and William. To see Lilly with both of them again, but HERE in the states!

Sarah was my prayer last October. Lil really wanted us to be the answer. This is second best for us, and PERFECT for Sarah! Wiliam is the epitome of what a miracle is. A miracle accomplished with prayer, people who truly care, and what some children go through to find their family! I love William. I've learned so much about life from knowing him.

William and Sarah would both hold my hand and give it a little squeeze. Those big hugs, so sweet! My heart is so full. As Kingsley would say, "God is good, he is always, always good."

Lil's trip to Ghana part 3

Maybe I did save my most favorite memories for last. For sure these are my favorite pictures!

9. Playing Football (Soccer)I took this picture after playing soccer for almost 2 hours. You can tell which shoe is mine. Not cleats, but pricey running shoes. The kids played and played and not one flip flop or crock flew off. The boys with the bare feet kept up with the rest of us. That's real talent!

Kingsley put on his jersey and showed me a few things. He showed off his skills, and I was impressed. My dad has always joked that I get my athletic ability from him and my good looks from my mom. Boy is he wrong! Sorry dad, you don't have moves like Eshuns do!

And listen to the cheering section! I laugh every time I listen to them, isn't that the best?

10. Spending time with the children. They are the most amazing, sweet people I've ever met. I made a promise to my parents that I will keep, especially now that's out here for the world to see! I will never complain about the time they spend on Luckyhill stuff. Mom has one phone in her hand and another in her pocket and her day timer on her head. Well she would if she could :D My dad never complains. He rolls his eyes and writes checks and wires money, but quietly does it. And nothing about my dad is quiet!!!

I UNDERSTAND the words "deep conviction".

This an every day scene. I told Gloria that in the states moms

send their kids outside to play. In Ghana moms send them inside to get them out of her hair because she's cooking and washing outside all day. Gloria is hardly ever inside her house. The sofa has only been there since spring time. Before that they sat on folding chairs or the floor.

This is Coby and Vida. They will both be coming to their new families VERY soon. I love Coby, I wish he were mine.

We pray for them every day. I know why.

This is either morning devotional or Family Home Evening. They are always together.

There is always some one to hang out with. We left for a few days and when we came back the children and adults came running to greet us. The morning we left they were surrounding the car singing "I am a Child of God."

I know what love is. I've always had it. I was an orphan and I was loved. My Eshun family loved me enough to let me come to my family in America. Adoption is love. Ghana is love. Luckyhill is love. I'm 13 and I am changed forever by this visit to my homeland!