bucket baths and babies.

I think this bike is too big for me...

Blessing is back at the orphanage!

I went to the orphanage today and got to see baby Blessing. I also met Emily for the first time. She is a 19 year old volunteer from the UK who has spent a great deal of time in Ghana over the last year. Her family is actually in the process of adopting Adom, one of the little boys at Peace and Love. Last time she was in Ghana was about a month ago and it seemed like every time I got to the orphanage, she had just left. So we had heard a lot about each other, but had never actually met. Very sweet girl, wish I would have met her sooner.

Today I purchased floor tiles that will cover the floor in the main living area. This totaled to 440.00. I need to purchase the concrete and mixer tomorrow, as well as pay the mason for the labor. I also purchased tin roofing that will replace the ceiling over the same living area. This totaled to 110.00. There is so much that I want to do here, and clearly not enough time or funding. I'm hoping to be able to come out here next summer with a more substantial amount of money and really be able to do something. I will work my hardest to make this a possibility. So if anyone didn't get to donate money this time, put a little aside for next year. I'm not positive that I will be able to come out here, but I really would like to. I don't want it to sound like the money everyone donated for this fundraiser was not substantial...it definitely was and I have been able to do a lot to improve this orphanage thanks to your generosity and compassion!

Other good news...Emily will be meeting with some sort of adoption agency this week (I'm guessing it is in regards to her family's adopting of Adom), and she will be finding out a lot of information for me on how to adopt. No, I'm not adopting a baby (as much as I would love to!). But there is a student at ETSU who has volunteered to help me make Peace and Love a website. On this website will be all of the information anyone could need in order to adopt a baby from there. The process is very long unfortunately. Even baby Blessing...if someone were to adopt him, it would take 1-2 years for them to be able to bring him home. Emily's family is hoping to have Adom "home" in England by Christmas, but it's looking like that won't happen till January or February. The system is set up to weed out the people who wouldn't make suitable parents. Unfortunately it takes time for this. I'm hoping to find Blessing a home as soon as possible though. He's a beautiful baby boy who does not need to grow up in an orphanage in Africa. Any takers?!?!

Aside from the orphanage project, I've just been studying for finals and hanging out in Legon. I cooked mashed potatoes tonight for my roommate who has never had them before. Mashed potatoes, fried chicken, and sweet tea...doesn't get anymore Southern than that. I will admit that the mashed potatoes weren't exactly delectable, but they were edible and I was pretty excited to eat them. I had to make them with powdered milk and laughing cow. Oh...and the sweet tea was really just a tea bag dropped in a cup filled with room-temperature "pure water" and a couple of sugar cubes. It wasn't that bad though.

My friend Katie (who will be my travel buddy in Europe) was in here a few minutes ago. I was filling the rice cooker with water so that I can take a warm bucket bath. We were laughing at how much our standards have lowered by living here. I was actually excited about warm water. My body has definitely adjusted to the heat. I went to Max Mart in Osu the other day, which is a Lebanese grocery store/coffee shop. I was sitting upstairs in the coffee shop studying and I honest-to-goodness left because they had air conditioning. I was so cold I could not concentrate.

Side note to my mom: Please don't turn the AC in the car on full blast when you pick me up from the airport.

Anyway...now to that bucket bath.