You are probably wondering if we are still alive. I have been neglecting writing emails for a while. I suppose it is partly due to the fact that I am having a hard time feeling motivated these days or also because we have had some busy weeks and when we get home in the evenings I just want to veg.
We generally leave the office about 5 - 5:30 and fight traffic for the 7 km. drive to the apartment. Usually it takes at least 30 minutes but usually longer; I think the longest was 2 1/2 hours. We just never really know what to expect each morning and night as we head out into the traffic. There is no rhyme or reason to it. The drivers are 'crazy' - no manners, whatsoever. If you leave an inch they will squeeze in and cut you off without any warning. I refuse to drive here but Jim can get in there and fight for the space like the best of them here!! We don't see road rage though -- everyone just drives like idiots and they all seem to accept that. On top of the cars being driven this way, we then have the motorcycles, who have absolutely not rules. They drive between the lanes, on the sidewalks, the wrong way, through red lights and pretty much any way they want. AND then there are street vendors selling their wares between the lanes as you drive along. You can buy almost anything you want.
We do buy bananas regularly on the road. An onery policeman decided Jim was under arrest one day for obstructing traffic while buying bananas. We didn't obstruct any traffic. He took Jim's license and so Jim pulled over and got out and had a discussion with him. He finally relented and gave back the license and Jim didn't even pay him a bribe.
Jim got the cast taken off his arm last night. It's been 4 weeks but Dr. Hill figured it should be okay. He may still put a support on it if needed and if he can find one here. It is nice to have it off. Everyone he ran into here, whether we know them or not, would ask what happened to his arm and then they would say, "Oh, sorry, sorry". People here always want to carry our things for us and with his broken arm it was even more so.
Ebola has not come to Ghana yet and hopefully won't. We do hear all the news about it. We get a Podcast on our I-pads for NBC Nightly News from NYC and usually get BBC on the TV here. It is a terrible disease. We are glad that the world has gotten involved and are trying to help put a stop to it. The Church has given bleach, buckets, rice and oil to members in Liberia and Sierra Leone and will likely be doing more of the same shortly. Things are not good there. We also have a project request to supply some hygiene kit and newborn baby kit items for a clinic in S. Leone.
Later..... I am excited because we got a project approved this afternoon. It is for a group who have a mobile clinic that go out into the rural areas to help women and girls. They will do some cancer screening and other things. They have 4 doctors who are volunteering their days to go out with them and also the nurses from the District clinics will help out. We will supply some needed medications and supplies and food for the volunteers. The first day out will be Thursday and we are going with them. When I called to tell them that the project was approved they were SO excited and grateful. Then I ask if Bernice could come with us on Thursday and bring some of the 'Days For Girls' kits to give out. They were thrilled about that. Bernice is in charge of the Days For Girls here in Ghana and is doing a wonderful job. If you want, you can look up the organization on-line. They make washable sanitary pads for girls. Many girls here do not go to school or leave their house when they are having their periods each month because they don't have any supplies. If you live in Utah Valley area, many women and girls are helping to make these to send to different parts of the world.
All is well here. We are coming up to our 1 year mark in a couple of weeks. The time is going faster now. It seems like that happens each time as we get busy and know more about what we are doing here.
We have used up our 2014 budget for area initiatives so now we just need to get them all done and have hand-over ceremonies. Our budget was $550,000 for the West Africa area. Next year it is $750,000. We will be busy looking at more projects for next year.
We'd love to hear from you.
Jim and Nancy
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