Christmas in Akatsi

Landon and I have had a very good but very different Christmas this year. It was difficult to be so far from our families, but we were glad to be here to share a wonderful Christmas with the girls. Here are a few pictures of the day:

I brought beanie babies from home to give each of them-
They LOVED them!

They carried their "babies" everywhere.

They slept with them.

They ate with them.

They named them all Baby Jesus. :)
They're adorable.

A special thanks to the Stengel family for helping to
provide these lovely Christmas dresses!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us!

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!

Well, Christmas in Ghana that is. It is in the 90's today and the sun is hot hot hot!  In the mornings and evenings we've been enjoying the Harmattan winds from the Sahara Desert which bring a bit of relief from the heat. The temperature has been as low as 75-a very welcome change! The Ghanaians, however, are all bundling up and saying that they are "suffering" from the cold weather! We told them that they would not like an American winter... Despite the difference in climate, we've tried to keep a few of our Christmas traditions in Ghana. So far we've watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (the cartoon version), made some Molasses crinkle cookies and chocolate cakes (yum!!!), attempted to teach the girls a few Christmas songs, and decorated a tiny tree. The girls are very enthusiastic and have literally screamed with joy at every event! Each time we turn the tree lights on they run around the room yelling "Christmas! Christmas!" It's a little hard on the eardrums, but it's fun to see them so excited :)

Here are a few pictures of the festivities:

This is Landon's personal favorite-can you sense the
excitement? :)

homemade Christmas ornaments

Showing off the finished products!

I know it's blurry-these girls are constantly in motion!

My sister is AWESOME!
She sent this paper nativity set in a sealed envelope in
my suitcase :) Thanks Meg!

Merry Christmas from Ghana!

We love and miss you all :)

The days have flown by since Teddy and Ellie left! They are now safely in Kansas adapting to a huge change in climate and in culture. Meanwhile, Landon and I have been busy working with Social Welfare, traveling to Ho several times to extend our visas, completing projects around the house, and most importantly, spending time with the girls!

The girls are doing very well! They look much healthier and happier than when they first arrived in Akatsi, and they’ve improved in many ways. Davi Mercy has been teaching them how to cook, which is a very important skill for a Ghanaian women to possess. Most girls here prepare meals for their families several times a week before they reach the age of 10! The girls did not know much at first, but they are quickly learning.

Landon and I are in charge of having two English classes for the girls every day. I’ve never seen anyone so excited to learn! They are constantly asking to read bible stories and practice writing letters. Many of them have had very little or no schooling, so we’ve been starting with the basics. They are now able to identify some letters, objects, and speak in (semi) complete English sentences! The other day (big) Sarah said to Landon, “Uncle, you need to water the moringa trees!” We are very pleased at their progress, but they have a lot of catching up to do. Since the schools in Ghana use English, the girls need to learn as much as they can before they begin. Almost all of the girls are bi-lingual. They speak two languages, Ewe and Twi. Now, they are quickly on their way to becoming tri-lingual! We hope to put them into school starting this January, but are waiting to see if the headmaster will accept them.

That's all from here! Enjoy the wonderful snow and cold weather for us :)

Kate and Landon

they love each other :) 

English lesson with Landon!

New church dresses for Richlove, Regina and Sarah.

Just spinning :)

I painted their nails-they LOVED it!

Sarah Vi being adorable.

They made "soldier hats" out of some
cardboard they found lying around.
These girls are so creative!

And then they marched!

Thanks so much for your prayers and support! We love and miss you all! :)