Malaria, Bamboo, etc.

I think I'm becoming repetitive, but we have had another crazy week!

Teddy had been feeling off for several days, occasional headaches, nausea, etc., but figured it was dehydration and continued chugging along. This is, after all, the guy who cut off his casts in high school so he could play basketball with a broken ankle and a fractured thumb. Around Tuesday afternoon he became really, violently ill. To make a long story short, he was diagnosed with malaria and we spent three days, two nights, at the clinic in Akatsi. 

It was a terrifying, wild couple of days. I would not have managed without the endless prayers from our family and friends. So many people, both in Ghana and the US held my hand through the whole process and I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you, from our faithful parents to the boy in pajamas that walked me to the gas station in the middle of the night so I could buy Ted some juice. God is good! 

I recently listened to a sermon by Tim Keller in which he described the difference between JOY and HAPPINESS. Joy is buoyancy; happiness is circumstantial. Joy comes from deeply rejoicing in God, and true joy is not fleeting because it comes from focusing on Christ--who does not change. I have been reminded of this difference on an almost daily basis, and it was especially poignant during our stay at the hospital. It was 7:30 in the morning, I hadn't slept at all the night before, Ted's IV bag was empty, his headache had come back full-force, and I was feeling pretty dejected. The clinic doors had just opened for the day and I trudged down to the reception desk to see the "lobby" filled to the brim with people: some bouncing crying babies on their hips, some lying on the floor because all of the seats were taken. One of the nurses, the "matron," stood at the head of the room and said something in Ewe, and then led everyone in a prayer. AND then, as if I was not feeling humbled enough, they burst into song, singing "Cast your burdens unto Jesus, for he cares for you, cast your burdens unto Jesus, for he cares for you: higher higher, lift Jesus higher." And even the mothers with sick babies and the people on the floor stood up, and smiled and clapped and sang. Needless to say, I received a much-needed attitude adjustment. I have not understood the distinction between "joy" and "happiness" for much of my life: I am grateful for the Ghanaian people who have illustrated this concept to me so beautifully. 

Ted is on the mend, taking about 16 pills a day and feeling better and better. Thank you again for all of the prayers and kind words sent our way! We feel very, very loved.

Our bamboo furniture arrived on Tuesday, but obviously blogging was not high on my priority list:) However, now that everyone is happy and healthy I am thrilled to share some pictures of the inside of the house!

We bought most of this stuff on the side of the road in Accra. Guys sit outside at all hours of the day building wicker and bamboo furniture. Our shopping experience consisted of sitting under a mango tree and discussing with Sammy what we needed for the house. After we agreed on a price he walked us down the street to pick out the fabric for the cushions: and when I say "pick out" I mean that the seamstress deemed my first two selections "no good" and I agreed to what she suggested:) I took dozens of pictures of this process but they were all on my phone and I didn't get the chance to upload them before it was stolen, so you'll have to use your imagination! The fabric is hand-dyed and stamped, and is so lovely and wonderfully irregular. 

We love having the opportunity to support Ghanaian businesses. Sammy has been making furniture for about 15 years (despite only being 25) and took over "the business" when his Dad passed away a couple of years ago. As Teddy says, you don't normally come away with a nice story and a new friend when you walk out of a department store with some furniture.

And now, the pictures!

The kitchen, before.

After!! Yay! The carpenter is finishing up cabinets for below/around the sink this week.

a stove! The pantry is to the left.

Girls' Bedroom, before.

AFTER!! :)

Bamboo bunk beds. And pink mattresses, of course. 

Closet. Their room has lots of built-in storage, which is fantastic.

Main room/living area before.

Annnnd after. 

We have LOTS of seating now. The dining table will go where the photographer (aka, me) is standing in this photo.

...

One of the bedrooms. The Before pictures I took of this space had terrible lighting, but I assure you it's a glorious transformation.

  

Helen, Mercy, and Plans

Hello!!!

(Or Miawoezɔ, as they say in Ewe. We are trying to learn a few basic phrases while we are here, but the pronunciation is difficult to get a handle on. At the very least, we provide the locals a good laugh with our feeble attempts.)

We have been SO BUSY. Our first few weeks in Ghana seemed to move at a much slower pace; lately the days have been jam-packed and flying by. We are grateful for all the activity though and have definitely been sleeping well every night.

We have lots to report. Probably the most important development is that Bernard and Celestine (or Mama and Papa, as the girls will refer to them) have hired two cooks for the Yellow House! They have exceeded our expectations (that’s happened a lot this trip) in so many ways:
-It is a mother-daughter duo. The mom, Helen, does not speak English very well...but Mercy is very fluent. This is crucial since the girls might not know any English: Helen and Mercy will be able to communicate with them and translate for the American staff—especially in the first few weeks.

-Helen and Mercy will be critical in teaching the girls everything that we are unable to: cooking is just the tip of the iceberg. It is so important that these girls are raised Ghanaian, with an appreciation for and knowledge of their own culture. Who better to educate them than Ghanaian women?
-Long-term, the Ghanaian staff will be much more involved in the day-to-day activities than the Americans will. They will be the girls’ family: Mercy—who is 22—functioning as an older sister, and Helen providing that “motherly touch” that every home needs:) Mercy will live in the Yellow House, in the cook’s quarters, and Helen will come during the day.
-They are also members of the church Bernard and Celestine (and the girls, eventually) attend.

Here are a few more shots of the exterior of the house. Minus the dining table, all of the furniture is being delivered tomorrow. We can’t wait. I’m planning a nice long post with lots of pictures:)

plantain + banana trees along the back wall.

A rough floor plan. I make no claims to be an architect! A few changes have been made since we first drafted this up: The Spare Room will actually be the Ghanaian Kitchen, and the Office/Playroom will be the Office/Guestroom.

Some of the yard, and the start of the garden. That's the mango tree on the right. If only you could see what this yard looked like when Teddy and I first saw it: the transformation is unreal!

the lemon tree.

Courtyard. Mercy's bedroom and one of the bathrooms is to the left, the kitchen is through the door on the right.

Our To-Do List is noticeably shrinking and we are nailing down the last few details for our trip to the Lake…the trip where we will meet the girls and bring them home to Akatsi. If all goes to plan, we will leave two weeks from today.

We are SO ready to finally see the faces of these girls that we have been praying over for almost two years!

We’ve received some questions from people asking if there are any specific needs or ways that they can contribute during this incredibly exciting season. To be honest, we hate doing anything termed “fundraising,” lest it come across as schmaltzy or fake, but we recognize that people WANT to help, we could use the assistance, and this is a very thrilling and unique time. So why not?

<<Starter Package>>
We are operating under the assumption that the girls will be coming to us with no belongings other than the clothes on their backs. Mama Celestine (Bernard’s wife) has helped us compile little “bundles” for each kid that will include anything and everything they need: toothbrushes, clothes, shoes, towels, Bibles, notebooks + crayons, and a few toiletries. Most everything will be bought in Akatsi and support the local economy (their dresses, for example, are made by a tailor who lives near us and dyes, stamps, and sews his own fabric). If you would like to provide one or all of these bundles for the girls the cost is $100.00 USD each.

<<Bunk Beds>>
Our friend Sammy has made the cutest bunk beds out of bamboo for the girls. Each set (which includes two beds, mattresses, and sheets) is $300.00 USD.

<<Transportation>>
The location where we are travelling to get the girls is extremely remote and a LONG way from Akatsi…over 17 hours by car. We are still ironing out the details, but have estimated that the transportation costs for this AMAZING journey will be about $200.00 USD per kid.

If you would like to contribute in any way to the aforementioned expenses, or any that aren’t listed (i.e., the dining table, the fridge, the water system) please email us at eightoaks.info@gmail.com. It would be our pleasure to send pictures or give more details so if you have questions, let us know.  

pictures, finally!

WELL. We have had a whirlwind of activity this week.

Sigh. I hate to start this off on such a sober note, but we need to make a generic announcement lest any rumors be circulating: we had a burglary incident on Tuesday. Everyone is okay. We lost some electronics, but they are replaceable and the experience, although unpleasant to say the least, has given us cause to really evaluate security for the Yellow House as we start moving in (just to clarify, we have not been living at the Yellow House during renovation: it is in a very safe location and we will have security monitoring the premises at all time once the girls arrive.) Going forward we will be much better equipped. Thank you to everyone for the prayers and kind words that have been sent our way! We are disappointed, of course, but appreciate the reminder that THINGS are not important.

Without further ado, here are some pictures of the exterior of the house! We are cleaning and "primping" the inside this week and, as any homeowners can relate, it takes a long time to transform a "house" into a "home." But I will share as soon as the place is presentable.

The oven and fridge/freezer have been delivered, as well as all of the mattresses and a few other odds-and-ends. We have a friend in Accra named Sammy who is making most of our furniture out of bamboo and will deliver everything early next week.

And BEST of all is that we are getting oh-so-close to being ready to bring the girls home. Touch a Life called us with some fantastic news today! We'll keep you posted:)

Courtyard BEFORE. Ignore the vagabond--we don't know how he got in.

Back of the house, before.

AFTER. They have cleared away the debris since I took this picture.

Side of the house.

NEW paint job, patched concrete, and a fixed gate!

Front porch.

Welcome to the Yellow House!

the little engine that could

Our time in Ghana is moving like a train: slowly at first, gradually speeding up, and now we are at a point where the days are flying by. I cannot believe we have entered October already.

The house looks great. We are so pleased with the progress. Just a few spots need to be touched up with paint, and then I promise we will share a gigantic post with LOTS of pictures! 

Teddy and I are, yet again, in Accra. Our NGO status has been finalized, so we are picking up the paperwork and buying what we need for the house that can't be found in Akatsi. 

Last week, Bernard took us to meet with the local Social Welfare Department where (as always) he has friends, and we are steadily ticking things off the To-Do List. 

I confess that sometimes the technical stuff can seem so boring, but we are speeding through it and trying to take delight in even the most menial tasks, knowing that each day that passes is a day we move closer to bringing the girls, our "sisters," home!

We really cannot emphasize enough how important all of the prayers from the Eight Oaks family have been in this process. During one of our first conversations with Bernard, we asked how difficult it would be to find a house that met our needs and remained within our budget. The general consensus was that, bare minimum, we were looking at 4-6 months. Literally the next day we walked outside, and there was the Yellow House. "It has just occurred to me," mused Bernard, "that this might be a good home. The caretaker is a member of our church." A few days later we were sitting under a mango tree with the owner, and by the next week we had handed over the deposit, signed a lease, and renovations had started.

This whole process has been without a hiccup and we can't take responsibility for any of it. We are continually reminded of the Father's heart for the "least of these" and that, as impatient as we might be, God created these eight girls in their mothers' wombs, He has loved them since the beginning of time, and He is orchestrating their rescue. Why are we surprised when everything goes so smoothly? We underestimate our Creator.

We will "unveil" the Yellow House (hopefully) at the beginning of next week. Cross your fingers for a stable Internet connection:) And as always, we have to conclude this post and every post by thanking anyone and everyone that has prayed for and contributed to Eight Oaks in any capacity. We love you all.