Eight Oaks: First Week

Hello again!

So much has happened since our last post! We are happy to report that (fingers crossed) we have found a house that will work perfectly as the home for our house parents and eight little girls! We are meeting with the owner on Monday and hope to sign a contract early next week.

We really feel like this house is a gift from God: it fell into our laps on our second day here and in many ways has exceeded our expectations. The only (minor) downside is that it requires some renovations, so please pray with us that these will be executed quickly and without complication! Ideally, we would like to be able to move in by the time Landon and Kate arrive…around September 4^th. Time is moving very quickly and I can’t believe that we have been in Akatsi for a week today.

Early this week we were able to visit Keta and stay with the Banini’s for a few days. They took such good care of us: I am learning lots of lessons in hospitality and service. Keta is beautiful and I was so happy to finally see the famous Father’s House with my own eyes. One night we went for a walk and Ted showed me the slave fort that sits on the coast: I cannot articulate how I felt standing beside it, but I posted a few pictures below.

We returned to Akatsi on Wednesday, which was also market day, and we were able to begin assembling a kitchen. Bernard’s wife Celestine and their son Victor took us around town and helped us buy everything we needed. The Attatsi’s have been so generous and patient with us: we have them to thank entirely for how smoothly our first week has gone.

I have received lots of questions about what we are eating. My favorites thus far are probably fried plantains and fried yams (old habits die hard). One of the pictures below shows a more traditional Ghanaian meal that Celestine has prepared for us several times: rice, cabbage, and a fish sauce made with tomatoes. Usually for dessert she slices up a watermelon that we eat with toothpicks. We have also had akple and okra soup twice—which Bernard tells us is the quintessential Ghanaian dish. The bread that is sold at the market and stands by the sides of the road is incredibly delicious and dense and we enjoy some with every meal we cook for ourselves…and of course, we are devouring as many fresh mangos and coconuts as we can get our hands on. Peanuts are also abundant here (though they are referred to as “ground nuts”) and we keep a bag of roasted ones around for snacking. The cuisine is obviously not American, but we are not going hungry by any means.

I am learning so much every day and feeling very blessed to have these experiences. Thank you for your prayers!

Ted and Ellie