Day 21: You Can Take the Girl Out of Oklahoma...

Hey everyone, Katelyn here.

We all woke up to the impending doom that today we had to say goodbye. In the house we rose to Janice and Ma Comfort in the kitchen preparing breakfast, Janice was positioned on a small stool on the kitchen floor, cutting mango and looking like a natural “African Mama” – which soon was to become her nickname.

Cutting mangos like a pro

Coffee in hand, our group packed up our belongings and formed a small pile in the front room. Then all to soon it was time to take the small path behind the house to House of Grace to see our girls. In this short time together we have all become so attached to Pastor Sammy, Ma Comfort, and 10 beautiful little girls. And just like when we arrived two days ago the girls greeted us with a sign that read “Goodbye ORU, We Love You”. And then the tears started to flow.

Each girl at the House of Grace has a unique story of how she came to live in Kumasi. As I look at my little girl, Esther, I can’t believe how much I already care for her.

Katelyn and Esther

We all line up for pictures, each of my teammates paired with their House of Grace girl. And when all the pictures were taken we each kneel down next to our individual girl and pour into her some last words like: “God has such a plan for your life, You are so beautiful, You’re smart, keep up the good work at school, I will miss you, and you will change your world.”

After I prayed with Esther, we all walked hand in hand to the school. Last hugs and last tears finally came and then all the ORU team headed back to the house while the House of Grace girls went to school.

Saying our last goodbyes while walking the girls to school

The last hour in Kumasi was spent consuming Ma Comfort’s homemade banana bread, which is one of my favorite foods in Ghana. Our goodbye to Pastor Sammy and Ma Comfort was quick with desires to stay longer next time.

We set our on the road again with Wisdom our trusty driver and Deborah riding shotgun. As we pulled out of the compound all the school children waved and ran after the van. Kumasi is a beautiful city with plenty or greenery and welcoming people.

Our drive back to Accra has plenty for the eyes to see: mountains and hills, people flood the streets selling goods from baskets on top of their heads, and buses and cars line the streets. Driving in Africa is a completely different experience than any other country I have been to. Yes, they drive on the right hand side of the road but sometimes there is no road, only red dirt. And I have learned that you can take the girl out of Oklahoma but that girl can’s escape potholes no matter where she goes.

Driving in one van with 14 people, 4 large suit cases, and each person having various individual items takes strategic planning. A quick shout out to my back row sisters – Lina, Abby, Chelsea, Vanessa, and Jen for taking the speed bumps and roads to new heights. Four hours later we were back in Accra. We all sat down for lunch and told Ma Grace how much we missed her but no one missed her cooking more than Caren. It was like coming home.

Me (Katelyn), Caren, Kayli, Kayla, and Janice all went up to the hospital to check on the twins that were born earlier today and use the internet. The cutest twin boys were placed in matching blue hats and blankets provided by Ms. Poore’s mom and Aunt Virginia.

Back at the house we ate a quick dinner then were on the road again to meet one of our Ghanaian friend’s brother and father. At the house of our friend’s brother we talked to him about health care in Ghana and the need to train nurses that will stay in Ghana. We all listened intently and learned about how the health care industry operates in Ghana. Our friend’s father is 87 years old and has been ill for quite some time. We all gathered around his bedside to pray and thank God for his long life. Many wonderful things about this trip happen outside of specific nursing clinical time and this was one of those moments. I was very honored to be welcomed into a Ghanaian’s home whom we had never met before.

Today ends as many days in Ghana do, with devotions lead by one of my sisters, followed by the reading of blogs, and an endless line for showering. Many times we joke about what we will miss about Ghana when we are back in the USA like “the power going out everyday”, but all joking aside I will miss these days when I’m laughing in a van and praying at bedside with my sisters. 

Katelyn Anderson