Mountain Mamma

This past week has been filled with a roller coaster of emotions. Last week was Katie's last week and it just flew by- which makes me realize just how fast these next few days will actually go. But we made the most of the week for sure. The new volunteers came in last Friday and I really hadn't gotten a change to get to know them because they were busy with their orientations and first week shindigs.

I've really become close with a boy at the Orphanage named Promise. He's 12 years old and he has been there for almost 9 years. He's this beautiful boy with a beautiful soul. He's so kind and he is one of the oldest boys so a lot of the chores and responsibilities fall onto him. He is the one who drums in the morning during assembly and he is always making sure the little kids are doing well. He's so smart and I fear that he won't have the opportunity to succeed in Ghana. Every morning I hug and kiss him and you can tell that he looks forward to it. He just holds on tight. He's an amazing soccer player but is so humble about it. He steals my heart. I want to take him home.




It wouldn't be as bad as taking home Abraham and his brother Daniel who I have also fallen in love with. Abraham is on the left and Daniel is on the right. <3


And success with Mansa this week. She's gone potty for me in the bathroom and hasn't wet her pants in three days!


Then Katie almost missed her flight because she thought she was flying out on Saturday - turns out she was leaving on Friday. So we had to call our friends in town and try to move our "Good Bye Katie Party" to Thursday. Well it ended up no one could really do it since they all work on Friday so instead Jahwill, Katie, Mawuli and I went to Mountain Paradise on Thursday afternoon after placement. Jahwill said he knew of this hidden waterfall up in the mountain that he wanted to take Katie and I to.
Before we could get onto the mountain we had to stop and greet the village chief. He then presented us with avocados- huge ones- like more like the size of a squash-sized avocados and one for each of us. As we are driving up the Mountain Paradise Jahwill yells "STOP. Right Here!!" Katie and I look at each other and think "Where? We are in the bush!" So we pull over and park our car basically in the bush and low and behold there was a little path- so the four of us trumped through the jungle for 20 mins until we came to the most incredible waterfall. It felt like I had stepped into National Geographic (WAIT FOR PICTURES!) Although truth be told my pictures don't do any of this justice. We sat there for a while and enjoyed the sight and then Jahwill and Mawuli said that we should see the top of the mountain. It was the second highest in Ghana and since we already climbed the highest one (Mt. Afajato) that we needed to see Mountain Paradise from the top. So the four of us piled back into the car (which is like a Mazda- automatic- and definitely NOT a four wheel drive vehicle) and started to drive up the mountain.
Picture a Land Rover Commercial without a Land Rover. It was hysterical. Finally FINALLY we get up to the top to the village of Biakba and this little hotel on the cliff of the mountain. We were literally above the rain clouds. As we stood on the edge we looked over the "Lioness". The mountain opposite from us was lush and green except for the very top which was grey rock that resembled a lioness laying down. There was a large tree next to the hotel that also has two tire swings on it. So the four of us sat and talked and enjoyed the most amazing place we had ever been. It was truly out of a novel. Everything smelled of fresh rain and tropical flowers. There were turtles and lizards running around and colorful birds singing sweet songs. Traditional music playing from the bar. I could not have written it better if I tried. It was a moment. Then Jahwill took us to his friend's house/ village which was a rasta village. Whole rasta family. On top of this beautiful mountain in Africa. They were so warm and welcoming and offered us home made palm wine - which smells like whiskey but tastes like tequila. Not my drink of choice. We thanked them for letting us enjoy them and they gave us a rasta blessing.
We ate the rest of the avocado with a loaf of fresh bread we bought at the village on top of the mountain.

It was one of those days that I will NEVER forget. I may go as far as to say it was one of the best in my whole life.


This past Saturday I went to Wli Waterfalls with the children from the orphanage. It was nice to be able to be with them and enjoy them with out having to keep them in line and teach them. I carried Mansa on my back the entire way up to the waterfalls and all the way back down. It was so nice to see the kids happy and playing and enjoying themselves. Some other group had brought drums and so there was music and dancing and drumming and even Promise took center stage for a while. It pleases me so to hear and to watch him play. I danced with the kids and their giggles brought such a sense of peace into my heart. They were freezing when they came out of the water and so I wrapped their towels around them and tried to warm them up. You can tell these children just crave human touch. In the beginning I tried not to be as warm and fuzzy as I normally am just because I was trying to feel out the culture but I can't help it any more. I hug and kiss all of them.



I'll try to post one more time before I leave Hohoe. I love all of your comments and well wishes. I can't wait to see you all and tell you more of the stories in person.

I get home again on August 17th in the afternoon. Much love from Hohoe.