I'm ghana miss Ghana

This will be my last post here from Africa! I officially board my plane back to the US tomorrow evening. I can't believe the time has finally come for me to leave but this past month has truly been wonderful.

Working with New Seed International was so different from my experience this semester, I think that's why I appreciate it so much. Ho is an absolutely beautiful city, and I would wake up each morning looking out to an almost jungle like scene. It rains about everyday so everything there is so green and lush. The work I've been doing just knocks me off my feet as well. I have to double check on reality now and then because it seems all so unreal. My time was split up either doing HIV/AIDS education programs, or doing home visits to New Seeds clients/patients.
For the HIV education programs, we would go to places where they sew and makes dresses or do hair and ask if we could come back and talk to the workers about HIV and AIDS. These are the places where most young girls work, and they are our main target group. It also helps that these shops are everywhere around town, so there is always plenty of people to go talk to. Almost all of them said yes to us coming back and I was surprised at how open they were. It's cool because young women are the ones most affected by the disease, and we're trying to nip it in the bud with education. So, the rest of the time we went back to these places, gave the talks and it was amazing. It was so great because we were just talking to these girls, they were asking questions, and I can only hope that they came out that much more empowered and knowledgeable about the disease and that their future is in their hands- which is so true. All in all I really enjoyed this aspect of it.

The other part, doing home visits to the clients of New Seed, was a bit more difficult because most of the people we go to visit are in stage 5 of the disease and now have AIDS. A lot of them were dying and it's just difficult to know that there isn't anything you can do, just pray for as little pain and as much happiness as they can have. Also, the way people are cared for others here sometimes is not the way I would (it's just not very personal) and is hard on the heart. But a good friend reminded me that yes this disease is huge, but God is even bigger and that's what we have to focus on. And in total it has been such a learning and growing time for me and I have loved every minute. I just feel so fortunate for being able to have come here in the first place, and that the people here have been so welcoming.

It's going to be bittersweet coming back home but I know that this is the time to come home. Of course I'll be sad but one of my sister's told me today that all good things have their time and all sad things have their time- so as this good things comes to an end, and I may be sad for a bit, it will soon be taken over by another good thing.

So here's to friends and family, no matter what they look like, or where they may be in the world. I am thankful once again for you all and hope I can see many of your beautiful faces soon. Take care and hope you are well.