So we know you are going to Ghana, but what exactly will you be doing?
Great question! (and one that Jamie and I have been asking ourselves since the moment we first applied) Short answer: We don’t know. Long answer: We don’t know, but we are in the process of finding out. Let me take this time to share with you what we do understand.
The Sisters of the Holy Cross who started Saint Mary’s and continue to play an active role in our educational system have missions all over the world. One such mission is located outside of Ghana’s capital, Accra (pronounced Ah-cra) in an area known as Kasoa. Jamie and I will reside at the convent and share community life with the sisters. Down the hill is the compound of the school. The school originally began within the convent, but within the past few years the Sisters have built a beautiful building and hope to add one grade level each year (they will be adding 4th grade for the 2011-2012 school year).
We haven’t met our students yet, and we don’t even know what exactly we will be teaching. But we feel connected already through videos, stories, and pictures. We have been told that many of our students are Islamic, and many are extremely poor. I learned a long time ago, however, that kids are kids in every country. I am excited to be tackled and to have attention demanded of me, excited to giggle and have my soccer skills shown up. But mostly, I am excited to get to know each and every one of the school children’s hearts, passions, and desires.
Many of these resources come from the four students who have gone before. Two years ago the first pair of SMC graduates dedicated a year of their life to the school and kept blogs and pictures. Jamie and I are excited to continue to the post-graduate program as the third pair of students. We are the first students going who did not major in education. We are also the first students who are not Catholic.
Six months ago when people asked me, “So Lizziey what are your plans after graduation?” I joked with them saying “I’m going to pack up Kelty (my backpack) and Elsie (my guitar) and be a bum in Africa.”
“sounds good,” they’d say with a chuckle.
Those who know me well realize it was only a half-joke. I’ve always enjoyed reading about Africa, always been drawn to keeping cultural awareness while raising the standard of living without really comprehending what that means. Maybe I’ll gain clearer insight as I venture to Kasoa-and maybe not. I almost didn’t apply to the program, almost stopped listening to that nudge inside of me saying “go.”
But when it’s me versus my heart-my heart always wins.
And my heart is telling me to go to Ghana, so I’m packing up years of experience of working with kids and camps and VBS and youth group and small groups and the willingness to unlearn it all. I’ll be heading to Ghana the last week of August. I am sad to leave behind my niece as she starts kindergarten, my boyfriend as he finishes a year of school and I do my best to relate my adventures to him, and agonize a little about coming home to find a real job again (although I am in the process of deferring my acceptance to Teach for America). But overall, there is peace is this restless heart of mine.
Much of that peace comes from a delicate balancing act between mine and Jamie’s personalities and gifts. For instance, I came up with “Ghana Manaña” as a name for the blog and Jamie came up with “Servir con ‘Ghana’ ” which I think is the coolest thing ever because it captures two main themes of the trip: 1) We are going to serve with Ghana. And 2) We are going with a strong desire to teach and learn: mentally, spiritually, and physically. (if you have questions about the third you should ask Jamie how many different foods she’s tried in the past month while uttering “well I guess this will prepare me for Ghana”)
As other SMC seniors say good-bye to the ritual of school and friends, I am excited to take a year with Jamie as we seek God for strength and inspiration as we teach and pursue our interests (Jamie loves anthropology while I’m an econ nerd). It’s a beautiful and unique opportunity and one that only could have come with God’s timing-a timing I will never understand but know is always perfect.
In the mean time, check out this link and others by jchubins on youtube. There are many videos of the school!
Live to love,
Lizziey June (and Jamie, too!)
This picture was taken off the SMC website and not (obviously) taken by Jamie or myself. But cool, nonetheless
This picture was taken off the SMC website and not (obviously) taken by Jamie or myself. But cool, nonetheless
The school bus taken in 2009.
I have a question: How is it that many of the students are Islamic, but still are going to a Catholic school? How is their relation? Let me know a little about that if you know now cool, but if not please later, whatever you find! :)
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