Yesterday we entered the airport to find dozens and dozens of people in
line at the United counter. We soon
realized that the weather (across the country) was causing numerous delays and
that people were scrambling to figure out what to do, how to make their
connecting flights, etc. We were told that our first flight was delayed signiciantly. Instead of leaving at 6:00, it would be
leaving around 8 or 9. This would make it nearly impossible to catch our next
flight to Ghana. OUCH. Sean told the man helping us that we had an
adoption court case to be at and he began looking up every option possible. (Turns out there's just not that many
flights leaving from the US to Accra every day… who knew?) After many, MANY
brainstorming techniques (including all other airlines) we were left with one
option. Fly to DC (despite the delay)
and from there, we would either make our flight to Ghana or we wouldn't. If we missed it, then we would be put on
standby for another flight to Ghana 24 hours later. That was our only option. …. AND if standby didn’t work out… well… we
wouldn’t make our court date.
The nice gentlemen at the service desk ended the conversation with, “You
never know. Perhaps the 2 hour delay will
lessen OR maybe the plane to Ghana
will be delayed. It’s possible.” Okay… we held onto those words tightly.
We went straight to our gate,
sat down, prayed, waited, called our travel agent and adoption
coordinator, etc. etc. etc. Eventually, the
same man who helped us at the front of the airport, showed up to work our gate. He told Sean that our plane was now scheduled
to leave around 7:30 (better than 8 or 8:30) and that we would have a little bit of buffer to get to our
next flight. They even gave us a map of
the DC airport so we’d know where to run as soon as we got off the plane. It was tight, but possible… maybe.
Miraculously, our flight boarded earlier than they expected and as we soared towards DC, we said a prayer we would make the next flight.
When we
landed in DC, we ran to our next gate. 4 minutes later they began the process to board. Wowza. Long story short, God is good. We made the flight and we arrived in Ghana at
2:45pm today (8:45am Nashville time.)
I slept decently during the 11 hours. When we began our decent into
Accra, the terrain was intense, more stunning than I remembered.
As we flew lower and lower, I couldn’t believe that for the first time in almost six months, I would be standing in the same city where Abiella lives. Finally, after 22 weeks, I wouldn't be on the other side of the world anymore. We landed, took a shuttle from the tarmac to
the building, and began the process of customs and immigration. In ten minutes
we were nearing the airport exit where a driver from the hotel was waiting for us.
Walking out of the airport was hot and humid, but actually cooler than Nashville. It felt great and I was ecstatic to smell the
air and feel my feet on Ghanaian soil. Once in the taxi, Sean went straight to
work. He called our social worker to see
when we could see Abiella. If all works
out we will be able to see her tomorrow!!
The drive was great and by 4:00 we were at our hotel, sitting on
our deck, staring at the ocean.
Unbelievable.
After a few minutes of relaxation, we quickly decided we wanted to go
to the art center (an outdoor market-type area, selling handmade art from
Ghanaian artistis). Since we don’t know
what the rest of our days are going to look like, we felt that today was the
best time to go. So we sprayed ourselves
down with deet, put sunscreen on, got a few bottles of water from the hotel,
and began the walk to the art center.
Red dirt on my boots, my skirt dragging through mud,
children playing, women running drink stands on the side of the road, random chickens casually walking towards us … it was the
perfect way to start the week.
When
we were nearing the end of our walk and approaching the gates to the center,
two gentlemen immediately approached us.
We chatted for a bit and they mentioned that they are drummers…. at this my mind started reeling...our adoption coordinator always mentions a group of drummers that she really enjoys at the
art center. I asked them a few questions
and it turns out, they were the same gentlemen,
and they knew our coordinator (who lives in Oklahoma… )…amazing. They told us, “We play drums for you and then
teach you how to play.” Ummm….
OKAY!!!
So, we followed the men into the art center, past the dozens of other vendors, through the muddy trenches, beyond the groups of men carving under shady
spots, and adjacent to a dirt field where older children were playing soccer. Eventually we landed on a bench in a small covered booth where men began
coming in from all different directions, each grabbing a drum. The space was small, the air was hot, and the
room was full of a hospitable joy I’ve never experienced anywhere else. Before
they began playing, they told us this was their way to “welcome us.” We were so excited. Sean quickly asked if he
could video tape and they all eagerly said, “yes!”
And then it began. One gentleman started a beat and all the other men
chimed in. There was chanting and
screaming and laughter. It was beautiful, and powerful, and awesome. People started gathering near the entrance of
the room to watch (and perhaps look at the two obrunis (white people) loving
every second of it.) After an amazing performance (and a lot of cheers) they
gave each of us a drum to play. They taught
us how to hold it in a tilt with our knees, how to use different parts of our
hands to make different sounds, and how to follow a few specific rhythms. They taught us a few different beats and then
we all sat there and played together.
It. Was. Amazing. We laughed and cheered. They said we were
very “quick learners.” As we played,
one man yelled out, “Ghana! America! Ghana! America!”
All in all, it was basically one of the best hours of my life….
I
of course fell in love with one particular drum they had for sale. I whispered to Sean, “Do you think that one could
fit in our luggage?” We decided it
could, and the gentleman who made the drum told me I could choose 2 adinkra symbols to
have carved onto my drum for a small fee.
“How long will it take?” I asked. “Ten minutes. No time at all.” He handed us a paper full of different
symbols and their meanings. I picked one and Sean picked one. Then he said, “We’ll be right out here carving
it. You should video tape your drum
being carved!” We eagerly agreed, and a group of men outside the room sat in a
circle under a tree, while one gentleman carved very quickly and accurately...
In the meantime, one of the men who had been playing drums with us
wanted to show me his artwork. It was
AMAZING. Beautiful handpainted abstracts
and portraits on canvas. Women with
babies on their backs and pots on their heads, landscapes of the shore, housing
from different regions in Africa… it was stunning. He then told me that he teaches children how
to paint at an orphanage in Northern Ghana and that some of the pieces were
done by his students. The experience was
unique and the work was beautiful.
While I looked through all of the paintings, Sean talked with another
drummer about the wooden masks he carves.
The craftsmanship and meaning
behind each piece was truly incredible.
Long story longer, we got a few additional pieces and they are just beautiful!
I can’t wait to show them to you, along with pics of my STUNNING new
personalized drum! (Sidenote: we
accidentally counted the cedis too quickly and overpaid. The gentlemen showed us our error and gave us
the extra back… all the while chuckling and saying “You treat your friends
honestly.” He then laughed and told us that one gentleman gave him $400 instead
of $200 recently and that he looked at the man, handed the extra $200 back, and
said, “Are you testing me?”
Before we knew it, it was dusk and we needed to begin our walk
back. People were getting very eager to
show us their beautiful work, but the man who made my drum knew we were ready
to leave. So he escorted us out of the market and onto the street. He pointed us to a nearby taxi but when we
told him we were walking he began the walk with us. We had a very interesting conversation
throughout our walk, about where he’s from, Ghanaian traditions, and God… about
¾ of the way back he stopped and said, “Okay, I’ll turn around now. May you be
blessed with wisdom and prosperity and when you go home to America may you
remember the love you see here and take it back with you.” Wow. Was
he an angel?
Sean and I walked the rest of the way back to the hotel in serious amazement. What happened today was one
of the best experiences of our lives and we’ve got video to prove it.
Now I must sleep. It’s only 7:00
at home, but it’s midnight here. And tomorrow is a big day. We see Abi
tomorrow!!
Please say prayers (Thank you to all who have been praying for us. We can feel it.)
God Bless and Good Night.