The Worst Part of Ghana

I just figured out what the worst part of my trip has been. It hasn't been the heat (actually I heard it's hotter at home,) mosquitoes, cold showers, or the dust. It is/was having to say goodbye.

Since Sunday I've shed a lot of tears saying goodbye to my new friends and family. At church Rev. Perry made an announcement that I was leaving and invited me to the front so they could pray for safe travels, while tears streamed downed my face. A new friend from church Louis, who is an artist, gave me the most beautiful fabric and a painting both done by him as a farewell present. Both of these I will treasure always. The fabric he dyed himself and I LOVE it, it's purple and blue and has the traditional royal stools around the bottom. The painting is of the beach and fisherman from the area where I was living which I loved to watched when I was there, it's a portrait of my home in Ghana.

Monday I brought over diapers, baby wipes, powder, toys and some other needed items (Thank you cousin Jen!) When it was time to go and say goodbye for the last time I was biting my tongue so hard so that I would not burst into tears. It was like the babies knew that I would not be returning. Princess cried when I put her down (usually not the case), Agogo grabbed onto my leg, and Prince kept his arms up to be picked up again. I broke my heart to walk away.

The hardest goodbye though was to my host family. All day the little girls wanted to sit on my lap and spend time with me. Forgive sat on my bed while I packed and just kept looking at her hands not saying anything. When Simon said ok let's go and we started carrying out my bags that's when I saw Pearl sitting in the sand crying and Forgive came running over for a hug to which Pearl followed continuing to cry and that's when I lost it. I told them to be good girls and walked to the car where Bless and Celesting were and I saw Bless had tears in her eyes we all hugged and I said goodbye to my family tears running down my face.

I knew leaving Africa would be hard but I never thought it would be this hard. I'm grateful to have met such wonderful people, and thank God for Facebook so I can keep in touch. I am also happy to have another adventure awaiting me in Tanzania!