I CHECK YOU FOR THAT!!!!!!

Chastity White & Marcy Gasperson

After a restful evening back in our guest house, we enjoyed a relaxed breakfast together. Davey gave a devotional about leaving our old lives behind as we are made new in Christ. Thanks Davey!!! Warm french toast, oats, and fresh fruit were served to us by the amazing staff here. They all have been going above and beyond to do anything for us.

Our tro-tros came rolling up the hill to take us to church. Today we returned to our tro-tro driver Dominic's church Calvary Assemblies of God. Praise music filled the air as we stepped out of the vans and into the church. They had saved the first three rows for our large group. We enjoyed a time of praise and worship and a message from a visiting pastor. She referred to a passage in Ephesians 5:15-18 where Paul contrasts being filled with the Holy Spirit and being filled with wine. The pastor stated that whatever you are filled with controls you. She closed by stating that being filled with the Holy Spirit is an active relationship. It should not be something that occurs once, but is a daily occurrence throughout our lifetimes. As a newlywed, this reaffirmed what God had spoken to me this morning. This can be applied to all relationships. We should be actively pursuing our spouses, building up friendships, and constantly pouring into our family members. After the service we spent some time talking with members of the church. A couple, who consist of the worship leader and one of the soloists, had just been married. Dr. Clerico invited them to come join us for supper this week. It seems so easy to form connections here with people that you would assume you have nothing in common with. We have been so blessed to connect with many different people in Ghana.

The group enjoyed a lunch of tomato soup and grilled cheese. After some discussion of plans for the evening, we took advantage of some down time.

This afternoon the group participated in a session of drumming and dancing by the Nyame Tsease (God Lives) Traditional Drum and Dance Troupe. We were able to see a performance of traditional dances and hear stories explaining each dance. Then, it was our turn! The troupe led us through a workshop to learn some of the dances. We started with several warm-up moves. "If you were born on (insert the day of the week) get up and dance..." was one of the favorites. When the day of the week on which you were born is called you get in the middle and dance for that chorus. Our group is not equally distributed among the days, so I (Chastity) had to dance by myself! Next, we moved into learning pieces of a traditional Ghanaian folk dance. Our group worked hard and pushed through uncomfortable situations to learn the moves. Even our tro-tro drivers and Fairhill kitchen staff joined us. After the dancing, it was now on to the drumming! We each were given a drum and sticks. The professionals then led us amateurs through different patterns of playing the various drums. We ended our time filling out their comment book, talking with the troupe, and getting a great foot photo because the tiles on the Fairhill patio turned the soles of our bare feet deep red.

The workout of the drumming and dancing had all of us ready for supper. We enjoyed fish, rice, and steamed vegetables. Also, as a treat from the guest house, we were surprised by some delicious popcorn shrimp.

The evening was closed by more reviews of our narratives, team meetings, and revisions. This week will be spent completing and polishing our work.