Friday, July 9, 2010

Clinic, Bike Riding, and Adorable Children


Children from the Village

The past two weeks in the Eastern Region of Ghana has been a festival, that we did not know about until yesterday. Due to the festival, Abbie and I did not have school today so Joey and I decided to go help out at the Health Clinic again. We have been going once a week for the last couple of weeks. We usually help organize their records (hopefully we will remember to get a picture of this so that you can understand how this happens here). When we arrived this morning they informed us that they didn't have very much for us to do but they gave us a sma

ll stack of records to organize. After we finished organizing we asked if we could help out with anything else. They asked us if we could help with registration (checking people in: seeing if they have insurance or been to the clinic before, then you write them into the registration book depending on whether they already have a record at the clinic or not, giving them a folder if they are new, and just filling in basic information about the patient). I thought this is all that they would have us do, but then they came back and asked me to take blood pressure, temperatures and weights. I was so nervous, I have learned how to take blood pressure but I had no idea if I could remember how to do it. Luckily for me, they had an automatic blood pressure taking machine. While I was taking a little girl's temperature she burped but then seemed fine and then all of a sudden I realized something was not right. I hurried and grabbed the thermometer from under her arm and her mother just in time grabbed a cloth to catch the little girl's throw-up. I felt so bad for her, they stood up and ran to the grass where she finished throwing up and then they came back as if nothing had happened.


On a lighter note, Joey has been desiring a bike to help get him around the village. There are many times where the boys are running late to their classes because they were meeting with someone and a bike would be very helpful. After Joey's unsuccessful searches in other villages, Stephen told us that he had some old bikes but they would need a lot of work. We took them into the bike repair shack and got them fixed up for very cheap (compared to how much it would have cost in the USA). After we fixed the bikes we learned that Gloria (a girl that is at the Abu's that helps cook and clean around the house) does not know how to ride a bike. She asked if Joey would teach her when they were both available. So tonight after dinner Joey started to teach Gloria how to balance. Which was quite difficult because there aren't sidewalks or flat surfaces to ride on. Then I remembered that the World Joy house next door had a driveway and that she would learn a lot faster over there. After thirty minutes of practicing balancing Gloria was

doing very well. That was all the time we had before we had to head to the church for the boys to teach their business class but now I am very excited to teach her how to ride a bike.



Gloria and Joey in front of the Abu's house

In front of the World Joy House.

I am loving being here, it is an amazing experience. I wanted to say Thank You to all of those that helped financially to make it possible for me to be able to come here with Joey. We are reminded regularly how important it is for us to be together and I know that I have a purpose here in Abomosu, Ghana. I have been touched by many people hear and have felt and been told that what we are doing here is a great thing. The teachers enjoy the program ABC and All of Me program that Abbie and I are teaching, also many parents have asked why we aren't able to teach in their children's classrooms. Also I know that the business classes and the loans that Joey and Spencer are teaching and giving are very beneficial to the village.


The children from the church (my regular playmates)


I have fallen in love with many of the children and if I could there are a lot of them that I desire to bring home with me. It breaks my heart when they ask me to take them to America with me and I know that I am unable to. There are three sisters (Justina, Bridgette, and Bernice) in the local branch that regularly ask if I will take them home to America with me, that I absolutely would love to.



Below: Girls from Zion (I met them at the market and they walked me home)

Below: Some adorable children at Esther's Restaurant Kiosk

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