Day One in Africa

Picture the Lion King. We haven't seen him yet, but there are plenty of lizards running around and the landscape seems like something you would see in a movie about Africa. We really are here. We woke up this morning, amazed that we were actually in Ghana. Our first day was largely orientation and introductions to the Rafiki village at large.
John and I discovered that they have a special project for the two of us. At this village, the girls that come to their training center make baskets as a way to support Rafiki, because they are shipped back to the states and sold by Rafiki. So, for three hours everyday, John and I will be rollin' straw to prepare it to be woven into baskets. We are guinea pigs for this project, because they want to see if it would be something useful for Mini-Missionaries to learn and do in a short amount of time to increase their BWP (basket-weaving productivity). It's all about contributing to the bottom line for the glory of God.
We met the children that live here this afternoon, and they are a handful of fun. There are 6 cottages with 10 children each ranging in age from 8 month old twins to 15 year olds. We got to play games and be introduced to them all. The culture is very formal here, so when you introduce yourself you say, "Please, my name is Auntie Carol" or "Please, my name is Uncle John (or Uncle Tin-tin, which translates loosely into freakishly tall) , what is your name, please?" It takes some getting used to. One of my favorite moments this afternoon was when a little girl was holding my hand, and I felt something wet around my wrist. Turns out she was licking my watch. She told me that she "was cleaning it, please."
We are so glad to be here, and it is thrilling to think that we will be investing our time and energy and hearts here for a month with these beautiful children and mamas and missionaries.