We’ve had our first two downpours in Tema in the past few days. The rain takes over all other sounds and we say antigravity prayers for our sagging roof as it threatens to cave in at any moment. The kids are excited to take advantage of the water and have a free bath (“We are baffing!” they yell.) Returning from our trip last week we really got hit hard by how attached we are to these kids. It’s going to be so hard to leave them and the house parents who we have built strong relationships with. It was so precious to get welcome home hugs and excited requests to see promised pictures of elephants.
We’re still working on a lot of documenting of our observations and ideas for the organization. The head of the organization comes this week and we are preparing for a lot of discussion about direction and the potential for our future involvement with this project. There’s a lot to cover. We are praying that we get good answers and clarification that helps us make a wise decision about where to go from here.
In the mean time we are also working on applications for school and talking about all the details that are involved in moving back. We are so thankful for Lorie who is helping us set everything up and spending endless hours on the phone with airlines, schools, and doing all kinds of tedious explaining for us. We couldn’t do it without you! It’s really hard to coordinate all the details from here. (We got our tickets for November 12!)
John passed his sickness on to me, so we’ve been taking it easy for the past few days and trying to do as much restful work as possible. We are really enjoying the new volunteer who is here (and plays Settlers with us!) She has a willing spirit and flexible attitude and it’s nice to meet likeminded people to bounce ideas off of at meals and during the day. We have another girl who arrived last night so the house is getting fuller which is fun. I am working on writing up a volunteer handbook and having new people helps me process what is needed in this area.
We got the news of Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize and have been discussing it at length with our Canadian counterpart here. Yes, I completely believe that it is premature and there are certainly thousands of more deserving individuals with a heck of a lot more to show in their efforts toward peace. Agreed. Since I had nothing to do with the decision, and it has been made, I will offer only this in slight defense of the choice. First, I hope it is a call to action and causes him to make some more influential steps towards peace. Secondly, as someone who has traveled extensively during both the Bush and Obama administrations (I resisted the temptation to insert the loaded regime here) I can say only this. That the dialogue within other countries and specifically towards me, as an American, has definitely changed. It seems that we are better received - at least, received with a less defensive spirit, and at best, notably received with excitement by those around the world (and I’m not just talking about countries that are stigmatized by the West. I especially noticed it in Europe). I do think that Obama is unduly elevated by his celebrity status and of course his moderate rhetoric towards reconciliation is only seen as monumental in contrast to the contradictory efforts of the past presidency. However, I believe the international community that has so enthusiastically embraced this change may give this honor to Obama as a way of extending back the olive branch to the United States. I do believe he is mostly a symbol, and though it should be the American people offering the branch who should be credited the honor, it is a way of tangibly acknowledging the offering. I won’t go on about this, I know it’s controversial and I don’t want to invite too much criticism (I know my own limited capacity to accept it, which I’m working on.)
…Okay, now that I’ve rethunk it - do Americans really deserve a prize just for voting in a president who has some inkling of diplomacy? I’ve unconvinced myself and my argument is pointless. I concede.
All this to let you know that we are receiving some news from the outside world and are trying to discuss it in light of our new experiences and insights. We have definitely had some major changes in our views of issues as we become increasingly aware of how policies and philosophies directly affect individuals and societies, which is the whole point.