Jamestown and Shai Hills

Hello everyone! Another week has come and gone. It is getting hotter in Ghana, and every picture I see of Utah has some snow in the mountains!!! I would really love to have some snow right now haha. Let’s just say that when I come home I will be the most “sunkissed” person you will see!

Not much to report on Monday through Thursday… Just school work. We are learning a new dance in my Traditional Dance class called fume-fume. It is quite fun and leaves me completely drenched in sweat at the end of class. Also, I wasn’t sure if I mentioned this… I am on the International Student Hostel Swimming Team! I have been going for training about 3 times each week and we might have our first swim meet this coming week! We will see if it happens. But it has been good to prepare workouts and go and swim hard. I think this will be good triathlon prep for me!

On Friday it was another Muslim holiday so there was no school. I went to Jamestown, an area just outside of downtown Accra. It is a place to see the ocean, the lighthouse, and the jail! As we got to Jamestown you could see the fishing boats about 1 mile off the shore and the smell of fish was VERY strong. We got to talk to some men who were building a boat. The view from the lighthouse was amazing! A nice day trip to a new place.

Saturday was a very long but amazing day. I woke up early to help with the church cleaning and then I went with some ISEP friends to go to Shai Hills Resource Reserve about 30 miles outside of Accra. Shai Hills is one of Ghana’s national parks that has hiking trails and a place to see monkeys and ostriches. We decided to take the hike up to the bat cave and a lookout over the park. It wasn’t too hot and we even had some rain to cool us off. When we got to the hilltop, the view was absolutely incredible! It was just as I imagined Africa to be before I came here. It was a great day to be outside and spend some time enjoying Heavenly Father’s creations.

Today I was sustained in church as a primary teacher! I will be teaching the CTR A class, the kids ages 4-7. I went to join the class today and they are quite the rowdy group! I also helped play the piano in their singing time practice. Even though I will not be here for much longer, it is nice to have some responsibility in the ward and feel like I am contributing.

It has been a good week. Now to prepare for the week to come. Only two more weeks of school to go! I am trying to keep focused during the week on school so that I can do well on my exams and get the research done that I need to complete while I am here. But it is always nice to have a break and do something fun as well. I miss you all and hope you have a great Halloween! (A few of us Americans might dress up and walk around our hostel handing out candy to people hahaha!)

Blackout

Hello everyone! We have been out of power the last 12+hours... Not just on campus, but the areas of Legon, Madina, and Adenta. So now that we have electricity again, I can finally use my computer to post yet another blog. We have had problems with our running water and electricity going out this last week and it has made me very grateful for those things that I probably take for granted.

This week has been wonderful and busy! Monday night we had the Missionary Fireside for FHE. At this fireside, we invited many people from the surrounding wards to attend so that we could “kick-off” the missionary work beginning on the campus of University of Ghana in Legon! We had some of the senior couples come from the temple site as well as a member of the Accra Ghana Mission presidency. We had a great turnout (we could have had more non-members come) and I got to wear my new African-made dress!!!

I am continuing to make progress on my thesis and other school work. This has felt like a very easy semester compared to the ones that I have had in the past… Probably due to the fact that most of my classes are performance based and not academic based. My last semester at USU is going to be a wake-up call back to my insanely busy reality haha.

On Friday I went to the Art Center to purchase 2 more drums!!! I am going to get a djembe and a talking drum (also known as “dunno”). They should be ready next week so I can go and pick them up. I also purchased a gourd rattle and a metal double bell. All of these instruments are ones that I have been using in my classes and are an integral part of the research that I have been conducting. It will be interesting to see how I am going to get all of these drums home with me….

Saturday I went with my LDSSA group to do baptisms at the temple. Because I am endowed, I was asked to assist the females by helping them with towels as they came out of the font and then escorting them to the changing room. It was amazing to feel like a temple worker for a few hours! As I watched the baptisms taking place, I had such a comforting feeling come over me. I know that no matter what mistakes I make my sins can be washed away, just like when someone is baptized. We just need to repent and we can feel that cleansing power as we take the sacrament. Later that night I enjoyed an amazing concert of gospel music! The choir was so talented and they had such passion for what they were singing about.

Well that is about all for this week. Short and sweet. I am down to my last 3 weeks of classes and then the traveling and studying begins!!! Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Djembe Drums

Talking Drum - "Dunno"

Waiting at TroTro station to go to the temple

Attitude of Gratitude

This week’s blog is going to be different than all the others. I had a really rough week but instead of dwelling on those negative things, I am going to make a list of all of the amazing blessings that I have been given in the past few months. I think the best cure for my attitude is gratitude.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR…

·         My family has been so supportive of my decision to come to Africa.

·         Technology is so amazing! I get to skype with my family every Sunday.

·         I love the funny faces that Dad and I make when we are on skype. He always knows how to make me laugh!

·         My wonderful Mom is always there to help me when I need someone to talk to.

·         Mid-week texts from Sandi make me so happy!

·         I am able to attend church on Sundays and renew my covenants through the sacrament.

·         There is a temple so close to me so I can attend regularly.

·         I am a part of the amazing LDSSA group here on campus! They have become my family and my best friends here.

·         I have been given an opportunity that most people don’t have, to come and study in another country and do research.

·         Many scholarship opportunities made it possible for me to be here without going into major debt.

·         I had an amazing job this last summer at West Ridge Academy where I not only earned and saved money for study abroad, but I was able to have a positive influence on teenagers.

·         I have a comfortable place to live during my time here where I feel safe.

·         I have amazing musicians as my instructors who take the time to help me learn more about African drumming and music.

·         I HAVEN’T BEEN SICK WITH MALARIA YET!!! (very grateful for this haha)

·         I also have been able to skype with my good friends Melissa, Jill, and Aubree. Good times catching up on life!

·         I am a part of the most amazing group of ISEP students! We are all there to support each other on this life-changing experience of study abroad.

·         Specifically, some amazing people who are there for me every day:

·         Kristen – One of my first friends in ISEP! I think we could talk to each other for an entire day and never run out of things to say!! She is such a hard worker and is always reaching to achieve her goals.

·         Annie – My swimming partner! She pushes me to be a better swimmer and to work harder. She is a good listener and is an amazing example of love for everyone she meets.

·         Brooke – She is one of the most open-minded individuals that I have met. She helps me to see the positive in every situation and recognize the growth that it taking place in my life.

·         Rose – A fellow musician who is an incredible percussionist! She has such passion for what she is doing and also understands the important areas of life outside of music.   

·         Ernest – A friend who is truly concerned for my well-being and happiness. He will come all the way to campus to bring me food and make sure that I am doing alright.

·         Portia – What an amazing guitar student and Twi teacher! She has been such a good friend to me and she gives the best hugs. She also has made me delicious Ghanaian food!

·         Bertelsen – He has taken the time to get to know me past the superficial level. I am able to be myself without fear of judgment as we get to know one another. He helps me to remember the importance of laughter and smiling!

·         Daniel – He has a laugh and smile that is contagious! I always feel so happy and lighthearted when we are talking and it makes my stress disappear.

·         Sheilla – She calls me on her way to Institute to make sure that I am awake and ready to go! She also makes me laugh and has a bright smiling face at 5am.

·         Doris – My dear sweet friend at the night market. She is always happy to see me and lets me sit inside her booth when it is hot outside!

And most importantly, I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is my ultimate source of strength. He is there for me on days when I feel tired and discouraged. He is there for me when I feel complete happiness. He is there for me when I am confused and need direction. He is there to pick me up when I fall short. He is there to help me see my weaknesses and find the courage to do better. 

I AM TRULY BLESSED

The Land of Gold - Kumasi Adventure

It has been quite a week. I have tried to condense this post but it seemed like there were SO many things to write about.
So here you go…

On Thursday morning I was in charge of teaching our early Institute class. The topic for our lesson was “The Quorum of the First Presidency.” I read through the lesson several times to try to find the important parts that I knew we should discuss as a group. I was SO nervous standing up there in front of the other LDSSA members. I think that my style of teaching was a little different but I did my best to answer their questions. I think this was a great lesson for me to study more in-depth so that I could strengthen my testimony of the importance of the First Presidency. Especially with the conference weekend, it was good to study that lesson. Speaking of General Conference, I think this weekend is one where I felt home-sick for the time we spend as a family watching General Conference. I have been able to read a little about what has happened (particularly with the revelation given about the age for missionaries) but I can’t wait to watch the talks for myself! I know that Heavenly Father has given His authority to those called in the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and that they speak for Him. I am looking forward to hearing what council they have to give us.

This weekend everyone in our ISEP group traveled to Kumasi in the Asante region. Kumasi is the 2^nd largest city in Ghana and is embedded in a lush green forest of beautiful trees. We left early Friday morning and arrived at our first stop in the afternoon, the Asantehene  Menhyia Palace Museum. At this museum we learned about the history of the Asante people and their kings and kingdom. The Asante people are known most for their gold and their kente weaving. The Asante king is respected and honored throughout Ghana and has many people willing to fight and die to protect the “golden stool” that he sits on. The second place that we went on Friday was the Ghana National Cultural Center. At this center they had many different shops where you could find almost anything “African” that you wanted. We stayed at the Engineering Guest House on the university campus in Kumasi. It was a very nice place to stay and I even had warm water in my shower for about 3 whole minutes!!

Saturday we ventured to Bonwire, the kente weaving village. Kente is a very nice cloth that is made in about 2 areas in Ghana. The patterns can be simple or very intricate. I had fun choosing pieces of woven fabric and then bargaining with the seller in Twi! And the best thing is that if they do not agree on the price you want to pay, you simply tell them you will come back and you start walking away. Almost immediately they will call you back and sell it to you for your asking price. It is almost like a game of chicken haha. The next place we went to was Ntonso, the Adinkra cloth village. Here the people in the village make a dye for stamping Adinkra symbols onto pieces of fabric. Each symbol has a different meaning and it was fun to be able to stamp my own piece of fabric with the symbols that I chose. THEN we went to Ahwiaa, the wood carving village. There were SO many beautiful wood carvings and I used the same tactic as I did with the kente cloth… bargaining! If I was able to get them to reduce their original price by 50% then it was a pretty successful purchase. Too bad you can’t do that in America!   The last stop of the day was to largest market in Kumasi. We were all really tired by that point so we didn’t walk around the market too much, just looking at some fabrics. We were all exhausted by the end of our day but we had a lot of fun comparing gift purchases. Let’s just say that I think that I got my Christmas shopping taken care of on this trip! About half of our group left early this morning (6am) to return to Accra. There was hardly any traffic so we arrived back earlier than I expected! I had them drop me off in Medina on our way home and I was only 30 minutes late for church.

Once again, I had so many amazing opportunities to share about the LDS church with my peers and the directors of our exchange program. One guy in our program said to me, “You know Marti, you seem to thrive off of discussions about your church.” And it is SO TRUE! I really do love sharing about what I believe. I don’t want to leave any doubt in their minds that I love the church that I am a part of and that I do not shy away from talking about it. There will be a CES fireside on campus next Monday night and it is going to be the missionary kick-off for UG. I have heard that the mission president for the Accra Ghana mission will be attending and speaking! I hope that some of my friends will attend.

I am preparing for my test tomorrow in my Music of West and Central Africa class. I am not too worried about the test… But I think I am more worried about the fact that I am not worried haha! I know that the test will be 30 short answer questions and then 1 essay question. I hope all goes well. I wouldn’t want to get a bad grade in a class during my study abroad semester, that would just be lame!

This was the week that, for the first time, I did not feel like I was in a foreign place. I did not look out of the window of the bus and feel surprised to see people carrying things on their head, or seeing goats and chickens roaming freely on the street, or seeing laundry hanging on a line outside, or seeing little children playing games like soccer. In a way, Ghana feels like a home to me. I am having so many moments of self-discovery here that have helped me to broaden my scope for my future. Before I came here, I felt like I was not open to many aspects of diversity. I can now see myself looking for an internship somewhere new in America, maybe living away from Utah, traveling to more foreign countries, exploring the possibility of being in a relationship with someone who is NOT American, attending graduate school in another state/country. I am not saying that these things are necessarily going to happen for me, but I just feel like I am more open to them now than I ever have been in my life. Now that my eyes have been opened, there is no turning back.  

Thinking About the Future...

Happy October! The semester here at the University of Ghana is already half way over.

This week I felt rather productive! I finally turned in my USU Honors Thesis Formal Proposal and I have done a lot of groundwork for my upcoming thesis. I also turned in an application/proposal to be a presenter at the spring conference for the Western Region of American Music Therapy Association. I am hoping to be selected to present my research on African drumming. And I am also beginning to make a selective list for possible internship sites for after I graduate in May! Some of the internships require that you apply/audition about 6 months prior to beginning your internship so I thought I would start that selection process here. I have just been reading through the descriptions of the different internship sites and trying to decide what population(s) I want to work with. This is honestly going to be one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I think I also have a lot of anxiety about going to an internship because it will be the “first” time in my life when I have not been a full-time student (although as an intern, you really are a student haha). The idea of entering the “grown-up world” terrifies me but I know that it is something that I must do to move forward. I only hope and pray that I choose the right internship. I have not really felt any strong pull towards one particular population as of yet… But I know that an answer to my prayer will come.

This weekend I was part of the “African Ensembles” performance put on by the School of Performing Arts (SPA). There are concerts/performances just about every weekend to celebrate the 50^th year anniversary of SPA. I was part of a drumming ensemble where we played djembe rhythms. We all dressed in different African clothing and came out on to the stage singing “We want peace, We want love, We want peace, AFRICA, We want love.” Our ensemble leader, Johnson Kemeh (my drum teacher), was very energetic and made the performance a lot of fun for us. I had fun improvising on the djembe rhythms and I was even complimented by a few Ghanaian musicians on my drumming skills!

There were many aspects about the performance that were quite different from the typical American performance. For example… The show started 30-40 minutes late (typical Ghana Man Time). We were not informed about the order of the performances until about 10 minutes before we entered the stage. Our ensemble director decided to change some elements of our performance about 2 minutes before we entered the stage. Before the night of the event, we had only run through the entire piece about 1-2 times (each time changing from the previous one haha). After we concluded our piece, I sat down to listen to the other performances and all I could hear were some audience members in the back making fun of all of the participants of the piece. And it wasn’t just quiet whisperings… it was LOUD laughter and talking. Needless to say, I am glad that I participated in the program but I am also very glad that it is over.

That is about all for this last week. It rained a lot so I spent some of my days just listening to some music wrapped up in my blanket and drinking warm Milo, YUM! I hope everyone has a great week. Thank you for your love and support as I continue on my African adventure!