"This is not America..."

Let me begin this post by finishing the quote in the title... "This is not America. This is Ghana. Don't bring your American customs here." This was yelled at us by the angry police officer when good ole Matty boy decided it would be a good idea to say "In America this is how we do it" to the police officer who had pulled us over due to having to many people in one taxi (1 in the front seat and 4 in the back = if your keeping count that is 5 obrunies in 1 car the size of a geo)...[FYI -> Obruni=white person]... I am going to say that because of the 4 BEAUTIFUL women in the backseat we were able to get off with a warning :) This experience should have been an omen for how the day would end... The taxi took us to the central market, we got out, gave him 2 extra credis because we probably gave him a heart attack from being pulled by the cops, and walked down into the market. I have never seen so many colors and smelt so many amazing and not so amazing smells in my life. There were so many people that we had to walk down the narrow ailes holding on to one another. Lauren said," If we hold onto one another they can't break us." I am going to let this be something I always remember in Ghana. If we hold on to each other as a team and work together, we can't be broken! The team that sweats together stays together ;) haha right guys??
Anyway, back to the market...we were on a mission to buy fabric so we could get Ghanaian outfits made! And let me tell you when we finally found the fabric aisle (thats to the right of the Weave/Hair aisle and before the smelly fish aisle, you do not want to get lost there!!) I was amazed at the beautiful fabrics in front of us. I got 3 different pattern types and mom if you are reading this they are VERY COLORFUL!!:) After the fabric we got beads. we then pushed and pulled our way out of the market and grabbed a taxi to get lunch at Big Daddy's (Best Jollof rice ever)and head to the children's home.
The children's home was my high and my low of the day. As soon as we got there we went and put our bags (my camera was in my bag closed up...this is important to note.) on top of the cabinets in the little children's area where some of the older women who take care of the children are close by. We spent the afternoon playing with the kids! It was amazing. They are so loving and they just want to be held and played with. Whitney has fallen in love with a little baby boy and everytime she puts him down or hands him to someone else he cries until she comes back. It is the sweetest thing ever. Let me tell you about a little boy named Nemo. He is so full of life and has the biggest smile I have ever seen. I think he is about 4 or 5 yrs old. I love this kid yall! We danced around the halls and played with a ballon and had the most amazing time. When we had to leave he asked me to take him with me. But I told him I couldn't but that I would be back tomorrow. I also got to play soccer with some kids and let me tell you they are total ballers!! I mean they play with a flat ball and flip flops and the schooled me the whole time!! I loved it, haha!! Well, it was time to call it a day at the children's home and head back for dinner so we went to grab out stuff. I grabbed my bag and noticed my camera was GONE!! We looked and looked and it was no where to be found. We think a little boy took it and we hope that when we go back today they will have found it. I am trusting that God knows more than I do about this whole situation and if he is in control of it then I have nothing to worry about. Please be praying that someone turns in my camera...its gonna kinda be a bummer if I don't have any pictures from my trip.
We decided to head home and find the camera/hope someone turns it in today when we go back. When we got back to the host families house Elliot and Lauren were sitting on his luggage outside the gate. Uh oh, bad news... they had been there an hour and our host family was not there. We thought well thats ok, they will be home soon. Uh oh again, it's getting dark and no one has DEET!! [That is what keeps the mosquitos from biting you and giving you malaria] Good news is that Emma said,"Don't worry, they are really good at treating Malaria here now!" haha well that is sure a relief...hahaha
Lauren and I wrapped up in the cloth we had bought that day at the market, while all the children in the neighborhood were holding onto Elliot and Whitney and asking them to take photos and play soccer. Brother Ben finally arrived and saved us from malaria!! Yay!! We decided to take a chill night and relax.

I decided that today AWA(Africa Wins Again)!! But Joy comes in the morning light ;)
Well that is all the time I have for today, but I love yall and I miss you! Keep praying for me and the team (by the way they are so amazing, I am truly blessed by each and everyone of them) and that I would get my camera back.

-Akwea