Cape Coast and Illness...

Hi everyone!!

Hold your horses, I have so much to catch you up on!!

We went to Cape Coast last week Friday-Saturday (a town right on the ocean). Friday we went to Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle (both are slave castles where slaves were kept for months before getting on slave ships to the Americas) followed by some cloudy time at a beautiful beach called Brenu Beach. The beach was relaxing and a good place to reflect. The whole time I was at the slave castles, I wanted my parents to be there with me. It was so powerful being there, standing on the dungeon floors where people suffered worse than I can even imagine and many died. To think the smell of misery (months of hundreds of people's bodily waste and tears) is still in the floors. So many questions/feelings/thoughts ran through my head all day. I felt small and almost crippled by the realities of history that day. In both castles, there is a CHURCH directly above the dungeons where human beings were moaning and weeping...just unbelievable. I also was struck by the dichotomy of how thecastles are in such a beautiful place. Standing nearthe canons in the castle the ocean, the breeze, the bright sun, the
castle itself is gorgeous...and below my feet such horror took place. Ah, I just can't shake that off. And I shouldn't. I just wish everyone from home could have stood there, heard what I heard, learned what I learned, and seen what I saw. It was pretty cool to know that Obama and Michelle were here a few months ago too :)

Saturday, we went on the Kakum canopy walk. It is a walk on metal/rope walk ways 120 feet above the ground through a canopy. I wish it had been longer but it was beautiful. The forest reminded me of Ecuadorian jungle. Later in the afternoon we went to the Fetu festival in Cape Coast. There were a gazillion people watching and participating in a big parade. I kept thinking "this is like the 4th of July on crack!" The people and the energy and the colors took my breath away--I took a lot of pictures I'm really proud of. I'll try to attach a few...I don't know if it will work though...

Sunday we went to a football (soccer) game here in Accra. It was so high energy and colorful too. Like so many things here :) Ah! I had so much Ghana pride. The Ghana Black Stars (referencing the flag) beat Sudan in the Qualifier Match for the World Cup next year. YAY!

So...for the illness...
I was in the local clinic Tuesday morning around 6am after what I like to call "the night from hell." All of a sudden around 11:30pm Monday night I felt funny...then I felt awful. And spend the entire night in the bathroom in dear old ISH2. Literally, I was on the toilet with diarrhea and a puke bucket in front of me from midnight until 6am. Sorry for the gruesome details, but I figured I'd just tell it like it is. Oh, I should mention too that I have not thrown up in ten years...so doing it by myself and not even remembering how awful it really feels was not my idea of fun! Finally Professor Hugen took me to the clinic. I had blood/stool/urine tests done and it ends up I had a really severe infection. Bacteria and amoeba all over my tummy--probably from food, said the very nice doctor who was the only good part about that morning. He prescribed me a couple antibiotics (which for the last few days have made my mouth taste like metal...yuck!) but I didn't have to stay in the clinic which is good. It is now Thursday night and I am finally perking up!

Funny part (ok, not funny) about that story is that when I got home from the clinic, I heard that Grace DeBoer (from our Calvin group) had been throwing up some of the night too...though we never crossed paths in the bathroom. I did switch bathrooms a few times so apparently we
just missed each other. But, she basically had the exact same thing as me. Miranda DeVries (another from the group) had also gotten really bad diarrhea in the early morning and Anica Jeremie (yet another from the group) was starting to feel really awful (and eventually had
diarreah/vomitting just as bad as the rest of us). We thought that was strange...because we are all really good friends. We finally figured out that the common food we ate was from some of the nicest restaurants around: We had gone out for dinner together on Sunday night (after the Football game) to Papaye (cheeseburgers!!--yes, I, the vegetarian, fully enjoyed my cheeseburger) in Osu and had very expensive ice cream at Frankie's afterwards. We finally pieced it all together when I got to my room and learned that my roommate Genevieve threw up right after I left for the clinic. She, too, had gone to Frankie's after the game. Her sister (who lives somewhere else) was also sick and had gone to Frankie's. So, in conclusion, Genevieve is calling a radio station because she said it is the most effective way for people to find out
things like this. And we are all so mad because that chocolate/vanilla twist ice cream cone was the best thing I've ever tasted!!! It's a good thing I don't (and hopefully never will) associate ice cream with illness.

So, Tuesday was spent in my room with all four of the "sickies" and "nurse" Rachel Victor (a girl from our group who is a woman of God for taking care of us all day). Everyone else's roommates were cooking food that made us all want to puke (and some of us did) and my roommate was home since she was sick too. So my room was the hospital for the day (and Wednesday too since we all could still barely move...so achy!!). We are all much better today (Thursday), finally eating/drinking comfortably again. It's really strange to think that I would be able to fit everything I have eaten/drank in 2 days in a quart sized bag...

This experience, though I would wish it on no one, really brought our little group together. I am so glad it happened with the girls I did. We were closest to each other before this, but now, after taking care of each other--being each other's family when our own families weren't there--is a gift from God. I miss my parents a lot right now. I've talked to them a fair amount over the past few days, and there are so many moments I wish they were here with me (like when I'm puking and crying...lol). My mom has been a God-send the last few days. She has basically been our doctor from afar: giving us good advice, researching meds, and telling us what to take and eat. She took a lot of time out of her day to help us. She has seriously been such a comfort and support--those of you that know her know how wonderful she is. I LOVE HER! The other girls told their parents how helpful my mom has been. Grace's mom asked where my mom lives so she could go hug her! Uh, I'm so blessed. Thanks mommy (and daddy for supporting me too and marrying her).

It was realllllllly nice to only have 2 days of class (that I actually went to) this week though. We only one day of class next week too. Welcome to the good life huh? We go to Akropong for the Odwira Festival on Tuesday until Saturday. Should be really good.

OH!!! I GOT MY DRUM TODAY! I ordered it last week from the Drum Master who is our instructor. I feel like I'm really getting the whole djembe thing down. WOO! Miranda DeVries (who also got a drum today) and I like to jam on tables and our thighs to keep the rhythms in our heads all week!

So, to conclude:
1. I have a little family here in Ghana. I am forever grateful for their love, company, and servant hearts. Chelsea greets us often (in her cute little voice) with out-stretched arms "Family!"
2. I miss my family at home.
3. I can't believe I've already been here 1/4 of our time!!! AH! Some days I never want to leave. Other days I miss people and Easy Mac but I'll give up the Easy Mac and have everyone just come here instead. Ok? Ok. Now go buy your tickets.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU PICTURES. BUT INTERNET IS SO POOPY THAT I NEVER CANNNNNNN. GR!

Love (a much healthier than 2 days ago),

Annica