July 9

I AM getting used to waking up on a beach and having breakfast alongside the ocean.

Today we went on a canopy walk through the rainforest. I had no idea what to expect. First, we climbed about a half-mile uphill and got the chance to see the beautiful wild life of Ghana. The view was breathtaking. As it started to rain my excitement soon turned to fear. The plank that we were walking across was only wide enough to hold one foot at a time!

Luckily I made it! Never would I have thought that I'd be walking between trees in an African Rainforest.

After we left the rainforest we made our way back to Cape Coast. On our way home we stopped at a Crocodile Restaurant. We got the chance to actually touch the crocodiles. It was definitely a risk since these animals weren’t trained at all, but it made for a great photo opportunity. Quite honestly there was nothing stopping that crocodile from biting my hand off but sheer will! I know my mother’s going to love reading this!

We then went back to Samuel’s village. There was a huge rainstorm the night before and a majority of the village flooded. Fortunately Samuel and his family found temporary shelter.

While walking around the village, we found a dressmaker. She measured us and then sewed us our very own tailored outfits. I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the clothing and the design. What do you think?

While we waited for our dresses, we got the chance to connect with the people. There, I led all the children in a Twi song called “Danasi” which I learned earlier that day. It was so great to see their reactions to a foreigner speaking their language and singing along with them. That is exactly why I love music. It has the power to connect individuals from all different walks of life.

I also met a young girl named Abiza. She was so smart and very kind. Today happened to be her birthday. She took me deeper within the village to her home to meet her family. It was unbelievable to see the conditions in which these people lived. Both of her parents, her three sisters, and her baby niece shared a home the size of the average American bedroom. I couldn’t even imagine living that way. The level of poverty here is really getting to me. I am too often guilty of complaining about inconsequential material things when there are billions of people around the world who don’t even have the basic necessities of life. Abiza loves to read and I cannot wait to return home and send her some books. Please let me know if you’re interested in donating anything as well. I was happy to leave the village that day with so many new brothers and sisters.

We ended our day with dinner at the beach resort. The group of us got into a somewhat intense discussion of religion, morals, and ethics. Although none of us can entirely agree on anything, we realize that we all have the same mission while we’re in Ghana: to learn as much as we can and to make a difference in the lives of the people we meet over these next few weeks.