details in the fabric

title being the current song rocking through my earbuds. thanks to mr.mraz for this wonderful song.

well. i suppose a more appropriate title would have been SHOPPING! because that's what i did this weekend, much to my delight. mavis and i braved the Accra market- the largest market in Accra and Osu, which is another district in Accra for some quality african finds.
and oh we found them.
the accra market is crazy. there are so many people.. you have to be aggressive to make it through. if the person coming at you the opposite way senses the slightest hesitation.. you're done for. shops selling everything imaginable lined the streets where taxis and trotros fly by. and if you turn off the main drag there are these little alleys that barely fit 2 people with more shops. walking along to cries of "hey obroni!" (obroni = white person).. it was quite the experience.
first i bought fabric for my dresses- i decided on this two-toned olive-ish one that has a gold dot design in it and a deep purple one that has a diamond design in white, black, gold, and light purple dots. i should have the finished products by the end of the week- in tie to wear to church on sunday :)
i also bought these sweet beads that everyone wears here... the woman selling them gave me a free one because i bought so many.. haha. along with the beads i got beautiful kente scarves. kente is the traditional fabric that clothing was made out of. it's handwoven and takes a long time, so it's a little more expensive than most fabric. but it's beautiful- lots of traditional african patterns and colors.
THEN. then. then.
i was headed towards another fabric stand and what was in the tent next to it caught my eye. masks. hand carved traditional african masks. they're so incredibly beautiful.. they have beautiful carvings and raised copper designs on them- definitely got 4. can't wait to hang a couple in my dorm :)

saturday night i learned how to make ghanaian food- banku, fufu, grounnut soup, and waache- and i wrote it all down this time. i showed sandra how to make pancakes, and then we cooked ghanaian food for franklin's friends who came over for dinner. after that we watched spiderman 3 and letters from iwo jima.. and then it was muy muy late and i definitely went to bed.

having been here for a while now i can see the ways that God has used this summer to shape and mold me. i can see His hand in getting me here, and even more in sustaining me in a completely new place. as my departure gets closer i can see more and more how God is preparing me for the year ahead- what a blessing.. to find quiet in my heart, even in the middle of butterflies at the thought of senior year. and it's funny because the ways i've changed and grown are not the ways i was expecting to- surprise. the adoption agency means more to me than i ever thought it would. all i can think about is what an incredible witness it will be. what a way to show the love of Christ to women in Accra.
of course there have been hard lessons learned, but i wouldn't trade this summer for anything. i'm so excited to see what God has in store for the rest of my time here.. and how He uses what i've learned when i go back home.
i'll leave you for tonight with Daniel 3:13-18.

Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."