final 48

woah hey. ok. so it's monday.. the last one. the day after tomorrow i get on a plane and head for home. wow. it's hard to believe the time went so quickly.. it almost feels like i've got a firm footing here.. and now it's time to leave. but i'm so excited to get home and share the things that happened and pictures and presents (!!) with everyone.
the weekend was sweet- anita and nat and i headed into accra on saturday and saw cool 'capital city' type things.. independence park, the parliment building, etc. it was a great day just walking around and taking pictures and taking in 'downtown' accra one last time. yesterday anita and i went beach-side for an afternoon of relaxing in the sand :) it was so nice just to sit and listen to the waves and soak up some sun. it was not nice to have to tell people every could minutes that we did not want what they were selling, we did not want to go to a party with them, and we did not want to marry them.
ladies i tell you what. my purity ring saved me more times than i can count. not only is it a beautiful symbol of keeping ourselves pure until we're married, but you can hold up your left hand (should you wear it there like i do) and tell creepy african men that you really would like to come to the beach party where they'll probably put somethin in your drink and then goodness only knows what (seriously.).. but you can't go because you're married. but other than unwanted attention it was great. :)

today i'm back at the office- just today and tomorrow left- and tomorrow i think i might ask to take a half-ish day to finish packing and get things done at home.. depending on whethr i get laundry done tonight or not. both water tanks are empty- so there's no water- which impeded my ability to do laundry yesterday as i had planned.. but no matter. today is just as good. i'm kind of half packed.. just have to add the laundry. i have a bag of a couple pairs or shoes and some clothes that i'm throwing away.. africa has kind of destroyed them.. haha. so that freed up some room for all the stuff i bought :) and admittedly- i waited until the night before i left to pack when i was coming (i know ok. i know.), so with some more planning/packing time things should fit a little better.

tomorrow i'll go and pick up my second dress :) :) must find places at home to wear them. must. and then it's time for goodbyes at the office.. only 2 more episodes of 'second chance' to watch.. what will i do without salvador in my life?!? but wait. dont' be sad.. i found it on the internet.. so i can watch from home. haha.. i go to africa and come back addicted to a telenovela. lovely. then one last night in ghana- gotta get up early wednesday morning. we have to leave the house by 7am, i have to be checked in to the airport by 8, and then my flight leaves at 10:10am. i hit JFK at 5:29pm (9:29pm ghana time.. ew 11 hour flight.) and then jump a connection to pittsburgh at 9:20, landing in good old PA at 11:34 pm (3:34am ghana time. unfortunate.) and i'm sure at that point all i'll want to do is sleep.. and all my mom will want to do is ask questions.
but. i have a plan. shortly after lunch on the ACC/JFK flight i will take 2 advil pm... and sleep the rest of the way. ghana to america in no time flat. yesssssss. i dont have any nyquil or i would take that.. but i think the advil will do. the more sleeping that occurs the better.

with a shudder i realized that we move back into school a week from today. it's a weird thought that in 7 days i'll be moving into my dorm.. but i'm still in africa. well.. i'm not entirely sure i'll have time (and you and i both know i'll probably forget anyways) to write tomorrow, so i guess this the official sign-off from accra. i've learned more than i ever thought i would.. and i've probably grown and changd more than i realize. i continue to thank God for this summer- for the amazing opportunity that i've had to see somewhere completely different from my small world and for the chance to grow closer to Him through everything. God's pretty awesome.

echiri everyone. :)

great is your faithfulness oh God
you wrestle with the sinner's heart
you lead us by still waters into mercy
and nothing can keep us apart.

great is your love and justice God
you use the weak to lead the strong
you lead us in the song of your salvation
and all your people sing along.

your grace is enough, your grace is enough
your grace is enough, heaven reaching down to us
your grace is enough, i'm covered in your love
your grace is enough for me.