A lot of updates...

Sorry for taking so long to update our blog! We have a lot of new developments to share!

With a mere 5 weeks of business school remaining, our thoughts are increasingly turning to Ghana and the terrific mission opportunity that awaits us. We continue planning for our trip and will purchase our plane tickets early next week! We’re working on remaining “to-do’s,” like getting our Yellow Fever shots and heavy duty insect repellant, and figuring out what clothes we need to bring.

We’re also trying to learn as much as we can about Ghana through reading several books and hosting two Ghanaian business school students for dinner at our home next week. They’re going to make a traditional Ghanaian dish called fufu , a porridge made from boiled cassava and unripe plantains. We have heard it’s delicious! This will be such a great opportunity to get a first-hand perspective on Ghana and hopefully make some contacts before we travel.

Some disappointing news: Unfortunately, Rob and Malissa Albright will not be joining us. Like so many of our business school friends, Rob and Malissa’s job situation is uncertain, so traveling to Africa is not a possibility. While we are saddened to not have their company, we absolutely understand and will keep them in our prayers. We also know that this trip is just a first step and that there will be future opportunities for us to do mission work together.

Some exciting news: We are very blessed to have our Intervarsity mission advisor, Dave Ivaska, join us for the first week of our trip. Dave has worked closely with our sponsors, Femi and Affi, and will be a huge help in smoothing our transition. Dave is also a chaplain at Northwestern University and we look forward to his continued spiritual guidance. We enjoyed a great dinner at Dave's home a couple weeks ago and began working through our mission workbook. There were some very helpful exercises around embracing cultural differences and practicing patience that we’re trying to take to heart.

We greatly appreciate your ongoing support and contributions! We have received $5,716 in contributions to date. This leaves us with $2,284 to raise during the next nine weeks. Please let us know if you are interested in contributing toward this mission opportunity.