Mail!!!! I got mail! I never knew I would be so excited about receiving a package filled with fun things - things that I don't need at all - but so many fun treasures and things that make me smile!  I got a package and two letters!!! Thanks so much for your thoughts and letters and pictures and treats!!!

I took the package of expanding sponge thingy-things to school and let the preschool kids watch them expand in the water! Then, we used them to make sponge paintings! They loved it! Aren't they cute?!

My sixth graders just finished these amazing Chinese dragon paintings! I thought they looked great in the hall!

All the kids made self portraits - but these "Henri Matisse, the Wild Beast" ones were my favorite! This is a fourth grade oil pastel self portrait - it actually looks like her!

One of the other teachers and myself have begun playing tennis on thursday nights.  It is great evening weather to play in here - it kind of cools off then!  The courts are decent - but there were bats flying over us the whole time.  I really don't think that you can see it in this picture - but there is a lady playing in the back right court -- with a fanny pack on -- amazing.

This Friday we all went out for one of the teacher's birthdays! We had a big group and a delicious dinner.

Then, we ALL piled into two cars for the ride back to the "palace" or one of the houses where teachers live for the most amazing ice cream birthday cake ever!

Saturday morning, we all went to brunch on the Ghana Christian College Campus.  Two of the teacher at AIS's husbands are professors there.  After our delicious brunch, we walked down the road to a bead factory - to see how they make the beautiful beads here.

It was so interesting - they are recycling - they break up different kinds of glass bottles and put the tiny pieces into molds and then put them into these mud ovens to melt back together.  It is so resourceful - they are making money off of "trash." Pretty cool.

It was really amazing - and they were making really beautiful beads.

Last night, we all went to "Chez Afrique" for dinner.  It is the best Ghanaian food I have had here! They had a band that was great - they played American music with a little African flare - including Ace of Base, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie....amazing.

A bunch of the teachers came to the house where I am staying to play "Killer Uno" - which I must teach you all when I get home - and eat chocolate chip cookies - again amazing.  The family I live with is wonderful.  Here they all are, with their newly adopted nephews!

Today we tried a new Ghanaian church - but it was kind of a flop.  We left before it was over because we couldn't really understand it and it was ALL prosperity gospel and not scriptural - we were late and missed the worship - which is what I REALLY want to experience at a true Ghanaian church a some point while I am here - so, I had my "church" on the roof later this afternoon!

Please say a prayer for me tonight - I am giving the devo at faculty meeting tomorrow - I always get a little nervous speaking in front of peers.  I don't know why I can't have the same confidence I do when speaking in front of a whole classroom of kids!  I was able to skype with so many people tonight - what a blessing! Love you all and hope to talk to you soon!