Rise and Shine

Every Thursday the house mothers bake bread for the week for all of the families. I decided that I would help out today. Ma Millicent told me it would be between 5:00 and 5:30am, I figured if it were on Ghana time it would be 5:30. When I dragged myself out of bed to show up at 5:30 they were finished molding the bread and it was in the "ovens." Only in Ghana would you be late when you show up at 5:30am. As I was walking out of my house, a group of women and girls came running and chanting by me. I had never been awake to see their morning exercises. Apparently they commence at 4:30am 4 days a week. I decided that I would have to join them for their next session, and then go back to bed afterward. ha ha. I don't understand why they feel the need to start everything so early in the morning! My American self can't help but wonder why not sleep in a few hours since they have hours of free time in the afternoon! I am also just fond of my sleep. When I told some of the kids I thought 4:30 was early they said some people get up at 3! I am going to have to start going to bed earlier. I was tired after doing morning washing with Ma Victoria and attending house devotions at the Traverse City house. By 8:30am I was ready for a nap!

I have been the only American here for two days now. It is hard to split my time between children. So many of them want my attention because there are no other Americans or groups here to play with them. I was the source of several fights today over who got to sit by me and who got to hold my hand, etc. I couldn't fit through the door from the kitchen to the living room in PrestonCrest Girls House tonight because too many little girls were holding on to me! I suppose it is a good problem to have.