Kindness

I've thought a lot about kindenss lately.
  
The other day I met a girl about my age at an outreach event in Koforidua. Her name is Deborah Mensah. I'm not even sure how we got talking but by the end of the conversation we were friends enough for her to invite me to stay at her house in Accra on Monday- since we were going to be there to pick something up and then we wouldn't have to get a hotel. I only trust a few people right away but I felt good about her. Long story short Lydia and I stayed in the Mensah home for a night and they were nothing but kind. They cooked for us, provided a bed and water, internet, payed for our taxi rides, and even gave us loads of African fabrics. Why? I don't know. They were just being kind I guess.

Its hard to believe that someone would do so much for you and expect nothing in return. It made me really rethink all of the times I have ever tried to be kind and expected nothing in return. Was I really just trying to be kind? I hope I was.

In a world run by money it's interesting to think that kindness is not a currency. You don't give it to someone as a loan. There are no deals or guarantees. The exchange is infinite.
You give kindness to someone and they may never give it back to you but then someone completely unrelated may give you more in return- and then you may never pay them back for that but just hope someone, somewhere else, does. It's a big circle.
It's still hard not to feel in debt but I guess that's because we always are. We are in debt to everyone, and anyone, who has ever been kind to anyone in this world and more importantly we are in debt to Christ- who has given endless kindness to everyone.

It's amazing when you find someone who knows this. Who is just kind to be kind. But nothing really goes unreturned anyway. Everything I have ever done kind has been given back to me times 10. I know Heavenly Father wil bless all of the people here in Ghana that have been so kind to me and my sister. He will give them what I can't in return. A thank you never feels like enough.

You'll never regret being kind to someone.
The old saying still goes, "what goes around comes around."

The Best Moments Are Never Captured by Cameras

Carrying a camera around to try to capture all of  the great moments is just too difficult.
A camera never captures a sunset quite right or the green of the jungle...and it certainly doesnt capture the feeling behind holding a child in your arms and feeling like for a moment you can forget all the sadness you've ever felt and hopefully they can too.
You can't capture the fact that ever step I take is to the beat of drums in the school yard or music playing down the street.
And it certaintly can never see just how bright one of the boy's smile is after he just scored a goal in soccer.
All of these moments are too beautiful to capture on film, they are never the same. These are the moments that make everything worth it, they happen spontaneously and unposed, they are the moments that you try to capture in your mind and keep in your heart forever.
So I may not have many amazing photos to show but just believe me, it's amazing here.

TMI

Warning- sometimes I can be a bit like my Aunt DeAnn and give a little bit too much information but I have to write about the true good things in life...

1. I love the "free pee" (yes that's the name I've given it). I love that in certian parts of Africa- like the orphanage I'm staying at- you can just walk behind the house or into the forest and pee. Ya, as a guy I know this isn't anything really special but to me it's great! What makes it even better is the fact that it's the alternative to the one outhouse we have that currently has maggots crawling all over the seat of the "toilet".

2. I love bucket showers and they just happen to be our only option! If you ever get the chance I highly recommend that you have the following life experience:
Step 1: Go to Africa (I'm pretty sure any country will do)
Step 2: Pump water from a well into a bucket
Step 3: Carry the bucket of water to your outdoor location (must have no roof) and spill the water all over your clothes on the way because your a wimp. optional: have an African child 2x smaller than you see you struggling and come carry the bucket the rest of the way for you- on her head. (so strong!)
Step 4: Once you've gone behind the cement wall, remove all clothing and begin to dump buckets of water on your head- and try not to miss.
Step 5: Notice that the sky is turning dark and decide not to care, in-fact rejoice in this blessing and continue washing.
 
What happened next is that the sky suddenly turned a dark gray and it began to pour rain. This is not some Utah showers, this is African jungle rain!
While all of the kids and other volunteers rain inside I stood there butt naked and smiled so big. It was freezing cold and the rain drops made me gasp for air but it was beautiful! I swear it was such a bitter downpour that I could see my breath for a second- but it was those deep breaths, that I had to take, that made the whole experiecne so exhilerating- and refreshing.
The storm kept my bucket full of water and I stayed out there until the storm ended. I have never felt so clean, so free! Naked, showering in the rain, in Africa! There's something so liberating about that.

Go ahead, try it for yourself.

''We might be best friends but he still tries not to smile when he sees me...''

At the orphanage/school we are constantly surrounded by a million little kids pulling us every direction.

Yesterday, I had two little girls tugging at my hair- trying to put it into braids, Theo at my side talking in my ear, and another girl drawing a huge tattoo on my arm in blue marker. All the while I'm cringing and saying, ''Ok, ok be soft with Obruni* hair, and Theo stop being so sassy.'' (Oh by the way Theo is the most darling/sassy little boy ever, I liked him instantly... we might be best friends but he still tries not to smile when he sees me.)

Some of the kids can be so naughty. Today I came out of the house with my water bottle and all the school children surrounded me asking for water. It might seem cruel but I said ''no'' because I just saw them drink water at school lunch five minutes ago and they only wanted MY water because it was in a green bottle that they have some sort of fascination with.  I kept telling them ''No'' but they were relentless. We compromised when I told them to get their water bottle out and I'd fill it with my water. This satisfied them and me for a moment since they immediately ran away. But you know what they did?
First, all the boys gathered around fighting for the bottle and then the one that got it ran straight to an innocent bystander, eating his lunch, and poured it on his head! You can imagine my my reaction. They got a word or two from me.
Anyway... it's great here, most the time. Really good growing experience for sure, hopefully it helps me with my future mothering skills.

*white person

That's Theo pulling at my hair 

Welcome to an Abby Evans Adventure

To those of you who know me best I kind of just like to go with the flow on adventures that I plan... This makes it easy for my adventures to be classified as more.. interesting than some. But they always make for great stories and you know how I love telling stories.

So Lydia and I got lost in New York for four days. How? Well its called me being really really dumb.

Lesson Number 1: ALWAYS READ THE DIRECTIONS

With all my experience traveling to other African countries (and all the other countries I've ever traveled to in the world) I have always been able to get a visa when I enter the country but for some reason Ghana is different and I didn't read that part.
We traveled all the way to New York City and were just about to get on our flight and the airline people were checking our passports once again and just barely decided to inform me that I couldn't get onto the plane because I don't have a visa. You could imagine my face, WHAT!
Luckily there was a nice African man (Abdul) working with Delta who had sympathy for us and took us under his wing. He did way more for us than his job required of him! He is a true true friend and reminds me of how many good and kind people there are in the world.
He told us about how we could get a visa now that we were already in New York. He said there were two options: the first, and best one, was to call someone we know in Ghana to get us one at the airport and fax it over the next day and the next one was to wait until the weekend was over and go into the Ghana Consulate office to apply for one and wait for it to come in.
I tired the first option immediately by calling all of my Ghanian friends. They were so great. I'm so grateful top them but it ended up not working out.
So Lydia had to stay three nights in a hotel Abdul got for us from Delta (since it was partly their fault) and we traveled around New York City- making it up as we went. We lived out of our carry ons for 4 days and was glad for our extra pair of clothes.
On Monday we went into the consulate office and waited in a very unorganized line for our Visa approval. They mae us come back three different times for small reasons like stapling something together. I could hardly breathe while the Ghanian lady looked through our stuff for a final time. She finally approved us and said with rush it would be here maybe Wednesday. I talked to her (sweetened her up a bit) and she said she would call me if it maybe could be done by tomorrow. I thanked her but didn't bet on it happening.
The next day she called an hour before the office closed and said get here by three and will have your visa for you. Problem was it was an hour and a half shuttle, subway, and walking journey into the middle of New York City. We made a quick decision to pay extra and get a taxi and told him to drive as quickly as possible. (still a 45 minute drive without traffic)
The entire ride my body was so tense, I could hardly breathe. We made it all the way into the city but got stuck in traffic a half a mile away so we jumped out of the taxi and RAN barefoot through the crowded streets up to the consulate office. We made it just in time but my hands were shaking afterward. We were on a flight that night thanks to Abdul.
Here in Ghana living at an orphanage. Amazing people, good experiences.

Lesson Number 2: There are ALWAYS nice people, no matter where you go

(dont have time to edit hope this makes sense!)

Leaving Today

Today my sister and I leave for Ghana. Wow, how is it already here? I feel like I have been planning this trip with my sister for years!

I am really excited to get to visit a new country! It's crazy how many people from Ghana I have met in the past year. (shout out to you my friends!) They have made me even more excited about this trip and I can't wait to visit "the best country on earth" (so I've been told) and meet more great people like them.


It's crazy to think this will be my 4th visit to Africa. I've kind of just made a habit out of it I guess... but it just feels like such a huge part of me. I can't even describe how much these adventures have impacted my life. The people I've met have forever found a place in my heart and I know things that have changed me for the better. I honestly believe I have learned more in Africa for the six months, or so, I've been there than I have in the past three years of college.


For those who have been asking how to best keep up with the trip- this blog will hopefully be the way. From what I've been told, I won't have much electricity or internet access where I'm living but I will still try to update this as much as possible.

Wish Lydia and I luck! Pray for us.
Thank you everybody for all of your support and interest in my journeys to Africa. See you soon!

My First Kiss

Remembering this great moment in Ethiopia:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=152775977653&l=2855891958668809886
Missing Africa, can't wait!

My Other Blog:

Just in case you want to hear more random thoughts that come to my mind: http://thoughtsaboutlifebyabby.blogspot.com/

I had to make this blog for a class but I liked writing about my random thoughts- so I think I'll keep writing on it in the future.

Just thought I'd post the link.

Thanks for reading! Love you all

Survey for My Class

Super short, please respond honestly: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fH8zZJysF6j9rO5VPhxEfQBs2o_cZ0wDthmY8iviYqQ/viewform

Imma Be Ghana With the Wind

Sorry about the cheesy title but thank you to Uncle Richard for that one...
So, you guessed it. I'm going back. This time though with someone very special to me, my little sister Lydia.

I can remember exactly the moment I thought about how much I wanted my little sister with me in Africa. It was 2009 and I was sitting in a taxi driving through Ethiopia. All around me was grasslands and a few sparse umbrella trees. Every once in a while we'd pass a school full of little kids who would start chasing us down the road waving. (quite a sight- a van full of white people) Everyone was sleeping since it had been a long drive but I was just looking out the window and thinking about how beautiful this world is and how I couldn't believe I was here, in Africa, the most beautiful place I'd ever seen... I couldn't help but feel guilty that my family was back at home and not experiencing this adventure with me but the person I wanted most there with me was Lydia. I couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted to show her this place and let her meet these amazing people I was meeting.
I missed her, a lot, and at the time that was weird... because I was 17 and she was 13 and we were, you know, going through those years of not having much to do with each other. But I wanted her there with me.
Since then, I've tired every year to get her to come with me but she was young and didn't want to go (and I think I was a little over eager). It wasn't until this last year that she actually started expressing interest in going to Africa with me. When I first heard that she wanted go I tired to play it cool, "don't scare the poor teenager away by acting too excited" I thought, "I'm finally cool enough to travel with!"
I was so excited that I starting researching and planning our trip right away.
Now, my little sisters not so little and will be 18 by the time were in Ghana. I can't wait to live with her there and experience a great adventure together this summer. She'll be forced to hang out with me ahaha (evil laugh). But really, I can't wait. Hope she's as excited as I am.

I love you Lydia. Thanks for joining in my crazy adventures and for associating with your weird older sister.