A New Adventure, the Last Days

Here it was...my last full day in Ramsbury and parts beyond, all in England. It's been a lovely holiday, but I miss "my people." I'm ready to go back home. I'm not ready to pack! I started the day with a new friend, Susan, and her dog Maisey. We walked along the river and talked, getting to know each other. (She had visited Lawra whilst I was in the US.) 

We went to see The Manor of Ramsbury. It is a huge building, a private residence, not open to the public. But, it was nice to imagine what it must be like inside.In the river were swans...all belonging to the Queen. It seems as if this is something in the history of the nation and has been law for hundreds of years. It is considered an act of treason if you kill a swan.

After our walk, we had coffee with friends and I visited my favorite Cafe' for brunch. Then, I had to walk "home" to pack. How would it all fit? No worries, it did fit. Later in the day, I went to dinner with friends before going into London. I was blessed to have a ride direct to the door of the B&B. I had an early morning flight, so I was staying near the airport this night. After checking in, I walked around a bit, enjoying the sights and hoping to get a good night's sleep.

Check in was very smooth. After I found my gate, I watched the sunrise as I waited for my flight. (The sun rises much earlier here this time of year.) Both flights went well, no problems. I arrived in Accra on time and had friends waiting for me. There was only one small problem. One of my suitcases didn't arrive. It was in Lisbon. I am ashamed to admit, I was not real happy and probably was not the best Christian witness. But, I did apologize the next day when I picked my bag. The people at the airport made the process of filling out the forms and collecting the luggage very easy and painless. I thank God that He had brought me safely home again!

A New Adventure, Day 1

My day started with the pilot saying, "Ladies and gentlemen. Good evening. We are experiencing a slight problem. The engines won't start. They are working on fixing the problem. We will keep you updated." Hmmm. I prayed, "Lord, let us be safe." After about 15 minutes we were told the problem had been solved and we would be leaving the gate soon. The rest of the travel went smoothly. In Lisbon, I got in line to go through passport check. Ooops! Wrong line. I switched to the "correct line." After a few minutes, I found out since I was going to Gate 41A, I could skip this line and join the line "over there." It was MUCH shorter! I got through passport control, found my gate and waited. I eventually boarded the plane for London Gatwick.

The flight was uneventful, praise God! Going through Immigration was painless. I even gave the Immigration Officer a "commercial" for Action Through Enterprise-ATE, an NGO that is based in Ramsbury and works in Lawra. Well, he was asking questions, so I answered them. He was impressed with the detailed address in Ramsbury that I gave him. Sarah and her father, Charles, met me at the airport and bought me morning coffee. Then, we began our drive to Ramsbury. The countryside is gorgeous! Green and lush! Oh, the temperature was quite lovely, too. I didn't sweat at all! On the way to Sarah's house, Actually to where her mother lives, we stopped at the ATE office for a moment. Then, on to the house. It was so good to see Pip again. The view out the windows are amazing! I could be happy just staying in the garden the entire time...if it was warm enough and not raining! I settled in and had a laid back afternoon, enjoying the hot running water. Then, Sarah took me on a motor tour of the area, stopping near the Garden Center to get the car washed. We had coffee at the Garden Center and I bought a fleece to wear at half price. Nice! I don't have many cool/cold weather clothes in Lawra! On the way back home, we saw Sara. It was so nice to connect up with her again. We stopped at her house, then walked with the dogs up to The Bell at Ramsbury, a local Pub. We all went in. All of us. Three humans and two dogs. It was normal. No one batted an eyelash! That is where I saw the painting of American presidents playing cards. Anyway, after a spell, we walked Sara home and went back to Pip's house. Sara would join us for dinner. Dinner was later than I usually eat, but it stays light outside a lot longer here than in Ghana. Even after we were finished, I couldn't go to bed. It was too early. It was light outside! So, I colored. It  was nice, very nice. When I did finally go to bed, aaahhh! The bed was amazingly comfortable. And, it was morning and it was evening, the first day!