Ammon:
at 10AM we went to the beach and me and Donne caught 3 crabs and a snake fish. Near the end of our beach time the waves near the shore was MASSIVE, and I had a lot of fun. Got to ride a horse too. The horse was sorta a slow horse and I did try to get it up to a trot. The tack (saddle, bridle) was makeshift and the stirrups were rope with a thin piece of metal at the bottom. Did get roasted because we didn’t reapply sunscreen. Had a nice screen time playing a Minecraft clone.
Pictures & Videos from Sept 19
LaReita:
It’s been 2 weeks since we have been able to talk to Sam because of the 8 hour time difference while we were in Kenya. Now that we are only 5 hours ahead, we were able to work it out that he called today 4am his time, 9am our time. He says AIT (Adavanced Individual Training) is easier than Basic Training. The hardest part is staying on track with nutrition. He does have a buddy who was in Fat Camp with him, and Basic Training, so they are keeping each other accountable. We got the details for his graduation day and family day, so we’ll be doing another trip in November (just 5 days max though!)
After our phone call, we packed a small backpack of snacks, towels, and took a taxi to a private beach. I hobbled down the boardwalk and towards bamboo bench in the sand. Propped up my foot, and watched Ammon, Dave, and Donne play in the water. Before Dave and Donne joined Ammon, I could see Ammon go further and further out and I was just seeing his head above the waves. He knows how to swim, but the undertow that can happen he doesn’t know about. A local lady in a swimsuit started heading out to Ammon, and Dave also started moving towards him to bring him back to safer depths. They played in the water for about 2 hours. I enjoyed my fresh coconut water and tried to be in the present moment and not on the phone answering messages. (Though I did have to call and talk with our Treasurer about a bank issue.) I alternated my foot being in the sand, and being propped. By the time we left, I could actually put some pressure on it. Hooray! (I’m taking the tincture every 2 hours.)
The best part of the beach experience was when a Ghanaian young man led a horse up to us and asked if anyone wanted to ride. This was a great teaching moment for Ammon. He rode a horse in Dubai. After the the Mara Game Drive he said, “I wish I had a portable horse that I could ride wherever I go.”
Well. Here in Ghana, a horse was delivered to him. On the beach! He spoke what he wanted. The power of intention. LifeStory.
I enjoyed seeing the makeshift saddle, bridle and stirrups – everything Ghana-style. Just make-do with what you have. The young man was impressed that Ammon knew how to ride. Though once again, Ammon got a tourist horse and it wouldn’t respond to his commands to trot!
As we were driving back from the beach another teaching moment about how to speak in the present-tense to create what you want to happen. “The water is flowing freely through the pipes at Becky’s house where we are currently staying.” A few hours later, water was flowing! (After much work by Donne to track down who/how to get it connect to the house.)
Dave and I spent the rest of the day back at the house doing finances, and Ammon happily alternated using dad’s phone and laptop.