All Photos by Tana Lopez and woveneye.com
Today is so exciting. The team leaves the US and will arrive tomorrow, Friday. Since this will be posted very late tonight, many of you will be reading this as the team arrives in Ghana, 9am US time. 16 people, 5 different states, many meeting for the first time.
We are very excited here. 
Many preparations have been made. It is a lot to prepare for 18 people, including Tana, the photographer, and myself. Plus, often we will have Mercia, Sophia, Vivian, Marian or other Ghanaians participating. We have made countless trips to many markets, walking for hours to find the best price on the items that we will need. In food alone, we have bought:
1 case sardines
1 case mackerel
20 cases of water 
200 pounds of rice
10 boxes of spaghetti
1 case of corned beef (it is the meat for the spaghetti)
50 pounds of onions
100 pounds of tomatoes
3 pounds of garlic
20 pounds of beans
20 gallons of oil
And that is just he beginning. There are bowl, bottles, soap, shirts and much more for the programs. But to see the faces of the children makes it seem like so little.
As I met with Archbishop Justice O. Akrofi on Tuesday, he told me several stories of how he has watched the lives of children be changed because someone took the time to be with them and let them know they are loved. He is excited that this team has chosen to come and be with people and not just send money.
I would like to share what Marjie wrote to the teams traveling tonight:
Tomorrow is the day to begin our journey in so many ways:
Some of us will meet each other for the first time;
Some of us will travel outside the country for the first time;
Some of us will travel on a plane for the first time;
Some of us will be away without our families for the first time;
Some of us will work with children for the first time;
Most of us will grow spiritually and emotionally.
All of us will be supported by each other and our Ghanaian partners;
All of us will be changed by this experience in some way;
All of us will change others because of this experience.
So, welcome the new experiences and grow from them.
We will be serving God and his people. What better way could we spend 12 days out of our lives!
Anna, Becki+, Bruce, Jackie, Ian, Marjie, Meaghan, Michelle, November, Paige, Sarah H., Sarah R., Scott, Stephanie, Sue and Zach, Ghanaian Mothers’ Hope Team Summer 2011, Akwaaba, we welcome you. Keep scrolling to see the team. – Their picture will be posted by 11 pm. Thursday. (it is 8 pm her and only 4 pm US)
Here are a few things they will see.
Our hotel
Cloth. Yes, Obama cloth comes in many colors.
We met these Chiefs from the Volta region having dinner at Chicken Republic-KFC with rice or fries.
Joshua, Godwin and Comfort. Joshua is Mercia and Victor’s son and Comfort now lives with them (see post from last Friday).
Will your picture be here next year?
Ghanaian Mothers' Hope 