I spent August 28, 2015 riding a trotro on a highway with seriously deep potholes, surrounded by tropical rainforest, passing roadside vendors and women balancing impressively large loads on their heads, on my way to Koforidua, Ghana, Africa.

I spent August 28, 2005 (exactly 10 years ago) in Flagler, Colorado, United States, becoming a baptized believer of Jesus Christ.

The transformation that has taken place in my life during those 10 years is one that can only be attributed to a God who redeems and loves. I cannot remember my exact perception of God on the day I was baptized, but I know that as each season of my life passes, I gain new understanding of who God is. Every relationship, adventure, hard time, good time, excitement and frustration I experience grants me another glimpse of God at work in my life. My prayer is that I never stop trying to know God better. I could live a million years and never come close to realizing the depth of His love for me – but as long as I am striving to do just that, my life will be better for it.

Lately, the theme of life’s lessons has been clear: I am not in control!

This lesson started before we ever arrived in Ghana. Kyler and I assumed that we would know our village placement many months before we actually did. We also had a last-minute change of plans for Kyler’s living/working situation during our first month in Ghana (while I was training).

There was more than one instance when our frustration over this bubbled up to the surface and we ended up having some I-am-mad-at-the-situation-but-not-at-you arguments. Thankfully, we were able to see the big picture and decided, together, that it did not matter if we knew exactly where or when we were going. What mattered was that we put our trust in a God who works for the good of those who love him [Romans 8:28]. One of my favorite sayings is “grow wherever you are planted,” and that is exactly what we intend to do.

Since we’ve been in Ghana, we’ve also come to realize that we are not in control of…

…the electricity. Sometimes it is on…sometimes it is off. When the lights go out, you just gotta bust out the headlamp and candles and pretend like you’re camping!

…plumping. Sometimes, the person a few houses down doesn’t pay their water bill, therefore all running water is shut off. This must be viewed as an opportunity for a free cross-fit-style workout that involves carrying buckets of water up the hill to the house. (Note: do not try to carry the buckets full of water on your head like you see all the Ghanaians doing… this will only result in sadness.)

…transportation.  Trotros (basically large vans) are a common way of getting around. Some trotros, especially long-distance ones, are actually pretty nice. Most trotros, however, are a bit dusty, quite crowded and have Ghanaian pop music blasting through the speakers. Once you embrace the excitement of a trotro ride and accept that personal space is really not that important, you will have a good time - the unpredictability is half the fun. Your trotro may break down in the middle of a round-about, causing you to hop out and catch another trotro. You may go to shut the sliding door of your trotro, only to have the door fall completely off. Whatever the case, always be prepared to laugh it off.

…the amount of pepe (hot pepper) that comes on your food. Ghanaians like their food spicy! That being said, the food is actually pretty great here. I've eaten a lot of chicken and jollof rice and I’ve tried many of the local dishes including fufu (a dough made with cassava and plantain served with spicy soup), banku (basically fermented corn dough), redred (slightly spicy beans and red sauce…my personal favorite) and lots and lots of fish (mostly tilapia, cooked whole and put on your plate).

At the end of the day, I appreciate how out-of-control my life is. If it were all up to me, I’d probably be in the same, old, comfort zone I was in 10 years ago. The moments when we give up control are the ones in which adventures start. I could not have possibly imagined the paths that led me to this point in my life, but thankfully I have a God who did and who continues to do so.

Love from Ghana,

Lyndee