Big Belly Early Edition

Okay, I've gotten a request for some belly pictures from far away friends.  Here you go!  I guess the first one would have been May ... the last probably almost a month ago.  6 more weeks to go!

Ghana

I've been home from Ghana one month now, but am still processing the experience. When describing the trip, I keep using the word "Mind-expanding," which makes it sound hallucinaginic, I know. But the culture, language, and basic worldview is so very different from my own... I come from a culture that is individualistic; Ghana is community-focused, to an extreme and beautiful degree. My culture is optimistic about change, especially with regards to science and medicine; Ghanaians tend not to be. In my culture, we tend to expect the experts to make life safe and easy; Ghanaians don't expect (in comparison) much of anything to be safe, and are much stronger because of it. I could go on and on, but I don't really know what I'm talking about, and understand these are simply impressions from a short time period. I can't wrap up or explain a different culture on a blog, and don't mean too. Just suffice it to say I was really impressed by Ghana, its people, and the unique challenges I found there.
The picture above is from our first off-site clinic in old Teshie, a suburb of Accra. It was a rowdy bunch, and kind of a rough start to the mission. Many of us were overwhelmed with the level of need in the neighborhood. You can't see, but behind me there is a lean-to made out of corrugated tin and a pile of tires with kids and a mom living in it. I'll post more later