To the Students, Auntys and Sirs at Royal Oak Academy, 

Thank you. 

Thank you for allowing us to become Aunty for the month. Thank you for inviting us into the school to help teach and love you all. Thank you for giving us an experience in Ghana we won’t soon forget. 

No, this month was not all sunshine and roses. Not every day was a walk in the park. The children were often misbehaved and sometimes our team was eager to go home and take a nap after a long day of trying to deal with the misbehavior. But this month wasn’t all bad either. There were many joys. 

They joy of being called “Aunty!” by a smiling child. 

The joy of listening to the students sing over and over again the new songs we taught them. 

The joy of seeing a student finally get it right after putting in the effort. 

The joy of being told by our teachers and students that we will be missed. 

The joy of coming home after a long day and laughing with our hosts over the things that happened in class. 

The joy of having lunch as a team and filling each other in of what happened in the morning. 

The joy from the sound of giggling.

The joy of a toddler falling asleep in your arms.

The joy when you see children giving each other a hug instead of hitting. 

The joy of learning new games and playing with the students during their recess times. 

The joy of being loved unconditionally just because of who you are and not what you’ve done. 

The joy of being invited to every meal and snack time. 

The joy of witnessing children praising the Lord and loving Him “deep down my heart.” 

The joy of hearing children recite memory verses. 

The joy of knowing that the students genuinely enjoyed the crafts you prepared. 

The joy of being recognized and greeted enthusiastically outside of class. 

The joy of hearing a child speak and laugh for the first time in class. 

The joy of being bombarded by a group of kids with arms wide open. 

Being a teacher is certainly not easy and being a teacher in a country where the cultural norms are all different is even more difficult. What’s the same though is that children have a special way of capturing our hearts. No matter how many times our heads might think “I’m done and ready to go home” at the end of the day, saying goodbye is always sad. 

This month is going to be a hard goodbye, not only because of the children and teachers who have captured our hearts, but also because of our hosts. Aunty Abigail and Pastor Calvary are both amazing people. Abigail is a strong woman of the Lord who inspires the people around her. Pastor Calvary is full of joy and never misses a moment to laugh. They both have loved our team so well this month and they have left a mark in our hearts. 

Month 1 as team Kingdom Seekers has come to an end, but our love for this place and these people has not.