godfred, my lifelong pen-pal.

so many updates, i know, what an awful overload. i just wanted to give everyone a quick update of my pen-pal 15 year old godfred who lives in ghana, africa. godfred and I met when he was 12 and i was 20 in july and august of 2009. i traveled to ghana, africa and came back with a life long friend who i feel is like my little brother. godfred and i became pals and my friends and i would take him and his friends to the movies, grab ice cream, hang out in the pink hostel, visit his mother and his baby brother junior from time to time. you know, do hood rat stuff cause we could. we took godfred to church numerous times and i gave him a copy of The Book Of Mormon to have and keep for himself. I told him to read it when he felt alone and lost.

since 2009, godfred has frequently called me for three years straight. and yes, i pick up. i pick up even though i know every conversation will be the exact same as the last. but i can't help it. it pains me to ignore a call from godfred. he's just so kind and loving and i really feel like he's a part of me. ive been left with this impression that i have some sort of responsibility over godfred. to make sure he is happy, safe and healthy. receiving these calls from godfred is more so comforting for me to know that he is still safe and well. he's just the sweetest boy and i so wish i could bring him to america so we could play all the live long day without a care in the world. I really miss the adventures we had together that summer. it was really like another life i was living.

interestingly enough, a friend of mine i met through selling a painting to her, commented on one of my instagrams months ago. i had posted a photo of myself and a friend of mine, cyrus, in ghana mentioning how i was missing my time being there. she had commented with excitement explaining that her in-laws were mission presidents in the accra, ghana mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. She exclaimed how if I needed any favors or need to contact anyone out there, to shoot her an email and she'd forward it along to her in-laws. I was shocked to say the least. There was no way that the world was this small. No way. If I had never sold a painting to her, I'd never have met her, and I'd never learn of her in-laws residing in Ghana. Long story short, I sent her an email which was forwarded to her in-laws. I sent photos of Godfred and I, the places we would hang out which luckily I remember the EXACT STREET NAMES, and so on so forth. Her mother-in-law thankfully knew of the exact streets and locations that I was referring to and with the help of my photos, her and I were on a search for Godfred so that he could be checked up on and know that he now has friends out there to take care of him and guide him through hardships and trials in his life.

Thank the heavens above for facebook. Godfreds got one. I was looking through mine and Godfreds history of messaging when I noticed he had given me his number. This was pure luck because the phone number Godfred calls me on is not his personal number. So I could never call Godfred, but he'd only be able to get ahold of me. So I forwarded the number to my new American friends in Ghana and they were able to find and contact him! The next thing I know, Godfred is calling me explaining to me that he found my friends and that they are so nice and he is ever so happy! He always calls me to inform me that he is meeting with them on such and such days and how excited he is. I now feel so comforted to know that my sweet little Godfred has angels watching over him while I physically cannot. I can't wait for that moment when I can go fly over seas and visit him once again. What a reunion that will be. I know that day will come eventually. Godfred and I talk about it all of the time. I just miss him. He brought so much happiness to me. When I look at this picture I see the pure light of Christ through his eyes. He is such a special boy and I pray that he is safe every day and is in good hands.

I am so blessed and thankful for the tender mercies of the Lord and I know that people are placed in my life in the most random ways ever for a purpose. I have such a testimony of that. Godfred truly is the little brother I never had, even if we are pen-pals we'll always stay friends and grow old together even if it must be over the phone. I truly love my little Godfred Odei.