Ghana Journal- Kumasi/ Ho

Saturday, January 14

Today has been incredible! More touristy than others though. First, we got to sleep early last night so I actually got 8 hours of sleep for the first time in probably two weeks. Also, we finally have running water! So we were all much happier today.

This morning we visited the Asante Chief Palace where we learned about the Asante tribe. Turns out the chief is not a blood line thing, but he is chosen if his Uncle was chief. The Queen Mother is also not married to the chief and is typically his mom or sister.

After lunch we went to the Kente Cloth Village where they weave this incredible cloth. It was very intimidating to buy because everyone bombarded you trying to get you to buy what they had and followed you until you did. We also went to the woodcarving village where it was very much the same thing.

Monday, January 16

I am taking advantage of our 7 hour bus ride to Ho (ho ho!) to write about yesterday’s experience.

The morning was spent with the 10 of us divided among 5 churches in the Asante Presbytery- Ben and I went to the church in Atonsu.

I was surprisingly very comfortable! Ben and I sat at the very front with the minister so we got to look at everyone- thankfully this wasn’t too bad since it will soon be our seat every week! For the first 30 minutes we broke into bible study groups by day name and my group talked about Matt 3: 11-17. The few things I picked up through translation from Twi were that repentance comes form John’s baptism and strength comes from Jesus’ baptism. Also that through our baptism we are able to do things better than before. I also think there may have been a prophet in the group who offered to tell us each a special message if we came to him after the service. After Bible study we came back together for worship. I was surprised by the number of traditional hymns that lacked the dance element for the most part. However there were 2-3 very upbeat and dance filled songs! The sermon was about 20 minutes and in English and Twi. I think this was the most surprising aspect because the random calling out and Amen’s that I expected did not happen. “Amen” was prompted several times by the preacher saying “Hallelujah”- otherwise they were nice and quiet like good Presbyterians (ha!). Following the sermon and about 30 minutes of announcements, Ben and I were formally introduced and welcomed with gifts and a dance that we ended up leading for a few minutes. After worship we were escorted to the manse where we had lunch… I wasn’t necessarily thrilled to see that it was fish (the whole thing, including the eye ball).

Later that afternoon we went to a lake about 45 minutes away. This lake was created by a meteorite and was so cloudy that the lake and sky blended so you couldn’t see the horizon. After a 15 minute boat ride, we went back to the van but ended up staying to watch and eventually participate in some tribal dances.

Now (after taking a break writing because the bus was so bumpy) we are in Ho until Friday/ Saturday and staying at the EPC headquarters. I am very excited to see the differences between EPC and PCG even though we have been reading about them. The main thing I am learning is basically what I learned in Mexico and Scotland as well- we all worship in very different ways and no one way is right or wrong as long as our focus is right. I may find some things (ex. Deliverance) unnerving, but I appreciate their understanding and desire for connection with their culture when the rest has been so westernized. Even with these aspects, I have acquired a great appreciation for what the church is doing here on the whole when it comes to worshiping in full form, reaching out to the community in ways we might not event think would be possible and making a point to always remember their roots. It amazed me at first, and now I am jealous, how much a part of day to day life their faith is. And it isn’t kept quiet! I may not agree with every part, but that is because of my culture. I do agree with the passion and love, though.

Beyond my church experiences here, something huge struck me today that made all of this ministry stuff so much more meaningful. When we were walking to the market, we passed a shoe vendor. At first this didn’t phase me because we have seen hundreds. But this time I saw Sperry’s on the pile. These are not Ghanaian shoes. I started thinking and realized a huge connection- when I was directing Summer in the City, some of the places sent items overseas. One place in particular, North Raleigh Ministries, sends clothing that they receive to W. Africa. We sorted through some of that. Now, it is very unlikely that those shoes were at NRM and that we sorted theme, but they served as a reminder of how our work at home reaches out so much further. Someone donated shoes, they were sorted and shipped, sorted again, and are now being sold for five cedi so a family might have dinner tonight.


Tuesday, January 17

There is something very calming about lying in bed and listening to a band rehearsal. I am not completely sure what is actually going on but there is a concert base drum, snare drum, and trombone and they are in a yard behind the hotel. I am trying not to geek out and find a way to get there. Actually, I can’t get there because of a wall. Either way, I am enjoying listening.

Today was much better. Parts of me are still hurting and are more than ready to go home, but I think it just boils down to needing “me time”, which I am currently getting in a better way than I planned. Not to mention today wasn’t as rushed as the last week. The people in Ho seem to be a lot more relaxed than in Accra and Kumasi.

After our tour of EPC missions this morning (see notes), we visited the Ewe Kente Cloth center. This was a much more enjoyable experience than in Kumasi since there were fewer vendors and they weren’t pushing you to buy anything.

Now, a trumpet has added (I think…) and the church choir is going. I think I am going to take a break and take a nap!


Tonight during our debriefing, Frances asked a very interesting question- how have you changed during this trip?

I think a lot has changed for me, the first being learning to let go. The funny thing is that I always think I am doing better with this and then I lose all possibility of control. The first eye opener for me this past week was seeing that the only time we stick to our schedule is for the first thing- if that. This was very hard for me being a schedule person, but as one of our hosts said today, “You (Americans) have the watch, we have the time”. Over the last week I have gotten used to this, but I still crave my schedule.

The other big thing, and probably the biggest, was finding out that Felicity was in the hospital and knowing that the only thing I could do was hand it over to God. After being home during the worst of it last year and taking care of Dad, babysitting, and driving back and forth to the hospital in Greenville to relieve Mom for a bit, this letting go was especially hard to do. Worrying doesn’t do anything but mess up my trip, praying helps her and me.

So, the number one thing I see changing is that I am trying much harder to worry less and let go, let God.

Then there are smaller things. I definitely want to be more ecologically aware (water consumption, trash, electricity). Also, I need to be more hospitable, especially when I don’t want to be. Something that I had not thought about was that both PCG and EPC are strongly against 10A, yet we have been received as members and representatives of PC(USA) with the most gracious hospitality. Nothing in the US compares to this even when there are no conflicts present. These people don’t know us except that we are PC(USA) seminarians and they dong like PC(USA) right now. There are many cases when I know more than this about people but still don’t welcome them the way that I should. Jesus was among the ones that were not welcomed, yet we worship him and ignore the others he was with. There is something very wrong with this picture. I think that what we saw today and will see tomorrow shows that the Ghanaian churches have a good grasp on how to welcome “the least of these” as they minister to children, the poor, homeless, sick, outcasts, teenage mothers, etc. I think it is past time that we take a page from their book. Yes, we have outreach and mission, but I wonder how it could be improved if we took our ulterior motives of looking good for others out of it and welcomed these people because by welcoming them, we are welcoming Jesus Christ. We also need to find the difference between “giving” and truly welcoming. We are good at giving money and canned food- maybe even a room at the church. But what would happen if the people we “gave” to showed up in the pew one Sunday- unbathed, a baby but no ring, sick… would we sit with them or just write them a check/ give them food and send them away?


Wednesday, January 18

Today has been a very moving day to say the least.

This morning we visited the Street Children Project, started by the wife of a deceased EPC pastor in 2000. Unfortunately the children were not there because they were in school (a good thing!). The whole concept of the program (see notes) is such an amazing thing and I pray that it is able to flourish.

Following this, we attended an EPC deliverance service. This was more along the lines of the healing services that I have been a part of in the past. The “jam session” in the middle of the congregation and the outdoor environment (very reminiscent of “the Point” at Camp Caroline) contributed to making it a very joyful experience, very unlike the PCG service.

This afternoon we visited a village for cured lepers. Words can’t describe the emotions that ran through me. We visited tow ladies, Victoria and Mary, both who have suffered from leperacy. Victoria had no legs or fingers and her face had been mangled by the disease. I hated more than anything in the world that I was freaked out at first and became even more thankful that they have somewhere to live so that they can have normal interaction everyday and not have to battle with people who refuse to look past the immediate. It was a very moving experience to hold hands and pray with Victoria, a reminder that we are all children of god. We then went to visit Mary who was rendered completely helpless and bed ridden three years ago. We sang a song for her before once again joining hands to pray together.

Today we were among “the least of these”, yet I felt God’s presence stronger than ever. I wish that everyone could share in the experience so that all walls could be broken down so that we can get past “give” and truly “welcome”. It kills me that the children at the Street Children Project are homeless because of poverty, abandonment, orphaned, etc. and that the single building is the closest thing they have to a home. The residents in the leper village are there because society won’t take them back, not even their families. Who will welcome them if we won’t?