For the next few days I will post my journal entries from Ghana. I will break them up based on cities, so Accra (pt 1), Kumasi, and Accra (pt 2). These are the things that I was thinking about while in Ghana and reflections on the activities, all taken directly from the journal with no edits (except taking out the personal stuff that has nothing to do with Ghana). Enjoy!
Monday, January 9
This has been a crazy day- 24 hours almost exactly since we met in front of Watts. Two months of build-up and we are finally in Accra, Ghana. The flight as about 10 hours, leaving DC at 10:48pm and arriving in Accra around 1:30pm.
After freshening up as best as we could having no running water, we went into town to exchange money and visit the tailor. I bought a gorgeous blue dress that is being altered.
Dinner was delicious- some kind of tomato sauce, potatoes, and a kind of chicken-veggie stir fry. Following that we had a Ghana orientation with the PC(USA) rep.
I’m too exhausted to continue. More tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 10
Ghana is such an amazing place! Today was our first full day and it started very early. After waking up at 12:04 am thinking it was morning, I was able to get back to sleep until a very early 4:30 am. I successfully took a bucket shower with our new friend “Quessi” the wall gecko watching over me (Quessi is the Ghanaian day name for Sunday, the day that Ghanaians say foreigners come on). We met at 5:30 am to board the bus and go to the Shai Wildlife Preserve.
The Shai Preserve is home to ostriches, baboons, and antelope (at least these are what we saw). I believe Christopher (our guide) said it is 87 sq. km of land. We got to feed baboons and take plenty of pictures before hiking to a bat cave that was once a guarded fort for a chief. We then climbed to the top of one of the mountains/ hills to get a view of the preserve. What an incredible sight! Seeing something that beautiful is explanation enough as to why Christianity is so prevalent here.
Following the preserve, we visited an artisan shop by the sea. It was unreal to look at the water and think of all that has happened there. I am definitely appreciating what little world history I remember! The artisan shop was full of hand made gifts and paintings. It was very interesting to see what aspects of life are important to the people and how they portrayed them. My favorite was a painting with a light blue background and a white cross formed from words remembering someone who had died. The words reflected on her life, one that is frowned on- no children, never married, was she a witch? I also learned that my Ghanaian day name is “Effia”, meaning born on Friday.
We then went to the heart of Accra to meet with the President of the PCG. This was a very interesting and informative meeting (see notes in previous pages).
Following this meeting we visited a market across the street. Not for me. It was insanely crowded and loud with everything selling everything. We were called “Bruni” by a few (it is hard to remember that it generally isn’t a derogatory term when it is being yelled at you). One boy grabbed my arm and tried to sell me jeans- this definitely freaked me out a bit.
Now, we are finally home for the remainder of the evening. For now, home is Trinity Theological Seminary. We are staying in their dorms which surround a very small courtyard. There seem to be other residence buildings on campus where some of the 500+ students live. I was able to visit the bookstore earlier and bought two Ghanaian Bibles- one in the Ga language (spoken in Accra) and one in a language from the north (the language of Ghana’s president).
But, we are now quickly approaching dinner time…
Wednesday, January 11
Today was a much more relaxed one. After our 7:30 am breakfast, we traveled to Akropong, just up the mountain. While in Akropong we visited the Akofi Christalla Institute and enjoyed a lecture about the history and mission of the institute (see notes). Before leaving, we visited the vice-principal of the teaching school there because he has been very sick (malaria) for 5 weeks and wanted to pray with us.
Following this visit, we traveled to see Aboa Ofei who spoke with us about deliverance. The first thing that really struck me about what he said was “we pray with the, not for them”, establishing the difference from Presby-Pentecostals and Pentecostal/ Charismatics. He also explained that deliverance can be from oppression, regression, etc. and can be called εκβαλλω (casting out), but not exorcism. Exorcism rids the body of a demon, but deliverance uses the Holy Spirit. One comforting thing to learn was that those being delivered are also being counseled and medically treated in some cases. Those who need more serious help are housed at a facility where they are immersed in a “completely Christian” environment.
Following the discussion we attended a deliverance service at Grace Presbyterian. I wasn’t as uneasy as I expected to be, but I was very skeptical of what I saw. Some people did not appear to respond when Ofei called out the demons while others would fall to the ground, shake, roll, and even scream. I would be very interested to see if studies have been done as it seemed like some even fed off of others as they were delivered. I am still very unsure and skeptical…
Tonight was the lecture with a prof. from the University of Ghana about Charismatic/ Pentecostal Christianity in Ghana (see notes). What he said was interesting but again, I am skeptical. My feeling is that things like the prosperity gospel can have some good in that it gives hope, but I feel like it also gives false hope and especially as ministers that is something we should avoid. It also sounds like it almost crosses the line of witchcraft when they are wishing and praying for ill against those standing in their way (also very unchristian). I understand they want to hold onto their history and culture, but I think there are other ways.
Now, a bit about Ghana! I love this place already. It is such a bright, joyful, live, and faithful country. The scenery is not what I expected- it seems to be a mix of a beach town in the US (mostly in home designs) and Chiapas. There are huge cement buildings that house businesses and stores, but more shops that are in temporary shacks or even flea market style. People come up to the cars selling everything from candy and drinks to masks and shoes. Ladies carry everything on their heads (even gas cans). You can’t drive 10 seconds without seeing any of this. Traffic is terrible and everyone has a no mercy/ fear attitude when driving. But through it all, people are smiling, shouting, running, selling, and living life in a very busy and spontaneous way. I am almost jealous!
Tomorrow we visit slave castles and the rain forest so I should get to bed now!
Thursday, January 12
Day 4. Wow. I don’t know where to begin.
We walked the canopy of the rainforest this morning. Such an incredible experience! Everything was so green. Sadly, no animals though. After the rainforest we stopped to see some crocodiles. Very cool, but not terribly exciting.
We then went to visit the Elmina Slave Castle. This was such a heart wrenching experience. Elmina was the Dutch castle where slaves were taken before they were put onto ships. We walked through the dungeons where 150 people would live in a tiny room. You can still smell the stench. We saw the courtyard were the ladies were brought to be picked by the governor to have sex with, and the room it happened in, and finally where the soldiers later took advantage of them. We were “locked” in two cells- one where maybe five white men would be at once for only a minute, with ventilation and windows; the second had no ventilation and no windows- 30 men would be locked in there until the last died. You can see scratch marks on the walls from their finger nails. Finally, we saw the room of no return- the last room before they were loaded onto the ships. We saw their last view of their home through the same iron gate facing the ocean, and as we looked out the tiny opening, we sang “Amazing Grace”.
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