The village soon to come. For now, here's a little something that I'd written in the north that I never got the chance to post.
...
Regarding my tenements: I'm actually quite pleased with my room. It's maybe 20 feet by 20 feet square. Walking in, there's a queen-sized bed against the far end of the right wall, an arm chair just a few feet from the headboard (still to the right side, walking in), and two windows-- one on the far wall opposite the door, and another to the far right in the same wall as the door, with a mirror betwixt the two.
Turning the immediate corner left of the door: Another door leading to the bathroom, one half with sing and toilet, the other half a shower-- or rather a hole in the floor for drainage, with a calcium-caked aluminum shower head above and a squeaky valve in the wall directly below. My water WAS running, but it got away, and I failed to catch it; I left the morning after that night when it left me, and when I later returned I found a large bucket filled to the top waiting for me in the shower. To wash I'd dip a white work shirt (already stained from past labor) in the water, squeeze it out a bit, and squirt a good few tablespoons of body wash on top of the then damp shirt. I'd rinse later rinse with the same shirt, dunk my head in the bucket, and use the leftover greywater to flush my toilet when necessary.
Against the same wall, a good five feet to the right a desk and chair share real estate with the bathroom door. Atop the table is a white lace cloth, and atop the cloth is an old Sony Trinitron. It's broken, and I've got socks hanging from the antennae. Next to the T.V. are 3 bottles of flavored milk-- the chocolate milk here is better than any brand I've yet tasted in the states-- it's like less-viscous chocolate pudding. I enjoyed a bottle of that with some lime wafer cookies one night.
As I write this long-hand, I'm sitting up with my motel-issue blue, white, orange and mustard-yellow floral bed sheet draped over my lap, notebook resting atop my left leg. Hanging suspended from an electrical cord are two white glow-sticks given to me by David before we set out for the north.
And there we were at last, our arduous journey over... or just beginning? Sorry, I hate to sound cliche...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
THIS IS A TITLE
Here we are, facing the end of our final full day here in Ghana. We enjoyed a solid hour of traditional African drumming, styles covering not only the typical Ghanaian fancy. The head drummer was a policeman we'd met at a checkpoint not far from the homestead in Winneba-- thinking about it, it's really interesting, some of the occupations people have here. Policeman slash (professional) traditional African drummer... village chief-slash-auto repair man (that would be the new chief Kwami [sp?] of Awombrew [sp?.. I really should get to know these names better, though I did indeed spell Tamale correctly in my previous post]).
Anyway, yes, the drumming was fantastic, along with the dancers, and though I didn't join the others in rising to dance to the drummers' final bout for the night, I was visably tapping my feet in accordance with the beat the whole time; I can certainly back up Joseph re: In Ghana, the rhythm of life is infectious. It's ever surrounding you, and you can't help but submit to it.
Now, more on our Journey to the North: I've not much time here at the Winneba internet cafe ("Will's Place"), so I'll make this short and elaborate later (I've got a lot written down in my notebook that I'd like to share over the course of the next few days).
The "Honorable" was very warm in his greeting, as he bade us welcome with open arms and a wide ivory Ghanaian smile which, as if reflecting the moon, cut the darkness some, perhaps not the darkness of the night, but certainly the bleakness of our spirits, disheveled from the 15-hour car ride from Winneba. The ladies stayed on-site, but Charles (our driver), Joseph and myself were given our own quarters a half-mile or so down the road in a sort of motel, the details of which I'll post later as I've got them penned in my notebook back at the homestead.
On the general atmosphere of Tamale: I, for one, felt quite comfortable, at ease, and almost at home. Though as "obrunis" we drew more than just an odd glance or two, it was quite fine by me as the local curiosity for the most part ended there. The streets were clean and free of those wretched empty water-bags that so plague the southern beaches. For most of our stay the sky was over-cast, so the sun posed nary a threat to us; contrary to Southern superstitions regarding the north, our noses didn't bleed and our skin didn't crack and bleed. The area was notably much more Muslim than the south, but to be honest I found the 4 a.m. calls to prayer to be a wonderful way to start another fine day.
Same Bat-time, same Bat-place... THE VILLAGE! Stay tuned!
Anyway, yes, the drumming was fantastic, along with the dancers, and though I didn't join the others in rising to dance to the drummers' final bout for the night, I was visably tapping my feet in accordance with the beat the whole time; I can certainly back up Joseph re: In Ghana, the rhythm of life is infectious. It's ever surrounding you, and you can't help but submit to it.
Now, more on our Journey to the North: I've not much time here at the Winneba internet cafe ("Will's Place"), so I'll make this short and elaborate later (I've got a lot written down in my notebook that I'd like to share over the course of the next few days).
The "Honorable" was very warm in his greeting, as he bade us welcome with open arms and a wide ivory Ghanaian smile which, as if reflecting the moon, cut the darkness some, perhaps not the darkness of the night, but certainly the bleakness of our spirits, disheveled from the 15-hour car ride from Winneba. The ladies stayed on-site, but Charles (our driver), Joseph and myself were given our own quarters a half-mile or so down the road in a sort of motel, the details of which I'll post later as I've got them penned in my notebook back at the homestead.
On the general atmosphere of Tamale: I, for one, felt quite comfortable, at ease, and almost at home. Though as "obrunis" we drew more than just an odd glance or two, it was quite fine by me as the local curiosity for the most part ended there. The streets were clean and free of those wretched empty water-bags that so plague the southern beaches. For most of our stay the sky was over-cast, so the sun posed nary a threat to us; contrary to Southern superstitions regarding the north, our noses didn't bleed and our skin didn't crack and bleed. The area was notably much more Muslim than the south, but to be honest I found the 4 a.m. calls to prayer to be a wonderful way to start another fine day.
Same Bat-time, same Bat-place... THE VILLAGE! Stay tuned!
Clinic--SUCCESS!!!
Dear Friends,
This is Pastor Kristina writing one more entry. Josh will add one, too.
Let's talk about this idea of "Clinic". It's amazing really. Let's just remember how this miracle came about.
We had this idea months ago. Maybe we could bring some medicines with us. Maybe we could distribute some of them. Lets see what we can do. It was an outlandish idea, really. I mean, we were going to build a school building. How could we run a clinic? Who would run the clinic? They need to be someone with a license, you know. No one in Awombrew would have one of those! And where would we get those medicines from?
Suddenly, we find ourselves gifted by Heidi Riedie's company (forgive me, my memory is failing as to the name) with $1000 worth of medicines. Hmmm...I think we'll put those in the suitcases and see what happens.
Then Joseph Ewoodzie makes a phone call. I need to explain to you what happens when Joseph Ewoodzie makes a phone call: things begin to happen. The universe loosens up a bit and God stuff starts to flow. Enter, Archibald the pharmascist. Archibald is my hero today! One call when we got here brought Archibald to our door--I think it was the next day. The next thing we know we have a clinic date of Saturday--one week from that meeting. Can the chief get the word out? Yes, he can!
So today, with "nurse" Barbara at the ready taking blood pressures and pulses as fast as people sat down, and Fahti, Uncle Abu's niece helping Archibald dispense medications, and me taking down the blood pressure and pulse info and regulating the line, and a number of others doing crowd control, upwards of 300 people (100 adults, 200 children) were seen and given medications. Three hundred plus...!!!
I know that I will process this day for a long time. It was terribly hard to leave at the end of the day because it was the end of the day when all have not yet been seen. But the need never ends. When you look at the number 300, realize that represents almost half of the village.
Which gets me to thinking: all these people we see each day--most of them with smiles and kindness and many with outright joy to share--yet they also have problems ranging from rashes to serious infections to arthritis to fevers. And I wonder, how do we approach our days when we are struggling? Do we still see the grace of God in it?
There is a way of answering the question, "How are you?" here. You answer, "By the grace of God, I'm fine." By the grace of God, I hope that you, too, are fine this day. Blessings on you all. Thank you for your prayers. You have sustained us even as we weary!
See you all soon--by the grace of God.
Blessings on this journey, PK
This is Pastor Kristina writing one more entry. Josh will add one, too.
Let's talk about this idea of "Clinic". It's amazing really. Let's just remember how this miracle came about.
We had this idea months ago. Maybe we could bring some medicines with us. Maybe we could distribute some of them. Lets see what we can do. It was an outlandish idea, really. I mean, we were going to build a school building. How could we run a clinic? Who would run the clinic? They need to be someone with a license, you know. No one in Awombrew would have one of those! And where would we get those medicines from?
Suddenly, we find ourselves gifted by Heidi Riedie's company (forgive me, my memory is failing as to the name) with $1000 worth of medicines. Hmmm...I think we'll put those in the suitcases and see what happens.
Then Joseph Ewoodzie makes a phone call. I need to explain to you what happens when Joseph Ewoodzie makes a phone call: things begin to happen. The universe loosens up a bit and God stuff starts to flow. Enter, Archibald the pharmascist. Archibald is my hero today! One call when we got here brought Archibald to our door--I think it was the next day. The next thing we know we have a clinic date of Saturday--one week from that meeting. Can the chief get the word out? Yes, he can!
So today, with "nurse" Barbara at the ready taking blood pressures and pulses as fast as people sat down, and Fahti, Uncle Abu's niece helping Archibald dispense medications, and me taking down the blood pressure and pulse info and regulating the line, and a number of others doing crowd control, upwards of 300 people (100 adults, 200 children) were seen and given medications. Three hundred plus...!!!
I know that I will process this day for a long time. It was terribly hard to leave at the end of the day because it was the end of the day when all have not yet been seen. But the need never ends. When you look at the number 300, realize that represents almost half of the village.
Which gets me to thinking: all these people we see each day--most of them with smiles and kindness and many with outright joy to share--yet they also have problems ranging from rashes to serious infections to arthritis to fevers. And I wonder, how do we approach our days when we are struggling? Do we still see the grace of God in it?
There is a way of answering the question, "How are you?" here. You answer, "By the grace of God, I'm fine." By the grace of God, I hope that you, too, are fine this day. Blessings on you all. Thank you for your prayers. You have sustained us even as we weary!
See you all soon--by the grace of God.
Blessings on this journey, PK
Friday, September 12, 2008
Winding Down and Running out of Clean Clothes
Dear Friends,
This is Pastor Kristina writing what may be our last blog entry in Ghana. Josh may write one when he gets home though, so you may want to check next week!
We are delighted to report that Pastor Marion, Josh, Allie, and Joseph have returned to the Homestead from Tamale with good reports on relationships built and hopes renewed. We'll have to wait for Josh's entry to tell us more about it. Allie is back to her old self! Josh is tired this evening and hitting the sack. Seems like sixteen hours of travel up and sixteen hours back has tuckered him out!
Much work was done today digging trenches for the footings of the next school building! The next school building folks! What wonderful progress! Now there is room for the first six grades following the two years of kindergarten. When this next building is completed there will be room for the next three grades. At this time, the older children travel down the road to another village (on foot of course) to go to Junior High School. The only way that any child can go to High School is if they test high enough and then can afford to pay for it. We are so blessed in the US. Something we take for granted is out of the reach of almost every child in Awombrew and most places in Ghana.
Good news! The 17 children who wrote to penpals have 17 penpals who wrote back! We look forward to sharing these letters with our children. We have taken their pictures so that you can see who you are writing to. They are very interested in you all! I did my best to say a little more about each child. Very exciting!
More good news! I believe Jay said that 13 pens were turned today. What a miracle! What a wonder! The carpenters are working very hard to learn this trade. Jay is pleased as are we all.
Today the DEC (District Executive) (politian) came out to the village and was impressed with the work there. This sounds like an ordinary thing, but was actually the result of some intensive work done by Jay and the new chief early this week. He has agreed to commit $1300--the amount necessary to put electric poles up from the road and wire it to the storage facility-adult study facility. God is blessing our efforts!
Tomorrow we will finish our time in the village by breaking new ground: a Health Clinic--the very first one in Awombrew made possible by all of the medicines donated byHeidi's company. We'll look forward to bringing that story home with us.
In the meantime, keep your prayers coming! You sustain us daily! God is good! (All the time!) All the time! (God is good!)
Blessings on the journey,
PK
This is Pastor Kristina writing what may be our last blog entry in Ghana. Josh may write one when he gets home though, so you may want to check next week!
We are delighted to report that Pastor Marion, Josh, Allie, and Joseph have returned to the Homestead from Tamale with good reports on relationships built and hopes renewed. We'll have to wait for Josh's entry to tell us more about it. Allie is back to her old self! Josh is tired this evening and hitting the sack. Seems like sixteen hours of travel up and sixteen hours back has tuckered him out!
Much work was done today digging trenches for the footings of the next school building! The next school building folks! What wonderful progress! Now there is room for the first six grades following the two years of kindergarten. When this next building is completed there will be room for the next three grades. At this time, the older children travel down the road to another village (on foot of course) to go to Junior High School. The only way that any child can go to High School is if they test high enough and then can afford to pay for it. We are so blessed in the US. Something we take for granted is out of the reach of almost every child in Awombrew and most places in Ghana.
Good news! The 17 children who wrote to penpals have 17 penpals who wrote back! We look forward to sharing these letters with our children. We have taken their pictures so that you can see who you are writing to. They are very interested in you all! I did my best to say a little more about each child. Very exciting!
More good news! I believe Jay said that 13 pens were turned today. What a miracle! What a wonder! The carpenters are working very hard to learn this trade. Jay is pleased as are we all.
Today the DEC (District Executive) (politian) came out to the village and was impressed with the work there. This sounds like an ordinary thing, but was actually the result of some intensive work done by Jay and the new chief early this week. He has agreed to commit $1300--the amount necessary to put electric poles up from the road and wire it to the storage facility-adult study facility. God is blessing our efforts!
Tomorrow we will finish our time in the village by breaking new ground: a Health Clinic--the very first one in Awombrew made possible by all of the medicines donated byHeidi's company. We'll look forward to bringing that story home with us.
In the meantime, keep your prayers coming! You sustain us daily! God is good! (All the time!) All the time! (God is good!)
Blessings on the journey,
PK
Thursday, September 11, 2008
More walls, more bookshelves, a desk, and two pens
Dear Friends,
This is Pastor Kristina again at the other end of the day, tired but happy after another wonderful day in Awombrew!
The progress on the nursery was terrific today! End walls and interior walls have been put up and the ground is being leveled. We were halted by a good old fashion rain storm which cooled things down quite a bit--at least for the morning. The sun came out this afternoon with full authority!
The bookshelves now number three and the carpenter is now working on computer desks for the lessons to be taught in what is called the "storage facility" but which is also going to be used for night learning and computer lessons.
Most excellently, two pens were turned today! (Read that line twice and say halleluia!) They are really attractive. Jay is hoping for thirteen more tomorrow. We look forward to showing these to you. Everyone here is very excited about this work!
So that's what's up with "progress" in the tangible sense. But so much more happens than that on these trips. Joseph reminds us that "the most important thing is relationshi-making". This group collectively agrees with him. As the days pass and we spend more time with our new friends, names come more easily, and conversations move beyond the "how are you?" stage. I had my first marriage proposal today. (Allie racked up a few of those the first day she was here!) He doesn't even mind that I am 11 years older!
I taught our friend, Mary, who is a mother and grandmother, the song "Mary had a little lamb." Joy, my friends, really is in the simple things. How much fun! The children got into it. The principal loved it! Sharing songs is so much fun.
I taught the children a new game today using bamboo sticks, which are readily available here. They teach us new games, too. Barbara has guessed that I will sleep well tonight; I think she is right!
Perhaps one of the most adventerous experiences of the day may be that Bill, David, and Brian decided to walk from Winneba to Awombrew--about seven miles. It may be helpful to know that people here walk everywhere! Although there are taxis and cars, they are not widely owned or affordable. So foot travel, often carrying substantial pounds of produce or product of some sort on your head, is the way most folks travel. Still, the folks the men met along the road were most impressed with their walk which they said was "very far". They enjoyed stopping along the way at shops, people along the road greeted them, some walked with them a while, and a fellow with a limp walked with them all the way there--probably 4 miles beyond his destination. (We gave him a ride back when we went for lunch.) B, D, and B made it just before the sky opened up, so they were spared arriving drenched to the skin.
Each night we get back to the homestead, wash up and head to dinner at a place called Lagoon Lodge. We talk about the blessings of the day and those things that challenge us. It is easy to see God here. I hope that you will find a moment in your day to see God. Receive a blessings. And then pass it on.
Your prayers mean so much to us!
Blessings on the journey, PK
This is Pastor Kristina again at the other end of the day, tired but happy after another wonderful day in Awombrew!
The progress on the nursery was terrific today! End walls and interior walls have been put up and the ground is being leveled. We were halted by a good old fashion rain storm which cooled things down quite a bit--at least for the morning. The sun came out this afternoon with full authority!
The bookshelves now number three and the carpenter is now working on computer desks for the lessons to be taught in what is called the "storage facility" but which is also going to be used for night learning and computer lessons.
Most excellently, two pens were turned today! (Read that line twice and say halleluia!) They are really attractive. Jay is hoping for thirteen more tomorrow. We look forward to showing these to you. Everyone here is very excited about this work!
So that's what's up with "progress" in the tangible sense. But so much more happens than that on these trips. Joseph reminds us that "the most important thing is relationshi-making". This group collectively agrees with him. As the days pass and we spend more time with our new friends, names come more easily, and conversations move beyond the "how are you?" stage. I had my first marriage proposal today. (Allie racked up a few of those the first day she was here!) He doesn't even mind that I am 11 years older!
I taught our friend, Mary, who is a mother and grandmother, the song "Mary had a little lamb." Joy, my friends, really is in the simple things. How much fun! The children got into it. The principal loved it! Sharing songs is so much fun.
I taught the children a new game today using bamboo sticks, which are readily available here. They teach us new games, too. Barbara has guessed that I will sleep well tonight; I think she is right!
Perhaps one of the most adventerous experiences of the day may be that Bill, David, and Brian decided to walk from Winneba to Awombrew--about seven miles. It may be helpful to know that people here walk everywhere! Although there are taxis and cars, they are not widely owned or affordable. So foot travel, often carrying substantial pounds of produce or product of some sort on your head, is the way most folks travel. Still, the folks the men met along the road were most impressed with their walk which they said was "very far". They enjoyed stopping along the way at shops, people along the road greeted them, some walked with them a while, and a fellow with a limp walked with them all the way there--probably 4 miles beyond his destination. (We gave him a ride back when we went for lunch.) B, D, and B made it just before the sky opened up, so they were spared arriving drenched to the skin.
Each night we get back to the homestead, wash up and head to dinner at a place called Lagoon Lodge. We talk about the blessings of the day and those things that challenge us. It is easy to see God here. I hope that you will find a moment in your day to see God. Receive a blessings. And then pass it on.
Your prayers mean so much to us!
Blessings on the journey, PK
SO FAR: 2 walls, 2 bookcases, 2 penpals
Dear Friends,
So good to see Josh back on line (even if he is bragging and filling me with envy about his computer access). This is Pastor Kristina writing the blog for yesterday--Wednesday--on Thursday morning AGAIN because my time ran out just before I got a chance to hit send. Does anybody really care? :) Okay, on with the update!
Two walls:
The progress on the nursery is going well! Each day a new crew comes to work on it so it truly is a village effort. The women carry large buckets of dirt on their head and empty them into the foundation. They bring water for the cement. The men mix the cement and mortar, make the bricks, and then place the bricks. Our men continue to enjoy this sweat inspiring task. We are hopeful that the third and fourth wall will be completed before we have to leave.
Two bookcases:
These bookcases are made from wood harder than oak and are cut with a hand saw, planed, nailed and secured to the wall. It is called red wood because of the red color. In short, they are beautiful. By day end there were three of them. One more to be made! We have filled the first two cases with all of the supplies that we brought--all those 800 pounds of supplies. How glorious they look! We brought the principal-headmaster in for a tour. He was most impressed! As was the queen mother of the village and the elders. I invite you to feel the great joy that we felt seeing the looks of delight on their faces.
Two penpals:
We spoke with two of the women today, Mary and Eva, who are both excited to have penpals! We came here with a last minute request from two women from CT wanted to be penpals; now they have them. If you would like to join this wonderful opportunity, let Kathy Craig know. Tomorrow morning Rae Ann and I will sit down with 17 children who the principal will pick, to be penpals with the 17 children who wrote letters. We'll bring them back with us, with pictures! More on that as it progresses.
Other news that's "fit to print" from Awombrew, Ghana:
Yesterday afternoon, we invited some of the children to help us sharpen pencils. The "some" turned into a bee hive of 20+ and the pencils that were sharpened ended up in the hundreds with such enthusiasm that when I went into the room I was literally sucked into the center of the storm of requests for more to sharpen! I wonder if we can all remember such simple joys.
Pen Turning:
Speaking of writing instruments; the training that Jay is doing is going along splendedly. Such great progress is being made by the carpenter and his assistants! Jay is hopeful that today the first pen will be turned! I hope to be able to report that tonight (unless Josh has beat me to the on-line on his supersonic computer!).
Special moments:
I have a new boyfriend. His name is Edward and he is thirteen years old. Well, actually, I thought we were exclusive but he seems to have charmed most all of us here! As we have more time with the children we get to see all their wonderful personalities. There are the funny ones, the demanding ones, the leaders, the quiet ones, the dancers, the handfuls! (Sound familiar?) The little boy with the green ball--he's a handful!
Alberta showed me her home. She is a ten year old girl who had her baby sister wrapped on her back. Prince came with us, too. I was carrying a baby (who would later fall asleep in my arms). We will show you pictures of the homes. Some of you have seen the ones that Jay took. They are small, often made of mud, one or two rooms. Dirt floors. Very basic and yet, somehow enough. I think about that.
So, I think that's all the news for now. I want to beat the clock this morning. We miss you! We love you! We are thankful for your prayers. Our devotions in the morning and our reflections at night have been very sustaining.
Blessings on the journey, PK
So good to see Josh back on line (even if he is bragging and filling me with envy about his computer access). This is Pastor Kristina writing the blog for yesterday--Wednesday--on Thursday morning AGAIN because my time ran out just before I got a chance to hit send. Does anybody really care? :) Okay, on with the update!
Two walls:
The progress on the nursery is going well! Each day a new crew comes to work on it so it truly is a village effort. The women carry large buckets of dirt on their head and empty them into the foundation. They bring water for the cement. The men mix the cement and mortar, make the bricks, and then place the bricks. Our men continue to enjoy this sweat inspiring task. We are hopeful that the third and fourth wall will be completed before we have to leave.
Two bookcases:
These bookcases are made from wood harder than oak and are cut with a hand saw, planed, nailed and secured to the wall. It is called red wood because of the red color. In short, they are beautiful. By day end there were three of them. One more to be made! We have filled the first two cases with all of the supplies that we brought--all those 800 pounds of supplies. How glorious they look! We brought the principal-headmaster in for a tour. He was most impressed! As was the queen mother of the village and the elders. I invite you to feel the great joy that we felt seeing the looks of delight on their faces.
Two penpals:
We spoke with two of the women today, Mary and Eva, who are both excited to have penpals! We came here with a last minute request from two women from CT wanted to be penpals; now they have them. If you would like to join this wonderful opportunity, let Kathy Craig know. Tomorrow morning Rae Ann and I will sit down with 17 children who the principal will pick, to be penpals with the 17 children who wrote letters. We'll bring them back with us, with pictures! More on that as it progresses.
Other news that's "fit to print" from Awombrew, Ghana:
Yesterday afternoon, we invited some of the children to help us sharpen pencils. The "some" turned into a bee hive of 20+ and the pencils that were sharpened ended up in the hundreds with such enthusiasm that when I went into the room I was literally sucked into the center of the storm of requests for more to sharpen! I wonder if we can all remember such simple joys.
Pen Turning:
Speaking of writing instruments; the training that Jay is doing is going along splendedly. Such great progress is being made by the carpenter and his assistants! Jay is hopeful that today the first pen will be turned! I hope to be able to report that tonight (unless Josh has beat me to the on-line on his supersonic computer!).
Special moments:
I have a new boyfriend. His name is Edward and he is thirteen years old. Well, actually, I thought we were exclusive but he seems to have charmed most all of us here! As we have more time with the children we get to see all their wonderful personalities. There are the funny ones, the demanding ones, the leaders, the quiet ones, the dancers, the handfuls! (Sound familiar?) The little boy with the green ball--he's a handful!
Alberta showed me her home. She is a ten year old girl who had her baby sister wrapped on her back. Prince came with us, too. I was carrying a baby (who would later fall asleep in my arms). We will show you pictures of the homes. Some of you have seen the ones that Jay took. They are small, often made of mud, one or two rooms. Dirt floors. Very basic and yet, somehow enough. I think about that.
So, I think that's all the news for now. I want to beat the clock this morning. We miss you! We love you! We are thankful for your prayers. Our devotions in the morning and our reflections at night have been very sustaining.
Blessings on the journey, PK
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Nous Avons Arrive Part Deux
Well, firstly I'd like to apologize for not updating the blog Monday evening. We decided on not going to the internet cafe due to the fact that it was already quite late (as we'd been working feverishly the whole day) and the Tamale (sp?) group (myself among them) needed a good night's rest before departure at 5:00 A.M. In the absence of a proper blog post, I was left feeling quite empty, and so I extend my utmost gratitude to PK for keeping active on this blog in my own absence. Luckily for us in the north, we've located an internet cafe in town and, though I'd not want to spark jealousy in PK, I must admit that compared to the facility in Winneba the "Algric Internet K@fe" is truely first class, with up-to-date machines and even a high-speed (100.0 Mbps) wireless connection. So you may doubly look forward to an updated blog, as now it seems that PK and I both will be contributing on a daily basis. :)
On the long (out-loud: loooooooooong) car (yes, a car as opposed to a bus for the mutual benefit of us all, though moreso for Allison) ride, the "Journey to the North": 16. Hours. SIXTEEN. HOURS. Nearly three times as long a journey as what we were anticipating, an extra four hours tacked on to how long we originally assumed it would take us by bus. We took what Joseph thought would be a short-cut compared to our original route; whether or not this is true I cannot say, but by God if it is I can hardly imagine taking the 'long' way up. The main problem that we encountered was road work-- while cruising down a relatively well-maintained, straight and flat expanse of asphalt at 120 Km/h, we on many occasions found ourselves suddenly facing a good long stretch of rusty dust all pock-marked and perilous, winding into oblivion. In these areas even the plants that bordered the path were colored like Indian earth. We had no need to panic, as our driver was well versed in the art of avoiding road workers, bamboo guard rails, and chickens, but you sure don't get far in Africa sputtering along at 30 km/h; thus, we were more irritable than afraid, stuffed into our clown-car. I'm sorry, I shan't complain from here on, as similarly sized vehicles (taxi cabs here in Ghana) may seat as many as 10 passengers, but regardless this portion of the voyage was certainly arduous. But, was it worth the suffering! We arrived in Yipala at around 4:00 this afternoon, later than anticipated due to the fact that an unexpected funeral was held this morning in the village. After all our schedule altercations, we were there (Ghana time, keep that in mind). We arrived just as the brunt of a great thunderstorm had passed... what I perceive as a good omen for the people of Yipala, as rainfall is rare and celebrated here in the North. Well, there they were, 10-score or more little uniformed kids, minty-turquoise green shirts and skirts, all huddled beneath the eave of the school building. We stepped out of our Toyota land cruiser (it had just stopped raining heavily) and they all sort of trickled in towards us adults in tow. I outstretched my right hand (to do so with my left would be disrespectful here in Ghana) to shake the right hand of another half my height, and before I knew it I was adrift in a sea of children... I had to be cautious not to step on their little feet, but I nearly tumbled to the ground! It was wonderful. I love the children here in Ghana-- you don't need to speek the same language to have fun and get along, just kick a ball around and attempt a little Chaplin routine and you're set.
The medical building is amazing. Nearly complete but for plaster work... more details on that to come later, I must be going now, it's late and I want to give our driver a break.
Josh
On the long (out-loud: loooooooooong) car (yes, a car as opposed to a bus for the mutual benefit of us all, though moreso for Allison) ride, the "Journey to the North": 16. Hours. SIXTEEN. HOURS. Nearly three times as long a journey as what we were anticipating, an extra four hours tacked on to how long we originally assumed it would take us by bus. We took what Joseph thought would be a short-cut compared to our original route; whether or not this is true I cannot say, but by God if it is I can hardly imagine taking the 'long' way up. The main problem that we encountered was road work-- while cruising down a relatively well-maintained, straight and flat expanse of asphalt at 120 Km/h, we on many occasions found ourselves suddenly facing a good long stretch of rusty dust all pock-marked and perilous, winding into oblivion. In these areas even the plants that bordered the path were colored like Indian earth. We had no need to panic, as our driver was well versed in the art of avoiding road workers, bamboo guard rails, and chickens, but you sure don't get far in Africa sputtering along at 30 km/h; thus, we were more irritable than afraid, stuffed into our clown-car. I'm sorry, I shan't complain from here on, as similarly sized vehicles (taxi cabs here in Ghana) may seat as many as 10 passengers, but regardless this portion of the voyage was certainly arduous. But, was it worth the suffering! We arrived in Yipala at around 4:00 this afternoon, later than anticipated due to the fact that an unexpected funeral was held this morning in the village. After all our schedule altercations, we were there (Ghana time, keep that in mind). We arrived just as the brunt of a great thunderstorm had passed... what I perceive as a good omen for the people of Yipala, as rainfall is rare and celebrated here in the North. Well, there they were, 10-score or more little uniformed kids, minty-turquoise green shirts and skirts, all huddled beneath the eave of the school building. We stepped out of our Toyota land cruiser (it had just stopped raining heavily) and they all sort of trickled in towards us adults in tow. I outstretched my right hand (to do so with my left would be disrespectful here in Ghana) to shake the right hand of another half my height, and before I knew it I was adrift in a sea of children... I had to be cautious not to step on their little feet, but I nearly tumbled to the ground! It was wonderful. I love the children here in Ghana-- you don't need to speek the same language to have fun and get along, just kick a ball around and attempt a little Chaplin routine and you're set.
The medical building is amazing. Nearly complete but for plaster work... more details on that to come later, I must be going now, it's late and I want to give our driver a break.
Josh
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
What a day! What a day!
This is Pastor Kristina writing tonight since Josh has headed off to the mountains for the second part of the Gaylordsville UMC trip.
Really this should say, "What a two days! What a two days!" (Go with me here.) We had our chance to get down to hot and sweaty work Monday morning, but were beat to the worksite by many of the villagers who were already hacking down the grass with machetes and mixing the concrete for blocks. The guys were eager to break a sweat! They were impressive! You would have been proud of them. Barbara jumped into it as well with both feet. In one moment she was bandaging cuts and attending to other minor medical needs; the next she was shoveling cement.
We all managed to find many ways to stay busy. We spent time with the children picking up garbage, playing, dancing, laughing, talking. Mostly, it was just great fun and a holy experience to spend time with the children. As someone said tonight during reflection, "I see God in the eyes of the children."
Today was somewhat a repeat of yesterday yet totally different. The nursery wall started to go up today! Four blocks high on one wall so far! Much success! In preparation for the activities with the children in the afternoon, the children started bringing the desks, stored at one school, over to the other school. David and Brian were two who got drafted by the children to help with this task. One can only shake your head to watch the competition that went on between the two. It is interesting to watch grown men benchpress a school desk. It got a lot of applause and laughter. Betty--one of our friends from Florida--had a group of a half dozen little children help her move desks, too. What troopers!
This afternoon was a delight in the classrooms. We met the principal and some of the teachers along with the children. In one room Dagmar taught how to make bracelets with floss, in another room Rae Ann led the children in making paper chains. I had a room with activities. We "did the hokey pokey and we turned ourselves around" among other games. We figured out how to put just about everything in and out of that circle!
The singing was wonderful! What a joy!
In the meantime a mass of other children were out in the field playing soccer/futball with David and Brian. The kids had a blast (that would include Brian and David).
Jay is walking on air tonight because we PLUGGED IN the lathe and IT WORKS! Electricity! Never take it for granted! Training has begun. Another God moment among the many today.
Our Florida friends Debbie and Betty as well as our WUMC friend Bill went to Accra today to make a Rotary Connection and celebrate the work they are doing. We look forward to there story.
We also look forward to hearing from our friends Joseph Ewoodzie, Pastor Marion, Joshua and Allie to know that they have made it safe to their next destination after a very long ride north on rugged roads to Tomale (sp?). We are all thankful to see that Allie is feeling much better now after having had a bout of sickness.
We are happily exhausted now. It has been a day of seeing God in so many ways. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We hold you all in our hearts. Many stories to share when we get home.
Blessings on the journey, PK
Really this should say, "What a two days! What a two days!" (Go with me here.) We had our chance to get down to hot and sweaty work Monday morning, but were beat to the worksite by many of the villagers who were already hacking down the grass with machetes and mixing the concrete for blocks. The guys were eager to break a sweat! They were impressive! You would have been proud of them. Barbara jumped into it as well with both feet. In one moment she was bandaging cuts and attending to other minor medical needs; the next she was shoveling cement.
We all managed to find many ways to stay busy. We spent time with the children picking up garbage, playing, dancing, laughing, talking. Mostly, it was just great fun and a holy experience to spend time with the children. As someone said tonight during reflection, "I see God in the eyes of the children."
Today was somewhat a repeat of yesterday yet totally different. The nursery wall started to go up today! Four blocks high on one wall so far! Much success! In preparation for the activities with the children in the afternoon, the children started bringing the desks, stored at one school, over to the other school. David and Brian were two who got drafted by the children to help with this task. One can only shake your head to watch the competition that went on between the two. It is interesting to watch grown men benchpress a school desk. It got a lot of applause and laughter. Betty--one of our friends from Florida--had a group of a half dozen little children help her move desks, too. What troopers!
This afternoon was a delight in the classrooms. We met the principal and some of the teachers along with the children. In one room Dagmar taught how to make bracelets with floss, in another room Rae Ann led the children in making paper chains. I had a room with activities. We "did the hokey pokey and we turned ourselves around" among other games. We figured out how to put just about everything in and out of that circle!
The singing was wonderful! What a joy!
In the meantime a mass of other children were out in the field playing soccer/futball with David and Brian. The kids had a blast (that would include Brian and David).
Jay is walking on air tonight because we PLUGGED IN the lathe and IT WORKS! Electricity! Never take it for granted! Training has begun. Another God moment among the many today.
Our Florida friends Debbie and Betty as well as our WUMC friend Bill went to Accra today to make a Rotary Connection and celebrate the work they are doing. We look forward to there story.
We also look forward to hearing from our friends Joseph Ewoodzie, Pastor Marion, Joshua and Allie to know that they have made it safe to their next destination after a very long ride north on rugged roads to Tomale (sp?). We are all thankful to see that Allie is feeling much better now after having had a bout of sickness.
We are happily exhausted now. It has been a day of seeing God in so many ways. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We hold you all in our hearts. Many stories to share when we get home.
Blessings on the journey, PK
Sunday, September 7, 2008
CONTINUED
We stepped through the high white archway, across the bridge and over the moat. Before setting foot inside the complex itself, we first had to buy our tour passes from a stout and smiling young man who sported a Barack Obama pin on his shirt, on his desk was The Audacity of Hope. He exchanged passes for money ("Nine dollar adult, four dollar student, extra fifty pesewa for camera use") while he went on about the soft cover-bound distilled brilliance that rest just beside his right arm. We said thank-you and went on our way.
The castle was all white-washed but for what original brick and stone work lay exposed, plaster long since chipped away. The structure itself would be out of place architecrually in any Dr. Seuss book. Its construction was purely utilitarian, in that the place served well as a means to what cruel ends its denizens had in mind for those imprisoned there. Icy efficiency. There was a brick court yard, on two sides prison cells. They were small and claustrophobic; it was indicated by our guide that as many as 150 captured men or women may have resided in the poorly ventilated (there was a ventilation hole high on one wall, but on the other end of it was the armory, so any incoming air was mostly sulfurous) dungeons for perhaps many months with but a bit of bread every day and buckets lined up against the back wall. On another side of the courtyard there were two smaller chambers, each with a heavy oak door such that but a pin-prick beam of sun may be admittied through into the pitch darkness. Here prisoners were put to starve to death, be they pirates or otherwise. On the couryard itself: There were circular depressions worn into the brick where canonballs were placed so that prisoners could be chained to them and left to bake in the hot sun until death bade them welcome. There was a high balcony above where whatever governor was stationed there could watch from his quarters.
Time limit low. More to come.
All is well!
Josh
The castle was all white-washed but for what original brick and stone work lay exposed, plaster long since chipped away. The structure itself would be out of place architecrually in any Dr. Seuss book. Its construction was purely utilitarian, in that the place served well as a means to what cruel ends its denizens had in mind for those imprisoned there. Icy efficiency. There was a brick court yard, on two sides prison cells. They were small and claustrophobic; it was indicated by our guide that as many as 150 captured men or women may have resided in the poorly ventilated (there was a ventilation hole high on one wall, but on the other end of it was the armory, so any incoming air was mostly sulfurous) dungeons for perhaps many months with but a bit of bread every day and buckets lined up against the back wall. On another side of the courtyard there were two smaller chambers, each with a heavy oak door such that but a pin-prick beam of sun may be admittied through into the pitch darkness. Here prisoners were put to starve to death, be they pirates or otherwise. On the couryard itself: There were circular depressions worn into the brick where canonballs were placed so that prisoners could be chained to them and left to bake in the hot sun until death bade them welcome. There was a high balcony above where whatever governor was stationed there could watch from his quarters.
Time limit low. More to come.
All is well!
Josh
Saturday, September 6, 2008
MOM DON'T HAVE BLOG LOGIN, PLEASE POST THIS.
Well, we've had a busy day and I've not had the chance to write any sort of first draft for this post on account of the fact that I left my note pad at the guest house and we haven't stopped there since this morning, so I'll keep this un-complicated. We had breakfast as usual, piled in the van, and left for our first adventure of the day: Kakum old-growth rain forest and national park. We arrived early (before the crowds that would show up later, just as we were leaving) and quickly got all of our things in order so that we could embark on our much-anticipated canopy walk, over 200 feet above sea level, and 120 feet above the ground below. The hike up to the boarding platform was somewhat arduous, especially for those among us not so acclimated. We had to traverse whole rivers and little tributaries of busy ants beneath our feet (some clad in but flip-flops) up uneven and in some cases jagged stone steps, but only for about 100 feet. It wasn't bad. Other obstacles we faced on our way: Stumps, vines, and for a minute we could've even thought snakes as well, but alas they were but slick, diamond-patterned vines and roots (quite beautiful, really). At many times our imaginations got the best of us. The trees were magnificent, and so was our guide. He went to great lengths to try and describe the functions of all the native flora, and he did so with utmost eloquence. For instance, there was one tree whose roots stretched from the trunk to the ground forming almost perfect right triangles. The membrane, seemingly stiff, was taught like the skin on a drum, and acted similarly, for when pounded a loud boom sent birds from their nests. As for the walk itself-- though we were basically walking on extension ladders held by nets, we felt quite comfortable for the most part. Looking down, it was absolutely astounding to witness the sheer magnitude of the biodiversity beneath our own feat.
Our second stop was St. George or Elmina "slave castle." We had to dodge vendors on our way from the van to the structure itself, but once we were up close and personal with the stark white and towering sides, the vendors of a few moments before all of a sudden paled in comparison with regards to sheer intimidation. It was really something else. There was a gate suspended over a roughly 12-foot wide mote, still another 16 feet deep. It was all a very emotional experience for us all, from the moment we entered to the moment we left through "the gate of no return." To be honest, I cannot properly convey its impact on us in the 3 minutes that I have remaining. I shall have a proper update for tomorrow, but for now I must get going.
All is well!
Josh
Our second stop was St. George or Elmina "slave castle." We had to dodge vendors on our way from the van to the structure itself, but once we were up close and personal with the stark white and towering sides, the vendors of a few moments before all of a sudden paled in comparison with regards to sheer intimidation. It was really something else. There was a gate suspended over a roughly 12-foot wide mote, still another 16 feet deep. It was all a very emotional experience for us all, from the moment we entered to the moment we left through "the gate of no return." To be honest, I cannot properly convey its impact on us in the 3 minutes that I have remaining. I shall have a proper update for tomorrow, but for now I must get going.
All is well!
Josh
Friday, September 5, 2008
This keyboard is sticky.
when I was showering this morning, that was the closest I had come to dancing up to that point-- beneath a trickle of cold water. After a wonderful breakfast of toast, steamed cabbage, and warm links of what looked and tasted rather like hot dogs as opposed to the sausage that we're more accustomed to at breakfast time. Regardless, it was absolutely fantastic;trying new things is a concept that has been absolutely intrinsic to this trip. On our way out, we waved good-bye to one of the little boys who lives at the guest house that we're spending our nights in. His name is "Papa," and it's been somewhat strange calling such a young boy that name, more of a title to us. He waved back as the van left the guest house behind.
On our adventures in the town (I refrain from calling it a village now because that word, when used to reference his home, seemed to strike one little boy as disrespectful, and he warned me of this): I can now, upon some reflection, say that it all seemed to smell like a U.S. civil war reenactment camp, on account of the myriad cooking fires. Anything burnable and dry was burned, and everything was dry and burnable. At the town limits by the road, there could be seen a sort of shrine looking thing. Low, white-washed concrete walls festooned with painted imagery of village elders, one with a spear and the other brandishing a rifle, and a tiger lunging forward with a porcupine caught in its toothy maw.
Walking down one of many winding, rust-colored and narrow paths towards the new school. Little boys and girls, all sporting shaved heads and ear-to-ear grins shouted "obruni, obruni!" as they tugged at our clothing. There was a grassy clearing between the left and right sides where we were greeted by a toothy, leather skinned old man with salt-and-pepper whiskers and a hot-pink mesh hat on. Her seemed to be dancing a sort of low to the ground free-form jig as he shook our hands and swept at our cheeks and necks with an off-white handkerchief. He tried to get us to dance with him and the others, but to no avail on my behalf. The most comfortable I was for a while was playing ball with the town boys-- mostly a volleyball-like game where we all tried to keep a small-sized plastic soccer ball up in the air for as long as possible. I was afraid for a bit that someone'd get smacked in the face, but all went well. There was quite a hooplah, drums and clapping evrywhere, and even a brass band, as well as a few efforts to get me to dance. I had to cave eventually.
After a good two hours of laughing and shouting and carrying on, the real ceremony began, as the delivery taxi with the chief's ceremonial umbrella finally arrived-- remember, we're living on Ghana time now.
From within the school building emerged the first umbrella, beneath it Rae-Anne ("Queen Mother") and Jay ("Nana Jay"). Ray-Anne and Jay were garbed in cream-colored wrap-around robes with gold ribbon interwoven into the fabric, coupled with gold necklaces, bracelets and anklets, as well as (according to Jay) very uncomfortable sandals accented with yet more of the glistening stuff. The same might be said of the Chief, but rather ten fold. The village proceeded to parade 2 miles up the road, government officials directing traffic to facilitate the festivities.
All is well!
On our adventures in the town (I refrain from calling it a village now because that word, when used to reference his home, seemed to strike one little boy as disrespectful, and he warned me of this): I can now, upon some reflection, say that it all seemed to smell like a U.S. civil war reenactment camp, on account of the myriad cooking fires. Anything burnable and dry was burned, and everything was dry and burnable. At the town limits by the road, there could be seen a sort of shrine looking thing. Low, white-washed concrete walls festooned with painted imagery of village elders, one with a spear and the other brandishing a rifle, and a tiger lunging forward with a porcupine caught in its toothy maw.
Walking down one of many winding, rust-colored and narrow paths towards the new school. Little boys and girls, all sporting shaved heads and ear-to-ear grins shouted "obruni, obruni!" as they tugged at our clothing. There was a grassy clearing between the left and right sides where we were greeted by a toothy, leather skinned old man with salt-and-pepper whiskers and a hot-pink mesh hat on. Her seemed to be dancing a sort of low to the ground free-form jig as he shook our hands and swept at our cheeks and necks with an off-white handkerchief. He tried to get us to dance with him and the others, but to no avail on my behalf. The most comfortable I was for a while was playing ball with the town boys-- mostly a volleyball-like game where we all tried to keep a small-sized plastic soccer ball up in the air for as long as possible. I was afraid for a bit that someone'd get smacked in the face, but all went well. There was quite a hooplah, drums and clapping evrywhere, and even a brass band, as well as a few efforts to get me to dance. I had to cave eventually.
After a good two hours of laughing and shouting and carrying on, the real ceremony began, as the delivery taxi with the chief's ceremonial umbrella finally arrived-- remember, we're living on Ghana time now.
From within the school building emerged the first umbrella, beneath it Rae-Anne ("Queen Mother") and Jay ("Nana Jay"). Ray-Anne and Jay were garbed in cream-colored wrap-around robes with gold ribbon interwoven into the fabric, coupled with gold necklaces, bracelets and anklets, as well as (according to Jay) very uncomfortable sandals accented with yet more of the glistening stuff. The same might be said of the Chief, but rather ten fold. The village proceeded to parade 2 miles up the road, government officials directing traffic to facilitate the festivities.
All is well!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Nous avons arrive!
7:30 this morning, my eyes still shut behind the standard-issue Delta Airlines shade mask, I grope blindly for the shade to my window seat, 25A. A blinding flash penetrated the mask and shook me instantly awake: It was morning, far above but not far away from our destination. 45 minutes later, the sound of wheels skidding was met by the din of passengers clapping. The landing strip was not like those of JFK international, NY, NY. Rather, it was a single long stretch of faded pavement rife with venous cracks that weeds grew out of. The surrounding scenery consisted of earthy red pock marked with the occasional verdant patch, palm trees in the distance.
In the city, a man sped by veering betwixt vehicles riding his hand-made recumbent bicycle hewn of a wheel chair and a road bike welded together. Street vendors with their wares prominently displayed upon their heads like crowns milled about our van and tried in vain to speak above the banter surrounding everything. I can't tell if the smell is that of diesel fuel or of burning peanut oil.
At the market, the same smell, spiced up with spice racks and garbage heaps, vultures in our midst. The drab surroundings are made cheery with the eager children rushing to touch us and vying for digital photos. Colorful hand-made boats descended from whole logs dip like buoys in the rough waves-- abnormally rough, one has capsized!
I have 3 minutes left to this session. All is great!
In the city, a man sped by veering betwixt vehicles riding his hand-made recumbent bicycle hewn of a wheel chair and a road bike welded together. Street vendors with their wares prominently displayed upon their heads like crowns milled about our van and tried in vain to speak above the banter surrounding everything. I can't tell if the smell is that of diesel fuel or of burning peanut oil.
At the market, the same smell, spiced up with spice racks and garbage heaps, vultures in our midst. The drab surroundings are made cheery with the eager children rushing to touch us and vying for digital photos. Colorful hand-made boats descended from whole logs dip like buoys in the rough waves-- abnormally rough, one has capsized!
I have 3 minutes left to this session. All is great!
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