Home again, home again

So nice to be home and, what a sweet surprise, you ordered snow for my first day back!

Now that I'm back where the internet loves me even if my schedule doesn't, I'll post my favourite pictures and then conclude the trip and this blog with my response to one of Dennis' questions to each of us on the team, "What changed as a result of coming to Ghana."  It's taken me a while to articulate, but I think I finally have the answer. 

First, the pictures.

This was Mama Fredericka's Thanksgiving Birthday Party.  I had never been to a birthday party in Ghana before.  I know many of my friends do not celebrate their birthdays.  So I was surprised at the extravagance of Mama's.  Everyone was dressed in lime green and/or white, to match the decorations.  There was food enough to feed the guests (everyone she knew) as well as those who were just hanging around on the street.  Mama was celebrating new life because she'd recovered from a stroke.  My favourite part of this evening was when Mama had a solo dance to an upbeat song played by a DJ.  Friends and family came up to honour and celebrate her by showering her with money (placing it on her head) while she danced.  I'm currently looking for an excuse to throw myself a Thanksgiving party this year - I certainly have a lot to be thankful for.

I was so honoured to be able to present gifts from our church back home to one of our members in Ghana.  Theresa (sitting in the middle) has been diagnosed with brain cancer, but has not been able to get treatment.  At first it was because of funds.  Barrie Free Methodist Church and her home church both raised money for her surgery... but now the issue is that there are so many others ahead of her who need treatment.  She has had her surgery date cancelled twice already.  As you can imagine, Theresa is quite worried about it.  She is keeping her head shaved as she waits, which can be a difficult thing for a proud, Ghanaian woman.   She was so touched by the prayers and generosity. 

This is one of my best friends in Ghana, Isabella, with her daughter, Maame, who refused to smile for the camera.  You might remember, if you've been following the blog, that Mallory and Sophia were flower girls in Kassim and Isabella's wedding.  Last time I was in Ghana, Isabella was VERY PREGNANT with Maame and gave birth the week after we left.  This time Isabella announced that she and Kassim are expecting again, this time TWINS. 

Also, over time, we have seen Kassim and Isabella go from considering their place in ministry to planting a church.  Their church has grown to 60 members in the past year and they are excited about what God has in store for tem.  It is obvious that God is blessing them in their home and church life.

This was the part where the Canadian Free Methodist Church officially took oversight of the Ghana Mission, at the request of the Ghana leaders.  Our joint goal is to make the Ghana Mission independent and self-sufficient.  To plan out our goals and structures of our partnership, we met under a thatch roof by the sea. 

Loved seeing my friends' smiles again.

 
I'm always impressed when I visit TK Beads, a family business that puts family first.  Kwesi gave Becky and me the whole tour with his son, Henry, in his arms.

 
It is so cool to see how God calls people to use the gifts he's given them.  John-Mark often says "the need is the call."  In our case, the partnership needs administrative assistance.  Dennis (middle) easily sees the ways that we can implement the appropriate structures and provide training and support where needed.  And the Ghana mission easily accepted his advice and are eager to work with him.  I'm excited to see how the other needs will be filled - who else has received the call?

Not sure if I loved or hated the tour of Elmina Slave Castle.  It was a holiday and, therefore, lots of crowds.  On the way in, we were completely surrounded - as in barely able to see the sky - by aggressive hawkers selling handicrafts when we tried to walk from our van to the castle.  I've never seen anything like it before.  But we all giggled with relief afterward - we'd made it through the gauntlet.  Ironic that we'd escaped into the slave castle.

Loved having my little sis here with me.  "Ntafo?  Ntafo? (Twins? Twins?)" they'd ask us. 

"No, just sisters." 

"You resemble yourselves!"

Here, Becky is sporting a cool (literally) outfit in an African print that she picked up at her the second-hand store near her home in Mississauga.  She thought she'd only really wear it on the trip.  She said that coming to Ghana has encouraged her to connect more with her neighbours.  She's keeping the dress.

 
My very favourite part about this partnership has always been connecting people, specifically our church back home with our church in Ghana.  I hardly have to do anything beyond introductions, though, because Jesus is at the centre of our relationships and we already know him. 

The right man for the job

It isn’t easy letting go of a project you love, even if you know it's the right thing to do.  When I announced at the meeting with the Board of the Ghana Mission that Rob Corey would be the new co-ordinator for the project, I said it with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. 

Dennis asked me if I've really stepped down, because I keep getting excited about the amazing things that are happening and the plans that are being made.  I use language like, "Hey, we can..." or "How about we..."  Every statement followed by exclamation marks.  And I am glad I feel this way, that I can leave it with nothing but enthusiasm for its future. 

But it's still time for me to go, because I could be in danger of claiming this as "my baby" instead of letting it be the church project it was meant to be. 

Plus, Rob is the very right person to lead this project now.  We are entering a stage where teams will be coming regularly and rapidly - two teams coming in March and July already.  Rob has passion for the project where perhaps mine has waned.  It was a little obvious today - at least to Becky - when we were meeting with the lawyer and some of my accumulated frustrations came out in my interactions.  Perhaps I sighed a time or two.  As for Rob, he took the frustrations as opportunities and left the meeting excited about possibilities instead of feeling impatient, like me. 

I made a bit of a faux pas by asking our lawyer, in front of our Board, to replace John-Mark's name with Rob's as the go-to person.  Pastor Charles just about had a fit. "Never Replace!  Just add!  Just add!"  He was sure to say that John-Mark and I will go down in the history books as "The First Missionaries to the Ghana Mission."   As honoured as I am, I am seeing that everyone who comes to Ghana gets their own title and their place in the history of kingdom building in Ghana.  Rob's title is "Business Man Rob" and is deemed trustworthy because he showed up just like he said he would.  That kind of commitment is not taken lightly considering there are so many who make promises that are never fulfilled.  It makes me smile when I think of all the titles people will be given when they come on a team and meet their sister church.

Also, the Ghana Board is so accepting of Rob’s leadership. I believe it’s in part because he such an enthusiastic learner.  He asks all kinds of questions that show his desire to be a part of what’s going on.  His "How would you..." and "What if..." questions demonstrate that he's continually equipping himself  for this position. 

On an aside, this question has to be on of my favourites he's come up with: “Tell me, do they have lighthouses in Ghana?”  We had just passed one in Jamestown a few minutes earlier.  Business Man Rob is know to have some ditzy moments.

I’m going to have to cut this short because the hour is late and we meet with the Mayor of Accra early tomorrow morning (7 a.m.) regarding rezoning land the mission hopes to own.  As boring as the content of that meeting sounds, expect me to name-drop when I get home.

In the meantime, here’s a picture of the guy who makes it OK for me to say goodbye... for now.

Rob chatting up local artisans at the Art Market

It won't kill ya!

First of all, on behalf of Ghana Telecom, I beg your forgiveness for not being able to write more often.  The internet is not reliable and this will not be your number one, up-to-the minute news source. 

So, in somewhat recent news, Dennis and Rob DID arrive safe and sound, two full days ago.  And when I say full, I mean you couldn't ask for a more complete cultural immersion.  They've already been guests of honour at a massive Thanksgiving birthday celebration for Mama Fredericka and participated in a local church service.  Both events were complete with intense social interaction, unidentifiable foods and sleep deprivation. 

Becky flanked by Dennis (left) and Rob (right) enjoying some spicy khebabs

What did Rob & Dennis want to do to unwind from the stress of it all?  Try something new, of course!  They went to the public beach, which probably wouldn't be your typical beach experience. As Rob describes it, there were thousands and thousands of people there.  Thousands, really?  Well, it seemed like it.  He said it's as if alllll the people at Wasaga Beach were standing up and jumping around at the same time.   

As for Dennis, he just enjoys the ride.  I thought for sure he'd be exhausted after not sleeping and going full force right away.  But no way, he's either as much of an adventurer as Rob or maybe he just likes to laugh at Rob.  In any case, nothing seems to faze either of them.  For those of you going on the youth trip in July, these are your leaders.

Rob has been trying all kinds of crazy dishes.  He eats whatever is put in front of him and even goes searching for tasty treats to add to his "I've eaten that" list.  Becky and I, being a little pickier with our food intake, are astounded as his lack of squeamishness.  If he doesn't know what it is, it's probably more enjoyable for him. 

Rob regaled us with some of the stories from his trip to the beach.  I won't re-tell them here, as they're his stories to tell and I'm sure he'll enjoy that, possibly including thousands and thousands of people to each event.  But I will mention this.  A stranger offered Rob a ride on a motorbike on the beach for a small fee.  Rob actually considered it.  The only thing that stopped him was the possibility that he might not come back alive.  And that was it, his moment of this self-realization:  he bases all his decisions on whether or not it'll kill him.  It makes sense! He's even been known to advise others to go for it with these encouraging words, "It won't kill ya!"

Dennis took the opportunity to challenge his friend.  "So... marrying Pam?"

It may not kill ya, but you could feel like dying!  Rob's culinary adventures had him up most of the night with a "touch" of food poisoning.  It was priceless when he told us he'd had it several times before.  On a scale of 1-10, this one is a 4, he says, which might be more for the rest of us.  The worst, he says, was when he had that warm key lime ice cream at Baskin Robbins.  He knew it was funky, but he still ate it.

God's in control, right?
by Loreli

So I'm "treating" Becky to a proper Ghanaian experience, a tro-tro ride.  Tro-tros are the small, private vans/buses that transport the average Ghanaian around for pennies.  Most of them are run down and a little scary to a newcomer, as the condition of the vehicle makes you wonder if you'll make it safely to your destination.  Ours will be a two-hour trip out of town in a tiny van packed full of friendly strangers with a shorter measuring stick for personal space.

Found our van headed for Koforidua without any hitch.  There is no easy way to determine which van might be the right one, unless you take advantage of the helpful callers.  First impressions might lead you to think they are overly aggressive men with questionable intentions as they run up and yell at you, "Where are you going?  Where are you going?"  With a simple answer, however, ("Koforidua"), their faces light up and they point you toward the appropriate bus, "Keep going! Keep going!"

We pay 2.50 GHC (the equivalent of approx. $2 CDN).  This is for a two+ hour trip.  There will be 15 of us in this mini-van.  I count how many seats still need to be filled - 10 - before we can leave.  I tell Becky to get comfortable and enjoy the activity as we wait for the rest of the passengers to arrive. 

The markets and the tro-tro stations are the bustlingest areas of Ghana.  There is so much activity around us.  Petty traders pass by our window selling their goods.  "Take away!" a vendor yells.  It's jollof rice in a styrofoam container.  "Hey, Beck, want some breakfast?"  I buy units for my cell phone, hankies for Becky and I, as well as candy for Mallory and Sophia.  I wave a sunglass vendor over.

I was going to buy sunglasses before I came, but J-M told me to wait to buy some in Ghana.  The vendor squeezes in between our van and the one beside us.  He and his board of sunglasses barely fit and he has trouble reaching the ones I want to try on.  He suggest some others closer within reach.  We spend some time - and get some good laughs, but I didn't go for any of the aviators or "Beyonce" glasses.  I'm still squinting in the sun... John-Mark.

So that kills about 10 minutes and we still have those 10 seats to fill.  Becky and I calculate the cost to just buy the seats and go.  "Don't tell anyone, but I've done that before," I say.  I also tell her I think it's wrong, in a way.  It's like flaunting wealth...  or something.  We wait another 30 minutes. The heat and smells are starting to wear on us.  Two seats  are left, does that make it any better to buy them out?  I admit to her that if I were a celebrity, I'd probably be the type to use my status to my advantage, which is not a nice thing to know about yourself.  Thankfully two more people quickly hop aboard before I give in.  Honestly, though, how much would you pay for some air circulation?

We're finally off.  Sights of Africa still amaze me.  Both the people in the city, and the scenery in the country.  Spell-binding.  People look at us too.  "Twins?  Twins?" everyone asks.  "No, but thank you!" I say. Being 6+ years old than Becky makes that a nice compliment.  "You resemble yourselves!" they say.

Our driver doesn't believe in a speed limit.  It's seriously scaring the daylights out of Becky and me.  He accelerates until he is slowed down by another vehicle in front of him, or because the van just doesn't have the capacity to go any faster.  We take corners at daredevil speeds and fly past other vehicles UP the hills, among other death-defying feats.  Becky's whiteknuckling the seat in front of her.  We're both a little giddy because we're so nervous.  "I have the same feeling as a roller-coaster," Becky says, "...except THERE'S NO TRACKS!"  The Ghanaians in the tro-tro don't seem to notice.  Becky and I are quiet for a while, as we inwardly anticipate at each turn, or pass, or hill whether THIS will be our end. 

Becky breaks the silence and says, "God's in control, right?" Except I hear, "He [as in, the driver] is in control, right?" and I shrug my shoulders and look a little desperate.  Becky thinks I've suddenly given up my faith and says, "Yes he is!!"  I NOW realize what she meant and say, "Of course he is!"  And we both instantly feel better, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Tomorrow Rob & Dennis arrive and our mission work begins.  I sent a text tonight to my Ghanaian friends, "almost done bead biz. am missing my ghana family.  can't wait to see u 2moro." 

A Family Business

On Wednesday, Becky and I visited the place  where beads are born, TK Beads.  We took the opportunity to meet with TK’s owners, husband and wife, Kwesi & Florence, to strengthen our ongoing fair-trade commitment. 

We'd hoped to take you on a virtual tour of the place, but the internet service is really not equipped for that kind of wear and tear, and I'm not equipped for this kind of frustration.

Let me leave you with two pictures full of impact. 

Kwesi's son, Henry, wants in on the family business.  Kwesi is a kind, patient father and lets Henry do all the pretending he wants. 

Becky & Kwesi sharing bead love at Koforidua. 

I'm anticipating that the internet will feel better soon and I'll be able to post more pictures. If not, you'll just have to put up with my ramblings and wait for the missionary slideshow when I get back!