by Lois Wilson On Friday, July 8 I returned home from my fourth trip to Ghana with a deep sense of gratitude to each of the other members of our 14-member team and to the Ghanaian planning committee, chaired by Rev. Alice Kyei-Anti (widely known as Mama Alice). Other Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) committee members included: Barbara Asempa, Elder from the Tema Redemption Church (Community 9) and Executive Director, HOME OF CARE AND PROTECTION (HOCAP), a Christian NGO and Rev. Enoch Pobee, District Minister, Greenwich Meridian Church, Tema Community 1. The PCG committee was assisted by Rev. Joshua Heikkila, PC (USA) Field Representative in West Africa. Planning started in fall 2010 when Mama Alice was a mission visitor to Westminster. Two of the goals for Westminster’s 2011 trip were to better understand how leaders in Ghana are working to eliminate extreme poverty (as outlined in the UN’s Millennium Development Goals) and to visit places in Ghana where Mama Alice has lived and worked during 42 years of paid ministry to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (both as a lay person and as a member of the clergy). She had additional service as a teacher (five years) and as a mid-wife (overlapping with her paid ministry). She has served PCG as a pastor, missionary, chaplain, mid-wife, nurse, Director of the PCG women’s program, and an advocate for change. (Click on this link for a larger article about Mama Alice on the Mission and Outreach page on our web site). I was strongly impacted by our visit and developed a much deeper understanding on how actions by strong individuals can help people in a country move out of extreme poverty. Later this month I hope to put together a pamphlet on what we learned about Mama Alice's ministry, documented with pictures from Global Photographer Connie Houde. We'll let you know when the pamphlet is complete. In the meantime, please keep Saturday, August 13, 5 p.m. on your calendars for the report from the five youngest members of the team. Add Comment by Frances W. Rosenau I am sitting in my living room in my very own home. It's hard to believe that I have traveled across the globe in such a short amount of time. In the few hours since my return, several aspects of life here have popped out at me as being unlike my experience in Ghana. I would like to share them with you. 1. Shower - When I went to take a shower, I realized I had actually forgotten which knob was hot and which was cold. In Ghana, we stayed in some wonderful places. But, hot running water is just not pervasive. I became accustomed to cool showers after dinner. This morning, I ended up with a luke warm shower and was quite content. 2. Keys - for three weeks, I have been driven around and have stayed at many hotels. Our gracious hosts took care of our every need. I came home and had to rework my internal list of items I need to have with me when I go out. Passport- off the list. Keys- on. 3. Space - Where are all the people? Houses are so far apart here and there is so much space in between the buildings and the curb. Where did we get all this space? In Ghana, people hang out outside all the time, either outside their homes, under a tree or near the road. It seems so lonely for us to be inside all the time. 4. Multiples - I opened my refrigerator and saw several packs of yogurt. In the bathroom, we have several rolls of toilet paper. In my silverware drawer, there are just so many spoons! I do not recall seeing so many extra items around in Ghana. Granted, I was not in any kitchens at all so I didn't see a single spoon drawer. But, I was at several schools, churches and other institutions. While stores and stalls had variety and selection, I do not recall seeing so much extra stuff at every turn. I want to thank you all for reading our posts while we were away, and being patient when we couldn't find an internet cafe until we arrived at the next town. We have enjoyed sharing our experiences with you and will continue telling you all about what God is doing in Ghana.     Happy Independence Day! 07/04/2011
by Peter Gregg Happy Independence Day everybody! Ghana has been fantastic so far, although it was a bit strange visiting a slave castle on the day the U.S. gained its freedom. Yesterday we went to church at Ramseyer Presbyterian Church in Kumasi, after that we went to buy some kente cloth. In addition, we met with Comfort and Joe Sarfoh's family in Kumasi. We presented gifts and they fed us with delicious meat pies. Independence day itself was very long, we drove from Kumasi to Cape Coast which took about four hours. We stopped at an area where slaves were given their last bath before being sold. It has rained periodically throughout the day. Everybody is safe and healthy and enjoying their time, however we cannot wait to come home and see our loving families. P.S. Congrats to Connie and her husband on their anniversary! Waves and Smiles 06/30/2011
by Frances W. Rosenau Since we left Tema, we have been traveling around the country spending many hours a day in the bus. We have seen much of the country side, going from the southern areas to the urban centers to lush forests and everything in between. We even saw "the biggest tree in West Africa" which was indeed big. I find myself torn between wanting to see different parts of the country and wanting to stay in one place for a while. I am grateful to get a broader view of life in Ghana than I would get if we were in one place the whole time. But at the pace we are going, we end up having very short visits where we pile off the bus, shake hands, take pictures and pile back on the bus. It can make for a very dizzying week. Spending so much time in the bus, we pass a lot of people. Almost without fail, they look up at our big bus of white people and break into a huge smile when we wave at them. Often they wave first and it's our turn to smile. Children, adults, kids walking home from school in their matching uniforms - they all smile and wave. There is real human connection there, even as it blurs by at 50 km/hr. We have been so graciously welcomed at every turn. Today we went to visit the chief of a mountainous region. The entire royal court was very welcoming. The chief even said that since he is a Presbyterian, he gives us free reign to do the good work of the church in this area. I don't know how that will sound to your American ears. But to mine it sounded like generous partnership and welcome. Tomorrow we go on a long journey to Donkorkrom Hospital. It is in a very rural area where malaria is a huge problem. Westminster received many donations to buy mosquito nets for the people there. Mama Alice served there for many years as a chaplain and has not been back since. I hope to write to you all about it soon. Now that we are up in the mountains again, it is very cool. We had rain on and off today with fog and mist in the distance. The Ghanaians even say that it is "cold" but us upstaters know better. by Connie Frisbee Houde We have now all arrived to Tema and had our first dinner as an entire team plus Carrie Brown catching up with our busy days. I can't believe that some of us have only been here for two days. We have done everything from dancing together in worship, singing, and more dancing and singing. The energy in worship is something one must experience. Francis preached at Mama Alice's church. Diane and Martina gave a dementia workshop this morning at Mama Alice's church.Nick and a small group bought wood and worked out the designs for the picnic tables that will be built tomorrow as an example for their carpenters to build others. We dedicated two handicap ramps one donated with a gift from Michael Wolf who came the last visit and the other with a donation from Westminster. For many of us the real treat of the day was to be received and entertained by the children at a school supported by Mama Alice's church for children who were not attending school because it was too far away for the children to safely walk. They danced while some of the parents sang and drummed. The gave us their names and said what they prayed for and then preformed a short play about the contrast between two villages one where the chief gave the children what they ned to go to school and a village where the children had to work and could not go to school and when they did go they always were late. We planted trees in this village in front of what they hope to be a new school because they are out growing where they are. We are told that in 4 years these trees will be significantly larger. Mama Alice, Lois and the chief with the help of one of the school children planted the first tree. Nick planted one of the trees that were planted in front of the foundation for their new school which needs funding to be completed. I have made a selection from the 1288 photos I have taken in two days including some of our team and some of the beautiful people we are meeting. Greetings from Tema 06/28/2011
by Frances W. Rosenau Greetings from Tema - the major sea port of West Africa. Thank you for following the blog, gentle reader. Despite our best plans and efforts, blogging has proven difficult. Even when we get internet access, sometimes it does not work for one reason or another. I overheard someone this week say, "Now I understand why our partners don't return e-mails." All of the group is here now. There are 14 Americans on our team and several Ghanaians traveling with us. We travel by a large bus that we rented from the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. We visited the SOS children's home and saw the wonderful work they do. Children are raised in homes with a mother and other siblings of different ages. It is meant to create family life and prepare the children for adulthood and parenthood. I was moved to see the good work they are doing. On a cultural note, it is strange not to have my cell phone around all the time. When I was at the Albany airport without any way to contact the outside world, I felt very isolated, as if no one would know if something happened. Now, that I have been in Ghana for aboutt 10 days, it seems very natural. Part of that is because we have wonderful hosts who arrange all of our program. But, it is also that I have gotten used to being disconnected. I didn't realize how much I depended on my blackberry as a crutch until I went with out it. We leave early Wednesday morning for more traveling around the country. We will be in rural areas for a few days and may not have internet access until Thursday night or Friday. Stay tuned for more photos and comments. From the Hill Town of Akropong 06/25/2011
by Frances W. Rosenau  Today we had the opportunity to visit two schools where we sponsor scholarship students: the school for the blind and the school for the deaf. We were graciously hosted at both schools and introduced to the students. At the school for the blind, Chet and I had our picture taken with our four scholarship students. At the school for the deaf, the children "sang" us a song and took turns shaking our hands in the parking lot. The situation of children with handicapping conditions in Ghana is not great. Some children we saw today had been left at the school and essentially abandoned by family. At the same time, there is amazing work being done by dedicated servants and workers. The church and others are deeply committed to teaching the children to be as independent as possible and to live with dignity. Thursday night, the gathering of mission partners from the US and Ghana took advantage of our free night and put on a party. I bought Malta for the whole crew. Don't worry: even though it says Guinness on the bottle, it's non-alcoholic! We sang praise songs in Twi, Ewe and English and danced to drums, waving white handkerchiefs around in the air. The spirit was truly among us! Many of the Ghanaian church leaders stressed to us how important it is to play music like this in order to attract young people to the church. In fact, I've heard Ghanaians say similar things many times since we arrived. All I know is that everyone, young and old, was dancing the night away for Jesus. The Ghana Mission Network is now officially over. We said good bye to many friends and partners. Tomorrow morning, our team members from Northeast Health will be conducting a Dementia Care workshop here in Akropong. After that, we will join the majority of our team in Tema where we will spend 4 days. Alexandra Lusak and I will preach at different churches in Tema on Sunday. I have loved the hill town of Akropong with its foggy mornings and cool evenings. Now the rest of our trip begins. We will be traveling all over the country and, of course, blogging all the way.     Plans for August 13th at WPC 06/23/2011
by Lois Wilson Are you enjoying the Ghana blog? Put Saturday, August 13 on your calendar, starting at 5 p.m. for a report on the Ghana Mission trip -- presented by the five youngest members of the team. It should be a wonderful party and all funds raised at this free event will be used to defray remaining trip costs, including expenses for some of the younger members. Ghana Mission Network Officially Begins 06/22/2011
by Frances W. Rosenau  Living Waters for the World-water filtration system Today the Ghana Mission Network began officially. Many church officials from the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church came to address the meeting. I enjoyed hearing from them and the good work they are doing. Lois and I reported on the 10 strong years of our partnership in Ghana. We told stories, read specific facts and joined in a round of Da na'se led by Mama Alice. I personally was humbled to hear our partners, like Mama Alice and many others, talk about the good work that we have done together. God is doing amazing things in our midst. We also heard from Living Waters for the World, a project of the Synod of Living Waters. The people who presented had previously installed a water filter system a few blocks from the Akrofi-Christaller Institute where we are staying and meeting. It is so great to hear about what other people are doing in Ghana and the strong partnerships they have as well. In other news, the food is still wonderful. Jolof rice with plantains for dinner tonight. That will definitely have to go on my regular menu. I also have a recommendation for a local seamstress who can make a Ghanaian skirt for me. Mission work is a tough job but someone's got to do it! Team two arrives tomorrow. We will be doing some workshops on aging and dementia. Then on to Tema when the rest of the group arrives on Saturday. I guess I have to finish my sermon at some point in there.  Akwaaba from Ghana 06/20/2011
by Pastor Frances W. Rosenau  Akwaaba means welcome in Twi. And a warm welcome is what we have received. (post Akwaaba picture- taken outside the airport terminal) Lois and I arrived in the hill town of Akropong Sunday evening. The Ghana Mission Network is meeting here with Presbyterians coming from all over the U.S. and Ghana to share in our partnerships together. Last night, we were greeted with a wonderful meal of chicken, fish, cabbage, fruit and jolof rice. Google it, then go home and make it. Yum! This morning we began a two day symposium on African Christianity. We had some deep discussions on Gospel and Culture, really getting to the heart of our colonial past and how that affects the churches in Ghana. One point raised today that I will ponder for a while: Christianity as it exists in Ghana today is not identical to the Christianity of the missionaries. At what point does Christianity become Ghanaian? Is it Ghanaian already? If not, when will it be and how will we know? Mama Alice Kyei-Anti, our partner and friend, is here in Akropong and joining in on our conversations. She always offers wise words and timely reflections. I look forward to spending time with her and with all our Ghanaian and American partners. It's hard to believe this is only day two in Ghana! Time seems to have expanded to fill the days. Many more reflections to come.    |
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