Wednesday 16th I boarded the bus late Wednesday afternoon dreading the long confinement in a seat. Instead, the ride to the north was really not too bad. The seats were similar to those on an airplane, so with the help of modern medicine, I was able to at least doze much of the time.
I have photos of the roads out of Accra which were typical of the whole journey … very bumpy. My sister-in-law, many years ago, used to drive on the bumpiest roads, even railroad tracks, to induce labor; she could have ridden on the Ghanaian road and done just as well. Actually, some of the roads in Ghana are splendid and quite modern. Some are waiting to be updated!!!
Vida, my companion for the journey, was the last to board and almost missed the bus. The traffic in Accra, especially in the more congested areas (such as bus stations) is dreadful. It took Dinah and me 1 hour and 20 minutes by taxi to get from BH to the station. I use the word station lightly because the one bus parked there was the only indication it was a bus station. I am soooo glad Dinah suggested she come along. There is no way I could have found the place. Even the taxi driver went past it and Dinah had to direct him back.
Thursday 17th A day in the VEA village
Pastor John first took me to see Granddaughter Lydia’s grandmother. She was delighted to see the photos in the album Lydia sent and happy Lydia is looking so well and so happy. Grandma’s son understands English, so I showed him and grandma how to use the Proclaimer, a solar powered audio New Testament in the local FraFra language. Grandma was so surprised and pleased to hear this magical box speaking God’s word in her language that she got up and did a spontaneous dance. It was wonderful.
Grandma gave me a large, beautifully made basket to bring back. She also let me purchase five additional baskets to sell at home for fund raisers.
Upon arriving at the chief’s house, Pastor John greeted the chief with a handshake, and then he indicated I should do the same. I was somewhat surprised as women are not even supposed to speak to the chief. So, I turned to the chief, asked permission to shake his hand and he did so. He did explain that doing so was not protocol, but that it was OK because I am a foreigner. After some chiefly/visitor conversations, I purchased more beautiful baskets from the women.
We went on to Pastor John’s home, visited with his children, and set up 3 more Proclaimer groups, one in John’s home, one in the home of a neighbor, and one with the men’s group in the church. While at Pastor John’s, I pulled out of my bag a solar lantern and a solar flashlight. This he said would be so useful as they, of course, have no electricity. Later, after mulling over a comment made by Mama Laadi, I gave Pastor John the 70 Ghc needed to cover medical insurance for him and his entire family for one year. [Friday he called me to say that he had ridden his bicycle the many miles to pay the fee; he was first in line and so thankful that his children would receive the ‘excellent’ medical care available to those with insurance.]
After lunch and saying goodbye to Pastor John, the taxi drive, Gafaru, helped me purchase some of the goods to bring back for fund raiser sales. Shopping is fun.
Over dinner I shared some of my experiences with Bernard (Romana’s right hand man) and with the Stewarts who were here with their new daughter doing some of the visiting, paperwork, and court stuff for their adoption process. After dinner, Berthilda surprised me with a brief visit to make plans for Saturday. This was great opportunity for the Stewarts because it was Nurse Berthilda who rescued their little girl from probable starvation and brought her to BH. Berthilda posed with the Stewarts for photos.
I did a major crash after dinner and sending out the brief ‘I have arrived safely’ message.
Friday 18th A morning in Pwalugu Village where house mother Juliana’s family lives.
A sizable group of women gathered at the church … women who walked there from various areas of the village. Most of them are my age or more, some of them are blind. One of the younger women in the group spoke English was my interpreter. Another somewhat younger woman was introduced as the chairperson of the group. They told me what their group does and it sounded much like the Methodist Shepherds and the Presbyterian Deacons … they are caregivers for the congregation. I told them my church family wanted to help and I gave the chairperson 30 Ghc to use in their care giving efforts.
When I started the Proclaimer playing and they heard God’s word in their language from what appears to be such a magical box, they cheered, clapped, and even danced. They were wonderful! When I was ready to leave them, they sent forth a very loud cheer. I responded with a thumbs-up and a ‘wah-hoo’, which delighted them.
Julian asked me to deliver a package to her family who take care of her 9 year old son Michael. The package contained soap, toothbrushes, a water bottle & textbooks for her son to take to school, and a photo I had printed of little Josephine who lives with Juliana at BH. I took a photo of them to take back for Juliana. She misses her family.
Next we visited Michael at his school. The little boy looked so frightened, but I took his photo with some friends and showed it to them on my camera’s screen. He relaxed a little. The Gafaru said I was probably the first Abruni (white person) he had ever seen; I must have looked like the ‘purple people eater’ to him. Later, I told Gafaru that I forget I am different from them, because I don’t feel different. Certainly I am very aware that my circumstances are very different from many people here, but I don’t feel like I am a different as a human being or as God’s child.
Gafaru has shown such patience and he is an excellent problem solver. I told him I wanted to find printed material to help Lydia and Victoria relearn their native language. It took some doing and a 36 km drive, but we finally found someone who was not only willing to help, but was so pleased that the girls want to hold on to their culture, he will let us have access to material he is in the process of publishing for his master’s degree. Today, we photocopied a 110 page manual for teaching beginning FraFra to English speakers.
The second problem Gafaru solved today was to find a place where women were sewing bags. I wanted to go to the source rather than paying middle men. Hopefully the craftswomen will benefit and there will be more profit when I sell the items, therefore more money to bring back next time. The people were pleased to hear how their work would be benefiting Ghanaians in the future.
Back at Mama’s Place (Mama Laadi’s guest house), I am typing, packing away goods, and getting ready for tomorrow’s adventures. Gafaru and I will pick up Nurse Berthilda soon after 8am and head for the village where we met her last year at the Presbyterian Clinic. We will meet with Victor, the teenager the families attending school together with the Daileys is sponsoring, and then we will visit in the home of the three little boys that a number of you are helping to sponsor. I hope to video clip the children, get them to write notes and/or draw pictures for me to bring back, and leave with them pencil cases and either crayons or colored pencils to use at school. Also, two of the four solar lanterns will go to the children at Romana’s suggestion. Victor will get one and the three boys will get one. (Nurse Berthilda has the fourth lantern to use during the many power outages that happen during the midwifery training program in which she is now a student.)
Peace and Joy,
Grandma Judy
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