INDIA part 2

From the Northeastern region of India to the Southwestern region of India. From Aizawl to Mumbai with a layover in Kolkata.

In Mumbai, I went to visit my friend Jane and her family. I met Jane, an American gal, in Ghana. She was teaching at an international school in Accra. A group of us started hanging out and some of us even had Bible studies together. It was interesting to meet foreigners working, volunteering, researching, and serving in Ghana. After a few years, Jane moved to Mumbai to work at an international school but has been supporting me here.

She met her husband Viren a few years later and they married. They have two kids. When I knew I was going to India I knew I would need to see this girl! We figured it must be about 14 years since we have seen each other. I only planned to be with them for two days because of all my travels, but also, they were going to go on a holiday.

I flew down on a Friday and that gave us Saturday for me to see the sites. Jane took me to cool parts of the city. We tried to cram so many things in because I was flying out the next night. I saw old cathedrals, a historic train station, British influenced buildings/homes, ate delicious foods, shopped at markets, sat in traffic, saw the sea, and her family. The next day was Sunday and we had breakfast at a yummy place and then headed to church. I felt like their church, Avatar, fit me like a glove. It was very international, I knew some of the songs, the message was right out of the Word, and people were so friendly.

My flight was that night, so I headed to the airport. I was so thankful for the quick, but sweet time with Jane and her family. At the airport, I checked in, went through security, and then came to immigration. Remember in part 1 where I was told to register? Well, the immigration man looks at my visa and says, “where is your registration?”

Me- I think I registered.

Immigr—where is it?

Me—I registered in Aizawl.

Immigr—where is it?

Me- they took it.

Immigr—you need to come with me.

So, he led me to the Bureau of Immigration. My first thoughts were, “this is so cool, I never got pulled out of line before. This is kind of exciting!” Seriously… I am a dork.

I stood outside the office and one or two men casually asked me questions of my travels. They asked why I didn’t register. I said I tried but then thought when I wrote it down in Aizawl that was enough. I was thankful I came to the airport early because they would talk to me and then make me wait. Time was getting close to boarding the plane. One man then brought a paper and took down my answers to my questions. He needed to know who I worked with and my Ghanaian address. Then I was getting nervous.

While waiting again, I asked a man what is going on? He said they don’t allow visitors to Mizoram. They are too close to the Burma border. There have been insurgencies going on. I was like, “whaaaaat?!” (Looking back I am not sure how true that is, but there are border issues with India.)

Well, I realized I needed to leave soon so I could get to my flight. The big man came to me and said, “You need to register. We will escort you out of the airport. You can register and then come back in.” I asked about my luggage and they said they will offload it and bring it to me. At this point my brain was in slow motion. “Like…no flying today? Where do I go?”

Now things were not going the right way. And…to keep things going in the wrong way, my phone was broken. The SIM tray that holds your SIM card broke and I just thought I would get it fixed in Ghana. During my processing of all this information, a kind man came to talk to me. He asked if I was really a missionary and I nodded. He told me he is a Christian and wanted to hear my experience and testimony. I was happy he was so kind and a believer, but I was shaking, thinking about my new situation. I couldn’t think. I just said something like I love Jesus and I try and serve him the best I can. I could not think beyond that. He was nice and smiley and I remember thinking, “I wonder if he really thinks I am a Christian with that sort of testimony.” He then said casually, “just register right now and figure it out.” I looked at him, trying not to tear up, and said, “my phone is broken. I cannot make any calls, I cannot connect to any Wi-Fi.” He let me use his phone and again I tried to register, and it wouldn’t submit. It felt hopeless. (I tried to register with Damary in Delhi many weeks ago also.)

I had to give them my boarding pass and visa, which they lovingly stamped cancelled on. I had to go back out with the aid of two men. Really, the men looked like they were 20 years old wearing their dad’s suits. But they were kind and we had to wait for my luggage at the check in. I sat down, refusing to let the tears flow. I settled it my mind that I would camp out at the airport for the night and try and register tomorrow and then fly again. Simple.

But how would I let anyone know? I asked one of my “escorts” how I could get Wi-Fi if my phone doesn’t have a SIM card. One graciously let me connect onto his Wi-Fi. Maybe these boys weren’t as young as I thought😊. So, with that bit of Wi-Fi, I called my director in Ghana and told her and then asked if she could pass a message to let some of my family know. I messaged Damary. I messaged Jane. Thankfully, Jane called me immediately. She was asking what is going on and telling me I cannot stay at the airport. Viren got on the phone too asking and then telling me he would come and get me. Then…the tears flowed…I sobbed with relief. I had enough money to get a taxi back to their apartment. I still had to wait a bit for my bags. When they came, they walked me out of the airport. They kicked me to the curb! Just kidding. They were very professional. Yet, I remember thinking, “if I was in Ghana, they would have helped carry my bags.”

So, I got a taxi, by this time it must be 11:30pm or so on Sunday evening. Thankfully, the driver had Wi-Fi and I gave him Jane’s address and he used google maps to get there. Thankfully, Jane and Viren were right alongside me trying to figure out what comes next. Thankfully, I used a travel agent from Wisconsin who could change my ticket and so it was not cancelled. Thankfully, I had Wi-Fi at their home and I could talk to peeps from home and Damary.

It was interesting because no one had ever heard of this happening. I had a single-entry tourist visa. It did not expire until November 6, and it was only October 23rd. None of us could see the problem. While back at Jane’s I tried the registration AND I GOT THROUGH!!! But I knew I needed to go to the FRRO.

A couple more things still were not going the right way for me. #1- Monday was a holiday. The FRRO would be closed. #2 I still don’t have a phone number to call anyone outside of wifi. #3 Viren, Jane and the kids were leaving for a family holiday that morning. Thankfully, they let me stay in their apartment. Thankfully, they let me use their driver to go to the office. Thankfully, they had food in their fridge. Thankfully, I still had some money left over. Thankfully, Viren gave me a phone to put my India SIM card in. Thankfully, it would be just a day or two…so I thought.

On Monday when I went to the office, no one was there. Yes, holiday, I know, but I just wanted to be sure. Tuesday, I went back to the office. The man behind the desk looked at my visa and said I need an exit permit. He said there is a man outside who can help you. I did find the man outside. He told me some documents I would need to get. I asked if he could do it and he told me to go to a cybercafe. I tried the cybercafe but again I couldn’t get into the FRRO registration. I just said forget it and left…again determined not to cry. I stopped at a few shops for them to see if they could fix my phone. They said they could get a SIM card tray in 1-2 days, but I didn’t think I would still be here in that time…so I thought.

Wednesday, I submitted several documents for this exit permit on the registration site. I googled “exit permit” and it was for people who have overextended their visa. This was not me! And they wanted a document that showed proof of residence. I DON’T LIVE HERE!!! I was so angry. I was annoyed. I felt so helpless. Jane and Viren sent me texts and other numbers of friends while they were away. I tried using Jane’s info that she texted to me, but they did not accept that on documents either. And now it is getting to Thursday and Friday. Viren’s hospitable parents invited me over for two meals that week. They only lived a short walk away. I also went to a prayer meeting with his mom. It hit the spot. A young man talked about being thankful and rejoicing thru all circumstances. I was more on the complaining side. I needed to remember all the blessings I had.

I was thinking of my American-privileged-self. I live in a world where I am surprised when things go wrong. I just expect things to go my way and when they don’t, I expect people to make things go the way I want. So many people in the world don’t live like that. They are always at the mercy of people above them. So, I am trying to remember how good I have it.

Jane mentioned different places nearby that if I felt like it, I could walk to. I did that. One was a tea shop. Another one was a praise and worship night at their church. I didn’t know if I felt up for it. But as Friday evening was fast approaching and they rejected another proof of residence document that I sumbitted, I had to go…otherwise, I would drown myself with a tub of ice cream and watch Hallmark movies on Netflix which would all leave regret on my waistline. I went to the worship night. That worship night was beautiful and fun. I saw people using creative arts to praise God like using banners, or dance, coloring, or painting. I got to praise God in Hindi!

During the night, one woman came to me. Her name is Preeti. She asked if I was Jane’s friend. I said yes, the one having the visa issues. She asked about it. I told her and told her that I would go to the office again. She offered to come with me. I agreed.

Saturday morning, my third time to the FRRO, Preeti was with me, and I was so less stressed. I brought my laptop with me. She told me she doesn’t know anything about this sort of thing but maybe having a local person would help. Oh, boy, it helped!! I connected my laptop to her phone Wi-Fi and we started filling out the registration there. If there was a problem, she would take the laptop and ask the man behind the desk to clarify. Even she, herself, was frustrated with the questions and ways to enter them in the system. The form that I needed for the proof of residence was actually a separate form on a separate website! There was no link, no information regarding that!! Ohhh goodness, I would have never found that.

Then, instead of using Jane’s info we used Viren’s, since he is an Indian. They were on their way back to Mumbai after their trip and here I am stressing them out to send this or send that. Goodness… well, a man, who was very helpful for Preeti came over to us. He asked to look at my passport and see the visa. He looked and said, “oh, you have traveled to Pakistan.”

Me- No. Never.

Man- Well, this is a visa for someone who has traveled to Pakistan.

Me- *** bright lights*** ding! ding! ding!

It made sense to me now. This is why there was so much confusion. I have a visa that shows immigration that I have been to Pakistan. India and Pakistan are deep enemies.

Well, Preeti was able to submit the form!! Then I had to pay. Guess what? It did not go. The man said to try until tomorrow. So, we were able to leave. We both had a festival of griping in the car at the system and the forms and the visa. Ridiculous. But then I turned my mind to thankfulness. I had so much to be thankful for even though at this point the payment wasn’t going thru. I went and pulled cash out of the ATM to pay Viren and he used his card to pay the fee. It didn’t go thru until 11pm. But, I am thankful it went!

     You know…the man in the India High Commission in Ghana did tell me to register. Twice. It is my fault. I just was ignorant of what that really meant. Anyways…

So, I just needed to wait again. During this week of crazy, I would call Damary and keep her updated. She felt so bad because I came to India for her blah, blah, blah…I told her that was ridiculous. I had the best trip of my life because she invited me to India! Her and Akru were now in Nagaland with his family.

Jane and Viren and the kids had to start their normal lives on Monday and I decided to take a trip to the market. I was feeling so free, so rid of my burden because I knew I submitted everything and just had to wait. Oh, I did buy a phone too. I couldn’t hack it anymore. While heading to the market, I got an email saying my permit is ready and I can fly out. Talk about a sigh of relief!

I texted Preeti, I texted Jane, I texted Viren. I texted my family. I called Damary. Lots of rejoicing! I called the airlines and I had to pay a little bit more for my ticket but there was one available on Tuesday. And Jane decided to take a personal day and we would hang out. So Sweet!!

So the day I left Jane and I took a long walk thru her suburb. We ended up at a fish market and then some small streets led us to a cute coffee shop. We carried on looking at the different styles of housing and foods on the streets. I saw cows just wandering along. Hindu religion believes cows are sacred. There was a woman selling potatoes which you could buy and then feed to the cows. In Mumbai, there is actually a beef ban. No beef sold.

We walked our way to Viren’s burger restaurant. I know I just said no beef, but these burgers are WATER BUFFALO BEEF burgers. And they were so good! I could not tell the difference.

That evening I showered, packed, and headed back to the airport. When I got to the immigration, the man looked at me and said, “What did you do?” I said, “I did not register.” He nodded and nicely talked about why they have procedures and how we all have to follow them. He said he hopes that even though I had problems I would come back. I said I would.

I made it! I made it back to Ghana! A crazy ride that lasted an extra week. I hope I won’t ever have to repeat that.

One last thing… why did the man in Accra at the Indian High Commission give me a visa that is for visiting Pakistan? I have a couple answers from people I have talked to.

1— A couple foreigners in Mumbai mentioned they are having issues with their visa or it is difficult for family to visit them because India is not handing visas out. So, that makes me wonder if, in Accra, there were no visas and he just gave me one that was available. Is that why he emphasized why I needed to register?

2—One person said Indians do not like missionaries. The man wanted to give me a hard time.

3—One person said there are issues at the borders and for you to have been there is very suspicious and also you are not coming from the USA which is your passport country but you are coming from an African country

I am going to go with answer number 1. I think the best of people and I am thankful the man in the Accra Indian office gave me a visa, even if it caused me problems. I am thankful Damary invited me and also Jane taking care of me. I am so thankful to my director who allowed me to take off work. I am thankful for all the safety along the way. I am thankful for people who were praying, and I am thankful for friends around the world!

INDIA part 1

Damary was a missionary in Tamale in 2016-2019. We shared the same house. She is Indian, comes from a community centered city, and is an introvert. I am American, coming from an individualistic community, and an extrovert. How would we ever manage to get on? At first, it wasn’t easy. Our schedules were different, our foods were different, the way we wanted things done were different. But then we started praying together every evening. God used that to build a solid friendship. It was like He took away the things that made us so different and molded us together with what is the same. We both are forgiven and redeemed by God. We are both loved by God. We both have come here to serve God. We both wanted others to know God. That became our grounds of friendship. It just seemed simple after that. I started seeing things in Damary that I knew were my weaknesses and viceversa. I loved how God mixed our strengths and weakness to bring glory to His name.

Damary had a boyfriend, at that time, who was in Thailand serving as a missionary. They met with video calls and chats every day. They planned to marry in 2020. She asked if I would come. I promised! When she left in 2019, the plans were moving forward and then COVID hit. All the plans were pushed back and FINALLY…April of 2022, they were able to meet as two families and set a date.

Now, I needed to make good on that promise.

When I was trying to get a visa in the Accra India High Commission Office, I just missed the deadline. I begged them to allow me, and they did. They were not happy and made sure I knew they were doing me a favor. The Indian man said a few things I could not do. He mentioned one thing I had to do, that was to register with FRRO within 24 hours. Keep this in mind when you read PART 2. He actually said it a second time because it was very important. I nodded at everything he said because I was just so thankful, I was getting a visa!

The red is the state of Mizoram.

So, September 26-29 was traveling.  I flew to Dubai and then to Delhi. Delhi to Kolkata. Kolkata to Aizawl. Aizawl we stayed 2 nights. I asked the immigration man in Delhi about registering and he said I had to do it, FRRO- Foreign Regional Registration Office. I met up with Damary in Delhi and a pastor and wife who were all traveling for programs in the USA. It was so great to see her!!! WOW. It has been 3 years. We still connect once a month to pray together but to see her face to face was joy! We stayed in Delhi for 20 hours and then went to Kolkata and on to Aizawl. While in Delhi I tried to do the online registration, but it would not submit. I had Damary also try but it would not submit. I did not know what to do, so, I left it.  Aizawl is the district capital of her state. Her state is called MIZORAM. It is in the Very Very Northeast part of India. It is very close to Burma and Myanmar.

When we were collecting our luggage at the airport in Aizawl, I saw a sign that read FRRO. I saw immigration men and they waved me over. I was so relieved! I filled out a paper that I assumed was the registration. I said to Damary that it looks like I was able to register after all. Again, we will talk about that in part 2.

Aizawl…you guys, this city!! I don’t think there is any place like it. First off, there are mountains everywhere. Ok, not technically mountains, they are hills, but I will call them mountains. It was the end of the rainy season and everything was so green. It looked like the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee. Stunning. Damary’s cousin, Marina (who was a missionary in S.Sudan), met us with the driver, Neipa (another cousin), at the airport.

The roads. Coming from the airport the road was windy and narrow. I kept taking pictures.

 We stayed in Aizawl for Damary to run errands. All the shops are tight together. There are steep hills and curvy bends. People build on the hillsides. It is incredible. I was able to rent a dress, jewelry, and head piece for the wedding and I had to buy heels! Ei!! Marina also rented a dress and Damary got her last adjustments made to her gown.

We headed up to Siaha, Damary’s city, the home of the Mara. This drive…this drive you guys was supposed to be around 9 hours. But for us with rains, fog, bulldozers clearing the road from previous landslides, it took 15 hours! And it was hard to sleep because the roads were so windy. You would be sliding from side to side. Since I drive a lot in Ghana, I pride myself on driving and our driver Neipa did SOOOOOO WELL!! I don’t think I could’ve managed as well as he does. I was thankful. The roads seemed to me like the road you take in a National Park that is supposed to go around the park and go one way. Every so often on the narrow road there was a bit of land on one side so that when cars do pass one can move over a couple extra feet to get around each other. But don’t move over too far, you will go down a steep cliff. I did not want to show pictures to my mom. I think she would have freaked out.

But it was stunning. The views. I had praise boiling out of my heart for our Creator God! I nearly had tears in my eyes. Very majestic. The long car ride gave me time to catch up with Damary and talk with Marina. We stopped for tea many times. There are these little cafés where you can buy snacks and take a break. At the restaurants it was interesting that you would write down you order and hand it to the server. I liked that idea!

There was a big bridge. I was thinking we were only a couple hours away at this point, but it was actually 6 more hours until we reached home. The missionaries that came to this part of the world in 1905 wrote a book and he mentioned this river and bridge. They used the river to haul their belongings. From this area to their station was 6 days!!! I stopped complaining😊.

We got to Damary’s home at 9pm or sometime after that. Many people were waiting for us. I was so tired and overwhelmed with people greeting and shaking my hands, taking my luggage, and just being out of the car on my wobbly legs. Her uncle praised God for our safety, and I was surrounded with a time of prayer. I had tears spring in my eyes. Here are people, in the middle of nowhere, who love Jesus. My Jesus. That many years ago someone came and told them about Jesus who freed them from the hold of Satan. That someone came up this mountain to tell them. That someone gave up living in comfort to live on the side of a hill, climbing steep cliffs. I was overwhelmed. It was beautiful.

The house is several stories. I stayed with Damary’s Uncle and Auntie. I was treated like a queen. Damary’s family has a floor because her father is redoing their house and it is not done yet. It seemed like children and cousins abounded all over the place. It seemed like everyone was a brother or sister or cousin or auntie or uncle or some relative. I felt bad because I couldn’t remember everyone. My room was on the upper floor. It had a set of windows facing one way and another set facing another way so every morning I could go out on the balcony and look out on the mountains.

The time before the wedding was more than a couple weeks. In that time, I visited many families. I spoke at the church on youth night. I spoke to the women’s group who came to the house. Even though many of those ladies could not speak English there was a connection, a beautiful, one heart-one mind mentality. I then visited more people. How I love them! I went on walks. I went to town. I went to church with the help of clothes from sister Shebby. One family member took me to some shops to greet her friends. One week the church had programs and I joined a couple nights, though, I think I was more of a distraction! Again, I visited people. Damary and I spent time together talking too. A youth outing with games and a community talent show was also fun. It was a fast few weeks full of people. Oh, and lots of tea! Tea is served…I don’t know how many times a day. And if people come to visit you serve tea and if you go to visit you drink tea. One cousin, Uthei, who lived in the house, made the best tea, and he knew I just liked it black. Also the food…all of it…ok, maybe some bitter leaves were not the greatest, but everything else I really enjoyed. Rice is served at every meal.

One outing that made an impact on me was visiting the place where the first missionaries came. They arrived in 1905. I have been reading his story. WOW. At that time the Mara people were warriors and headhunters. The man and his wife came from London and did so much work. His granddaughter still lives at their site. I got to meet her. She is very weak. Her husband spoke to me and answered many of my questions. It was such an honor for me to go to this place. Their house that was built in 1914 has been well preserved. They still have it set up the way it was when they lived in it! The books, piano, teacups…all speak of a different time. It was amazing. All the hardships they went through. (I can’t imagine driving those mountains again and they climbed them!!) They stuck with it. They ran the race. They are even buried there. I was so humbled by their devotion to serve God no matter what. It has stuck with me since coming back to Ghana.

Damary’s fiancé, Akru came with his cousin Vibu a few days before the wedding. That seemed to make things more real. A wedding! It was really happening. Akru is from Nagaland which is another state. They speak a different language than the Mara people. Their lands are not so hilly they tell me. Damary and Akru had to do some engagement pics (and we joined in haha), they cooked a BBQ (tons of meat!), did the wedding rehearsal and it was Akru’s turn to visit all the relatives. Akru’s family arrived the night before the wedding. They also had an adventurous time on the roads. It took them three days of driving to get to Siaha. BUT, arrive they did. They first did the bride’s dowry. Damary’s family already discussed with Akru’s family on what needs to be given. It was a time of presentation. Damary said her family went easy on Akru because they know he is a missionary and does not have so much money😊. Akru brought long spears, a big gong and small gong, a trumpet, and gifts of money. Usually, many more gifts would be given but because they will go to Nagaland they don’t want to transport things. Envelopes of money were sufficient. I even got one! I said,” I am her big sister, I better get one.” HaHa

Then the day of the wedding… Marina was first to get her hair and make up done. The make up lady was there at 6am! The wedding was planned for 12. I also was thankful to have my hair and make up done, for the first time! I put on my rented purple dress and heels. Marina looked stunning but the star of the day was Damary (as it should be). She was the most beautiful I have ever seen her (and she always looks good).

The wedding was simple. It lasted about 45 minutes. After the wedding, we went into the reception hall, and they had cake (which somehow passed by me) and a time for pictures. I also gave a little speech for Damary and Akru. I didn’t cry!! A miracle!!

Some of the friends and family went up to the top of a mountain to take pictures. The view was great. It was special because there was a low hanging cloud that ended up being a beautiful backdrop. So many pictures of the bride and groom, family, kids, friends…I see that Damary is very much loved. That evening we put on relaxing clothes, ate good-good food and chilled. The ladies gave me a traditional cloth, a black wrap. It is beautiful. The whole night was relaxed. People came over, it was a big chillin’ party haha. Of course, people were always over! I loved it!

I hate when good things must come to an end. I was leaving with Marina the next day for Aizawl. I knew this would be the last time of seeing everyone. I was even packed so I could stay at Marina’s house that night. I cried when I hugged Auntie. She hosted me, made me feel so welcome, wouldn’t let me do anything in the house, and though we couldn’t speak we managed to communicate. Even now, my heart rejoices, and tears spring up when I think of them. I don’t know what it was about this trip except that they became family.

Before we got to Marina’s house we dropped Akru and Damary off at their hotel for the night. OHHHHH goodness, how Damary and I cried saying goodbye. She is a sister, one who I may not see again for many, many more years. She is so dear to me and Akru is a good man who will take care of her. I was definitely emotional. I was so blessed to share this day with them. I have no words for the privilege of being part of their day.

Then…of course…going back down the mountain!! Marina and I took a public car but it was only us, the driver and another passenger. This time it only took 14 hours😊. Marina had booked a cute place for us, and we slept soundly! It had a balcony and we could see the city lights at night. I left for the airport the next morning and Marina would travel the next day.

I flew from Aizawl to Kolkata and then to Mumbai. The south was a whole new world for me!

Mumbai. Let me save that for Part 2.

What A Day!

People love to ask, “What is your schedule?” “What is your day to day life like?” And I always laugh because so many times there is no routine, but I don’t always mind that.

Let me just share with you one day in my life. It is not a typical day, but for those of you who wondered…

Saturday, September 24, 2022

I decided to not exercise that morning because I knew I would be running around enough. I had some time with the Lord. And then, let the day begin! I was trying to figure out last minute things to throw into my suitcase for my trip to India, eat breakfast and get ready because I needed to leave the house by 8am. I was going to Kojo and Ruth’s Naming Ceremony. In Tamale we call it a Suna. The Suna was already started, surprisingly, since many programs do not start on time. One pastor led in worship. Another pastor gave a message and then spoke the name of the baby, Salome. We all had to repeat it. She was also given a Dagbanli name. I am so happy for them. They were a bit nervous with the complications Salome had at birth, but she got better and she is doing well! I went and sat with Ruth and held little Salome and talked. I took some women home after that and then ran home.

While at home I zipped up my suitcases and rolled them out the door. I shut off the water to the house and gas to the stove. I closed all my windows and curtains and shut off the lights.

Then I drove to another missionary’s house to meet with someone to get land papers. The missionaries are on Home Assignment right now. I waited an hour to get these papers from a man and he never showed up. I had another program so I could not wait much longer. I sent him a text and left. (He never responded.)

In the afternoon at 12 there was a Passing Out celebration to be a part of. PassOut is a new thing, or not new, but it has become a big deal. When a hairdresser or seamstress pass their apprenticeship they have a party. I guess, the equivalent would be a graduation ceremony. This celebration is a mix of pageant and party. The graduates dress up and show off their hair styles or gowns they have created. They have their makeup done. They do a catwalk in front of their family and colleagues. I roll my eyes, but I am proud of their hard work so let me cheer for them! They can move forward and start their own business if they want. It is a great opportunity.

The PassOut was supposed to start at 12. I arrived at 12.45 and they were still setting up canopies. I had to leave by 3.15 to catch my flight to Accra. The program started around 1.30pm. I got to see the seamstresses that I have kept my eye on the past few years. Their dresses were too bold for me but I find Ghanaians love brighter and bolder. They strutted their stuff and I cheered. I could not stay for the certificate handing out because of the time. They sent me pics later that evening. It was a success.

I then went to the airport. I changed out of my Ghana dress and put on comfortable flying clothes. I had some time to catch my breath, which I needed, because the day was not over yet!

When I arrived in Accra, I had to get a COVID test. It is still a requirement for entering India. Thankfully, there is a clinic in the Airport area. So, I wheeled my suitcases over to the place and went thru all that I needed to do. I tried not to be nervous about the results! (It was negative.) Finally, I was able to head to the SIM guesthouse where I could chill and eat something.

WHAT A DAY!!!

Ben

Our SIM Ghana team is made up of a mix of people. Some from East Africa. Some from India. Some from England. Some from North America. And some from Ghana. The ones from Ghana work with an organization called Sports Friends. Ben, Josiah and Eric serve with them. I said to someone if there were more Bens, Erics, and Josiahs around, Ghana would not need us. They are amazing and serve the Lord in amazing ways.

Ben and Eric live in the Upper East and Northern Regions of Ghana. They were traveling down to Kumasi to join the rest of us for Spiritual Life Conference (SLC) in July. Ben was ahead traveling with his wife Jacqueline and two of their children. Eric and his family were in a car behind them with Ben’s son.

Here is Ben’s story, in his own words, sharing with our team, during Testimony Time (Parenthesis are added notes for understanding.):

“Before this incident happened, a week to our coming here, every night we would see an accident in our dreams. Every night. We were like, ‘should we continue on this journey or not?’ (going to Kumasi) I said, ‘God you are in charge.’

We left for Kumasi on Monday with Eric following us. It was getting dark as we reached Kumasi. We were still on the outskirts of Kumasi. Then, it happened so fast, I remember seeing a small boy, in yellow, dart out into the road. I tried to swerve from his running, but he ran into me not guessing I would do that. I hit this boy with the front corner of my car. He rolled onto the bonnet and down to the road. I pulled over and was about to get out of the car. I heard this voice, or something in me say, ‘just go, keep going.’ So, I got back in the car, shaking. My wife was yelling, ‘Oh God, why? Oh God!’ People started to come after my car with sticks, pipes, and rocks. They were going to smash the car and maybe hit us inside of it. I have my children in the car!! I had to move on. (Vigilante justice in Ghana is real and active.) I hated to run away, hated it, but I didn’t know what else to do. I saw them pick the boy up and he was unconscious. It was terrible. Some men on motorbikes started to chase me. I am sure they called friends in nearby towns that we were passing to stop us. I had to go and go fast. Thankfully, by that time of night there was no traffic, and I was able to run away without anyone following.

We arrived at SLC late Monday night. We came to talk to Sister Sherri. Eric made it by that time also. Since Eric was behind us, he saw what happened and he could see them pick the boy and put him into a taxi. (To take him to the hospital.)

That night some of you prayed for me and Jacqueline. We prayed in our rooms throughout the night. We prayed the Lord would sustain this boy’s life. I saw the kid fall and how he was lying on the road. There was no way this child would live. Who can withstand that kind of hit? ‘Oh Jesus give this boy life,’ we prayed throughout the night. And again prayed, ‘God you are the giver of life. I don’t care, whatever, I will go thru I will hand it over to let this child live.’

In the morning we ate breakfast and Eric, Josiah and I went to make things right. We prayed and asked God to help and let the process be shortened. I heard cases like this before and sometimes it can take lots of money and it can take more than a year to be settled. So, yeah, God heard our cry. He heard. (Ghana’s justice system is slow and has lots of bureaucracy…to put it nicely.)

God shortened this process. ‘God, have your way we don’t know what to say we know you will lead us.’ And so, when we stepped out that morning, we didn’t even know the community where the accident happened. We passed places and we saw different police check points and kept going and continued the journey. We did not remember where the accident took place.  But, I know, like Elijah, somewhere God had Elijah to meet a certain widow. Sometimes we think our help will come from somewhere when we don’t expect it. We were just looking for any police station to go and surrender for the case to move forward. We passed places and stopped and passed. But God prepared a somebody, a policeman…first in history where a policeman sees a lucrative case like this and does not handle it that way. This case is very lucrative. A policeman could easily be able to get something. They pretend to help you, but they know what they are looking for. (bribes) This man with sincerity of heart, we know it was Jesus.

We narrated the story to him. He said yes, he told us it was the next check point where I should have surrendered. I narrated how it was and that we thought it was best to report to our team leaders before we return. He said, ‘ok, fine, no problem.’ Then he started calling other officers with his phone. He used his own phone credit. At a certain point his credit finished, and he borrowed credit and continued.

Offinso is the nearest station, and he is the operational commander and called a commander under him and told him the story. He put it in a way that hid my identity. If, in fact, you declare an identity they will ask to bring that person in to jail and impound the car. And then they must investigate and find the family before they release you or the car. The policeman did not go in that direction.

He called his colleagues. He narrated my story and said I am his friend, took my statement, took the particulars, got phone numbers, and released the car. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED in accident cases. I have been involved in situations like this and seen cars parked for months/weeks.

They (the police) were helpful. They knew someone to call (from the family of the boy that was hit) about the family. They said they got a call from the family and the boy was still alive and still at the hospital. I just raised my hands and praised and began thanking God. About 30 minutes later they called and said the boy had been discharged. They called the parents, and they brought the boy to meet us. When the father came, he said to us, ‘look this thing, (Ben coming to find them) we shouldn’t bother, it has happened, and he is alive. That is it.’ One amazing thing the father said was that this is his community, and this is the first time an accident occurred at this spot and the person is still alive. Every accident in this place someone dies. They even lost their brother’s daughter before. All other cases people have died. For this child to live…we just have to thank God. When they called him (the father) on the phone that his child was involved in an accident, he knew he would come to pick a dead body. But to his amazement his son was alive. So, as we came to speak with him, he was rather sympathizing with us!

We just know this one, this particular one is of the Lord. God answered prayers.”

Praise God along with Ben for his mercy and goodness. Ben is still in contact with the boy’s family.

Ben, Jacqueline, and their children.

Mom and Rubes July 2022

My Mom and Auntie Ruby came for a 3 week visit. We all enjoyed the time in Ghana. I love showing off my friends and what God is doing here.

Their final flight landing in Tamale

In Tamale—

Then we traveled 4 hours north to the Upper East Region—

Then back to Tamale and on to Accra —

And then, like that…they were gone.

It was a full three weeks. When we were saying goodbyes, i was thinking about what we could have done to make it better, and I couldn’t think of a thing. It went so smoothly. They arrived with all their luggage, we had safety on the roads, Auntie Ruby got to see many friends, we never got sick, we laughed a lot, my electricity was stable and we savored the time. I thank the Lord for this BLESSING. He does over and above all that we ask or think.

Holiday in May

I had a real, legit holiday. Like a getaway for more than 3 days. Like relaxing-good-food-nap-times-beautiful-creation-laughter-and-good-talks-sort-of-holiday. The kind of holiday where you really do get refreshed and ready to get back to it. I am so thankful.

I spent Christmas with Charity, who is a missionary in Tumu, which was only a few days, and we talked about how we both need a real holiday. One that is longer than a weekend. So, we planned this one. We wanted to go to the Volta region in Ghana where it is green and beautiful. Also, we felt beach time would be relaxing and then some time in Accra.

The day before our trip was to start, I went to the station to make sure there were cars that went to Bimbilla. The man I talked to said, “every day we go to Bimbilla.” I said, “everyday? Good because I want to go tomorrow.” He said, “Oh, tomorrow we are not going.” Not Kidding! There was a big Muslim holiday the next day. I am thankful I found that out. So, instead of leaving on Tuesday we left on Wednesday. On Tuesday we went to KFC and picked up some chicken and went to a friend’s house. Still a nice start to a vacation.

Transport vehicle #1: A station wagon sort of car. The road was great and we arrived in Bimbilla within a few hours.

Some cool Swiss peeps live in Bimbilla and let us stay at their place, This is Jael. She is my Dagbabi-speaking hero. (Those are yam mounds behind us.)

They did a BBQ night for us! It was delicious. they love Jesus and it was a sweet time of fellowship.

The next morning, they took us to the station and we got transport vehicle #2. While we waited for them to pack the bus, I went to find someone to fix my sandal. My pair of Tevas were pretty old and falling apart. But someone was able to sew the strap on well. Yay! (Those are yams packed on top of the bus.)

The Volta Region in Ghana has beautiful views. There are hills, we just call them mountains, lots of green and rains that often fall.

Transport vehicle #3: Getting tired of all the travel. A Fan Choco is a great pick-me-up. (Imagine frozen chocolate milk.)

We arrived at Wli Waterfalls Lodge. It is run by a cute German couple. The day after we arrived, we went on a hike. it was supposed to be 5-6 hours, but we did it in 7. It was all fun and games until my Tevas broke down. Yes, the ones I had fixed while waiting for the bus. At one point, one was held together with my handkerchief and the other was held together with Charity’s headband. It was safer for me to take them off and climb down barefoot than keep tripping. Hikes here do not have guard rails, fences or safety things in place. When we started back I looked up…and saw a shoe…in a tree… I laughed and then stared, “no way.” We got the shoe down and it was a pretty, pink, Adidas shoe that fit me perfectly!! It was one of those things God had to have placed for ME! I had one shoe to help me down the mountain. I was so thankful. I would switch it to the other foot sometimes just to give my poor tootsies a break. I am so thankful I never cut my foot on a rock.

We made it down, felt like real old ladies and took the next couple days to just chill, eat, rub down our sore muscles and look at all the creation around us.

The infamous shoe.

Great Times to walk around, NOT hike. Great times to just sit and read. Great times to eat and talk.

We had to leave, of course, but our holiday was not over yet. Off to the beach! Transport vehicles #4, 5, 6, 7, and 8: From Wli Falls, to Hoehoe, to Ho, to Sogakope, to Dzita, which is close to the Togo border.

Our next little getaway place is called Meet Me There. It is a non profit lodge that supports an NGO in the community. They are eco friendly and use compost toilets, run off solar, and try not to use plastics.

Amazing views. Amazing time to read and rest. Maybe not so amazing to share a bathroom outside our room. Thankfully, we were the only ones using it. The food was great. It was a quiet, picturesque place. Now, onward to the busy city of Accra. Where we were at the mercy of transport vehicle #9 (No, it was not bad. The trotro did get stopped at immigration, where we were ready to show our Ghana I.D. cards. Apparently, though, there was a man from Togo in our vehicle and he did not have up to date info!)

Let me tell you about another interesting episode on our adventure. Charity did not want me to get the whole storyline for our hiking adventure. While we were hiking, a vine wrapped around her ankle. She cut it off but not before it gave her two little scratch marks. Those little scratch marks decided to get angry. Within, the next few days those scratches became red, more angry, and pussy. At one of the cities we stopped to get another vehicle, we found a restaurant, a KFC! Who knew there were so many in Ghana? But I really needed a bathroom. (Nope, no rest stop places along the roads we traveled!) And Charity needed to sit and figure out what to do about her ankle. We called our director who sort of hinted at going to a clinic. We did not want to do that. That would ruin all our plans! (Forget the fact Charity’s foot may need to be amputated.) But our director told us to call our doctor friend from the north, which we did. and he gave great advice. We did not need to go to a clinic, and he told Char what she could get for her wounds to heal. AND it just so happened God provided a pharmacy right outside the KFC we were in eating at, enjoying air conditioning and a clean bathroom. Ohhhh, the blessings!! God gave me a shoe. God gave Charity a pharmacy.

Accra, Accra, Accra a bustling, traffic packed, got-lots-of-things-city. We visited my friends (their girls are so cute!), we went to several restaurants (Not KFC), we went to the mall, we saw a movie, we stayed at the SIM office where they had WI-Fi and sigh, it was just lovely.

Yes, we did eat our way through the city. It was delicious!
Like, I said, we had a great time refreshing ourselves. And all good things must come to an end. So, we boarded our last transport vehicle, a plane, and returned to Tamale. Charity left for Tumu a bit after than. We both have such good memories. We both felt ready to go in our areas of ministry. We both are so thankful for God’s provision for a trip like this.

Easter Convention

A church here invited me to help with the children’s program at their Easter Convention. The church started gathering Friday evening but I and Darlena came on Saturday morning. There was a gal named Sarah who was heading up the kids and had an outline of how it would go.

Saturday, there was two sessions one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Sarah took control and led songs, verse memory and the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She had songs and little activities that kids were able to interact with. I was a supporter. A child controlle— haha. There were 116 kids in a one room building church on benches. Control was needed!

In the afternoon, they had free time. I thought this was great. I have been to weekend programs where it is just session after session. Here, Sarah and others organized games for the kids. It was nice to see young girls involved. So many times i find girls do not get to participate in fun because they are helping around the house and working.

After game time, we had another session. I had a picture book of the Easter story. Sarah told the story and I showed the pictures. I also had some time to teach some simple songs and games. I led in verse memorization too.

Thankfully, the night before it rained and the weather was cloudy and cool. I am sure that is why i had stamina. It was a long day but I was thankful for Sarah who took the bulk of the work.

What we were doing was a benefit to the kids but also to the adults so they could sit and listen well under the teaching that was given to them. I know how important that is for leaders and I am glad I could serve them in this way.

We slept on mats in a school room and bathed outside with walls around us. There was electricity there and so we had a fan at night. Lovely. But, I did wake up with a real pain in my lower back. My lower back normally growls at me but it is manageable. That morning…eishhhhh…it was hard. I AM GETTING OLD!!! AHHHH!!!! I( have tried some exercises and ibuprofen. Be praying!)

Sunday morning’s session seemed a bit more difficult to keep the kids quiet. It was a chore as they love to hit one another and then a little one is crying and then older kids are talking in their groups. The ages were from 2, to 14 years old. It is quite a job to teach all of them, in one room, no microphone, no movies, no powerpoint, no speakers…God is faithful. This time with the picture book we asked the kids to tell us the story and they did well! We went over the memory verses again and sang songs. I shared the Gospel and had anyone who wanted to, pray with me to follow Jesus as Savior.

It was a full 36 hours. I am thankful people supported me to be here so I could support this church in their ministries in Ghana. I am thankful God’s Word went out and He will accomplish His will with it. I pray seeds have been sown in good soil and they would grow to maturity. I am thankful for Sarah. She really had the brunt of the work but seemed to take it all in a stride. She really has a gift to work with kids.

It was also an adventure for Darlena who is a city girl. She has never stayed over in a village. She coped well. She said the worst part was, “the troublesome children” and the best part was, “joining in the praises and singing with the kids.” Glad she could experience this too.

Godwin

Samuel, who does so much for me, including translating, advising, and connecting me with locals who desire to know more about Jesus, has a lovely wife, Christie and son, Godwin. Godwin celebrated a birthday. He is now 2 years old. A cute, little guy who already walks the way his dad does.

They invited me to their celebration. It was a fufu party again! I love being invited to times of relaxed fellowship. It is not all work, work, work. I get times to laugh and eat cake too. I enjoy being amongst Dagomba peoples also. They work hard, eat hard and laugh hard! A good fit for me. I give thanks to God for the life of this little guy and that I can be part of their family.

Mole National Park

I had been promising some Tamale peeps I would take them to Mole National Park. It is about 2.5 hours from my house. They are born and raised in Tamale and have never been there. It would be like me, in Wisconsin, never visiting Wisconsin Dells.

So, off we went on January 4, Samuel, Rebeka and Thomas. We arrived in time to take the afternoon safari. It was also extra fun because my friends, Janice and Enoch, were there as well. (They were on their honeymoon and we totally crashed it!!) We all got a car safari. We got out of the car a couple times to see elephants. One time was in the bush and another time they were leaving the water hole. Such beautiful creatures.

That evening, while we were waiting for our meal, we played a game with dice. Then, after eating, another family asked us if we wanted to play spoons with them. We had 12 people playing! My friends loved it. Someone from the other family won, but we all enjoyed ourselves.

The next morning, we did a walking safari. We also saw crocodiles, birds, warthogs, antelope, and baboons. (We are warned at the hotel to lock our doors because baboons have learned to turn the handles and go in. They look for snacks.) We did not see elephants this time. It was a good hike. Then we enjoyed a breakfast and headed home.

Praising God for His creation, His protection on the roads, and fellowship with other believers.

Christmas in Tumu

Christmas started with a bunch of parties in Tamale. One with some kids, one with my children’s club, and one with the widows and women that I meet with weekly. Everything went so well. They all decorated Christmas cookies and I have found out later they enjoyed eating them as well. YAY!! (I still have some in my freezer 😊)

But with all that, I was ready for a few days to sit still and enjoy Christmas more like I was used to. I traveled to Tumu. It is in the Upper West region of Ghana. It is 6 hours from Tamale. Since my car has not been so healthy, I decided to take public transport.

I was prepared for an adventure. I packed a power bank for my phone. I packed snacks to last me…well, to last a long time. I had a frozen water bottle to stay cold the whole time. I started from Tamale at 6am in a car that 3 other people were in. We made it to Bolgatanga in good time. At the station in Bolga, I had to wait for the trotro to fill up. Vehicles will sit until all the people fill it. There is no set time of leaving. It is only when all the seats are filled. So, I waited. I met some people who live in Atlanta, Georgia and are in Ghana visiting their families. I love hearing Ghanaian’s perspective of America.

We left Bolgatanga around 10:30am. I sent Charity a message that I was leaving giving her an idea of when I would arrive. But, at 11am, the trotro pulled over because we had a flat tire. We all got off and then they put the spare on, and we entered and sat down again. About 30 minutes down the road, the trotro pulled over again. The spare was now flat. We were at the junction where you turn to go the 100+ kms to Tumu. That is where I sat for the next 3 hours. The driver had to go back to the nearest town to fix the tire (he bought a new one). I don’t know what took him so long. Personally, I think, he stopped to grab some lunch 😊.

Like I said, though, I was prepared. I had enough power on my phone to recharge and watch downloaded YouTube videos. I had food and snacks aplenty. I had cold water. What had I to complain about? I had a pretty good attitude.

So, around 3:30 or 4pm the driver was back, put on the new tire, and we took off. We still had hours to go. The Tumu road is terrible. I really admire my teammates and the roads they have to drive on. Yikes!! Soft sand, dirt, gravel, rickety bridges, and potholes. By 6pm, though, my nice-y attitude had vanished. I kept wondering where we were. The people sitting next to me also did not know the road so they couldn’t help me in “how much longer?” By 6.30 I was thinking we must be on the wrong road. The phone connections are not good out there so I could not call Charity to tell her where I am. She got thru once to me, but I didn’t know where I was so I couldn’t help her to give her an ETA. But, around that time, I started seeing a few lights. Yes, Tumu was there.

Charity picked me up and I was in her house by 7pm. So, what should have been a 6-7 hour trip was 13! But, it only had to improve from this point and it did.

Christmas in Tumu was fab! So, the next day we just chilled. Charity cooked and baked lovely items like cinnamon roles and lasagna. My other teammates, Tejin and Merin and their daughter Besorah hosted me for a few meals also. They are from India and I got authentic Indian food and it was everything everyone says it is. SO DELICIOUS. So full of many flavors. We also played games together, went to church together, and chilled and watched movies together. I was so thankful for them to have hosted me.

Being away from Tamale, I really felt I could relax. I had no house issues to worry about. I had no people knocking on my gate. I had no food to prepare. I had no place to go or expectations put on me. It was a joy. And you know, Christmas is a delight to remember Jesus and what he did for us. So thankful for His gift to us. So I had a double portion of joy.

Charity and I headed to Navrongo on the 27th. We went to a Youth Conference. We were pleasantly surprised to find 260+ youth already there. The speaker was a pastor from Good News Bible Church. He was spot on. He was preaching clearly and enthusiastically. One thing he spoke on was about character. Our character will last longer than our charisma. We can be excited and energetic but that may fade, it is our character that will keep us serving and walking with the Lord.

I headed back to Tamale (with a very uneventful trip home thankfully) on the 30th.

I really give praise to God for the time I had at Christmas. It is not easy to be away from family. I miss them even more at this time. So, being with my amazing teammates, was filling a hole in me at this time.

Thanks for praying.

Updates

Life is just so fast here. Some weeks are like…where/whaaaat?

Random updates on things:

Harvesting is almost over. 2 of the widows that were supported, had a good crop. One had corn and they got several bags for selling or eating. And one widow harvested 6 gunnysack bags of rice. How cool!! So exciting to see and praise God. So, praise with us! Now, 3 other widows received animals. One got pigs. And after they bought it, it gave birth to triplets. Extra blessings. But then, a virus that affects pigs, was going around and the 3 little ones died. They quickly sold the mother so they would not be at a complete loss. Sad. Another woman received 2 goats. One was untied and got lost. The other had a stillborn and then the placenta wouldn’t come out and it died. Another woman got sheep and they are doing fine! 2 out of 3…

The weather is changing from humid, rains, and cooler temps to dry, hot and hotter temps. By December it should be full blown dry weather and dust. I don’t mind the dry it means the sweat evaporates off and things stay dry. I make sure I keep lotion and chapstick at convenient places because things start peeling! My clothes, when I hang them on the line, dry so fast. It is like when I finish hanging the last one the first one is dry. Or when I want toast. I just leave a piece of bread out, 5 minutes later, it is toasted hahaha.

I have had several nights with no power. Oh, you guys, I can barely function the next day. It is so difficult. There are still no good reasons why my area goes off so often. It stinks. And yet, I know this is the house for me. So, I will stay and be thankful. I know some people would love to live in my house and so I will change my attitude. At least, with the drier weather the nights get cooler.

There will be several Christmas parties coming up in December. I am trying to work on details, which I am so terrible at. I am more like the big idea person. We will color cookies, play games, I will share the Christmas story, and enjoy a fun time together.

Dagbani lessons have been fewer with me being in more SIM meetings and also my teacher had things come up in his schedule but I am still going at it, though, it may be like toe in front of toe. I am the worst.

Thanksgiving was great. The turkey was a local one and a bit gamey and tough, but it was turkey! It was nice spending time with other Americans. I noticed how loud we are. I went back for seconds and thirds and came home full up to here (pointing to my neck). It was lovely.

Will go away for a week called Spiritual Life Conference December 13-18. Our team does it every year. It is a time where we have a special speaker, eat together, pray together, listen to each other’s testimonies, play games, and get away from our normal environments. It is refreshing.

I have a new gal cleaning house for me. I hope she will stay. I will try and not be so bossy hahaha. She is an answer to prayer especially when this dusty season rolls in. She is 15 years old and goes to a church near my house. Her name is Esther.

It has almost been a year since I came back to Ghana. Time goes so fast. Thanks for walking along with me!

Baaba

The Baab-ster, Baabarino, Baabs all refers to my amazing friend, Baaba Antoinette. We have been friends for more than 12 years. I was actually friends with her husband, Amponsah, first and then ended up getting to know her. She is my best friend here. She even came to visit me for Christmas in Wisconsin one winter!

We had a weekend of celebrating her birthday in October. She celebrated her 40th year and I really wanted to do something special for her. (In Ghana, if you want to celebrate your birthday, you do it yourself.) My dear friend does so much for her family, her church, her friends I just had to step in and do something for her. Now, I was on a missionary budget, so we were not able to fly to Dubai or anything. But we were able to go try some new restaurants, took her girls on a day outing to shops, visited a kid’s play park, ate ice cream, and we had cake and drinks after church with the church community. By Sunday evening we were exhausted. On Monday we just looked at each other and agreed we are getting old- hahaaa

Baaba lets me stay with her when I come to Accra. One of my favorite things in the world is to sit with her and Amponsah and just talk. We have been doing it since they got married. Even when they lived in a tiny place, we would sit on the floor and talk. Now, they have a bigger place and they give me my own room! Oh La La! While I was in Accra last month, every night Baabs and I would talk. One night we even talked until 1am. Don’t ask me what we talked about, one conversation just led to another and another. She loves Jesus, tries to help her husband as she cares for her girls, and does random business ventures. She says things to me, even if I don’t like it or agree. We all need people like this in our life. She even wants to be involved in helping with the widows in Tamale. She is such a blessing to me!

Here are some pics from her birthday weekend.

Sandema

Vrony, who I have talked about in previous blogs, a missionary from Switzerland, working with an organization called Frontiers, living in Gushegu (about 2 hours from Tamale), and I took a road trip. We hopped in her “little” Land Cruiser and off we went to visit Pam and Yvonne in Sandema.

Sandema is a small town about 4 hours north of Tamale. They are a different people group than Dagombas, who I work with in Tamale. I have been visiting Sandema on and off since I came to Ghana in 2005. A couple men in Sandema, are good friends of mine, who started out as youth leaders, and are now pastors. So, during their youth-working-days we would collaborate on events or see each other in meetings. We also posted a few short termers in that town. The people were such a big help in getting our new people settled and teaching them culture, how to get going with ministry, and language. It is wonderful to see them following the Lord, seeing their families grow, and walking with the church even when times get rough. I always enjoy Sandema and wish I had more time to travel there.

Vrony had never been to Sandema. Yvonne used to live in Tamale and that is how Vrony knew her. She was able to meet Pam for the first time also. After conversation and conversation and conversation we arrived. We arrived Friday evening. The 4 of us together was lovely.  I was able to greet my dogs! Yvonne and Pam cared for them when I went on Home Assignment and they are much better cared for there. They had a warm meal ready for us (Yvonne and Pam, not the dogs hahaha).

That night it rained. From about 10 pm to the next morning. Our electricity went out. (Not a surprise to any of us.) The weather was cloudy and cool. We had plans to explore different sites, but we waited and let the weather direct us. It was a relaxed morning. We were told to head to the main road and see the flooding. Unfortunately, Sandema gets flooding and it even uproots chunks of the road and huge trees.

The flooding was extensive but by evening was already receded. The interesting part is that some people from town come out and see how much rain has come. They watch and see the big trucks trying to get thru the waters from one end of town to the other. I was a bit nervous watching!

After that time, we headed to the crocodile pond in a different area. Crocodiles are a sacred creature in the land of Paga. There is a pond where you can see a crocodile and even sit on it, or even hold it’s tail! The caretakers of the place always say the crocs will never kill a human. They themselves wade through the waters. Vrony and Pam had never been to this place and they each got their fill (and pics!) of crocodiles.

Then we headed to a slave camp. Unfortunately, there was no guide because of a funeral in the area, so we just walked along the signs and Yvonne and I tried to remember what we were told from previous times. The slave camp is just terrible. There is a rock that you can see where the chains rubbed it from where they would tie people who are causing trouble. There are small “bowls” in the rocks where they would put food to feed all the slaves. Then those slaves would walk down to the coast!! That is like 400 miles!! I cannot imagine. The heat, the bugs, the chains, the being with so many different tribes and not speaking the same language. Brutal. What man can do to man…

Then we found some lunch, a classic fried chicken and rice meal, to strengthen us as we headed into Navrongo. Navrongo is a bigger city in the area of the Nankani-Kasena people. They have a very old Catholic Cathedral made up of mud bricks. Inside the church is decorated with traditional imagery. The church says it was founded around 1906 by missionary Fathers and used for service around 1920.

We all enjoyed the day. The evening included some friends joining us for dinner and talking and talking and talking! Oh, so lovely.

Sunday morning, we went to church, had lunch and then headed back to Tamale. Thankfully, we had safe drives up and down. Thankfully, Vrony was able to see all that she wanted. Thankfully, Yvonne and Pam are such amazing hosts. Thankfully, I did not have to drive and enjoyed being driven 😊. Thankfully, (so many reasons to give thanks, eh?) we were refreshed to get back to our normally-scheduled-programs 😊.

Hens

It is better to give than receive. I know this cliché phrase. I believe it. I say it, and during greediness, I think, “no way, this is all mine!” Then I give or buy something for someone, and I think, “this is such fun!”

 I had some visitors a couple weeks ago who stayed at my house. They thought they needed to bring me gifts to equal out the free room and roof over their heads. I was on the receiving end. Boy, did I receive! I received whipping cream in a can (didn’t even know they had this in Tamale), cheese sprinkle for popcorn (heaven!), caramel sauce (didn’t know they had this in Tamale also), and a beautifully written calligraphy thank you card. I was so thankful. I love me some goodies, I think we all do. I enjoyed these things.

But, when I am able to give here, there is this sprinkle of somethin’-somethin’ in my heart that makes me want to do it more. Joy floods out. I have to remember that response of the Spirit in me so that I will keep on doing it.

Samuel talked about helping the Bible Study women with something. He suggested getting each one a hen. I was like…a hen? I have had up to 20 women come to Bible study. 20 hens?? We took attendance the next month to make sure women who get hens are really coming and taking part. Yep, about 20.

I had money from some peeps at home who told me to give it to women. I put money aside every month to add to that. And we had money from the motorking account to use. And we left it up to the women to pay to get a chicken vaccination on their own. (Yes, chickens are vaccinated too 😊.) So, let’s buy these hens!

We needed to do it during rainy season, which started in June, because it gives the hens a better chance of survival with all the grass and plants available. From November to April it is very dry and hardly any greens to find.

The leader of the church went to several markets to find enough hens. In the end, we had to give money to several women to buy their own because there was some sort of hen shortage…or they were too expensive.

But 20 ladies got hens!! They all shook my hand thankfully. We took pictures together. (And as of yesterday, 2 months since they received the gift, their hens are still alive and running around. Two ladies even told us that their hen laid eggs and hatched 7 chicks. YAY!!)

We talked about how starting with a small hen can be used for the Lord. I tied it together with the parable of the talents that we studied.

When Samuel and I drove off we were so pumped, it was so cool to hand them the hens. The Spirit in us produced JOY and it was overflowing!! We were laughing and wishing we had more things to give away!

Fire Festival 2021

Fire festival here in the Northern region is my favorite Dagomba festival. It tells of a story where a boy was lost. People went with fire torches (grass wrapped together and on fire) looking for the boy who they found up in a tree. They then threw the torches to the tree and came back to the chief’s palace to celebrate with dancing and drumming. And that is pretty much what is recreated every year for the festival.

People dress up, white powder, traditional cloths. There is drumming and dancing. In Tamale city I have found over the years people get a little out of hand. I got nervous last time with the fire, explosions, and machetes. This year I went to a friend’s village, very rural. It was so calm and joyous. I marched out with everyone and threw my torch at the tree. My friend’s little son, really did some dancing. So cute.

It is nice to not always have to be in a church setting. I enjoy being with people with no agenda or lesson to teach. Just out, food, culture, (fire), and talks.

Encouragement

I finished teaching from Matthew and Mark to the widows and the Bible study women. We looked at parables, healings, and teachings of Jesus. I mentioned before that I gave a quiz and I was so surprised at all the lessons they remembered. This time I made each one share their favorite lesson and why. I recorded what was said. Here are a few:

Story: Turning the other cheek.

I learned not just turn to allow a slap but if someone wronged you, you should not move away from their needs. It means that when someone does something wrong to you you can still help them and talk with them. I learned a lot about forgiveness. In every situation we can forgive each other. Also, to accept we are weak. Even if someone does something to us, it may show society that we are weak, but it means that we really are not weak but walking in the purpose of God.

Story: Matthew 5, Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit the kingdom of God is for them. I liked it most because I know and agree that I cannot do anything by myself unless with God’s help. I know I have nothing to boast of, poor in spirit. I depend on God. Also, I like blessed are the merciful; meanings if God doesn’t have mercy on us we can’t get to heaven. If you really understand that God has mercy on us then we need to respect each other. We need to put God first.

Story: Jesus Loves the Little Children:

We don’t sack children. Some people have in mind that it is only adults that are to worship God but not knowing also children can also come and worship God. And they even grab things easier.

Story: Salt and Light

I learned that when we cook food and there is no salt inside someone will know it is not nice. We the Christians should be an example, even if you are absent, people would feel like something is missing.

Story: Jesus healing

Even though not a particular story or point, but the past 10 years I had a disease and it separated me from my husband. What happened was everyone lost hope I would survive the sickness. But then a crusade came and I gave my life to Christ. By God’s grace I started going to church and God healed me and I was even able to give birth. This is why I liked the stories of Jesus’ healing.

Story: Healing of the Greek woman’s daughter

Jesus loved her and healed her daughter. If the daughter was a student, she could go back to school or if she was a tailor she could go back to her work and continue everything she was doing before to take care of her family.

Fufu Par-tay!

I had a lovely birthday this month. And I had an even lovelier time of celebrating it. The day itself was a normal work day and I was out visiting some ladies who are such a joy to me. A few days later I celebrated with my friend Christi since her birthday is just a couple days after mine. I told her and her husband that I would buy all the ingredients and all the food items for a party. They would just have to cook it. Fufu was on the menu!!

Fufu is eaten all over Ghana. In different areas they use different foods. In Accra, they use plantain, cassava and yam or two out of the three. In Tamale, they use only fufu, which I have found to be my favorite. And in northern areas they use yam to cook it as well.

They boil the yams and then they pound the life out of it using a pistol and mortar. Since this party was going to be big, instead of all of the work of pounding, we took the boiled yam to a fufu pounding machine. It did all the hard work for us. It was fast and got the job done without any of us sweating. JOY!!

When they put the fufu in the bowls, which I wondered where they found all these bowls, the woman will beat it with her fist just a little bit to smooth it out and then they poured a soup on it. My choice was Light soup with goat meat. SO DELICIOUS!!! It really is like the largest bowl of mashed potatoes you will ever eat.

I baked a cake and brought candles so after our fufu feasting they watched as Christi and I blew out the candles. There were 25+ people who passed by and “chopped” with us. JOY!! (The evening started out with rain but we ended up being thankful for it otherwise they think more people would have come and we had just enough food as it was. JOY!!) I was able to see my youth girls who I used to do a Bible study with. They sang happy birthday to me which was sweet.

It was one of those times where you drive home with a full heart (and full belly), being satisfied, even though, it is not necessarily a physical satisfaction, but more of a sense of wonder that experiences like this come my way. JOY!!

God is Good

Back into life and the randomness of every day. I do appreciate not having a set schedule. I do work hard to build relationships and show Christ’s love in whatever situation that comes up. I do enjoy the small things—like consistent water and lights! YAY!! I do smile at God’s favor to me in this land. Here are some pics of things that happened this past week.

Richie's Wedding

So, I lived and worked in Accra for 11 years. During those years, I was asked by a church member, Richie, to lead a fitness club. We met on Saturday mornings for prayer and then exercise. At one point we had 30 people coming. It was one of those things I never thought I would do, but really enjoyed doing it. Richie and Sasu, another leader, and I, would sometimes go and visit church members afterwards. I thought that was one of the most special times I had with people.

Well, Mr. Richie just got married last week!!! I went down for the wedding. It was a great celebration. I did not know the bride but she is a solid, Christian woman and I hope together they will love and serve the Lord.

In Accra, they do a traditional wedding, they call it the engagement. Then, they do a church wedding.

Enjoy the pics!!

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Engagement

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Wedding

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