A New Opportunity

 

In 2013, an Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) was done here in Ghana. Eight thousand (8,000) second grade students from all over the country were assessed. Both English reading skills and the local language reading skills were tested. (English is the national language.) The results were unbelievable! Overall, not one student could read a primary two level story, 50% could not read a single word of the story, 44% were struggling readers - reading less than 10 words a minute, 4% were able to read with SOME understanding, only 2% could read fluently and understand what they read.

 

Literacy in the local language scored even lower. 86% of the Dagaare speaking students could not read a single word of Dagaare. 10% were struggling readers. 4% were able to read with some understanding. No one could read Dagaare fluently and understand what they read.

 

 

So, as an elementary education teacher, one who has taught reading in the past, the very distant past, I have started to go to the Kindergarten class last week. (There are six more weeks of school this year.) I wanted to evaluate what the children knew. So, I started with letter recognition. The highest score was 10 (ten) out of 26, the lowest was 0 (zero) out of 26. Both of these students were in the KG 2 class...they have completed almost two years of school! (You must keep in mind, most of the parents are illiterate.)

 

For the remainder of this school year, I will work with the Kindergarten students. In September, when the new school year starts, I will work with the lower grades and start reading clubs for the upper grades. And, I will watch and listen to see what God has in store for me! (I will still be taking care of the Kalsagri church, I am not leaving that!)

 

The Making of a Garden, on a Savannah!

For almost two years I have wanted a garden. So, when my friends, Tula & Gary were coming to visit and Gary was planning on planting me a garden, I was very excited. When Gary came, the reality of life on a savannah hit him, as well as the rocky, clay filled soil. Needless to say, a garden was not planted. It was ok. Gary did plenty of other things.

A few weeks ago, I threw some watermelon seeds into a hole. And, God grew them! So, my dear friend, Jonas Delle, took it upon himself to make sure I had a garden, a safe place for watermelon to grow where the sheep, goats and cattle would not eat them. 

One day, after work, he came with his CUTLASS to dig/cut out holes in the hard earth. These were pole holes - holes to put in poles which would be part of the fence. The fence would be made from nym branches which he cut down and removed leaves and whatever else was on them.



My two friends, Gabe and Sydney came to help build the fence. But, Sydney and I are not Ghanaian. We did NOT want to build a fence in the heat of the afternoon.





So, when the poles were in their holes, we pleaded with the guys to let me lash a fence together small, small, each day, in the morning, before it got hot.

The guys agreed and we stopped our work for a photo op!

It took a week or so, and plenty of curling ribbon (I used what I had) and the fence was finished.

Now, the next step...making cages for bell peppers and banana peppers and tomatoes. The carpenter, David, said he just cuts the wire with the wire cutter on a pair of pliers. Where are Chuck and Gary when you need them?



The almost finished product! Seeds were planted, and I did finish off the fencing on the right side, by the house. I've watered my seeds, God has been giving PLENTY of sunshine. I will wait patiently for the harvest!

Honor the Lord with your wealth and the first fruits of all your produce,

then your barns will be filled with plenty,

and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Proverbs 3:9-10

For Nancy Roddy!

Well, this is not going well at all! I am trying to put a picture on this post and it won't let me resize it. Grrr! It could be because my internet is so slow and I do not have the patience for it. It might be something else. So, Nancy Roddy, this is for you!!!

Meh! (No Longer)

Are you on Facebook? You know where it asks, "how are you feeling?" One of the emoticons available says, "meh!" I guess it means that I am not happy, I am not sad, I am just here. That's how I felt today...this morning, "meh!" I needed a change of scenery. So, I packed my bag, got on the 'cycle and drove out to Kalsagri. As I drove, I felt God setting me free. When I arrived in Kalsagri, I visited with the women waiting to have their shea nuts ground at the mill. Then, I went to the church, put a table under the nym trees and had my quiet time and worked on my sermon. Several people stopped by to great me. A few of the children came to play. It was a lovely morning. I returned renewed and refreshed. It is amazing what happens when distractions are removed and time is spend in God's word!

Fun in Lawra???

Last week, a friend of mine asked, "What do you do for fun in Lawra?" That questioned has bothered me all week. Hmmm. What do I do for fun in Lawra? Count flies when going out for a Coke. Watch a friend touch a bug zapper and get shocked. Take pictures of the goats and sheep in front of the house. Pray for rain. Typically, I am inside before dark because of the mosquitos. Once in a while, I make greeting cards. It relaxes me, and at times, energizes me. Other than that...there really isn't a "nice" place to go out to eat. There is no Y or movie theater or mall or...but, there are friends! Now, my friends, if they are expats are MUCH younger than I. And, most of my Ghanaian friends who happen to be male, are closer in age, but, only by 10 or 15 years. Ghanaian women are always busy with the house or family or laundry or cooking. In Lawra, the typical Ghanaian woman does not have "time to kill." If they are not busy with their immediate family, they are busy with extended family.

 

So, I decided to make my own "fun." I hosted a Memorial Day/Africa Day pool party and picnic. (It was nice that both holidays ended up being on the same day.) I got out the pool and got it ready for summer! Filled it. Brought out the beach (it is on the small table on the right of the picture.) Bought chicken and REAL potatoes. Made jello! Made baked beans. Sydney and Emily came over. We had such fun. I laughed more that day than I had laughed in quite awhile! We grilled the chicken and had a feast fit for a king.

 

So, in answer to your question, Steve, we have a pool party and a picnic. That is how we have fun in Lawra!

I'll Miss You, My Friend

 

This past week has been a very lonely week for me. Oh, I was surrounded by friends and co-workers and people I have grown to love. But, one important "person" was missing. Jack. About two weeks ago, Jack started not being himself. He would visit and take his nap. But, he looked tired. His eyes were not sparkling. His tail wasn't wagging. Every day, when I talked to Jack's "mother," Sydney, she would tell me about something else she noticed about Jack. He wasn't eating like he usually does. He wasn't as active. Then, the day came when he started vomiting. The vet wasn't in town. He had traveled. So, Sydney doctored Jack as best she could. Now, he wasn't eating at all. And was very sick. Finally, on Friday, May 23, the vet had returned to Lawra. But, it was too late for Jack. There was nothing he could really do for Jack.

 

So, Friday evening, May 23, 2014, Jack died in Sydney's arms. I called Razak. He called someone with a pickax and brought him to Sydney's house so Jack could be buried. As I walked to Sydney's house, I could hear the eerie sound of the pickax hitting the hard earth A very nice grave was dug. Blue bunny was placed inside the hole. Sydney, very lovingly placed her best friend on top of his favorite bunny. Then, the eerie sounds of the dirt covering Jack. Sydney and I laughed and cried that evening.

 

Here, where I live, a dog is in the same category as a goat or a sheep. They are not household pets. They are guard dogs...or dinner. People don't understand these silly American women shedding tears over a dog!

 

I am not a dog person. But, I loved Jack.  I miss Jack. I look for him in the morning...he would come to visit. I miss him going to town with me. You get the picture. Maybe, the name of the Disney movie is true...All Dogs Go to Heaven.

 



The Election of a Bishop - in Pictures

 

This year, at our annual Synod meeting, a bishop was to be elected. Our present Bishop, The Right Reverend Emmanuel Maclord Afriyie, has completed his term of service. Since I am a member of the Synod, I was given the responsibility of casting my vote for our next Bishop.

 

The Right Reverend Professor Osei Safo-Kantanka, Bishop of the Kumasi Diocese, and his lay chairman, KwasiAtta Antwi, traveled to Bolgatanga to facilitate the voting process. First, Bishop Safo-Kantanka gave the rules for the vote. Then, the CV or biography of each candidate was read.

 

 

The vote could only be written on an official ballot which had Bishop Afriyie's stamp on the back.

 

 

The container in which we were to place our votes was turned upside down, so all could see it was empty. Then, the voting began.

 

Votes were placed in three piles, one for each candidate...

 

 

and then counted. 50% of the votes plus one was needed to be elected.



 

With one round of voting, a Bishop was elected. The votes were written in the journal.

 

And, now, for the announcement...The Very Reverend Doctor Nathan I. Samwini is our Bishop elect. May God be with both Bishops during this time of transition!

One Year Later...

 

May 19, 2014, Kalsagri Methodist Society celebrated its one year anniversary of renewal. Last Year, our first worship service was held on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2013. I was a bit, to say the least, unsettled. I am not a pastor, I am not a preacher. God had other ideas.  In one year, our attendance grew from 59 to 118! And, a new roof, floor, windows, door and cement work and painting has been done. The church looks very nice.

 







During services, people sometimes fall asleep. People sometimes smile and nod their heads as if they know what I mean when I give an example or tell a story. Sometimes, they even get upset...like when Jacob was given Leah for a wife instead of Rachel!

 

Little by little, I am trying to find people who are willing to serve in leadership positions. This is their church. There are a few who will volunteer. Pray that leaders will rise up from the congregation and the church will be 100% led by people from Kalsagri. With God, anything can happen!

Frustrations and Joys

Life in Lawra can be challenging in many ways. But, to me, the most challenging things have to do with electronics. The electricity is not stable, it is not always available ("lights off" happens more frequently than I'd like), the internet is slow, some web pages cannot be viewed with a VPN...even this blog post has taken me more than two weeks to write and post, because putting a picture on it has caused me more challenges than I have been ready to face...and...without my morning coffee!!! When I first moved to Lawra, MTN was the internet provider to use...when it worked. Then, Vodafone was amazingly fast! I no longer had to start dinner or do dishes while waiting for a web page to load. That worked for a while. Last year, I heard that airtel worked even better. So, I tried it. I could upload pictures without growing old! WOW! How nice. This year, MTN upgraded their towers. 3G is now available in Lawra! YAY! I can be on my computer, email, use my VPN without everything freezing up and...wait...there is no connection...it was fine a minute ago...oh, airtel will work...hmmm...It's back on! Let me try Skype...I video Skyped my brother in Pennsylvania. It was the first time in a long time that I saw him with my own eyes...and his wife...and his grand dogs...what a blessing. Yes, electronics can be a real challenge at times, but, "joy comes in the morning!" (Ps. 30:5b)

The Battle for John

 

Have you ever felt helpless? This afternoon I was at the Kalsagri Church waiting for people to show up for Bible Study. God had a divine appointment for me during that time...

 

As I was sitting under the nym tree, a young boy came up to me. He looked scared and very distressed. He told me that the wizard was after him, trying to kill him. Now, before you laugh this off and dismiss this encounter, please understand that I live in an area where spiritual warfare is very real, and takes place on a daily basis.

 

I brought out a chair for this boy, and found out his name was John and he was 17 years old. He doesn't go to school, but, he spoke English quite well. His father is dead. His two brothers are dead. His sister is dead. And, now, the wizard wants him dead, too. (Wizard is a term used for the traditional priest. They cast spells, they talk to the evil spirits. In many peoples eyes, they are very powerful.)

 

I told John that the God of the Bible, the one, true God, is much more powerful than any wizard. I asked him if he believed that. He said yes, he did. I read to him from Scripture:

 

Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. "See, all your angry enemies lie confused and shattered. Anyone opposing you will die. You will look for them in vain—they will all be gone. I am holding you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God—and I say to you, don’t be afraid; I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:10-13 (TLB)

 

We talked some more. Then, we prayed. We prayed for protection. John told Satan to leave him alone. He told Satan that he (Satan) had no power over him (John.) He prayed and said that Jesus was stronger and more powerful. He asked Jesus to come and protect him. John asked Jesus to replace the fear he had with His peace. We talked some more. I asked John to stay for Bible study (he stayed for most of it) and invited him to church.

 

I don't know all that is going on in John's life. I pray I will see him again. And, I hope I can share Jesus with him again. Please, pray for John, for protection and for the salvation of his soul. Pray that he will be able to connect with others that are faithful to Christ so John can learn more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Pray that John will personally experience the love and mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

 



Easter Picnic

 

Here in Ghana, the day after Easter is a public holiday. The tradition is to have an "Easter Picnic" on Easter Monday. So, I asked the members of Kalsagri Methodist Church if they wanted to have a picnic. The answer was a resounding, "YES!"

 

We talked about food, since you cannot have a picnic without it. I would provide some yams for fried yams and some rice and oil to share. Everyone else was to bring food for their family and to share with someone who might not have any. One of the challenges of the day was lighting the fire to cook - the wind was enough to make this a problem! (See above picture.)



Three of the women of the church spent hours cutting and frying yams and preparing the rice. It was worth all their efforts. The yams were delicious!
 

 

While some women cooked, others sang and played games as if they were young school girls. They talked and laughed and had such a good time!

 

Now, it was time for the main event - FOOD! I was so grateful that people brought food. I wasn't sure. They had never had an Easter Picnic before and, we didn't have money for someone else to cook food for us. But, as you can see, plenty of food was brought to the picnic.

 

And, plenty of food was enjoyed at the picnic! When I left Kalsagri, five hours after I arrived, the festivities were still going strong with singing and dancing. Everyone was having a wonderful time.

 

I thank God for this experience. I pray that he draws the Kalsagri members into a close family, but, a family that ALWAYS welcomes new members.



Dery Update

 

Dery has been discharged from the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Praise God! He was discharged on April 17, 2014. He is at home. His memory is returning a little bit at a time. He feels dizzy yet, he can walk, but not by himself, he needs help. Much rest and healing is still needed. Now, he can rest at home. He will return to see his doctor in two weeks. Please continue to pray for him.

 

As a side note, Dery is to be ordained as a full elder in The Methodist Church Ghana in August. I have no idea how this will impact his ordination. There are several requirements that each person seeking ordination has to fulfill. I don't know where Dery is on fulfilling those requirements. He has a heart for the least, last and the lost and is a gifted pastor. Another item that needs prayer.

Kuufati

Picture this...Easter Sunday worship service. It is testimony time. A woman, Kuufati, stands up and makes her way through the crowd to the front.  She has never come to church before. But, she had to come today. She says that when she sleeps that she sees all the people she knows who have died recently. And, she is told she is going to be next. I tell her that if she wants to turn her back on the spirits and get rid of them she can. The risen Savior, Jesus Christ is stronger than all those spirits. She cannot live in both worlds. She needs to take off her juju (seen above with the Dagaare gospel of Luke, opened to the Resurrection Scriptures, Jesus defeated death!) Kuufati wants to remove the juju. 

She tells Satan that he has no power over her, Jesus is stronger and says, "Come, Lord Jesus." She asks Jesus to live in her heart. After service, the juju she wore to church is burned.

Praise God! Easter Sunday is the day of new life in Him. Christ defeated death more than 2000 years ago, and He defeated death on this Easter Sunday!