Hospital Dreaming

Before I post the backwards photos, I should say this is Diane posting a few photos from the "comfort" of my hospital bed stateside. I was diagnosed with malaria in Cape Coast and decided to head home. I went straight to the hospital on my doctor's orders where they found a bacterial infection as well. I'm continuing to be treated, feel fine and should be home, real home, tomorrow when the rest of the group flies in. So we all had the same length of time away from home, just in different spots.

In Ho we had beautiful clothes made. Sarah, Kara, Patt, Chris and Debbie modeled them for us.

In Accra we dined at the Poloma Restaurant, a favorite haunt for expats. Seth, Curt, and Steve were enjoying one of their last nights together. Ralph and Alice were relaxing as they waited for their taste of the west meal.

One of the previous post showed the slave fortress at Elmina with Seth enslaved to his cell phone. Here you can see Traci taking in the emotion and history of a place of her ancestors.

And finally we found a place to get a miracle if we had a problem. We decided to turn things over to Jesus instead of the miracle prophet on the sign.

After I left Ghana accompanied by Chris, whose help was imperative on the journey, the rest of the group had a change of plans and traveled one more hour west of Cape Coast to Takoradi. There they were hosted by the good and generous people of the EP church there. These fine folks have hosted us in the past and were flexible with their schedules to include the group. While I'm not sure everything they did, I know they shopped in the market to find food for 4 for $1, the wages of many Ghanaians. They returned to the home of the pastor to actually prepare the food they had purchased.

The remaining travelers are due home at 9:30 PM Monday night, God willing and connections are made in NY. I'm sure more posts will appear in the days to come as students continue reflecting about their experiences. Ghana is mysterious and known, hospitable and strange, people welcoming but environment off putting. It is a land of contradictions as all countries are. Look forward to meeting and greeting the travelers as they return. They will need your willing ears as they share their joys and adventures from this grand journey.

Last minute photos and thoughts

I'm posting a few photos from different parts of the trip. Curt and Steve are home safe and sound after an unexpected night in NY. Here's Curt giving the Kindergarten kids some gum and balloons after we presented the teacher with the toys we had brought. This was the morning we were leaving Ho to go to Accra and places farther on.

On the road we found a bit of home, or so it seemed when we saw the Redd Lobster sign.

At the women's center at Trinity Seminary we were reminded not to lynch women for witchcraft, just in case we got carried away with thinking we were indeed home after the Redd Lobster sign.

Once in Tema we relaxed at the hotel pool, referred to in the last post.

It seems I am writing but posting the photos in the opposite order as what I'm writing. Hmm...I'll try another post just to keep you all on your toes.

Just Shoot Me

Really. Please. Talk about a depressing day. We already knew that 2 of us would be leaving the pack that day. We also knew that we were up for a double whammy of depression with the 2 main entries on our schedule for the day. What we didn't know was all the other junk that would pile up to make this the roughest day (we pray that's the roughest of it) of the trip.
We ate a late breakfast in Accra and departed (late) for Coconut Grove. On the way, we stopped at the Lutheran Church at the Liberian refugee camp where Steve Ben-Naimah pastors. The camp used to house over 70,000 people but now is down to about 10,000 and the U.N. is now moving toward disbanding the camp all together. It was a humbling experience. Words cannot really express the depth to which this impacted us. We'll leave it at that for now.
Next, it was off to Coconut Grove where we hoped to lunch, but given time constraints, we settled for a quick snack before heading off to Elmina Castle--launching point for a high percentage of the slave trade. We walked through the cells slaves were held in. We listened as our guide recounted countless atrocities comitted by humans upon one another--from the rival tribes who brought their enemies to the Western slave traders, to the Westerners themselves. Even over 100 years later the smell of blood still wafted through the salty-sea air.
So then the day was over? Right? Not in the least. After Elmina, we ventured back to Coconut Grove to settle into our hotel rooms and grab a real meal. We walked on the beach and bid our farewells to Curt and Steve but one was not with us. Diane was sick.

Ho, Dam, Seminary, Pool

Greetings! We're still here and kicking (well most of us that is, . . . more on that later). On Monday, we said farewell to Ho and then headed out into the land of little-to-no internet access. Since that, sooooooooooo much has happened.
Upon leaving Ho, we travelled to Accra by way of the Volta Dam. We then lunched at the restaurant run by the wife of the president of Trinity Seminary before heading to the seminary itself, where we met with the renowned Mercy Oduyoye. Following our meeting with Mercy, we then set off for Ricky Nelson's hotel. It was bliss. I don't think any of us didn't indulge in either/both the swimming pool or/and the hot showers.
Next, it was off to dinner. Seth, being true to form, suddenly materialized on the roadside next to a pile of burning tires and led us to Paloma. It was nice to indulge in a bit of Western food for the evening. However, the people watching was a wee bit disturbing. As one of our group pointed out, it wasn't until we left Ho that we saw anyone practicing the world's oldest profession.

The first photo is of the Volta Dam. The second is of Diane presenting a signed copy of Deb Krause's book on I Timothy to Mercy Oduyoye--and yes, that's Bridget in the foreground.

Fearless Leaders

Most of the photos until recently have been taken by Diane Windler so she's not in any of them. Just so you know she is really on this trip, here is a photo of Diane and one of our Ghanaian hosts and creator of the Shepherd Centers, Seth Agidi at the Wli Waterfall. We decided to watch the others wade around.

Shepherd Center in Peki

The Shepherd Center at Peki was the first one created and by far the largest. When we visited the elderly had a grand program for us. Speeches, dancing, skit about nutrition, lunch. The entire village joined in the celebration, including some local Muslims who are included in the chapter. The photo of them shows them leaving for their afternoon prayers.

They are building the national headquarters across the street from the church.

The second photo is of the dancing that is celebratory but also practical as exercise. The green t shirts have the Tips for Living Healthy and Longer Life. Be committed to your Faith. Get regular checkups. Keep your mind active. Volunteer your time. Be active for others. Develop a positive attitude. Eat a health well balanced diet. Get regular exercise. Practice random acts of kindness. Smile. Be open to new experiences and possibilities. Get a hobby.

Wise words for all.

Shepherd Center in Hohoe

Eden grad, Rev. Dr. Seth Agidi, wrote his dissertation on creating centers for the aged in Ghana. It started as a paper for Eden and now just five years there are 60 centers around the country.

Each chapter provides meeting space for the elderly, monitors health, provides a meal, teaches about nutrition and exercise.

In Hohoe Aaron Ban and his new friend were hoping they could look like these fellows in the magazine after their exercises.

Traci Blackmon used her skills from her "former" life as a nurse to help take the bloodpressure of the good folks in Hohoe.