Not many changes....

Another week has passed quickly by in Accra and so many things haven’t changed at all:  My air shipment is still at Kotaka Airport waiting for customs clearance – it has been there almost three weeks now…. My new office furniture still has to be replaced – that has been about two weeks.  I am still at Esther’s hotel, enjoying breakfast on the patio with the peacocks taking an eager interest on any breadcrumbs that might come their way!

What has changed:  My house lease is now signed and I am due to move in next weekend.  My container of household belongings and car missed the boat out of the USA.  Apparently the ship’s load was too heavy so some containers were held at port – mine being one of them.  It is now due to arrive at the end of April.  These two pieces of news mean that I will be ‘camping-out’ in the new house with my air shipment; assuming that is finally released this week!  I did bring a blow-up mattress, sheets, towels, a fold-up chair and a few other essentials in my air shipment, but with the weight limit of only 200 lbs, it is going to be very sparse and challenging for a month.

The weather here continues to be beautiful as I think it will be pretty much year round.  In the low 90 degrees during the day and possibly down to low 70’s at night.

With the news of my delayed shipment and a four day weekend in late April, I have decided to take a trip to Rome for the Easter weekend.  There is a direct flight from Accra into Rome arriving on Friday morning and leaving late afternoon on Monday to come home.   I think it will be a perfect break for me while waiting for my furniture, etc. to arrive.  I am really looking forward to enjoying some Chianti, excellent Italian food and fine cheeses!

More news to come as it happens.

Missing........

In no particular order!

·         Catching up with friends

·         Family gatherings

·         Laying on the couch with the dogs on top of me watching a movie

·         Evenings in the hot tub with best friends

·         Ice cream and fresh milk

·         My car

·         Walking with friends and the dogs in Hugh McRae Park

·         My house and garden

·         Masonboro Baptist Church on Sundays

·         College/Young Adult Sunday School

·         The wonderful convenience of Harris Teeter ‘at the beach’

·         Head-to-Toe Day Spa

·         Comfort Food

·         Airmail Letters

·         Hearing familiar voices

·         Coffee with friends

And the list could go on……….

Enjoying

·         The friendly people at work

·         Warm weather

·         Finding my way around Accra

·         A new church with two hour services that seem so short

·         Eating fresh mango for breakfast outside on the patio

Beach Day!!!

Labadi Beach - "look South Eastwards from Wrightsville Beach"

This past weekend I decided to ‘treat' myself to a day at the beach, which is about 2 – 3 miles from where I am staying (and will be about the same from the house).   There is a pretty decent ‘luxury’ hotel called Labadi Beach Hotel where you can purchase a day pass for about $17 that gives you access to their changing rooms/showers, the swimming pool and beach.    It was so well worth it to spend a few hours relaxing there; having lunch by the pool and reading my book J .

Of course, I didn’t have sunscreen as that is in my ‘air shipment’ which has been sitting at Kotoka Airport (Accra) for about two weeks now as they are waiting for the necessary confirmation that it should not be subjected to customs and/or duty charges – TIA (This is Africa!)!   So I limited myself to about 30 minutes in the sun (trying to be sensible) and then lounged under the umbrella’s at the pool and beach – however I still managed to burn a little, but not painfully so J.   On the way ‘home’ Ofori (my friendly taxi driver) stopped at ‘the store’ - Shoprite and we managed to find some sunscreen there – apparently there is little/no choice here and very few shops even sell it; so at least when I head back to the beach I should be able avoid the burn!   The June shopping list is growing………

A weekend in Accra

Dear friends,

This was my third weekend in Accra – in many ways I can’t believe that is all it has been; I feel like I have been here for ages J It was also the first weekend that I feel as though I will be comfortable living here for a while, probably because I found a Church that I think I will enjoy.

Backing up to yesterday; Ofori, the young man who has become my ‘regular’ taxi collected me from the hotel to take me to Accra Mall.  It isn’t terribly far from here but is definitely a busy place, particularly at the weekends. Last week’s visit had been a very brief trip into Shoprite and out again, so yesterday I asked Ofori to meet me in a couple of hours so that I could look around the Mall.  Before anyone gets too excited the Mall did not consist of many stores; but there were a couple of gems.   A great store that sold fabrics which will be brilliant when I need to start organizing my curtains for the house, a Game store which has most household goods, small and large appliances, tv’s, a mini-Walmart, but without the clothes, a wine shop which had some good wines including many of those I had found in South Africa and of course, the staple Shoprite which will become my grocery store!  Beyond that there was a pharmacy, a couple of clothes stores, a couple of phone shops and a gift shop or two.  Believe me two hours was plenty to ‘explore’ the mall – actually I think it took me about 90 minutes and that was going up and down every isle in Game and Shoprite!!

It was also obvious that it was the ‘expat’ place to be on a Saturday morning……. I saw more white people in the Mall than I have seen since I left Wilmington!!

Today, Ofori collected me as planned at 10.00 am (he is a great young man and actually is pretty much on time or calls if he is going to be late – that’s pretty amazing for an African!) and took me to Charity Baptist Church.   I had noticed the Church while driving around looking for office furniture and cell phones – it is in the process of being built – which seems to be common here and was a complete contrast from the ‘Word of Fire’ experience last week.  The building is being built to ‘look like’ a Church  but still is in its early stages.  The windows are mostly in, but are not ‘fitted’ the upstairs ‘choir loft’ is not finished and it is the ‘usual’ cement walls and floors and a tin roof with gaps yet to be filled.  Isn’t it strange how so many of us didn’t enjoy worship in the youth building at MBC because it didn’t ‘feel right’ yet here I am worshipping in a half built shell of a Church, and yet it feels perfect.  As God provides the funds to complete the Church it will happen, but already it is a house of God J

Again, in complete contrast to last week, there were probably a total of 50 people in Church this morning, with a choir that was 9 strong and it was perfect!  The service was two hours, pretty much the standard here, and went so quickly.  The message was based on Mark 10: 46-52 and the importance of not letting obstacles get in the way of our faith.  As I sat there in that half built Church the message seemed so clear!!  At the end myself and two other visitors, an American missionary refugee from neighboring Ivory Coast and a young man from Benin were asked to follow the choir out of the Church to be welcomed by the congregation J  I think that I am going to enjoy worshipping at Charity Baptist Church, Dzorwulu; I hope in time some of you will visit and experience that same welcome that I felt today!

I think it is going to be good to be here for a while………. Although, of course I miss my friends and family!

More soon,

Languages and Hot Flashes???

Dear Friends,

This is just a quick update to hopefully give you a smile for the day! 

We have three wonderful drivers at work, one of whom has been a regular at collecting me in the morning and taking me ‘home’ to the hotel each night.  His name is Solomon; who like all of them is a wonderful gentleman who never fails to have a smile on his face.

BUT, the not so great thing is that he is desperately (and I say desperate as I think I will quickly drive him to that point) trying to teach me the basics of Twi J  So each morning he starts the day by saying good morning - Mah CHAY How are you? At which point I am supposed to reply - I’m fine ‘Woh HOH toe say?’ And you? ‘Meh HOY-yay.  Nah-uhn SWAY?’  So far I have managed Mmmmmmm something and smiled saying I haven’t got it down yet!!!!  He has so much patience……

Then in the evening I am diligently trying to learn my French from Rosetta Stone… languages!!!

The other not so bright thing I have done, is move to a tropical climate – where air conditioning is not always at its best, particularly due to the many power outages, just around the time I think I might start having hot flashes!!!  It is either the dreaded ‘change’ or I just haven’t got used to the heat yet….. pray for the second to be the case J

Life is certainly not dull….. our work in Burkina Faso will be starting very shortly, which will most likely entail a trip to Ouagadougou – saying trying that when you are also supposed to be thinking in English, French and now Twi.   I am told it is pronounced more along the lines of ‘wagadogu’ – we’ll what strange looks I get when I say that!

My devotion this morning ended with this:  “When God calls you toward something bigger than you could plan for yourself, know that he will lavishly provide for your needs. God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called!”    I hope He equips lots of people I meet with English!!!!!!!!

Independence Day and Worship

Yesterday, Liz (the sister of a friend I met in Murphreesboro) was kind enough to meet with me and take me shopping to the Accra Mall.  We didn’t spend much time there, but it looked as though there were a few options for shopping – I will have to go back when I have time to explore on my own.  We went to Shoprite – similar to a small Wallmart I think.  Finally, I was able to buy a few staples and some meat and wine!  I haven’t had any meat since I arrived.  The chicken I cooked last night tasted so good!!!

Today is Independence Day in Ghana; why is it that I keep ending up in countries that celebrate their independence from the British!!!! 

As with the USA it means a big holiday celebration and a long weekend – we are not working on Monday.  In talking with several people here most of the celebrations are focused in the city center at ‘Independence Square’ so aptly named.  I have chosen to stay away as I am not sure that I would be that comfortable trying to find my way to and from Ester’s.   Another very popular activity for Independence Day is going to the beach which apparently will be packed today; maybe I will try and go tomorrow just to check out the beaches – we’ll see.

This morning I went to Church with Liz.  It was certainly an ‘experience’, that I am not sure if I will repeat or not.  The Church was called ‘Word of Fire’ which turned out to be very appropriate.  The service was close to five hours long starting at 7.00 am.  It is difficult to describe, but to try to paint a picture; imagine an unfinished building, the roof was on and the walls were up but not much else was complete; I assume it is being worked on when funds are available.  It was three storeys high and filled with white plastic chairs and possibly a dozen fans in the center area.  I was the only white person in the center front (3^rd row back – Liz insisted in sitting near the front!) surrounded by about 3,000 Ghanaians (at a rough guess) who were singing, dancing and worshipping for almost three hours before the Pastor gave his sermon.  Of course I have no rhythm so was just doing the best I could to join in – the ‘Zambian’ MBC group can attest to my lack of rhythm……… The service ended at almost Noon!

Let me leave you with this vision of Word of Fire – thousands of Ghanaians, dancing and singing for all they were worth waving white handkerchiefs and one white women right in the center front with no rhythm trying not to look completely and utterly out of place and not succeeding.  Praise God that I love Him so much that it didn’t matter, I was there for Him and no-one else!

 It was certainly a lively worship experience to put it mildly.  

The weather here is hot and sunny, but there is a nice breeze; I think I am heading out for a little sun time J

What a roller-coaster

I am just halfway through my first full week of living in Accra, Ghana and already it has been a complete roller-coaster of a ride.  Since starting this blog at the weekend so much, and yet so little, has happened.  On Sunday, I started the day with a nice breakfast sitting outside on the hotel’s front porch enjoying the sunshine and the peace and quiet that I hadn’t been able to enjoy since arriving – it was wonderful!

I ventured out on a longer walk later in the day, going down the hill to the main road leading to where I hope to be living, I think – more on that later!  It was fairly quiet and I enjoyed the chance to get out and explore my surroundings a little.   It is a complete mix of a few embassies, some residential houses, offices, a half complete shopping ‘center’ Roman Ridge Shopping Arcade which actually doesn’t have a great deal of offer except a coffee shop, which I haven’t tested yet.  There is also a 24/7 health center which is one that is recommended by the office here.  On the opposite side of the spectrum the ‘other side’ of the main road is made up of small mainly wooden, and in some cases containers that are the local shops selling everything from bread, fabrics, car wash, eating places, etc.

The road comes to a crossroads, if I turn right I go back up the hill towards Ester’s; past more residential homes, offices and a children’s nursery, to the left is the railway crossing – I am told that Ghana only has about two trains that actually run so is not used – it is a single track that has become a byway for people to pass along.  Straight ahead and about 100 yards on the left is what I think will be my house.  The good news is that since I first visited in January, they have put tarmac/gravel on the road so it isn’t just dirt anymore.  Looking at the house to the right is an empty lot which I am sure will be built on at some point, to the right is a residential home and on the opposite side of the road the small wood buildings continue.  They seem to be mainly homes, as there are women and children outside and a few goats.  My only question now is whether or not I should be worried that there is a small ‘bar’ across the road from the house I may move into???  Well, I will definitely be getting some advice about that from the country office team.

I really will try to determine how to post some pictures on this blog site soon!    Unfortunately Sunday evening through yesterday left me completely depleted of all energy and feeling very strongly that I wanted to be back home in Wilmington.  I received word that a dear friend of mine had lost her battle with cancer on Sunday morning and it just broke my heart.  She was a brilliant, vivacious, fun and life-loving lady who I was blessed to know.  Being so far away from friends and/or family at a time of loss is really difficult, it just feels so lonely.

But, I was encouraged by so many back in Wilmington; I realized again today that I am supposed to be here in Accra.  I love what I am doing here; working on a program that will help to eliminate neglected tropical diseases in a number of West African countries over several years.  A very close friend of mine sent the following words of encouragement that she had received from another, and they certainly helped me put things in perspective “God didn’t promise days without pain; laughter without sorrow; sun without rain.  But he did promise strength for the day; comfort for the tears; and light for the day.”  How true!!

So - onto more positive steps for enjoying my experience here in Ghana.  I still definitely don’t have the shopping worked out yet, BUT have found that they have the most delicious and sweet pineapples you could wish for, and that I really like mango J but am not so keen on papaya L

I also received some brilliant pictures of my dogs (the three ‘girls’ – dachshunds) who are clearly loving every minute of their time with their ‘foster parents’ which was so good to see.  Even Gretchen, who will be 14 in April was running around and looking like she was getting in everyone’s business.

This coming weekend is Independence Day so Monday 7^th is a holiday – I will share my thoughts on that in my next blog!

More soon……