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,