VISIT TO HOLY SPIRIT PRIMARY AND JR. HIGH SCHOOLS

the Order of the Holy Paraclette (Spirit) has started to give support to this school with the same name.
The Skill Centre designed and made these blue school bags with a logo..Anglican Schools, they have backpack  carry strings for the students and a barrel of school supplies had been sent to provide some supplies to each student in their backpack bag.

So today was the day for them to be distributed

This is a government school with all the deficits that lack of money can do but the staff carry on, starting Kindergarten, up to grade 6 (400 students registered),
more girls than boys attend and graduate (YES!!!!) 

They have started a feeding program so need big basins to prepare the food, they got three basins today,

For everyone who threw in  Tounie last summer to have one bag made and given out, 

pat yourself on the back as we had 175 bags to give out.

Everyone helps unload the truck

                                                                                       including  Students and teachers

Sr. Mavis checking the goods

And the distribution begins

Bags high in the air

Students, teachers, Fr,. Frank (Chaplain and teacher), 

Srs Mavis and Benedicta Anne and me

Fr. Frank;s Daughter who burst out crying after the pic, 

I have that effect on little kids, white skin and all

|Jr HIgh, please note  state of furniture, concrete floor, shutters, 

saying goodbye 

OMG

5 on a motor bike
a kid in front of Dad (driver, only one with a helmet) a kid between Mom and Dad and a baby on the back of Mom, 5 count them

Creative or what

for some reason I could not get this attached to the previous posting so doing it separately

NO WATER PIPED INTO THE SCHOOL

 SO being creative, Mother Doris developed a way for students to wash their hands.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step in the slat of wood on the ground which tightens the rope attached to the jerri can causing it to tip enough for water to come out to wash one's hands .....  pretty neat eh!

CHALK, CHALK, CHALK

Mother Doris is very efficient and got the chalk ordered and delivered 

the same day that she received the money.  big thanks to the three donors

Chalk arrived

Classroom (note lack of paint on walls and very worn blackboards

Students

Little ones still minding the teacher          

                              

         Older students with a mind of their own, 

especially the boys

                                                                                

                                                    Students at chapel (former cathedral) every Wednesday

another recheck xray

Things look as they should

EASTER MONDAY

here many churches, variety of denominations hold a picnic/field day games events with food. it is a reminder to me that the weather is always on for a picnic even though it is only March. weird for Canada but perfect for here
Sr. Mavis had a little gathering for the students at the Skill Centre, The students gave Sr. Mavis and Sr. Benedicta Ann each a pillow case that they all contributed to the embroidery, besides fellowship and food, we had a poem recited by this little one

            SR. MAVIS                                                              SR. BENEDICTA ANNE

HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

Member Of Parish Council

lively music, lots of dancing, the air felt fulfilled
team worked hard for the Easter Offerings which were focused on the renovation and installation of windows at the cathedral, Offering container on wheels with the green bag in front, everyone dances up to put their collection in, no plate is passed around

 

 Lay Canon Addo

found potatoes

at the fruit stand there were 4 potatoes at a very reasonable price, baked potatoes in the microwave and they were good, they were not loaded but salt and pepper and some garlic salt with margarine ........,,,mmmmmmm good

GOOD FRIDAY

The Body of Christ processed by the Precentor to the altar for distribution with umbrella, 

flower petals and incense like last night

Me and my crutch sitting in my favourite place in the back to avoid the stairs to the nave.

Wearing traditional funeral cloth (can be black, black and red or black and white)
 to mark the death of Jesus.

Maundy Thursday

Regular foot washing and Eucharist, then the procession to the Altar of Repose with the Body of Christ (bread consecrated for tomorrow), the bishop with cope on, and a wrap around him and the ceborium (bread inside) under a black umbrella,( I do not know if the umbrella colour is significant) slowly walks to the where the Altar of Repose is, he preceded by the priests and servers walking backwards, incense billowing and flower petals being scattered in front of the bishop,  and the server with the umbrella is ringing a bell to alert everyone what it moving, quite a procession!

regular life is slowly returning

getting around with one crutch seems to work, foot still swollen and sometimes pain so I walk  carefully and lightly using the crutch, it is the most comfortable. You never know how life is going to unfold eh!!!
St. John's Hospital, Orthopedic Department in Nkwanta was quite impressive, their OPD was busy like most Out Patient Depts, long lines of waiting like the ones in Canada, and quite good care,
I saw wooden crutches made out of 2x4's wittled down where needed to be workable, nurses busy, lots of to and fro,
OPD visit costed $8.14 Canadian, which included: vitals being taken, visit with MD, cast removed at plaster clinic and another visit with doc, good deal eh!
Cathedral getting ready for this busy weekend, I feel as though I am still on sick leave, so just plan to attend services
Scrubbed leg and foot in the bath tub last night, it was very soothing, I am amazed at the change in the skin having being wrapped for 6 weeks, very interesting process
Raining off and on today and laundry is done so hopefully it stays off until the clothes dry

NO CAST!!!!!!!

back home with a few pics

This will be mostly pics that I could not insert over the weekend 

(poor internet connection in Nkoranza I guess

What do you do when you have a 12 seater van,14 people with luggage for the weekend, 

......  make an 'extended a trunk' and tie the lid tight

I stayed with the Dean and his family

this is his latest grandchild, Daniel, 3 months being held by Deborah

 

Rev, Hannah and I hugging the sidelines, 

her with her new prosthetic leg and me with my broken ankle, what a pair we are  eh!!
*****
I have a couple of videos but cant figure out how to send them to my email from Ipad
*****

Palm Sunday

Bishop blessing palm, yes purple umbrella to keep off the sun  planned by God ... perhaps ??

 (lent from a parishioner)

from marching band to parade the Palms out to the street

THE TEAM FROM NIGERIA (WHO LEAD THE CONVENTION and DELIVERENCE ) SINGING IN PALM SUNDAY SERVICE THAT WAS HELD IN A PARK, PROBABLY OVER 500 PRESENT

THEIR LEADER, PETER, TOLD ME THEY ARE GIVEN FABRIC FREQUENTLY AS THEY MOVE FROM VENUE TO VENUE, AS A RESULT HAVE ABOUT 20 SETS OF OUTFITS

The Chief and family are seated

*******

Chrism Mass today

Fr. Michael and my self waiting

Michael is a missionary priest working in the Diocese of Sunyani from the Diocese of Tika, Kenya

(where I with the bishop and his wife visited two years ago)

all priest robe with chasuble and the diocese has enough for everyone

renewing vows

everyone participating in blessing the oils

                                                                                  Formal pic of priests with Bishop Festus

palm sunday

An endurance race
830 am service in the park, starts 915, finishes 245, dinner for clergy and wives and guests fem Nigeria at 5, we arrive 545 and are first, things get going615, serving 40 takes till 830, comments about convention and in bed after shower by 10, clergy expected to be at Chrism mass at 7 am
An endurance test to be sure

Saturday in Nkoranza

I guess worship at 530am,session for 9 but Electricity off, eventually with a generator got going after 10, no energy in me so got Cole to make use of the caffeine,

convention

Very intense and busy
Started last night and I stayed back to rest
Worship at 530 am, Iwas not there,  surprise
Evangelistic team from North Delta diocese in Nigeria about 12 folks
9am First presentation about Covenant. With God, 90 minutes, a break with praises and second presentation, another 90 minute on Authority of the Power, then an Altar Call with repetitive praying, many were slain by the spirit and fell on the floor, I am confessing that I do not understand this phenomena.
There was individual consulting offered at 4 pm and the evening session starts at 7 pm,
Repeats time table tomorrow, no afternoon off to site see or sleep
Like the last convention, an endurance race for sure
Can't figure out how to attach pics on IPad so they will follow when I figure it out

travelling

going to Convention today being held in Nkoranza for the weekend, its amazing how much stuff one takes for 3 to 4 days,

a big hug

I got this hug in the mail (tks Debbie) and I am passing it on for St. Patrick's Day

oh oh ... a visitation by the suits

Knock on the door and I yell ...  'come in'  as I am chopping a pineapple up

and a parade of blue suits, 3 women, 1 man come in and announce that they are from Barclays Bank

(I fell in the open sewer hole in front of Barclays Bank) they apparently just heard today from the Bishop that I have fallen and came to see how I was doing, I told the story, they apparently had no idea that anything had happened, they wished me well and left and said they will check again.  

...    very interesting to say the least

white chasuble

ordered new belt and Beretta and chasuble last fall, I've been calling robe maker every Monday to see when it might arrive, I realize Canadian time and Ghana time are not the same but he did say two weeks and it has been months,                anyway arrived today

 nice eh!

BEWARE..

The Ides of March and Happy Birthday Rosemary

looking for.....

looking for my sweater as the temp which was 107f last week is down to 81f and and is it getting chilly, actually cold

I lost

you remember the line from a song "I fought the law
                                                          And the law won"
WELL
                                               "I fought with a bottle of fermented Sorrel
                                                And when the lid came off,  it won"
                                                all over the floor, walls, ceiling & me

the Sorrel drink was in the fridge for a while, so opened it, forgetting that it would ferment over time, so I was reminded in a very graphic way, the walls, floor and me are cleaned up but the ceiling stays as a reminder

a welcome home gift

the students at the skill centre divided into two groups with each group embroidering a pillow case for one of the sisters when she returned. this is one of the designs and will be sewn up into a pillow case next week  -  very good for just beginners eh!

my, they were good

Yam chips I had as a snack last night, for some reason I could not transfer the picture from I pad to computer using the hot spot on my phone, you see things work over here some time and for some unknown reason they stop, but this am ...worked like a charm

Anyway the chips,    a little snack with salt of course 

they are back!!!

Sr. Mavis and Sr. Benedicta Ann have returned from this visit to the Mother House in England so all is well
several women were working to embroider using a transfer (thanks Wendy) which gave them the design and they chose the colours and the stitch, great results !!!!!!!

guess what I got

Mary (ass't director of womens prison ) knock on the door before I was very awake and handed me a casserole dish, still warm with rice and chicken, so I have be eating it all day...very tasty

mmmmm good!

all sorts of painting going on

for the last week or so the walls around the cathedral, the cathedral itself, around the nursery school, all getting cracks filled and a coat of paint, Bishop back today from Episcopal Visit to Nkoranza Archdeaconry and he explained that the new bank next door is opening soon and wanted the surroundings to the bank, looking spiffy so I hunch they ponied up some money and the cathedral will be sparkling for the opening, I will get pics tomorrow as it is 9 pm and dark right now. not a bad  way to get a fresh look.

Was at the Skill Centre today and we, they are trying to develop a tag that could be on each article they make, with name and a little bit about their story, clip art has some possibilities, actual photos are being considered, anyway no matter what we need to wait until Sr. Mavis is back to move forward so all as we are doing is thinking.

  

MANGOS GROWING...... I CAN HARDLY WAIT TILL THEY ARE RIPE