Adu takes me to the village where he was born

about 45 minutes from Sunyani is the village where Adu was born and he wanted to take me to see it, and also that I would be introduced to his family, it is off the main road by 20 minutes and down a dirt path/road to a group of houses. The kids gather to see the white woman and they stand around while I show them pictures of Niagara Falls that I took last summer.

The village has no employment opportunities so the youth have moved to the cities.
This leaves the aged and middle aged with no marketable skills left to scratch out an existence, some not successfully. They do farming, raise chickens and goats and some have a herd of cows.
The housing has a dirt floor, mud walls with pole supports and a corrugated tin roof or rough wide boards with gaps between and a tin roof. Kids have very used clothing on with rips and holes and wear rubber flip flops on their feet.
But
sitting there, a breeze blowing, only birds chirping, chickens scratching dirt for food, goats running up and down and standing high on rocks, a herd of cows just moseying along, eating as they go, no ropes on them, no bell to hear them coming, no city noises, or car horns, or trucks chugging ......... very peaceful
                                                                                               goats in front of a mud walled house

boards wall and note on the second board from the bottom

the abc's are there to remind the kids

Adu catching mangos to take home that are
being knocked off by someone with a stick up the tree

so I need to Loo, we get in the car and drive 5-6 minutes and 

I am shown a building with a two room outhouse, very clean place

His relatives do have a toilet but I hunch this one is in better shape than the relatives'

 A SQUAT !!! not seen one since '90 in India

the seat is 3-4 inches off the ground,

 it is amazing what physical feats one can do when nature calls

the little shed with the door ajar, at the back of the picture has the 'low seat' accommodation

Then supper was served. While it was being made, Adu told me it was maize, made into soup. It seems the definition of soup here is really closer to stew in Canada.  So the yellow mound was very good, they eat with their hands, I used a spoon.. It seems to have the consistency of turkey dressing made from corn meal with lots of spices including pepper. It was very good and I brought half home to eat for my snack tonight  When I tried to get the name, it could not be translated out of Ewi so I am calling it the 'no name Ewi maize soup'  

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WEDDING Rev. Joseph and Florence

Rev. Joe is a deacon at the cathedral and yesterday he tied the knot with Florence.
                                        a very pretty wedding service ..... see below

Bride arriving                                                                          Flower girls

 

Dean introducing Mr. and Mrs.

Best wishes being given from all who attended

mutual admiration

Caleb and I have mutual admiration

bags

back packs arrived, great fabric designs, guess which one I have my eye on????

Holy Week

Maundy Thursday, washing feet, strip altar and the host to the Altar of Repose

 a bit smoky as the host is wrapped and covered with an umbrella

Altar of Repose

Good Friday                                            Veneration of the Cross

EASTER
After service a birthday party at Bishop's Court to celebrate Bishop Festus' 60th birthday

 the cake cutting with the Lay Canon Addo and his wife Belinda

Our table with the Bishop and Mother Superior wearing white in the middle

lamps for pretty light

Moses makes lamps, table size, floor size, this is when he says that he can use his imagination, an artist for sure
I brought the electrical works from Canada in order to bring lamps back to use at the cottage.

here they are

Daniel, drum maker, hit a home run on this year's drum

SUCH TALENT 

one side with a giraffe 

second side with mud huts

and the rains came

no hydro, thank goodness for batteries, I have a solar charger but I do not use it often and I forgot how to set it up when I needed it, so tomorrow in the daylight  I will practice, a little like shutting the barn door after the horse got out

Adu's wife, a seamstress,made me a gift of an outfit

Lining is the same blue as the flowers, I like the fabric pattern a lot

knitting at the skill centre yesterday

Philomina ....  first finished,               thanks again to all who donated knitting supplies

Financial Workshop

the diocese has put on 2 educational workshops for  wardens and treasurers concerning financial documentation and responsibilities of wardens, Mother Superior Felicia with Bishop
photo op from yesterday

a REAL church key

(CHURCH KEY) BETTER KNOWN AS BOTTLE OPENER ON THE BACK

Daniel, drum maker

met Daniel drum maker at cultural centre today, he will finished drum by mid April, I think he has not started it so I said it has to be Canada April 15th, meaning the date is firm, he just laughs,
saw this pottery plate, size of a dinner plate, that has the symbol for God in the centre so I know this will fit in my suitcase to bring back with me.

a surplice with stole

the priest who favours blue jeans has a lace surplice from the Catholic Secretariat  and a stole from Ghana, who would have thought ?????  I bet even the pope would be jealous    lol