Sunday service - many things happening....

Worship on the Sunday after Christmas has been known to be called Low Sunday as people are usually churched out with Christmas eve and Day services BUT here the place was full and needed chairs in the balcony. Bishop was the preacher and presider. So the mass was ended around 1230 pm and then a birthday cake for a parishioner celebrating a birthday, then blessing of the children from Sunday School, then a three candle crystal holder was donated to the cathedral, then actually things were over but the clean up as part of the offertory included food goods that needed to be sorted. Left the house about 845 am for a 9 am service and got back just after 2 pm, I was very hungry and had fufu and peanut soups with chicken, mmmmgood
.

BIRTHDAY GIRL ON THE LEFT WITH HUSBAND WITH MATCHING CLOTH ON

SUNDAY SCHOOL KIDS IN FRONT OF BISHOP FOR A BLESSING

 CRYSTAL CANDLE HOLDER DONATED

 

FOOD STUFF BROUGHT UP IN THE OFFERTORY GETTING SORTED

INCLUDED A LIVE CHICKEN OR TWO

Celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the creation of the Western North Region

Last year at this time the President of Ghana divided a few of the regions, Western Region is divided and the new section is called Western North which is where the Diocese of Wiawso is and Sefwi Wiawso is the capital, some what like dividing a province into two parts.

So, today was the one year anniversary since the creation of the new region.

Today the chiefs, the political dignitaries, church officials, and the public gathered on a soccer field to give thanks and celebrate. The reception of chiefs is done with each chief and followers walking around and greeting everyone who is there, one stands when the chief is coming, there can be a person  running ahead and announcing the chief is coming like a town crier, there can  also be drums being beaten in his entourage,  and after each chief makes his appearance the chief who is over the land where the event is being held then greets everyone. there are clear expectations on greetings here, even in the house when someone drops in. 

the real drag today was the event was scheduled for 11 am, we got there around 1 pm and things got going around 230 pm. it was half way through the program by 4 pm and we left. I do not know about the Dean but I was hungry +++.

 

note the 3 red trimmed umbrellas in front of the tents signaling a chief is sitting there, the umbrellas look the same as you see in the movies , 6-8 feet in diameter and the red trim is quite floppy

 

We celebrated a king born on the 25th

We did celebrate again, the King born in a manger.

I saw this king in the kitchen on mommy's lap

MICHEAL OHENE OBUOBI  2 months old

Ohene means King in Akan

Christmas Day

no big gift giving, no stocking hung by the fire with care, small gift giving so I am told,
Church service started with only a few but as time went on, more and more came, maybe 65 or so by the end of the service. Have to remember attending events at the scheduled time is not a priority but just get there to attend is important. I read the gospel and getting adept to swinging the thurible before I read it, me and incense together seems like an oxymoron but what the heck, when in Rome.
The cathedral building is progressing, railing on the balcony, the wood slates on the pillars have been varnished  and look great

from behind the altar

Christmas Eve service of lessons and carols

as one enters you see that the cathedral has few lights, an 8 foot Xmas tree with multi coloured lights twinkling on and off, and one of the Ascension Golden Voices (Praise Choir) has a head band with coloured lights flashing and two others have green lights on and off. Readings and carols in between, dancing with drumming, It is a time to hear the Story of the Stable Birth again.
Hanging near the top.                 yes that is the face of Santa

Christmas Eve. one more sleep

 Market day on the 24th is a feat to get through. if you look at Google World and on the town Sefwi Wiawso you can see a large part of the town with tin roofs side by side that covers acres I am sure which is the market. I have yet to find the rhyme or reason to the layout, meat and fish seems to be together but not much else that I saw but I was not there very long.

It made the Eaton's centre look like  walk in the park. add to the crowds is the fact it is unpaved so the puddles are there for jumping and the mud around them is to be avoided. I found that I could not see what was for sale as I was too busy trying to stay on dry land.  Anyway, a experience to say the least.

trying to get through the parking lot

The eve of Christmas Eve

Can't believe it, temp is 31c, feels like 33c, clear sky, there are four small Christmas trees in the bishop's house, but no other signs that the season is upon us. The ATM I went to this morning must have caught the flu bug as it did not spit  out money but shut down instead.  I understand we shut the office down early tomorrow. Still hard to believe its the 23rd of December.

The green lights on the left tree flick on and off, I took 17 shots of the room to get one with the lights on.                                    It was hard to get the Kodak moment.

Priests work very hard here in Ghana

Sunday duty:

I was preaching at the 9 am service at the cathedral, came home for a snack of bread and jam with a Coke, then we were going to the Cathedral's outstation (like a mission offshoot from cathedral) It was about 30 minutes by car from cathedral in a part of the country that looks like it is being developed as there are many new house builds in various states of completion. Building a house here relies on having cash in hand as mortgage rates are from 30 to 80%.  I understand there were people from cathedral evangelizing and holding worship service starting about 1 year ago.  The Dean, Precentor and myself went for the Harvest after the cathedral service to support their efforts. 

There seems to be many ways to raise funds here. In Canada we would put out an appeal, maybe put up a thermometer to show progress and slowly the money would come in. Here first there is a call for donations:100 Ghana, 50 Ghana, etc down to 1 and 2 Ghana Cedis. Next bottles of water (cost 1 Ghana Cedi) are sold for 20 Ghana, 10 Ghana etc, then Groups of yams were sold 10 Ghana, eggs at 1 at Ghana each.There was a pile of fabrics, looked like 2 yards a piece, and for 10 Ghana you could pay, the fabric put on your shoulder and then put back in a pile. I really liked one piece but Dean informed me it was not for sale. I gather the fabric would be returned to whom ever brought it after service. Coconuts went for 10 Ghana. Then there was a collection call for the day of week that you were born. I had not idea what day I was born until I needed to know it years ago at similar call. Interesting to see the laughter and fun that happened along with the selling or bidding. 

There was a lay person conducting the bidding but Priests were totally involved as well. The endurance needed to get through 6 hours of church is remarkable and to have enough money in one's pocket to get through all the calls for money takes planning. I was wondering what percentage of the congregation had come from the cathedral service (will ask dean tomorrow).

This is an outstation, no church building yet, just under tents so called Tent Ministry. Two long awning type covers with a 25 feet by 15  feet piece of tarp on the ground in between to serves to cover the dirt. It just points out that the building, no matter how beautiful, could be eliminated and church and God's ministry still be alive and well. (so my not so subtle point here is don't let building maintenance get in the way of being and doing church)

FROM BEHIND THE ALTAR LOOKING AT ONE TENT AND 

NOTICE THE TARP COVERING THE DIRT IN BETWEEN

                                                     LOOKING AT THE SECOND TENT  COVERING THE ALTAR

My mouse is fixed

I bet you did not know it was broken. The mouse on the computer stopped working months ago and I thought that the computer was getting old and bits and pieces were falling by the way side. I bought an external mouse that I hate but what else could I do.

Yesterday while looking for a way to get my sermon printed I wandered into Victor's office who has a printer. Short version I got it printed. Sammy who is the physician assistant at the health clinics was there and tells me he is an IT specialist as well. I complained about the mouse and he offered to put in a program to fix the mouse on the computer. You have to know that anyone toying with my computer makes me nervous as I really need it to function. So he assured me that he could fix the mouse function on the computer. Little did I know that function key 6 turns off the mouse. so between what ever program he  claims to put in and the function 6 key, the mouse now happily works like a charm.

Peter Pointer on now functioning mouse pad    jippeeeee

the house that the Bishop is building

I will be living in this house which is a 3 minutes walk behind the Diocesan office.
it will be very nice, it is 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, living room, dining room and kitchen.
see below how much progress has been made. I hear I should be in the New Years, here;'s hoping
Anistina is doing the walk through with me.
                                                                          front porch

house 

there are two front doors, the one on the left enters into the living room

the one on the right enter the hall that leads to the bedrooms and kitchen 

 

 from living room looking through archway to dining room with the electrician and helpers

all the floor are ceramic tile with centre design

from hallway to living room, lots of big window, 

notice the bars which is standard fare for all windows regardless of where, 

the electrical wiring did not start until the window bars were in place and the doors were hung

all ceilings covered with ?plastic tongue and groove

                                                                                     bathroom

back door off kitchen with the only cupboard in the house

looking  from hall into living room with the door to the hall in the back ground (no idea why it is blue)

 

Private Confirmation

Last night in the chapel in Bishopscourt a confirmation took place. I understand that extraordinary circumstances can lead to a private confirmation like travelling, getting married (even though one just needs to be baptized to get married). I did not ask what the circumstances for this confirmation were. There were just 5 in attendance, it was quite intimate and sacred in feeling. Bishop had a personal conversation with the candidate about what confirmation was before he asked her the questions.

Trying to figure out how to better post pics etc NIAGARA FALLS ONTARIO

 

Photo shoot

Florence and Agnes were snapping photos, just to take
pictures So I was outside and watching so joined in on the picture taking.

Lordina and her Mommy at the shop

Lordina and her Mom Augustina at mommy's shop, where

she sells motor oil as the primary goods and in the ice chest on the porch she sells sachets of water.
No need for baby sitter as baby comes to work.

Introduced at the cathedral

The Anglican Cathedral of Ascension, Diocese of

Wiawso is still in the building stage. Worship takes place every week but scaffolding sits at the front near the altar. It's design is very interesting as they are using wood tongue and groove to cover the sanctuary walls and all the support posts. it is quite attractive. Windows have both blue and green coloured glass in their design. The grounds have yet to be addressed so it is quite rough in the terrain still. .   Today I was introduced as I am assigned to be part of the staff at the cathedral. They were very warm and welcoming. I find that the older women are the ones who hold my hand and just smile (I like to think that they are seeing that women now have taken a step forward). It is quite universal where ever I have been.

Shopping therapy

went shopping with Florence, Mother Margaret's granddaughter, who is here to do her National Service which is a year of volunteer work in a government agency, she is s teacher so she is placed at a school near where my house is, so she says she will visit me every day.

Shopping here is a bit of a zoo when looking for specific things, like I wanted a sponge, a long piece of sort of netting that one uses as a wash cloth, it is rough so exfoliates as you wash and nail polish remover, it means going from one shop to another asking do you sell, then she bought food stuffs and came back from one fora with a box that chirped (live chicken) I have never had to deal with one that was live, mine is usually wrap in clear plastic and in a meat counter.Here everyone learns to deal with live chickens

some street scenes below

there are layers of shop keepers, this is the layer closest to the road with only an umbrella as covering and most likely all the merchandise is gathered up at the end of the day and taken home, I do not know if they pay rent for the space

then there will be a layer behind that will actually be a shop in a building with a door to lock at night

then at the back of the building there would be another layer of stores out of the back of the building

most shops are quite limited with their goods so stay focused on one type of merchandise 

 streets with no sidewalks but have open ditches with planks to get across

 overturned semi, fully loaded with plantain 

probably overloaded and when it shifted the whole trailer went over

trying to point out the 45o hills that here, folks walk up and down and I am in a car, needing lots of practice to attempt even one

programs loading very slowly

back tomorrow

in office

have use of an office with a great fan overhead. the place where I will be staying is just a 5 minute walk down the hill from the office, hopefully to be in by the new year, I am not that good at selfie pics, I hunch there is a knack to getting more background in but my arm only goes so far.

Naming and Baptism of Lordina Ackah Adu

Last Saturday in the chapel in Bishopscourt was a naming and baptism. The baby girl is the daughter of Ebeneezer (bishop'd driver)
Tradition says that first there is the naming of the child. It is a ritual that includes asking for the name and then giving to the baby on a spoon both water and wine (use ginger ale) while she is being told that they might look the same but are very different like good and evil. This baby was named after the Bishop, My Lord Ackah so you can see how the name was developed.

Naming

telling her the difference

then the Baptism

                                    Mommy and Lordina