Let me introduce Hanaf

 

Hanaf is 3 years old and I met her at the party yesterday. She is quite outgoing, she came and sat on the chair next to me before crawling on my lap. (I presumed being white was not a bother to her like it is to many of the very little children who avoid being in my sight). When she walked away I noticed her legs were very bowed, like very. This does not stop her from running, dancing and playing.

       When I asked Efe what was happening, she said it was from Rickets (A preventable condition with the intake of Vitamin D). This condition is fixable with Vit. D and what ever the Orthopod deems necessary (it could be braces and/or surgery). I guess I point out this child to remind me and perhaps you that conditions that are almost unheard of in the developed world still rage here because of lack of knowledge and/or resources. Hanaf is the youngest child in her family and she is a girl. I have spoken through an interpreter to her Mom  Florence and hopefully we can get Hanaf to having straights legs. 

BOXING DAY PARTY

 Eli organizes a community party for neighbourhood kids every year. It has reciting of poetry by the kids, dancing like brake dance, singing, dancing with everyone up, bouncing up and down, the drinks and food, lots of food. I hope this pics give you a glimpse.

Guess what he thought of getting his pic taken

                              I will have more to say about this little girl tomorrow

                                                                                                                          Me drinking Zobo made                                                                                                                              from Hibiscus flowers                                                                                                                                  and  spices

found a book and Christmas party

found this book while looking at the Hamilton library on line, all Canadian authors set in Canadian scenes, stories are quite good.

 office Christmas party, 

went to chicken farm yesterday to get chickens, I realize that I am most of the time quite removed from where our food comes from.

Lunch was chicken of course, rice, salad and drinks. Victor and his wife did all the cooking

               Victor serving                                               Michael setting up drinks

                                                                                                          
                                                PK enjoyed the food

                                                     All done

Hydro off..on...off...on

 Just a quick note as hydro is coming and going so thanks for my propane stove, I just heated some wieners and beans easy peasy

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY BISHOP KYEM AMPOMAH

 lots of busy activity getting the cathedral ready in the last half hour before service was to begin. The priests, lay leaders, seminary students, of the diocese gather outside the cathedral. I see a pile of mats which I think indicates that many from afar came last night and slept on the floor of the cathedral to attend this service. Pomp and circumstance abounds, incense winding upward,  single line according to rank and position enter to the processional hymn (about 50 folks), the cathedral filled to spill over to the balcony.    

from behind the altar

Prior to the sermon is 20 minutes of dancing and singing.

(dam, can't figure out how to get a video here from my phone)

got help and I think it will work

The preacher was the retired Primate Most Rev. Prof. Daniel Yinkah Sarfo. Sermons here include singing and the message (3/4 hour). Folks listened in the local language while I looked at my watch.

Offertory was a many layered happening. Free will offering for the bishop, then amounts of money is shouted out by the Appeal Leader eg 10,000 cedis, 5,000 cedis all the way down to five and ten cedis. (all put in a plastic handle bag and given directly to the bishop), next there was an appeal for a free will donation for the cathedral. The service continued with the celebration of the Eucharist.

Services here end with requested prayers, anniversaries, celebrations and today for the Bishop and his family;  Bishop and his wife to his left. and to his right, the Retire Primate and his children.

Then, the recessional hymn and it was finished.  Michael from the office was there so I got a ride home. After a shower as my shirt was completely wet as were the strings of my mask (2 mask event), food and a nap (my favourite Sunday afternoon activity)

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The sounds of Saturday afternoon

 Firstly the students that trek by my windows are on Christmas break until the new year. 

So while my fan spins, the sound of silence outside is very remarkable. NO SOUND  Occasionally the bass pounds from a passing car  are noticed. Then I hear a bleating, a desperate bleating, over and over, a little one has lost his mom. He runs around to the back of the house, continuing his pathetic cry but meets a mama dog twice his size. The dog pays no attention but the lamb freezes in his place. Then fright/flight kicks in and the lamb runs like the winds out of sight. Whether he found mom, I don't know but he did add to the sounds of this afternoon.

How appropriate to have an angel from Eleanor made from a broken tea cup. Now, there is a sermon possibility for sure as we are broken angels.

I thank everyone for the varied support I receive and 

pray that everyone enjoys a blessed Christmas time and a healthy and peaceful 2023!

A VISITATION TODAY

 I had a visit from a delegation from a Junior High School without water. We had discussions earlier in this year but I had to leave quickly last spring. The situation here is that many schools are without water and it seems the government has no agenda or budget to improve things. I do not understand the relationship of the government to the individual schools. It means schools have to scramble to get the basics how ever they can. Hence the conversation this morning. 

The school IS KESSEKROM NEW ADIEMBRA ANGLICAN BASIC SCHOOL It is a Junior High and thy have no water. Mother Gladys Opoku-Ware is the Head Mistress. I use a universal proposal format that will need to be filled out that actually is the same for all projects; what is being being requested; what will it do, who will it serve, and how much will it cost. So we had a good discussion and now the ball is in their court to produce the required proposal. Great kids, paying attention, I wonder if they can understand me but they said they could understand. We will hope they get water soon.

A SHOCK WITH REALITY

 Sitting in the office, the accountant runs in to use the printer on the desk. I remember running for a printer in my place as a cord was needed  to print. I asked 'Victor how many printers does the Diocese of Wiawso have"?  The answer was one. I was quite struck by the fact that I personally own three and that did not seem unusual until today.  Then the hydro electricity went off. Shocked into realizing yet again that the struggles are so basic. 

I myself in Canada complaining about waiting for something that I knows I WILL get, moaning that the choice is diminished to only 25 instead of 30 options now not including my favourite. How does it get equal is the big question.

CELEBRATIONS

•  Xmas decorating all done and no hanging off a ladder to install outside lights 
• in a snow storm lol
• 
  
• 
• 
  
• This weekend is the Celebration Weekend for Bishop Kwame Kyem-Ampomah 
• on the 1st Anniversary of his Episcopy. 
• What is going to happens has yet to unfold, in other words, I do not know.
• 
  
• 

A MARATHON TODAY FOR THE HARVEST SUNDAY

 I left the house at 830 am and returned at 345pm. one service folks.

Harvest Sunday is fund raiser Sunday/

The goal was 50,000 Ghana Cedis/ After 3 hours of hard encouragement they realized 54,000.

Every church has a Harvest Sunday. I understand that a percentage is given to the diocese.

Five hours is a long time. The Eucharist ended by 11am and then into the money. While this was going on Kalvin and I enjoyed pictures on my Ipad. He saw how I downloaded books to read. We had a good time all the while the fund raising continued. 

Kalvin sits beside me at the altar. and likes his picture taken.

TGIF

 It is  Friday and the TGIF CLUB is in action. I started this club with the diocesan staff where I buy lunch for everyone and my lunch is the same; plantain chips, peanuts and a coke. Today I had the best lunch. I was also introduced to fresh cocoanut. The stuff we  in Canada I detest but I tried the cocoanut water and the pulp, not bad, hardly any favour actually. I found it was better than the stuff back home. I understand that the very mature ones are tough so choose the green ones I am told. I learn something every day.

ALARM CLOCK SYMPHONY

 no need for alarm clock as the roosters get up before any alarm clock setting I would ever have,  chickens and goats follow along clucking and bleating to no one's drum adding to the symphony. Rather than fight city hall I get up which means I need to go to bed earlier to compensate. such trials eh, 

I talk about Ebenezer, there are two of them one lives in Accra, is a law student, married with one son about 9 months and the second lives in Wiawso, is the Bishop's driver, married with 2 daughters and a son who is about 15 months. This pic was last Saturday, the first time I had them both in one place; Ebenezer Accra on my left and Ebenezer Wiawso on my right. Good looking guys eh!!

A NEW DAY

 Mondain problem but necessary. Battery dying in my watch. The shop was facing the street, a metal shed (smaller than my garden shed at the cottage) 4'wide, 8' deep and 10 'high. He has carved out a living fixing watches, phones of every kind with anything wrong. A narrow bench on the concrete pad outside the doors (waiting room). Price to fix 10 Ghana Cedis  = less than one dollar Canadian.

 

Oh my goodness

 It has be a test to get internet and my phone working. SIM cards which operate the phone and internet service now by law have to be registered with the phone server. Tried that yesterday with my Ghana registration card but it has not been renewed so will not work. Find out today that to renew it I need to go to Accra (8 hours by bus). Now using someone else's internet and phone. Oh hum such is life.

Waiting for ride to church sitting on the edge of porch

Church was good and lively on Sunday, drumming, dancing, lots of colour. only 3 hours, 

Now I have internet I can get back in the groove of writing. 

Hello, hello from Amsterdam.

My phone says it is 630am in Ontario, it is 1230 pm here, next flight to Accra is at 230pm From Toronto I sat beside a mom and her 30 month old son. who was not happy for a good part of the trip. I think I dozed a bit and had a good book to read. Entertainment offerings were ??? not to my liking so the book won out.  I was starving by the time the meal come, forgot to order gluten free so I picked enough to chase the hunger away. Very few have a mask on. I again am impressed when travelling 'need assistance' nice little six person cart to get around. This airport seems to be miles from one arm to another so riding makes it a pleasure. I am tired so will stop going on and on Later..

this is the best I can do with little sleep. Tonight I get some in a hotel    zzzzzzzz