Computer is sick

 computer is not well, gone to see computer techi so IPad makes it difficult to add pics on blog.

it’s Saturday and laundry day and sun is shining so clothes will dry quickly thank goodness. Talk later

a school needing water

 It is almost too much to comprehend a school of 400 students with no water but it is true Kids skip out with or without permission taking their mug to the stream for a drink. They have put  a proposal in to get water and sinks so that clean water will be available.

Stream with concrete blocking the flow to be able to scoop up water

                                                                                      path to stream about 1/2 km from the school                                                                                                                      across a busy road

                                                          School assembled to say Hello

                                  Talking with a science teacher

                                                     -traditional sharing of desks while sitting on a bench

The proposal is that the school will hook up to water via the Mission House (Rectory). A polytank can be installed to store water as town water does not flow down all streets every day. There will be three sinks installed on this concrete structure beside the walkway. I keep hoping that I will stop seeing such resource poor conditions that the schools need to struggle within to educate the next generation.        Soon Lord...

A free Saturday to do laundry etc

Well Saturday is here and time to do bits and pieces and perhaps do nothing. Even though this time away is technically not a vacation, time to do nothing is quite pleasant never the less. Laundry by hand and cleaning the fan does not count in my book, as work,  maybe I like to play in water. WATER THERAPY perhaps.  lol  

Visited a couple of communities with Michael, who has established Savings Programs with 35 different groups. Group maximum membership is 25, they develop with Michael's assistance the rules of the savings coop, the basic purpose is a savings program and as a member you can asked for a loan with the payback within 3 months at an interest rate of 5 percent (bank rates go as high as 30% and it is inconvenient to leave the village and go to the town where the bank is located). One of the rules is how much each person contributes every week and if you can not, you are charged as fine. You can contribute more but not less. In this Savings Program the group are the keepers of the money and they are the community reminders to pay back the loan. I heard of a family who did not pay back the loan, rejected alternative payback plans, the situation was taken to the Paramount Chief who decided that the proceeds from half if their crop was to be given to the Savings Coop until the loan was paid. They now can not  be part of the Savings Coop. Default on loans is not an issue as one way or another all loans are fully paid. At the end of each calendar year the donated savings is given back plus your percentage of the interest from loans. It gives a lump sum that could pay school fees, buy seed for the farm etc. After 3 years the group graduates to being self sufficient and Michael is only a resource if they call with a problem.   

Documenting the weekly contribution: everyone has a Bank Book (blue books in pic) with their contributions totaled

                                

                                    Group gathers for about 1 hour while contributions are written up

                                                          This little guy was trying to figure out what I was. 

                  Kids in the village rarely see white people 

so I sometimes create a little havoc.

I also went to follow up a project started last year when a Bore Hole was put in and a shelter for Health examinations and teaching will take place.t

The times spent walking to the water source,1/2 to 3/4 hour each way, has been eliminated. The high tap allows the pan to be filled while on the head saving having to lift is which is usually a 2 person job.

The shelter is underway. The materials needs to be delivered into the village and then the work begins. The blocks are made by hand and then are assembled into the structure. Each step is very labour intensive as a result. So in the hot noon day sun the work was continued while I watched for a while.

another packed weekend

 Friday: meeting with bishop at cathedral

Saturday: ordination of 3 to transitional deaconate

Sunday: regular church at cathedral

Friday

Mtg with bishop 1130am to 630 pm, the theme for 2023 (walk together, grow together), discussions re expectations of wives ( to attend women centre mtgs, assist with ministry of husband, raise funds for ministry) I know would not fly in Canada but when in Rome..., singing, prayers, supper ( I got a second helping to eat on Saturday).

Saturday

an ordination of 3 deacons in Awason (an hour from Wiawso), reason not at cathedral is the issue of transportation, people will not come but will attend locally, 

                                                         ST. MATTHEW, AWASO 

- still in the building phase of a new church building, floor very uneven concrete covered with tarps, roof and walls, no windows  or doors, plastic chairs through out,

                                  Old church in background. 

Singers 

Ordinands carrying cross as they enter                              signing with Chancellor

laying prostrate on floor COME HOLY SPIRIT 🙏

                                                     welcoming new deacons

Sunday

regular church at cathedral

PM - big nap Sat. left house 640am and back home at 430pm so catching up on 

Sunday

Church life is not for the faint of heart

 

Friday ;  400 youth at the cathedral for a 4 day camp

Saturday ; a wedding of a young man from the cathedral

Sunday ; preaching at cathedral

Monday; no wifi government holiday

It is now Tuesday evening, I hope that I can finish this note

I  guess I could have stay in my house all weekend but what fun would that have been. So with words and pics I will take you along my weekend.

Friday Youth Camp

I can not believe the schedule they have, from 545am till 930pm. Thursday until Sunday afternoon. I was asked if I would attend the Friday morning session to bring a message to them. Need to keep in mind, 4oo kids, looking at the foreigner, female, white  and a priest, what message would be helpful.

Well the date was January 6 so talk about Epiphany of course, I take the Wise Men from my nativity set

Back row is the Wisemen

So I have three girls walking up and down showing my Wisemen to the kids. I say the Wisemen took gifts to Jesus, and my punch line is: what are they going to take as their gift to Jesus

Lunch time comes and my time is finished so back to the office for my TGIF Lunch, everyone in the office gets a free lunch as long as I get peanuts, plantain chips and a coke.

Saturday Wedding

Augustine, a young man who worships at the cathedral, teaches Sunday School and works as a dental tech is marrying Comfort in her Pentecostal church in Asawinso. So a van load of supporters take off to support him, After an hour or so we are looking for the church, no one seems to know where ii is located, a bit of back and forth and we arrive at 10am. When is the wedding scheduled...but 10 am. No one in the church but in we go, the Precentor Benjamin and I walk up towards the front to sit down but an Elder appears and invites us to sit on stage (we are wearing cassocks). So the next hour unfolds, pastor arrives, more congregation arrives and so does the groom (I know because he sits under the wedding canopy. 1130ish a car pulls up decorated with coloured flowers etc Bride has arrived. She si escorted in by her family, she is very beautiful.

The Pastor asked Benjamin if he wanted to preach or did I, he knows that off the cuff sermons are not part of my resume ever so he declined for both of us. Promises made and back under the canopy for the closing prayers

I will continue tomorrow with this sag as it has taken two hours to do this much because the internet keeps cutting out. Till tomorrow

Now it is Wednesday and I try to continue

 brida and groom under the canopy as husband and wife

just 

Next is the reception at their home

Just reminded that off the main road, neighbourhood driving is like on paths through the farmer's field, hardened red earth with cracks and fissures from the rains making the driving very difficult.

reception in the courtyard in the family compound with pointy tents for shade.

I was again reminded that tradition and culture reigns supreme in that Canon Benjamin and I were not seated with the parishioners but removed to under the overhang of the building. When it came time to eat we were shown into a bedroom for Canon Benjamin to eat. I have a take away lunch to eat when I got home.  I was told that had we been seated with everyone else they would not eat until we were finished,. It just seems to me that we are no better than the next so do not need to be set apart but when in Rome...

 

Sunday: preaching

I arrive a little early and realize that the 400 kids from Friday are part of the service, the sermon I have is not good for kids. Thank goodness for internet and google, find a kids bulletin insert that looks good, I embellish it, get the font out and water in a pitcher and am ready to go. I say the Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan but we do not have the River |Jordan so we use a font with water poured in. It seemed tp please Precentor so at least one person got the message..

will add video when I get assistance from Victor

needless to say I rested well on Monday

 

 

LAUGH LAUGH

 I was showing someone a pic of the snow in the back yard of my son along with the low temps last week. Then he says, well it is cold here (in Wiawso) and we do not put on the a/c or fans. I looked up the temp it was 35c  I laughed ++++ right 35c is cold, then a comment ..well it was only 17c earlier this am and THAT WAS COLD. This whole weather thing sure is relative to the average expected. I still giggle at 35c being cold.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Been busy between church and Christmas visiting. Got some great ground nuts (peanut butter) from the market so made peanut soup with chicken. I think there must have an easier way but I used almost every cooking implement that I have here. soup turned out +++++ mmmmm good. 

Thank goodness as between church on NY Eve until 1am. had to make a snack, shower and then it was 3am and back for Sunday worship at  9am.  Tired this p m needless to say, so took to the Sunday afternoon nap for a long sleep. Had peanut soup with some rice in it, just a ride in the microwave, very easy for supper. It is not easy worshipping here. Just happened to hear that I was preaching next week, was someone going to tell  me I ask. 

I need to wish everyone a healthy, safe 2023. I realize that good health has increase in importance as I age.