bought out of country insurance, a very large bite from the pocket book, the price of doing this
I am collecting used phone, not locked, used computers to distribute,
call me as I can pick them up. 416 795 3575
bought out of country insurance, a very large bite from the pocket book, the price of doing this
I am collecting used phone, not locked, used computers to distribute,
call me as I can pick them up. 416 795 3575
I had a good trip back, cold weather required socks and a sweater. Quite tired so resting. Great time in Ghana, projects were very helpful, so now back to life in the modern world reminding me of how blessed I am to be living in Canada. Thanks for your interest and support.
I was going to be without sufficient food so ordered a pizza at the office, took a couple of pieces and the rest was devoured by the guys. they all thought it was a wonderful lunch.
the stole you see on the top of the hockey bag was a gift from Bishop this am, It is so beautiful and I am bringing back to hopefully use this summer somehow
I just finished my sermon for this Sunday, my last message before I leave on Monday evening for Canada. the 8 hour bus to Accra, hotel for day on Tuesday and Tuesday evening fly to Brussels, then a hop to Montreal Wednesday am, then a little hop to land in Toronto on Wednesday afternoon. I have this extra stop in Montreal to save $500,00. I have concluded this was not a good decision as Brussel Air is not KLM, but slowly I learn.
EMPTY FRIDGE, LOTS OF WATER, NOT MUCH FOOD,
guess I should get excited about food on the plane noooooooo
Today the Anglican school next door got a new fence around the playground with a gate painted red and white to match the Canadian flag. Dignitaries from the District of Education, PTA, and thanks from the teachers and one student who had a very well rehearsed speech(very well done). I was given flowers (all flowers here are silk or plastic as real ones with wilt before you get get them out of the store). All the students were in attendance. Then we walked around to see gate and the fence and the building with fresh paint. Very lovely time and totally unexpected.
Kids at the gate in red and white
the post script to the service was a session on CPR. A few weeks ago I wrote about a baby not responding and then he went to hospital and was fine. It brought up the conversation with the Dean about knowing CPR. I found a flyer " a easy way to remember CPR, had a few made including plasticized ones to be posted. so yesterday was the session with strong encouragement from the Dean to stay and listen. It was well received, the translator had them laughing so I have not idea what he was saying but it kept everyone involved.
In front of the altar on the floor with a server as the patient.
Palm Sunday: a walk through some of the town streets. arriving at the cathedral
During a sermon, many things can happen; *not everyone is listening, I know this to be true as i have on occasion found myself thinking about non sermon data. phones ring, oopsy forgot to turn off the sound, *coughing fits that need a sip of water, and on and on.
Today takes the winning prize. I was preaching, Dean translates as I go, sentence by sentence, we get a good rhythm going and a barefoot woman who is crying, comes up with a child in her arms. Dean, Precentor and I gather around her. the Child was limp, eyes rolled back, no apparent moving, Dean and Precentor started praying fervently and I am asking ..is the kid breathing? the answer I got was NO,NOT BREATHING, We need to start CPR.I say, no one moves so I start pinching his ear lobes (very painful, if there is any life, prayer and pinching gets the patient to react) in short time the child coughs and takes a large breath. Mother says she will go to the Hospital, I say quickly and she runs out of church.
Then I look at Dean and he says,,, well, continue and we resume our translating rhythm as if nothing had happened.
On the drive home I ask the Dean if doing CPR was something he thought of and he answered NO.
He asks if I could do a workshop on CPR before I leave. I comment that one may feel they do not know how to do CPR well, well doing nothing guarantees the person will die, any assistance is better than that.
Well ........ that was a first for me. and I pray the child does well.
ps Monday Morning
Child went to hospital and is doing well, thanks be to God.
Students from the College of Education (notice the fabric that their clothes are made of, most organizations, clubs, churches, schools have cloth made with their crests and appropriate colours designed and manufactured). It really seems to up the enthusiasm for the group when they are gathered. Young people full of energy and enthusiasm make it quite easy to be happy with them.
I bought this 12 yards of fabric, here would be used as traditional cloth for men to wear like a toga. I think it would look great as a bed cover. I have plenty for 4 double bed covers. I do not need this much but it would only be sold as a whole piece so I bought all 12 yards; a bed at the cottage and at my apartment I think would be quite stylish. It is 50 inches wide so I plan to add a piece on either side to drop down the sides of the bed. Yea Ghana!
PS
I will have 6 yards left, if you are interested in buying it, write me at revbettyjordan@gmail.com
A school holiday for sure with celebrations including politicians, clergy, district officials and the public. there are marching school groups being assessed, trophies for the best. There was a dais for the politicians etc which includes clergy, nice chairs :)
nice chairs with me on the dias, received a take away snack and water while sitting there and got recognized by the MC for attending
Saturday, Elizabeth had Naming Ceremony and her Baptism.
Bishop Kweme Naming Elizabeth, a ceremony that usually takes place within a few weeks of birth but because Elizabeth was premature it was delayed.
Sunday, Churching of Mom and Blessing of Elizabeth at the altar. Churching is a ceremony by which women after childbirth are received in the church with prayers, blessings and thanksgiving.
I use my Ipad as a reader (Had Kobos but they not last long). so I download books from the libraries around Hamilton to keep myself amused. WELL if you were not aware but the Hamilton City government was hacked with a cyber mouse last Sunday, whole system for the city was affected, buses, municipal building, other services including the library system with no internet. NO books since last Sunday. So, I will admit that playing games on my phone, watching tv with more interest and sewing has kept my occupied . but I still am in withdrawal about no books. The libraries in the area have internet but my library card is in the Hamilton Library system and it can not be validated. so .... I am very bored😪zzzz.
When you think about it, a very first world problem eh! Oh hum.....
posts are in for fence mesh to be attached. The red posts, a little difficult to see against the red earth
Akosua, a visitor to the office on Friday, she kept rubbing my hand, I wonder if she was trying to make the white go away
Elizabeth in her Canadiana mode
Curtains, Sunday after church work
With the sewing machine I can shorten the curtains that have dragged on the floor since their beginning.
ta ta, white again and shortened .....yea team!!!
I first came to Ghana in the spring of 1994. I have always been cautious that I not get into any trouble that would pose a danger to me. The house I live in has bars on every window like most houses here in town. My apartment in Sunyani was the same. I have been warned that thieves can reach in through the bars to take anything that is close to the window.
So I was woke up early Monday morning, like around 3am and saw through my window a 3 inch diameter long tree branch with sticky tape on the end picking up my I pad that was beside me on the bed. (I am known for my repertoire of 4 letter words) so I grabbed the stick and pulled it into my bedroom along with letting a rip of 4 letter words fly out the window. I was pleased that my I pad was safe but realize later that my new phone was gone off the dresser. Could not go back to sleep so the 24 hour news channel out of Paris, France 24, kept me company until day light when I went next door to Dean's house to report this happening. I have not done an all nighter for many years. Everyone is upset that it happened. It has been an interesting week since listening to similar situations.
Security around the house has been evaluated, exterior lights have been replaced and will be on all night, a system of immobilizing the sliding windows has been developed. New phone purchased with a backup phone in the drawer.
All is well again, I am safe, and my stuff is secure, but it was a little jarring to say the least.
As annoying and upsetting as this was, I feel that this incident needs to be kept in perspective, first time in 30 years, I am fine and my house is more secure.
the Anglican Primary School next door to the diocese has looked shabby for many years. The government claims free schooling here but only gives funds for teachers and very little else so building maintenance is left undone. When I had a conversation with the new Headmistress Millicent she claimed the enrollment is low because the school does not have fencing on the playground the the buildings badly need to be painted She drew up a proposal and the startup funding was found so the project has started.
The project is in 3 phases; level the playground, erect a chain link fence with metal posts in concrete, paint the buildings inside and out
Pictures will tell the tale.
FORMERLY....
PLAYGROUND HAS LEVELED AND OLD FENCE TAKEN DOWN, TREES UPROOTED
one Sunday the chain saw worked from 6am to dark around 6pm, a front end loader pushed the trees over and the whole playground was leveled. Now the kids play soccer every day until dark with sticks for goal posts and sometimes chalk to line the goal areas. Will keep you posted as to the progress with the fence and painting. Still need funds for fence and paint, if you would like to assist, cheques to 52 Belmont Ave. Hamilton L8L 7M1.A I can not give tax receipts.
I have used a sewing machine since the age of 10, my maternal grandmother was a sewer (worked a sweat shop on Spadina for many years making undergarments for ladies, one day they asked her age and she was 74 yrs. so they had her retire, much to her dismay), anyway, she taught me how to use a sewing machine which was a treadle. So I have used a machine for many years. All this preamble to the fact that I had a sewing machine shipped this year that I had been given from Jane. The hydro here is 220 and in Canada it is 110 so a step down is needed to use it here. Finally last week I got a step down and last night decided to put everything together to sew. The step down was fine but it took me two hours including finding the manual on google (thanks for inventing google, it saves the day and my sanity often) to thread the machine. Frustrating to say the least BUT I won and it work like a charm.
Now what did I do before the machine in the past years....... staples to the rescue. I shortened my sheer curtains by running a line of staples along. It may be primitive but it works!
I think even when away one needs a day off. Last Saturday was another 6 hour ordination (got take away meal so no cooking 😀), + Sunday a 3.5 hour morning service SO I took Monday off - very nice to have a day off even as a volunteer. cooking, laundry and reading very nice day...
Kenkey: I have told the story many times. The first trip to Ghana in 1994 I was serv ed supper and began to eat it with a spoon while the family eat with their right hand. It was the grosses food I had ever eaten. Trying to figure out what it was, I was told it was corn and my response was ' how come it does not taste like corn'. Kenkey is fermented white corn. So for the next 20 years I declared kenkey on the no eat list..
Last year I was introduced to Sweet Kenkey. I was very hesitant to try it given my long ago experience but I did . I was quite pleasant and reminded my of the consistency of Camembert, a little rubbery.
This long intro was to say that I have Sweet Kenkey last night as a snack, I just cut off small pieces to eat until it is all gone. mmmm good. It was wrapped in leaves (no plastic wrap to recycle), and put in a black plastic bag, everything is put in a black plastic bag to take home.
ALL WRAPPED UP, STILL HOT FROM COOKING