WATCH NIGHT ON NEW YEARS EVE

Lessons and carols, followed by Watch Night followed by Mass
started at 8pm but my flyer said 830 so I was late, started Eucharistic prayer after 12 and the hydro went off for about 10 minutes in the middle, then followed by announcements with presentations till dismissal at 130am
so here I sit at 2am, contemplating the new year of 2014 with my xmas lights on.
I pray everyone has a blessed 2014.

Generosity at xmas @ orphanage

the cathedral shares.... at this season...

 COMPASSION IS LOVE IN ACTION- a children's home (orphanage) about 30 minutes from the cathedral has 36 kids, The difference here is that kids in a homelike this, are encouraged to stay in contact with their families and most of the kids have gone to their families for the holiday... Rev. Mrs. Charlotte Osel Kwateng(Director)  started this place 17 years ago and a couple years ago, took their first baby, up until then it was 3 years and up,, the wardens, Dean, Precentor and myself went and the dean presented the director with a cash donation. A place struggling but making a huge difference in these children's lives...

dancing and drumming ...

the Director lives in London England, is from Eastern Region of Ghana but felt called to working the Brong Ahafo region (the area that Sunyani is in, like a province) so she comes and goes between England and here......

GREAT WORK BEING DONE HERE!

 

at the end I was asking for a brochure which they do not have, so we have agreed to

 future conversations so one can be developed ...  I hope 

Low Sunday, it's not

back home the Sunday after xmas is "low' Sunday as everyone has been to church for all the xmas stuff so many skip the following Sunday. Here the Sunday is called Kente Sunday and many folks wear traditional cloth and folks that did not get to a xmas service come the Sunday after, so the pews were filled. ....kids put on several numbers; singing ... dancing .....just being kids...

don't you just love the pink glasses, a stylish touch.....

..

.............and after service I revealed my new outfit........

Vivian to my right is the seamstress...................

Lois, to my right is my shopping guide, you can see that the outfit is sewn to show off curves...

...

.. with the Bishop who announced that the pics will be on the blog before he gets home.....lol

Saturday busyness

Laundry, ... water won't go down the drain in shower ugh ugh can't finish .....Market to shop but it is warm so I am waiting until after 3pm, ..... Bought fabric, Lois (Dean's daughter) took me to the dressmaker, picked up my outfit... long skirt and jacket and wearing tomorrow to church....ta ta

WATER POST SCRIPT

ITS 1015  PM, dean is home, he shut off tap where the plug had been left in a sink :( :(
he did not know where the shut off valve was in the field but I had been curious this am when Atta was going to shut it off and went with him so I, with my trusty flashlight, showed the dean where it is and he turned the water back on ......  VOILA !!!! WE HAVE WATER ....  so much for the end of today's adventure

Water . water everywhere, it should not be

Its very quiet here, and I am resting from the 530 am service... reading, tidying up and I take the garbage out and notice water seeping from under the door at the Dean's house along with a heavy flow of water from a discharge pipe BUT there is no one home, Dean went to Accra last night,, what to do, what to do... called Atta (not home as inside door is shut),, searched for Precentor and asked him to come and look  .,,...,yep water coming from under the door.

he calls Dean in Accra and it is decided that the main water source out in the field will be turned off which means no water for me, Precentor, and Atta, the whole complex at the cathedral so fill a pail of water

and then water gets turned off 

 until Dean gets back and turns off the tap or what ever is spewing water in his house ...   .....   ...so in the midst of a day of doing nothing (|Mary brought me a great lunch so I won't have to cook until tomorrow), just lazy and reading,,....no water, so can't do the washing ahhh so sad, can't wash the floor.ahhh so doing nothing and its absolutely great!!!!!

St. Stephen's Day/xmas eve

it is 645 am and I am home from already celebrating the mass (wrecking my reputation of hating mornings but what can I do, when in Rome.....)
I will now put a few pics of Xmas Eve
they have a new fire (huge bon fire with wood like a teepee 12 feet high on the lawn) I did not get why they have it, as they do not bring the fire inside like at the Easter vigil but it quite noticeable because of the size,

..the women with the shepherds crooks are from the Society of the Good Shepherd  and they will stand at the door like sentries' at the processional and recessional. 

 then everyone walks around the fire singing in the local language....

in side the crèche with xmas lights and tinsel, was set up with kneeler to be venerated until Epiphany