Spectacular Day Number 8

Sorry! We've had no internet for two days - there was a huge rain storm yesterday in the middle of the day. When we got back here to Hephzibah Guest House there was no internet. The power was on generator and the internet was off. So I just posted the blog for the 2 days before. Today, Friday, we had 3 marvelous experiences. First, we stopped at Trinity Seminary to meet Mercy Amba Oduyoye a world reknowned African women's advocate. She gave us a tour of the new facility called the Talitha Qumi Center. It is under construction and will be built as the fund raising continues. The center sponsors workshops and conferences and the wing to be opened in October will contain a computer lab and a library. We sat and asked her questions about women's issues in Africa. She is eloquent and speaks with quiet, direct authority. We were all impressed and moved by her vision and the work being done there. We will all want to keep in touch with the center and find ways we can support the work. Next we went to drive around the campus of the University of Ghana. There are many big white buildings with red tiled roofs and long tree lined avenues. We went to the bookstore and found the postoffice to purchase stamps for postcards. Lunch was at a great little place where we could get hambergers, pizza and fried chicken and ice cream sandwiches. We went to the W.E.DuBois center next. It was also a spectacular stop. The director came out, Dr. Anne Adams, and I asked if she knew Eufa Sutherland (a dramatist and well known Ghanaian) and she said of course, that she had just published a book with Eufa's daughter Essie about Eufa. I came specifically hoping that I could contact Essie because of a family connection so this is big for me! She called Essie and told me to call her any time tomorrow. Wow. There was just a huge clap of thunder and all the lights went out on the highway that comes up around the hill. So I am going to rush to finish this before the storm. We have one more day - we are going back to the center to take a couple brooms, some new fluorescent tubes and take pictures of our handy work. We have a special lunch date to say good-bye to John and Nana. There probably will be no blog entry tomorrow. Wish I could have added more pictures! We will have thousands so be prepared. We heard there was an earthquake in Illinois. Otherwise we've had no news from the US - no radio, no television, no newspaper. We send our love and prayers, Cate

Photos of the Group Taking Off From O'Hare

 

Comments from the VIM Team Members

Beth Ruppe: I have been trying to think of a way to describe my experience in a sentence or two and well... I can't. I guess the best thing is to say that I had pretty high expectations but they came nowhere close to the reality of my experience. When Nana made the analogy of the bond we share being like a marriage and closed our time together with "What God has joined together let no man put asunder" I was overwhelmed. That was better than anything I can ever come up with to describe my feelings but I don't know if that helps.

Here is a picture that I like of Mr. Rob and friends and one of the concrete pouring "assembly line." If you look closely at the second picture you can see a bowl of concrete going up and an empty one being thrown back down.

Alex Rea: I suppose in only a couple sentences, my trip to Ghana was absolutely life changing. I have made friends and seen things that I will treasure forever and that I will try to share with my friends and family at home. I wrote in my journal everyday we were there and I think my entry for the last day sums up my experience well. The last lines read as follows: "The most obvious thing to me is that I must come back. The respectful and hard-working nature of the Ghanaian people is not something found everywhere and not always found at home. This is an amazing place and truly must sit near the kingdom of God. I will miss Ghana so much but will someday come back; I promise."

Rob Schultze: I went on this adventure in search of ....something. I'm not sure exactly how to express it, but it involved family, purpose, soul, love, youth, God. I found so much more....like friendship, understanding, hope, perspective, faith...our Ghanaian friends were volunteers as well (what were they expecting and hoping for??)...it's amazing what happens when you bring together a diverse group of people with open minds, share a dream (and a little faith)...humanity...and a bit of hard work....

A Trip to the Mo-Dega Project

Contributed by Eleanor Nicholson

On Thursday of our first week in Ghana, Joanna Gwinn, Tina Cheema, and I, accompanied by Gladys Odoi of the Methodist Church in Ghana and Dr. Samuel Bruce and Tom Ahima, two of the founders of the Mo-Dega Project, made a long, dusty and bumpy journey from Aburi northwest to the village beyond Wenchi where the Mo-Dega farmers were awaiting us. In an amazingly spacious, dimly lighted octagonal thatched hut, we heard the stories of some of the fourteen men and three women seated there, who had been waiting for hours to tell us about how their small loans had made it possible to buy seeds and seedlings, plant them and await the harvest. For Joanna the contrast between the self-confident farmers of 2010 and the same folks who somewhat skeptically listened to promises in 2008 was remarkable.

At the heart of all of the stories was the frustration brought about by the excessive rains of late May (surprising even the meteorologists). William described the ruin of much of his first planting of tomatoes, but he is hopeful that, with the approaching dry season, his second planting will be successful. Others shared similar experiences.

The next day we toured the fields themselves. Some were only a few acres, but the peanut farm was fifteen acres—and thriving. We walked through plantings of okra, little white eggplants (“garden eggs”), peppers, melons, cassava, and yams. Cashew trees abounded. Thanks to the abundant rain, the landscape was green and lush; thanks to the sun, it was hot.

The Mo-Dega project was begun in 1986, but foundered after the local Methodist minister, who had taken a deep interest in the work, was transferred. In 2007 our Northern Illinois Conference approved its revival. As a result of Joanna Gwinn’s trip to the project when the 2008 FUMC team was in Aburi, First United Methodist Church of Evanston has taken up the project and is preparing to send proceeds from Pennies for Poverty through the UMC Advance.Given the dramatic difference even our relatively small contribution in 2009 has made to both the economic possibilities and the morale of these hard-working farmers, we are committed to continuing our support of this promising project.

First photo: With the Mo-Dega team: Dr. Bruce, far left; Gladys Odoi, center; Rev. Fuachi, kneeling; and the Mo-Dega farmers.

Second photo: Tina, Eleanor and Joanna listen to Mo-Dega farmers in the meeting house.

Third photo: Mo-Dega farmers who wanted to share their stories.

The 2010 Ghana VIM team is home and anxious to share stories of our wonderful adventure and of what your contributions to the youth center construction project and to the Mo-Dega agricultural project means. Because the internet connection at the Hephzibah Christian Centre was down our last two days, we’ll recount the activities of those busy days now.

On Tuesday, June 29, we headed to Accra in the two vans. First stop was the Methodist Church Ghana headquarters where we had a tour and were received officially by the Bishop. As he said to us, the Methodist Church Ghana is able to sustain itself, but for a project such as the Methodist Youth Center, they need outside financial assistance and were most appreciative of what First Church has done. Our youth headed off from there to explore the markets with Emily as their guide.

The rest of us went first to the National Cultural and Arts Center market where all sorts of Ghana crafts were available. Vendors were aggressive, as we had been warned, but we had learned also how to bargain a bit better. The main Accra market was next on the itinerary, and this congested market stretched for blocks and included food, toiletries, clothes, household items, souvenirs, etc. Some of us had a peaceful buffet lunch at the British Council, within walking distance of our rendezvous point, the Methodist headquarters, before we headed back to Aburi.

After stopping at Hephzibah to pick up the gifts we had wrapped for our Ghanaian friends, we headed one last time to the Methodist Youth Center for a closing worship and gift exchange. Once again their strong, faith-filled hymn singing stirred our hearts. Amid laughter and tears we said our good-byes with the hope that we will continue this relationship between First Church and the Methodist Church Ghana.

Wednesday morning following breakfast, we visited the Aburi Botanical Garden. The royal palms lining the park’s road are especially impressive; we also were shown a giant kapok tree, a ficus that had strangled an enormous cedar tree, herbs, etc. Short stops at the Aburi woodworkers row and at a couple stalls in Aburi were all we had time for before lunch at Hephzibah, loading our luggage into the vans and thanking the staff who had taken such good care of us.

But the excitement wasn’t over. As we started down from the hills, it was obvious one of the vans had no brakes. The passengers in that van were moved to the larger van as we followed cautiously. But as we approached the toll booth/police barricade only a short distance away, Nana could stop the limping van only by hitting the barricade. We spent an hour and a half beside the road while Nana negotiated with the police and brake fluid was added and the leak stopped. The swift response by a Ghanaian mechanic reminded us that life is more complex in Evanston! Children who appeared from the nearby village were taught hand clapping games by Tina and Dylan; others of us sought shade under a large tree shared by some of the men of the village or against several small shops.

Once in Accra we drove through the University at Legon, Ghana’s premier university. The setting is a hilltop so we had a lovely view of Accra. The day ended with dinner at a restaurant across the street from the airport; following dinner we walked into the airport and started the tedious process of leaving Ghana for a 1 am flight to the U.S.

Thank you again for your prayers and support. We felt surrounded by the love of family, friends, and First Church community. You may want to check this blog again next week. We expect to add more photos and comments from the team.

Top photo: Members of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church in Aburi continue their visit following worship.

Second photo: Roadside repairs in process!

Third photo: Most of our group--along with Otto, our driver, seated on left and Nana, our leader, seated on right--gather in front of a giant kapok tree at Aburi Botanical Garden.

Fourth photo: Don and Joanna receive a gift from Nana.

We've got a couple days to catch up so this will be a collaborative effort.

This is Bonny reporting:

Many of us were feeling some concern about how we would survive a three-hour worship service on Sunday morning. By God's grace (my favorite Ghanaian phrase), the time passed enjoyably and quickly. As I recall, the first hour was filled with joyous music--the organ, the instrumental combo, the choir, the congregation. And then the dancing--when Jack Turner entered the aisle to join the dancers, we all followed. What a delight to dance with our fellow workers and members of the congregation!

The preacher at Wesley Methodist Church in Aburi was engaging and offered his sermon in an indigenous language and in English, shifting from one to the other effortlessly. The scripture followed the lectionary; I felt very connected with First Church, knowing that you would hear the same scripture several hours later. Our youth and a few adults joined the children's Sunday School classes during the sermon. They enjoyed the children, as always, and the lessons.

Following worship, we lingered for some time in front of the church taking photos with our fellow workers and enjoying the beauty of the moment and the day.

Perhaps you have met Mildred, a Northwestern student from Aburi who attends First Church. Her parents had invited us to a local resort for a traditional Sunday dinner. The setting was lovely with manicured grounds and views of the surrounding hills, valleys, and villages. The food was delicious, especially dessert--fruit salad topped with ice cream. I must admit that one of our food fantasies is ice cream, since it is not easily available in our small town.

Ethelyn taking over -

We were up at 4:30 Monday for a 5 hour trip to Kakum National Park and the canopy walk. The early departure at 5:30 was an attempt to avoid traffic in Accra. The staff at Hephzibah packed boiled eggs, bread, butter and jam for our breakfast which we ate en route at a Methodist church. The Schultze's mega jar of peanut butter was nearly finished! Everyone did the walk and had a smile at the finish. We could hear birds and perhaps a monkey, but didn't see any wildlife. The rainforest was so thick it would have been impossible to see any forest elephants on the ground. From there we made a short trip to the "crocodile restaurant" for a lunch of rice/chips and chicken . The highlight of that stop was the weaver birds who would fly from a tree on a small island to a tree next to the restaurant.

We made a quick stop at Elmina Castle before continuing to Cape Coast Castle, both used to hold captive Africans before being put on ships for the New World. At Cape Coast we had a 45 minute tour that included the male and female dungeons, the cell where the trouble makers were left to starve to death, and the governor's quarters. The conditions described were horrific.

We arrived home exhausted at 10:00.

Tina Cheema, Dylan Powell, Amanda Shultze, and Emily Roth lead a song at the youth conference


Dylan Tin Tin working on rebar on the roof of the new dorms



Emily bends rebar on top of the youth center dorms

Amanda leads a discussion on integrity with Ghanaian students

Tina and Alex sing during the youth conference