Hot and humid

Greetings from a hot & humid Ghana: it's 8pm and still over 30C.  I imagine the humidity is at least 70% too.  It rained today which gave a little respite but not for long.

I spent all of today with Joseph, including a trip this morning to visit a retired minister; this afternoon we talked about the various groups in the church and how they operate.  There is a strong community spirit in all these groups which in turn provides some day-to-day structure and purpose to many church activities.

Methodist Cathedral, Winneba

Guild meeting, Winneba

I sat in a meeting of 'Christ's Little Band' who were just about to spend the evening visiting members of the group who are currently unable to get to church for whatever reason, then briefly in the Guild meeting followed by saying a quick hello to the choir (I have to return to the choir on Thursday to teach them a song).








Thank you all for your prayers, here are some requests from me:

• For Sandy and the girls - I've been away nearly a week now, they are dealing with a busy period very well but I am sure they would appreciate your support.

• For all the activities of the church here, particularly those which involve social outreach in the community.

• For preparations for the synod of the Winneba diocese which meets next week.

• Thanks for good health for me, and hopes that it will continue.

Patrick

Overdressed or underdressed?

I was up before daylight yesterday (Sunday) so that I could be at the first service (0700) at Ebenezer Cathedral Church in Winneba; this was conducted in English by two local (lay) preachers, one of whom led worship and the second who preached.  My personal surprise of the day was that the order of service was heavily based on what I would say is a traditional style, the Book of Offices included at the back of the Methodist Hymn Book, not was I was expecting.  Nonetheless there was still plenty of music and singing in local style.

I wasn't able to hear the end of the sermon, as Joseph (my supervisor whilst I am here) and I left at about 0830 to travel to Kwanyako for a service to dedicate a new church, calling on two smaller Methodist chapels on the way.

The service of dedication was significant occasion, with two bishops present, together with members from other local Methodist churches gathered for this celebration.  Following the official cutting of the tape at the door, I (and several others who were close to the door) almost got run over in the rush to get into the building!  [There is brief report of this service at http://philemonbuabeng.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/kwanyako-methodist-church-celebrate.html)]

(Very small) part of the congregation gathering
before the dedication service at Kwanyako.

Music group & drumming

Outside the new church after the service.

With Cecilia, my host.
It is customary for student ministers
in Ghana to wear clerical attire

This really needs a video clip but I hope you get
some sense of the vitality of the worship

After the service which finished at lunchtime, there was a meal at the home of the local superintendent, following which I accompanied the bishop and a small group of others from the area to visit and pray with the local tribal chief in his home.  It was then time to travel back home, but we stopped off to view the piece of land which the church has recently acquired to see whether they can offer some practical social ministry by supporting a small group of individuals to farm and also encourage good agricultural practice.

At the end of a long day, John and I enjoyed walk around Winneba in the dark, complete with a lively conversation about the practice of leadership in the church: thought-provoking for me as a make the transition from leadership in a very different context at work.

Back to the title of this entry, before I close: being careful about both the sun and mosquitoes, I have been careful to ensure that I am covered up where possible when out of doors.  However, to be smart for the occasion today, I ended up wearing dark colours, so I did feel somewhat overdressed.  However, that was nothing compared to some of the other ministers there in their regalia.

After a busy start to my trip, I am looking forward to a day off tomorrow (Monday).

Patrick

Getting hotter

Today is definitely not a day for an Englishman to be out in the midday sun, so I am taking the opportunity of a quieter day to have a bit of rest and catch up with some study which I didn't complete before leaving the UK.

Yesterday started early: I travelled back to Accra with my host, Bishop John, to attend the funeral of a former Methodist District Chairman.  This was a significant occasion with several hundred attendees and lasted several hours.  The worship was both held in English and in the vernacular and although I didn't understand the latter in terms of words, it didn't take too long to feel a sense of its richness and vitality and the to start tapping my feet, joining in as best as I was able to with the tune.

Afterwards I was privileged to be welcomed by the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church in Ghana and also had a quick visit to the HQ in Accra.  John and I then made a few visits during the afternoon, including to the International Children's Conference with young Methodists from Ghana and her neighbouring countries, including Cote d'Ivoire, so I was unexpectedly able to practise some French.

Winneba Diocese group at International Children's Conference, Tema

The drive home took until 1930, at which time the outside temperature was still in excess of 30C, as it had been since about 0800.  After a simple but tasty meal of fish, maize & gravy (a spicy relish) eaten with fingers, it was time for a quick walk around town to see some of Winneba by night.

Today also started early, with a requiem/memorial service which started at 0600, followed by the blessing of three tombstones.  Not something I have been involved with before, but I was asked to read the citation for one family and join in the blessings of all the graves.  My contribution was in English, although much of the service was in the local dialect with English interspersed and sometimes overlapping.

I am planning to take the rest of the day easily: it's the first completely clear day since I arrived so it is very hot and sunny outside.  I also realised this morning that I've not really had much quiet time to myself since I departed for STETS Spring School two weeks ago.  Was it only two weeks, so much has happened in that time...?

Hope this finds you well

Kobina-Patrick

(the Kobina is in the local dialect and signifies the day on which I was born, Tuesday)

First moments in Ghana

Just before I left home for my flight yesterday, my Ghanaian friend Stephen called to wish me a safe journey and to encourage me to remember how I felt when I stepped onto African soil.  He was particularly interested to know what I felt about the temperature, suggesting it might be like a microwave.

I think most of my fellow passengers were probably pleased just to be safely on the ground, and I wonder whether more than a few prayers had been said towards the end of our flight.  It was mostly smooth over Southern Europe and the Sahara, but nightfall brought some electric storms so that last couple of hours were quite bumpy.  To cap it all, the pilot had to abort our approach when were were only a few hundred feet above the ground as the wind had just changed direction and we had to go around before landing.

Having met my host, Bishop John, and Stephen's wife Dorinda at the airport, it was a good journey  Despite the humidity, I slept well, only to be disturbed by the goats arguing outside my bedroom window at about 4am!

My home for the next three weeks

Today has largely been a day of introductions, firstly to Joseph who is overseeing my stay here and secondly to Winneba.  Joseph and I took a drive around this afternoon and visited a few of the Methodist Churches and most areas of the town.  The word of the day has been 'welcome' - wherever I have been that has been paramount and I am looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere more tomorrow on a visit to Accra.

So, how was that first moment?  More like sauna than microwave, Stephen, but thanks to a recent rain shower it was cooler than I'd anticipated.  Thanks to the humidity, night time wasn't much cooler than day time.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Ready to go?

The end of STETS Spring School on Saturday was a moving occasion: the departing third year students planned and led the closing act of worship.  The conclusion of the service included the dedication and blessing of those students who are finishing the course in the next few weeks.  Next year, that departing group will include me, so following on from my last day at work a couple of weeks ago, I had the sense even at this point of moving onto another phase of my training and formation.

Having travelled home, I was with my own church in Tilehurst on Sunday and was able to celebrate Easter through two acts of worship, each very special in its own way.  At daybreak, a group gathered on the hillside above Streatley (in the Thames Valley, NW of Reading) to mark the beginning of Easter Day and recall the account of the disciples discovery of Jesus' empty tomb.  Following (two) breakfasts, worship at Tilehurst included Maddy's (our middle daughter) confirmation along with two other new church members, one of whom was baptised too.

Abbey Ruins, Reading

River Thames, west of Reading

After a family orientated day, thoughts then turned to final preparations for my trip to Ghana.  Having packed most things yesterday, I was able to spend some time strolling round the town centre in Reading this morning, reflecting on how different Winneba might be when I arrive there tomorrow. 

Firstly, looking at the weather forecast, it will be considerably warmer there (about 30C) and very humid for at least the next few days, compared to a somewhat cooler Reading today.  Secondly, in just a few photos, here's something of the character of Reading expressed in the River Thames, a snip of the Abbey Ruins which date back to the first settlement here, a park built in Victorian times and then Broad Street, pedestrianised in the mid-1990s when I first lived and worked here.  I'll try and get some photos of Winneba and post them in the next few days so that you can compare too.

Forbury Gardens, Reading

Broad Street, Reading

A chance conversation with the attendant at our local rail station also reminded me that there is a wider aspect of 'where I have come from.'  We shared a brief conversation about changes in the UK over the last generation or two and even talked about my birthplace in Sheffield, including the demise of primary industry there starting in the 1970-80s.

'Where I have come from' will be part of starting conversations in Ghana, and part of my study there will include engaging with people to find out something about their roots, how they live today and how they encounter God.  I am excited and intrigued about what I will discover.

Thanks again for reading, and some concluding prayer requests

• Give thanks for, and celebrate the public affirmations of faith made on Sunday.
• Continuing prayers for those involved with the ferry incident in S Korea.
• Thanks for the opportunity I have to travel and for the support of family.

Patrick

Holy week

For most of the last week I have been away on a residential element of my pre-ordination training.  With fellow students and staff from STETS, we have been staying at Dauntsey's School in Wiltshire, just on the edge of Salisbury Plain.  Everyone at home has been in my mind, but it has been a pleasure to be together in community for several days with others from across all years of the course.

The theme of our study throughout the week has been the Holy Spirit and her interaction with the world, the church and ourselves.  We have been exploring this topic through the contributions of several speakers, discussion groups and other activities including some craft work today.  I am sure that Jasmine will be surprised that I have painted a picture, moreover that it resembles what I set out for it to represent.

The focus of our worship through the week has been on the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, culminating on an extended period of silence during the day today.  The creative workshop ran in parallel to this, during which I took some photographs of three crosses.  Jesus was crucified with two others; these images represent the three victims, but also three different aspects of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection: the nails which held him to the cross, the moment of his death when 'he gave up his spirit' and lastly his resurrection.

Looking ahead, by this time next week, I will have been in Ghana for two full days.  As I have been 'in community' here this week, it has struck me that I am leaving my home and its community for my trip.  I am curious what experiences that will provide, both in terms of that which I leave behind for a few weeks and secondly the community in Winneba in which I will stay.  Let's see.

Back home tomorrow for a few days before I fly out.

Happy Easter to you all.

Patrick

Prayer requests

• For the STETS community as we complete our week together and in particular for the final year students as they complete their studies.
• Recalling the events of Good Friday, for all those who are facing pain, suffering and desolation, not least those involved in the ferry accident in South Korea and those still waiting for news from the Malaysia airliner incident.
• For all students as they conclude their Easter break, particularly those preparing for public exams.

Welcome

Looking forward to travelling

On 23 April I set off for four weeks in Ghana, as part of my training to be a minister in the Methodist Church.  I will be spending three weeks on placement with the Methodist Church in Winneba, a town and fishing port on the coast of Ghana, just over 40 miles west of the capital, Accra.

For the last week of my stay, I will be travelling with a Ghanaian friend into the Ashanti region where we plan to visit Amankwatia, a cocoa growing community who are currently being supported by my training church, Wesley Methodist Church in Reading.  The idea of a visit to Ghana came about following a visit to Amankwatia by two church members (see http://www.wesleychurchreading.org/thetraidcraftstall.htm) and encouragement from others, particularly at Wesley and STETS (the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme) where I have been studying since September 2012.

One of the requirements of this placement is do something 'outside my comfort zone'; having never travelled outside Western Europe and North America, this is certainly in that category.  Nonetheless, I am looking forward to the experiences which I will encounter during my stay, both within the community of the church and elsewhere.

A big thank you goes to my immediate family who have been supportive in allowing me be away from home for this extended period.

Internet connection permitting, I plan to keep this updated throughout my trip and will post some pictures alongside my thoughts and reflections.

Prayer requests

Please give thanks for all those who have made this possible, in the first instance Philip Richter for his enthusiasm to the suggestion.  In Ghana, thanks are due to Rt Rev Dr John K Buabeng-Odoom, the Methodist Bishop in Winneba who will be my host, alongside Rev Joseph Maxwell Ossei who will be supervising my placement.  Stephen & Dorinda Appiah and Derek & Joan Pike here in Reading have all generously offered their time and practical advice during all my preparations.

I am also thankful to all my colleagues at Waitrose who gave me a good send off from work recently.

Looking ahead, please pray for 

• safe journeys for myself, together with Stephen and Dorinda who will also be travelling to Ghana to visit their family around the same time I will be there.
• for my own family as they adjust to my absence for an extended period.
• for the STETS community as a whole as we meet next week for Spring School.
• for all communities in Ghana, a country of affluence and poverty alike.

Thank you for taking an interest.

Patrick