Amankwatia

In March 2013 I sat in Wesley Methodist Church, Reading and heard about the potential for the church community to support the community in Amankwatia here in Ghana.  My staff tutor, Philip Richter, was visiting me that morning and we briefly discussed the possibility of using the opportunity of a visit to form part of my training placement this year.

Fourteen months on, that visit took place this morning, and the service was one of the highlights of my month here in Ghana.  Stephen and I were joined by a circuit minister and led the service between the three of us.  Stephen preached (as we decided it would be easier for him to do so directly in the local language) but with the help of a translator, I was able to bring greetings from Wesley, make some presentations to the young people and also to the church as a whole on behalf of Wesley. 

Praise during the service

The service was held in one of the classrooms of the Junior High School and the room was very full indeed.  Several representatives of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers' Union who were at the project meeting on Friday also made the journey, so it was possible to talk about the project during the service and also pray together with the community about it.  Having seen the village first-hand, Stephen and I can both see what a positive difference the new facilities will make and make some transformative steps for the community.  At the Synod (in Winneba) there was much discussion about how the church can act positively by way of social responsibility and this is a good example of what can be done. 

Sampling the
sugary coating



Cocoa beans drying in the sun

After the service a small group went to visit and pray at the sites for the new borehole and then the sanitation block.  Following that I was able to talk to a family whose livelihood depends on cocoa farming.  The farmer walked off into the bush to retrieve some cocoa pods and I was able to look inside and taste the sugary coating which surrounds the beans (but not the beans themselves which are very bitter as you probably know). 



Prayers

I've previously asked for you to pray for a number of situations I have encountered.  I hope that you can join the community at Amankwatia in the following, based on the prayers I led at the two sites in the village.



Walking to the site for the KVIP
sanitation block, which will be next
to the trees in the centre of the shot.
The Elementary School is on the left.

Lord, we give you thanks for the provision of this site and for the fertile growth which surrounds it, on which this community depends.  We are thankful for the funds which have been provided for the forthcoming project and pray that your Spirit will be present through the work of human hands as the sanitation block is built here.  We pray that this will transform the life of this community, and so we commit ourselves to the work needed in the weeks and months ahead.  We pray in Jesus' name.  Amen

Site for the new borehole.
The building is the Junior High School,
where the service was held.

In Genesis we read that the Spirit of God hovered over the water.  May that 
same powerful Spirit of creation be present here as a new water supply is provided for this village.  We pray that life-giving water may transform those who drink it and use it, and that the community may find new life.  We pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.







A typical home in the village



The farmer who kindly fetched some
samples - the yellow pod is ripe.
Esther is Kuapa Kokoo's
Communications Officer.

Solar powered battery street lighting,
a previous project supported by
the Farmers' Union.