Blog revisited

It's been over five years since I last made an entry on this blog, but the people of Ghana continue to be in my thoughts and prayers regularly, and I continue to draw on the enriching experience which I had in April and May 2014.

The over-riding sense of God's grace for me and for all God's people, something which was a daily reminder as I encountered God through the Methodist people in Winneba, Accra, Kumasi and Amankwatia and elsewhere still rings true for me as I serve God in my ministry in Bristol.

The toppling of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol earlier this year (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/07/blm-protesters-topple-statue-of-bristol-slave-trader-edward-colston) has reminded me not only about the links between Bristol and West Africa, but of the need to seek justice for all people, whatever our race, skin colour, age, gender, social standing, sexuality, experience of God ... the list goes on.  Whatever our background and experience, we are precious in God's sight.

'

I've been blessed by my continuing links with those who hosted my stay - 'my' Bishop - Rt Rev Dr John Kweku Buabeng-Odoom - is currently serving the Methodist Church in the North of Ghana, his term in office as Bishop in Winneba having come to an end.  We are in touch every couple of months, and I am pleased to share this picture of him, complete with his motorbike and cassock, as he gets around the much more difficult terrain and roads further north.  

Very Rev Joseph Sarfo Anning, who was the Diocesan Youth Officer in 2014, is now Superintendent Minister elsewhere in the Diocese, but I was delighted to be able to share in an act of online worship at Pentecost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WKg7k2yM  

The link between Wesley Methodist Church in Reading and the community at Amankwatia has developed a little further, in that a number of laptops have been sent out for use in the school, building on the project work (fresh water and additional toilet block) completed in 2015.

I had hoped to arrange a visit to Ghana in 2019, then possibly earlier this year, but clearly that has not been possible in light of the travel restrictions due to COVID-19.  I hope to be able to at some point, but will need to be patient.

Please continue to hold our sisters and brothers in Ghana in your prayers:

Gracious and truthful God,
bring your hope and peace to the people of Ghana
in the challenges they face each day;
may they see and feel your presence in all that they do.
May they, and all your pilgrims,
continue to follow you faithfully.  Amen

(Written by me during my visit, published in 'Pilgrims on a Journey,' the Prayer Handbook of the Methodist Church 2015-16)

 

Jubilation

Successful completion

Completed fresh water pump

It's a great pleasure to share the news that both parts of the project at Amankwatia are now finished.  As I mentioned in my last post, the new fresh water pump was operational before Christmas, but the plinth around the pump is now also complete and the whole thing looks very neat and tidy.

Tastes good! 

The main news this month is the completion of the new eight cubicle sanitation block: the pictures speak for themselves.

All complete

4 cubicles for each gender

Kofi Marfo, a former member of Wesley Methodist Church in Reading has been overseeing the project on behalf of the church and was present in Amankwatia for the recent handover ceremonies.

Kofi (in the patterned shirt) accepting completion

Handing over to the local chief (in the red shorts)

I can't complete this post without thanking the myriad of people who have been involved in this, not least Joan and Derek Pike whose visit to Amankwatia in 2012 became the inspiration for the fundraising efforts, getting the project off the ground and gaining the support of the wider congregation at Wesley.  Many people contributed to those fundraising efforts including individual donations too.  

There has been a whole team in Ghana who have come together to make the work happen, led by the Farmers' Union at Kuapa Kokoo but including the contractors, Kofi Marfo and other representatives from the Methodist Church Ghana.  Most importantly the families of Amankwatia have supported the project in many ways, not least providing labour for some of the hard work.

Children jubilating [sic] over the completion of the project

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord; let the earth hear his voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord; let the people rejoice!

(from the hymn To God be the Glory)

Happy Christmas from Amankwatia

'I bring you good tidings of great joy' 

I am delighted to share further news of progress of the project work at Amankwatia, thanks to some photographs which arrived from Esther, the Communications Officer at Kuapa Kokoo.  

Firstly and significantly, the new fresh water borehole is now complete and in use, a welcome Christmas present for the community as you can see from these two pictures.

As well as improved water quality, the new borehole is adjacent to both the Elementary & Junior High Schools; less valuable time will be spent in fetching water during school hours.

Sanitation block

There is also good progress to report on the new sanitation block - not quite completed yet, but most of the building has been completed since I last posted an update in November.  

Sanitation block taking shape

Plaster work

Adding the roof

Happy Christmas to you all  

Christmas Blessings from the schools at Amankwatia 

It is very humbling to see all these pictures, not least this final one of the school children with their wishes for one and all.  Wherever and however you are spending Christmas this year, I hope and pray that you will discover its message of joy and peace.

Building up

I was praying this morning for the project at Amankwatia, following which I decided to check on progress at some point soon.  Before I had got as far as sending the e-mail, some news complete with pictures arrived in my inbox.

As you can see form the following, things are continuing to progress well with the sanitation block.  The contractor has also been on site to work on the bore hole for the new fresh water supply, but the drilling machine was faulty.  Thankfully that's now been repaired and work should begin soon.

TAKING SHAPE

KVIP sanitation block

Hard at work

Esther, Communications Officer at Kuapa Kokoo
with Very Rev Samuel Adjei Boafo
(Superintendent Minister in the Offinso Circuit)

Prayers

'We are happy to hear the enthusiasm in Wesley Church about the project.

Kuapa Kokoo farmers appreciate your efforts.  They also pray that your labour in supporting this God-sent project will never be in vain.  They pray that the Lord Jesus should shower his blessings on every one in Wesley Church.'

In conjunction with the current project, the hope is to establish on-going links between Wesley and Amankwatia. At Wesley last Sunday, we looked at a passage from the Bible which includes 'Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing' (1 Thessalonians 5:11, New Revised Standard Version) which for me has thankful echoes in these greetings.

Coincidentally, it was World Toilet Day this week, aiming to raise awareness of the 2.5bn poeple worldwide who do not have access to proper sanitation.

Progress continues

Although it is only a few days since I provided a brief update on the work at Amankwatia, some further information has just come through, together with some pictures.

Update on work

'I wish to inform you that, the pit for the KVIP has been dug, and concrete and block works for the pit have been completed.  The contractor is yet to build the housing and the roof; the housing should have been started by now, but the contractor has promised it should be started w/c 13 October.  Recent supervision from the site confirms that there are enough building materials to complete the work.

It is not raining heavily now so the borehole (for the new fresh water supply) should also be completed before the end of October.'

Speaking a thousand words

Here are a few recent pictures of work on site (provided by Esther, the Communications Officer at Kuapa Kokoo).  I've included a couple of pictures of the sites, taken before the work started, for comparison.

Site for the sanitation block (before work began)

Work in progress on the sanitation block

The sanitation pits (for 8 cubicles)

Site for the borehole

Currently in use to store materials!

Prayers

'Kuapa Kokoo farmers, especially at Amankwatia, are very happy and continue to pray for the Wesley Church and all who donated for this project.'

'The primary school children are equally very happy and wish to thank all children at Wesley Church for their support.  They wish them God's Blessings in all they do.'

God of all, 

We praise you for your work of creation which surrounds us all.
In your very being we experience community in Father, Son and Spirit.

We thank you for your work of cooperation and justice through Kuapa Kokoo,
in particular for all those who live, work and study in Amankwatia.

As we give thanks for the work which has been completed so far,
we pray that your Spirit may continue to surround those involved in this project,
and offer ourselves in your service in expectation of its successful completion.

In your name we pray, Amen!

Look listen and pray

"It's been a while" since I last posted on this blog, as its main purpose has been fulfilled.  However, one piece of my study in Ghana was to consider the question "Where is God in this place, and for these people?"

Having completed that study, it was suggested that it might be useful to repeat the exercise for my training church, Wesley Methodist Church, in central Reading.  Our new Basingstoke and Reading Methodist Circuit has also challenged us to identify where God is at work in our locality, respond in thanks and ask what God is saying through it.

Wesley Methodist Church, Reading

This morning, a small group of us walked around part of the neighbourhood of the church building with this in mind.  This activity will continue during October 2014 (and possibly beyond), taking in different parts of the area around Wesley, to "look, listen and pray" and so appreciate how God is present to us in the world around us.

Please follow this link if you are interested in knowing more.

Amankwatia

Just a quick update about Amankwatia, the village which I visited towards the end of my stay in Ghana.  I am pleased to say that the work to build a new sanitation block has started recently, and drilling for the new fresh water supply should start shortly.  The aim is to have both projects completed before Christmas.  I am hoping to have some pictures of the work which I can show you in the near future.  Watch this space.

Green and pleasant lands

Tuesday evening brought a further power cut so it was quite a fitful night's sleep as the humidity was increasing.  It was no surprise therefore that there was a torrential downpour with a quite spectacular electric storm at about 0400 on Wednesday morning.   Two lightning strikes were so close as to not be able to count between the flash and the rumble.  Thankfully the mortar work done by the builders for Stephen's new garage doors was unscathed.

Last day in Ghana

We spent the morning on a short tour by car of Accra, passing by some of the key government buildings and the stadium before calling in to see Dorinda's (Stephen's wife's) mother who lives in a substantial old-style house close to the centre of the city.  We then ate a meal outside at a restaurant before heading home in good time for me to complete my packing and then travel to the airport for my journey home.

Homeward bound

It was a smooth flight.  The skies over southern Europe were mostly clear and I was able to see the east coast of Spain clearly by night.  As day broke, we flew up the west coast of France from the entrance to the Gironde northwards, bringing back memories of a sailing trip there a few years ago. Landfall in the UK was just east of St Catherine's Point (the southern tip of the Isle of Wight) which was about the only part of the UK that we saw until we descended on the approach to Heathrow as the cloud cover was extensive. 

It must have been about a 20C drop in temperature from Accra last night to London this morning.  The only common factor was the damp air, humidity in Accra, drizzle in London!


A few statistics might interest you over the time I have been away:

• Away for 29 nights, the longest that Sandy and I have been apart since our engagement in 1992.
• Travelled in excess of 8,000 miles (6,500 by air, the rest by road) over the month.
• I've worshipped in six different places (it feels like it should be more but that's all I can recount)
• I have not taken any medication, apart from the the box of Imodium for 'runny tummy' (as the Ghanaians put it!) and my prescribed anti-malarial tablets.
• At an average of about 3 litres a day, I've drunk more than my body weight in bottled water, not counting other drinks such as fruit juice etc.
• I have lost a couple of kgs in weight (nothing to be concerned about).
• Been affected by nine power cuts of varying lengths, and the running water supply also failed in Winneba a couple of times.
• Not drunk any coffee until breakfast this morning during the flight.

It is good to be back home and to have seen nearly everyone here now.  I am looking forward to collecting Faith and Maddy from school this afternoon, the first time I will have driven for over a month.  Must remember not to upset the locals by the Ghanaian approach to (frequent) use of the horn.

Prayer requests

Thanks for the opportunities that I have had over the past month, for the welcome I received and all those I met.

Thanks for safe travelling, personal safety and good health during my stay.

For my fellow second year students at STETS as their placements continue.

For our family as we re-adjust to being together at home again after this period of separation.

For the people of Ghana, facing a challenging economic situation and all that entails.

For the Amankwatia project, that it may proceed over the next few months.

For the Methodist and other Christian communities that serve Winneba.

Comments please

Over the next couple of weeks I will be sitting down to write up my placement for the assessment of this part of my training.  If you have any reflections on the content of this blog, then I would be glad to receive them.  What I would be particularly interested to know is whether any of my posts have made you think about particular aspects of life in Ghana as I have experienced it, also whether there was anything you thought I might mention but haven't done so.

Let me know- either by commenting on this post or by contacting me via other routes.  Thank you for your interest.

To finish, here's a 'word cloud' based on the content of the blog, interesting to see what has been occupying my thoughts as I have written.

Tropical conditions

Following three successful days focussed on Amankwatia, including the two meetings about the project then the visit to the village, it was time yesterday to return to Accra and then back to Stephen's home in Tema.  Tema is the main commercial port of Ghana and lies about 25km East of Accra itself, roughly half an hour's drive from the airport.

Asante Kings

Before we left Kumasi, we were able to do a little sight-seeing and visited Manhyia Palace, formerly the home of the Asante royal family but now a museum.  Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside the museum but we were able to get a good insight into the way in which the kingdom was established from the 17th Century onwards, taking in much of modern-day Ghana and also part of Cote d'Ivoire to the west.  We also learnt something of the opposition faced by the kingdom from the colonialists, not least the United Kingdom from Georgian times onwards.  Along with the slave trade, the main reason for the colonial interest was gold (hence Ghana's colonial name, Gold Coast) and the exhibition included plenty of information about this.

Former palace of the Asante Kings, Kumasi

The current king has been 'on the stool' for fifteen years and there was also a photographic exhibition to celebrate this too; the anniversary itself was 10 days ago when there was a large gathering, broadcast nationally (I heard some of this on the radio whilst travelling back from the Synod at Nyakrom).

As we left the palace to travel to the airport, several large groups were gathering to visit the king or one of his immediate subordinates.  Many of these meetings would be to settle disputes over the rights to particular pieces of land.  Most of those attending were dressed in black: the party losing the case must dress in black, those who are successful are allowed to dress in white to signify the outcome.  Most arrive dressed in black to save having to get changed afterwards in case they lose.

Rain!

The rainy season is now starting across the country.  Due to the varying landscape and climatic conditions this starts earlier in the forest region, Kumasi is located, and we were treated to a substantial downpour which lasted about an hour whilst we were waiting at the airport.  Passengers on the inbound flight were kept on board for about 20-25 minutes to allow the rain to pass after the aircraft had taxied in.

Tropical downpour at Kumasi

After a smooth flight, it was quite a contrast in temperature (perhaps 5C or more hotter, the rain in Kumasi having lowered the temperature) when we arrived at Accra.  On arrival at Stephen's home, we had a mid-afternoon snack of fresh coconut, drinking the juice and then scooping out the soft flesh to eat.  We then sat outside on the balcony as night fell as there was a welcome breeze.  We were forced to retreat inside this turned into a second significant downpour complete with electric storm which went on for a good couple of hours.

Humidity....this bottle of chilled water had
only been out of the 'fridge for a few minutes.
You can see the condensation has already
built up quickly on the outside.

Tuesday

This morning we were planning to visit parts of Accra, but workmen have arrived to replace the garage doors, so Stephen needed to stay around to ensure the work is completed satisfactorily.  I have been spending some time thinking about the assignment I need to write on my return and also starting to pack my luggage for the journey home tomorrow night.

As an aside, I gather that several people have commented on my lack of hat in a picture taken last week when I was stood in the sun: I had just removed it for the photograph.  I can assure you that I have been nowhere without my hat, and it became a topic of discussion amongst my hosts in Winneba.  The hat isn't the only thing I need, I don't go anywhere without some bottled water, a hanky (for mopping my brow), some hand sanitiser and insect repellent spray.

Five essentials

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.

Family visits

After an early breakfast, Stephen and I set off with his nephew to spend the morning visiting members of his family in and around Kumasi.  We had booked a taxi for the day so set off after a check of the condition of the vehicle, tyres in particular, as we didn't want any unintentional stops.

 

Stephen, his sister, aunt,
daughter, me
at his family home

We travelled about an hour to visit the village where Stephen grew up, calling in on his sister, two of his aunts, an uncle and a cousin.  We were also joined by his daughter for a while.  Lots of catching up to be done in a short space of time, as we had a further drive of about two hours for a second meeting about the Amankwatia project.

 

 

 

 

Offinso

Pounding Fufu
(a staple food)

Thankfully we successfully negotiated the traffic without too much bother and arrived in Offinso in good time for a meeting with the Superintendent Minister there, who also has oversight of the church at Amankwatia.  We had a productive meeting with him and also met some of the other members of circuit staff as they were meeting locally.  I am pleased to report that the key items to start the project are therefore in place.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support for this.

 

 

 

 

Operation Christmas Child/Samaritan's Purse

Samaritan's Purse parcels
(from the US)

A nice surprise was to arrive at the Superintendent's house and see a collection of boxes from Operation Christmas Child.  Many people from the Methodist churches in the Reading & Silchester Circuit (and lots of others worldwide) help with this annually, in order to provide gifts to disadvantaged families around the world; the circuit office next to Wesley Methodist Church in Reading has acted as a collection point for these parcels over the past few years.

And so to Amankwatia

Tomorrow we will be travelling to Amankwatia itself and will be leading worship between us in the Methodist Church.  It will be good to meet the community and so have the opportunity to have them in mind over the next few months as the work proceeds to improve their communal facilities.  I hope and pray that this will be the beginning of an on-going relationship between the two churches.

Kuapa Kokoo

En route to Kumasi.  The landscape
is more verdant as you go north.

Stephen and I took a short flight yesterday to Ghana's second city, Kumasi, in the Ashanti region.  Our day didn't quite work as planned as we left too late for the airport and missed our lunchtime flight, so we only arrived in the early evening with just time for a light evening meal.

Stephen is very much at home here as he was born in this region where his family were cocoa farmers, which moves me nicely on to the business of the day.

Amankwatia project

 We spent most of the day in a meeting with representatives from Kuapa Kokoo, the largest cocoa cooperative in Ghana.   They are fair trade certified and work to improve the well-being of their members, who number well in excess of 80,000 individuals spread across about 1250 community groups.  The organisation is run democratically with elections to coordinating groups at local, area and national level.  Those of you in the UK (and possibly the US) may be familiar with the 'Divine' brand of chocolate which is own by Kuapa Kokoo.

(L to R)
Samuel (representative from Amankwatia)
Esther (Communications Officer, Kuapa Kokoo)
Stephen Appiah

There was a lot of ground to cover during the meeting, for which and we were joined (via Skype) by Derek and Joan Pike also from Wesley Methodist Church in Reading whose inspiration has got the project thus far.

The plan is to provide a replacement borehole for the fresh water supply for Amankwatia and also to build a second 8 cubicle sanitation bleock to improve the village's communal facilities.

The key points were covered successfully today, but your prayers would be welcome as this project gets up and running for real.  Talking of prayers, this was the first time I have led prayers at the start and conclusion of a business meeting.  This is quite common practice here, strengthening my impressions from my time in Winneba, that Ghanaians visibly involve their faith in all aspects of day-to-day activities.

Esther joined us with her family for our evening meal together with Kofi Marfo, a former member of Wesley Methodist Church, who is going to represent Wesley on the project meetings as the work progresses.

We are off to visit members of Stephen's family tomorrow morning, then travel to see the Methodist Superintendent minister whose area covers Amankwatia.  We will worship there on Sunday morning before travelling back to Accra on Monday.

 

Homeward bound?

I was able to talk to Sandy, Maddy and Faith via Skype last night (thanks to the effective 3G coverage here) so my own thoughts are beginning to turn homeward bound now.  As I opened the final packet of antimalarial tablets this morning, it suddenly felt like a long time since I was at home and it will be good to see everyone again for real.  I will only have two nights at home as I have a study weekend with my fellow STETS students in Bristol; it will also be good to hear how everyone else's placements are progressing.

A day of travel

Stephen collected me from Winneba mid-morning and we travelled to Cape Coast, formerly the capital of Ghana (during part of the British colonial period) in order to visit the castle which was part of the Atlantic slave trade.  We had a short tour and visited the dungeons where slaves were kept before transportation to the Americas and the Caribbean.  

'Spy-hole' into the tunnel through
which slaves passed as they
were taken to the ships.  This is
one of two such holes, the only
sources of light in a tunnel
about 50m long

Male dungeon.
One of four such rooms, about
200 would be held in each
with barely room to stand.

It was here that President Obama visited five years ago and was visibly moved after the experience.  Stephen had visited previously but remarked that there is always something new to appreciate, and it doesn't change what happened all those years ago.  The photo's don't really do justice in terms of appreciating the conditions in which the slaves were kept, basically with little more than just enough room to stand in and having to do all bodily functions where they were.  One statistic I hadn't really appreciated before the visit was that for every slave successfully transported and sold, in the order of 10 or 15 failed to make the journey.  Enough said?

Sampling the (avocado)
pear before purchase.

Following our visit we drove to Accra which took somewhat longer than anticipated due to the traffic levels, particularly on the outskirts of the city.  We stopped off en route to buy some fruit (which we sampled as a snack) at the roadside, also enjoying a drink of fresh coconut juice straight from the shell.  On arrival in Accra, I had the new experience of eating in a Ghanaian restaurant; having not had to choose my meals during my stay to date, the wide range of choice was a challenge and also brought home to me some of the extremes of life here as very few Ghanaians would ever have the opportunity to eat out.

Stephen and Grace at
Cape Coast University.
Grace was a member at
Wesley Methodist Church
in Reading.

The day closed with another welcome, into Stephen's Ghanaian home, which is very well appointed and therefore another contrast for me yesterday.  We travel together to Kumasi today and onto Amankwatia tomorrow.  Your prayers would be welcomed for us as we travel and meet those involved in the Wesley project there.