Random first impression's and other musings

(Robert writing) 

Well, here we are in Ghana after many long days of waiting and trying to figure out what to keep and what to throw away. Then packing up and packing away what was left. Thankfully Tyrah did an amazing job at managing that and taking care of the packing and the kids while I worked about to the last two weeks prior to leaving.

  We went to Alaska then back to Iowa for a day or two then off to Scott to be with Tys family and attended her cousin’s wedding. Then we went to Carmen’s place in central for night then the next day left for Africa. I wasn’t feeling well when we left Carmen’s sure felt like a cold so that made the flying somewhat uncomfortable. We flew on September 4th out of Wichita KS to Chicago then to Washington where we meet Tyson and Robin, the other mission couple that was headed to Ghana. So, the was nice to get to know them small then get on a plane for the 10-hr. flight to Accra. Our total elapsed travel time from Wichita to Accra was 26 hrs. Tysons lucked out and had a short 10 hr flight since they hopped on at Washington.

  Aww the African people are so happy and friendly. When we got to the gate in Washington the atmosphere completely changed from any other gate we had been at. There were kids running around. People were laughing and talking to each other. On the plane everyone was relaxed and not in a hurry at all and took their time getting their things put away and situated in their seats. We were able to board early since bubba was under 2 so that was nice. There were very few people on the plane, so we had plenty of room to get ourselves sat down. We had an uneventful flight to Ghana; we flew over night and spent much of the flight over the north Atlantic.

 We landed in Ghana shortly after 9 am on September 5th. It was warm, muggy day and quite hazy from smoke and other misc. things floating in the air. When we walked off the plane there was disincentive smell of Africa and a muggy heat wave waiting for us. We went through the health kiosk where they checked for yellow fever vaccination since its required for entry into the country. Next stop was the immigration people, and we had our passports stamped. Then we got our luggage and breezed through customs where we were meet by a smiling Hoz and family and Trevor and family. What a crowd of people milling around some sitting some just there because no better place to be, I guess? We went to a guest house called WEC and had very nice rooms with a/c. the heat in the city just seems to seep into every pore and push you down. For supper the first night we ate at an incredible pizza place. They had a wood fired oven to cook the pizzas in, but the cook surface rotated and was turned by an electric motor and the fire was off to the left side of the cook surface. Took one of the vans to an a/c repair shop so that was interesting to see his shop. Turns out the man claims to have been quite influential at one point in his life. He said he had worked quite closely with very successful president years ago. When we got to his shop, we were a little unsure if this was his shop or not but by the pile of freezers fridges and other miscellaneous things lying around seemed like a good place to start looking for the man. Turns out it was the right place, and he fixed the van a/c by the next afternoon.

 The city of Accra is vast in more ways than one. Not only is vast in size, but the gap between the poor and rich is incredible. There is KFCs and domino’s pizza to eat at which took me by surprise. Not the same places as stateside but I think I like them better here the pizza didn’t seem as greasy. We went down to the port and walked around some. There is fishing village I guess? But it interesting to walk down the jetty looking the boats tied up to the rocks and piles of nets with people sleeping in the shade and some out mending nets. There boats are a work of art. They used large slabs maybe 12x 3 or 4 in and bowed to make the bow and the stern come a point. Then the motor mount is of the side about 5 ft forward of the stern. There was some that are carved out of a single tree. Some are still sail powered, but the majority would have an outboard. We got some weird looks; I’m guessing this is not the normal place white people frequent a lot. Then on the other side of the ship channel are massive container cranes and large boats. Went down the beach with white sand- and a lot of trash on the sand and in the water. But still was fun to let the kids play in the sand and occasionally in the water when a large wave would come in.

  We went through immigration to get our resident visas. But first of all, we had to get our Ghana cards then go to the immigration office which closed at three and we showed up just before that so there seemed to be some ruffled feathers but hoz worked on them awhile and Tyson happened to make a connection with a army officer that was a Chaplin so he talked to them and then they let us in. so we had to pay in one room the go down the hall to another room and get blood drawn then go down to the doctor but that room was closed so we went to a different one where the doctor was. Got our stamp of approval. Then the next day they gave our passports with the doctor note and receipts of health check to the immigration man and not sure when they will show back up.

 Sunday in Accra was fun and inspiring. All the missionaries where there along with the teachers and we all had Sunday service together. Then we headed for Kyekyewere. The roads were surprisingly smooth, four lanes with intermittent dirt road where there were some attempts being made to rebuild or build, not sure which. After Accra it was lot more like the Africa I had in my mind. The more I’m here, memories of Kenya come back, and it is so similar. The trucks loaded down and the taller the load gets the wider it gets; they are talented at stacking things. Two-wheel motorcycles and three wheeled are the backbone of the transportation around here. The two wheeled ones are called motos and the three wheeled ones are moto kings. Vans, small buses and cars make up the public transportation part of the scheme. The trucks range from small single axles up to 5-6 axle trailers. Some are nice and new- others are in various stages of disrepair. Also, when a bus or a truck breaks down, be it an engine failure or an axle failure, they fix em where they fall. In the three weeks we have been here seems like I’ve seen a couple cranks laying on the road, as well as a multitude of other parts, from cams to heads to pistons and rings. But somehow they seem to be gone after a bit. I guess they left under their own power?

 The driving is chaotic in some ways, but other ways it seems to work quite well and smoothly. The bigger the vehicle the more right away it has. So, the smaller one gives way to the bigger one. Sometimes the road is three lane, most of the time its two. Its all very slow and the roads vary widely in the condition they are in. Some are quite nice, and a person can cruise along. Others are just second gear (sometimes even first) type of roads. Which is quite slow, about as fast as an easy walk. We are driving a 2017 land cruiser 70 series wagon. It has an inline 6 diesel with a 5-speed manual so it’s fun to drive around.

 The town of kyekyewere is spread out and I have no idea how many people would be considered part of the town. The edge of town is kind of vague. But is not a small village; it has running water and power along with internet.

     The house we live in is on the northwest side of town and the church is a small 5 min walk to the west, down through some houses.  The house is very nice, no a/c but the climate is very nice, so we haven’t missed it much. Lots of nice fans and led wafer lights. There has been a lot of time, money, and effort put into this house throughout the years. The water pump has been automated with a timer and contactor. There has been a nice set up for voltage control put in an auto start for the generator. So thus far no real hardships to been seen. Learning the language and the culture looks like the biggest obstacle now. However, their easy-going ways will make that transition easier.

  Our yard isn’t large, but it is a nice size with lots of banana trees, two different mango trees, and two large palm trees. Decent grass and room for a nice garden. I trimmed the leaves off the banana trees and mulched the garden so we will have to see how that works. We bought some small potatoes in Kumasi that are starting to sprout so I planted some and here in couple weeks I’ll plant some more. We started some pepper plant seeds and some other plants for the yard. The soil here is quite sandy with a little red clay mixed with some rocks so I’m not sure how well things will grow without good rain. One may have to carry some water if he wants to grow year around. The temp stays fairly consistent; they say a couple weeks a year is quite hot, and one would like a a/c. the seasons are more defined but the wet and dry cycles. Some people would have farms that are close to a creek or some water supply. Some would use 2-inch pumps to water so I would suspect they farm most of the year. A lot of corn, casava, and plantain are grown, along with garden eggs (eggplant) and tomatoes, okra, small hot peppers, onions, carrots, yams, bananas and coco trees. The coco is quite a large part of the economy here along with gold mines. Before the country was named Ghana it was known as gold coast.

  The people here are very kind, happy and receptive to the white man and his funny ways. There have been missionaries here since the early 90s so they have seen it all not sure if a guy could surprise most of the neighbors with anything new. The market comes to town every Friday so that is fun to go wonder around while Tyrah does her weeks shopping. There is a brother named Tommy who is a tailor, and his shop is close to the market. I've sat there and watched him work and listened to the people talk serval times. It seems to help pick up on the sounds in their language and it also lifts one’s spirits if a guy is feeling down.

  There definitely have been some large changes that I never would have anticipated, but it has been good. It makes one really look at his life and wonder why he has done and is doing things this way. So, it has been a good thing and really makes one search for answers they never knew they needed.

    The church is quite well established with fine brothers and sisters. They have been having their own services with some help from the minister from a neighboring congregation. There are around 12-14 members as well as some attendees. The majority of the kids that attend are either members children or grandchildren, but there are also some other local kids. There are still some of the original members from when the church started so that’s encouraging to see the old papas show up and take part in the service. There are a couple youth boys. There is brother by the name of pa willie that is in his 40s he has been acquainted with the church since he was 5-6. He has been kind of the ramrod behind the service since Dalen’s left in April. So, it’s kind of interesting trying to figure out my place in the grand scheme of things. One of the youth boys is teaching picture lessons and leading the songs. I'm glad he is willing to take part. The service starts with a couple songs and an opening, then a picture lesson for the kids, then a time of discussion, then the main lesson(sermon), followed by a couple more songs, and then closing prayer. There are a couple members that are starting to have hard time getting around due to the age, so some Sundays, I’ll pick them up. Not sure what the schedule will be but I’m sure something will work out. The service has a whole different feel with kids up and about some and the church on the hill to the south has quite a noisy service so it can be a little difficult to hear and concentrate at times. It seems that the others are completely unphased by it. There is the random goat and/or chicken the wanders by which Madison thinks is great fun. Everything is translated into English or TWI. We are supposed to start at 10 but that can vary depending on the circumstances. I am often encouraged by the faith and courage these brothers and sisters have as they face the challenges ahead. But they are happy very grateful to God for what he has done for them and is doing.

Well then that wraps that up for now. Thanks for the prayers and support we have felt. It has been a very big boost to us. It has opened my eyes to what a tremendous blessing God has given to us with the church and the people that make up the church. God is moving here in Ghana too, and he has made away through a very dark valley for us. We felt God and His power. It felt like the devil put a lot of effort into trying to break us down, but by Gods grace and power he has kept us safe in his arms, though the spiritual battle was raging around us. Looking back, it almost seems that there was a battle between God and the devil over my soul. And now praise God! The battle is won. There are still some hard days when I seem to be struggling mentally, but God gives grace for the day, and He is giving power to over come.