Sunday morning we attended Church at The Evangelical Church of Ghana (ECG) in Buipe.  Church in Ghana is not a quick “show and go” affair in Ghana. Women in brightly colored dresses, high heels, and scarfs carry kids on their laps or on their backs as they arrive on motobikes with husbands, brothers, and family members.  A three hour service does not seem too long.  There is singing, dancing, and the offering train – when people dance and shuffle their way to the front of the church for a chance to place a few bucks in the basket. 

Yes, the music was loud, but more importantly, full of joy.  I loved watching some of the folks we had met the other night when we recorded the choir, lead the congregation in song.  So beautiful.  Our voices echoed off the cement floor and tin roof.  

Kids sat in their parents laps and moms held their nursing babies with one hand while shaking hands with us during the morning greeting.  Ghana!  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was inspired by the Gospel music of New York City would have been stunned speechless by West African praise music.

On the way out of town, after dropping JoshuaG and JoshuaB off at the toll bridge so they could get a ride back to their northern base cities, we drove south toward Kumasi and Accra.  

But on the way out of town, Fati, Pastor Joseph’s wife wanted us to drive by their house for a final goodbye.  When we got there, Fati was walking toward the car with lunch and food.  Yams stuck out at odd angles from the large metal pan balanced on her head.  After loading the enormous hard roots into the bed of the truck, we brought a hot bag of fried Guinea Fowl (tastier than chicken) into the truck.  The whole truck suddenly smelled like an exotic restaurant, with the enticing scents of spices and meats filling our noses and tickling our hungry stomachs.  Church dancing can work up a hunger!

I drove once again to give Ray another day of healing.  So with one greasy hand holding a fried leg and also guiding the steering wheel, and the other shifting gears, we dodged potholes, speed bumps, motos, and passing cars as we traveled south.

We spent the night in Kumasi and then sped off at 6am to toward Accra. Ray was ready to drive, so I had a few minutes to futz with electronics, select music, and compute distances. Of course, we also talked :-) Ray has such a love for his fellow Africans. He pursues his ministry with a passion and endurance.

The next morning Beth and I did more training at the Philips Centre, the “base” for the growing number of young people who have made OneWay Africa their ministry. We hope some day, we can spend more time telling their story, but the plane is about to take off, and I’ve gotta shut down my laptop :-) Our last post will be tomorrow some time, when we arrive home and check in to let everyone know we survived!

Thanks for your continued prayers.