Nature abhors a vacuum – and so do trucks in Ghana.  There is no space too small to tuck, wedge, and jam full with more.  Trucks in the North work hard.  They transport people and supplies while bouncing and rocking their way across the slippery red tracks left over from the wet season.  I tried to help in the packing the truck…up until the point I found a small gap and suggested we could move a box to fill it.  “Oh, I’m saving that spot for the yams” Clement explained.  I realized my novice skills were not really needed.  I took pictures, and prepared for driving…reminding myself of the attentiveness required to avoid dangers driving across cities and the remote bush.

About half-way to Sawla, while jamming to some gospel choirs, we stopped in to visit a friend we met in Ghana several years ago.  She works primarily in Gonjaland.  The wet season provides her with a rich and fertile garden, where she grows fruit trees, herbs, mushrooms, and even catfish.

When we finally reached Sawla, Clement, who is maybe an inch taller than I am, explained he had only bounced up to hit the roof of the truck once or twice while I was driving.  I think I count that as a wonderful compliment.

After unloading at the guest house, we had our meal. I decided to go for the Banku — a dough made of corn and cassava that is fermented like sourdough and then boiled. It was served traditional style for me to eat with my hands and then claw the meat off the grilled tilapia. This time, I decided fork and knife would work more efficiently — but was chastised when I left the head of the fish untouched. “Oh! are you not going to enjoy the head?”. I passed my plate across the table and the head meat was extracted and enjoyed. Maybe next time.

After our meal we dove right into the training.  Cyrus has been working with the Birifor and Clement with the Anufo.  They have learned the needed technical skills to start making their own recordings of the local choirs, pastors, and clinic staff providing health information.  

The recordings can then be shared along with the audio Bible to mobile phones and on solar-powered audio players.  We brought some new recording equipment – wireless microphones, a high-quality mobile phone camera, and a laptop for processing and editing all the files.  As the sun went down, class started.  Beth helped us track all of the plans for tomorrow – the churches we will be visiting, the choirs we will record, and all of the audio tracks needed to finish up the Birifor resources we started recording in January.  Tomorrow will be a colorful, dancing, praise and worship Sabbath.  It will be a 15 hour kind of day. The best kind. I’m feeling stronger, and I know tomorrow’s music will restore my soul.  I love taking photos Sunday mornings.