(Pictures below)

In Ghanaian style I’ll say: “We had a peaceful day; good news to report”. After a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee we bumped our way past yam fields and kids walking to school while their mothers started their day of work carrying water, getting firewood, cooking meals, and caring for the kids. I’m certain the Komba women are among the hardest working people on earth. Beth and I noticed that we have yet to see a fat person here in Komba-land.

At the Clinic, our makeshift recording studio, we were greeted by a dozen smiling faces. People from Zamashegu and the nearby communities had come to help with the recordings. Everyone was eager to begin, and we wasted no time setting up a few plastic stools, a bench, and the microphone we borrowed from Paul (thanks son). For Africa, it was perfect in every way.

Initially, folks were intimidated by the microphone and the complex set of signals to start, stop, get a level check, and restart. Some of the first men were timid, and with weak voices they started to tell a Bible story or share their testimony. I laughed, and asked Pastor Paul to translate that I needed their Warrior Voice. The translation had all the men laughing, and they overcame their apprehension.

After we debugged the system (and in Africa, the bugs can be large, and crawl quickly), we started plowing through our work. An older woman named Amina Timlabe starled us with her strong voice. She shared in Kombo why she became a Christian, and from her tiny frame and colorful clothes came a powerful-sounding story that rose into a grand cresendo that ended with a loud Amen and a large grin.

For several hours we recorded the Kombo people sharing, telling Bible stories, and of course singing! Many of the Komba songs are in classic caller-answer Africa style, with a young lady or man belting out verse which is then answered by the choir. For some of the songs the choir added accompianment: drums, shaker, and clapping.

During a break we pumped up the soccer balls (or should I say footballs) that Mac had sent along. Wow, it was the first time their African-style patience were nowhere to be found. Note to self… next time, we need another 20.

We also took some time to start the initial training and testing of the water filtration devices. Many of the small villages near the road have government built wells with steel pump and cement trough. However, we have seen some of the smaller settlements either collecting muddy water from rivers or lowering buckets into shallow hand-dug wells. Sadly, the company in Accra that built the water filters sold most of the units they were holding for us. This is Africa, and a customer willing to buy today is worth two that will come later to pick them up. With with just two units and an extra filter, we provided an initial overview of how the flowerpot-like ceramic filter can be use for a couple years if routinely cared for.

Moses, who lives in a village with extremely poor water got one of our test units. He strapped it on his bike and he and his friends rode off. Hopefully we can deploy another 10 or 20 and see how they fair out here. Since they are made in Ghana, they are fairly inexpensive, yet should be effective.

Finally, we wrapped up with motorbike nurse Suzie reading public health information. The information will be loaded onto the audio players along with the music, stories, and prayers. It took only a couple minutes for the nurse to list 7 topics: personal hygiene, cleanliness, water, HIV, immunizations, pregnancy, and infant care. Without notes, she provided a 15 minute monologue. Whew.

Salome (pronounced “Sal-o-may”) had cooked us another wonderful meal consisting of rice, spicy sauce, and fried yams. Beth and I continue to be healthy, and Salome has assured us that she is boiling the water well before making our food. We will let you know how it goes :-)

By 7:00 we were exhausted. We had successfully recorded 35 tracks and taken some wonderful pictures. Unfortunately, most of this blog post has been about what we did, not how much fun everyone had. I only wish I had more time for football or games with the kids. Occasionally during breaks I try my goofy games with dusty brown kids who think I’m a space alien. But after a few moments they begin smiling… they give in to my absurd gestures, rolling eyes, flashes of teeth while growling, and loud laughing. Well… ok, one very small girl about 1 year old and strapped to her mom’s back did not yield to my grin. Her eyes welled up and she began to cry, which prompted the mother to start dancing to the choir’s singing, fixing everything. Africa, I love you.

Thanks everyone for your prayers and blog comments. Because the internet connection is so poor, I can’t easily respond to comments, but we do read them. Thanks!