Motos puttered in loaded with families. It was Sunday, and gathering for worship was a joy. Tattered and worn bibles, pages thick and wavy from the humidity, were in hand, and ready. The music was vibrant, our voices filled the cement and block building and spilled into the village as the church filled to capacity. Ceiling fans and oscillating fans tried to keep us cool, but between the singing and the dancing, two white people were swaying both to the music and the dizzying heat. As visitors, we were offered some cool water as we sat down — a lovely Ghanian tradition, and an especially kind gift for Beth and I. At the fabric store the other day, the shop owner had offered us water, and with a smile full of kindness explained, “water is life”. Indeed.

On the wall, in the background of the photo above, the vision statement for the church reads:

“to be a lively and purposeful church of Jesus Christ which demonstrates to the world the All-Sufficient God who makes rivers in the desert”

A reference to Isaiah 43, from the first blog post. A wonderful reminder that we are here today with family.

Water

Exhausted from the singing and a bit of awkward white-guy clapping, Beth and I finally sat into the hot plastic chairs. The pastor’s message was simple: Satisfaction (printed on the banner behind him). Where do we get it? What truly satisfies?

Water is necessary to sustain my frail body. Every day we stop at small shops along the road and buy clean water — but it cannot quench my thirst. There is only one water for real life. It was the reminder I needed.

After the service, I made friends :-)

Responding with smiles, the aunties, uncles, parents and children all politely introduced themselves and asked Beth and I about our travels. We learned their names, favorite classes in school, and family relationships.

We couldn’t linger long, we had work to do, and people were waiting to record the missing community health messages, songs, and testimonies. Bags were stacked high in the back of the truck and Beth was sandwiched in for the drive. Beth is amazing. How is it that woman of so many talents, equipped with all the skills and capabilities I lack, is packed into the back of the portable oven with a gigantic smile?

A short drive later and we are at another empty high school, preparing for our work. Beth and I appreciated the large mango tree helping us avoid the punishing sun.

During breaks, I wandered around to meet people, take photos, and learn more about Sisaala land. The school complex is massive, and some of the staff live in homes or dorms on campus.

Preparing food is often a team activity. Mom spreads the ground corn to dry in the sun. The small girl chases away the timidly approach sheep and goats, looking for a snack. The son roasts the corn.

David Dinah is visually impaired, and teaches choir at the school. He is soft spoken, and generous with is time. The youngest of his sons guides him across the campus to a metal bench under the sprawling mango tree. We build a studio around him. A bit of nylon cord and a suspended suitcase transforms the tripod into a studio mic stand for drums and soloist. Our outdoor studio includes ripe, falling mangos. After each impact, a goat or sheep dash over for a snack.

David explains to Beth the he grew up a Muslim, but was drawn to the music and lyrics he heard coming from a church, much like the praise music that spilled out of the church Beth and I attended in the morning. Music is powerful. David writes his own music, please enjoy the video below of David, and his joyful music.

Next up, Nurse Zenab!

Zenab recently completed her basic nursing school. She also finished a specialization as a midwife — practicing by delivering 10 babies in the surrounding villages. She is excited to share community health information in Sisaala for the BiblePlus Audio Units.

In the video clip above, Zenab describes in English some of the health lessons recorded we recorded.

As the afternoon worn on, Ajara arrived with a large smile and helped edit and tweak the audio tracks Clement and Cyrus recorded yesterday. Yesterday, it was all business — she was steady, confident, motivated, and precise. Today, we are only editing the tracks. Ajara is full of joy and beaming with smiles. During breaks, she finds a stick and gently pokes the ripe mangoes, which immediately fall to the ground. Ajara puts them on the table, away from hungry mouths. When she can’t reach them with the stick, she puts me to work, reaching higher to retrieve the delicious fruit. I’m rewarded with one. Moments later, warm mango juice was dripping down my chin. A great day.

Postscript: The blisters on my legs are distracting. Some areas are a little better, and others have increased and spread. I’m carefully monitoring for infection, and wonder if there are two issues at work… The (suspected) blister beetle rash is the most severe — it is the deepest. The other rashes I believe are either from the heat or some sort of spreading of the toxin. In any case, I’m fine, but appreciate the prayers. I apologize for being behind in the blog. We are working long days, and the heat and other complications slow us down. But we are blessed, and the work is wonderful.

“I’m sorry, the gas is done” said the young lady standing beside our small breakfast table at the guest house here in Tumu.

Beth and I glanced at the standard breakfast setting — plate, mug, instant Milo packet, instant coffee packet, tea bag, instant creamer packet, a fork wrapped in a serviette (napkin), and large electric kettle with boiling hot water.

After rolling the phrase “the gas is done” around our heads for a moment longer, we realized there was no cooking gas today. Instead of eggs, we each enjoyed two slices of thick white break and a mug of Milo. Clement, Cyrus, and Ray soon emerged from their hotel rooms with smiles and eagerness to start today’s work.

Yesterday, while I zigzagged around dips, holes, and yellow yellows, Beth explained that today would be the Cyrus and Clement show.

“C & C Productions” as we playfully refer to them, continue learning the skills needed to create BiblePlus recordings with their own traveling studio backpacks that we brought last October. Each backpack is equipped with a laptop, tripod, good studio microphone, wireless mics, handheld mic, and a fancy Samsung phone and gimbal for video capture. The gear fits in a small waterproof bag and can be easily transported via their moto.

Cyrus and Clement are quick to learn the technology and the leadership skills needed to organize the community. In the months prior to our visit, C&C have carefully trained local speakers to share community health information, Bible stories, and local choirs. Here in Sisaala land, the territory around Tumu and into Burkina Faso, Cyrus has spent time preparing churches and medical staff. On the Eastern side of Ghana, where Konkomba live, Clement has done his preparation.

But like most rhythms, change should be expected and welcome.

The plans to record the community health audio tracks and “exhortations” (pastors speaking) have changed — a large local funeral has diverted pastors and plans. So we leave malaria, postpartum depression, and the other topics that nurse Zenab prepared for tomorrow. Today we hear Bible stories and pastors David and Saani.

Sanni is a schoolteacher in the town of Tumu. The kids are on break, so the dorms and schoolyard are eerily lacking the sounds of laughter and sports. Instead, goats. guinea fowl, and turkeys wander into our outdoor recording studio to disrupt the work.

The equatorial sun baked the tawny ground and Beth and I worked to stay hydrated and alert. 102 degrees. Small breezes are a gift. Layers of clouds occasionally wandered overhead. I admit my weakness; I work to muster the drive needed to continue encouraging and helping Clement and Cyrus as they record each track.

As C&C recorded, I strolled around the expansive schoolyard to snap some photos. Small golden-headed lizards scurried through leaves and raced up and down the trees. Baby goats bleated and chased after their mothers. As I stood in the shade under a mango tree, a large black bull rounded a corner and startled me. As I backed up, he dropped his head and walked directly toward me, closing the distance quickly.

I’ve had more experience avoiding black bears in Canada than peering into the eyes of large terrifying bulls. I spoke in my gentle, scared, American voice — to reassure the bull.

Saani approached, reached up, and plucked some leaves and a hard, unripe mango from the tree above. Moments later the bull was enjoying a snack and following Saani away. Suddenly, I realized why the trees had very neatly pruned branches, with none hanging more than about 7′ off the ground — the height of a bull foraging for green leaves. Saani explained that the cattle were part of the school’s agriculture program — and ranged free. But he also warned that not all cattle are friendly. Heh.

Cyrus is adept at recording. He carefully positioned the microphone, loaded up the software, tested the sound levels, and provided careful instruction to Sanni, David, and Ajara. While the goats and guinea fowl occasionally called out from the distance, Cyrus and Clement made quick and expert progress.

Beth stayed behind to carefully log the tracks and provide occasional guidance and strategy suggestions as Sanni, Ray, and I drove into town to take care of some errands.

The first stop was for medical help — a fabric store.

I know, you are all scratching your heads wondering how the heat has dehydrated my brain. Yes, it could also be that my electrolyte imbalance has me a bit woozy, but the issue is a bit more serious.

We are not sure how or why, but I have some significant red, swollen, and fluid filled blisters in several patches on my legs. The two largest itchy patches are maybe 6cm in diameter. If I were not in Ghana, I would assume it was Poison Ivy. There is a local moth and “blister beetle” that can cause contact dermatitis. It could also be a form of severe heat rash — but somehow given the localized and severe patches, it feels more like a toxin. Whatever the cause, it is a problem.

Even my thinnest nylon pants are sticking and trapping heat. My merino base layer is comfy, but my legs are shouting for thin cotton pants. While the local shops sell plenty of used blue jeans, something lightweight is required. Tradition will save the day!

It takes only a few moments at a local fabric shop to find some suitable cotton materials. By noon we are visiting a local tailor, who quickly unfurls his tape measure and begins sizing me up.

“Up and Downs”? Sanni asks.

My expression gives away my confusion.

“A shirt to match the bottoms”?

In Ghana, matching tops and bottoms, or matching a top with your wife’s skirt is common.

“Sure!” I reply.

Ray asked for “a rush order”, and suggests the Tailor finish today. Indeed. Fabric, measurement, and some quick tailoring. Perfect.

Our final stop is the local all-purpose auto-truck-moto-and-tire repair shop. The driver’s seat is broken. Yesterday’s drive was a bit more Safari-like with the seat leaning and rocking unpredictably as I swerved around holes. Forget the bolts — the solution here is obvious… weld it. After carefully threading an arc welder cable across the passenger seat, the local welding artist was ready… The fire boy was called to stand watch with a bottle of water, ready to extinguish the carpet or seat. The truck was soon better than new.

The internal strength and resolve of Ghanaians is remarkable. This morning we had 2 pieces of white bread. At 2:00 we snacked on a few airy and dry biscuits with a soda.

By 4:00 the heat had completely melted into my body. Maybe I was actually swimming in a 102 degree bowl of warm goat-scented jello. Sometimes it was hard to know.

The Ghanaians just kept working, never mentioning the shortage of food or complaining about the heat. I sat and helped; could it have been a slow motion dream? Water, even warm water, kept Beth and I going.

All the while, Beth sat with a broad grin, carefully tracking the progress and providing tips for the recording.

Janet smiled easily. Her cousin Ajara provided some additional tips and soon Janet was flying through the Bible stories.

The shadows from the mango trees grew longer and suddenly the heat lifted, and clouds began to roll in. A few drops of rain passed overhead. A fresh cooler air settled. It was 85. Ahhh, how wonderful.

As darkness fell could see flashes of lightning off in the distance. Cyrus and Clement continued working via mobile phone light. Wow. Our first day was nearly complete.

By 8:00pm we were all sitting in front large plates of rice or banku served with chicken or tilapia — our first real meal of the day. Laughter and joy, exhaustion and discomfort, perseverance and peace. The joy of God’s people, brothers and sisters, from tribes across Ghana, Europe, and the United States, working into the night.

So… the spiffy new cotton outfit? Well, clearly it is time to start a fashion house — I just need a catchy name.

My new attire will fit in perfectly at Church tomorrow.