More from Ghana

We have been so busy that it has been difficult to get to the internet café to post. The last time we went we were able to see some pictures of Zoe that my parents posted. She is so cute and is having a great time in DC.

On Sunday I got to preach at a Baptist Student Union at the university here and then again at Faith Baptist Church near where we are staying. Later that day we surprised the congregation by taking family portraits for them. It has been great to see everyone come out in their Sunday best and then be so happy to see themselves in the pictures when they receive them. They all gather around as they are being printed and compare them with each other, laughing and talking excitedly. I am sure this is the first time some of them have ever seen themselves. They are so proud of their families and all say that they will hang their picture up in a special place in their homes.

Yesterday we went to the market where residents of Tamale do their grocery shopping. It was amazing. You can get anything from dried fish for soup to flour for baking. You can even buy a cow’s head if that is the type of soup you prefer. I’ll stick with chicken noodle, sans the head please. I was not able to get any photos in the market because people here do not care for being photographed in public if they do not know what the use of picture is. I think there have been some embarrassing pictures of the less desirable, third world aspects of culture here that have been printed in magazines in other parts of the world.

There has been another couple here from Georgia with the God’s Story Project. It is so strange; these people originally are from Louisville and are here introducing a movie that summarizes the bible in the people’s language in 78 minutes. We got some great long exposure pictures of the people at a church watching this movie last night. It is cool to look at these pictures and see people who are probably coming to their first understanding of the story of redemption. A projector and screen was put up with a loud speaker so that it was like going to a drive-in. It was large enough to draw the attention of people from the surrounding village, including many Muslims. When we were setting up the equipment, the prayers were coming over the loud speaker in a near by Mosque. The video started and drowned out the prayers. I thought this would cause danger for us, but there were many Muslim men who watched the movie and seemed very interested in the story portrayed.

The movie is put together so well that if these people are able to understand what they have seen they will have more of a concise understanding of the Bible than many Americans! It is a great project that is seeking to put the movie into every language in Ghana—that is more than 60 languages. It takes 3 months and $3500 to complete a translation. Compared to a Bible translation this is a fraction of the time and money involved in a product that even the illiterate can understand.

The people from the project have been very appreciative of the pictures we took of the viewing because they have not been able to capture the events since they happen at night. Because the shutter on the camera was open for 15 seconds to get the shot, the pictures look like it is dusk when in reality it was pitch black outside (notice the stars). Once again God has been able to use our ability and equipment to support the work he is doing here in ways that we could not have orchestrated on our own.

Bob and Bonnie and the rest of the staff from Seed Ministry have been amazing. Elizabeth and I prepared Don and Zenda for our accommodations, giving them ideas of the primitive arrangements that they might expect to find in Africa. This information was all based on previous mission trips that we have experienced and stories we have heard because we honestly did not know what to expect when we got here.

We arrived to find air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms and laundry service that includes ironing (I have never had my boxers ironed!). Bonnie and her ladies cook the best food in Ghana (and much of the US for that matter). You would not believe it, but we have been eating biscuits and gravy, eggs, and, pancakes for breakfast. Lunch and dinner is chicken or an open-faced roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy and vegetables. It is great food!

Aside from being a little tired at weird times, we experience hunger at the normal times that we would be eating at home since there is a four-hour difference in time here. This happens particularly at night just before we go to bed. Elizabeth and I have stocked up on cookies and Fanta, so every night we enjoy what we call Fourth Meal before bed.

Hopefully it is clear that we have had a great time and great success with the photographs. From here we start the sight-seeing portion of our trip. We leave tomorrow to see the natural sights from here back to Accra in the south. Tomorrow we see a famous waterfall and then we head south to the rainforest and nature preserve. Our hope is to get good prints that we will be able to sell to support future projects.

Elizabeth and Zenda both are not feeling well. They both have flu-like symptoms. Please pray for them to feel better before our long journey south. Also be praying for our safety on the roads as we travel. Thank you for all your support and prayers thus far. We are looking forward to sharing all our stories with you when we return.