Arrived Safely In Ghana

At last, I am in Ghana!  The trip to Damongo, Ghana was long and exhausting– 15.52 hour of actual air travel, 2 hours of land travel, 2.5 hours layover and about 4 hours of overall entry and exit process at two airports.

Upon arrival at Accra (first stop in my Ghana adventure), I was greeted with scorching temperatures that I am unaccustomed to.  The process of entering the country was long and cumbersome.  With 4 suitcases, a carry-on luggage, and a backpack, I was worried how I would manage.  But a lot of people must have been praying for me that day.  I had wheelchair assistance (due to a pulled muscle I suffered before I left) from the moment I stepped out of the plane.  Michael, the man assisting me, was probably the supervisor of the passenger assistance group and was given preferential treatment and we were breezing through all the required steps. He also took care of my luggage and requested the customs officer to no longer open a suitcase (apparently a regulation) because I would have to stand up. It was good to finally arrive at the Diocese guesthouse and stay in an air-conditioned room for the night. 

The air travel to Tamale took one hour but to board and deboard the plane, one has to walk through the tarmac to get to the plane.  This was alright but the flight was at 12 noon and the sun was really blazing hot.  Upon arrival in Tamale, a gentleman came to assist me.  His name was George, and he was actually not scheduled to work that day but our missionary in Damongo, Karen Hunka had arranged for him to come and help me.  I was expecting to see Karen and Headmistress Mary at the airport but was instead greeted by the Bishop of Damongo. He had excused himself from his meeting in Tamale to come to the airport.  This was truly a surprise and unexpected blessing.  The Bishop even took me to lunch at the Tamale Guesthouse restaurant. He had arranged for his driver to take me to Damongo as he was staying behind to continue with his activities at Tamale. The drive to Damongo took all of 2 hours and I was brought home to Karen’s house.

Karen is such a gracious host.  She took the day-off the following day to bring me to the Damongo market to get my phone and sim card.  She also took me to my first taste of Ghanian food. I had Banku, a cooked slightly fermented cassava dough and ground nut chicken stew eaten with your hands.  It was agreeable but different, but I am sure in time it would grow on me.

I stay at the St. Anne’s Girls High School compound with 30 students and some teachers.  It is a boarding school like all schools in Ghana.  I had the opportunity to join the ladies at their Friday Mass at 6 am and also their entertainment night on Saturday evening.  It was such a fun night with the ladies showcasing their singing and dancing prowess.

On Sunday, I attended the Mass at the Cathedral.  Everything I heard about the length of the liturgy service was right.  It is rather long compared to our Masses in the USA.  That first Sunday Mass I attended was about 2.5 hours which according to local folks was short.  The liturgy was lively, a lot of singing and dancing.  Everyone stood up for the collection bringing their offering to the altar with some even dancing their way to the front.  The offering procession was also different in that after the host and wine are brought up to the priest at the altar, ladies and a few gentlemen would come to bring offerings of fruits, vegetable, bread, grains, water, etc.  It was a delight to witness.  The one thing I realized is that the Church is truly UNIVERSAL.

As I continue this journey and face challenges along the way like WIFI access, the heat and getting my morning cup of brewed coffee, milk, and other staples I am accustomed to, I just have to remind myself that I am now in the Savannah Region of Ghana.  I need to let go of the comforts of home so that I can be present for the people I will serve.

"It is important to realize that you cannot journey to a new place and at the same time stay where you are.”     - Matthew Kelley, Rediscover Jesus