Powells in Africa: Week 8 - Visitors, Dancing-Druming & Turtles

Well, we had our first visitors to Ghana! I can't say they came to see us specifically, but since we are here, they came and we fed them dinner, I'm going to count it as official!

VISITORS

Rochelle Sellers along with associates Betty & Jules, came to Ghana for their important work with Operation Underground Railroad, an organization commited to fighting sexual abuse and child sex trafficking. Rochelle is the Regional Aftercare Director for Africa and the Middle East. These women work together to oversee the aftercare of rescued survivors and their healing process. I admire them so much and the great efforts they give to make a difference in this world.

TO MARKET, TO MARKET...

While these beautiful ladies were in town, we took them to our favorite market that happens every 1st and 3rd Saturdays called, The Green Butterfly Market. This is a local Ghanaian Artisan market supporting community businesses to ensure sustainable growth within the local economy. There are many, many vendors selling their goods. One vendor we make a beeline to, sells fresh bagels of every flavor including: blueberry, banana, eggplant, sesame, wheat, jalapeno and more. They are so fresh and sell out very quickly. We have also purchased a "real" Mancala board game, an ebony turtle (see story below), an antique window shutter, and we will likely be back to find other mementos to remind us of our time in Ghana.

Jordan is patient and ended up sitting in the shade while we searched high and low for treasures! While sitting in the shade of a large tree but still sweating profusely, he captured these pictures of a sweet mother and child, gathering water from the ground into used water bottles. I'm guessing the water will be used for cleaning or bathing. The Ghanaian women are strong and resourceful. Jordan is also a magnet for children!

CARRYING BABIES

It is very common to see women carrying their babies on their backs here in Ghana. I'm amazed at the strength these women have in continuing their daily chores with their babies firmly secured on their back with a wrapping cloth. Though the continent has been westernized in many ways, this artful way of carrying their babies is a dearly held custom and sets them apart from other cultures around the world. The close bond this seems to create with mother and child is beautiful. I hope the tradition continues for generations.

DANCING & DRUMMING

We were fortunate to experience a local celebration of Dancing & Drumming, arranged by a senior couple (Dale & Joann Munk) who will be returning home soon. They hired a local troupe that performs regularly in this area. Many of the dancers and musicians are university students, and study the art of native dance and music. These students go to local tribes and learn the artful and storytelling dancing that is native to each tribe. It is lively and fun! They danced their hearts out and only began sweating after about 45 min of straight performance. Their endurance was astounding!

What a great group of energetic young people!!!

TURTLES
African culture is slow and steady. During our first couple of weeks, Jordan joked that, "Getting anything done in Africa is like trying to push a turtle to go faster with a small stick."

The speed at which some things are accompished here is something that takes a bit of getting used to and can create some initial angst. But once understood and embraced, life comes more clearly into focus, and we can recognize and evaluate the most important and meaningful parts of this mortal experience. To me, life is about connection, relationships, learning and renewal, finding the peace that comes from centering our lives in Jesus Christ and helping others find that same peace. When we came home from work last Tuesday, Bobby (married with 2 young children) who we hired to clean for us once a week, had arranged a small herd of safari animals I bought at the market and the large ebony turtle referred to above, into this setting. Ghanaians have a good sense of humor!