Week 15 - Sleeping, Sealing, Birth DAY Naming & Daily Sunbathing

Big news of the week!  We have a new bed!  We lasted as long as we could and finally cried, "Uncle!"  The hard, double-sized bed, even with a 2 inch foam topper, was just not doable.  We looked around and found a king-size softer bed!  So for the last 2 nights, we have slept like king and queen of Accra! What a difference a good night sleep makes!  Next mission, we will not wait 3 months.  Yes, we are 3 days away from being here 3 months!  Unbelieveable!

SUSIE & JOSEPH AMOAH

We met this darling couple in our Trade Fair Ward.  They are the cutest!  They have been married for 1.5 yrs.  Last Saturday, they were sealed in the temple.  We were invited to attend this beautiful ceremony.  They were radiant and overcome with feeling.  So much so, that Joseph kept his head bowed in silent awe, with tears and much joy.  It was incredible to watch this sweet couple unite for eternity in the House of the Lord. 

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

What day of the week were you born?  This can be a very typical question when you’re in Ghana. This is due to the Ghanaian Day Names tradition, one of the many ceremonies and customs that take place in Ghana.

The day naming system is a very old tradition used by the Akan people and even by other west African countries.  It’s about giving newborn babies a special name based on the day of the week they are born. These are called “day names,” and they hold meanings regarding the soul of the baby and character traits.

Children are considered to be a gift from God in Ghana. Names are very important!  We learned very quickly here that we needed to know what day of the week we were born.  Honestly, I had no idea and had to Google it!  

Sunday

Kwasi (male) Akosua (female) – the day on which “KWA”(the Creator) descended.

• KWASI means “the Lord of Life Descent”.
• AKOSUA means “descent”. Females born on Sunday are known to be leaders in society. They are very inquisitive and tend to be pulled into a thing of interest.

Monday

Kwadwo (małe) Adwoa (female) – corresponds to the day on which “KWA” created the firmament.

• KWADWO & ADWOA: both mean “Lord of Life Firmament day”

Tuesday

Kwabena (male) Abena (female) – The day on which land was made to appear.

• KWABENA: means “Lord of Life’s Land Day.”
• ADWOA: means “Land’s Day.”

Wednesday (Cindy)

Kwaku (małe) Akua (female) – According to the book of Genesis, was the day on which the heavenly hots (sun, moon and stars) appeared.

• KWAKU & AKUA: both mean “Lord of Life’s Group/Host”. They commemorate the creation of the sun, the moon and the stars.

Thursday

Yao (male) Yaa (female) – the day on which various life forms (plants, animals, etc ) were created.

• YAO & YAA: both mean “Lord-of-Life Reproduction.”

Friday (Jordan)

Kofi (male) Afua (female) – the day on which the first home was created or established. This is because the word “Friday” is a combination of two words in Aka which are “Fi” (meaning home) and “Da” (meaning day).

• KOFI & AFUA: both mean “Lord of Life Home” and commemorate the creation of the first home in the Garden of Eden and the institution of marriage.

Saturday

Kwame (male) Amma (female) – “God’s Rest Day.”

• KWAME / AMMA: both mean “Lord of Life’s Satisfaction Day”, names that commemorate the institution of rest. This is why Akan societies observe Saturday as the Sabbath.

Jordan was born on Friday (Kofi = Koh-fee) and I was born on Wednesday (Akua = Uh-quee-uh)!  How about you??

One more little tid-bit about names in Ghana....

There is a high level of respect for your elders in Ghana.  We have learned that you never call someone older than you by their given name.  This rule follows with close family members as well.  An older brother or sister will be just that.  Brother.  Sister.  Young people refer to older people as "auntie" and "uncle" or "mommy" and "daddy" or even "grandma" and "grandpa."  Fortunately, the latter has come only from our actual grandchildren and we mostly get "mommy & daddy" as our titles here.  We love it and have a little chuckle every time.  

DAILY OCCURRENCE

We mentioned that we had an office that looks out over the Accra Temple.  It is actually a really awesome sight to have!  What makes it fun are the regular visitors to the top that we see daily.  There are 2 birds in particular that love to sit on Moroni's hand and also just below his feet on a ledge, where the bird spreads it's wings and basks in the hot sun.  I don't think they will ever get tired of this daily ritual.  I know we won't!  Can you see them both?

Lots of love from Ghana!!! 💙💙💙