*****Medase – Thank You. Medase Pa – Thank You very much. Medase Paaaa – Thank You very, very, very… much!*****
“The Road” was epic today. We started out in the usual manner. We stop in the main town to purchase water and phone credits. We were amazed at the huge Baobab tree filled with weaver birds. The tree is massive while the birds are tiny. Weaver birds make hanging nests, like hammocks, and flit in and out as if there is something very important going on. They are bright colored birds of yellow and blue.
The Weaver birds disappear in our rear view mirror as we start off to Wulipido where the lingo is called Konkomba, quite different than Twi spoken in the south. On our way, we scout out Garinkuka where we will put on the free mobile clinic tomorrow. As we leave, I spot a crocodile in a small pond. This is a surprise because they are rarely seen. We make a U-turn to check it out. Cool.
Next we arrive in the mud. Yes, “the road” has captured us. One hour of digging, plant chopping for traction, and pushing gets us free of “the road’s” grasp. We will not travel closer to the village in the bus. We start out on foot. Two “moto’s” or motor bikes go back and forth over the 3 mile trek taking 6 of us to the village. My ride was awesome. I hang on for dear life over a trail through the wilds of Africa. I mean off road, baby! I am dropped and my driver vanishes into the bush.
Once the whole crew is there and we have formally been welcomed by the village elder, Ted preached a lesson on the church. You see, this village and the next have had churches of Christ in them that have dissolved over time. We are here to restart the congregation. This was accomplished in good order as 10 souls were added to the church and a group of about 50 were restored. This congregation is up and running as Nipaak will watch over them and encourage them.
We walk 2 miles to the river and 10 souls are baptized – 2 at a time. Their names are recorded in the congregation’s journal while God adds them to His Book of Life! Amen!
*****A Chicken feather can be used as a Q-tip.*****
Now it’s time to go to the van. Someone had an idea. We can cut through the back country, where not even the Wulipido have gone, to get to the van quicker. Mistake! We journey through a swamp for over an hour! No GPS, no map, no trail, only our guide. At one point I thought we would come upon the Baptist group we were told about. Yes, a drum playing Baptist group had visited this village and they were run off by the Wulipido! “This place is a church of Christ village, we have no room for you,” they were told. My mind wandered as we struggled through the beautiful Ghanaian wild. Had they run us off like the Baptists? Will we find them dead in the wilderness to realize this would be our own fate? Before this idea could fully form, we spotted the van in the distance. We will be tired, wet, and muddy, but we will survive.
“The road” takes us to Mabombori, (translation: “I don’t want problems”), where Jeff will preach. The congregation is waiting when we arrive. This is a scene from National Geographic with a cell phone - civilization interrupting serenity. Jeff spoke about the Ethiopian Eunuch to this disbanded group of wayward Christian soldiers. Again, God has used us successfully as this congregation of about 30 was restored and 18 were baptized into Gods kingdom! They too, will be looked after and begin to assemble and worship in spirit and truth!
Baptisms here are all exciting and unique. We pile 21 Mabombori, our driver John from Ghana, and 3 obrunis – Jeff, Troy, and me, into the 15 passenger van. Hoot! Soon we are at the river. I love these walks down to the river! We witness 18 baptized, 2 at a time, very efficiently! Back at the village, we pile out and are presented with our wages: 2 guinea chickens to add to the rooster and eggs we were presented at our last stop. We will eat well tomorrow, get ready Cobbi. He will cook them up nicely!
*****A pig and a goat will take one to two months tied to a stump before they will stay at home. They are not quite as smart as the chicken, it seems.*****
Now we travel “the road” back to base camp. It is dark now and the brilliant, full African moon is high in the sky. Outstanding! Koby has pasta, rice, chicken, and beef stew ready for us. We are only 4 hours late for dinner. We enjoy mango for desert and then it’s off to my cold bucket bath to wash the swamp from my tired body.
I smell better now. My journal entry for the day is nearly complete. I will say goodnight to my Ghanaian brothers who surround me as I write. They peek at my musings, suggesting ideas, and helping me with names and spellings. They are a fantastic group of Christians.
Good night.
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