Letter from Accra Jan 2013

Hello every one, as of writing this I’ve been in Ghana for 2 week and 6 days. So far its been really good, every ones been really friendly, both the SIM people and the Ghanaians I’ve met so far.

The first few days here were orientation, so it was stuff like being told the history of SIM in Ghana, a talk about finance and a health talk. We also had a Twi (prenounced chwe) lesson with Stephen one of the Ghanaian members of the SIM team. We went to the market with Sherri (she’s the associate co- ordinator). It was fun and we got local cloth and food (we’ve hardly eaten any of it because of the wonder that is street food and going to peoples for dinner). I won’t list all the SIM people we’ve had

dinner with in the first week but they were all great and lovely. On the first Friday we were here we went to the to the retirement dinner of Pastor Kweku, one of the Ghanaian members of SIM who worked at the office, it was a little weird being at the retirement dinner of someone I’ve never met before but at the end of it I was wishing I had.

On Saturdays, me and Johnny are helping with a football team run at one of the churches (I know the image of me helping run a football club is hilarious) SIM is involved in, called Tesano. We’re doing this with Alvin whos from Tesano and Esther whos from New Zealand and will be going home in a few months. The first time we just watched but the next week we ran the drills with the help of Alex a short termer from Australia who was up north but was in Accra for a few days before his plane home. At the

same church we’re helping with a bible study for teenagers on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; as well as going to dawn prayers on Saturday(well at least once; whether or not we do it again has yet to be seen). While the children have their bible study there’s also a talk for adults where I heard the words do not let your erection determine your direction, its good advice I’m sure you agree.

I also seem to have somehow got involved in the worship group of the church whose name I can’t spell, which is fun, the only problem being that I can’t play by ear alone but Peter who plays the keyboard and everything else under the sun has decided that I will be able to by the time I leave. So far Ive been to one practice with the whole group and one time me and Peter just got together and went through some stuff. At the whole group one, on the way back I ran into a guy who was either a very friendly rasta or the worlds most patient drug dealer(may be doing him a disservice here he only mention drugs once and that seemed more as part of a boast then as part of a build up to trying to sell them to me, maybe we’ll run into each other again and I’ll find out).

Tuesday mornings we’re helping at Chance for Children which is a project in down-town Accra for street kids.,We’re going to be helping with the bible story they get taught on Tuesday morning but there’s lot of other stuff happening there I’d like to get involved in if I could, I’m planning on asking about that once I’ve got to know the people there better.

On Sunday we go to another church called FishPond where we help to run the Sunday school. The first time we were there we helped with presunday-school and then went into the service which was Hello every one, as of writing this I’ve been in Ghana for 2 week and 6 days. So far its been reallygood, every ones been really friendly, both the SIM people and the Ghanaians I’ve met so far.The first few days here were orientation, so it was stuff like being told the history of SIM in Ghana, a talkabout finance and a health talk. We also had a Twi (prenounced chwe) lesson with Stephen one of theGhanaian members of the SIM team. We went to the market with Sherri (she’s the associate co-ordinator). It was fun and we got local cloth and food (we’ve hardly eaten any of it because of thewonder that is street food and going to peoples for dinner). I won’t list all the SIM people we’ve haddinner with in the first week but they were all great and lovely.

On the first Friday we were here we wentto the to the retirement dinner of Pastor Kweku, one of the Ghanaian members of SIM who worked atthe office, it was a little weird being at the retirement dinner of someone I’ve never met before but at theend of it I was wishing I had.

On Saturdays, me and Johnny are helping with a football team run at one of the churches (I know theimage of me helping run a football club is hilarious) SIM is involved in, called Tesano. We’re doing thiswith Alvin whos from Tesano and Esther whos from New Zealand and will be going home in a fewmonths. The first time we just watched but the next week we ran the drills with the help of Alex a shorttermer from Australia who was up north but was in Accra for a few days before his plane home. At thesame church we’re helping with a bible study for teenagers on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; as wellas going to dawn prayers on Saturday(well at least once; whether or not we do it again has yet to beseen). While the children have their bible study there’s also a talk for adults where I heard the words donot let your erection determine your direction, its good advice I’m sure you agree.I also seem to have somehow got involved in the worship group of the church whose name I can’tspell, which is fun, the only problem being that I can’t play by ear alone but Peter who plays thekeyboard and everything else under the sun has decided that I will be able to by the time I leave.

So far Ive been to one practice with the whole group and one time me and Peter just got together and went through some stuff. At the whole group one, on the way back I ran into a guy who was either a veryfriendly rasta or the worlds most patient drug dealer(may be doing him a disservice here he onlymention drugs once and that seemed more as part of a boast then as part of a build up to trying to sellthem to me, maybe we’ll run into each other again and I’ll find out)Tuesday mornings we’re helping at Chance for Children which is a project in down-town Accra forstreet kids.,We’re going to be helping with the bible story they get taught on Tuesday morning butthere’s lot of other stuff happening there I’d like to get involved in if I could, I’m planning on asking aboutthat once I’ve got to know the people there better.On Sunday we go to another church called FishPond where we help to run the Sunday school. Thefirst time we were there we helped with presunday-school and then went into the service which was loud but good., Also when they did the offering people danced up to put their offering in – I highly recommend doing it this way. The next week we ran the older group of the Sunday-school. We do the Sunday-school with Esther and a Ghanaian guy called Dominic.

Other stuff we’ve done: we’ve been to a couple of markets and bought food at them, we also got cloth that we’re having made into shirts by a tailor Alvin recommended to us. We’ve watched the Ghana matches in the African cup of nations, we watched one at guy called Richie’s house, one of them at ours after going to down Accra with Alvin and one of them at the end of football practice. Another thing is the food here is great. So far I’ve had fufu (made with pounded plantain and cassava), banku (its similar to fufu but but more sour and isn’t made with cassava), groundnut soup, light soup, loads of street food, cat(I regret nothing) and redred (beans and plantain the one thing I haven’t liked), also fan ice a Ghanaian ice cream brand is the best. We went to the beach last Friday during the day( the sea was WARM!!!! it was weird and lovely) where I was told by a Nigerian women called Happy that I met that I look 32 and should shave my arm pits. The same Friday there was all night prayers(I stayed awake the whole time) and the Saturday before that there was dawn prayers (they’re every Saturday expect the ones with all night prayer). After dawn prayer Peter and another friend of Esther’s came back to the guest house and played basket ball.

There’s also been lots of other stuff that happened but I can’t fit it all in so feel free to email me any questions you have