Weekend happenings

This was the first weekend staying at my new place. Sat. morning as Margaret and I pulled out of the drive, we noticed we were unable to go the usual direction b/c of tents and chairs blocking the end of the road. Apparently a "naming" ceremony was going to occur later that day and what better place to have it than in the middle of the road. I don't have the full scoop yet but apparently new babies are not officially given their names until one or two months after birth when they have a big celebration - the naming ceremony. I went to the office for a few hours and when I returned they were having a big 'ol party. Huge speakers blasting music and announcements over a several block radius and lots of dancing. I am happy to say that it all ended around 11pm or so. But it was fun also. It is kind of like a block party. Even though not everyone is invited, people are dancing out in front of their homes, shops and as they walk down the street. Just festivities everywhere. I stood out on the street several times just to enjoy what I could from a distance. I hope that one day down the road I will get to go to a naming ceremony and/or a wedding.

The girls across the street run a beauty salon and God has given me a unique way to meet them and start to develop a relationship with them. Several weeks ago when I was on the porch waiting for one of the workmen to finish, Florence came into the yard and said she was coming to get water. She had a big 5 gallon container with her and I didn't want to be rude or mean so I said "ok" even though I thought it quite odd. I have seen her and Regina several times so it wasn't like a complete stranger coming in but odd nonetheless. Well come to find out that they don't have running water in their shop and the landowner would let them come and draw well water as needed. So I am happy to help them. Last night as I was coming back from getting a mineral (soda, pop, cola) I saw Florence and Regina walking way down the road with their water jugs. So I got their attention and offered them to come draw so they wouldn't have to haul it all that extra way. Incidentally, they carry these full water jugs on their head - sometimes they are just pails of water and they walk at a fairly regular pace without dropping hardly any water. Amazing. But I digress... So they came back to get water and we realized that I have a very long hose by the faucet. We were pleased to find out that the hose reached all the way from the faucet, out the gate, across the dirt road, to their front porch so they don't have to keep walking back and forth. It is neat to help them and I hope to get to know them better. They just keep saying "thank you" and "God bless you" to me. We all are glad to help them.

Saturday night, Margaret and I (and Eva for a little while) sat on Margaret's bed and watched a couple of movies. Just like a college dorm. It is fun and relaxing.

Sunday I am awakened at 6:30 or 7am by some seriously loud (and I am sad to say -rather painful) singing over a loud speaker. At first I am thinking that the naming ceremony has started up again but Eva tells me it is just the church on the corner several blocks away. I am pretty sure even if it had been Selah singing I wouldn't have appreciated it at 6:30am. But that is when many national churches start. Very early at 6am and then often a second service at 10.

I went to a new church with Margaret and two of the new teachers and some other missionaries today. It is a Ghanaian church but is very similar to a western church. The music was just awesome! And that means a lot to me. The sermon was great and I felt God pointing some things out to me as the pastor spoke. It was just really great. The people were very welcoming. I think it is a church I would definitely like to go to again.

Margaret's mission agency is part of the Methodist Church and we had lunch today with the Bishop of the northern part of Ghana. He was extremely kind and down to earth and I enjoyed greatly hearing him talk of his work and what the Lord is calling him to do down the road. We ordered jollof rice and tilapia for lunch. After about an hour (this is not uncommon) of waiting for the food, three plates of rice and sauce and one whole cooked fish (head, tail and all) is plopped down on the table. I am thinking "ok, a whole fish. We will all share this." Nope. One whole fish for each of us. I am pretty sure I haven't eaten a fish like that before but let me tell you that it was sooooo delicious. Of course we had tons of leftovers but I won't mind eating those at all.

And last but not least...I did my first driving today. Margaret is one brave cookie to let me practice on her car but as she says "the car is old". I just drove a few blocks between our place and Michelle's but did pretty well. Of course on Sunday afternoon the traffic is very light which I really appreciated. I do know how to drive stick shift but boy am I rusty. I missed first and put the car in third instead and you know there are some really interesting smells that come from a car when you do that. I sure hope I didn't kill the poor thing! Anyway, it was fun but I definitely need some practice with the stick shift before I venture into serious traffic.

Oh yes, we now have pets galore at the house. Dixie doesn't come around too much anymore and I think I know why. There are cats all over. One white one in particular loves to sun next to the wall on one side of the house. This is the one I noticed first so in honor of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" I just call it Cat. I was thinking of feeding it but I am so glad that I didn't. I have seen at least 5 other cats that roam around and also sit in the sun on the back wall. If I had fed one we might have been even more inundated than we are right now. They don't bother anything and actually maybe they help to eat some bugs! But I am not ready to be called the "crazy old cat lady" so I won't be feeding any of them.

I put pictures of all these events into a link that you can just click and browse away. It is over on the left and labeled "weekend activities". Hope you enjoy.

Strangest marriage proposal yet

Today I went to the Forex to exchange dollars for cedis. I go there regularly enough that they at least know me by sight. But being the ditz I occasionally am, I left the money in the car and had to run back downstairs. When I came back up, I was laughing and so were the two guys behind the counter. All was fine and good until the older gentleman comes in, looks at me and tells me that he wants to marry "one with white skin". He repeats this a few times and points to my arm. I, of course, being the smart aleck that I am, ask him why he wants "obroni" (white) and not "obibini" (black). He tells me (and I am still laughing about it) that he wants white "b/c when the lights go out I can still see you". I laugh out loud and say "what? Do you think we glow in the dark?" and he says yes. Now I am sure he is pulling my leg with that part but the rest of it I am not so sure. Anyway, I found it quite humorous and by far the most interesting and funny marriage proposal to date. I would like to say that it strokes my ego to get a marriage proposal but it really doesn't. For a couple of reasons. One it happens a lot and to almost every white woman here. And two, when I am with girls that are younger (like teenagers), I am labeled as their mother and they get the marriage proposals. Ah well. Nothing like youth and moxy to knock you down a peg or two:)

Not for vegetarians

Sometimes I look at the things that happen here and I am just amazed. You will probably think I am making this up but I am not. Lee, my boss, came home from a brief trip to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso tonight. He called for us all to come and watch as he opened a cardboard box. Of course, knowing Lee as I do I am keeping my distance. I was pretty sure there was some kind of animal in there - like a snake or an anesthetized goat or something. So he opens the box and what is in there....a whole skinned calf! Yes it is true. And what is "wrong on so many levels" (as I like to say) is that this thing was bought at the airport, packed in a cardboard box without any kind of lining or wrapping and transported on an airplane. Not as carry-on luggage I am happy to say but still. The TSA would just pass out if they knew what goes on around the world. Anyway, there it is and below is a picture of Lee with tomorrow's dinner as well as Liz Ackley, one of the girls who has been staying with us for the last 3 weeks. I was not nearly brave enough to touch it. I don't even like to touch raw chicken. True confession - I learned to crack eggs one handed b/c I don't like touching anything from a chicken. (I just look at and talk to Dixie but don't touch her). Scary that the Lord sent me to Africa isn't it? Just wait until three years is up... I will either be a bigger baby or I'll be carrying my own raw meat on the airplane!

My pet Dixie

I finally found the picture of Dixie. She doesn't come around quite as often but when she does she is right by my side waiting for me to open the gate. Isn't she cute?