Days 9 & 10: more vows and monkies

Day 9: Praise the Lord! Today was the celebration of eight of the sister's vows. We traveled to St. Augustine's Parish east of us. We finally made it onto a highway and were able to move fast. The celebration itself was amazing. There were a lot of people for the 5 hour celebration... and that is just the Mass itself! Drew was able to serve for the Papal Nuncio to Ghana and get a good view of all that was happening. Father Walter and myself were with the ninety con-celebrants off to the side. The sisters themselves were an inspiration to see as they gave their lives to the Lord in consecrated life. The Church here is so vibrant and alive, so joyous in their celebration that one can not but be inspired. Througout the mass there was a great deal of dancing, drums, and spontaneous whooping from the Northern tribal mothers. The community seemed so supportive and encouraging to the sisters and inherently understood the importance of their vocations for the life of the Church. You can't help but compare this with our Church in America and wonder how it is that we've strayed so far away from simplicity, poverty, and joy. After the Mass we celebrated some more. The parish hall included choriagraphed youth dancing some sort of Irish/Ghanian jig. In the lawn there was more funkadelic dancing to drums, not to mention the local parish drunk, Steve.

Day 10: Today we traveled east to Kakum, a nature preserve with some a thing called the canopy walk. It was a tourist thing, but a lot of fun. We were walking 40 meters above the forest floor on 7 different suspended bridges that were a foot wide, uneven, and unstable. They assured us that it was safe because it was built by some Canadians in 1994, but we had our suspicions. Around the bridges we had a birds-eye view of monkies. Drew caught one with his teeth and is bringing it home to show everyone his new pet, Arnold the monkey. Afterward we began traveling west back to Accra, but stopped at the Cape Coast slave trade castle. It served as a slave holding fortification for the Portuguese. To walk through the dungeons where up to 600 slaves were stored as a product for the sake of economic gain was sobering to say the least. Today slavery comes in different forms, now we in the United States still think it is a "right" to define what is human and what isn't, where the most innocent of life is condemned to the same injustice. We still have a lack of liberty in our country even though we profess it, when in fact, a representative democracy has vailed itself as totalitarianism, a rule of a minority opinion (Supreme Court), that has legalized a modern day slavery. The dignity of human life needs to be consistently and constantly defended and I give thanks to God for our Catholic faith whose teachings reflect God's plan of life and love. We had a curbside picnic and then spoke with a crazy man who thought we met in Alaska. It was time to go home and it took three hours in the Opel and we got pulled over once, but thanks to Sister Rebecca's habit we didn't get a ticket.

Culture notes with Drew

Handshakes:So, here in Ghana you handshake a lot. After the intial greeting shake you repeatedly shake the hand and hold the other persons hand, this shows that you are friends. They aren't normal, casual shakes however, they are the goofy homeboy type of shakes, and at the end you lock your middle finger with the other person and snap your your finger.

Drinking: So, since we are American and our immune systems are not fit to fight world war three against bacteria we need to be careful about what we drink, it needs to be bottled or in some cases bagged as you can see in this picture. Sometimes, however, neither option is available and you must be a little more, well, natural with your choices. Saved 2 Serve!

PS--Check out this article

Days 6, 7, & 8: Cabbage, Cathedral, and Cassocks

Praise the Lord! Day 6: We began with Mass at the next door, Our Lady of Good Counsel. It was two and a half hours long! I didn't see anyone looking at their watches either! The experience of celebrating in a typical parish was important because it gives you a good idea of how they worship. Their spirit is contagious and enlivening. In the afternoon we walked behind the Generalate (where we are residing) and found complete poverty along the train tracks. Apparently, this neighborhood is not supposed to be there, but they just set up makeshift shacks. Here is a picture of one of the local street vendors...interesting. Day 7: Sister Brigid returned from the excursion to form a new diocese with Archbishop Buckle and this morning we sat down to lay out a game plan for the rest of our trip. She is a forceful woman, but that is par for the course seeing that she is the Mother Superior. She possesses gifts of solid leadership: joy, resolve, focus, an attention to detail. In the morning we did some wash with the sisters. Their lives are so simple. I had never seen the wash done outside, but Father Walter jumped right in and helped out. In the afternoon, we traveled to the Cathedral, the market, and Sacred Heart Parish all located in Accra. At Holy Spirit Cathedral, we climbed to the top of the bell tower and got a birds-eye view of the city(through stained glass windows). We met up with Fr. Michael at the rectory and he informed us that 70% of the priests in this diocese are under the age of 35! In comparison with us--6 priests under 35. Drew met one of their thirty seminarians. A true indication of the explosion of Catholicism here. The market was a jumble of people...everywhere. Seeing that we had to get back in the evening, we told Francis to get us back soon. Here, is Francis and Drew riding shotgun. He's been a trusty guide. Sacred Heart Parish is the oldest parish in the Archdiocese. It was founded in the 1880's. The Portuguese originally brought Catholicism here. However, from the 1500's to the 1880's the Catholic Church was dormant in Ghana on account of the reformation and strong Protestant-Dutch influence. Then late in the 19th century, we came back. Now, Catholicism accounts for the growth of health care and education, really at the forefront of development with an eye to the dignity of the person for progress, not economics. The evening was the most celebratory time of the day. Two sisters took vows, six received their habits. The Mass itself was 3 1/2 hours long! We've been told that tomorrow's celebration of the sisters final vows will take 5 1/2 hours! They even told us to have a large breakfast to prepare for it. The families of the sisters who joined were there to celebrate and we had supper with some really good cabbage. Day 8: We went the craft market and picked up some gifts. Here's some goods being crafted behind one of the stores. In the afternoon, we went to pick up our new cassocks--white. Father Carr had wanted us to get the traditional wear for priests and seminarians and these are it. The Catholic priests in Ghana are identified solely by white cassocks, not clerical shirts. Tomorrow the big day for Sisters Assumpta, Celestine and the eight others taking final vows. Let's keep them in prayer.

Culture notes with Drew

Sales:Turns out I have a lot of friends here in Ghana, in the Market, on the street venders called me their friends, and they were the ones that would give me the good price, or was that a sales technique, maybe they aren't my friends. Many boys sell to you through your car window; one boy tried to sell me a plastic helicopter through it.

Store Names:I think every store in Ghana is named after God, such as we noted above in the plumbing photo. All the store names are printed on Coca-Cola signs, stores such as "God is with us tupperware". Saved 2 Serve!

Days 4 & 5: Velocity and Vows

Day 4: Praise the Lord! Our first full day was spent cruising (at a high rate of speed) around Accra. Geez, this place is nuts! We were driven by a fella named Francis and he weaved us in and out a developing country's completely random largest metropolitan city. For the first time, we got the feel for Ghana's living conditions. They are simple to say the least and makeshift. The markets are just as random with street vendors everywhere trying to sell cheap sunglasses to old 7UP beach balls. Father Walter fanagled with a vendor while stuck in traffic only to tell him that he had no money to purchase anything. The currency recently went through a re-denomination...again. Francis would exchange American currency as needed. We ended by the Atlantic Ocean with garbage strewn and smoldering about. Upon seeing the ocean and the freighters off the shore, one could not but think of the early native African's being sold into slavery to the New World. Now the slavery has changed, slaves to Western "economic progress" and debt that may be keeping the African people where they are. That evening we were happy to be safely back at the Generalate. The evenings cool off to a humid seventy-seven degrees with a cool breeze off the ocean. We each have a room that was just recently completed for us lit up by a single candle and a small pad on top of a wooden frame. Drew's room, however, is devoid of a toliet seat! Mortification I guess. The sisters at our place of residence have been on their silent retreat so it is quiet (minus the stray dog barking) and their voices carrying up to our rooms as they chant evening prayer. We are looking to celebrate their vows tomorrow evening and eat fufu afterward. Here you have a picture of the courtward looking off our balcony.

Day 5: Seeing that yesterday we got our fair share of the city, we stayed stationary to prepare for the sisters' vows at six in the evening. For most of the day we read, ate, prayed, and slept. Call it a mini retreat. I came across a book, Community and Growth, by Jean Vanier (the founder of l'Arche, a community movement serving the handicap) sitting on a bookshelf in the dining room. Apparently, Sister Brigid read it back in '81 while studying in Rome. Allow me to share an excerpt, "Our world has more and more need of 'intermediate communities'--places where people can find a certain interior freedom before they make their decision. They either cannot stay in their family or don't want to; they are not satisfied with life alone in an apartment, hotel, or hostel. They need somewhere where they can find their interior liberation through a network of relationships and friendships, where they can truly be themselves without trying or pretending to be anything other than they are. It is in these intermediate communities that they will be able to shed what is weighing them down and preventing them from discovering their deep selves. It is only when they have been exposed to the poor and to other values that they will have the feedom to choose and contstruct a project which is truly thier own, not that of their parents or the people around them, nor something set up in reaction to it, but one which is born of a real choice of life, in response to an aspiration or a call." I could not help but think CYE, the Place 2B, and the Handmaids all share in this reality. Luke, Jenny, and Jenn this is a must read and for anyone who desires community! If the only reason to be in Ghana, Africa is to read this book, I'm content! Drew read his first encyclical ever! Deus Caritas Est. Father Michael celebrated with Father Walter and myself concelebrating the sister's vows. They pledged one more year of their lives to the service of the Gospel. This was the first time we experienced a Mass in Ghana. The celebration was just that, a celebration of the love of these women to their groom, Jesus Christ. It was beautiful in it's simplicity. We capped the night off with Fufu, a Ghanian dish consisting of some stuff that was real good. Below, Drew is putting it down and lovin' it.

Culture notes with Drew

So it's a lot like we're in a different country here, in fact we are. We would like to share with you some of the most interesting culture differences: Coca-Cola: All of the soda here is in glass bottles, they have all the Coke products and stuff but there is no High fructose corn syrup, instead it is sugar, real sugar, so it tastes a little different. If you want a soda there is a particular way to ask for it. For instance when Fr. Quinn wants a Coke he would say,"Coke me" or if he wanted a Fanta he would say,"Fanta me". Driving: Francis has taught us much about the roadways here, namely there is no urban planning...at all. Roads are kinda wherever they happen to fall, this makes for slow travel and frequent use of the horn. There is no blaring of the horn, simply frequent taps, even thank you horn taps.

Language: So most people from Ghana know at least 4 languages; English, Swahili, and 2 tribal languages, impressive. There dialect, however, is tough sometimes. For the duration of the trip I am introducing myself and going by Andrew and sometimes Andy. It turns out that Drew is four syllables , so I make it easy on them. Saved 2 Serve!