SUBJECT: Sam the Man

We are now in week three in Africa and this is our second opportunity to
pause long enough to communicate. Upon our return we will have many
hundreds of photos as well as some choice video to share with anyone who
is interested. Among the gems is Willy and one of the Tims singing a song
in Twi with full band backup in front of the crowd at Emmanuel’s Calvary
Redemption church. More on that subject later.

Picking up where I left off in my last communiqué, our first week
continued with visits remote villages doing medical work and health
education. Our last two visits, which occurred in our second week were
villages that are part of the city of Kumasi. Kumasi is a teeming and
rapidly growing urban area with a population nearing two million. The
city has spread to take in surrounding villages. The work we did in the
two city villages was the same as in the remote locations, but the
conditions radically different. Access to us was much easier, and
therefore the crowds more challenging to control. Our host teams did a
stellar job of keeping order, but this is very difficult where people
might feel they will be left out. While difficult, at no time did we feel
we were at risk, but it is a little hard for Jennie and Katie to
concentrate on listening to their patients with the din reaching rock show
decibel levels. Part of my role was to create some space for them to work
with subtle and not-so-subtle body blocks and speaking my Twi which also
got a good laugh from the locals. We called things off a bit early in the
first of the in-city villages (by that I mean we stayed only 4 hours and
saw three to four hundred people). In the second in-city village we were
able to keep order longer and managed to make it five plus hours and
completely exhaust our supply on malaria meds, other meds and mosquito
nets about the same time the last of the crowd was seen.

Tim, Tim and Willy, again entertained the kids and also got some time to
explore the neighborhood with one of the local church guys. They even
spent some time in one of the local bars dancing for the onlookers.
(Don’t worry moms and dads…no alcohol or danger is involved). Along their
walk, however there was more than one proposal of marriage for each of the
three. These boys attract a lot of attention. And what’s so cool is how
comfortably and warmly they interact with their new Ghanaian friends.
I’ve been very moved by how each of them have responded to this radically
new experience and how much they have been willing to give of themselves.

I still believe that we in America have as much to learn from our Ghana
brothers and sisters as we have to give. For the most part, picture an
economy where the average worker makes one to four dollars a day, a Coke
still costs fifty cents, a good book twenty dollars and DSL service sixty
dollars US a month. Now picture a city of two million of these people out
and about each day, working hard, socializing, wearing beautiful dresses,
clean and pressed shirts and big smiles. There is a joy and a dignity
here that surpasses their level of economic success. There is an optimism
in the air and a spirit of love and acceptance that we could all benefit
from. (My Ghanaian hosts will point out that their nation is now pushing
70% Bible-believing Christians, but I don’t want to get too preach-y.)

On the drive back from the last Kumasi village, one of our hosts began
teaching a Twi language song to Willy and the two Tims and suggesting that
it would be very appropriate for them to sing it at church on Sunday. (It
was pretty obvious Sam’s suggestion was part of a greater plot by Pastor
Emmanuel to get the boys to perform.) Sam is a guy in his early 20s with
some American “ghetto” style in him. A very sweet and funny young man who
works with the CRC youth. Sam was our translator in some of the villages
so we get to know him pretty well. By the end of the van ride back home
he had the boys sounding pretty good. But this is really only part of
that story.

I’ll share the ending during one of my next opportunities to visit a
computer.


Al