Week of 20250209 - Ghana Week 48: English at Church; Tire Fixed; Steph Guitar; Zumba; Medical Trips; Water Run; Agona Abrem; Optometrist Find; Bad Accident; Seniors at Takoradi; Steph Swim; Food Run
= Sunday, both of the talks had some English. The first speaker asked how we can look unto Christ in every thought if we have not prepared ourselves: bear your testimony to your children; read them the scriptures and encourage them to read them; teach them to avoid contention. Another speaker encouraged us to consider the blessings received by those who keep the commandments of God.
= Relief Society discussed Holiness to the Lord in Everyday Life; Elders Quorum reviewed administration of priesthood ordinances. When we left church, we realized that the driver-side tire was very low on air. Home, Steph finished Steph's Sunday Snippets.
= Monday, Elder Dimmick brought the mission air compressor to inflate our tire. Steph wore her new dress to the office. [grin] After the usual meeting, I got the tire repaired, then shopped and bargained for a necklace for Steph for Valentine's Day. We learned that back in the States, a good friend is going out with the missionaries to support them.
= Home, Steph played guitar, and I eventually joined her in song. We found and participated in a Zumba session by someone with the unlikely name of Burpee Girl. [well done]
= Tuesday, we did medical trips, mostly to do with eye exams. We volunteered to bring a freezer to Praso tomorrow.
= Wednesday, the Praso trip didn't materialize, but I joined Elder Dimmick at the chapel borehole downtown and filled jugs while he shuttled them. I wound up with 16 five-gallon jugs of precious water.
= Home, I worked on correlating smoke detector status with our actions and with apartment contacts. Late in the evening, I found myself congested; Steph provided decongestants from a stash she had recently purchased.
= Thursday, we brought two bicycles to Agona Abrem and inspected the apartment, logging things to repair. In Cape Coast, we drove to eyeglass places, comparing prices. A call from DHL caused us to be in a part of town where we discovered yet another optometrist, one with good prices.
= Office Elders had bought a replacement electric pressure cooker for our apartment. We brought it home but had a cold meal, which was a good thing, because the power dropped at 8:15. It returned by midnight.
= Friday on our way to Takoradi, we witnessed what may have been a fatal accident. The truck in front of us tried to pass a vehicle in front of us, fishtailed, and landed on its side in the shoulder for oncoming traffic. A young woman had been in the shoulder. A man scooped her up from where she had been thrown and stood in the street facing oncoming traffic until a taxi dumped its passengers and took her in the back seat to the nearest hospital (back from where we had come). We offered prayers for the young woman, those close to her, and to the driver.
= While scouting solid-color T-shirts to go under mesh-top dresses, I asked Steph to stop, and she also found bike shorts to swim in. We gathered with the other Seniors at the hotel pool at 2:30. The eight of us had fun in the water. It was Steph ‘s first time in the water in more than a year.
= In the evening, I gave Steph the necklace I had bought. We had a Senior District Meeting at Noble House. Arriving early, we got a private serenade from a man playing the sax (I think a baritone sax).
= Saturday, Steph had medical calls but we made to the buffet breakfast. We anticipated getting only a few things at Melcom and Shoprite; they turned out to be large food runs. I drove the bulk of the way home. By 6, we had things put away. Reviewed tomorrow's scriptures. Bed before 10.
To church. The three rocks you see form a stove. A stick is pushed in between two of them, and the stick is pushed in farther as it burns. A pot balances on the rocks or cement fragments or clay lumps.
I'm not sure whether the white sleeve is a fashion statement..
or if it's in honor of an event. This young man on the street not far ahead has a white armband.
Is he waiting for her?
Waiting for someone? They walked down to this point, not from this point.
Nyimpa {Man, Human}
A popular artist released the song "Nyimpa Nua", a title which some have translated as "Brother Man". (Nua covers a number of relationships.)
To avoid mud on the bridge, this couple took to the sidewalk.
If not for the mesh, this load would be on the ground.
Woven mesh pen for something small?
The power line for the house we meet in needs to be re-attached.
It's so low some kid might chin on it and pull it off of the house, exposing the live ends.
We don't know what happened; it wasn't always like this.
A live wire act?
Men just doing their job
He prefers the shoulder for now.
Traveling
Add more?
Hauling water
Carrying rugs for sale
Light load
We have not seen ***anyone*** smoking or vaping since we arrived in March! Good ad, though.
Psalm 23
electrical appliances
Heaven's Gate Furniture
Aptly named. See the caskets.
Elder Dimmick saved the day. The tire was worse than this before we hooked up the device.
..
Normally, you tip a car on its side, laying it down on a tire to do work on the undercarriage.
..
In this case, they seemed to stop halfway, though I had to move along before getting to see the end of the process.
There is a person under this load.
And then there the grace that ordinary people exhibit as they go about their daily lives.
DivinefART
Psalms 124:1-8. Here are verses 2 and 3...
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
The purpose of these companies has changed over the years, but they still provide camaraderie and competition.
The view from behind Cape Coast Castle is busier than this can capture. See the blog for the week of 20240908 for better photos of this harbor.
Loaded Aboboyaa
By Grace Barbering Salon
Pizza City has variety, and a nice breeze due to its location.
Just looking at its menu for pizza specials, it's interesting how many feature tuna: The Accra; Beef and Tuna; Beef, Chicken, and Tuna; Chicken and Tuna. (Yes they offer a Hawaiian pizza in the classic pizza menu, but not with ham.)
They also offer shawarma, pancakes, and burgers.
Nyame Aye {God Aye [Yes]}
Praises [the car to the right]
Grace Found Me
Life Be Time
Steph in her new dress
Happy Wife, Happy Life
Zumba workout with Burpee Girl. She alternated between rest phases where she showed you the next pattern and work phases where you followed them. Unusual but effective. And, the overall presentation included warmup and cooldown.
Pedu Junction
A pink KK. (The pile in the background is cardboard that will be bundled and used elsewhere.)
A manufacturing corner
Good Friend
[perhaps someone else can translate this]
Yes, we'll paint your school building if you let us include a toothpaste ad.
This man salvages and displays parts someone might want to buy.
(The window inscription is nhyira nka nyame {[God's] Blessings be upon you}
This furniture maker's wares include caskets.
Busy
Loaded
God
Firewood
God Will Make a Way Enterprise
Nyame Bekyere Enterprise
{God will catch} [when you are falling]
Colloquially (in music), {God will provide}
American flag at a bar/food joint
Time No Dey
{there is no time} [to waste]
{time does not exist} [to God]
to Selgyn Medical Centre
Guanhwefo Pa Nye Jesus {The good shepherd is Jesus}
I think this is an engine puller, but I'm mystified about the need for a cab.
Jesus is Lord
Being walked home from school
A vehicle finished passing us and is passing another vehicle, except that the oncoming lane has a vehicle starting to pass a motorcycle.
As usual, they figured it out. The oncoming vehicle moved to the shoulder and the passing vehicle cut back in.
Nyame tumi so {By the power of God}
One Lord [on the KK]
Spaghetti, augmented..
and eaten
Water from the downtown church borehole. Tying these refilled jugs to keep them upright didn't work, but they stayed closed.
Condensation from the living room air conditioner
Rice, augmented, with beans
Bigger than she is
Walking together
We fill up with the big trucks [diesel]
Nyame wo ho {God is near you}
Ka dza wo pɛ {Say what you want}
Yesu mogya tumi wo mu {The blood of Jesus has power in you}
It's not rocket propulsion. He's carrying propane.
For sale?
Boys walking home from school
Approach to Agona Abrem
The roads could use some help.
Agona Abrem apartment
Turning around, we saw this shrine to the Virgin Mary.
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Life is Dynamic
Elders on the newly delivered bikes
People mover
Sweet Mother
New KKs for sale
Crabs, anyone? Banku?
Seagoing canoes
Someone found a way to get near the water.
Nice
When you have to get the onions to their destination somehow
Still Man of God
(The photo effect was accidental.)
Steph resting the purse on the hood to tie it. In the background: Sweet Jesus Hair and Make-Up Salon. Steph is heading to DHL to retrieve a package..
This crowding is why I didn't try to park any closer. And we still have to drive up this street when she returns. The Akwats store logo (featuring American goods) looks like the logo for American base/post exchanges.
Yes, we'll put your items in a net for you to take home.
Norman Rockwell would have enjoyed Africa. Even when driving, you catch glimpses of everyday life.
Still Lord
Fire truck; not something seen frequently.
He's doing fine, riding on the fender.
The God of Peniel.
Genesis 32:30 - And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Water sachets come in a bag of 30, which you can carry readily on your head.
I assume that one of them used the bicycle to reach the other, and they both walked home.
Nyame dɔ {God Love}
Nyamedɔ {God's Mission}
Guacamole prep..
..
We received the replacement electric pressure cooker today, but for some reason we had the guacamole instead (with plantain chips), pineapple on the side..
And then the power dropped. We would have had to scramble to recover if we had started a hot meal tonight. We are blessed.
A man cleared brush around a building just above ours. He hung clothes on our wire fence while he worked.
They were posing for a photo as we passed the driveway entrance: perfect timing.
Where the road from our area meets N1, a new building has gone up. Workers are working on the ground by hand..
..
Mom's parasol shades the baby as well. See the blue socks?
A logo with an eagle and US flag stripes is seen in a few places. [This shot is blurry, sorry.]
God's Power
Canoes..
Canoes, and probably nets
Canoe and nets
The truck in front of us tried to pass a vehicle in front of us, fishtailed, and landed on its side in the shoulder for oncoming traffic. We pulled over, as did others, to see what we could do. A young woman had been in the shoulder and people gathered around her and turned her right-side up. A man scooped her up from where she had been thrown and stood in the street facing oncoming traffic until a taxi dumped its passengers and took her in the back seat to the nearest hospital (back from where we had come). [grim] We prayed for the young woman, those close to her, and for the driver. [sigh]
Thee Alone
Wheelbarrows in use
Water
Not much margin for error; both shoulders are blocked..
I didn't give the camera time to focus. Everything worked out.
Tall load
Psalm 23
The traffic had to go around this truck; we don't know whether it was stuck or waiting for something.
Maybe burning tire carcasses
All that's needed for a market is a street.
Life is not easy
Tall load
Eggs
God Dey {God Exists}
Market continues
Women can do it all: carry a baby, carry a load, interact with people.
Making charcoal
Church
Glory Be to God
Hungry?
Graves
In God we trust
The height and width of a hangar
Rain happens, but it's usually short, as it was this time.
Church
Oh Oye {Oh, Hey} Ask God
God is good all the time
Ever feel that you're missing a skill set?
It's a little dusty; they're peering toward their destination through the glare.
Securing the load
Seeing solid color blouses. (She found shorts here, too!)
Balancing on a plank to cross the drainage ditch
Railway travel on foot
One Jah - Dread locks and styling
(The yellow bicycle in the front is unusual - but with no shelf in back isn't fully functional.)
Don't let go of the sign.
Much of Takoradi is dusty
Ɔkyeso Nyame {The God of the Sky}
My Life Story
Pressure
Notice the artwork, pressure on the van.
Ebenezer Nyame {Stone of Help - God}
Tearing down a statue is petty and cruel.
If you don't like the past, make a better future.
(This statue is only a few months old.)
The high curbs look nice, but they leave no margin for error, especially considering how people drive and walk in Ghana. In a tight squeeze, there's nowhere to go.
Job 32:9 - Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
I like the previous verse, Job 32:8 - But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
We pass this market on every trip; perhaps we'll visit it someday.
When you see Swagga [swagger], you know you're near the hotel.
Ewuradze Kasa {The Lord Speaks}
Turn right at the roundabout; that's the entrance to the tall building (the hotel) with the billboard on top..
..
Welcome
The bulges are my balloon shirt and the case I carry my identification in.
A real shower
!
The Morgans
The Campbells
..
The others arrived. (They had waited for us at the hotel; we didn't know.)
That's a half order of rice.
..
..
(Second floor mirror/ logo; I tried to put us in it.)
The party next door hid the church across the street.
Buffet breakfast
Pedestrian bridge
The turn for Takoradi Mall is filled with little shops..
We wonder whether people live there.
Takoradi Mall had large outdoor attractions here. I don't think that playground is coming back.
I finally understand that the hospital is elsewhere, in a converted hotel in another part of town, not in the mall.
Taxi stand next to Elvis Kabob GH at the edge of the mall parking lot.
Leaving Takoradi is a bit challenging..
..
Nyame Bɛye {God will be seen}
Nyame Bɛyɛ {God become}
Nyame Beyɛ {God will be}
Enterprise
Roads make commerce easier.
Steph tried for one more shirt but came up empty.
We were curious, trying to read the find print under the logo [King Long]. King Long bus XMQ6129BY4D (batch #250) based on XMQ6120R5 chassis is made in China by Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Co. [39 feet long, seats 60; can buy used on Alibaba for $15K less shipping]
Fear God
Church
Ɛye Adom {It's a Grace}
Do Good
Too close for comfort. Keep watching..
Blessedly, the gray sedan had a shoulder to go to..
But then driver who passed us did this to yet another vehicle. [sigh]
..
We can see the oncoming car. But it'll be all right.
I should have realized that this might be a boarding school. [laundry drying]
Father is Spirit
Learning
Coming our way..
..
He's clear, but there are others behind him..
..
This aboboyaa is passing the truck..
..
..
Estherand Chop Bar
Graves
Let them say
Propane has to be delivered somehow.
Saturday
Uphill, on a slight curve, an aboboyaa, which is just a motorcycle with a trailer chassis, not known for power, is passing the propane truck.
It works out; the aboboyaa is narrow.
Making charcoal.
The aboboyaa passes on the right.
And we pass.
Perhaps they mill their own lumber..
..
One Day
A common written expression is that life is not [just] one day.
Maybe Ewuradze Di Hene Wo Ha
{The Lord Reigns Here With You}
Nyame ne Nhyira {God and Blessings}
Palm oil fruit is under these fronds.
Graves..
..
New?
They graze where they can.
Adom Nyame Tease {The Grace of God Lives}
k
We've just been passed, but there's oncoming traffic.
He's in, but the red oncoming truck isn't.
It all works out.
God's Time Is the Best
Saturday
This driver passed us, then cut back in quickly to avoid the yellow vehicle and didn't leave us much clearance. We could anticipate and put on brakes when someone is passing us, but then we might get rear-ended by the vehicle behind us. It's a dance.
Bicycles
Ɛyɛ Wo Sɛɛ {It's Yours} or {It's for You}
Childhood. The child is curious about the truck being in a odd place. Mom is carefully watching the road.
No obvious trace of yesterday's accident
Still selling; perhaps they stay all day.
Ocean view
(different person, different ship)
We see an oncoming vehicle with a load on top, but the truck with the cargo container passes anyway..
..
Forcing the oncoming vehicle off of the road. At least he had a place to go.
Now more vehicles join in, though an oncoming vehicle is close. [slow shake of the head]. We need to watch the taxi in front of us, who will stop to take a passenger.
Dirty filters from living room air conditioner
Another view
Staples..
..
Patching the new large medicine bag [ouch] and moving items to it while dealing with issues.
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
Grace Found Me
Canoes, and probably nets
A boat to be
Canoe and nets
Ebenezer Nyame {Stone of Help - God}
Tearing down a statue is petty and cruel.
If you don't like the past, make a better future.
The high curbs look nice, but they leave no margin for error, especially considering how people drive and walk in Ghana. In a tight squeeze, there's nowhere to go.
Job 32:9 - Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
We pass this market on every trip; perhaps we'll visit it someday.
When you see Swagga [swagger], you know you're near the hotel.
We were curious, trying to read the find print under the logo [King Long]. King Long bus XMQ6129BY4D (batch #250) based on XMQ6120R5 chassis is made in China by Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Co. [39 feet long, seats 60; can buy used on Alibaba for $15K less shipping]
Fear God
Walking the tracks
Roads make commerce easier.
Steph tried for one more shirt but came up empty.
Ewuradze Dzi Hene Woha
Palm oil fruit is under these fronds.
Graves..
..
New?
They graze where they can.
Adom Nyame Tease {The Grace of God Lives}
k
We've just been passed, but there's oncoming traffic.
He's in, but the red oncoming truck isn't. 
It all works out.
God's Time Is the Best
Saturday
This driver passed us, then cut back in quickly to avoid the yellow vehicle and didn't leave us much clearance. We could anticipate and put on brakes when someone is passing us, but then we might get rear-ended by the vehicle behind us. It's a dance.
Bicycles
Ɛyɛ Wo Sɛɛ {It's Yours} or {It's for You}
NyameTease {God Lives}
Here's how it's done.
Nice shoulder
Nyame ne Nhyira {God and Blessings}
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