Tuesday, Sept. 29 -- Somewhere between Accra and Cape Coast
I'm on the bus traveling from Accra to another coastal city, Cape Coast. It's about a two-hour drive along a rural road with one lane for each direction. We just passed a bright red sign that said “13 curves ahead - 12 persons dead here.” There are other warning signs about speeding, but we're going too fast for me to read them.
It's a big bus, but that hasn't stopped the bus driver from making some pretty intense passing maneuvers. Apparently the opposing traffic knows they have to slow down or drive onto the shoulder – which I've watched happen several times so far. This reminds me of a story I recently wrote about how Highway 41 from Fresno to Yosemite is a dangerous two-lane road with many fatal accidents over the years... suddenly it doesn't seem so bad. I was reading the main daily here, The Daily Graphic, at the bus station this morning and it had an article about a new medical center that recently opened, strategically located along our route “because of the high rate of vehicle accidents on the Accra to Cape Coast road.” I hope you got all this, Mom.
Anyway, as they say in Africa. This Is Africa. You shrug, smile, and hope for the best.
While I'm on the subject, I should mention that my travel doctor told me before my trip that you can immunize yourself to every single disease in the world but that still won't stop you from the biggest killer in foreign countries – vehicle accidents. Despite this fact, all of the taxis in Accra stuff the backseat seatbelts into the seat cushions because, apparently, no one ever uses them.
We're going to Cape Coast to visit some of Tom's friends. He spent nearly 10 years there in the 1980s and 1990s. We also hope to visit the Cape Coast Castle, where many African slaves had to pass through before being boarded on to ships bound for America. We also plan to visit the Katum National Park and go on its canopy walk. From what I understand, you walk along a rickety walkway 100 feet high and get to see the forest from a unique perspective.
A recurring theme on this trip so far has been the unknown. Starting off, we didn't know where we were going to stay, what we were going to do after the conference, who we were going to meet up with, or what, exactly, we were going to see. We had some general plans, but nothing in stone. Part of the problem is that you can do as much pre-trip planning as you want, but it's hard to nail down exact plans in a polychronic culture, and even if you do, they always change. Thankfully, it's all worked out pretty well so far. Al and I agreed yesterday that one thing is sure so far: We certainly haven't had a boring day.
Yesterday was a perfect example. We started the day with the plan to see a three-story building that was being constructed and will eventually become the Navigators' office. When Tom was here 20 or so years ago, he bought the property for $30,000 and gave it to the Navigators so they could build an office there. Construction finally began a few years ago. Now, with about $200,000 spent and another $200,000 needed to complete it, the structure is halfway there – with iron rods sticking out in every direction. We took a tour, navigating around bamboo poles, picking our way through piles of construction blocks, and ducking under wires and rebarb. OSHA would not be happy.
After the tour, we visited the Tulip Hotel. It's a fancy place that caters to tourists and has a huge pool. One of the Navigators leaders – Charles – is a manager there. We enjoyed a delicious buffet (for free) with Charles. We didn't have any clear plans after that, but we ended up meeting with a man named Tom Peterson, who has traveled to Ghana regularly since the early 1990s to help out the Christian medical community. He is also heavily involved in the Navigator's building project since two of the floors will be used for a diagnostics lab – a service that is desperately needed in Ghana because doctors often are unable to let patients know why they are sick without adequate diagnostics. The dream is to help provide a service while at the same time creating a place where Christian medical students can work instead of moving to Europe or the states, where there are many more healthcare jobs. In the past, that has caused not only brain drain, but also the lost of strong Christian influences in the community.
After meeting with Tom, all of us met up with Charles to talk about the project. The main challenge at this point is finding $200,000 to complete the building. It was a good conversation with some actions plans for the future.
We've passed about a dozen Obama billboards on the way over here... of course they have proliferated all over the city since his visit this summer. The president here, Jonathan Mills, hasn't hesitated to capitalize on the visit by posting billboards of him and Obama together. Almost in town, will write later...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
missed facebook updates
Unfortunately we haven't had Internet access until now (and my cell doesn't work overseas), so here's some facebook status updates that I've missed out on:
Wednesday, 10 p.m. – “arrived safe in Ghana after 24 hours of traveling … tired”
Thursday, 3 a.m. – “wide awake... what time is it?”
Thursday, 6 a.m. - “awesome African sunrise”
Thursday, 1 p.m. – “chicken and rice. Not bad at all”
Thursday, 9 p.m. – “had a great chat with a young Ghana guy. The country needs people like him”
Friday, 5 a.m. - “I guess I'll get up now...”
Friday, 1 p.m. - “Fried plantains are worth the trip alone”
Friday, 3:30 p.m. - “Insane rain.... desperately looking for a bearded guy named Noah”
Friday, 6 p.m. - “on the lookout for 4-inch scorpions...”
Saturday, 6 a.m. - “sipping Ghana instant coffee while sitting under gazebo doing some reading”
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. - “Yams... not yummy, but the spinach topping is good”
Saturday, 7 p.m. - “learning native Ghana language, Twi”
Sunday, 7 p.m. - "in Accra proper, eating cheeseburger at Honeysuckle Pub"
Wednesday, 10 p.m. – “arrived safe in Ghana after 24 hours of traveling … tired”
Thursday, 3 a.m. – “wide awake... what time is it?”
Thursday, 6 a.m. - “awesome African sunrise”
Thursday, 1 p.m. – “chicken and rice. Not bad at all”
Thursday, 9 p.m. – “had a great chat with a young Ghana guy. The country needs people like him”
Friday, 5 a.m. - “I guess I'll get up now...”
Friday, 1 p.m. - “Fried plantains are worth the trip alone”
Friday, 3:30 p.m. - “Insane rain.... desperately looking for a bearded guy named Noah”
Friday, 6 p.m. - “on the lookout for 4-inch scorpions...”
Saturday, 6 a.m. - “sipping Ghana instant coffee while sitting under gazebo doing some reading”
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. - “Yams... not yummy, but the spinach topping is good”
Saturday, 7 p.m. - “learning native Ghana language, Twi”
Sunday, 7 p.m. - "in Accra proper, eating cheeseburger at Honeysuckle Pub"
Whirlwind/monsoon
Sept. 26, Saturday -- Accra, Ghana
Yesterday was a monsoon. Today was a whirlwind.
It rained on Friday. Serious, down-pouring, bucket-loads of rain – right out of nowhere. Tom, Al, myself and Joe Ayee (the Ghana Navigator director) were sitting in the living room talking about how the ministry has been doing lately. The clouds outside were gray, but they had been that way all morning. Then the thunder rolled in the distance, and something out of Genesis happened: The skies opened up and the floods came pouring down. Then came the winds. It looked like Florida on CNN during hurricane season.
Other than that, the weather has been great. Moderate to hot temps – pretty much the same as Fresno, just a bit more humidity. I've been pretty thankful for that.
This morning (Saturday), the annual conference finally began here at the Presbyterian Women's Center grounds. Somewhere close to 60 people attended – most of them in their 20s and 30s. Day one of the conference has been the whirlwind – the schedule would never have been OK'd in the states. We had back-to-back seminars from 7 a.m. To 1:30 p.m. with short breaks in between, then again from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a dinner break.
The sessions have been great. Besides Tom, all the speakers were Ghanaian, and they were all very engaging and thought-provoking. I learned a lot, and have a lot to think about. I've also gotten to know a lot of new friends and am taking informal Twi lessons as a result – the native language for one of the major tribes in Ghana.
Yesterday was a monsoon. Today was a whirlwind.
It rained on Friday. Serious, down-pouring, bucket-loads of rain – right out of nowhere. Tom, Al, myself and Joe Ayee (the Ghana Navigator director) were sitting in the living room talking about how the ministry has been doing lately. The clouds outside were gray, but they had been that way all morning. Then the thunder rolled in the distance, and something out of Genesis happened: The skies opened up and the floods came pouring down. Then came the winds. It looked like Florida on CNN during hurricane season.
Other than that, the weather has been great. Moderate to hot temps – pretty much the same as Fresno, just a bit more humidity. I've been pretty thankful for that.
This morning (Saturday), the annual conference finally began here at the Presbyterian Women's Center grounds. Somewhere close to 60 people attended – most of them in their 20s and 30s. Day one of the conference has been the whirlwind – the schedule would never have been OK'd in the states. We had back-to-back seminars from 7 a.m. To 1:30 p.m. with short breaks in between, then again from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a dinner break.
The sessions have been great. Besides Tom, all the speakers were Ghanaian, and they were all very engaging and thought-provoking. I learned a lot, and have a lot to think about. I've also gotten to know a lot of new friends and am taking informal Twi lessons as a result – the native language for one of the major tribes in Ghana.
Made it...
Sept. 24, 2009 – Accra, Ghana
Nine hours flying Seattle to London. Three-hour layover. Seven hours flying to Ghana. Actually, when you think about it, it was a pretty easy flight considering the distance covered – only one layover and it only lasted a few hours. But it took a toll nonetheless.
Last night, I slept until about 3 a.m., then tossed and turned until I finally decided to wake up at about 6 a.m. and catch a beautiful African sunrise. At about 3 p.m. today, my body suddenly decided that it needed eight hours of sleep... I cut it short to a three-hour nap, hoping for the best. Definitely not adjusted yet...
We arrived late Wednesday night in Accra and, to everyone's surprise, sailed through customs. Ghana is one of the most economically and politically advanced countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Obama visited here a couple months ago), and they apparently do a good job at making it convenient for visitors to go through customs – something that can be a huge hassle in other countries.
A man named Joe Ayee, who is the Ghana director for the Navigators, drove us to the Presbyterian Women's Conference Center north of Accra. This is where we're having our Navigators conference – at a women's center. It's also where we're staying for at least the next four or five days. The campus is a relatively small, walled-off compound that has a cafeteria, some classrooms, and a 130-bed dorm. It's a pretty nice place with a few gazebos scattered around that make for relaxing spots to hang out in the morning.
I talked with the Center's accountant today – a guy named Ben who recently took his holiday to Indiana – and it sounds like this place does a lot of great stuff, like training women in villages about farming and giving them the basic tools to do that. There are also dorms here for women to stay and take two-week business courses. For now, however, about 65 people involved in the Navigators will be filling up the rooms at the conference starting tomorrow night.
We're staying at a five-bedroom guest house at the Center that is pretty comfy. There are a number of other people sharing this house, including some guys that are attending a conference for Sunday school teachers. We also get to eat at the cafeteria where the food has been wonderful – chicken and rice with mole sauce for lunch, and shish kabob with the best-tasting fresh pineapple ever. The closer to the equator, the better the fruit. And we're pretty close.
This evening, a 26-year-old guy name Nii Ayi came by to visit. Nii is the new administrator for the Navigators here in Ghana. He's also organizing the conference. Soft-spoken but obviously very passionate about what he does, Nii told us about his dreams to get a master's degree in community development and work on improving the lives of those who live in rural Ghana, where education and healthcare is lacking. I asked him if he's done any work with World Vision, and he smiled and said that he has – and hopes to be the World Vision director in Ghana one day.
Nii also told us about a rare disease that affects only a small region in Ghana called the Buruli Ulcer. It apparently starts off looking like a normal ulcer, but then grows to the point where it severely disables a person's arm or leg, rendering their limb useless in the long-run. For those who don't receive treatment, the disease can destroy their livelihood since they would have no way to farm with a disabled limb. Thankfully, World Vision offers a months-long treatment program for free, but many people in the rural villages instead turn to local fetishes that don't work, partly because they can't afford leaving their families behind for a few months to seek treatment at a hospital. Nonetheless, it sounds like progress is being made in combating that disease despite the challenges.
Overall, the day has been very relaxing. I've enjoyed some great conversations with Al and Tom and have had some time to recuperate from travel and do some reading. Ben is staying with his friend Isaac. I'm looking forward to the conference starting up tomorrow night, though I'm sure things will start to get more busy. Thanks for your prayers and emails. They're greatly appreciated. So far, no signs of malaria...
Nine hours flying Seattle to London. Three-hour layover. Seven hours flying to Ghana. Actually, when you think about it, it was a pretty easy flight considering the distance covered – only one layover and it only lasted a few hours. But it took a toll nonetheless.
Last night, I slept until about 3 a.m., then tossed and turned until I finally decided to wake up at about 6 a.m. and catch a beautiful African sunrise. At about 3 p.m. today, my body suddenly decided that it needed eight hours of sleep... I cut it short to a three-hour nap, hoping for the best. Definitely not adjusted yet...
We arrived late Wednesday night in Accra and, to everyone's surprise, sailed through customs. Ghana is one of the most economically and politically advanced countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Obama visited here a couple months ago), and they apparently do a good job at making it convenient for visitors to go through customs – something that can be a huge hassle in other countries.
A man named Joe Ayee, who is the Ghana director for the Navigators, drove us to the Presbyterian Women's Conference Center north of Accra. This is where we're having our Navigators conference – at a women's center. It's also where we're staying for at least the next four or five days. The campus is a relatively small, walled-off compound that has a cafeteria, some classrooms, and a 130-bed dorm. It's a pretty nice place with a few gazebos scattered around that make for relaxing spots to hang out in the morning.
I talked with the Center's accountant today – a guy named Ben who recently took his holiday to Indiana – and it sounds like this place does a lot of great stuff, like training women in villages about farming and giving them the basic tools to do that. There are also dorms here for women to stay and take two-week business courses. For now, however, about 65 people involved in the Navigators will be filling up the rooms at the conference starting tomorrow night.
We're staying at a five-bedroom guest house at the Center that is pretty comfy. There are a number of other people sharing this house, including some guys that are attending a conference for Sunday school teachers. We also get to eat at the cafeteria where the food has been wonderful – chicken and rice with mole sauce for lunch, and shish kabob with the best-tasting fresh pineapple ever. The closer to the equator, the better the fruit. And we're pretty close.
This evening, a 26-year-old guy name Nii Ayi came by to visit. Nii is the new administrator for the Navigators here in Ghana. He's also organizing the conference. Soft-spoken but obviously very passionate about what he does, Nii told us about his dreams to get a master's degree in community development and work on improving the lives of those who live in rural Ghana, where education and healthcare is lacking. I asked him if he's done any work with World Vision, and he smiled and said that he has – and hopes to be the World Vision director in Ghana one day.
Nii also told us about a rare disease that affects only a small region in Ghana called the Buruli Ulcer. It apparently starts off looking like a normal ulcer, but then grows to the point where it severely disables a person's arm or leg, rendering their limb useless in the long-run. For those who don't receive treatment, the disease can destroy their livelihood since they would have no way to farm with a disabled limb. Thankfully, World Vision offers a months-long treatment program for free, but many people in the rural villages instead turn to local fetishes that don't work, partly because they can't afford leaving their families behind for a few months to seek treatment at a hospital. Nonetheless, it sounds like progress is being made in combating that disease despite the challenges.
Overall, the day has been very relaxing. I've enjoyed some great conversations with Al and Tom and have had some time to recuperate from travel and do some reading. Ben is staying with his friend Isaac. I'm looking forward to the conference starting up tomorrow night, though I'm sure things will start to get more busy. Thanks for your prayers and emails. They're greatly appreciated. So far, no signs of malaria...
Friday, September 18, 2009
Seattle, London, Accra, and a really long nap
I fly out to Seattle early tomorrow morning. It's the first leg in what will eventually be a 9,000-mile trip to Accra. I haven't started packing yet, so I will make this short.
I think this will be the most time off from work or school I've had since high school, so it will be interesting not working for the next 26 or so days. I'm thankful that schedule-wise, it all worked out (half the HR and newsroom administrators worked collectively to try to make it work...).
One important thing I discovered: If you get malaria pills, ask for doxycyline... you will only be charged a co-pay (at least with Aetna) while the traditional malaria pills you will have to pay in full. This I found out after being told at first that it would cost me $186 for the pills... later got that changed to $15.
It's a little bit different heading to Africa the second time... the edge is taken off a bit, but the anticipation is still there. I'll be in Seattle until Tuesday morning and then take off for Ghana. Will keep you posted.
I'm very thankful for all the friends and family who have offered encouragement in the run-up to this trip. I'm glad to know that there are people praying for me. It's definitely a blessing.
Below is a flyer with some pictures of my previous trip and information about the upcoming trip. You can view it better if you clink on the link under "important links" to the right.
I think this will be the most time off from work or school I've had since high school, so it will be interesting not working for the next 26 or so days. I'm thankful that schedule-wise, it all worked out (half the HR and newsroom administrators worked collectively to try to make it work...).
One important thing I discovered: If you get malaria pills, ask for doxycyline... you will only be charged a co-pay (at least with Aetna) while the traditional malaria pills you will have to pay in full. This I found out after being told at first that it would cost me $186 for the pills... later got that changed to $15.
It's a little bit different heading to Africa the second time... the edge is taken off a bit, but the anticipation is still there. I'll be in Seattle until Tuesday morning and then take off for Ghana. Will keep you posted.
I'm very thankful for all the friends and family who have offered encouragement in the run-up to this trip. I'm glad to know that there are people praying for me. It's definitely a blessing.
Below is a flyer with some pictures of my previous trip and information about the upcoming trip. You can view it better if you clink on the link under "important links" to the right.
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