Breakfast at The Inn with the Kipharts and Valerie. Discussed ways of handling the visiting of an increasing number of villages that the Kipharts are supporting in a short trip. Revisited adolescent child rearing discussion of the day before, as well as several other topics, including the pleasant surprise at Anna's midwife clinic and how best to support Regina there.
Set out for Prophet Emanuel's Village, the 97-year old prophet who had joined us for dinner the other night. People come from far and wide to seek his blessings and advice on a wide range of topics. (The prophet also deals with the mentally ill, and with criminals, one of whom was tied to a tree in an open courtyard.)
We were greeted by assistants and elders. Prophet Emanuel then led a blessing in song and prayer, supported by others in the classroom in which it was held. Susie and Dick had spoken of the powerful affect of the blessing/chanting, but this was our chance to experience it firsthand. Carol has part of it on what should be a terrific video segment. Rounds of handshaking and mutual greetings, then a tour of the new kitchen area the Kipharts had financed. We exchanged gifts, and The Prophet seemed to appreciate the challah cover that we gave him and which Peter explained. We took leave of the Prophet, a man of great charisma and obvious wisdom, spirituality and humor.
The rest of the day was long and hot, and in this brief description, may seem rather tedious and repetitive. That, though, misses our experience in trekking into truly isolated and backwater villages--Susie called them another planet--to witness the amazing impact of clean water on the communities and the gratitude and joy with which the wells were met. In some areas, during dry periods, villagers had been forced to move for months at a time because of the lack of water, prior to the wells. Each village had its distinct feel and flavor. We were given gifts of fruits, vegetables and chickens in gratitude. (The heavy. Laden bowls of fruit loaded on women's heads to carry.)
A chief told us proudly that he was a cocoa farmer, and insisted on showing us his fields.
We saw the previous sources of water and heard how each well drew people from many surrounding villages.
Seeing this, one cannot help but question the values that pervade our own society. We walked some fairly long distances through wooded and sunny areas, at times teetering across logs to cross a small, stagnant bodies of water. Even in the remotest of backwaters, Dick was able to conduct business with his son-in-law, Chris, who called on the cell phone. After visiting ten wells, one of which bore our names as donors, we stopped at the church we'd visited on Sunday to meet with the pastor and others in what Dick characterized, in an aside, as the annual campaign. Dick made a cash contribution and we continued back to the Four Vilages, arriving exhausted and badly in need of showers before dinner.
One thing I've failed to comment on is the incredible logistical skills of Peter Eduful in planning this trip, which makes the invasion at Normandy look like a piece of cake. Let me just list some of the balancing acts. A schedule thrown off by a day due to our flight cancellations and delays. Daily schedules subject to the vagaries of roads and traffic, and the whims of chiefs and prophets who have their own ideas about how much time we should be spending with us. Two vehicles to cart around The Chicago Five and The Ghanian Six, consisting of Peter Alex, drivers and two others to help with matters such as tying ribbons on wells or arranging a CD player and electricity for the Mayim dance. Dinners involving any where from 12 to 25 people, a number that shifts as a day progresses. The schedules of busy people such as Dr. Annie, Dr. Addai and others I'll be mentioning later in the trip. Attending to periodic requests from members of The Chicago Five. Making sure the people in remote villages are expecting us, when we don't know ourselves when we will be there. Routing us as efficiently as possible through all of the places we visit. Acting as translator, facilitator and producer of all of our visits. I'm sure I'm leaving many things out, including, of course, doing all of this with complete calmness and good humor.
Dr, Annie arrived early for dinner, and reported on the visit of Sandra, the 7-year old girl we'd seen with the broken arm. She had been treated "in a traditional way," by doctors and contracted serious infections that might necessitate amputation of her arm. This was most distressing, but Dr. Annie is on the case, will see the girl daily and says she has faith that Sandra will be healed.
Among others at dinner were Dr, Addai and his girlfriend. The doctor dropped off pictures taken by students at Krapa school which he had promised us a year ago. We'll look them over to see what we've got, and whether they may be used with students in Evanston, as we'd planned to do last year.
We said our goodbyes to Alex, who is a wonderful, kind and spiritual person, as we won't see him again, this trp. Carol and I gave him a challah cover, which he absolutely loved and we know that he will cherish and use it.
Carol, Susie, Dick and I all wore the Ghanaian shirts that we were given by the pastor at the "annual campaign" meeting at the church.
I should probably be keeping notes during the day, as many of the details are lost by the end of the day in the large number of visits and/or are absorbed by the heat. Still, I think the principal feelings come through in even an abbreviated description, and it's those that are most important. We retired to our room early, and I've completed this by 9PM, which will leave time for some reading or, more likely, an early collapse.
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