Last evening in Yendi for the Clark’s visit. The day began with a very early wakeup call to be at the tour area again for a 7:00 am tour of the Mole Park. Early morning is a completely different experience in that it is cooler and the animals are not seeking shade as much. The tour lasted until 9:00 am and then we ate our breakfast of omelets, toast and one’s breakfast drink choice. Steve and Kandie had been with the gentleman who gave us the tour in the pickup some time ago and he remembered them. This time it was just us and the guide. We travelled a different route this time to go down to the water hole. There is a rough section of the road filled with rocks that he called the “Ghana massage” or some kind of dance section. One just has to hold on and tolerate the jostling back and forth, up and down, etc. There was one elephant in the water hole when we arrived so that was a plus. Imagine being in a water hole with crocodiles moving around. His name was called “no tail” as he had very little of a tail left. Kandie said the crocs probably got it. After more travel down the road spotting things as you go, the guide was told that there were elephants in a compound that is private. When we arrived, we got off the truck and walked out where two elephants were eating leaves off the trees in the area. One was a bull and he let it be known that he knew we were there. The other was more passive and minding his own business.
After the tour, and eating breakfast at the restaurant at the hotel, we left around 9:40 am to head back to Tamale to eat lunch and for Steve to pick up his copier. It was noon when the KFC meals (yes, the favorite spot for a quick bite) were devoured and we were off to Yendi. As we arrived at the mission house it was around 3:00 pm and we were scheduled to go out to Kpamang village where Divine is the church worker for night preaching. Wednesday is not the usual midweek services but since we were there from the U.S. they announced to the villages that we would be there around 6:30 pm.
When we made it to the village after a 30-minute ride on fairly good dirt roads, I was shocked to see how many people were there. They had already set up rows of benches and chairs outside between the school building and the road. Two villages had been contacted about the meeting and it was said that there were 180 people there. I had planned on speaking on Barnabas, but when I saw the number of children present, I changed my mind and gave the account of Joseph. They sat attentively with someone walking back and forth to keep distractors in line while we had a few songs, a prayer, a lesson, a few questions and answers and a closing prayer. All in all, it was a great evening. However, something special happened at the end.
A woman with a small one month old boy walked toward us and wanted Pam to name the child. This is a practice that they do when they want to have a Bible name given to the child. Pam was taken back when they asked her and various suggestions were given. Pam mentioned Joseph since the lesson I preached was on Joseph and everyone was pleased. The mother wanted Pam to hold the baby in her arms so she did. I then led a prayer for the successful life of the child and we began to go back to the van. Immediately, it was stated that a woman who is a Christian was sick in the village and asked for prayers before we left. We all walked down the dirt road with our lights (watching spiders scurry on the road in front of us) to enter into a compound of houses in a circle with a central compacted dirt floor that was hard like concrete. The elderly woman was lying on her bedding in the middle of the compound complaining of pains in the lower back and hips that radiated down her legs. Kandie suggested that she put some kind of cushioning under her knees when she slept to help her get comfortable. Steve said that a part of her aches was just a part of her age. I would think that sleeping on the ground with only a blanket between you and the floor would cause great pain. When you go to bed tonight, think about those who don’t have even a bed to lay on. Steve said a prayer for her and we left the compound, rode back in the van and are now at the mission house for the night. We are to leave in the morning for Tamale to fly to Accra in preparation for our trip back to the U.S. and home.
On a sad note, I must write about two things. On the way back from the night service at the village, we drove up to a low spot in the dirt road where a group of men were gathered on the side. Suddenly, there was a man’s body lying face down on the side of the road. He had been hurt in a motorcycle accident and was believed to be dead. No one was moving the body. They were just standing there staring. Timothy had said that there was a report of a dead body up the road from the village. Life and death are very real in this land of uncertainty.
The second tragedy is that the small boy who had eye trouble passed away yesterday at the hospital in Tamale. We were all saddened by the news and felt great sympathy for the family. Steve said that the child was so advanced in malnutrition and other complications that it was a difficult recovery. Steve and Kandie have seen their fair share of success and tragedy here in Ghana. As Christians we know that the child is innocent and with the blessed on the other side. May everyone take seriously the uncertainty and brevity of life here and the assurance of a life to come.
Jimmy Clark
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