We had barely gotten out of bed this morning when Divine the evangelist called to tell us that they had a terrible rain/wind storm last night and that the roofs were taken off his round houses. He said that everything they had was wet and most of his books were ruined. We went out to Kpamang to see how much damage was done. The roofs of his round houses are thatch. He said that every year the storms take off part of the thatch but this year it took them completely off. He said that they spent the night in a small round house that his wife uses to cook in. He was in the process of trying to salvage the grass and retie the thatch. He said that he was going to save his money and buy tin roofing sheets to put on the houses. Well, do you remember Abochi over bought roofing sheets for the mission house and we could not return them? Steve told Divine that if he could find the wood we would give him the roofing sheets. He was very excited. He said he would talk to the carpenter and see how much wood he needed to buy. He stopped by the mission house this afternoon with the carpenter and they sorted through the extra lumber we had here at the mission house. They found several pieces that could be used on Divine’s roof. Steve also had some extra 5 inch nails and tar paper that he donated to the cause. We will take the roofing sheets out to Divine’s house tomorrow.
One of the things that Steve discussed with the men at the class today was the difference in grape juice and grape flavored drinks. Many of the shops are selling stuff that they package as “Communion” juice that is a mixture of grape, apple and pear juices. Last time we were in Tamale we picked up a variety of grape drinks; only a couple could be used for the Lord’s Supper. Steve took them to class and used them for “Show and Tell”. Grapes do not grow in Ghana because it is too hot so the people do not really know what grapes are or what they look like. Steve found a fruit seller in Yendi that was selling grapes that were imported from South Africa. He bought enough so everyone in his class could try the grapes. Only a couple of the men had ever eaten a grape.
Simeon, the guy that came to the mission house last fall and worked for a few days to get enough money to pay the dowry on the girl he wants to marry, came to the mission house after class today to look at the small freezer we bought for him. We thought that he was going to take it home today but he said that his father-in-law had called him and told him that he wanted him to come to his village and help him work in his farm raising yam mounds. Does that sound like Rachel and Leah or what? Simeon said that he has still not finished paying all the money that the family has requested. He said that he is very close to finishing everything. He now has to go and visit the girl’s uncles and give them some small gifts. I asked him when he would get to actually have her for his wife and take her to his village to live. He said, well, that is a problem, she is a student and going to school so I don’t know if she will finish school or not. Please! This just goes on and on!
Take care and please keep all the men in your prayers as they make their ways back home.
In His Service,
Steve and Kandie
