Challenges and Rewards

Hello friends,
Mission life here has both its challenges and its rewards.  Let me begin with the former.

Mold!  We live in a tropical climate where it is always quite warm, and often hot.  High humidity is ever present.  While it is not as bad as it is in some areas, it is still high and the result of all this is that mold grows everywhere: shower tiles must be regularly treated with bleach or, you guessed it, mold grows; a wash cloth left in the shower to dry molds; bread molds (our record is 3 days after purchase); we have neighbors whose ceiling is unsound due to . . . (wait for it) . . . a mold infestation! Even leaving your toothbrush in its container from one day to the next can have moldy consequences.  Trust me, I have gotten mine in the morning only to find that mold had grown all over the bristles since the day before!!!

Outside clothes lines.  Can't use them.  That is fine, as we have a dryer but not everyone does and there is a fly, I am told, that lays its eggs in clothing drying on a line.  When the larvae hatch they burrow into the skin of the person wearing them, normally in the more personal parts of the body.  This leads to rashes that are uncomfortable and hard to cure.  It looks like some of the young missionaries have been victims of this malady.

Bodies of fresh water.  They must be avoided.  They tend to have parasites that will infect any human coming in contact with them.  There are some beautiful falls north of here that people like to visit.  But, if even the spray gets on you, you will get a parasite that can seriously damage the liver.

I do not speak Twi.  It is a common tribal language.  Nuff said.

Environmental consciousness.  Non-existent.  Accra normally has a grey sky - smog.  A large percentage of the vehicles spew out great clouds of black smoke as they drive down the road.  There are large piles of litter next to roads, near housing, and along drainage ditches (which are seen everywhere, needed during the rainy season).

 Stalled vehicles in traffic.  This is a daily occurrence.  In the middle of rush hour cars, SUVs, taxis, tro-tros (especially tro-tros-for a description of these see our earlier posts), and semi's break down and block lanes, forcing vehicles to move into the surrounding lanes, choking them up.  Traffic can then back way up.  The latter is especially true when one after another after another breakdown occurs on the same street.

But, there are rewards.  Consider.

Road rage is unheard of.  In spite of some of these challenges, people almost universally keep their cool.  The worst that happens in my experience is someone honks their horn.  If someone breaks down, or puts a wheel in one of the drainage ditches, or is in an accident and as a result blocks the road, a group of young men will come forward, pick up the vehicle unless it is a semi or something, and move it out of the way!  They do this in the way of helping out, trying to be of assistance, not with a resentful attitude.

People are exceedingly polite.  "Yes, please" is the common expression but it doesn't mean what it does in the States.  For example, the question "Is it your birthday?" would elicit the response, "Yes, please."  Basically meaning, "Yes, if you please," even though it would be true even if you don't please.  It is just a polite way of giving a positive response.

We are met with such love and shown such respect.  Yes, that occurs in the church elsewhere. But this goes a step further.  Virtually every time we show up to church our presence is acknowledged by the individual conducting the meeting, and we are often invited up to the stand to bear our testimonies.

Interaction with the littlest ones is cute.  Many of them are unfamiliar with white people and if they are about two will come over to us as we sit in Church and stare.  It is not offensive as they do not mean anything by it.  They are curious.  I always try to wave at them and normally they wave back.  Some will eventually kind of adopt us.  I have one young boy who comes over to me each time I visit his ward congregation and wants up onto my lap.  I have more hair on my arms than most of the men do here.  As a result, little ones will come over and stroke them in fascination, or run up and touch me, then run away.

Recently, we attended a stake conference and the choir was really quite good.  They were color coordinated in white shirts and blouses, the director was very animated, and professional (for those who do not know, choir members and directors in the Church are unpaid volunteers) and the accompanist (also an unpaid volunteer) was very good.  Pianos and organs are not in use here so electronic keyboards are what are used in the meetinghouses.  The choir did a fantastic job, and sang with conviction and enthusiasm.  I was especially moved when they sang, "Because I have been given much, I too must give" because of how little some of them have.  I was also impressed with "Come Oh Thou King of Kings" as they called for the Second Coming of Jesus.  These people who lack make sure to have one set of nice clothing to wear to church to honor God.

There is a hungering after God in the land.  Twice when we have gone for fuel (there is no such thing as a self service pump here) out of the blue the attendant asked us for a Book of Mormon (yes, we carry these with us) and we gave each of them one.  Just out on the streets people often know who the missionaries are and call me "Elder" before they can see my nametag.

Yes, we have our challenges but we are so glad that the Lord sent us here.  We will always love Ghana.

Elder Emfield

Many men here, if they have to go, will simply pull off to the side of the road and urinate in the dirt, drainage ditch or whatever is there.  Someone clearly does not want that to happen next to their property!

This is a view of the crowded parking lot after the recent stake conference we attended.  Notice the pavement: bricks.  Much nicer looking than simple asphalt.  If you look closely enough you can see that almost none of these are private vehicles.  Mostly tro-tros (vans for hire as a half taxi half bus - hired basically like you do a taxi in the States), with a few taxis, and even fewer private vehicles mixed in.  Few members own a car.

This is the first driver's training car we have seen here.  Notice the scratches and dents.