Elmina Slave Castle and More

Recently we visited the Elmina Slave Castle.  It was built by the Portuguese, captured and held by the Dutch, purchased by the British.  While it was used for several things while it was in use (for about four centuries), its primary purpose was to hold and process people who had been taken captive and were to be shipped out as cargo in the Atlantic slave trade.  In the picture below you can see us posed at the beginning of the entry way into the castle.  The actual gateway is at the crest of the hill behind us, on the left hand side of the cobblestone road, almost at the center of the picture.  Of course, the castle stretches along the left hand side of the picture.  It was a rather formidable fortress.  But we were most moved by the human tragedy that it testified to.  The reality of that was evident as we walked through the dungeons in which these poor victims were kept before being shipped out across the Atlantic and sometimes elsewhere.

Life continues to be busy.  In fact, we find that our schedule is getting more crowded as word of Sister Emfield's many talents spreads.  We recently met with the mission presidents of West Africa and she went around introducing herself, so that those who had not worked with her would know her as more than a name in the directory.  This may make her even busier.  I have also received some assignments and find my time occupied with the good Saints of Ghana.

Two years ago, Elder Bednar of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, dedicated the country of Senegal for the preaching of the gospel.  There was a meeting as part of this.  There were 260 people in attendance: 13 members and 247 visitors.  There have been similar stories in other West African countries since.  It is not unusual for people to spend an hour, or two to get to a Church meeting.  Because most people do not have cars they often pay for a taxi, or pay for a ride on a tro-tro (cheaper) but it can be a financial hardship.  Nevertheless, for the Lord they do it.  It is interesting to note that the early members here (converts from before 1990) are called pioneers, and they say that the members today have it too easy!

Elder Emfield

Glimpses of Life

On our way to an outlying community the other day, we came across an accident.  A young man on a motorcycle had either hit something or been hit.  His bike was in the middle of the road, showing damage, and he was laying on the shoulder being attended to by a passerby.  The injured man was obviously in pain.  As we came upon the scene a tro-tro stopped, and everyone got out, and headed over to him to help.  People here simply do that.  If you are in trouble on the road, others will come to your aid.  There is a criminal element, of course, and things are less safe after dark.  As pointed out in a previous post, all middle and upper class housing sits in compounds most of which employ private security.  Nevertheless, in the daylight when the general populace is out, people help one another.  And they get along without road rage and the like.  Having mentioned middle and upper class housing, let me address the less fortunate.  They tend to live in shanties or in unguarded blocks of concrete flats:

A shanty community.  The red shipping containers shown here are commonly made into homes in such communities.

Blocks of concrete flats.

Elder Emfield