African Village Trip

Beautiful African children
Typical home in the village
African Elders
Daily Water

Last weekend we went to Kumasi with Elder and Sister Shipley (he has been the Area Executive Secretary, and they go home in a couple of weeks) and Osei Agyemang Bonsu (the Family History Area Manager – Church employee – and our boss). He has wanted to show us his “village” where he grew up and went to school. It’s about four hours drive from Kumasi deep into the forest on dirt, rutted roads – what an adventure! He wanted us to see the place where his family came from and what that small village had produced. There are six children in his family. He is a veterinarian. One brother is an ophthalmologist. One is a PhD agronomist helping farmers in Ghana. Another brother is a taxi driver in Kumasi, and one sister is a banker in Accra. One sister still lives in the village. Osei has built a school for his village which they have just started to use. Because it was Saturday when we went, school was not in session. We met some of the teachers and presented them with “exercise” books, pencils, and erasers. We also passed out candy to the children who flocked around when the word got out. Osei is letting the teachers live in his family compound, but we saw the building where he grew up – cement rooms all leading to an open area. The “kitchen” cooking area was outdoors as were the bathroom facilities. Many of the homes are mud blocks with thatched roofs. The next project he hopes to complete is a “borehole” (well with a pump) so they will have clean water. He took us down to the river where they get all their water. It is filthy! There is no electricity, yet the people seem to be happy. Most of them had gone to “farm” so we didn’t even get to meet his sister. They grow their own food – corn, soybeans, plantains, cassava and seem to be okay. We also visited his “cousin’s” village a short distance away. They belong to a church which meets on Saturday, and they had just completed their services so all the people were there. They welcomed us warmly and sang and danced for us. We sang “I Am a Child of God” for them, and they truly are children of God. What a wonderful adventure!