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 Hi if you have enjoyed Goodhand in Ghana you might like to follow further with Goodhand on Sabbatical, Goodhand in Sheffield, and the latest Goodhand in Banbury.

Landed

I knew it would be and it does feel so much cooler in the UK in fact half the temperature of what I have been experiencing these past two weeks. The flight was just about on time but having made my way swiftly through immigration we discovered our luggage had been loaded back to front, so freight had to be taken off first. Good job I allowed myself plenty of time to cross London for my train. The apology firmly put the blame on Accra airport and some Ghanaians around said typical. I wanted to say to them at least my suitcases are intact no break in's which is known to happen.

Being back feels very different. From the dare I say availability of toilets, a great relief if you pardon the pun. To the selection of shops and eating places at St Pancras. I enjoy a cup of coffee the first in over two weeks. Where I have been at Cape Coast and in the village of Asebu no such shops existed.

Seeing Police around you can't help but feel they are not going to stop you for a bribe, I'm even tempted to smile at them, but I don't want to be thought suspicious. Especially as I  have begun to notice a perfume smell beginning to come from one of my suitcases. My hosts insisted I brought some mango's home for Jill so by the time I am home in a couple of hours they will be ready to eat. 

So onto the penultimate stage of my journey home the fast train to Sheffield . I am so glad I broke the journey to Ghana with  a stay over at Heathrow on the way out. When Jill picks me up I will have been travelling for nearly 24 hours and all I want now is a long, long soak in a deep bath, a cup of tea and a long sleep. No doubt on getting back the adrenalin will kick in and I will keep going. But joy of joy with my sabbatical I am not leading worship tomorrow. I  feel with the number of services I have participated in, sermons preached, seminars given, pastoral visits made and entertaining and being entertained by the three children I have done my bit for a while. 

It has been so worthwhile to see for myself how the money we have sent has been used to build the new church. The basement as they call it is basically finished. It just requires an area above to be sealed with concrete and then the walls can be plastered and painted. But the church is fully operational. The next level has all its pillars in place and requires walls to be be built. However not in the way we would expect. The walls will create windows so the metal work grills can be fitted to allow the air to flow through the building. They have decided to have one more level just over part of the building to serve as offices, vestry, meeting rooms etc. then the roof goes on.

The money I have taken this time means they can build and complete the new toilet block. So over the next couple weeks walls will be constructed with the  bricks I saw being made. Roof on top and the necessary ware installed. It will be amazing especially when you consider their old church toilet facilities. In fact best not to think about them. The people of Asebu were genuinely grateful for the financial   support, but even more so the sense that  people from the UK would be bothered enough to help them. I know they are praying for the scheme at Firth Park that it too will come to fruition, even though it requires ridiculous amounts of money to achieve. But as they would say ' by the grace of God'  somehow it will come into being. This sense of God being at work is very real even if it cannot be  articulated in fancy theological ways. There is something very John Wesley about this, believing as he did, that everyone could come to an awareness of a loving God, and who in particular cares about them. Somehow God is involved with our lives without taking away our freedom to choose. Our choice is or not to allow God  to direct our living. This then finds expression in the way we chose to spend our time, our money, decisions we make, even the political party we voted for! 

I was asked by one individual when in Kumasi what did you think when you first came to Ghana two years ago? I said I well remember the sense of culture shock not in coming to Ghana but when I returned to the UK. It was about feeling so uncomfortable having so much. It took some months to readjust in my thinking though it still influences me I believe for the good.

What I thought then and now is that Ghana is an amazing country, with many resources not least its   people, which is mismanaged at all levels in society. The failure to invest in its infrastructure is shown in its roads , sanitation and even the fact the President has a nick name which means on off reflecting the power supply.  On his watch, and his party's watch, the vast majority of the people manage to somehow get by. I can only pray for a change of government next year and for leaders who will act with integrity for the benefit of all the people of Ghana. 

The Methodist Church at grass root level, which I have seen more closely now, reveals men and women working out their faith. The church members need to be empowered more and less deferential to its minsters. 

There is a hierarchy in the Ghana church which I do not sit comfortably with and it will be interesting to see how it changes it time. 

In seeking to connect with peoples fears some of the prayer/deliverance services border on the edge of what is acceptable and right/ good. 

It is also clear that an enthusiastic and vision driven minister can help a very poor community believe in itself. Eric has worked hard to get the church  at  Asebu on the move as well as drive the new building into reality. To be in the midst of their worship, weddings,  confirmations, is to be a witness to a church that is very much alive. To live in the community for two weeks, to walk the dirt roads, to see the everyday homes, to eat their food and experience their reality has again enriched and challenged me.

 I intend to return while keeping up supporting them to complete their building and   outreach work. So pray for Asebu Methodist Church, pray for Ghana, and if you happen to be living in a country where the power is always on, you can drink water from the tap, and you can plan your life out. Then pray for yourself that you will never take what you have for granted and commit to using it to the benefit of others. 

If you have enjoyed reading this blog you may want to read Goodhand on Sabbatical. I now continue my time in the UK writing a book and seeking out how we as a church can relate to the diversity of cultures in our midst. So read on....

Accra Airport

So time to leave Asebu. Of course we had to have prayer time to give thanks for our shared time together. Then its farewells with big hugs from the children.

I do feel ready to come home though even if there are some mixed feelings about saying good bye to people who have looked after me so well.

We had a good run to the city, stopping off at the eldest daughters school to drop goods off. However as we reached Accra we hit the traffic, the noise, the street sellers everywhere though it was just beginning to cool off a bit. Having left plenty of time it was not a concern. But sadly just as we were delayed friend Joseph who had returned to Ghana from my afternoon congregation was delayed so we never had chance to meet up.

  Checking in was very quick this time and thankfully luggage okay weight wise. Will worry about dragging two suitcases across London when I get there.

So finally chance to sit down having gone through immigration- they don't tell you to fill a leaving card until you are at the desk so back you go and start again. Of course I got grumpy person telling me off. Next time much more welcoming. 

I hope to have a good sleep on the plane as I feel now really quite tired though excited about getting back home to see Jill. I guess its going  to be the opposite experience when I land at Heathrow. I will be hit by the cold and the speed of going through immigration etc will be fast. 

The next few days will be time to reflect on everything so keep reading.

Friday morning count down

The 200 plus bricks are drying well in the heat, and will be ready to use tomorrow. Somewhere in their midst is the one I made.

On a Sunday the Sunday school happens at present outside the mission house on these pews , and under the canopy. Not that it can cope with the numbers which is why once the toilets are completed they will build a pavilion for the children's work.

 The quarterly leaders meeting is taking place at Asebu today. To those who don't remember such names that's the circuit meeting to you and me. 

Ah so Revd will you preach? Here we go again no warning but somehow I muddle through. Constantly amused that as Superintendent I am introduced as the Right Reverend .....

Sitting back observing the meeting it is very traditional led by the superintendent Minister of the Moree circuit.  Revd Richard has only been here not quite a year, though his colleagues I knew from my previous visit. They were  very patient sitting as he led the meeting and doing quite a lot of the talking. He reckoned I preached very gently. Welł its hard when you are being translated to get the pace going. When talking about finance he wanted to know if the British church who used to sponsor the Ghanaian church were going to do so again? Only Asebu I retorted!

When we were singing I discovered that Eric is a mean drummer adding a bit of pace to the song.

I decided in the end after we celebrated communion, a great way to finish for me, to slip away from the meeting to finish my packing. I have had to borrow a suitcase to get things back trusting that one suitcase is not too heavy. If it is I can put more things into the other case. So that's it for travelling  lightly.

It may be that the kids or at least two of them will travel to Accra with me to wave me off.

So I have had my last plate of Jolfi Rice, packed and waiting for Eric to finish his meeting, have his own   meal and then set off. 

I will write more when I get to the airport as we will be there early to ensure no hold up on route. Get bags checked in and then relax. Hopefully I will get some sleep on the flight as we travel through the night.

Late night chat and final day in Ghana

It was a noisy old night with the generator going on in the background till at last it was switched off about  3am but then as power still not on the heat built up as the fan in the room not working. I awoke after a fitful sleep to the sound of the cockerel  which has been there every morning. It will be strange to wake up at home not to hear it, or the sound of the birds and other animals moving around. You could never miss the fact this is a rural area.

Eric and I ended up talking in spite of planning on not being too late. His very deep sense of the debt he feels to the Wesleyan Methodist Church in sending missionaries all those years ago to bring a life enhancing Gospel, is a powerful motivating force in his life. His awareness of the need for the church to connect with peoples lives and be conscious of the culture they come from is plain to see. The sense of Wesleyan Methodism is both a blessing and a curse. Elements of worship and ways of doing things means there is a rich tradition that taps into the heart of John Wesley's mission. But it can become a restricting  force that holds back change. You sense this tension in the mixture of worship singing hymns and standing for the Gospel, after all John Wesley was an Anglican. Can't see many British Methodists standing  for the Gospel . But then people come alive with their dancing and singing as they express their faith in a more indigenous way. The revival movement across Ghana's Methodist church taps into the needs of the people with its focus on praying and singing. To the visiting eye it can seem like chaos and anything but methodical ( un Methodist) . Yet of course when John Wesley preached outdoors there too was an out pouring of Gods presence that touched peoples lives and moved them.

 What of  course  we British  Methodists are uncomfortable with is any sense of emotionalism being whipped up. Yet of course we are invited to worship God and that draws upon our emotions. Why should we not be moved to laugh with joy, or cry with tears? We might not chose to dance but we can be more honest in expressing our feelings.  

St Paul spoke about people being drunk in the Spirit as he sought to express this. Alcohol for many releases inhibitions which are often unhelpful as some get violent, feel ill etc. What folk look for is the high. St Paul points out when Gods presence in our lives is at work, the Holy Spirit,  we are liberated to work for God, to worship God, to experience a kind of high that is not destructive but gives a sense of purpose , enthusiasm or Zeal for the mission of Jesus. That makes people very happy and they want to sing about it. Is that not in our roots be they Wesleyan, Primitive or New connexional Methodists.

So we too in the UK need to find a way afresh to tap into the culture or cultures of our current society. So people can experience a God that enables them to feel not just good, but certain there is a God who loves them, values them, believes in them. A return to making time to pray together, creating worship that enables people to encounter God, giving opportunity for healing and wholeness.

As we talked we were both reminded of the need to understand our history. What has made us, and to revisit the core teachings that John Wesley conveyed. We often pay lip service to them. Local preachers are invited to read up on a Wesley sermon in readiness for their final interview before being accepted   as preachers. Perhaps they should be expected to read them all! And apply them for today. How many times have I heard the one on the 'Catholic Spirit' ? Yet to what extent does learning to work with other christian traditions, let alone within our church, really find expression? 'If your heart is as my heart and you love God as I love God then give me your hand' ( John Wesley). Is it not a driver to greater ecumenical working?

As we talked we recognised that many Methodist Ghanaians have come  to the UK, but the church they find does not enable them to express themselves in the way they need to. So they leave and go to those that do. This is our loss and we need to give space in our buildings and allow a different pattern of worship to happen. This will enrich us even if its difficult to work. If we don't they will be lost to our church.We do not  have a good track record of holding people in recent decades. From those who left in their droves to the house  churches that grew up, to the young people who have left in large numbers since 1995. When I started in ministry most of my churches had work with children and young people on a Sunday and many youth work mid week. Now It is the exception. 

Our failure to accommodate and allow for expressing faith in vibrant ways has wounded the body of our church. I am  sure I too have made mistakes in creating  good order and perhaps have prevented a greater sense of vibrancy. If we are to regain a sense of wholeness we need to understand that all parts have  their place in the body. Cafe worship, messy church etc are just symptoms of the need to allow people another way to express who they are before God.

 I believe as many do that church growth requires continuity of worship and small group work. People tell me, and I have heard it so often now, I believe them. That they would not invite someone to worship because they can't be sure of its  quality. Their minister seeks to put energy into creating a high standard of worship expressed in different  ways. But then the week after the preacher delivers a bog standard service, and it can be be a hymn sandwich or praise sandwich the result   is the same. A lack of confidence in our own people that a person might meet with God because of the lack of continuity. I well remember a colleague of mine who worked so hard, yet expressed his frustration of finding that all his hard  work in worship leading and preaching was undermined by the preachers who followed the next week and the week after. Often contradicting his preaching as they sought to give a diet to keep some people happy. 

So quite a heavy late night conversation giving each other much to think about.

Rain at last

I had heard rain twice in the middle of the night but really not seen any. But the sky starting lighting up at which point Eric decides its time to go and get petrol for the car and the generator. I'm not complaining  because power is off yet again, and I am happy for the generator to keep working. As we drive, down came the rain very heavily. I can imagine the days when it just rains how it must stop you going out. Strangely as we passed the police check  point the officers chose not to  come and stop cars. 

Mum and baby goats.

This is of course in a country where school children carry machetes to school.

Where there is no real mental health services and you see poor deranged individuals walking the roads.

Where one small clinic serves a whole community and this is it.

Draughts Ghanian style

And always little ones needing to be looked after. This is baby Eric.

Hospitality and saying thank you is important. So I will return home with another Ghanian shirt as the couple whose  marriage I blessed insisted on bringing a present to Eric and myself.

Ghana is a rich country with wonderful resouces. Its mismanagement to put it politely has seen it become run down in so many ways, and its riches not shared justly. Yet it remains one of the better and most stable countries in Africa. With a growing middle class it may one day really develop for all. I do ask myself would I cope going to some of the other countries in Africa, not least those who are recovering from the devestation of Ebola. 

Well as Zebedee said time for bed. 

The circuit quarterly meeting happens at 8am till 2pm which I will be attending,  and I need to be up to say goodbye to the children as I will be on my way to Accra by the time they come  out of school.

Afternoon out

We left them making bricks and when we returned over 200 had been made. Only 400 more to go.

So we headed out along the coast towards Elmina for lunch by the seaside, Elmina being the Portuguese fort involved in the slave trade that we had visited two years ago.

From our resturant we could see the fort in the distance.

I even had chance to paddle in the warm sea.

Then a meal in the warm afternoon sunshine cooled by the sea breeze.

Eric and Mary

Two men out in a traditional boat fishing.

On the way back we spotted someone selling crocodile ' I'll give that a miss.

And of course lovely coconut trees on the right

While on the left the home of your dreams ?

No day would be complete without being stopped by the police. Today we met one who clearly wanted a bribe, and not being offered one proceeded to take Eric's licence away and give him a ticket. The tax disc needs renewing and there was still time to do so but no. Then a posh car rolled up and a man got out who knew Eric. Remonstrating with the policeman he got no where. So the  man rangthe policeman's   superior. Once the policeman realised the matter was going higher he returned te driving licence and took back the ticket. At least twenty minutes had passed.  Once again its so disappointing to find such an approach. British police are not perfect but give me ours any day.

 

Well as I write, its my last evening here in Asebu. Tomorrow I will be in Accra and flying home. Still lots to write and reflect on. So stay with the blog to keep informed.