Sunday 4pm, Carol writes:
Picture the scene - a small village church in very rural Northern Ghana. This was at the edge of the Gomba region, an area of high illiteracy. Inside when we arrive we find a congregation who are swaying and clapping as they sing praises to God. We are welcomed and find ourselves alongside our brothers and sisters from the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and a visiting group from USA, and visitors from Mexico and Brazil who just decided to worship in that church today. I felt we really were an international family and representing the World Church. There was a total of 5 'sermonettes' from the various groups represented, each one building on the previous and culminating in an atmosphere of joy and love and a real feeling of the Spirit of God.
Included in the service was one of the songs in a local language which we learned on our 13-hour drive north so we were able to join in. The benediction at the end of the service given by the Chairman of the Presbytery - a kind of executive moderator, wished "a dose of blessings" to all.
This was actually our second service of the day - the first one having started at 7am in Tamale, the adminstrative capital of the north. After a 2pm lunch (yam, plantain, barbequed fish and 'contumelly'(?) which is a dish of yam leaves, beans and fish with palm oil and chilli - delicious) we had a meeting with the Presbytery's management team and discussed twinnings, lay training, HIV programmes, possible volunteer exchange and the shared Christian Aid programme which we will visit tomorrow.
Now it is time to load our bags back into the vehicle to head even further north to Bolgatanga in Upper Presbytery near the border with Burkina Faso and on to service number 3 for today!
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