Latest Ghana Blog - Greetings
Greetings from the Volta Region in Eastern Ghana! We have been joining with sisters and brothers from PC(USA) Churches who also have partnerships in Ghana to share our experiences, learn from one another, celebrate what God is doing in our partnerships, and pray for the future. Our partners from Tema - both Greenwich Meridian Church and Redemption Church - are here with us. Even Rev. Alice Kyei-Anti has joined us here.
Our main theme for the meeting is to learn about water and sanitation projects in Ghana. We have heard from sociologists about water use, geologists about drilling techniques, and pastors about community responses. Some statistics that stick out to me: Ghana is no longer a low-income country, but a middle-income country based on UN standards. Yet it is 4th lowest in the world in terms of access to sanitation facilities. Additionally, the government here has just done a study that people who live in homes with a private latrine have an increased life-expectancy of 10 years! That makes a big difference. We will be learning more in the next few days and hope to share these ideas with our partners.
Oh, and of course, there's been dancing in church! Pictures and even video will be shared when we get back. Suffice it to say that Ghanaians are not shy to praise the Lord with their whole selves - even their dancing feet.
We will continue to be here for the next few days and then will join our partners in Tema for the remainder of our visit. There, we will get a chance to see some of their mission projects and meet the people who are planning to visit Westminster in September. We hope that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us in ways that we can build a partnership of equals as we join in mission to our neighbors in Albany and in Tema.