October 4

Breakfast at the hotel, then set off for our first visit of the day, turning off the highway down the bumpy dirt roads of rural Ghana to the village of Emanuel, named for the 92-year old prophet, Emanuel.

On arrival, we're ushered into a room dominated by the chief, a major chief, sort of the vice-president of chiefs for the Ashanti area, dressed in regal-looking garb, and flanked on the nearby couch by Emanuel, dressed in a green and yellow printed cloth, and two other elders of the village.  After we explained our "mission," the first step in every meeting, we were greeted warmly. Greetings consist of those present forming a line and walking by to shake each of our hands in welcome or thanks. Textile gifts were given to all of us.

We were escorted out to an open area outside the Kiphart school that was being dedicated, where tented roof covers had been erected. A good-sized village crowd had been assembled to attend the ceremony, dressed in rather fancy garb. Loudspeakers blasted music, which was played to dancing by local women, a very slow dance in which they bent over and waved a handkerchief towards the ground or in the air. We endured a very long series of speeches from chiefs, government officials, education officials, an acting bishop, Peter, the prophet and Susie and Dick, interrupted occasionally by dancing to blasting music piped in electronically. Susie cut a ribbon to inaugurate the school and presented gifts we'd all brought. Susie was particularly pleased at the government involvement and commitment, financial and otherwise, they expressed.

After the two-hour ceremony, we set off in the van for our next village, munching on a lunch of power bars and trail mix. We arrived at the village of Boatenkrom, where after a very brief, at least by comparison, ceremony, we met with and interviewed the chief, a very mild-mannered fellow in a suit and tie whose day job was teaching English in a village a few kilometers away. We were unable to unearth any real stories of interest, but did learn some of the history of the village. After looking at the Kiphart school and seeing another group of adorable kids, we headed down to see the well that the Kipharts had given, which was working perfectly. Alex, the Kiphart's trusted construction contractor, accompanied us.




We set out for our third and final village of the day, Afraku in a light rain, where the Kipharts had donated another school and well.

After a brief greeting Carol and I interviewed a chief, through a translator. Unlike the school teacher chief, this one was dressed in traditional garb of black and white and told of the history of the village and the role of the spirits in that history. Though he's a Christian, the chief pours libations to the spirits every Tuesday. The secrets and secret history of the village is told only to inner family members. I told the chief that I would return next year as his son to learn some secrets.

By now, it was close to 5 PM, and we drove home in the rain and had a very short few minutes before dinner. The dinner group was the same as the previous night, except that Annie 's daughter did not join us.


I jokingly asked Dr, Addai whether he'd seen any prophets that day, and he proceeded to tell a very long and bizarre story about the recent near-death experience he'd had caused by a sudden stomach tumor visited on him and cured by the grace of God through the prophet Ebenezer, with whom he'd visited that day. There ensued a very interesting discussion about demons and other religious beliefs. Annie, arriving late, missed this discussion, but came in like a tornado, and the discussion turned to the medical problems she sees most frequently in her clinic, from malaria to diarrhea. We will visit her clinic tomorrow, which we are all looking forward to.


After dinner, comprised primarily of large, heavy, chewy dumplings called fufu, composed of cassava and plantains, served in a broth of peanut liquid (quite good, but very heavy), the guests left and we talked in the living room for some time with Margot, Dick and Susie, before retiring at the end of a long, but very interesting day.