Green Light on The Gospel Literacy Program

It's been a couple weeks since we posted, but we still don't have internet at the apartment and are using data from the phone. We probably won't be posting as often as at first anyway since this is as we mentioned our "new normal" and we aren't taking as many pictures anymore.  

We got hit with a "gully washer" this week while at the Osu Library. Chuck contemplated making a run for it back to the office, but it came up so quickly that we would have been drenched. It was blowing so badly in the breeze way where we usually meet that we all went inside the blue building on the right, about 25 of us in all.

No one seemed concerned about it and settled in. We were told it would last "45 minutes,"  and they were exactly right, this is obviously not Seattle, and the rain is warm also. We were delighted to find a section of Dr. Seuss books last week, including "Green Eggs and Ham." It has become a favorite.

We had been hesitant but curious to check out the HUGE Makola Market which goes for blocks and blocks. They say you can find everything from car parts to land snails. We saw those and more.

Elder and Sister Hunt are a new Senior Missionary couple from St. George, and they are the adventurous sort, so we invited them along for support/body guards.

After we found some Ghanaian cocoa, I was finished. 
What more does one need anyway? 

 We experienced our first Zone Conference as Area Missionaries with Area President Vinson and his wife. It was a wonderful morning! They are a fantastic group of people to be associated with and have become special friends. They all have such varied assignments, Medical, Humanitarian, Education (Pathways), Employment, Auditing, Young Single Adults, Public Affairs, Family History, Literacy and Secretaries to the Area Presidency. 

We do enjoy eating and visiting any chance we get.

Then for the second time we assisted with the "intake-registration" of a new group of about 130 missionaries who arrive at the MTC, Mission Training Center each 3 weeks from around the world.  They are predominantely from Africa but we met young people coming from Scotland, Brazil, US, and Samoa.  Some of them stay for 6 weeks to learn French, but most are here for 3 weeks before heading out to serve all over Africa. 

 They are such remarkable young people! We've come away inspired each time.

 Here is a carving of the "Tree of Life" spoken of in the Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 15: 21-36. It is on the wall at the MTC. I love to see the artistic expression of this vision from various countries throughout the world.  

Then lastly the long awaited decision from the Area Presidency has been made and we were called in to meet with Elder Nash. As you may recall, they have been "pilot testing" a couple literacy programs in a few areas here.  ENA has a program that functions during the week, who we were able to travel with for their testing and graduation right after we arrived, and also the Gospel Literacy Program which is being testing in a few selected areas as part of a Sunday School literacy class held on Sunday. Both are great programs and have show promising results. But the Area Presidency has decided to make the Gospel Literacy Program, that was/is being developed by the Heckels who served here about 18 months ago, an official part of the church curriculum for the West Africa Area. The manuals are now going through the revision process with Church Publications. 

It will be the first Gospel Literacy Sunday School Class that is part of the curriculum in the church.  This will enable literacy classes to be standardized and spread further as the church grows and to reach more people in the process. We have been going around trying to support the stakes, wards and branches who have been part of the pilot for this, as well as training new stakes who have asked to have this made available to their members. This decision by the Area Presidency will ramp things up significantly as it will be made available to areas throughout West Africa as they are ready to receive and support it by calling Stake Literacy Specialists and teachers for each ward and branch. Elder Nash said we will meet each week as we go back and forth drafting and revising a plan for making the program a standardized part of the Church instruction in the Africa West Area.  Please keep us in your prayers as we will certainly need the Lord's inspiration on this.

We and the Wakilds gave a Stake training in the Kaneshie Stake on Saturday but had quite an adventure getting there as google Maps directed us right through the middle of a HUGE market. Roads filled up and cars came to a stand still. These pictures were taken from three angles out the car windows as we were trying to make our way down a single land road packed with people and booths. 

                                                   Front

                                  
                                                  Right
 

Left

We turned on what we thought was a road out, but it was blocked as well. We figured we were there for the duration. Then there was a knock on our window and a man amidst the crowd asked where we were going. Fortunately we could understand him and he could understand us, which isn't always the case in outlying areas. He said to follow him and he helped us get turned around and directed us to a small road that got us to the church. God bless that man, it was the WORST traffic imaginable.

We were thrilled however, to have 15 people eventually show up at the training including some Bishopric, Relief Society and Primary leaders along with teachers.  It was awesome as they all counseled together on how to support literacy and had better ideas than we could have come up with on our own. It certainly compensated for the trouble getting there.

A well functioning class on Sunday topped off the week-end. Another kind man helped us find our way there by personally going with us when the ward we were trying to visit wasn't in the location listed. He wouldn't take no for an answer. What can you say really about such kind hearted, wonderful people. There aren't words to describe!

So, what are you doing exactly?

We got up this morning to try and locate the church near our apartment where we heard a literacy class takes place. We couldn't get to it last week and weren't sure it was even there. The "road" had been dug up. So we verified it's existence this week with Google Satellite view and were set to try again. 
But, our car wouldn't start and the last of the other missionaries had just pulled out of the parking lot. Then along came Frank, a native Ghanian who has been investigating the church and offered us a ride.  He had been to the church in question before and it was a good thing, because the "back" way is just an alley, one car wide and very sketchy to say the least. 

Yes, this is the main entrance!!  Notice the pile of dirt at the entry though.

So we took the alley. Complete with laundry, goats and alas the church!! They had a large parking lot and the building filled up completely, but only 3 cars in the lot. 

It was well worth the effort! Frank said, "God provides." After church with the help of the complex gate guard, the guys "jump started" the car the "African way."  Exchange batteries from two cars, start the dead car then replace batteries back to original cars. 

Now to the subject of this blog: "So, what are you doing in West Africa anyway?"  Funny you should ask, it's the same question we've been asking ourselves.

We've been meeting with local leaders and learning all that we can about current efforts.  Literacy will fall under the Self-Reliance Services of the church here in West Africa.

There are other organizations working together for literacy and we will be using some of their materials as well as the Gospel Literacy Program of the church which is just being introduced here.

The plan is to provide Sunday Gospel Literacy classes so people can hear the "good word" as well as improve their literacy.  Then augment during the week as much as possible with additional literacy materials and classes. 

When you consider that there are about 79 dialect in Ghana alone and that the vast majority of them do not have a written language, just oral, it's pretty vital that people learn English if they want to become literate. English is the official language here, but it is not their first language. 

I found this video that gives a pretty good glimpse into life in Ghana, and the efforts for Self-Reliance. Worth the watch!
(Two identical videos, but uploaded differently. Hopefully one of them will work for you.)

Elder John Koranteng gives a few comments about Self-Reliance in the video (they've spelled his name with a C). He is our area manager.

We have been trying to find ways to get some exercise, since biking is definitely out of the questions!! We were delighted to find paths nearby that wander through some vegetables gardens.  One of the first days out, a group of about 8 little children ran up to me (Marti) raising their hands for high 5's, laughing and then running their hands through my hair. (Wish we had been quick enough to get a picture of that!) I was rather taken a back, but relaxed as I heard their laughter and looked into their beautiful smiling faces. Have I mention yet how beautiful the children are?!? Not sure what the fascination was with my hair though.

There's so much more we could share about our new life here.  But one thing is certain, the people are what make Ghana special!