Tuesday, February 07, 2006
OUR ARRIVAL IN GHANA
Our arrival in Ghana was relatively quiet and without much fanfare - a warm welcoming committee at the airport to get us to the MTC - in the dark, a chance to meet 18 very wonderful young missionaries already half way through their training with President and Sister Ritchie, and a staff directed by Eugene Engmann who were committed, sincere and effortless workers - both the instructional staff as well as the facility crew. The MTC is located just outside Accra - about 20 kilometres in a quiet little area called Tema. We are not far from the ocean, so the humidity is very noticeable - it appears we will be just a little more mindful of the "heat of the day" than we were nestled in the centre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo four years ago. The Church has built a fabulous facility - which will hopefully and eventually house and instruct over 100 missionaries. Each group arrives every three weeks, and last years average size was around 25 missionaries. Inside the compound where the MTC is located there is a two ward meeting house, a good size lawn (could be used for small soccer games, a cement parking area currently used for basketball court and a volleyball net and field. The compound is guarded 24 hours by a security company who furnish us guards and "peace of mind" - however there has been absolutely nothing that would make a person uncomfortable or threatened in this little corner of the world. Our initial trip into Accra was "highlighted" by the traditional bluffing and blowing of auto horns - the always present 12 passenger busses overfilled with Africans on their way to work or where ever. The continual dusty, smoky air as winds are blowing (nothing at all like Southern Alberta!) - but the climate is pleasant and comfortable. WE are connected to Accra by an "Auto-route" - a 5 cent toll is required to drive on it, and it actually moves traffic quite nicely and quickly between the two cities. My first venture into the "business" world came as we visited the local driver's license establishment. It was about 11 AM so I said good bye to the missionaries waiting to go Nigeria - and off we went to the Vehicles Licensing Centre. I thought it strange that the fellow driving the van came with us, we had my car and he had the other van we were going to use to take the missionaries to the airport. I assumed he knew the way and was going to show us and return. Well, we arrived, and Kofi explained that besides doing what we needed to do, we needed the car in line, so again I assumed he’d park the car in the line and we’d finish it up - but while we were getting pictures taken and talking with the main chief (he said I’d have to wait 6 months for a license - Kofi talked and talked in "tree" - apparently said the right thing and got permission to seek a license) - told me we’d have to take some "tracs" back to him to prove we were missionaries - anyway, the driver was still around - then lines (sort of as people kind of pushed and jamed into the ladies writing things up - got something then had to leave to get an eye test - back again to the lines, finally a hassle about signatures and forms - finally (driver still there) time to pay - but they’d left for lunch break so we wait 45 minutes for their return - Finally I discovered to get a license, you have to have any vehicle you’ll be driving tested as well as you - so both the car and the van had to be inspected (van had a light out of alignment so the driver fixed it on the spot and we passed) But had I know all this was necessary I’d have never gone on a day we needed the van - at any rate, Eugene took the other van and a car and got the missionaries away on time, but I felt like such an idiot being the one who caused them to wait , and wait - talk about reversal of roles. However I can now drive in Ghana - don’t know anywhere to go, but I can drive to get there now!
# posted by Ghana Gazette @ 3:17 PM 
