Pictures above: candy stall near my hotel, and market near Central Accra.
I’ve been to my fair share of churches before, but going to church this morning with two young women I had met the day before was quite a different experience...
We walked into the church- a cement building with fans, and blinking lights strung up- sometime before 10:30 am, and service didn’t end until around 1pm. Most of the service wasn’t in English, so often I didn't know what was being said. One thing that really stood out to me as unique was the offering- two rounds of offering where everyone went up front to drop money in a box, and then someone would call out different amounts, and people who wanted to given that amount, in addition, would go up and throw money in the bucket. There was also lots of singing, a sermon, communion, praying, and some baptisms. People were very kind to me there, and said that I was welcome to come back again in the future.
After church, the two women offered to take me to their house nearby. We walked into an old-looking, one story building, into a dark hallway, and into the first room on the right- I was immediately taken aback by what I saw. The walls were dingy and baren; clothes and belonging were stored in suitcases, plastic bags, and a closet; as I sat on the simple bed, covered by a cotton sheet, my mind flashed back to my hotel room- cheerful yellow walls, a TV, my own bathroom. I was simply stunned by the contrast, and didn’t know what to say.
Wow, a lot to think about and let sink in as this weekend comes to an end…
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