Re-entry... and some photos!
Many of us are back, adjusting to the re-entry, reverse culture shock (gleaming bathrooms with hot water, showers and consistently flushing toilets, for example)... while Leif, Rich, Jerome, Louise, Tom, Barbara and Diana continue to enjoy further exploration of Ghana.

What an incredible journey! Filled with inspiration, learning, challenges and amazing successes... We'll be writing insights, lessons, etc. over the next weeks...

This is just a short message to upload a few photos:
**the orphans: what a thrill to meet them (at our introduction to the lower king of Axim) -- and dance with them! The Board of the Western Christian Heritage Home will have to take on the daunting task of identifying those in greatest need, as the number of applicants exceeds the capacity of the orphanage.
**the mattresses: US delegate Jeannie raised the funds for these greatly needed mattresses for the hospital -- now patients can rest in comfort to recover better.
**the orphanage worksite: we enjoyed a great (though very hot and sweaty) day of work on the site with North American and Ghanaian delegates plus a number of the women from the town. By the time we left, the second story was well under way.
**Town Hall: an extraordinary day of inspiration and empowerment, with over 150 diverse voices heard from townspeople, envisioning the desired future for Axim and exploring the challenges that need to be dealt with.

Tuesday, Kumasi

Let's do some quick catch up,

Saturday:
Barbara G spoke with Womens Aglow group here, and Maryanne went with her.

Others went for wade in water to get into a boat that took us to the island with the Axim light house. Most climbed to top of light house for a grand view back to Axim and out to sea, and watched the fishing boats ride the waves in and out of the bay. James K really gave of himself as he carried Jerome from land to boat to load, off load on island, and then reverse back to mainland. What a gentle soul we've seen in James K.

Afternoon to Nzulezu Village. Took over an hour bus ride, then an hour row boat ride with heavy oars, to reach the village that is built on stilts in the water. Then hour boat ride back, and long bus home.

Sunday:
Rich spoke at a Methodist church in town, and several delegates went to hear.
Delegates coming and going, starting to pack.
Jerome visited a family at the hospital, as the wife had been in car collision north of Axim and had double amputation of legs. He went to give hope since he's here and doing fine after his own amputation.

Closed the GCJ time in Axim with circle and speaking highlights with each other. The King of Lower Axim came to bid us farewell and thank us fo all that had been done with the orphanage, the town hall meeting, all the help given throughout Axim community. He passed out our certifiates for the American delegation with our Ghanaian names they'd given us the Saturday before and made us honorary citizens.
Closing dinner was a huge baracuda fish -- very good!

Monday:
Back on American time now, departed hotel about 5 minutes late, rather than our typical waiting 1/2 hr or more to start things in Ghana time.
Bus to Takoradi, where James K, Barbara and Susan P were at SKYY news station for interview for TV. We'd already learned that the prior Saturday celebration with Lower Axim King and chiefs had been on national TV showing all the hospital mattresses that Jeanie had spear headed as a sub-project for this trip.
While the three interviewed, most of us stood in line exchanging anything we had for Ghana currency at Foreign Exchange.
Lunch with Catherine R from Bellingham who's living north of Cape Coast and runs a travel agency there to support an orphanage with funds; and then on the bus again.
On to Kakum National Rain Forest -- and a walk on the canopy walk high in the trees.

Arrived into Kumasi last night at hotel about 10:30pm. The drive north to Kumasi in the evening was filled with a long and wonderful electric storm show off in the sky to west. Arriving at hotel, we all worried about bus clearing the entry with the luggage on top. The security guys outside said not to worry. Then we heard a "crunch", and ended up backing out. Thankfully not our luggage, but it had go the ladder at back of bus. Alll were tired, and went quick to bed. Rumors this morning of Tuesday is that somehow Tom and Louise got the hotel's honeymoon suite last night, though we were all supposed to have similar rooms.

Annie and Anna Esi came with us from Axim to be with us in Kumasi.

Tuesday:
Breakfast of a tasty omelette, toast, jam, oatmeal, and the coffee or milo that we drink.
Group split into 3 groups for market morning.

One group met up with Elizabeth and Charlotte, who live in Kumasi, relatives of friend back in Seattle. How wonderul that Charlotte guided the one group through market for purchases before going to palace museum. This market is like none other in world. Huge! so many stalls of small 1-2 person businesses. Food, meat, clothing, fabric, jewelry, shoes, household, just goes on and on. Tight quarters also, as most opted out sooner than the alloted whole time because of claustraphobia. Of the world travelers in our group, none had seen or experienced anything like this market.

Tonight after dinner we meet Charlotte Abaka, a Ghanaian woman who is highly regarded in areas of Human Rights, and helping Liberia with trying to stabilize and set up infrastructure. She is representative to UN for Liberia from Ghana.
Then we lose Jerome and Rich who head north tomorrow, and Anna Esi and Annie back to Axim.

Best to all, and prayers. And especially family and friends back in Washington State where the internet news shows there is record rain and rivers flooding.

Signing off,
Diana blogging for the group.

(Sorry for any typos -- difficult keyboard here.)

Greetings from Axim Sat evening, 11/4

Blogging for the group's big day is Diana.

Dear family and friends,

Breakfast started here at hotel with Administration of secondary school coming to breakfast to award and give gifts to Jackie J and Jerome C for their work in the secondary schools here this week. About 4 came from the school administration to make the presentation. How great it was to see our current and retired teachers in the delegation honored.

Susan H had organized through Bentil that we be able to go into the water with boat this morning. So most of N. American delegation went, and some of Ghanaian delegation who were in a boat for the first time in their lives. We left the Axim beach, wading into the water to get to the boat and on it, with lots of little kids around playing in the water. Headed to Bebo Ayeze Island out in the bay where the Ghana Ports and Harbour Lighthouse sits. We saw trees with bird nests, hanging upside down, and yellow birds flying around. Some said from canary family. Most of us climbed the very steep 3 flights of curved stairs to top of light house for magnificent views and pictures. One could look back to the Castle of Axim which had been used to house slaves before deporting them. In between Bebo Ayeze Island and the castle, there was a small island that we learned earlier was where the slaves were led to through a tunnel to be put on boats, never to return again. In more current years, that castle has been used for some administration offices. We also could see the colorful flags on boats flying as boats road waves in and out to the sea. (We saw their catch later on when on the beach.)

Upon returning to the beach, we waded through the water again to dry sand, and there was a porpoise that had been caught -- by accident. A tuna had been on the line, and the porpoise had gone for the tuna and swallowed the hook. Around the beach, the catch of the day was being distributed, and women cutting up some fish. The meat looked like a wine color of red.

While on the boat trip, Barbara G and Maryanne W went to Women's Aglow meeting where Barbara spoke this morning. They reported a good session with the women.

After lunch, all but two of us in Amercan delegation and most in Ghanaian delegation headed by bus to Nzulezu village. To get there, we rode about 1 hr, then had to canoe via canals and a lake, paddling about 1 hr, 4 or 5 of us to a boat. This village is well known because it is on stilts in the lake. Once there, we walked the "main path" above the water with their housing and school rooms along the way. Primary education is done there, older goes out somewhere to school. Protocol always means you visit the chief, and tell him of your visit. Our Ghanaian friends gave the chief a bottle (probably gin), and then translated some history the chief told us about. Originally the people here were from Mali, elsewhere in Africa, and came here and settled to avoid war. Intermarriage occurred over many years, and now they call themselves Ghanaians. Returned via the boats, and more paddling (and these paddles are of very heavy wood!) and got rained on. Here in these boats a few of our new Ghanaian friends from Axim in the delegation came, and it was also their first time in boats, hanging on tightly, and first time to Nzulezu.

Arrived back at hotel about 7:30pm, it gets dark here at 6pm being on the equator. Full moon tonight is shining brightly. Then all ate dinner, and Jerome led the group in a "talent show night"

Tomorrow Rich will be giving the sermon at a Methodist church. Others are going to various churches and spending their last day in Axim. The Monday morning departure early will come too soon. Sunday evening the District Executive is coming and hosting a banquet at our hotel restaurant for our last night together.

How can it be that we leave Axim on Monday? So soon!! We'll all cherish tomorrow and our last visits with folks here. Monday will be drive to Kumasi via lunch with Barbara G's friend in Cape Coast.

Dennis, our psychiatrist and hence, Dr., has helped arrange help for Ablema, the young 13 year old girl with eye problems. About 6 months in Cape Coast with treatment and lodging with Dr. there should cost about $500 USD. We hope to get enough to help the family make this happen.

Signing off for the evening, Diana, blogging again today to help share with family and friends back home.

Posting this Saturday mid-day from Axim Ghana, Delegate Diana.

I see you've not had much to read the last few days, so I will try to fill you in.

Wed. 11/1, we all worked at the orphanage site, clearing land, carrying scrap wood to piles, gravel, sand, and water for mixing cement to lay rest of second floor. The women of Axim responded to call for volunteers and came with their pans which carried gravel, sand, and water when placed on their heads. A few of us tried, but it was tough. The best were Jeanie and Suz who got right in line and carried the heavy contents.

Ravyn, Jeanie, Susan, and Barabara went to check out sanitation in schools. The condition is one of which they discovered no water or running toilets. This inspired Ravyn for the Engineers without Borders project she will be proposing.

Thurs.
Off to Anna Esi's village, called Okonu, and Susan H. and Jeanie gave presentations to adults in community, in a borrowed school room. Presentations on hygeine to help control infections and HIV/AIDs where many were pleased to receive free condoms. JJ and Mustafa did the translation and JJ's second career might be an HIV/AIDs educator instead of journalist.... Louise filmed while there, and we had all the school kids who wanted to shake every hand of the few of us Obrunyi who had come. Returning by bus we stopped and had coconut cut for drink, and then cut to eat. About 7 or 8 coconuts cost 8000 cedis, which is about 80 cents.

Afternoon was part one of gender dialogue, men with men about what it is like to be a man in the world. Women with women. This was rich in the women's circle as our Ghanaian delegate women broke culture norm to not share deep secrets. What these women have been subjected to is something all must raise up and encourage them. Part 2 was continued on Friday afternoon

Evening at beach for dinner and entertainment from local dance and drumming group. Wow can they move! Leif had his eye on a big drum, one shaped like a torpedo, wondering if he could get one home.

Friday
About 9 or 10 delegates went with Mustafa to his Muslim village. Spent a few hours there. Our delegates had to dress more conservatively to go there. Especially shocking for those who went was to observe the women in the village contained behind a thick cloth barrier, as they weren't to be seen by the men. This fueled the Gender dialogue Part 2 when men and women came togerher in the afternoon.

In the a.m. Diana visited the Women's training institute in Axim. They learn dressmaking, hairdressing, catering, batik, and more. Fees are about $80 for 3 years, enrollment at 70, can handle 120, but many can not afford to go to the school. With the hairdressers, I offered to let them touch my hair, and they eagerly accepted the offer; They were so suprised and said "It doesn't feel like ours." Found a computer room of 20 computers, 10 worked, were 16 MB ram, and using Windows 95. Abysmal. Need to get more current equipment here for them, and share with the secondary school a few kilometers away.

Friday a.m. Mahara and Dennis worked with Concerned Elders Assocation -- teaching them more conflict resolution tools. Mahara will follow up during her 6 week stay past our departure.

Friday evening the delegates made dinner together. We've been eating Ghanaian food, and now people shared food they wanted others to try. Amercians did: stove top chicken dressing, macaroni and cheese, matzo balls and chicken soup, dried apples, and more.

Jackie and Jerome were awarded this Sat a.m. at breakfast an award and appreciation gift from schools for having taught there. How grande!

Better post before I lose what I wrote-- these computers are slow.

Diana, writing for all,