Ankaase Community Service...

There is currently an American mission team from Dunwoody United Methodist Church here with us at the clinic on a brief visit as they are only staying 4 days on site, today being their last day. They have a medical team which is providing free consultation and drugs to many many patients and as i write they are a couple of hundred people waiting and it has been the same the past couple of days. People have come from villages all around the lake for the free clinic. They also have a construction team who are helping out on the building site, helping with electrical work and anything else that needs done.

On Sunday past we took part in another community church service. This time in Ankaase (which means under the orange tree).

While we were waiting for the service to begin Rebecca and I took the opportunity to sit by the lakeside with some of the local children who sat with us and talked to us and then joined us during the serivce.
People always make an effort to look their best on a sunday morning for church and this little guy was actually wearing a 3 piece suit.


Each church had their own meeting to take care of any business/announcements and then came to join us at the lakeside under the trees which was thankfully shaded and nice and cool, and it was great to see some of the workers from the site who live in Ankaase there with us.


Each church took part in the service whether that was leading the singing or praying.
Ankasse Methodist choir

Rebecca and I read the 2 lessons in English - being introduced as Abena Junior and Abena Senior to distinguish between us as we both have the same day name! - then a member of one of the local congregations read it in Twi.

Andrew and Michael then spoke to the crowd from Matthew 25:31-49 - the parable of the sheep and the goats.

Andrew was clearly having far too much fun!!

Which for me was particularly poignant as the first time this passage really struck me was when i spent some time in Uganda. So to be back in Africa and to hear this passage preached on was very special.

Of course there was plenty of dancing and singing with Grace one of the clinic ward assistants making sure that Rebecca and i didnt sit still for too long!


In the afternoon the team led a 'Vacation Bible School' in Ankaase.


We took over the football pitch playing games with the children, unfortunately the weather didnt really hold back long enough for the full programme to take place but the many kids who came (probably 2-3 hundred) all seemed to enjoy there afternoon with the team.

One memory i will go away with is dancing with a group of women looking over the field. Beetrum was playing some twi songs over the sound system so Rebecca and i started to dance - as we do anytime we hear music :)
Soon we were surrounded by a number of women young and old, only too happy to show us their moves and smiling with delight as we copied them. Sometimes we worry so much about not being able to communicate or talk to the people in Twi...but sometimes words arent even needed and this was one of those moments - those women were just happy to spend that time with us dancing, smiling and laughing.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!
Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)