Good Sightseeing Day

First, you should know that I am drawing closer to acquiring my visas. It is somewht slow but moving forward. Hopefully all will be ready to go on Mon. as I have tentative plans to be in Nigeria on Oct 24, Wed. Also,I have completed my first lecture outline which I estimate will take 45 minutes before the U. of Ghana on Nov. 1.

Now onto today...I travelled to the grounds of the Convent of the Holy Spirit on the other side of Accra to visit and take a tour with Sister Mary Laureen who is Provincial Superior of Ghana, in charge of the 57 nuns there together with their sundry hospitals, and schools.

As some of you know, my kid sister was a member of that order for 7 years, being schooled,as was this Sister, at the home convent in Techny, Ill. She remembered my sister from the 60's when they were both there together. She came to Ghana from Techny in 1971 as a young woman (hometown was Erie, Pa.) and has been there ever since. As all people who have been here for awhile, she contracted malaria after one month but not the severe type. She has also had a no. of other tropical maladies over the years but has weathered it all very well. I asked her when she might retire and her reply was: "One half hour after I die." So god willing and the creeks don't rise, she will be here yet a long while.

The nuns she explained have never had a/c in their rooms, although her office does so to preserve the computers there. Her only luxury is a fairly new Prado SUV that is used for the necessary long transports to her other compounds, hosptls and schools in outer Ghana, the longest transport being 15 hours to the NE corner of GHana. She showed me her school there on the grounds. It is St. Mary's Secondary School and educates 700 young girls who live in the dorms there. Secondary school is the equivalent of our high school and only a small portion of Ghanas can go to secondary schools. Public schools are required only to Grade 9, then only those who test high can go on.

I ask the reader to imagine yourself as this young woman leaving Ill. to come for the rest of her life to this foreign land and live so frugally and with bare necessities all for the missions.

Another thing, In 1979, the Mormons and JW's were forced to leave b/c of their proselityzing the native peoples. The convent sisters did not do so, but instead ran hospitals and schools which include all religions. Thus, she explained that they were never asked to leave. It seems that here they act more like the Peace Corps, which is the only way to do this. Help these people, don't make them change their way of life.

When we ended our time, I got some pics and Sister gave me a ride back to my apt area in her Prado. What a nice ride and with a/c which eliminated worries about sitting in traffic jams along the way. Iwill now put the pics on the blog. Till next time...