As normal my spur of the moment attempt at an adventure (what others call site seeing) ended in failure, not really disaster, but definitely not where I was expecting it. Online the LonelyPlanet Website lists a grand total of two real attractions in Accra Ghana, a light house and a National Museum. Looking for something to do other than sit around waiting for Gideon I decided the lighthouse sounded like fun. The travel guide said it gave a good view of the city. So I found a taxi and asked him to take me to the lighthouse. He wanted to know what kind of lighthouse, the church, the hotel, or the shop, and which one since apparently there were many of both. I tried to explain to him that to a lighthouse lighthouse, no chapel, no hotel, the lighthouse.
“You know big skinny building with a large light on top!”
Puzzeled look
“on the beach to help guide ships,”
Look of total bewilderment
“Lighthouse, downtown.”
“Downtown????”
At this point he started driving, although he clearly had no idea where he was going, I said nothing figuring I’d wait and see. We stopped by a bunch of his Taxi driver buddies. They conversed in their native tongue for a while then we started moving again. This time we stopped next to a huge magnificent church with a large statue out front, at least he got the tall building part correct. Here in the parking lot however we found a man who knew what I was talking about, and gave directions to the driver. However before we left he gave me a look – why would you possibly want to go there?
When we finally arrived I understood exactly why the driver had no idea what I was talking about, very short for a lighthouse it appeared to be very very old and certainly was not in use anytime in the recent past. It wasn’t exactly following down, but it sure looked like it wanted too. An old man without a cane who probably needed one. It was surrounded by Jamestown. a squalid stretch of sand, nets, boats, huts, and human waste that reminds you just how terrible we are at taking care of own. One loud echoing statement to the fact that humans really are more comparable to a malicious virus breaking out in constant angry red sores all across the skin of the earth, rather than the tender gardeners and care takers we are supposed to be.
In any case the woman who owns the lighthouse was apparently not there at the time, so I was unable to go up and get a “good view of the city” as the guide book so innocently put it. But I did get a chance to stroll down among the boats and nets and get a good look at this completely unimaginable life style. I immediately picked up a guide named, Vix (he not she), who showed me around a bit. I put up some of the pictures in the next post called “Structures and Life.” Not a waste of time, but not exactly what I planned.
Meeting with Pastor Gideon and the few members who were free to come was far more productive. We had a little Bible Study and the members showed great enthusiasm, There is hardly any greater praise I can give them than this that they constantly interrupted me with intelligent and to the point questions, searching out to know how this word of God applied to their specific life. May the Lord bless them and the work they are doing here.
Tomorrow I leave for Lome, Togo.
Pastor Matthew Ude