In every village there is a character that stands out as the village unusual. Even here in Ghana this seems to be a reality too. We serve 17 villages in the Abomosu District with 5 being the main church branches. As we have visited the saints and community members of most of these small villages, we have picked out the town unusual, as it were. I would like to share some of their characteristics for our blog this week. I will be gentle as to not poke fun disrespectful but just enlighten inquiring minds. Remember most of these people have lived in their village for most of their live and those that have moved here are humble as the natives.
Obomso is a small village south of Abomosu towards Asuom. There is a fellow, who lives there, probably in his mid 5o’s that has lived in the town for years. Originally he came from the “north” country of Ghana. He is a farmer and raises Cassava and Plantain. He is always in town in the evenings at his little shop. He never married and I don’t know why. I have asked him yet just couldn’t understand completely. We pass through the town usually once or twice a week, and most times have seen him there along the road sporting his NBA official basketball jerseys. We have never seen him in any other attire other that a NBA jersey. He is known for a collection of NBA jerseys. 95% of all the clothes people wear during the week are donated clothing to the nation’s people from some European country’s or America. The clothing is distributed to the Ghana citizens through small venders that will distribute those clothes to smaller street venders who will sell the clothing to the people here in the bush. A full size dress may cost 15 cents and so on. There are venders who will specialize in the latest “hip hop” fashion or those that specialize in children’s clothing. The main distributors that go through the truck load of donated clothing to pick out those items they specialize in. Then others will come for those articles of their choice and so on until the load is dispersed to all of the venders. This fellow only collects and sells NBA jerseys. He does have a great collection and some of the young boys in the area wanting a special jersey to swoon a young girl, will go to Obomso for that special NBA jersey sold by this fellow. The interesting thing is that I have never spoken to a young man or adult who has been wearing a NBA jersey who knows what team the shirt represents- it is just a very colorful, sleeveless shirt. Even this fellow who sells the jerseys has no idea what they represent in America. I shared with him while looking at his collection that the red one hanging in the corner of his small wooden shop represented the Chicago Bulls and they were a great basketball team in their day. He asked me most sincerely what was basketball? I remember seeing one old basketball a few months back in Abomosu, but it was being used as a soccer ball on a school field. How do you explain NBA basketball to someone when they are kicking the ball with their feet? Obomso has a great collection of jerseys though.
In the town of Kwabeng, there is an older woman who is a member and is the Primary President. She will be somewhere around 60 +. She has a heart of gold and loves the children. Her husband was shot years ago in the hip by a hunter who missed a Grass Cutter (big gofer) and due to infection died shortly afterwards. That was over 20 years ago. She has raised 6 children who still live in the surrounding areas. The missionaries taught her and she saw the truth through the eyes of the primary children and has served in that capacity for over 8 years. She dresses well with beautiful African color dresses and designs, and always wears a golf hat. Yes, a golf hat. We have visited her at her humble home and she is always wearing a golf hat. She has a great collection of golf hats she has collected over the year’s maybe over 20 years I don’t know but a great collection indeed. Every Sunday she wears a different golf hat to church; a beautiful Sunday dress and a golf hat. This last Sunday she sported a lovely peach colored, lacy traditional dress and a black and white checkered golf hat. She conducted the primary program beautifully with all of the children preforming well, while sporting that golf hat all the while. Sister Dalton just couldn’t look at her because she would begin to giggle. I would have to poke her in the ribs to get her to straighten up as we were setting on the stand. Oh. What a picture I have in my mind forever now after that meeting. Bob Hope would be proud!
In Abomosu there is a down-syndrome young man. I’m sure he has been the brunt of some unkind actions and words over the years, but he has weathered the storm. He is in his mid- teens and is just a part of the flavor of our village. We always shake his hand and he bows to us like we were celebrity. Over the years he has associated the missionaries with kindness and a few cents has blessed his life, I’m sure. Usually at night when the town is filled with young people on the streets, they are listening to music someone has “jerry rigged” through a big loud speaker. It is really fun to just watch the folks as we eat a Fan Ice. (ice milk in a bag) This fellow is well known by all who live here because of his rhythm, I mean, he is truly filled with rhythm for the music of Africa. He will usually begin to dance in the middle of the road and a crowd soon surrounds him and is cheering him on. He is great and the moves he performs are precision and the crowd loves him. It is always different moves each time we have seen him and he is truly a sight to watch. It is a God given gift I’m sure and what a gift it is. Others have tried copied his moves but he is the one with the precision and “soul felt” rhythm that is unmistakable his gift only.
What a wonderful world we live in and the people we meet and get to know make life colorful. Oh how Father loves us all and even those just a bit different than the norm.
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