Daquah Afua sets by the opened door to the chapel and smiles
and greets all that come to the meetings. She extends a hand of welcome and I
graciously hold her hand and arm. Her hands are bent with age and a crippling disorder
from the time of her birth. She is now well in her 60s. She sets in a new
wheelchair today, and I comment on her “new blue wheels” from the Church’s Humanitarian
program. She grins even wider and says “I’m a real mover now, Elder Dalton.” Daquah
Afua was baptized in July of this year. She had owned a small Palm Wine stand
in Asunafo, where distillers would bring their buckets of fermented Palm Wine
to her to sell to the men on their way to and from farm. She would not partake
but would sell to passersby’s a cup full for 50 pesewas. She has been a fixture
at her stand for some 20 years as was known as the Palm Wine Seller. Each day her daily bread was realized by her clientele
who brought a drink of Palm Wine. She has never married, or stood straight and
tall as you and I. The missionaries would pass her stand and chide her that she
was doing the devils work and would
tell her she should close her shop and listen to their message. One day the two
Elders were prompted to stop and have a conversation with Daquah. She shared a
story of pain and suffering mostly caused by murmurings and unkind comments by
the community and especially the wives of her constant customers. She was
rejected by churches because of selling drink and her physical condition
challenge. She told of her challenge to provide for herself and that because of
her hands and legs bent and almost useless, she had come to this small stand over
20 years ago as someone to watch over the drink and moneys. She had been
kicked, pushed off her bench, witnessed stealing of the wine, spit upon, robbed
and even cursed by the local Witch Doctor paid by a group of community women;
still no one would come to her aid as how to support herself for her daily
bread. Eleven years back she was given a small wheel chair in need of repair,
it sat almost four years before the parts became available and it was rendered
useable. Both wheels were rims only when a member petitioned the Humanitarian
department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and acquired this
fine new chariot. As I sat through our Sunday School class at the back of the
chapel and listened to her story, I was humbled to witness the great change in
her life the Gospel had brought. She told of the Branch Council that had taken
her name up during one of their meetings after the missionaries said they
wanted to baptize Daquah Afua. She was living the commandments, the law of service
to others, the Word of Wisdom and had attended church for over two months now.
The Council discussed her employment and the scorn they had for her selling
Palm Wine, but realized too, that they could help her find better items to sell
rather than the Devils Drink. They
also discussed how they could make assignments each month to the young men of
the branch to push her wheel chair to and from services each week. Even the
Relief Society was given a month to perform this service for Daquah. One Sister
offered some help and said she made Tee Bread each Tuesday and Friday, and she
thought she could make a few more loaves for Daquah to sell instead of wine.
Others suggested other items from their own stores they would consign to Daquah
and her small selling stand. And so a plan was devised and implemented to close
the Palm Wine stand and refit her stand with simple common items used by each family
of the community. It was presented to Daquah that very afternoon by the Branch
President and his counselors. So after over 20 years of selling Drink, Daquah Afua refitted her stand with useful
donated items by loving and accepting members of the Asunafo Branch. She was
carried by two Elders into the waters of baptism and washed clean by the
wonderful Atonement, and heart was so filled with happiness. On Sunday July 29,
2012 she was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
and sustained as the Greeter for the
Asunafo Branch. She serves faithfully each week as she sets at her post and
smiles and greets each person who enters the chapel. There seldom is a time she
sets alone, for usually there is a child or two, upon her lap who feels the grateful
spirit of this sweet woman.
Above
is a picture of Daquah Afua and one of her weekly escorts ready to go home
after services
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