Resting in the Lord
Since some of us are going to leave tomorrow, Lee and Michelle from the local HCJB office decided to give us a day off and give us a quick tour of the main attractions in the area.
So, we started the day at the Kakum National Park with a nature/jungle stroll and a walk on the seven suspended rope bridges (called canopies).
The forest was thick, lush, and almost equatorial with a little mist of humidity floating above the trees... We had not expected to see many animals as the walk took place close to lunch time, but some of us were lucky enough to see monkeys in the forest below. The walk on the suspended bridges, although challenging, was much easier than expected. Some of us brave enough to swing the canopies got yelled at by the other visitors as the height between the trees is 60 feet to the ground.
As we left the park and drove towards the Cape Coast area to have lunch at the beach, we were mesmerized by the creativity displayed by the locals in choosing the right names for their businesses. As the African superstitions believe that invoking the name God or passages of the Bible will bring luck to the owner of the enterprise, you end up seeing God Our Redeemer Machine Shop, or In His Time Meat Shop, or With God Carpentry Work... It would be worth it one day to just stop and walk through the various shops hunting for the most amusing name.
We ended up at a quaint beach restaurant eating various fish dishes and body-surfing the waves for a couple of hours.
Very close to the beach, rises the most famous castle in the centuries-long history of African slave trade - the Elimina Castle.
Established in the 15th century by the Dutch traders, the castle has the fame of processing 60 million slaves over the years. Only a third survived the most inhuman treatment imaginable provided by the people, to people in the name of God or power. The castle still smells like death. We spent an hour in the castle and we were all moved by the stories we heard and read.
So ended a beautiful and relaxing day of refreshment and recollection - not before we got struck by a power outage for a good chunk of the evening.... But this is Africa - love it or leave it. We love it.
Father, thank you for giving us the opportunity to have such an amazing time today - all of us together, one last time before some of us have to return home. We have been moved to the deepest corners of our souls by your amazing grace, love, and power here in Ghana - thank you for blessing us beyond limits with these two weeks together. Many of us will never be the same after this trip. Please continue to open doors of amazement to us and show us where we can begin to marvel at your goodness - Amen.
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