Dear Friends in Christ,

We have been busy here in Accra with the children and their school activities, as well learning more about the life of the church in Ghana.

The children completed their first term at a local Ghanaian school while awaiting admittance to the Ghana International School. This proved to be a very interesting introduction into Ghanaian culture for them. Sitting at the dinner table was always an experience, as Justine shared a new idiomatic expression in Twi (a local language). She is most fond of her teacher who provides the students with a daily sermon on most everything related to good Christian living. Yes, Justine has memorized them all and loves to share with us in her distinctive Ghanaian/British accent. Brandon’s and Marcus’s friends from church and soccer team keep them company over the weekends.

Wendy has begun studying Twi at the University of Ghana and really enjoys it. She has all of the greetings under control and is now picking up on some of the market language. She is also taking a course in the religion and culture of the people from northern Ghana. Gar has set aside this year for learning Twi while continuing to brush up on his French for travel to the francophone countries in West Africa.

In November, thanks to the Worldwide Ministries Division and some of you, we purchased a Volkswagen "Transporter" for our ministry. We are thankful that we no longer have to rent cars or hire taxis, but with every blessing comes a burden. The Transporter seats comfortably 11 passengers and looks much like the vehicles utilized for public transportation (called Tro-Tros). So, everywhere we go people are staring at us, pointing toward town with their fingers, and wondering why we don’t pick them up. We sense the frustration of the commuters waiting a long time to pack themselves into a car with 25 other passengers (vehicles built to accommodate 15 passengers) as our half-empty bus goes by. And then there are the tro-tro and taxi drivers who treat us as if we are competing for customers. They constantly cut us off, looking for paying customers along the road. Usually, a driver after some infraction will apologize to us, but there are the days when we must forgive, forget, and keep moving.

As the winter progresses, many people from northern Ghana come to Accra and remain here into the spring months. They come in search of work with no place to live. The situation in northern Ghana is difficult due to the heavy rains that spoiled crops this past season—on land that does not produce much to begin with. Thus, there are many people in the north who are without food and potable water. So, the trek (via tro-tro) to Accra is the only solution for many unemployed and hungry people—a common phenomenon affecting most of Africa’s larger urban centers. The problem is that there is no work in Accra either. The Ghanaian currency has depreciated about 50 percent against the U.S. dollar since our arrival in August. The merchants only increase the prices to the dollar-equivalent to maintain a profit margin, even on domestic products that should not be linked to the dollar. Meanwhile, wages are not increasing. Robberies are increasing and tempers are flaring. Scores of children, generally young girls, stand at every traffic light attempting to sell everything from toilet tissue to car parts. Children are not protected by laws, not enrolled in school, and are often abused for their presence on the street during rush hour. Being ethnic minorities does not help their situation or win them sympathy, as ethnocentrism is most apparent in the treatment of the northerners.

Some weeks ago we heard the Rev. Dr. John Azumah preach at the Accra Ridge Church (a Presbyterian, Methodist, and Anglican fellowship). He is responsible for the Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s Northern Outreach Program (NOP), which is spreading the gospel to the people in northern Ghana, where Islam and traditional religions are practiced. The NOP is also helping northerners in southern Ghana find congregations for worship in northern languages. He challenged the Ridge congregation to treat their brothers and sisters from the north as humans, to understand the spiritual needs of the northerners, and to support the ministry of the NOP. Since most of the northerners provide domestic services to the southerners, he really hit home when he told the congregation to at least allow their workers to go to church on Sundays! The congregation was touched and challenged by Rev. Azumah, as they could not escape the reality of the inhumane or unchristian behavior which was driven by ethnocentrism (tribalism). Rev. Azumah’s point was that since Jesus loves us all, let us demonstrate this same love in our treatment of others. The Ridge congregation has been a faithful supporter of the NOP since its inception.

We have taken up the challenge to work with the NOP in addition to learning more about the church in Ghana. Wendy will work with the Women’s Vocational Center, where women from the north are gaining some life skills and running a batik dyeing business that supports some of the ministry’s activities. The women are thrilled that Wendy desires to work with them as one of them. In fact, Wendy will go through the process that any new apprentice must undergo before becoming to an accomplished dyer. Wendy’s course work in Twi and northern culture will be of great assistance. Additionally, she will work through the coordinator of the program to facilitate life-skill workshops, Bible studies, and seminars on small-business basics.

As we close, we solicit your prayers as we continue to acclimate ourselves to life in Accra. We ask also that you pray in a special way for the young people who have migrated to Accra in search of the mythical big-city riches, especially the girls who cannot protect themselves from the dangers of the city. Lastly, pray that the powerful will understand that Jesus loves us all equally and treat the not-so-privileged accordingly—everywhere.

With Christ’s Love,

The Kelley Family

The 2000 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 33