February 7, 2005

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Accra, the capital of Ghana. I’ve been here just three weeks now, and I’m starting to feel right at home!

This is the third time I’ve arrived in an African country to settle in. This time I traveled with a friend and elder from my home church in Evanston, Illinois. Susan—or Suzy as she was nicknamed quickly here in Ghana—made this arrival the best yet. Usually when I come, I’m hit hard by sadness in leaving all of you, especially family, and I’m anxious about who will meet me, where I’ll live, how things are going to go. But Susan’s presence stayed my fears and allowed me to enjoy it instead. It was wonderful to have someone to see and experience things with for the first time. It was also so good to have someone to pray with and cry with. Susan brought joy, wisdom, encouragement, and she made folks aware she was here to make sure I was looked after and cared for. That was an incredible gift. It’s hard to ask for that help and care ourselves. Susan did that for me with real grace that engaged the different church leaders. Jesus sent disciples out two by two. Now I see better just why He did that.

People are friendly here in Ghana and willing to help. They greet you on the street, saying “Akwaba,” welcome. In the market if you give too much money, they return the change without your having to ask for it. Taxi drivers chat with you and smile despite the horrendous traffic in Accra. They observe stoplights too, which is novel in my experience! The skies have not been sunny, but I believe that’s harmattan, the Saharan desert winds that blow dust down here.

Though there are many of Internet cafes here, I’m lucky to find even one with functioning computers or servers. My fellow customers are mostly foreign travelers and the younger generation of Ghanaians. These young Ghanaians are writing for visas to the United States, downloading songs for MP3 players, ordering things from Amazon.com, seeking Internet companions throughout West Africa, and looking for scholarships to study abroad. One fellow reads his Bible while another prints pictures of rap stars in the United States. Once I heard the national anthem of the United States and a local Ghanaian singer at the same time. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the local church brought our worlds together as well as these little cafes do?

It looks like I may have found a place to live in a safe and quiet neighborhood. Though it needs some fixing up, I like it a lot because it’s an apartment, which means I won’t need private guards or workers. It was hard for me in Cameroon because when I traveled for weeks at a time I had to arrange things for the workers who came with the house. And it has a working phone line, so eventually I can email from home. There’s even an extra bedroom for a visitor or two!

My new title is “Regional Liaison for West Africa” (for the PC(USA)). I’ll be working with our denominational partners in Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, and Togo—and maybe beyond—to understand their priorities and serve as a connection between them and Presbyterians in the United States. Facilitating communication will be a big part of the job. I’ll also continue AIDS work, and I’ll continue with the work I’ve been doing the last three years in Cameroon and Congo. This means I really need to get to know these new partners and help them get to know me. I’ll also need to look realistically at a travel schedule that will take into account funding, my time, and my ability to establish a home and community here. (I think I need to be in Ghana enough to really make this place my home.)

Prayer requests

I seek your prayers for these things, especially for establishing a home and community for friendship and fellowship. I seek prayers for my relationship with the churches I will be working with. May God help me find people I can work with closely and honestly, and may God use us all together. Please pray that God keep my heart open and expectant to what He’ll do in my life here, and to trust that He is faithful to provide friendship and fulfillment no matter where I am.

I miss you all. Please write when you can at the address or email above. If you send anything, make sure it fits in mailing envelope that can fit in a post office box—that helps me avoid dealing with Customs! My phone number is: 00233 243 45 7441.

I haven’t learned a local way of saying “God be with you” yet. So, I’ll fall back on the words from Bensch in Ethiopia, “Yeare ne bana pet makay.”

Yours in Christ,

Caryl

The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 317