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First Baptist Church in Ghana
Reflections Day Ten
Written by Nana (Emelia) Etse
Thursday September 20 was our last day in Ghana. We began the day very early
in the morning as we had to pack up, check out of the hotel and report to
the airport to catch the return plane back to New York by 10:20 am.
Our nine days travel through Ghana took us to the U S Embassy in Accra, Okyenhene’s Palace at Kyebi, University of Ghana at Legon, The Children Orphanage home at Osu, Korle-Bu Teaching hospital, Elmina Slave Castle at Cape Coast, Kente village at Bonwire near Kumasi and several houses of worship in both Accra and Kumasi.
The trip was co hosted by Okyehene, Osagyefuo Ofori Pani (a traditional African ruler) and the Reverend Steve Asante, the president of the Ghana Baptist Convention. Throughout our visit in Ghana, we were welcomed and entertained by royals from the Akyem Abuakwa kingdom, held meetings with religious leaders, top business people, and students of higher education. We walked through historical and venerated grounds and visited the deserted young people and abandoned HIV/AID patients in Accra.
Isaiah 55:4 – See. I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. As I reflect on this verse and our experience in Ghana, the places we visited, the people we met, and excerpts from sermons Pastor Soaries delivered, I realize that I have participated in something extraordinary. Looking at the composition of the team members, I cannot but appreciate the fact that it takes the work of a great leader like Pastor Soaries to be able to organize a team consisting of the young and not so young, born in the Americas, the Caribbean Islands and Africa.
The more we moved around and interacted with each other, the more we learned how much we share in common as one people, the children of Africa. Whether you are in America or in Africa, we share each other’s glory and bear each other’s burden. So let us heed the call to follow our great leader with a vision to unite and build on our strengths and not remain segmented in our individual shells. “Hebrews 13:17 - Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
From Acts 2:17 – “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” It is now clear to me that, our mission trip to Ghana is the beginning of something eminent. For once, it seems Africans in Diasporas and Africans in Africa will be able to move beyond the adverse effects of Slavery and Colonialism and work together for a better future for the children of Africans.
As it is said in Ghana “Ye da mo ase ne mpaebo ne mo mmoa” (We
thank you for your prayers and support.)