Ghanaians sure know how to throw a birthday party. My 21st was one to remember: I sang a solo in a Ghanaian church, watched the US come within a few minutes of beating the world's best football team, ate a goat that was killed for the birthday festivities, and capped it off with a taste of the local drink.Church was a pleasant surprise. I was thrilled to receive an invitation to attend the small Apostolic congregation's worship service in Marfokrom while walking home with eggs and bread for breakfast. One of the ladies on the street stopped me in my tracks - "Kwabena (my Ghana name) - you should come to church with me." I handed off the eggs to my 'sister' and walked to the place of worship. Along the way, my guide noticed my shirt - dirty from the well water - was turned inside out. "Turn it around Kwabena." So then and there - on Marfo's Main Street - I smartly took off my shirt and turned it around. And off we went.
The church service was elegant, filled with energy, passion, and enthusiasm. Upon entering I was asked to introduce myself to the congregation of about 25 people. In the local language, I told them my name, home, 'mission' in Ghana, and thanked them for welcoming me. Even still, I wasn't truly welcomed until I led the small congregation in a terribly off-pitched rendition of "Holy, Holy, Holy." The approvals came in the form of claps, head nods, and a few chants. I took my seat, and enjoyed a beautiful sermon, delivered in English and the tribe's language.
Six hours later I again found myself praying. This time, it was for the fate of the United States v Brazil pairing in the finals of the Confederation Cup soccer tournament. I was invited to watch with the local school's headmaster, Arthur, and his son. As anyone who watched the game knows, my prayers were answered for the first 45 minutes, as the US played brilliantly to enter halftime with a 2-0 lead. In the end, Brazil proved again why they are the best, and won 3-2. More memorable than the final score, however, was the dancing around the room that ensued following the US goals. Hands clasped with my fellow football fans, we did what must have looked like a rain dance as we yelled our approval. It was quite the birthday tv-viewing.
Did I mention the goat? Three of our nine team members had birthdays this past weekend. As part of the celebrations, we killed a goat - thanking our ancestors and God for the blessing first, of course - to barbecue. Without going into too much detail (the vegetarian girls in our group struggled with the cultural practice), it will suffice to say that goat meat is spectacular, and a terrific birthday meal!
Table tennis on a wooden table made by the local teenagers (wind and hills add a dimension to the sport...), a sip of the local drinks to celebrate my 21st, and some great time spent with the other members of our team capped off what was a fantastic birthday celebration here in Marfokrom.
As a closing note: thanks to the Central Michigan fan who chose to give away their "Fire Up Chips - GO CMU!" t-shirt. Seeing that it was a medium, I bought it for about 70 cents (in dollars) off a table last week at a market near this internet cafe. It fits me very well.
