Day 6: Happy Sunday

 

Hello Family, Friends, Loved Ones, and All Readers!

 Forgive me for not introducing myself in my initial blog – I am Alec, a junior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin majoring in Actuarial Science and Leadership & Management. This trip has been transformational and I have appreciated sharing these moments with you all in the blog.

 Our emotional Saturday finished with a night out for our group, under the careful care of Officer Reginald and Evans. As part of our experiential learning, we shared laughs and sang karaoke at a local venue. The crowd loved our renditions of Before He Cheats and Country Roads!

Like every Sunday, we were blessed with the opportunity to attend church service the next morning! For context, over two-thirds of Ghanaians practice Christianity, with Islam and other religions rounding out the whole. There are numerous Christian denominations present in Accra, including Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Latter-Day Saints, and Evangelical Charismatic. Our church for the day was a youth-centered location on the campus of the University of Professional Studies Accra. The church is part of a larger group called Christ Embassy, which can best be placed in the charismatic bucket. 

Our group hails from various walks of life and religious backgrounds. As a result, our reactions to the church service varied; this enabled an enriching discussion afterwards on faith, spirituality, and cultural differences. The service itself was in a large auditorium with three levels; to our delight and surprise, every seat became filled. As a charismatic church, the structure of the service was unconventional. It began with proclamations and prayer, followed by a panel discussion and the sharing of testimonies. Next was a powerful and beautiful period of worship and the sermon. To gather a sense of the length of a typical service at this church, the service began at 9:00 and we exited at 12:30 - a few hours early - to continue with our schedule.

There were countless takeaways from this church service for our group. The general consensus amongst the group was the sense of unfamiliarity with this type of prayer and elements of the service. Also debriefed was the challenge of our own personal beliefs and interpretations of what faith should look like. We all appreciated the strong sense of community and culture present in the space, made evident through the widespread participation, beautiful outfits, and efforts to build others up. I admire the courage of my peers for maintaining our commitment to curious minds and open hearts. 

As a personal reflection, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Of course, I had my moments of confusion, but also moments of immense joy. The worship was powerful and it allowed me to encounter the Holy Spirit in a brand-new way. We speak so much of the differences between Ghana and the United States, it is equally important to speak of the similarities. There is a shared love for the Lord for Christians in both countries, made evident though the service today and conversations throughout the week.

 It is important to note that our experience today is unique to this church, and it does not provide a holistic view on the various churches throughout the country. We also hope to attend a Catholic mass during our stay.

 Our early departure from church was a consequence of our other plans for the rest of our free day: a trip to the beach! We snacked on juice packs, fruit snacks, and crackers as we made our way to Bojo Beach. After a short boat ride across a channel, we were greeted by warm sand and a cool breeze, which we particularly savored after learning it snowed in St. Paul! We of course swam in the ocean, but also played soccer & volleyball, read books, and searched for seashells. 

We finished our day with a new meal: peanut soup with chicken and a rice ball. And I know we have a mixed audience, but as a Wisconsinite I was delighted to listen to the Packers game on the radio long into the night: Go Pack Go!

I continue to pray for the health and safety of our group. On deck: a trip to the University of Ghana!

Best,

Alec