Dear Family and Friends,

Indeed, what an ending!!

Very busy week and most enjoyable - at least very interesting!  Always full of the unexpected.  We have learned how to be more patient - almost to the point of comatose.

Tuesday at school the Proprietor held a brief good-bye ceremony for us at a Faculty Meeting.  He presented each of us with beautiful hand woven Kente cloth.  Joan's was in three pieces with the idea that she would have it made into an African two piece dress with a wrap - we don't know all the Ghanaian terms for what it would be called.  Harry was presented with a huge one piece material that men wear to very formal occasions - like weddings and funerals.  The man would wear it wrapped around the body and then draped over one shoulder.  On the way home we stopped at the tailors and he is making an outfit for Joan by tomorrow.

On Tuesday many of the students left school to go to the Presbyterian Teacher Training College to practice for the marching.  Classes were small and we had a chance to chat with some of the students.  Wednesday was our last day.  We gave all the JHS students pens with blue and red ink.  The reason for this is the students take notes in their notebooks with headings in red ink and text in blue ink.  Red pens go flying from one to student to another, or blue ones.  It seems not all students have their own pens all the time - we have also become the tree which bears pens. The red pen business is an issue for us because it takes up so much time - so we thought it was a clever gift when we saw them in Accra.  The kids were delighted and laughed.  We also gave them pencils.  Some students cried and they all want our address and phone - no they didn't get our phone because we would be deluged with calls.  We also went into the classes and spoke about the field trip to Kakum Park and Cape Coast Castle - the slave trade fort. 

Independence Day!!!  Thursday was the big day - 51st anniversary - and the DAY to March.  It actually starts with Vera getting up at 2:30 and making hot chocolate which is poured in individual plastic baggies, tied and clipped.  These are put into a big picnic cooler (or a hotter).  Students were told to report by 8:00 to the park at the Teacher Training College - a huge field in the the blazing sun.  hey set up a sound system and canopies for the dignitaries, guests and obronis who can't bare the sun.  We arrived at about 8:30 dressed in our finest Ghanaian attire.  Many schools were already lined up in their section of the field.  It was very impressive to see all the kids in their various school uniforms in many colors and styles.  We visited with our students until almost everything was ready  - including Harry and camera - around 10:00.  It started with the band in the middle of the field, the cadets (represent the armed forces and the police), and then the dignitaries are driven onto the field in big cars.

When the chiefs got our of their cars, an attendant held a big cloth umbrella with a fringe over him.  The chiefs also have golden staffs - symbols of power.  After the National Anthem and saluting of the flag,  a member of the President's cabinet read the president's speech - very, very, long.  The students continue to hold their positions, ready for marching and the inspections of their lines by the dignitaries before they march.  The marching actually started at 11:20 with the cadets first, and they did three passes in front of the grandstand and the judges.  Then the students started at about noon - remember they have been there since 8:00 - how many American students would do this?

There were about 10 Primary Schools, 10 Junior High Schools, 7 or 8 Senior High Schools.  The School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf were represented.  The Teacher Training College was represented as well as a Women's Group and ZoomLion - a band of waste management workers with their bicycle driven trash container.

The students marched past as the band in the middle of the field played the same music over and over to give the students the beat for the march.  The Primary School which won is where our neighbor's little girl attends - and she marched.  The Junior High School which won was AKUFFO TOM JHS - WE WON!!!!  They did an excellent job and in unison. They looked sharp in their new green and yellowish uniforms.  The kids were ecstatic!!  We do not know if there was any prize other than a certificate.  Vera served the hot chocolate.  The event ended about 2:00pm. 

While the kids were having their refreshments, Maxwell, the proprietor, brought us to a carpenter who is making new sturdy desks for the JHS - the ones we had made 4 years ago are in bad shape.  It is unbelievable what this climate does to buildings and furniture!  He wanted us to see that money is being well spent.  

Now we had to get ready for the excursion on Friday.  It started after we arrived home on Thursday - about 3:30.  Vera had some girls over to help out.  We were making rice, fried chicken and donuts for most of the people who were going on the field trip - no McDonald's on the way.  We also made hot chocolate - but that was a 3:30 am assignment.  We went to bed about 11 - later than normal for us, but the girls left except for one who stayed overnight. Oh,by the way, Vera's mother arrived the day of the marching along with her sister-in-law with her two nephews who were going on the field trip.  Her mother had cataract surgery in one eye about 1 1/2 weeks ago, and Vera wanted her to come here to REST because her village was too rural and dusty.  So we had quite a contingent of people in our humble abode - all doing different things.  Vera only lost her cool with the young helpers a couple of times - Joan did exactly as she was told - the wrath of Vera is not to be toyed with!

We were up by 3:30 to finish whatever had to be done - bagging the hot chocolate, bagging the rice and chicken and the donuts.  We forgot to mention that we lost electricity early in the evening when we were making donuts in the electric donut maker. Soooo we got our trusty little flashlights and candles.  It's amazing what you can see by candlelight. The Africans, have special night vision.  They travel at night without flashlights on the paths and roads.  Of course we still don't have running water - we were not on dish detail. It poured rain most of the night, but we still didn't have running water.

We were supposed to be at the junction to meet the bus at 5:30 am - this was a 5 hr bus trip.  We had to carry all the stuff - a huge cooler with hot chocolate and a smaller cooler with hot chocolate, the rice and chicken, donuts and dishes (no paper plates here).  Vera and Joan carried the large cooler up to the main veranda and Janet, a student, put it on her head!!  We had to go down and up the ravine - -with a stream which had formed from the rain - mud and in the dark - it gets light about 6:00. Janet had high heels on - not Joan!  She didn't slip or faulter once.  At the top of the ravine we walked to the main road an hailed a taxi to drive us to the bus stop. Our buses had not arrived yet and all the students were there.  There were 130 of us - 110 students and 20 adults.  Students were supposed to bring food for themselves, but Vera said that some don't.  The buses arrived around 6:45.  The Canadian Bluebird yellow school bus with a capacity of 62 had about 85 to 90 of us on it.  A smaller bus with capacity of 25 had some and Maxwell had to bring his SUV for the rest (this was not in the plans!).  Harry and Joan had the honor of sitting in the front of the bus sharing the seat with a small student - we were lucky - there were some seats with 5.  It depended on your size!!  We also had all the food on the bus and a few extra people unknown to us who stood at the entrance of the bus with the door open!  By the time we managed to pack all of us in the various vehicles it was 7:20 - almost two hours later than the time we SHOULD have left - according to Harry!  Harry's patience was bing STRETCHED to the MAX.

We had two stops - one for breakfast - donuts and hot chocolate - or something from a vendor if you had money. The next one was for relieving the bladders - Joan did not have to go, but Harry did.  He lined up with all the rest! When we arrived at Cape Coast the decision was made to do Kakum National Park first which was an additional 35 km away.  The kids sang songs most of the way and one boy had a whistle which he blew constantly - we think for the beat of the songs.  The singing was great - the whistle was not.  AT 12:20 we arrived at the park to find that all of the schools in Ghana were there - at least 50 buses!!!!  When we checked in we were given a 3:30 entrance time - Joan laughed - Harry wanted to go do the castle in Cape Coast - but the decision was made to stay because they said they might get us in earlier than 3:30.  The students could see the small museum which is very good.  They also had lunch. At about 2:30 they allowed our group to start the climb - pretty steep but with a stone path and stairs. When we go to the top we realized we were at the end of a very long, long line ( A Disney line).  We still had a ways to go before they reached the canopy walk.  Several small groups were passing us until our headmaster was blocking their way and asking them to please wait in line like the rest of us.  By this time there were other schools behind us. We were still in line at 4:45 - our students were in single file and were perfect!!

HOWEVER, two or three other schools decided to forge ahead, much to our dismay and our pleading for them to stay in line - we were all waiting for the same thing.  Students and teachers charged ahead, 5 abreast, trampling over the vegetation off the path and pushing those of us in front of them.  Joan was pushed off the path and almost fell, but she caught herself and shouted for Harry.  Our headmaster was shouting for them to stop - but it was like a stampede.  Joan shouted to the headmaster that she was not going further and was going to report the incident to the management.  Harry and Joan started back down.  Along the way, the person in charge was on her way up with flashlights.  We reported the incident to which she apologized profusely.  She wanted to make up for it and we said they could give our school a free day, since we were leaving the country on Monday! 

There was an incident at the top with the teachers from our school and the other schools.  One of the schools was a Seventh Day Adventist school for Koforidua which is not that far from Akropong.  Another was a government secretarial school. 

All of our students did get to go on the canopy walk and were thrilled.  Many of our teachers were really scared.  One said he would never do it again. We waited for everybody at the Park Center.  We met some volunteers who were going to stay at the lodge overnight and tour in the morning.  Our group finished at about 6:15 - and it was quite dark - we brought our trusty flashlight!!  We all ate in darkness in the parking lot.  We departed for home at 7:15! 

When we were close to home, Maxwell was pulled over at a checkpoint stop.  He had a minor accident with a taxi who pulled in front of him.  After much palaver, and the police seeing that we had many kids who needed to be home,  they allowed him to go.  The bus dropped students off in their villages and towns along the way, blowing his horn to alert the parents of our arrival.  We were back home by 1:00am!!!! - totally exhausted!

We started this letter yesterday, but we were too tired to finish - amazing weekend!
We will send a final epistle after we get home.  It has been a fantastic experience and yes we would do it again!! Thank you for all your letters, thoughts and prayers.

Love and Prayers,
Harry and Joan