How can we celebrate a holiday that focuses on family traditions in a country where nothing is even remotely familiar? Several of the senior missionaries were asking that question when we decided we would not try to replicate home but have a completely new experience. We would take a trip to learn more about the land where we have been called to serve. The country of Ghana is divided into regions, each region has a different terrain, language and culture. We decided that the northern regions would offer the most contrast to Accra, so plans were made.
Our journey started Monday, December 20 and ended Sunday, December 26. Seven couples met at the airport for a short one-hour flight from Accra to Tamale. Once in Tamale we piled into two 12 passenger vans to start our adventure. One of the vans was passable (by American standards) with limited air conditioning and tinted windows (except where the tinting had peeled away). The other was more tro tro level with no air conditioning, peeling seat covers, minimal shock absorbers and balding tires. This is important to think about since northern Ghana has open savannahs and high heat. Plus, December is Harmattan, a season characterized by the dry and dusty winds (see sky picture above) which blow from the Sahara resulting in never ending brown skies and dust covering every surface around. Driving with the windows down on bumpy, red dirt roads was an adventure in and of itself. Luckily, everyone in the group had a charitable spirit and understood that rotating between vans was important, especially when we were on our long eight-hour drives.
Once the luggage was loaded, we headed three hours north to Bolgatanga, with a planned stop at Tongo Hills and Tenzug Shrine, a town of natural rocks and shrines. Although, we all agreed that if there was something that caught our eye, we would stop and explore.
Tongo Hills is a village where a chief, his twenty-three wives and over one hundred thirty children live in a 500–600 year-old palace. (Pictured below. The green roof building is a modern structure built as a community center by the government.)
The palace, a group of small round-walled-flat-topped huts is connected by stairways and open-air alleys.
At the entrance of most of the dwellings stands a small burnt pile of feathers, bones and sticks, or a shrine. The people believe when they need help or protection from demons, they can seek help of an idol (a three-foot-high structure of feathers, wood and bones) with the promise to sacrifice an animal of their choosing (bird, goat, etc.) if the requested help comes. If the person feels the idol answered her plea, they sacrifice the promised animal at the opening of their door.
In addition to the shrines within the palace, there is a large, natural stacked rock structure called Tenzug Shrine. We asked to visit, but the tightly held ancient rule is that all who enter must be bear chested, even the women. Some of the women in our group who really wanted to visit the shrine lobbied hard for an exception, but the village elders didn’t budge. We didn’t go.
It was interesting to meet members of the church in this area whose parents had grown up in this village. I wondered how a person raised to sacrifice animals and worship idols would in turn feel about raising a child who would embrace the Gospel.
Yes, the children go to school. Their school was under this rock overhang for hundreds of years. The small dark cave (see picture below) was their classroom. The white-painted rectangle was possibly used as a primitive blackboard. In 1985 the government built a schoolhouse that is still used today.
Driving from place to place is always an adventure! These police checkpoints pop up in random places at random times of the day. Sometimes the officers smile and wave you through, other times the opposite happens and there is no smile and there is a long delay to your travel plans. With all the driving we did, we went through many checkpoints varied experiences. Just another reason we say, TIA!
Two of the chief’s wives sitting outside of their dwellings. One with some of her family members, the other preparing grains for cooking.
One spontaneous stop was to watch a group of women weaving along the side of the road, they weren't selling, just weaving. Note how far the yarns are stretched from the loom.
Kitchens with pots and pans are a staple in all cultures. A creative way to avoid sleeping on a rock mattress. The mattresses in Ghana are literally hard as a rock. This helped us realize why the people think its ok.
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If you are wondering, yes, there was a lingering stench throughout the village |
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This woman was washing her dishes while her baby sat playing. Her husband is a son of the chief. He has four wives. He told us men only work part of the year, so there are periods of time they have nothing to do. But women’s work of cooking, etc. continues all the time. The men don’t need to help because, “there are plenties of women.” |
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