Ghana '08

Many of you will be wanting to hear how I got on Ghana, and no doubt some of you will see the entire photo collection.

I went to the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast Youth Camp 2008 (theme: Imitating Christ: The Anglican Youth as a model). I was sent by the Episcopal Diocese of Edinburgh. The two Anglican Dioceses are Companions and the purpose of my visit, with Michelle Brown, was to build links between youth work in the two Dioceses. Michelle and I are both involved in the Children's Ministry at Old St. Paul's.

The flight took off from Edinburgh on the morning of Friday 15th August, flying via Amsterdam. It was the longest flight I've ever been on and I was glad to get off the plane, even though my luggage did not join me for another 24 hours. This meant spending time in the Luxurious Payless Hotel, watching Ghanaian and Nigerian TV, as well as western films. On Sunday, we collected members of the Tanari trust http://www.tanari.org/ who had come from Kenya to teach an abstinence only sex education class, which looked at whole person sexuality.

The camp officially opened on Tuesday morning, and the attendance of senior academics, a Government Minister and a traditional ruler showed how important the camp was regarded by Ghana's secular civil society. The other parts of the camp included teaching from the Tanari trust, other preachers, a class on the Anglican Communion, Bible Study and sports.

For me, I lead two Bible classes and with Michelle supported Mwangi Chege of Tanari run his class. I was also able to spend time speaking campers, about their lives, about their walk with Jesus and about life in Scotland and Europe (the weather, haggis, people with red hair). This for me was a major component of the camp.

There was also some opportunity to see Ghana, the street vendors, the driving, the countryside, the slave castle in Cape Coast and to walk on a canopy in a rain forest. I hope to visit the country again and play a continuing part of the Companionship of Cape Coast and Edinburgh Dioceses.