The First Thing You Notice

 

The first thing you notice when you exit the airport in Accra, besides the heat, is the graciousness of the Ghanaian people. I was told this by most everyone I met before I came and certainly the people have exceeded even lofty expectations. Everywhere is smiles and greetings. Especially for the visitor.

Things move at a slower pace here than what we are used to in the US and that is a good thing. Partly due to our rushing around, valuing all people is something that sometimes slips away in our culture, often we place a premium on wealth and celebrity, while allowing others to become all but invisible. This culture embraces mindfulness, taking the time to care for neighbors and strangers alike, being welcoming towards each other, the most basic foundation of participating in God's cycle of love, which is the energy of the universe.

The welcoming continued as I met fellow Lay Mission-Helper, Josie Cruz, who I am sharing a house with. Josie has helped me to make the transition from the valuable training I received at the LMH Mission House in LA, to hitting the ground in Damongo as seamless as possible. For that I am also grateful. As I wait for my assignments to be presented to me (I will be overseeing building projects and doing various contracting tasks), my first job is to immerse myself in the local culture. Josie has introduced me to the priests and staff that I will be working with, brought me to the market where we will buy our essentials, and accompanied me to the vibrant church where we will practice our faith alongside these gracious people who have welcomed us into their lives. 

The highlight of my first week in Damongo was accompanying the Papal Nuncio to Ghana during his visit. The first day was filled with official appearances to churches and schools for blessings on behalf of Pope Francis. The second day was more leisurely as we visited Mole National Park on safari where we saw elephants, antelope, boar and baboons in their natural habitat. The Nuncio is a fitting representative for Holy Father, charming everyone he meets with genuine smiles and engaging good will. 

If someone would have asked me 20 years ago where I would be today, I couldn't possibly have guessed.  But if you were to ask me now if there is anywhere I'd rather be, I would answer a firm, "No", because I have come to realize that God places us where we are supposed to be each moment of our lives.