Market

Are you all ready for a LONG post....I hope so, because today we got to experience the market! Now, to get some of the Western foods we get to go to Max Mart, looks JUST like a grocery store in the USA, we have been there two times...we bought bread, jam, "minced meat" (Hamberger) and lettuce (yes we have been eating salad and meat and are fine:)
But....today....we went to "Market" Romana told us on Monday that we would go (Stacey, Ash and I to Market with Sada (girls Mom) and Evelyn (helps with social work) THey all smiled when they told us and we said, "okay we will go, we are up for adventure"
Ashlie and I are back at Beacon House...Stacey and Sada are still there...shall I back up and tell the story of the Market?

We walked out of Beacon House about 4 blocks to a road to catch the "tro-tro" (Ghana bus...it is like a mini van with seats that fold up and down...see slide show pictures, Stacey is in the seat in front of me)

They drive and stop at every side street and fill up each seat plus some, off and on people go at every stop. It cost 60 cedis (.60$ us)
Driving is all red/yellow dirt roads, HONK to pass, to tell people you are coming and HONK some more just to HONK...no blinkers, stop signs road signs or signals...people do not have the right of way. When you walk you MOVE when they HONK.
We got off at the Market (after we had spent two hours in a MAZE of dirt walk ways vendors and people for miles...I can say that there would be no way for me to ever find the place where we got dropped off..it is a HUGE place)
The movies and stories and magazines you see about Africa markets, fish, meat, pig, cows feet, sardines, liquid of every sort, veggies I have never seen...these ways of describing Africa do not even come close to ANYTHING I have EVER seen.

FRIENDLY FREINDLY People....Each person greets you with a "Guuud Morning" and call you "Auntie" Sada and Evelyn kept laughing because the vendor and passers by would give us a name "Auntie Sartus" (meaning they say woman born on Saturday...thinking maybe we would understand them...like we were born on a Saturday and would look and say "why yes...how did you know" THe day of the week we were born would change as we began to walk away.
TOUCHING....everyone touches you, your arm or shoulder...to touch your skin. A bit pushy because they know you have money, but when you say "not today" they smile and stop.
At one point we were stopped getting "ground nuts" (pea nuts) and a thin woman came to Ashlie and I and said " I BEG you I BEG you one cedis for bread!!!" She repeated her self over and over again, her body language was a bit like someone who is on drugs, eyes a bit rolling and rubbing and rubbing our arms. We politely talked to her, told her not today, yet it persisted, we turned and she did as well, we walked and she did as well. She put her arms around Ash and I over our shoulders, (her in the middle) we ignored her, in my Spirit Holy Spirit said "Pray and talk to Ashlie in your prayer language"
So, I started in my mind and nothing, then I spoke out loud, the first sound I made out lound her arm DROPPED off of me, I looked at Ash and spoke to her in tongues and she looked at me and answered, the lady's arm dropped off of Ash, we kept talking and she took two bigs steps backwards and went right to Stacey. I looked at her and said, "Pray in the Spirit Out Loud" so she did and the lady left! OKAY! That was way AWESOME God! Thank you!
SHOPPING....SADA and Evelyn go to Market every Wednesday...OH my they are my new SUPER WOMEN! They navigate thru the roads, ilses, vendors, bartoring and leaving and coming back if needed like professionals. THey have a House list of shopping items...so many Ghana foods that most of our stuff I could not even tell you the name. As we shop, we hire a small girl...maybe 11-13 yrs old who has a HUGE metal like wash basin on her head to carry the items we purchased...As we shopped we would fill up her basin, up and down off her head she would lift and move this basin.

At times it had a 25 pound bag of suagar, 15 to 20 pounds of beans and some veggies...and she walked and walked with this on her head. Stacey and I often looked at her (the girl) and smiled and pointed to her strong arms and stability and said WOW...I know that we would not even be able to pick up the basin to our waist, let alone our head.

STORING
There was a place off the road that we went to to put our items we bought and then would go back into the market...I asked Sada, "who will stay with the goods?" She said no one will take...they want money not the food. She was right, each time we came back, there it was sitting there and no one touching it.
HEALING
One of the times we came to the place where we stored the items, there was woman sitting at a table waiting to tie her baby on her back before heading out into the market again. SHe had a large tumor on her neck. Stacey asked Sada if if would be okay in the culture to approach this woman and pray healing over her. THey said yes and would talk to the lady for Stacey. (see picture) Stacey prayed and prayed, Ash and I prayed in the back of Stacey and it was AMAZING...you could fell the Holy Spirit MOVE through Stacey!!!! The lady sat soooooo still with her eys closed and received the prayer.
When we were done, Stacey said "Okay...lets go find some more sick people"
(who knows...at this very moment while we are here she maybe walking with Sada praying for people!!! GO MY FRIEND!)

FAINTING
Two minutes after the prayer, we were back into the market...getting chicken...oh the price of chicken...it takes LOTS of talking to get what you need. IT is imported and is frozen legs and thighs..sold by the box...2 kilos (sp)
We were in front of the vendor, and Ash looked at me and said, "I am going to throw up"
Stacey and I laid on hands on her and prayed.
Now picture for a moment, Hot air, PEOPLE all around you, smell of smoked fish, burning garbage, peanut paste and raw meat...NOISE NOISE NOISE (women singing, loud speaker Blarring fuzzy songs, vendors shouting at passers-by etc etc...can not describe to you the "whole picture"
BUt here we were in that environment when Ash was not feeling to good. It came on FAST, one second she was fine, sugars fine, water and food were in her and still she LOOKED aweful.
Spiritual Warfare???
She go white, got clamy, and crouched down in the isle...the vendor next to the chicken place called us in under his umbrella, she grabbed her ears, said she could not hear, could not see anything except through tunnel like hole and she was rocking back and forth. PRAYING, pouring water over her head, I got into my bag, tested her and prayed some more. (how was I going to get her out of this place if she can not wallk?)
Her sugars were fine, in about 2 minutes she sat up, looked at us and said, "Okay, I think I am better now!"
Thankyou Jesus!
We walked our way back to the storing place, and Evelyn got in a taxi with Ash and I and back to Beacon House we came. Stacey is still gone ! (GO GIRL!!!)
Every friend needs a STACEY in their life!!!

So, we have WASHED our feet, drank some water, sitting under the fan and are ready to take a moment to PROCESS the HUGE adventure we just undertook.
The pictures on the slde show tell the story as well.
Enjoy!
We will write more about the kids and our last few days here....later, but I wanted to get the Market blog in, while it is REAL and LIVE in my head!

BLESSINGS!