This is a group of students at one of the Presbyterian Junior Secondary Schools. Jerry, Rose and I have been doing morning devotions at one of the schools each week. While there is 80% illiteracy among adults in northern Ghana, the next generation will be different. We do our devotions in English and the students understand us very well. There are also at least 50% girls in these  schools which is a credit to their churches and families. The students are enthusiastic, attentive, and definitely know their Bible!

This is a typical school classroom in northern Ghana. Actually is is probably better than most. At least it has desks for both students and a teacher. Each desk is shared by 2-3 students. The only teaching resource is a chalkboard. Teachers bring their own chalk. Students bring workbooks. Discipline is a priority. Teachers all carry canes or switches which they use to whap anyone who gets out of line. This is a P-4 (Primary 4) classroom. Students must pass exams to move to the next grade. No social promotion.

This is a village woman from Yapala, one of the rural villages with a Presbyterian church near Tamale. She has collected shea nuts for processing into shea butter. Shea butter provides a source of income for many rural women in northern Ghana. She will boil and stir the nuts for many hours over a hot fire. It is arduous and time-consuming work. Despite many efforts reported on the internet to organize "fair-trade" cooperatives for shea butter production, these women see little of the profits from this highly sought product. It has been called "women's gold" but instead has been a golden opportunity for exploitation.

Motorbikes are the primary means of both transport and traffic congestion in Tamale. They are also a big hazard for pedestrians. Just crossing the street can be quite a challenge. My current strategy is to get into the middle of a big group of people and cross with them! These motorbikes are passing the downtown market which is a crowded colorful collection of carts and stalls with piles and piles of random items. It is definitely an experience in impulse buying. You can't find anything you are looking for but see everything from TV sets to Legos!

This photo is of the Central Mosque in downtown Tamale. While Ghana as a whole is 70% Christian, this northern region is 70% Muslim and the culture is Muslim. Ramadan began last Saturday. Jerry, Rose, and I were taking a taxi to town on Sunday and Jerry was chewing gum. The driver asked, "Aren't you fasting?" The daily calls to prayer are heard throughout the area, the first beginning at 4:30 am! We were asking our English students about their birthdays. Most of them do not know by our calendar dates. They only estimate them in relation to the number of "moons" before or after different Muslim festivals.

Just a warning to the squeamish - this post might gross you out, so maybe you want to take a pass! But if you want to read on, Ghana seems to be home to a large portion of the world's termite population. This photo is just the beginning of a baby termite hill. Before long these host trees will be dust and all that will be left will be a mountainous termite home. Despite treating wood that is used, we were told that not long ago one of the bookcases in the Training Center library collapsed from termite damage and all the books in it were turning to dust.

During heavy rains the termites are forced out of their hills. They are drawn to light as we discovered one evening last week when our living room was invaded by hundreds of them until we realized we needed to turned the light off. Fortunately they don't bite and they die quickly. In addition to the ones we swept out, there were literally thousands of them on the ground outside the next morning. We were told that villagers often collect them, pull the wings off, and fry them for a treat to eat. I know that God provides, but really?

Last week was the halfway point of our time here in Ghana. So we took a 2-day break and visited the Mole (pronounced "mow-lay") National Wildlife Park. We got to see elephants, antelope, monkeys and baboons, warthogs, and some beautiful and unusual birds. What amazing creatures God has made!