Savelugu Catholic Church

My church in Diare is a mission outstation of the larger parish in Savelugu which is staff by the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, popularly known as the "White Fathers" (not only because of their skin but their habits as well - actually most come from the continent of Africa itself).

Fire Festival Video 2

Fire Festival Diare Video 1

Last week all the Dagomba people in Ghana celebrated Fire Festival, pronounced "bugum chugu". This video was taken during the celebration in my home village of Diare. It is a celebration of the lunar new year, so in a way it is as much of a Islamic celebration as a ethnic/traditional one. You can find some people however that know and are willing to tell you the story of how it began - a chief who lost his son. The story is here: http://www.africawithin.com/tour/ghana/fire_festival.htm Enjoy the video!

Ride Through Diare

We await not a man, but God and she may not be who you think she is.

During the last few Sunday liturgies I noticed the intentional use of readings which mention, describe, warn about, or announce the second coming of Christ.  We heard about the virgins who hadn’t brought enough oil with them for their lamps and miss the coming of the bridegroom, the virgins metaphorically represented both the people who heard Jesus that very day he told the parable to and us who many years later still don’t know the time or the hour that Christ will come again.  Today we were warned that Christ will come like a thief in the night and thus we should live in holiness and devotion all our days.  There is a theme running through our liturgical calendar purposefully reminding us that we live in the in-between days of the already and not yet.  We believe both that we have been saved by Christ already and that we live in anxious and hopeful anticipation of him coming again.

So I began to reflect and ask myself what I expect this second coming will be like.  I am not concerned with the when or where, but with the how.  If Jesus was to return today what might I expect from this new Messiah?  What my prayer has shown me is that the second coming may not be anything like the first incarnation.  If Jesus is God and we believe God is neither male nor female yet beyond any sexual categorization, then God’s incarnation is not bound by one particular flesh either.  The second incarnation of God may very well be and I would hope would be as a woman.  If God has sent a son to set us free by the cross then why not a daughter to bring us home to the kingdom?  We await not a man, but God.  And our God is not a He or a Father, but Spirit, Creator, Life, and Love.  Theologians and the more enlightened church leaders have been teaching us about this new way of understand God that is beyond the default Father figure we use in liturgy and find in scripture.  I believe it is now time to also evolve our understanding of incarnation beyond a categorical male figure.  If the two parts of the Trinity known as God and Holy Spirit are without sex, then why must the third, Jesus Christ, be only and always masculine?  No part of our God should be bound by our inability to see into the truth, the mystery that is God.

Unfortunately if God had come first as a daughter we wouldn’t be even having this conversation because no one in Jerusalem or anywhere in Galilee would have taken note of a female prophet who was healing the blind or announcing forgiveness of sins.  She would never have gained the audience of but a few friends and family members.  Instead God sent a son and he was killed for his message which challenged the leaders of the faithful at that time.  We can’t deny the fact that in the historical context a woman could not have had the same affect in proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  However, now, in the 21^st century, in a global village, with instant communication, efficient travel, interdependent economies and science that reaches further and deeper every day, we can say with certainty that men and women are equal, that there is no superior sex, race, creed, or ethnicity.  I am ready receive Christ when God comes again, whether God be incarnated male or female; Caucasian, Latino, African, or Asian; Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, or Aboriginal.  God’s kingdom and love is either universal, reaching to the full extent of creation, or it is not.  And if not then we need to really ask ourselves, what kind of God is that?  Why not a female?  Why not a black haired, brown skinned, female Jesus?  I believe it is possible.  I’m not saying this will happen in this exact way, but I’m just throwing out the possibility.  God is a mystery and if I continue in any way to box God into a corner then I’ll have committed a grievous error.

This realization is coming out of theology study, service to the poorest and most marginalized people, and now living in completely different context than the only one I know.  In Ghana I eat differently, bath differently, work differently, and now I see God differently.  The “Western” world has lost its grip on me and my male, blue eyed, blond haired Jesus has got to go as well.  Before coming to Ghana I stopped calling God “father” and began to despise religious art that portrayed Jesus as anything other than the Middle-Eastern man he was.  And now my faith has shifted even more.  As I prepare for Christmas this Advent season and my church challenges me to think about the second coming of Christ, I pray in thanksgiving for an enlightened way of seeing creation, people, and now God in three parts, both male and female (maybe).  Let me say again, we await not a man, but God.  Jesus will surely come, but she may not be who you think she is.

Godspeed.  -Zachar

Teaching and Thanksgiving

There is so much to write and so little time!  I really should be writing more often and sincerely apologize for my lack of correspondence.  I have two more spiritual reflections to post, but figured before I post those you deserve an honest to goodness update to how I’m doing here in Ghana.  So here it goes.

I’ve just returned from celebrating Thanksgiving in Accra with the US Ambassador to Ghana, Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum.   The travel to and from Accra from here in the Northern Region was 12 hours in each direction and also cost 20% of my monthly stipend.  All for one meal!  The Thanksgiving meal itself was very very good.  Being deprived of such a flavorful food meant my brain tells me I could have eaten more, but with 200 guests we all had our fill but were not walking away with doggie bags.  That’s a convoluted way of saying there was just enough food for everyone.  And honestly, some of the meals Kate and I cook up over our “camping style” stoves have been equally delicious!  However, the Thanksgiving meal itself was just part of the reason for missing four days of school and the travel.  The holiday also provided a perfect opportunities: to catch up with my other PCVs who haven’t seen for two months, to grocery shop at the biggest foreign goods store in Ghana, to meet and get to know our US Embassy employed host family – seeing how the other half of international development workers live, to eat multiple great “foreign” meals, and to simply take a break from teaching or lesson planning each and every day.  So in the end I would say it was worth it, though a case could be made to the contrary. 

One reason I feel particularly guilty right now is that I just finished grading a mathematics exam I gave to my Form 3 students before I left and they all failed.  All 31 of them!  The highest was a 55%.  Now I know all the blame doesn’t fall on me because I’ve asked the students before who is to blame of their poor performance and they tell me that are the ones to fault.  They admit that they don’t study, that they copy from each other, and they don’t do the homework – even the little that is given.  Teaching mathematics requires a lot of repetition and I’ve found it very hard to incorporate that into my teaching.  Although as I sit here reflecting I think I’ve come up with an idea of how to give homework every night.  And it’s not just Form 3 math that is doing poorly.  My Form 1 and 2 integrated science classes are doing just as poorly.  I wonder how much it’s me and my lack of teaching experience and how much it’s the context I’m working it.  There are no textbooks for the students.  All they have are the notes they’ve copied from the board – which puts an incredible pressure on me to concisely, accurately, and quickly write on the board what they need to know and then explain it.  There is no hands-on, visual, or engaging teaching/learning occurring.  I really feel just like my Ghanaian counterparts – just a note writing machine.  Although one thing I do offer above the Ghanaians is that I show up.  I’m there every period I’m supposed to be, on time and prepared to teach.  I give tests and homework and try to ask critical thinking questions to my students.  However, they are conditioned to memorize and regurgitate exclusively and they do so only because they fear physical punishment.  I’m not allowed to cane (whip with a tree branch) my students and wouldn’t even if I could, however this means that the majority of my student’s brains turn off during my classes.  Instilling fear wasn’t that big of a part of my training.  And let’s say for a minute that I did command the attention and engagement of my students, what will they be experiencing?  The answer is only white chalk on a blackboard full of divots and holes because it’s just black paint on a concrete wall.  Believe me, I’m trying my hardest to do kitchen style science experiments, to draw 3-D and 2-D diagrams, and to ask leading questions to encourage critical thinking; however I don’t think these things make too much of a difference in the long run.  Like most teachers and students around the world, are sole focus is on a test which is to be given in the not too distant future.  In my case, it’s called the BECE and it determines whether my JHS students can go onto Senior High School (or simply high school in US terms).  And what do most tests test?  Memorization.

So, I’m grateful to have had a Thanksgiving holiday, a week away from school because for the next month (nearly exactly to the day) I’ll be working my damndest to prepare my students for their upcoming end of term exams and maybe even some will learn something in the process.

There is a lot more to write about: language/integration, poverty/begging/westernization, Advent/homesickness, and the many ideas for small development projects I’d like to tackle.  Alas, these topics will have to wait until another time because I have to teach tomorrow and it is way past my 10pm bedtime.  At least it’s gotten cooler overnight now and I’m sleeping really well – and without a fan! 

Godspeed.  -Zachar

NEW ADDRESS

I have a new address! If you're ever planning on sending me a letter or package, please use this address because I have better access to this PO Box. Mark Zachar, PCV Peace Corps P.O. Box 962 Tamale, Northern Region Ghana, West Africa I'll post again soon with stories from school. Godspeed. -Zachar

My Local Weather Forecast = 90F everyday!

Diare Catholic Church

The entire text from the above clip of me preaching on the Twenty-Eight Sunday (Year A), October 9, 2011 will be posted below. I was graced with the opportunity to homilize at my outstation of a parish in Diare, Ghana. John, our full time live-in catechist is translating for me into Dagbani. Not on purpose, but this ended up being a reflection of how our spiritual lives and educational lives mirror each other, in that you get out of them the effort you put into them. That means, get to work! Enjoy the video and the reflection. Godspeed. -Zachar

You all know that I’m a teacher. And one thing a teacher notices right away about his students is that they do not perform, understand, or respond to their education all the same. Some are naturally talented and are considered smarter than the others, some simply just try harder and put forth more effort than the others, finally, there are those that don’t seem to care and act as if their education is a joke. Who do you think is going to progress in life? Who will do well in a profession that demands an education and benefit from the financial, social, and intellectual stability that this brings? It will be those that responded to the gift of education with joy, humility, perseverance, and hard work. They will enjoy a rich feast!

The same can be said for us in our spiritual lives. We’ve all received an invitation to the kingdom of heaven, to the heavenly feast. This invitation is a gift that we don’t deserve, but it has been offered because we have an awesome, merciful, and compassionate God. We’ve received this gift of life through grace and with it comes an incredible responsibility. It is written in scripture, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (Luke 12:48) And “To whom that has, more will be given and they will grow rich; however from anyone who has not, even what they have will be taken away.” (Matthew 13:12)

We have been given an incredible gift and a lot is expected of us. If we respond well, by making right choices, acting with kindness, generosity, and compassion, loving God, ourselves, and our neighbors as ourselves, we will grow rich and richer each time me make the next right decision. However, as we backslide, acting out of lust, greed, laziness, and anger, we will have the gifts of life taken away. The same goes for the students I spoke about earlier. Those that are putting forth an effort in school, those that come to school ready to learn, who return home at night eager to do homework (even asking for homework when it is not assigned), these students are properly responding to the gift of education that has been given to them, and to these students more education, possibility, success, and knowledge will be given to them. However, to the students who come to school and sleep through the day or play games with their friends, who count the seconds until the closing bell is rung so they can run home the gift of an education will be taken away. They will not be able to progress in Forms and surely will not make it beyond the JHS level. What education they’ve received will be lost as it goes unused in their brains. The bicycle that sits outside unused in the rain, day after day, month after month, will surely rust and spoil. Will it not? So will our brains in school and so will our souls in life.

We are all invited to the feast. The good and bad alike, just as in the parable this morning. No partiality has been made during the invitation process. All are invited! Not one is unwelcome. However, it is the guest themselves who decide how to respond. They are free to accept or deny the gift given. In our parable, who determined the unworthiness of those invited? It was those invited themselves! They paid no attention to the invitation. Some even killed the messenger. Others came to the banquet unprepared, putting forth only a minimal effort. I’m speaking of the man who came without a wedding garment. It has been said that half of the challenge of life is just showing up. This is true, the man in the parable just showed up. However the other half of life is coming prepared! We must come worthy of the great feast to which we’ve been invited. The students that just show up to school and expect to learn without any effort of their own are in for a surprise! To benefit from the gift of education takes a lot of work. Similarly, to benefit from the gifts of the spirit (that is the seven gifts of wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, and reverence) takes a lot of work as well.

Some say, the task is too great! How can I keep up this work ethic for a lifetime? Paul answers this for us in the Second Reading in his letter to the Philippians. He says there is strength for everything through Jesus who empowers us. He says God will supply whatever you need in accordance with the riches of Christ Jesus. And in this letter Paul is writing words of thanks and praise for he though he has learned to be self-sufficient, to live humbly through many trials, he has been given abundant gifts by God in the spirit and by the Philippian people who took care of him. So there are resources available to us in God and in each other for the journey.

Finally, I need to mention what the benefit of this hard work is. For the student I’ve already mentioned it. They will go far in their education, they will receive their first degrees and maybe even second degrees, and they will have financial, social, and intellectual peace, success, and stability. And for us believers, us that accept the invitation to the heavenly feast by living lives of virtue, prayer, and faith? This answer comes from our First Reading in Isaiah. Death will be destroyed! The only inescapable thing in life is death and the Lord God will save us from it for we will be with Him forever in the heavenly feast. Let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us! Let us respond to the invitation, the free gift of God, with passion, lives of virtue, and hard work. Then let us encourage students to do same in their studies. Amen.

PICTURES FROM SITE!!!  (on Facebook.com but available to everyone!)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150838710340495.756533.705840494&l=ce8d2a0127&type=1


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150866926035495.763024.705840494&l=226613bc2d&type=1

Stories and reflections to follow.  Godspeed.  -Zachar

I used to pray the serenity prayer...

I used to pray the serenity prayer constantly.  I was dissatisfied with life and felt like I had a lot to change about myself.  I tried to take control and put my nose to grindstone.  I rarely was successful.  So I prayed.  I prayed, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  However serenity remained elusive.  I was always stressed out and frustrated. 

Today however, I was praying at the Midway Airport chapel just before I returned to Ghana to begin my two years of Peace Corps service and realized the serenity prayer didn’t make sense anymore in my life.  I’m so happy and at peace!  I’ve found some serenity.  There is very little that I want to change about my life, how I’m sending my time, and who I’m spending it with.  I acknowledge that some of the changes that I desired a few years ago have come about and that has increased my peace and satisfaction in life.  However as I contemplate what else is going on in my life I realize that my focus of life has changed as well.  I believe that change of focus has been as important to my pursuit of happiness as some of the other more tangible changes I’ve made.  There is very little planning, worrying, or goal setting happening in my life right now.  I’m living present to the moment and grounded in the now, not the tomorrow, next week, or next year.  I’m simply enjoying the ride and facing obstacles and challenges as they come.  There are very few crises and mass confusion too because by living only in the present moment I am fully aware and able to address whatever is happening in the seconds that are going by.  Tomorrow cannot be dealt with today and that took a long time to learn.

A friend also helped me realize that already my time in Ghana has contributed to this change within me.  So much of my life is different here, from the littlest detail of eating with my hands, to big structural things like not having utilities of water, electricity, gas, or sewerage.  Most of these changes in lifestyle are small obstacles and they are occurring every minute of every day.  They were very noticeable and sometimes jarring, at least they were for the first few months here as you acculturate and become accustom to them.  However, rather than seeing them as challenges and letting them overwhelm me which I would have done in the past, I took them up one at a time, slowly in each moment of the day, and just remained as present to each one as I could.  This new style of living by just doing what I could in the moment, enjoying the moment, and celebrating it has consumed me and become a persistent and consistent way of being. So the serenity prayer doesn’t really make sense in Ghana because I’m not going to change any of the Ghanaian lifestyle, systems, or culture while I’m here, I just need to live in it moment by moment. 

I used to pray the serenity prayer and live in anticipation of the next minute, hour, or year; however, now I pray in gratitude for the now, for the awesomeness of living in Ghana, and the serenity that washes over me when I stay humble, present, and open.  Thank you Lord for this change within me and thank you for now.

External Facebook Picture Links - Click on them!

Any of you, regardless if you have Facebook or not should be able to click on the links below to see my pictures.  I have yet to figure out how to efficiently put pictures on this blog, but eventually I will.  Godspeed.  -Zachar

Final Training Album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150794328250495.745642.705840494&l=7d9943f73c&type=1


Site Visit Album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150747050810495.730665.705840494&l=e6295ce340&type=1


Offsite Language Album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150731664215495.725280.705840494&l=ad2791b22e&type=1


Month One Album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150717347680495.720815.705840494&l=658be84149&type=1


First Ghanaian Album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150676524760495.713336.705840494&l=f1555abc85&type=1

Diare, Ghana

My home for the next two years:

Click Here for Google Map of Diari, Ghana

End of Training Blog Post

The second half of training has gone by significantly faster than the first half.  This is because of some days were experienced as a single “sick period”, we’ve travelled for four weeks straight, the developing of really close friends within my PC class to share the experience with, the intense focus on language study and practicing for the Language Proficiency Interview, and finally, being able to see the end of the tunnel which includes Swearing In and my trip home for Monica’s wedding.

Let me try to capture a bit of what has characterized my experience so far.  First off, the rules of life are different in Ghana.  The “rules” encompassing: expectations, goals, time, focus, and how anything gets done.  I eat differently, bathe differently, walk differently, speak English differently, travel differently, dream differently, hope differently, love differently, and pray differently.  So much has changed and I’ve been soaking it all in.  At times it has been uncomfortable, at times extremely exciting, at times I wonder what am I doing here?, but most of the time I sit within a content peacefulness and know I am exactly where I should be right now.

A few of the highlights are: in the three months I have been in the Greater Accra, Eastern, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern, and Volta regions.  I’ve spent most of my time in my home region of Northern and my temporary home at homestay in Eastern.  Every region but Northern are a lush green and really humid.  The Northern is dry, really hot, flat, and farmed as best as it can be.  I can’t wait to get back in order to be able to set up my house, unpack, practice and develop my language, and do what I came here to do, to inspire and teach!  Student teaching at OPASS JHS was absolutely a key turning point during training.  And I feel prepared just with those two weeks of practice to teach for the next two years.  The practicum was well observed and we were critically yet fairly evaluated throughout.  Our teacher training was much more extensive but quite boring and at times poorly executed.  Nonetheless the essential information was given to us about classroom management, discipline, and teaching when practically no resources are available to you.  I can’t wait to get started!  Unfortunately I have no idea what I’m teaching yet.  It’ll be some combination of Math (said Maths here), Integrated Science, and ICT (computer technology) across one, two, or three levels of JHS students.  I’ll find out just before the semester starts and go from there. 

Another highlight was my site visit during which I got a taste of what I’m in store for over the next two years!  I really wish it could’ve been longer, but I made the most of the short time I had in Diare shadowing the PCV that I’m replacing.  I’m itching to get back to site to practice my newly learned language Dagbani, to clean and arrange my house, and to begin my integration into the school and community.  I’m happy to report the food at my site is amazing!   There are road side “chop” bars (food vendors/restaurants) scattered throughout my village which are delicious and healthy.  I don’t think I’ll end up doing much cooking for myself outside of “American” food when I can get such good, cheap food in town.  During site visit I also received my Dagbani name from a local resident.  The man is a retired truck driver and now pounds the fufu at the best chop bar in town.  The chief didn’t give me a name during my ceremonial visit, and it wasn’t a village elder either, it was just your local joe.  And he nailed it!  Without knowing me at all he named me “chang-ti-wuni”, meaning, give all to God.  I couldn’t ask for a better name to remind me of why I’m in Ghana in the first place and to keep me motivated as I serve.  I think I’ll try to use it extensively in town because of its awesomeness and my need to be solely focused on a purpose in this adventure. 

The last thing I want to mention in this long blog post that I’ve composed over the course of a few sittings is my gratitude for my fellow volunteers.  The process of leaving the seminary, finding a new way of being in the world, slowly discovering career paths, and doing all this outside of my home country has been nearly all positive.  I’ve had some great discussions with my new lifelong friends.  We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve been bored out of our minds together, and it’s been spectacular.  I could not be doing this alone and I’m indebted to my 68 fellow sojourners.  Now that training is complete, let us together go have the greatest two years of our life!  Naawuni ti sung!  (God help us.) 

More teaching photos

I've posted more pictures on Facebook.  I can't seem to find a way to import them here, sorry about that.  You can see them at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150717347680495.720815.705840494&l=658be84149


And I also posted a video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl5ebf3DPN0.


Got to go!  Godspeed.  -Zachar

End of Month One!

“Lovin' Ghana: finished student teaching, now learning my local community's language, getting ready to spend the next 4 weeks on the road doing on-site language study, school/counterpart orientation, HIV/AIDS project prep, and moving into my new house!!!”

This was my FB status update just now, let me take a minute to expand on it.  (Lesson to be learned: pre-prepare posts before coming to the internet café!!!)  So I think I was successful in posting a reflection about my time at practicum so you’ve got an idea of how that went.  The intensive language study hasn’t been very intensive because I’ve been sick.  I’ve been sick for 6 days with on and off a high fever and headache that goes all the way into my neck.  Today is a good day however and I think I might be over the hump.  I know I don’t have malaria because we did a test for that.  Maybe it was stress/heat/environmentally related, I don’t know.  Hopefully its over though because it’s going to make the next 4 weeks of travel crazy difficult if it isn’t.

So besides language school we’ve still been doing some seminar days and teacher prep.  We work on Saturdays too and that leaves Sunday for church and laundry.  This coming Sunday we’ll be traveling to another site to do immersion language training.  I’m really looking forward to this because I can use all the intensity and help I can get.  Even though I’ll be able to teach in English, it is quite clear that outside of school – or even in the teacher’s lounge – the local language reigns, as it should.  After a week of language study then we meet with and do a school/counterpart orientation with the actual headmaster (principal) and coteacher from the school we’re going to.  After a week of formalities together then I get to go visit my site!  I get to move into my house and see my school.  I’m so lucky that I’ll be replacing a current PCV because he’ll be able to show me the ropes before he leaves at the end of July.  He’s leaving me a sweet house and bikes.  I’m really looking forward to being able to get a taste of the real thing.  After that in the fourth week of travel we attend a special HIV/AIDS project training that US AID is sponsoring called PEPFAR.  I don’t know what will be expected of me but I’ll be glad to participate.  After four weeks of travel we return “home” to Kukurantumi and our homestay for three weeks and then we’re sworn in on August 30th!!!  It’ll happen that fast!  If the last month is telling, time will fly and days will feel like weeks and weeks like months.

My time is up at the café right now so I must run.  You can see pictures from the last few weeks here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150717347680495.720815.705840494&l=658be84149

Godspeed.  -Zachar

Ending Practicum

Today, Thursday, June 30, 2011 (when I’m writing this), was my last day of practicum teaching at OPASS JHS.  Four of us PCVTs (T for Trainee) were assigned to OPASS to teach all the Mathematics (called Maths here, yes with the S) and Integrated Science classes to the Form 1 (sixth grade) and Form 2 (seventh grade) students for two weeks time.  I think Spencer, Adam, Stephanie, and I made a great team.  I was so thankful to have them around to be able to vent to about things that were bothering me.  For example, trying to teach diffusion of light into its spectrum without access to a prism or teaching “basic” electronics, i.e. multi-vibrating oscillating circuits (flashing LED lights), without access to any circuit board, electric components, or lab.  Pretty much all there is here is the teacher and the blackboard (which is really some black paint on brick).  I think we were a huge success however and are now “prepared” for our permanent assignments as teachers.  Not that 2 weeks is all you need to be trained to be a good teacher, but our training, evaluation, and practice was intense and amazing.  I feel ready enough and very excited to begin teaching from the beginning of the school year so I can learn all my student’s names (there wasn’t any way I was going to memorize 60 names in each of my classes this week).  I feel confident with my classroom management and discipline.  I will slowly get the hang of changing my English so I'm more easily understood and at the same time figure out how to coax my students to speech up so I can hear them.  All in all, it was an amazing two weeks and no we're moving onto intensive language study.  I will try to post pictures of my time at OPASS too.  Godspeed.  -Zachar

Pictures Link and Site Annoucement

Today will be a picture posting day! Hopefully I get all these pictures uploaded in a reasonable amount time because I don’t want to be walking home after 7pm, which is really late here, like 10pm USA time. 

I was able to post my pictures on facebook really easily and will eventually post them here.  They should be able to be viewed by anyone even if you don’t have a FB account.  The link is https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150676524760495.713336.705840494&l=f1555abc85.  Go there for now and I’ll post directly to the blog on another day.

My permanent Peace Corps site for the next two years will be: Diare in the Northern Region of Ghana!  I’ll be at Diare Junior High School.  In addition to Math I may also teach Science, and Computer Technology (known here as ICT).   They also have a course called Religious and Moral Education which I would love to get involved with too. 

“Diare is a village in the Savelugu-Nanton District, located on the main Tamale-Bolgatanga road in the Northern Region of Ghana.  It is predominantly a farming community with few people involved in petty trading.  Market day falls once every week making Diare a commercial center for the local community.  Most of the trade in the community involves buying and selling of foodstuffs and animals such as sheep, goats, chicken, etc.  The town is 95% Muslim and the festivals celebrated are Damba and Fire festivals.  The main supply of water for the community is a mechanized borehole system.  Electricity is from the national grid but there can be occasional outages.  The nearest big town in Savelugu which is about 25 kilometers away (I have a friend-volunteer working there.)”

“Diare Junior High School has operated since 1987 and in 1993 the Ministry of Agriculture mobilized farmers in Diare to construct a three classroom block.  The enrollment is 114 including 34 girls.  The school also has one of the best computer labs in the district (which are NOT connected to the internet unfortunately).  I will be replacing PCV Guillermo Moratorio (who’s blog you can find at: http://www.peacecorpsjournals.com/?Journal&journal_id=7375).”

“Your accommodation is a bungalow which is less than 1 kilometer from the school compound.  There is a kitchen, toilet, and a bathroom which will not be shared.  Electricity is from the national grid but there can be occasional outages.  The source of water is borehole.  Cellular phone services are accessible.   The school will provide basic furniture.”

So, there you have it!  That’s my site from September onward.  For now I’m in Kukurantumi doing teacher training, language training, teacher practicum, homestay, etc.  I’ll have to update you all on those things in detail another time.  The highlights: teaching science is easier than math, my homestay “parents” which are only a few years older than me speak English really well thank God, we eat EVERYTHING with our hands, it is hotter than h*ll here, taking a shower in the rain is awesome but bucket showering isn’t so bad either, the other volunteers are awesome friendly and great people to be sharing this experience with.

Thanks for reading!  I’ll post again soon.  Godspeed.  –Zachar

Week 2

Sorry friends, pictures are going to have to wait because I could feel electric current running through the USB ports on this computer.  I'm glad I was able to log in and post however.  So, we are in our second week in Ghana and so much has happened already!  We visited downtown Accra via trotro (the minibus public transportation system).  We've studied the most common local language of Twi (pronounced Chee).  We've of course sweat a lot since its so hot here (80-87 most days)!  The food is spicy most of the time, but I'm hanging in there.  We do a lot of training.  We're constantly in and out of presentations, either on safety, health, teaching, culture, etc. 

What is very exciting is that we are now with our host families!  I'm living with a young couple (in their 30s) who have a one and a half year old son.  I have my own room in a small home right near our training site and not too far from this internet cafe.  Hopefully I'll be able to return tomorrow to post pictures of everything.  My home only has electricity.  Water we fetch by bucket from the well which is in our backyard.  We use the water to take bucket showers, wash anything, and pour water into the toilet to flush.  Cooking is done on a single propane gas fed burner.  Yesterday, Na (the little son), and I played soccer all afternoon.  We had tomato stew for dinner, which we ate with our hands.  Tomorrow I'll begin my practicum in teaching at a local Junior High School. 

I have to depart for now, but more will follow.  Know that I'm well and having a blast.  Peace Corps Ghana is everything I imagined it would be.  I'll be back to post soon.  Godspeed.  -Zachar

Departure Day

 “The Lord said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.  I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.  All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”  Genesis 12: 1-3

Here we go, we’re off to the airport.  There are 68 of us on two buses.  We are each other’s new family, friends, support network and lifeline.  Most of us are 20 somethings, some of us are in our 30s and there are a few retires.  We are a bunch of random people thrown together to serve those in need and to promote peace and understanding among nations.  We’ve barely gotten to know each other and now we’re going to experience together the most transforming life experience that many of us will ever go through.  Wow, how humbling and powerful.  The only thing there is to do is trust, have faith, and remain present.  We are being sent from the land we call home, from the culture that has shaped and educated us, away from family and friends, to a place that will shock every sense, tissue and bone in our body.  Through fear, language miscommunication, safety threats, loneliness, and work incompetence we will discover a way to be a blessing to the people of Ghana.  I’m confident and look forward to the welcome we’ll receive, to the relationships with our host families we’ll grow, the training we’ll receive, and the launch into assignment on August 30^th that is coming in three months time.  Until then I’m not sure how often I’ll write to you.  I’m not sure where in the country I’ll be, but do know that the Peace Corps address will always work for mail and packages.  Please pray for me and my new Peace Corps family.  I will pray for you and yours.  You have formed me and helped me get to this place of peace, contentment, and joy in life, let us continue this journey in the spirit together.  Godspeed.  –Zachar

Address for Training Months

This will be my address for June through August:

Mark Zachar, PCT
Peace Corps/Ghana
P.O box 5796
Accra-North, Ghana
West Africa

Just in case you were going to send me care packages or something like that....

Godspeed.  -Zachar