December 5 - Wow, what a day!

 Brent Belnap, the Area Legal Counsel with help from Rebecca, was determined to keep us awake so we can get acclimatized as soon as possible. He had an agenda for the entire day. We went to a market that has goods brought in once a month for vendors to sell in an open-air place. Nice shady tree, tables, and smiling people. We were introduced to ladies (Ester was one and um......B...('ll fill it in when I remember and update this post). They are members of the ward and make skirts, dresses, ties, placemats, etc., etc. for the missionaries. She was very glad to see the missionaries coming back after the exodus from COVID. 

Brother Belnap then took us to another market by the ocean. This is a steady place where people build the things they sell and then we walk through the bazaar that reminds me of the Philippines with little cloth-walled shops and narrow walkways just filled with every kind of shop to sell every kind of thing. Sister Katcher a wife of one of the Area presidency went with us. It was awesome. Brother Belnap introduced her to a drum maker; she and he sat down for a drum lesson. She obviously is a musician or has had a great deal to do with music as she picked it up quickly. 

 Cupping the hand in the center makes a low sound, hitting the drum with fingers raised and the top of the palm in the center makes a different higher sound, hitting on the edge of the drum makes a totally different sound than the other two. 

Showing Sister Katcher the different strikes to make different sounds. They perfected a rhythm together.

This smile is contagious and I find it EVERYWHERE I go

Did you know there are male and female drums? The drums on the shelf are female as the shape goes in and out. The ones on the floor are male and are shaped like a barrel (see first picture). Symbols are carved on the sides with all kinds of meanings.

Anabila, Isaiah, David, and Moses
These men showed us all over and wanted to get us exactly what we were looking for.

We looked in many shops at all kinds of baskets, textiles, wood carving, drums and much, much more. Anabila sat me down on a little stool and showed me a big pile of art work that is painted on a type of cloth so it can be rolled up and put in a suitcase and stretched out after it arrives to it's destination. He told me that elephants painted with their trunks up means good luck, elephants with their trunks down means peace or peaceful. 

We had a very warm Ghana welcome from a group of men giving us a spontaneous drum concert.

Rats. My video file is too large. I will just put on their pictures. I did not get permission to put their faces on YouTube, so I'll have to show you the video another way.....when I think of it.

So much fun to watch talented men have fun with their craft!