“Mi throw mi corn, but me no call no fowl”

Dear Diary, I think the fastest way to climb to the top and make a name is becoming a Pastor, in this part of the world.  That is how we have lowered the title “Pastor” in Ghana or Africa. Here is the trick, complete the basic education certificate examination (BECE), which, to my non-Ghanaian friends is Junior High, attend a pastoral school, of which there are several all over the place, take a six month to two years pastoral course, find a church that will gladly take you (might I say there are several of them too), get ordained and voila! You get the title PASTOR. If unable to find a church, just put Pastor in front of your name.

That is all it seems to take to get a title in my part of the world. Really. We have followed religion to the point where every Tom Dick & Harry and their grand mamas are pastors.  They leave lives that are unspeakable, do things that I am afraid to even think of, speak or write about but someone calls them pastor. Integrity and fear of God is non-existent to us.

This is the best part, even we the so called “highly educated” ones, follow these nincompoops. HA! Wahala dey for this place ooo! Instead of reading the Bible and praying ourselves, we pay those who could not pass their JHS examinations to read and interpret the Bible to us, and then on a monthly basis we offer 10% of what we make to them as tithe. WOW!Hosea 4:6, My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge.

Don’t get me wrong, am not talking about the honest ones that have been called by God. Nooo. I am talking about the ones that are seeing devils everywhere.  The ones that when asked “List some minerals” during exams and they listed Coca-Cola, Fanta etc.  those are the ones am talking about.

They make us believe, Africa is filled with Demons. It seems like all evil spirits in the world live in Africa. Where is this place? Hotel TRANSIL-Africa where the devils lodge? What is wrong with us?

I went to a church last time when the pastor said “if you don’t say AMEN loudly, then you are a witch. hahaha! You should hear people screaming AMEN AMEN!  In the words of Shatta Wale, I laugh enter gutter!  In fact, all the witches in a quest not to be identified screamed AMEN the loudest.

Africa, when shall we learn?  Dear Diary, we keep on keeping on!  This is Africa #TIA!

 

 

 

Nsem Pii!! (Plenty Things d3 happen)

Dear diary, Nsem Pii! Plenty things are happening, and going on.  Start of year four. Amazing! This is a good description of roller coaster ride.

It feels like I am in a WWE Raw match. Thanks to a certain East African Friend, I now know a bit about WWE Monday Night RAW. That is how sometimes my life feels like.  Diary dear, I have still not found the balance. Some days I feel like I have nailed it, and then the next day, ….

From being a wife to mother, to auntie, to daughter to sister to boss to colleague to friend. This place drains you. I am being pulled from all angles. Stretched beyond what I believe is my limit. Some days, I don’t know how I manage to get through the days.

My body is in pain. I have driven more in the last three years, than my previous sixteen combined.

I have cried, laughed, kumbaya, yelled and it just keeps coming.  Dear diary, when you move back “home” be ready for the drama. Monday night Raw is an understatement.

Last week I went to a funeral and a wedding back to back. So, I cried, real tears by the way, then cleaned up, changed clothes and went to celebrate with another and act like nothing happened a day before and the pain is not there.

These things get you and for that you have to be spiritually strong. Prayer! Constant dose of prayer keeps me going now.  Going on my knees. At home, in the car, at church, in the office. A little prayer here and there.  Serenity prayer has always been my favourite, but now I understand it better.

Ask God to grant you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, courage to change those that you can and wisdom to know the difference. Some days it feels like am in the middle of a tornado. Literally, in the center of it, then when all is done, I wake up and life is back to normal, no damages, and people act as if nothing happened. That is when I get extra confused.

   Till next time This Is Africa. #TIA!