Today was a state sponsored holiday in Ghana: Ramadan. Though the country is only about 10% Muslim the holiday was instituted many years ago as a political ploy. The holiday meant that many shops were closed and the traffic was very light. Although it is a Muslim day of fasting and prayer, many Muslims drink much alcohol on this day in Ghana. Even at the place we were at this afternoon, there were several Muslims.

The weather here is very different this year. There is a little rain each day and many clouds, It was sunny all day today but the clouds suddenly appeared and a drizzle began. I was outside at a public area with the professors. We stayed outside as we were under a tree and it was very pleasant.

The students wished they could be on holiday but I reminded them that it is good Christians do not observe Muslim holidays. They did well in class today. It was an improvement over yesterday.

I ordered rice Jollof to eat tonight but it was not the real thing. They made it so mild that there was no spiciness and heat at all. I was very disappointed.

On Saturday I will be at a Ghanaian funeral from 8 until late in the afternoon.It is an honor to be a part of this funeral. Pastor Carl Rockrohr, a Milwaukee native who is now working at the South African seminary, will be flying in as he is a former missionary here. I will be able to tell you all the details about this special event.

I learned how to make palm wine tonight. It is fascinating. When a palm tree falls, they let it set for about five days, Then they drill a hole through the tree and insert a tube to drain the tree. The liquid goes into a bucket. The first few days the liquid is a sweet mild wine. Then they begin to apply heat to the tree to thin the juices. The liquid becomes a very strong wine. They will collect wine in the morning and then apply afternoon heat to strengthen the wine. Later some of the liquid will even be distilled. All of this is from a fallen tree without any added ingredients. Gordon and Amoateng then noted that nothing goes wasted on a palm tree. They make something out of everything on the tree.

I have a few things to prepare for tomorrow. The Lord be with all of you.

Pastor