First off, I will explain the nature of this journey. I will be traveling with an accredited program called the SIT (School For International Training), so this is an academic trip. This particular program I am attending is called Origins of African Identity, and its purpose is two-fold. The first part of the program is one big seminar style class, which has me learning Fante, from a Bantu-language family (I think...) which is based on the southern and central region of Ghana. The main focus is to study different mindsets of people of African identity who have been displaced throughout the world through different systems such as the slave trade, and how their lives have been shaped by this dispersal. This is generally referred to as the African Diaspora. During this part of the program, we will be based in Cape Coast, but we will also be doing numerous excursions in Ghana and even the to the country of Benin as well.
The second part of this program is writing a lengthy thesis (20-40 pages) about a topic of my choice that is affiliated with the African Diaspora. Frankly, there is a lot to write about, and a lot that needs to be written about. I don't have a great idea what I will be writing about, but I think I may write about African religions and the impact of Christianity and Islam from returnees. I have a lot of fine-tuning to do to have a less abstract paper and broad paper, but at least it's a start. During this second portion of the program, we will not meet regularly as a group, so effectively I am on my own! That's going to be crazy!
As far as what to expect, I have no idea. Although this is not my first (nor my last) trip to Africa, I experienced a very different culture previously. Ethiopia, where I was before, has had a very unique history compared to the rest of Africa because of it's early Christian influence, it's contact with the Arab world, and it's natural isolation from mainland Africa since it is in the mountains. Ghana is right smack in the middle of the southern end of West Africa, and has had much more interaction with other people around them. Also, Cape Coast has a slave fort (called Cape Coast Castle) and was the main center of British involvement in the slave trade, so there will be a constant reminder of one of the worst moments of human history. Ethiopia did not have anything of the sort.
Culturally speaking, I am completely clueless as to what to expect. I have heard a few things from people, but hearing and experiencing are completely different things. I know that Ghana is a rising political power in the region, and their economics are also on the rise, unlike the rest of the world right now. I have heard that there are also plenty of churches and a strong Christian community rising in Ghana, which is exciting to hear. But I am clueless, and I hope to have my world rocked by this time in Ghana.
One thing I would very much appreciate is prayer. Since I don't really know what to expect, there are a lot of unknowns. One thing that I would like prayer for is to avoid my natural inclination to be introverted on this trip. Ghanaians are very sociable people and love to talk and share cultures (from what I've heard). I will have a tendency after a while to try and break away, which is good for me to do, but it can also be seen negatively if I avoid talking to people about these things and go into isolation. The last thing I want to do is start off on the wrong foot with the people I will interact with. Another thing to pray for is for me to find some strong Christian fellowship, whether it be with a church or with another member(s) of the group.
All in all, I'm excited to see what God has in store for me, and I look forward to having my entire perspective about life completely blown apart and radically changed.
God Bless
Jon Steen
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