Journal Entry 39: Nana Comes Home

I am one of the foreign exchange students that was fortunate enough to receive a visit from one of my parents. Early this month, my mom and cousin came to visit me and experience Ghanaian life first-hand. Coincidentally, my mother was planning on taking me and my grandmother on a trip to Ghana so we could share the experience together. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away in May, but my mother was clever enough to bring some of her ashes along, making her visit even more special.
We went to church Sunday morning, and the pastor called us up to the front of the church. He caught us all by surprise and we soon realized that the woman who invited us to church set it up. He asked my mother why she was here, and she explained the story about my grandmother, and how she had come to Ghana to spread her ashes. The pastor did a lovely prayer for our family and my grandmother, and as always my mother pestered me to sing. (Thanks to her, the pastor would never let me leave the church without singing a song). I sung one of nana's favorite's, "His Eye is On the Sparrow".  I could tell when I opened my mouth that people were surprised by what came out. I tried to let the church know how we were feeling with my voice (not sad, but grateful). Tears filled all of our eyes throughout the entire tribute, and the people of the church sent us their blessing.

(I chose not to post the pictures filled with tears!)

My mother decided to spread some of her mother's ashes at a Ghanaian beach, and the rest at the ocean at the Elmina Slave Castle, signifying my grandmother’s return to her roots. Nana spoke to her family about making Ghana her home, and now thanks to her daughter, she will remain there forever.