Day 37: Wicked--Asenemaso

Another day of love. Today, we visited the women from the North but we also met some of their husbands and their children. We visited two houses they live in. It was definitely the worst poverty I have ever experienced with my own eyes. I never thought that there would be worse poverty than a hut village. The space was smaller, the houses were falling apart, and the sanitation was worse. The village we stayed at last weekend was much better off than the people form the North. But despite their poverty, they gave us yet ANOTHER gift: 7 uncooked eggs. The landlord, Jacob (a Northerner), was asking us not to forget about them and he hoped that we could find them help in America. It was a very light-hearted day, filled with laughter and warmth. Some of the women were even waiting for us to arrive.

They took today to tell us about the prejudice and discrimination they receive from the Ashanti. This region is much more fortunate because of their fertile soil, while the North suffers because of their dry soil that doesn't support crops. This instills an attitude of superiority and hostility from the Ashanti. There are many instance where an Ashanti won't pay the women for their work because they're from the North, even after they've carried the water far distances and poured the water in their customer's bowl. They lie and say things like, "we never told you to bring water, so I'm not paying you." Jacob was telling me that they used to live with the Ashanti, but they drove them further away onto the land they are on now, which is a ten minute walk from the well. When I asked Jacob what he thought of the Ashanti, he said he thought they were wicked because they treat them so badly. Their living conditions are as bad enough as it is, but the harassment and treatment from the Ashanti probably makes life unbearable. It saddens me that the Ashanti treat them this way but also that the Northerners have no love for the Ashanti. It is not my place to tell them to love those who persecute them, but I know Jesus tells us to love our enemies. I pray that the Ashanti show love to the Northerners and that the Northerners find forgiveness in their hearts.