Experiencing the Shekinah Glory at Soga

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

The entrance to Shekinah Glory

Hmm! Like many of my delectable write-ups, this is being done out of the blue with inspiration – Just got my groove on for writing this Thursday morning.

It was a not too sunny Sunday morning when I had to leave church earlier than usual because I had to report at the studio to do a recording for WASH Radio, a programme spearheaded by the Ghana Watsan Journalists Network (GWJN) in collaboration with Radio XYZ.

I was also prepared to embark on a journey to beautiful Sogakope in the Volta Region of Ghana which is fast establishing itself as a tourism destination, for a WASH in Emergencies (WinE) workshop and training at the Shekinah Glory Hotel and reporting time was the evening of that fateful Sunday, July 14, 2013.

I must admit though, that I wondered where that hotel sprang from, since I had never heard of it the few times I had been to that town. Well curiosity got the better part of me and so I made sure I did not miss that opportunity to get to know Soga better.

However, the recording did not really go on as planned, because one of our guests failed to show up and he remained incommunicado the numerous times we tried to reach him. But we still went ahead with the recording; else we wouldn’t have any programme to air that evening.

When we were finally done, I proceeded to the Accra-Tema motorway where I would have to make a turn to the Tema-Sogakope road. And that is where my woes started because somewhere at the back of my mind I was afraid I may make the wrong turn. And yet, I had taken that route more than once.

A journey in circles

So even though I made the right turn, I strongly felt and believed I was on the wrong track and as if being controlled by an invisible hand, made a sudden U-turn the minute I sighted one far down that road.

Taking the next turn I felt accomplished that I was now on the right track headed for Akosombo and never had any inkling that I was headed in the wrong direction – nothing struck me, although I remained apprehensive that I was not seeing any sign post indicating I was headed for Sogakope.

So although I only kept seeing Ho, the invisible hand kept me driving or rather cruising on till I got to Ghana’s most beautiful and famed Adomi Bridge, paid my toll at the booth and continued my journey.

Then as I went on, the mist on my eyes cleared and I realized I was done for! Far away off-track and from home and from my intended destination – Soga! What a shame.

Well what do I do now? I only had two options after driving for about three hours – either I return to Accra and try to make the journey the following day or press on and hope there will be another route to my destination.

Arrival at Ho

Now at the outskirts of Ho I enquired about the Sogakope road and thankfully was told – “Just go straight you will see a roundabout, take the right turn.”

So I hit the road again at about 4pm and prayed the second lap of my journey would be short. But the lone ranger driver was in for a rude shock. The road was not only longer than envisaged but very bumpy along several portions as it was still under construction – Tell me; why do our road contractors do the roads in several bits?

Whenever I hit an asphalted road and thought the muddy potholes were now behind me, another stretch will spring up teasingly before me and try as I drove painfully slowly, the multi potholes would shake all my intestines. Eh! Two troubles one God!

Then I put off the music I had been playing all along since I set off from Accra at 1pm – the situation was getting dire and more precarious. I needed time to think, time to reflect on my predicament and maybe hear the still small voice of God, who I had to depend on at this moment.

There were times I saw myself drive along very lonely roads – no human being in sight, no other cars passing and above all it was getting dark very quickly. ‘Oh Lord into your hands I commit myself’, I said ever so often when I saw no end in sight.

‘But all the people I asked along the way whenever I got to civilization could not be wrong’, I reasoned with myself when I thought of giving up. Well I had no choice than to drive, all along looking earnestly at my fuel gauge, as if to plead that it stays where it was and not fall further. ‘What would I do if to top it all up I run short of fuel in the wild?’

Finally!

Then I saw it! Sogakope boldly written on a not too huge sign post. What would you have done if you were me? I heaved a heavy sigh of relief. My word! I was not lost after all. ‘Thank you Jesus’ I mumbled involuntarily.

Yes! Sogakope here I come. Shekinah Glory, get ready to shine on me. Can you blame me? I was elated. No I was overjoyed. Nay I was excited at the prospect of getting to my destination before dark and resting my tired and sick body. I was not too well – treating malaria when I set off and what had happened to me was not funny at all.

So I arrived at a junction with another signage saying I should turn left to Sogakope – Hei! But wait a minute! Had to be quadruple sure! After assuring myself that I was indeed on the right road once I verified from some taxi drivers at the junction, I set off on a tarred stretch of road I hoped would be the last lap on my long and winding drive.

Then I received a call from my wife who wanted to know whether I had arrived safely. No, I replied tersely. ‘I will call you as soon as I arrive’, I added.

But I drove and drove and drove and began to wonder if that was also going to be a long stretch. Ha! There you are! I got to the Sogakope Township. ‘Where is Shekinah Glory Hotel?’ I asked a guy along the road. “Oh just move on straight and take the next turn on your left and you will see it straight ahead.  

Hmm! Straight, straight, straight everyone seemed to say but I went in circles till I got here. Oh life!

Well, it was unmistakable. Welcome to Shekinah Glory Hotel, the signage at the entrance of the hotel said. It was only then after my five-hour journey, that a wry smile appeared on my face. Wow! I had just arrived.

After an attendant had directed me where to park, I was finally able to stretch my very tired limbs and walked straight to the reception.

I met this middle-aged man who I gathered was the man in charge and truly so, as he instructed I should be checked into my room and report later at the restaurant for my dinner, when he got to know I was in for the workshop.

When I expressed my surprise at the existence of such facility at Sogakope, the hotel owner, Maxwell Amekpor said, “We have been around for few years but the big names are what people know. You are here now and you will see that the Shekinah Glory will overshadow you.”

At that I laughed and went to the room assigned me, which was going to be my abode for the rest of the week. It was then that I called wife and told her of my ordeal. “So why did you not call me if you were unsure of the route?” she quizzed.

But I did not have an answer for her, save for the fact that I believe I was not meant to take the actual route – I reasoned that perhaps an unseen hand was shepherding me to safely, as I had prayed before setting off.

Experiencing the Shekinah Glory

A very lovely, big and neatly paved/brick-red tiled courtyard awaits the visitor on entering the hotel, which was officially opened by Apostle Dr. Opoku Nyina of the Church of Pentecost in September 2012.

I instantly fell in love with the spacious hospitality facility which has some semi-detached rooms as well as the block of rooms I was taken to and couldn’t wait for the Shekinah Glory to shine on me – I indeed needed it after my arduous journey.

But I was mistaken if I was hoping to see a blinding or glowing radiance from the heavens come down. The Shekinah Glory, I later found out, lay in the homey nature of the place and its hardworking and very affable staff.

A home away from home

I was soon to forget my troubles, as I and all the other workshop participants settled in to some home culinary skills and out-of-the-world, yet unimaginable and never-to-be-forgotten snack breaks, some of which made us laugh with glee.

The ones that readily come to mind are ‘koliko’ (a type of cocoyam) and gravy (yes I am referring to snacks at Shekinah!), banana and groundnuts, ‘koose’ (a doughnut made from millet) among others.

And the hardworking participants did not have to worry so much about food because there was always plenty to eat – in fact we all remained bloated and overstuffed during the week, as the management and kitchen staff always prepared meals to the specification of their guests.

A cultural troupe was also specially arranged for guests on Thursday night, which released some danceable ‘borborbor’ and ‘agbagya’ tunes from their repertoire. Some fun was definitely needed after all the hard work. In fact the stay was so refreshing that leaving for Accra was a bit emotional for some.

Serene and homey, Shekinah Glory which also boasts of conference facilities has other packages that can easily be arranged with management beforehand and is a complete affordable getaway from the noisy pestilence of city life and indeed is fast establishing itself as a force to reckon with aside the ‘Spas’, ‘Cisneroses’ and what have yous in Sogakope.

If you want to be assured of a peace of mind from the daily city turbulence, then Shekinah Glory is the place to be anytime – and yes as Maxwell Amekpor said when I arrived, the glory will definitely overshadow you and I don’t regret having to go on a merry-go-round to get there.

See this link for more pictures : http://ghanapictures.blogspot.com/2013/07/shekinah-glory-hotel-ghana.html