Dr Jean Young said . . .

My favorite Nana Roberta story occurred during the gathering for her 80th birthday and Thanksgiving at the end of November 1994 at GILLBT Guest House in Tamale. As is common at such gatherings, someone was consulting me and this time it was Nana Roberta.

Nana Roberta was complaining that she had been fighting a sinus infection for the previous two weeks. She couldn't understand why.

In the previous 2 weeks she had been on trek. First someone sent her to a village in a ‘lorry’ (a public bus/van traveling between villages), then someone else sent her to the riverside on a ‘moto’ (motorcycle) , then she crossed a river by canoe, then someone else picked her on either a ‘moto’ or a bicycle on the other side. She did her literacy work, stayed in the village for a few days, and then reversed the process to return to Tamale. Ralph Von Qualen, a Lutheran agric missionary from Nasawan, listened to this recital and then confided in me afterwards that listening to Nana Roberta made him feel like a missionary wimp.

Ralph was nearly killed by gun-toting Burkinabe bandits who attacked his compound in 1990. Only his wife's quick driving and the presence of an experienced trauma surgeon at Nalerigu saved Ralph's life. Even after that, the Von Qualens still returned to Ghana. So for Ralph to say that Nana Roberta made him feel wimpy was really quite something.

One of the most delightful things about Nana Roberta's messages was that she always closed them "rejoicing in Jesus!" and she would assure us that she would pray for us "shelli kam za." (Dagbani for "forever and ever.") We rejoice that she has been released, and we are certain that she IS praying for us forever and ever.

Give the family our love and tell them that Konkombas are mourning with them.

(Jean is a medical doctor in Ghana along with her husband Bob (he is not a doctor). They are not with Wycliffe but Jean has helped many of our Wycliffe members.)