Wey Gey Hey prays to God

Pictures by Edmund Smith-Asante. All Rights Reserved ©

It was nothing short of beautiful and proper to see parents and final year students of Wesley Girls' High School in Cape Coast pray together as one entity last Saturday to God.

The spiritually charged and emotional atmosphere of thanksgiving to the Almighty for taking the girls through three years of studies on the Kakum Hill (Kakumdo) and supplication to see them through the remaining days and especially in their final exams, the WASSCE, makes it certain that God was there too and heard every fervent prayer from the parents and their wards.

All thanks to the Parent Teachers Association and the school authorities led my Headmistress, Mrs Jeannette Ruby Siameh, it was a very successful programme which was commended by all parents.

Indeed, as Mrs Siameh put it succinctly, at Wesley Girls' they believe in working very hard but also seek God's strength and support.

For the rest of the story, see some moments captured by #Edmages. #canonshots

#Livepure #Speaktrue #Rightwrong #Followtheking #Weygeyhey #wesleygirls

Rainy day at the Summer Palace

Pictures by Edmund Smith-Asante. All Rights Reserved ©

One of the ironies of life happened to a group of African journalists on a 10-month fellowship who were visiting the Summer Palace in China in 2017.

Destroyed during the Second Opium War of the 1850s, the palace was reconstructed by Emperor Guangxu for use by Empress Dowager Cixi and renamed the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing in the Haidian District, 15km from downtown Beijing.

It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres, three-quarters of which is water. 

Although the journalists were expecting some sunshine to reflect its name, the rains came down, thus forcing everyone to seek refuge under an umbrella or from a raincoat. 

Despite the rain the journalists had fun touring the old museum located at 19 Xinjiangongmen Rd, Hai Dian Qu, North West of Beijing, China, on June 6, 2017.

Below are some pictures captured by #Edmages during the umbrella moments.

#nikonphotography #summerpalace #capc2017 #China #chinoafricarelations #reminiscing #beijindiaries

Greater Works 2023...Yellow Sundays

Pictures by Edmund Smith-Asante. All Rights Reserved ©

This year’s GREATER WORKS conference of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), comes off from Monday, July 31 to Friday, August 4, 2023 at the ICGC’s Christ Temple East auditorium at Teshie in Accra.

The church institutionalised “Greater Works” from the words of Jesus Christ in the Biblical text in John 14:12 when He said: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do".

The conference is, therefore, a call on participants to go out after the five-day encounter and do greater works in all aspects of their lives.

The Greater Works Conference can be traced back to the various camp meetings organised by the church right from the mid-1980s when the church was growing and getting established.

The annual flagship event of ICGC was officially instituted in 1987 at the Baden Powell Hall, Accra, with an attendance of about 2,000 congregants.

Ministering this year alongside the General Overseer, Ps Dr Mensa Otabil will be Ps Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre in the United Kingdom, Bishop Tudor Bismark of Jabula New Life Covenant Church Harare, Zimbabwe and Dr Mike Okonkwo, the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Nigeria.

As a prelude to the great gathering of God’s children and also to publicise it, the churches belonging to the ICGC fold have declared all Sundays before the event a ‘Yellow Sunday’ meaning all congregants wear a ‘T’ shirt of the ICGC that is yellow, to church.

#Edmages has captured some of the congregants in their beautiful yellow and shares them with you. #greaterworks2023 #weareicgc #icgcholyghosttemple #40daysofpower #icgcinternational #yearofgathering

Slaying to see Max off

Pictures by Edmund Smith-Asante. All Rights Reserved ©

It was a sorrowful day on Saturday, May 27, 2023, when staff of the Graphic Communications Group joined friends and family members at the Holy Ghost Temple of the International Central Gospel Church, Frafraha, Accra, to send off Maxwell Etse Ocloo who had passed at the prime age of 36.

Emotions were high as many shed tears for the departed. But going by the Akan adage which translates loosely in English that "Even when one is crying he or she stops to blow his or her nose", it was noticed that although the event was a sad one, the attendees were all looking resplendent in their attires as if to say they were in their best mourning clothes to bid the departed bye.

The occasion also presented a platform for colleagues and friends who had not seen each other in a long while to fraternise.  

Well, the lens of Edmages captured some of the attendees at the funeral spotting their well tailored or designed attires and shares them here. 

#maxwellgoeshome #funeral #icgcholyghosttemple #gcgl #edmages 

Lydia turns 60

Pictures by Edmund Smith-Asante. All Rights Reserved ©

It is always a joy and an epoch worth celebrating when anyone turns a year older. 

Albeit, there are some landmark ages which cannot go without celebrating, such as attaining the age of 60. 

In many jurisdictions, 60 is also the age at which workers go on compulsory retirement from work.

On Sunday June 11, 2023, Mrs Lydia Adjei, a teacher by profession who has been blessed with 60 years on the earth, opted to celebrate the goodness of God at her church, the Emmanuel Congregation of the Presbyterian Church at Tebibiano in Accra.

Family, congregants and friends were at the church to celebrate with her. They danced, made merry and prayed with her.

#Edmages captured some moments of the service and celebration. #canonshots #birthday

Father's Day 2023

Pictures by Edmund Smith-Asante. All Rights Reserved ©

Father's Day is a holiday honouring one's father, or relevant father figure, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.

The origin of the day, however, is varied. One account says the celebration of the day dates back to 1908 when a church in West Virginia held a ceremony to honour 385 men who died in a coal mine explosion the previous year.

According to History.com, the following year a Washington state woman led a movement to establish a day to honour fathers similar to Mother's Day.

Another account says Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, is usually credited for originating Father’s Day. She is said to have had the idea in 1909 while listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day, which was emerging as a holiday.

U.S. President Calvin Coolidge gave his public support to Father’s Day in 1924, and legislation signed by U.S. President Richard Nixon established it as a national holiday in 1972.

This year, the Day fell on Sunday, June 18. It was a beautiful day at many churches which honoured fathers and preached on the duty and relevance of fathers in the home and society.

#Edmages captured some congregants of the Holy Ghost Temple of the International Central Gospel Church at Frafraha in Accra, after service and shares them here.

#Fathersday #icgcholyghosttemple #fatherhood #canonshots

Tears flow for Maxwell

Pictures by Edmund Smith-Asante. All Rights Reserved ©

What a sorrowful Saturday it was on May 27 when the Graphic Communications Group Limited saw off two staff who had gone to be with the Lord.

The late Maxwell Etse Yao Ocloo's funeral was the most sullen as he had passed at a prime age of 36 after a short illness.

Indeed the sombre gathering and the tears that were shed uncontrollably by colleagues, friends and family members at the Holy Ghost Temple of the International Central Gospel Church, Frafraha in Accra, said it all.

Why did such a young promising and affable man have to leave so early, many asked. But the answer rests with the giver of life - God, who no mortal can question. Rest in perfect peace Maxwell.

#Edmages was present to capture some of the sorrowful moments at the funeral.

#GCGL #funeral #maxwellgoeshome #icgcholyghosttemple