Thomas Awiapo

Merry Christmas from Thomas Awiapo

Frosty roof tops, glistering sun rise, blissful sounds of Christmas carols echo everywhere, advent surrounds us as we wait for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Growing up as a child in a small little village in Ghana, Christmas day was always awaited with great expectations. It was the only day I [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thomas Awiapo: The Wisdom of ‘I Was Wrong’

Parents, teachers, religion and society have inculcated certain perceptions, assumptions, values and knowledge in me. I have faithfully and painstakingly safeguarded and observed these for many years. I believed these were absolute truths. Meanwhile, I have always been a questioner and critic of other peoples’ ideas and perceptions. I even questioned the unquestionable. Yes, I [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thomas Awiapo: From Ghana With Love – Happy Thanksgiving

Come November 26, 2009, Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving once again – a time of gathering of families and friends, a time of gratitude to God and to one another for blessings received. One of the most memorable moments of my life was when I had the singular opportunity to be present in the United [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thomas Awiapo: An Attitude of Gratitude

One day, I was scheduled to travel to a very distant rural village on a CRS mission to educate and sensitize parents about the importance of girls’ education. The road was long, unpaved and dangerously bumpy. As we were about to take off, the driver of the vehicle said this prayer: “Oh God, grant us [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thomas Awiapo: Enigma in the financial world

While world financial institutions and markets are failing, village SILC (Savings and Internal Lending Communities) women are making it big in the financial world. To describe this scenario, I will say, “Water is running up hill.” What an enigma! These world financial institutions are supposedly equipped with the highest IC technology with the most impeccable [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thomas Awiapo: A Personal Message to Children

St. Augustine – one of the early fathers of the Church once said, “God created man without man, but cannot save him without him.” God created us out of pure love; we had no choice, we were passive in the process. Now that He has created us, we are no longer passive and He cannot [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thomas Awiapo: Classrooms Without Walls Fail Children/Thirsty For Education

I was trapped into attending school just with a little snack provided by CRS in my village school about four decades ago and since then my life has never been the same. In the last decade, children all over the world are yearning for education like the deer that yearns for running water. I wonder [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thomas Awiapo: Monkeys play by sizes – An African proverb

In Africa, monkeys are common. Traveling through the dirt roads and bushes you can very easily spot monkeys playing with each other. When monkeys play, they follow a strict rule; they play by sizes and no monkey breaks that rule…hence the African proverb: “Monkeys play by sizes.” My experiences in school and in the corporate [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thomas Awiapo: Two by Two

Being a former seminarian, I have a reasonable understanding of homiletics. Usually, if I remember a homily after two weeks it means it was really good but here is the case I have remembered a homily after almost a month which means it was really super. The Gospel was on Jesus Christ sending out His [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Timely Story Inspires Clean Water Mission

Have you ever been frustrated, burdened and overwhelmed by the problems of our world? Have you ever been tempted to resign to fate and adapt the do-nothing-attitude? I have been hit hard and troubled by both. Today, I have been inspired by the words of Bishop Ken Untener and the story of Jan Kline of [...]

Read the rest of this entry »