FAKE GOLD, VISIONS AND OMENS

Although there is a great deal of gold in Ghana. The gold industry in this country is closely supervised by the authorities. One of the laws that is used to monitor the activities of gold miners and purveyors; and also protect those who wish to purchase this merchandise. Is that no gold whatsoever can be legally bought or sold within this country, without first being ASSAYED. Predictably there are many exceptions to this rule. However, those who flout this requirement do so at their own peril. An acquaintance of mine called me on the phone recently. I met him because I had previously held conversations with The King of Berekum (a relative of his). About the possibility of purchasing some of this precious metal. Although these discussions never came to fruition. The caller advised me that he had some friends. Who although they were from out of town were now in Berekum. That it was advisable for me to come and see them immediately. Since they had some gold dust which they wanted to sell.

Accordingly, I accepted his counsel and within fifteen minutes I was seated in his office in The Town of Berekum. Two strangers were there and they showed me a small bottle containing what they claimed was ‘Gold Dust.’ I looked at it carefully. Even though I was a novice in this field and clearly recognized my own limitations. Thereafter, I invited them to come with me and they followed me to the small store of a good friend. who occupied himself selling smartphone accessories, when he wasn’t mining for precious metals. He poured some of the dust into the palm of his hand and after feeling its texture and looking at the granules very carefully. He looked at me and announced that this was genuine gold dust. This seemed to be a good start to me. I’ve been visiting Ghana since 2013 and I had learned by brutal and painful experience never to take anything at face value. I told the two men that I would return the following day at 10:00 A.M. After leaving I called another friend and asked him where I could obtain some acid. He directed me to an automobile electrical repair shop on Mpatase Road in Berekum.

After arriving in Berekum the following morning I hired a taxi driver to take me there. When I informed the driver of the actual name of the owner he knew exactly where to go. Upon our arrival at the repair shop, I disembarked and asked him to wait for me, and within five minutes I was leaving with a small bottle of warm Sulphuric Acid. The bottle had been wrapped in a black polyethylene bag. Based upon my past experience with acids in college chemistry. I knew that I needed a larger bottle with a flat bottom. I soon purchased one, and after pouring the acid into it, and positioning it in my duffel bag, in such a way, that it would not overturn to cause any seepage. I walked back to my friend’s office where the two gentlemen with the purported gold dust were waiting for me. I had also purchased a small ceramic bowl in the nearby market. I deposited some of the dust into my newly acquired bowl and poured some of the acid over it. I looked at the contents of the bowl carefully; and noticed that the gold dust neither changed color nor effervesced. But in fact was shimmering. One of my friends who specializes in the sale and purchase of foreign exchange looked into the bowl and announced to me, “It’s gold, it’s gold.” However, I remained silent.

Seven years ago I had visited a gold merchant in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Merely to verify that she would actually purchase gold from me if I brought some to her. She assured me that she would but only if it was genuine gold. Then went on to educate me. She asserted, “There is only one foolproof way to authenticate genuine gold, and that is to put it into a furnace and melt it down. I have never forgotten her words. It’s not always necessary to attend an Ivy League university and pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for an advanced education. Because experienced, God fearing, pilgrims along life’s meandering thoroughfare. Run into you periodically and teach you everything you need to know to avoid certain pitfalls. If you will only pay attention and listen carefully to what they have to say. As we read in scripture, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7. Furthermore, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” Proverbs 23:23

I told the gentleman who had invited me to come to Berekum to see the ‘gold dust,’ and the two bearers thereof. That before I could make any purchase they would have to accompany me to Kenyasi, where the metal would be assayed, and a final determination made by the experts regarding its authenticity. Initially, they agreed. We arranged to meet at the same office Sunday morning at 10:30 A.M., and from there we would take a taxi to Sunyani and from The Regional Capital, we would find appropriate transportation to Kenyasi. As per usual I completed my morning devotion at home in my hall. When I opened my eyes the walls of my hall were covered with vines, and hanging from them were large black grapes. It was a vision and constituted my first warning that danger was ahead. I went into the bathroom to shower and while that process was ongoing the same vision was repeated. This vision constituted my second warning to exercise caution. After I had shaved and dressed and was getting ready to leave. I looked toward the metal gate in front of my glass door and there I saw a large lizard doing his thing. This vision constituted my third and final warning of an impending loss.

I arrived at the office on time. The gentleman who had informed me about this possible transaction wasn’t there. I called him on the phone and he advised me that although he was in church he was on his way. He got there at approximately 11:45 A.M. His two acquaintances from out of town didn’t show up until 12:00 Noon. When they arrived, all three of them used the most convoluted logic and all of their persuasive powers to convince me that since the miner had verified that the dust was gold; and since I had placed the dust in acid and it had behaved in a manner that was typical of gold. Then why would I need to make the unnecessary and long journey to Kenyasi to have the dust assayed. My only response was, “This is what the law requires.” They were determined to convince me not to follow that plan. But I was unrelenting and remained as immoveable as The Rock of Gibraltar. Because I had been forewarned. One of the greatest lessons to learn in life is to distrust self and trust God supremely. As we read in scripture, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6. (NKJV).

When they saw that their efforts were futile they started to accuse me of conspiring with criminals to ambush them on the way, and rob them. They claimed that the gold dust belonged to their family and if they were robbed they would be killed by the other family members. All of this was classical Freudian projection; frequently utilized by sociopaths. When they attempt to make their potential victims feel guilty. By accusing them of the very crime that they are attempting to perpetrate against them. Finally they absolutely refused to go anywhere with me. Claiming that they had no idea what I had in mind. Since I was leading them into the unknown. I left quietly and returned to my home. Now I fully understood the meaning of those visions and omens. What they had was fake gold. They were merely trying to rob me. Why would they accompany me to Kenyasi to learn what they already knew and also to be exposed?