Week of 19 December 2016

This week was still crazy.  We had 5 more Zone Conferences and all the missionaries come into the office before and after they go to the mission home.  They need to buy things and get see if they got any Christmas packages.  I am almost out of garments and most of the DVD's and books that the missionaries can purchase.  Got to wait to order next year, because our budget is shot!

On Wednesday, Takoradi Zone came and they all had Santa's hats on.  The numbers of 2 0 1 7 were on the front of each cap and they lit up.  It was very cute.

 President Stevenson had a "humbug" hat on.  

Here's some of the elders showing off.

And here's the group trying to get ready for the picture.

Just some more fun pictures.

So each zone decided what they wanted to eat.  They had the choice of chicken and rice. Fufu and chicken.  Goat meat and soup or Tilapia and soup or rice.  Wayne and I got to eat everyday also.  We tried the goat last week and this week was two days of tilapia.  Just couldn't stand those eyes staring at me.  We tried it and then took the rest out to one of the guards.  And of course, it was spicy.  

Our zone met on Friday.  We joined them in the mission home.  Before everything started, they had the missionaries decorate the Christmas tree.  

Here's our zone.

Finished product

The President spent the first two hours with them talking about the temple and the covenants we make.  It was very well done and the missionaries had lots of questions.  Most of them had only gone through the temple once.  He talked about the things he could and if they asked a question that he wouldn't answer because of the sacredness, they understood.  It was a good meeting.  Then we had lunch.  After lunch, the president read the Christmas story from Luke and the missionaries got to dress up.

A group sang one of the Christmas Carols. They did a pretty good job.

After that, they got to watch Ebenezer Scrooge.  The movie with George C. Scott in it.  During the movie they had ice cream and brownies.

Here's our zone.  It's all Elders!

Friday night I had to do a lot of baking.  Theresa, the person that cleans the mission home and cooks for all of the special occasions asked me to make her some cupcakes, cinnamon rolls and an apple pie.  She was visiting her family and just wanted them to taste American things.  

Saturday, I did some baking, also.   I made some more cottage cheese.  I told the elders next door I would make them lasagna for their Christmas dinner.  I made some bread and rolls. And I was done!!!

Saturday night our Stake had a Christmas Carol sing along.  There would be one person read a scripture and then a group would sing a Christmas Carol. 

This is the Relief Society singing.

They also had the Full-time missionaries, the primary, young men and young women, the elders, all returned missionaries and the high priests.  The high priests got the biggest round of applause.  They sounded terrific.

  

It was a fun night.  But that's all that was done to celebrate Christmas.  There are no lights, no trees decorated, no music playing.  It was really sad.  And then to top it off, it was over 100 degrees again.  

Sunday, we joined the Mission President and his wife and the Clements at the Ola Chapel for Sacrament meeting.  The Bishop asked us all to bear our testimonies.  It was a wonderful ward and everything was in English.

Afterwards, we came to the mission home and enjoyed dinner with them.  It was nice to just sit back and relax.  Sister Stevenson prepared and Indonesia dish that her family always had on Christmas eve.  It was delicious.  I brought the rolls and Sister Clements made a pumpkin pie.  We all wanted to know where she got the pumpkin from, but she wouldn't say.   We came home and watched the movie Arthur Christmas after calling all of the kids.  

Our granddaughter Sara is getting married on Tuesday.  Wish we could be there.  We hope it is a beautiful day and all goes well.

We love you and miss you all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Week of 12 December 2016

Once again a crazy week.  President and Sister Stevenson planned Christmas Zone Conferences for this week and next.  So every day starting with Monday, we had 20 or more missionaries here.  They had them decorate the tree, sing some carols, portray the nativity, talked about the temple and ate a huge lunch.  So Wayne and I got lunch every day and added more weight to our bodies.

All of them seemed to really enjoy it all.  The Africans don't celebrate Christmas like Americans do.

On Wednesday it was MLC again.  Wayne and I had to address some issues with the missionaries, specifically their luggage allowances when they fly home.  I gave them a print out of how many bags, size, and weight their luggage could be.  The President told them if their luggage doesn't meet the requirements, they would have to ship their things home.  And most of them don't have the money for that.

Visiting before the meeting starts.

Great bunch of missionaries.

Elder Adams.  He's the one that taught Elder Durrant when we first came.  He is now a Zone Leader.

President Stevenson was teaching them how to get the members to use social media to spread the gospel.  Our missionaries don't have the chance to use social media yet.

Once again, here is our chicken and rice!!!!  The red stuff on top is the spicy stuff.

Elders Hepworth and Smith talking about supply orders again.  No one seems to get it right.

Elder Garry in a very pensive mood.

Here's our Zone Leaders and STLs.  Good group!

We had to go shopping on Saturday for a few things and then went into the office.  Spent most of the day there.

Sunday was High Council Sunday.  Our bishop wasn't there and so the Second Councilor conducted.  He doesn't speak very good English, so it was all in Fante.  When the speakers got up to talk, the HC leaned over to the first one and told him to talk in English.  As did the other two.  When the HC got up, he went over the announcements again in English.  And then he made some other comments like:  we need to speak in English when in meetings.  You can use your native language when you are at home.  All of the speakers were men.  So he said that we should have a woman speaking also during sacrament meeting.  He was very direct and I liked it.

It was very hot on Sunday and looks like it will be getting hotter.  Oh well, that's Africa for you.

We love you and miss you all.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

Week of 5 December 2016

Well another crazy week.  It surely keeps things exciting around here and somewhat frustrating.
The new elders and sisters came in from the MTC on Monday.  Normally transfers are on Wednesday, but the Area Office didn't want the missionaries traveling on Tuesday from Accra.  (It would have been the day before elections and they didn't want anything to happen).  So we had 3 sisters spend the night with us Monday night. And all the new missionaries were gone on Tuesday. And the 9 missionaries going home came in on Tuesday also.  They spent Tuesday night and Wednesday night at the MTC.  We had the famous Fufu dinner Tuesday night.

The fufu is the glob of dough in the middle.  Then chicken and soup.  We ate the chicken.

Here is Elder Affy and Sisters Akello and Ihezie.

On Wednesday, the AP's had to keep everyone busy for the morning.  Then they had lunch, watched a movie and the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional and then another dinner.  Guess what - it was chicken and rice!

The office elders and APs all sharing what we couldn't eat.

Elders Ameyaw, Smith, Hepworth and Garry.

Wednesday night, The Sorensens joined us for dinner and spent the night with us.  We got up early, came to the mission home, picked up some luggage and started on our way to Accra.  It only took us 2 1/2 hours.  The construction is done and it is very nice.  

So off to the area office again for money, non-residency cards and sim cards for new phones that the mission had to buy.  And of course, it took forever!!!

We ate some lunch before going into the temple.  And here is the group of 9 missionaries.

Sisters Ntalu, Ihezie, Akello, Amedzro, Stevenson, Sande and Ngalamulume.

Elders Affy, Lath, President and Chukwu.

Temple session was awesome.  It was basically just our group.

Sister Amedzro's sister met her at the temple and they took a bus to their home.  

After KFC, we took four of the missionaries to the airport.  Their flights left at 6:00 pm and we needed them there by 3:30.  The airlines wouldn't let Elder Chukwu take his carry-on.  It was too big, so he had to pay $30 extra.  But everyone else made it okay.

The next four were quite the story.  We had told Sisters Ntalu and Ngalamulume that they could have 3 bags of luggage.  And they were all over weight.  But they insisted.  Sister Akello and Sande went through the line without any problems.  Then the fun started.  After 1 1/2 hours at the ticket counter, Sister Ntalu had paid an extra $150 american dollars for her luggage and Sister Ntalu had to buy and extra plastic bag and move things around.  Sister Ntalu had laid her passport down and someone took  it to the information desk, but we are all looking for it.

We brought back to Cape Coast with us, one bag from Sister Ngalamulume. Books and extra things from Sister Ntalu.  We told them they would have to contact President Stevenson to make arrangements to get the things home.

So we got them upstairs and left, thinking all was well.  About 20 mins later President Stevenson was calling telling me that the sisters visas were expired and they needed to pay some money so that they could get on the plane.  Wayne and I drove back to the airport - another 20 mins - and ran upstairs to see what we could do.  I knew that the travel department wouldn't make that mistake, but I didn't know what to look for either.  Their plane was leaving in about 30 minutes.  After a long discussion with the immigration people, I paid the 160 cidis to them so the sisters could get on their plane.  (What a racket!!!)  They rushed through screening as quickly as they could and we waited just outside.  Pretty soon, here they come.  Sister Ntalu is crying.  I had to call the Travel Dept and let them know what was happening.  And she was really upset.  There was an extension on the visa!  Why immigration didn't see, I don't understand.  Anyway, we took them to the Alma House to spend the night and they would fly out the next day.  Wayne and I got back to the Hotel by 10:30 pm.  Another very long day.  We don't think we're liking the airport anymore.  

When we got back to the office on Friday, we talked to the President and said that something needed to be done with the luggage problem.. And he agreed.  We just need to discuss and come up with a solution. 

Saturday, I spent all day in the house in my jammies.  It was so nice.

Michelle and Rob sent us some pictures of Maui and Keo.  Just had to include one.

We miss you and love you all.

Week of 28 November 2016

It's almost December.  Cannot believe it.

On Tuesday, Wayne and I traveled out to Takoradi to visit with the Clements and go with them to their English class in a little village called Axim.  What a beautiful spot.  It is right on the ocean and the chapel overlooks the bay.

The sun was just starting to set.

I met three cute little boys that were playing on the steps of the chapel.  We had a grand time.  Here is Francis, Samuel and George.

The English class went well.  We each took one of the students and worked with them individually.  I worked with the Relief Society President.  When the class started 6 weeks ago, she couldn't speak a word of English.  Now I could at least communicate with her a little bit.  What a sweet lady.  She walks almost 2 miles to come to the church.  These people are so dedicated to pleasing everyone they meet.  Wayne worked with Peter.  He spoke a little English but was learning fast.  We sang a Christmas song and practiced their song that the class will be singing in Sacrament meeting on the 11th.

Wayne with Peter

And me with Rebecca

We stayed overnight with the Clements and left Wednesday morning, getting back to Cape Coast just in time for our Zone Conference.  The theme was on how to teach people not lessons.  I think everyone learned a lot from President Stevenson.  I know I did.  And guess what we had for lunch - yep - Chicken and rice.

Yamoransa Zone

Special musical number during conference.

On Thursday, I decorated the office.  It's not much, but will have to do.  At least it will bring a little bit of Christmas to Wayne and me.

After the President got back from a meeting on Thursday, he called me to have me get a flight home for an Elder that decided he wanted to go home.  The sad thing is that he would not tell the President why.  And he has been out for a little over a year.  So Wayne and I got to drive him to Accra on Saturday.  We went to West Hills Mall to grab some lunch and they had a Christmas tree all decorated.  And they were playing Christmas music.

 
We dropped Elder Ofonwa off at the airport.  I told him to stay true to the gospel and that is the only thing that will bring him peace.  He got tears in his eyes and said he would.

 It was a quiet drive in but coming home was ridiculous.  There was one point on the road that the line of cars coming at us was endless, so people came over to the right side of the road and drove on the shoulder towards us also.  So our lane was going down the middle of these two lanes of traffic.

Saturday night was the transfer "party" meeting for the Zone Leaders of four zones.  I made some peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies for the elders and they also made milk shakes.  We got back just in time for the milk shakes.

So our Elder Simpson is leaving for Takoradi and he will be a trainer.  |He will learn on Tuesday who he will be training.   Elder Jager is also leaving and he will be a Zone Leader in Tarkwa.  The two new people we are getting are Elders Smith (Supply Elder) and Chavengwa (Senior Companion to Elder Riding).

We died Saturday night after we got home.  We were very tired and hot.  Neither one of us woke up during the night.  But we did have the air conditioner on all night.

Sunday was our Stake Conference.  This is what I wrote sitting there during for Conference.  It had just begun.
"We are in Stake Conference right now.  They rented a building called the Cultural Building near the college of Cape Coast.  I can't adequately express what is happening right now.  They are sustaining the Stake officers and in the same building in a different room a band playing.  There are drums and cymbals that can heard over everything else.  And oh, someone just started singing.  Can't hear the sustaining at all.  It is very hot and muggy and stinky (sweat).  The ushers just had some kids move over so that an adult could sit down.  There are now 7 kids sitting in 3 chairs.  The choir just started to sing.  I hope the band stops pretty soon."
A little girl came and sat down next to Wayne.  She wanted us to take her picture.  What a cutie!  She slept through the whole conference.

She wanted her picture taken but wouldn't look at us.

The choir

They covered the podium with paper because there was a great big cross in the middle.

We did get to hear the speakers. President Stevenson spoke about repentance and the atonement.   And the Stake President was wonderful.   It is their voting day on Wednesday and he told the members to go and vote and then leave the place they voted at.  Not to stay and discuss with others or wait for the outcome.  I guess things can get pretty bad and dangerous at some places.

Well, that was our week.  We love and miss you all.