Week of 18 December 2017

Merry Christmas everyone.  Hope you have a wonderful day!

We are trying to get things ready in the office for Elder and Sister Fitch.  They will be arriving on the 29th.  I am writing up a "how to do it" book for Sister Fitch.  It's hard to remember everything that goes on.  Hopefully after they get here some things pop up that aren't exactly normal, so I can help her through it.  Wayne should have an easier time with the finances.  No surprises there.

Our missionaries from the MTC arrived on Monday.  The MTC put them on a bus, which was really nice.  I didn't go to the bus station, so didn't get any pictures.  But here they are at the mission home.

So transfers were Tuesday and everything went smooth. Here's a group - all being transferred.

Just waiting for their tros.

And all of the Sisters being transferred.

 President and Sister Hillam went over to Takoradi to start interviews already.  And to top it off, they had 4 missionaries with serious health problems, so they had to take care of them also.  I don't know how they get the rest they need.

Wednesday we started out to pass out supplies and check on apartments.  We went to the sister's apartments first.  All of them are close here in the Cape.  Then Thursday morning, we traveled out to Agona Abrem where two new elders were transferred to that area.  They said they spent all day on Wednesday cleaning the apartment.  It looked very nice.

Friday was the "Follow up Trainer's " meeting.  Had to be held at the Ola chapel because of the number of missionaries.

Elders Tovela and Smith doing some training during the meeting.

Friday night, President and Sister Hillam had a get together for the Mission "Staff"  

Supply Elders - Hess and Andreasen.

Assistants - Elders Tovela and Smith.

It was also Samuel Laing (FM) and his wife's anniversary.  He gave her a CTR Ring which we had ordered for him from the US.

We had a baptism on Saturday at Nkanfoa.  Elder Mease did the baptizing of two of them. More sheep gathered in!

The other was a father baptizing his son.  All the family is on the left of the picture.  Elder Agoua is in there, too.

Sunday was a good day at Komenda.  We had bought some small packages of biscuits (cookies) for all of the kids.  they all ran away so fast we couldn't get a picture except for this little one.  She was just a laughing at Wayne.

I am including Christmas Day in this blog.  We had a wonderful dinner at the mission home.  The 6 Elders were invited also and President and Sister Hillam's daughter came to Ghana to spend some time with them.  Here's the table before it was all gone!

President found a turkey, so we had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, Ghanaian sweet potatoes, rolls, carrots, and pie for dessert.  It was awesome!

We face-timed with our family on Sunday night.  All but Doug and Teri were at Tracy's home enjoying some waffles and all the fixings.  When we were able to see them all, on the table was a great big gallon of real milk.  Wayne and I just drooled.  Can't wait for that milk!

So again, Merry Christmas to you all.

We love you and miss you.

Week of 11 December 2017

Here's our picture from last week.

You can tell it's getting close to Christmas.  the Supply Elders pick up the mail twice a week.  We had 27 packages this week.  All from the United States.  None of the African Elders and Sister get packages, but the American Elders share.  It's good to get packages from home, but each one of them have to pay a duty when it arrives.  We've had some duties as high as $40 US dollars.  It doesn't seem like a lot, but when they have to pay the equivalent in Cedis, it comes to 175.00 ghc.  Now that's a lot!

The New Trainers meeting was held on Wednesday.  11 new trainers.  An awesome bunch!

Plus we got a new Assistant to the President.  Elder Masame is going home.  So here is Elder Tovela and Elder Smith training the "New Trainers"



Weighing luggage.  This is always a headache especially for the Sisters.  Their luggage is always overweight and they have to repack everything.


Breakfast time at 6:00 am for the departing missionaries.  Elder Smith, Sister Tembo, Elders Rugundana, Chipapala, Bills, Masame, Goodsell, and Sisters Akintoke, Aruoma, Sekgetho and Elder Tovela.


Saying goodbye and wishing all a good life!

We drove the missionaries to Accra this transfer.  3 in each vehicle.  The President, Sorensens and us.  

When Wayne and I went to the Area Office to get the passports, we had all of them except for Elder Rugundana, and the travel people didn't know where it was.  So we sat there for about an hour and they came back and told us that the immigration office had it.  We told them we needed the passport by 3:00 that afternoon.  Guess what?  They didn't get it for us. So poor Elder Rugundana didn't go home on Thursday.  He had to wait to till Friday to fly home.  What an expense for the church! And President wasn't too happy either.  He had some chose words for them.  What a fun experience.

Temple picture!

Our new missionaries will arrive on Monday, the 18th. They will be coming by bus from Accra.

We had a baptism on Sunday in Kissi.  So wonderful to see these people joining the church.  They were from Komenda branch.

So just some fun pictures.  there is a street in Accra that has "bats" always flying around.  We finally got a picture of the trees.. Hopefully you can see them hanging upside down.

And, I don't know how they do it.  These women have to have the strongest necks in the world!

We miss you and love you all.

Week of 4 December 2017

A week of Christmas Zone Conferences.  It was wonderful.  But, we almost lost an Elder, too.

One of the Elders from Mpintsin wasn't feeling too well on Sunday, so the President and Sister Hillam went to check on him.  They brought him right back to the Cape and put him in one of the hospitals here.  He was diagnosed with Cerebral Malaria which is the worst kind.  He was not conscious for a couple of days.  Very scary.  Come to find out that he wasn't taking his Doxy nor sleeping under a mosquito net.  He was in the hospital all week.

Also, the Area doctor for West Africa came to visit with him and during her stay one of the other elders came to the mission home to see her for some lower abdomen pain which he has been having.  Found out that he had a hernia and it was strangulating some other organ, so she took him back to Accra for an operation.

Just a beautiful picture to start out with.

Our Cape Coast Zone Leaders and apartment companions

Elders Malamala, Williams, Wright and Osei.

Sisters Willie and Mkhize

On Wednesday, we held our Mission Leadership Council.  4 of these awqesome misisonaries will be going home next Wednesday.


In Praso on Saturday, they had 6 baptisms.  We did not attend but the President got a picture for us.



So on Sunday, the wind started to blow and this is what Harmattan looks like


We weren't able to get pictures, but along the Elmina coast line, many building were blown over.

Pictures of the Christmas Zone Conferences that were held at the Mission home.














Wayne and I got into it, too.





On Sunday in Komenda, I did a small scene with the children in the Primary.  It was just the scene with the Wise men.  But here is a picture.  None of them would take off their costumes after.  They wore them all through class.
(Can't upload the picture from my phone.  Will send next week)

It's going to be hard leaving everyone.  We are trying not to think about it right now.  But there is also the joy we fill of going home and being with our family, too.  It's coming quickly.

We love you and miss you all.

Week of 27 November 2017

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is coming.  The Elders on the compound were playing some Christmas music this morning.  One of the songs was - "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas".  Elder Durrant and I just laughed.  It's suppose to be 86 degrees today, feeling like 105 degrees.  Oh well, hopefully there will be some snow when we get home!
The President and Sister Hillam are starting the Christmas Zone Conferences.  Everyone is so excited.  They held two this week and will hold the remaining 5 next week.

 So some more pictures of our missionaries.  I don't want to forget anyone of them.


Elders Lazo and Doh walking their area.

This is the Prazo Zone:  Elders Mapetla, Kabba, Kiiza and Brown.

Elders Belnap, Asiegbu, Owens and Brown.  They are in Hemang.

So Elder and Sister Sorensen had to go to Accra for her tooth this week and buy some things for Sister Hillam.  Sister Sorensen stopped in one of the malls to use their facilities and she saw a sign on the wall of the stall she was in.  She didn't have her camera, but she did memorize what it said - and this is it - 

"If you sprinkle while you tinkle,

Be a sweetie and wipe the seatie!"

Only in Ghana!  Most of the women here straddle the toilet instead of sitting down.

Here's Elders Masame and Smith helping the President set up the room for the Christmas Zone activity.  

I was helping Sister Hillam in the kitchen making some garlic bread.  She served Chicken Alfredo.  I think the Africans wanted some more spicy, but they endured!

Elder Durrant made this sign and hung on the door outside.  We had about 20 missionaries in the office at one time and that just doesn't work.  And they are all going - Sister Durrant, Sister Durrant!!! And they were late for the Zone Conference.

On Tuesday, we received two new missionaries from the MTC.  Not our normal transfer.  But they were sent to the MTC for six weeks instead of the normal three because they needed to learn English.  But both of them spoke very good English.  So the MTC let them go after three weeks and the President couldn't convince the MTC to keep them.  They were both sent to Kissi under Elder Lund's care.  We saw them yesterday after church and they both seem to be doing well.

We sent a sister missionary (and her companion) to Accra to see her parents sealed in the Temple.  The president told her he would let her go only if she made it a one day trip.  So about 5:00 pm the Temple Recorder calls the President and asks him if the sisters could spend the night because they missed their bus.  The president said no and told him to put them on a tro.  So they did get back, but very late at night.  It's hard to leave your parents after not seeing them for a year.

Anyway, everything else is good.  We are doing great!  

We love you and miss you all!

Week of 20 November 2017

Internet is working and here are some pictures from last week.

Kids are starting a game of soccer.  They love it here.  This is right behind the Elmina Castle

Beautiful sunset over the ocean.

This is Johnny.  He is a domesticated African Antelope that lives up in Axim.

Wanted to show off some of our missionaries.  They are all awesome!!

Elders Buckhannon and Erhunmwunse

Sister Ekpiken and Juru

Sisters Ogbonna and Ekpah-Krakani

Elders Berg and Bayles

These are the Elders from the Shama District

Elders Uwaoma, Rugundana, Mbyui, Pahulu, Cossa, Ntow

Tarkwa District:  Elders Massaquoi, Singer, Wendel, Bills, Wilhelm

Piutau, Bingham and Jeppson

Sisters Mawasha and Ajike

So during the week, we had the "Finisher's Wanted" meeting.  They combined the January and March group.
They love signing the shirt!

We did get together as Senior couples for Thanksgiving,  But it was on Friday, not Thursday.  So here is our food.
We had chicken (our turkey), fruit salad, jello salad, rolls, stuffing, dutch oven potatoes, green beans, pickles, olives and lots of laughs.  It was really fun.

After dinner we watched Arthur Christmas because no one had seen it.  And then we had pie.
Banana cream, pumpkin and cherry.  It was a feast for us!

 On Sunday, we had two more baptisms for our Komenda branch. All the kids want to be in the picture.  They are so darn cute!

And this is Felicia.  She is the sweetest lady.  She has been trying to get her uncle to give her permission to get baptized, but he refuses.  He is Muslim.  The missionaries will keep trying, tho.

That's it for the week.  It's going by too fast!

We love you and miss you all.