Week of 22 May 2017

WOW!!! What a week!
Monday, Wayne and I finished up everything for transfers and the arrival of our new missionaries on Tuesday.  There were 10 coming in.
When we went to our Monday night planning meeting with the President, an Elder was at the house with the Assistants.  We really didn't think too much of it. After our meeting he came in and sat down next to the President and then started crying.  He wouldn't say a word to the president.  He got up and went into the small bathroom off the living room and locked the door.  He wouldn't come out or say anything.  We left about 30 mins later and went home.  On Tuesday morning after we arrived to the office, President Stevenson called us and said we would have to take this missionary into Accra to the Area Office and drop him off with the medical doctors.  The president and assistants and this elder all slept together on the living room floor Monday night.  The elder was reciting scriptures and asking questions most of the night.
So we left with this elder and Elder's Oforikumah and Munzele so that they could help if needed.  We left him with the doctors and found out two days later that they had to put him in the Psychiatric Ward of the hospital in Accra.  So sad.  He was an excellent missionary.  We don't know what went wrong.
So we got back to Cape Coast about 5:30 pm and sat down to eat dinner with the new missionaries.
We had the two sisters of the 10 new missionaries spend the night with us.  And we died.  So tired!

These are part of the 10 - 4 Tongans and 1 Australian.

Here's an American, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria and Ghana.

Looks like they are raring to go.

The Assistants always help with dinner.  Theresa is always smiling too.

Elder and Sister Sorensen helped us this transfer by taking Elder Iumalo into Accra a day earlier.  Since he flies to Samoa, his plane leaves a day before the others.

Then Wednesday afternoon our departing missionaries came.  Here's all 20 of them - minus Elder Iumalo.

Everything went smoother at the airport.  And everyone's flight left - even to Nigeria.  It was raining horribly when we got to the airport.  The road were flooding.

Here's their final Fufu dinner.

Here they are on the bus ready to go to the temple and home.

At the temple.

Here's 11 of the missionaries at the airport.  Going HOME!

Sister Nekesa, Elder Swartbooi, Sister Apio, Elder Kiwalabye, Elder Nsenga, Sister Makhurane, Sister Nagawa

And our 5 American Elders:

Elders Garry, Haeward, Adams, Jones and Bramwell.

The "Transfers Over" party

We finished out our week with Stake Conference for Yamoransa.

It was a wonderful weekend.

Here's a bug we hope some one can identify.

I think it's a bee?!?!

Love you and miss you all.

Week of 15 May 2017

It rained again this week - a lot.  And our electricity went out again for the whole day this time.
So after it rains, these certain bugs come out and get in the house.  How I don't know.  But they have real long wings.  And sometime during their flying around, they lose their wings and then they die.

So I caught one before it lost its wings.

We have to turn off all the lights in the house so that they stay outside, but sometimes even that doesn't work.  Here's what I swept up from one of the bathrooms.

So we had one missionary from Nigeria catch a whole bunch of these bugs in a tub of water and then he fried them and ate them for breakfast.  No thanks.

The president was gone all week with interviews.  He traveled to Takoradi, Tarkwa and Mpintsin.

Wayne and I had a busy week trying to finalize everything for transfers.

Plus take Elder Oforikumah to Winneba for another check up with the doctor.  Once again we sat for 7.5 hours in a hot room waiting to see the doctor.  We had to get some more medicine and try to find some Epsom salts.  Wayne makes him get up and walk so that his ankle starts bending the way it should.

On Friday, the 10 trainers that have been chosen to train the new missionaries coming in on Tuesday came to the mission home for their training from the president.

Good group of missionaries doing the Lord's work.  We only have 2 sisters coming in this month.

Sunday was Stake Conference in the Cape Coast Stake.  It's awesome to see the building fill up/

Here is the choir.  They always have them dress in the same thing.

These sisters were the ushers for the conference.



And these elders sang in the choir.

Everything is good. We are doing great!  Our health is good, we love being with the missionaries and the people in our ward.  Everyone treats us like a king and queen.  Beautiful Ghana!

We love you and miss you all.

Week of 8 May 2017

We had two more zone conferences this week and preparing things for transfers on the 24th.  This week went by fast.

These two little girls are going to be models one day.  I can just tell.

We hold Praso Zone conference in the Young School in Demang.  It is huge and can hold everyone, especially when it is Stake Conference too.

Assin Foso Zone - This zone covers the north eastern part of our mission.

Telecom Zone.  This zone covers the eastern part of our mission.

Praso Zone.  This zone is the one that is spread out the most.  And it covers the northern most and north west part of our mission.

The sisters that serve in the mission are usually older than 19, but they do a fantastic job of teaching the gospel. 

This was Sunday in Praso.  They celebrate Mother's day here also.

 

This is how they sweep and clean up the chapel area.  Good thing it's girls and boys.  I don't think I could bend over that much.

It rained again this week and of course the power went out.  It was out all day on Wednesday.   

We will be going into Winneba this week for Elder Oforikumah again.  Hopefully, this will be the last time.  He is wearing a boot now and walking on his foot.

We had a wonderful Mother's Day.  The Assistants had a skirt made for me.  They are two awesome young men.

We love you and miss you all.

Week of 1 May 2017

This week started off with rain.  And it came down.  When we got to the mission office, in the rain, the elders were playing volleyball.  They all got really wet. But had lots of fun!

Sister Stevenson even got involved after it stopped raining.

Monday night we were asked to speak to the YSA in the Nkanfoa ward.  So after our meeting with the President, we went over to the chapel.  We talked about temple marriage and the covenants we make and about marriage in general.  We got them to laugh a couple of times.  Here's the group.  They are wonderful young men and women.

Tuesday was Zone Conference for the Cape Coast Zone.  All the conferences this week were held at the Ola Chapel.

Wednesday was MLC.  We had chicken and rice but from a different vendor and it actually tasted really good.  Wasn't very spicy at all.

Here's our MLC group.

Also on Wednesday, Elder and Sister Clements had the honor of taking Elder Oforikumah to Winneba to see the doctor again.  The doctor took the cast off and now we are waiting for a boot to be sent from Accra, so that he can start walking on his foot.  They were there all day and didn't get back to the Cape until 7:30 pm, so they spent the night with us.  About 10:00 pm the electricity went off and it was off all night long.  Our generator lasted for about 3 hours and then we were in the dark and heat.  Did not get any sleep at all.  I think it came back on about 8:00 am.  We hurried and got ready and came down to the office.  The electricity was off and on all day.  And it started to rain.

Thursday was Zone Conference for Elmina and Mankessim.  The President had the two zones meet together.  It's fun to see everyone and all them enjoy visiting with each other.

Elmina Zone

Mankessim Zone

Thursday afternoon the president called us and told us we would be taking a missionary to the airport on Friday.  And he told us to spend the night in Accra, because we wouldn't be leaving until it was dark.  Well about 5:00 pm, he called us and told us the only flight they could get him on was the 9:30 morning flight.  That meant we would have to leave Cape Coast about 4:00 am to get him there two hours before his flight.  We didn't get to bed until 10:00 pm Thursday night and woke up at 2:30 am to get ready.  We made it on time and left him about 8:30 am after we saw him go through immigration.

Elder Porter going home. 

On our way back to the Cape, we saw this.

He was carrying a lawn mower on the back of his motorcycle.  You see the strangest things being carried, however they can.

We got back to the office about noon.  And the about 24 missionaries started coming to visit with the president.  These were the new trainers and their trainees.  They have been out about 4 weeks.

The President and Sister Stevenson went to Tarkwa for District Meeting on Saturday and Sunday.  And we went to Bakaano for church on Sunday.  It was in a air conditioned home.  It was nice.

And this was about 15 feet away from the entrance to the chapel.  No fence. No rope. No nothing.

Sunday during church it started to rain hard again.  The thunder and lightening was horrible.  When we went back home there were trees all over in the road.  It was like playing a game of dodge ball.

And this was our road.  I know it doesn't look like much, but it is deep and yucky.

Good thing we have a car!

So that was our week.  Hope you had a good one.

Love and miss you all.

Week of 24 April 2017

This week went fast.  The President and Sister Stevenson were gone all week at the Mission President's Seminar.  So we got a lot of calls - especially of missionaries running out of money.  They get paid again on Monday.

We had Elder Oforikumah come over to the office and help with some things.  Elder Durrant had to call about 100 missionaries and tell them that the change in the policy for some extra money they receive for transportation.  So he had Elder Oforikumah do all of that.  It took him most of the afternoon.

On the way home from their seminar Thursday night, the President was involved in a little accident.  The road had been reduced from three lanes to one lane.  So a big truck thought he had the right of way and drove right into the driver's side of the car.  He started from just behind the passenger door and scraped all the way to the front bumper.  He took off the side mirror also.  The driver of the truck shook his fist at the President and the President being human - shook his right back.  The truck didn't stop.  No accidents are report unless there is injury and sometimes not even then.  No laws.  Or there may be laws but no one obeys.  The president wasn't hurt and his car would have been turned in for replacement in June.  He'd gone 1031 days without an accident.

We had zone conference on Friday.

Bright and sunny and hot!

Elders Sithole and Allen led a discussion on member visits and how important they can be.

These Elders sang a song.  It was really good.  Elders Sithole (leading), and from the left - Omoregie, Allen, Solia (hidden), Simpson, Ofahengaue, Bay, Rowe.

And guess what we had for lunch - PIZZA!!!!

But it was also very spicy!

On Sunday, we traveled to Kissi to see them divide the Kissi branch and form the new Komenda Branch.  

This is the building we met in - Kissi Branch building.  And the members were so accepting of us.  

This group of little girls would not leave Elder Durrant's side.

This is right after the meeting ended.  

This is the new Branch President of Komenda - President Bordoh in the middle.  1st Counselor and Clerk.

When we got back to our house, the power was out.  It remained that way for over 6 hours.  It was very hot, especially when I started using the stove.  And then it started to rain.  Fun day.

Have a good week.  

We love you and miss you all.