Week of 19 June 2017

They painted our office when we went to Accra.  And everything was a mess!!!!!  Get back to that in a minute.

Monday was a normal day at the office.  And our meeting with the President in the afternoon went well.  Wayne wasn't feeling 100% yet, but he could manage.

Monday night (early Tuesday morning) I heard the alarm on the office elders van like someone was opening the door.  And then I heard the car drive out of the gate.  Thought it was weird, but no one was screaming or anything.

Then it started raining in the morning and really came down for a while and of course, the electricity went off.  We found out later that the sisters in Mankessim had a fire in their apartment and the Assistants had to go get them and bring them back to Abura to spend the night.  They were soaking wet and cold when they finally got to Abura.

They fixed everything up in the apartment and they actually got to go back to their
apartment that night.  No one hurt and nothing lost.

The President and Assistants left Tuesday morning for the western region for Zone Conferences.  Needless to say the assistants were very tired.  Before the President left, he came over to the office and told us they would be painting our office along with the mission home.  He also told us that we would have to take Elder Oforikumah to Winneba again and then take him to the Area Doctor in Accra.  We were really excited!?!

Tuesday night we got everything ready in case we had to spend the night in Accra.  I always walk around the house bare footed and when I went into the bedroom, I did not see the big fire ant and sure enough, it bit me on the toe.  Wow, did that hurt!  And it ached most of the night.

Anyway, Wednesday we left about 8:30 am and got to Winneba hospital to wait to see the doctor.  After 2 1/2 hrs. I asked Elder O. if he wanted to wait any longer and he said no.  So we left for Accra.  We went straight to the Accra Mission home.  We called Elder Anderson (area doctor) and he told us he would pick Elder O. up at 9:00 am on Thursday.  We just left Elder O at the mission home.  It was a sad day for us.

We're hoping he will be able to complete his mission at a later date.

So we spent the night in Accra and came home Thursday morning to the mess.  And they used a green color on part of the wall that looked like pea green soup.  Awful.

Thursday night, I started feeling pretty punk and had a terrible headache.  I thought it might be from smelling the paint all day.  But things got worse Thursday night.  I didn't go into the office on Friday.  Spent most of the day Saturday in bed and didn't go to church.  Whatever it was, it knocked me for a loop.

That's about it for this week.

We love you and miss you all.

Week of 12 June 2017

I'm late again.  The internet just came on at the office.  It sure has been happening a lot lately.

This week has been fun. We had 14 Elders and Sisters arrive on Tuesday.

President Stevenson greeting and learning names.

Sister Stevenson greeting and learning names

This is the packet I prepare for the incoming missionaries.  And then I try to explain what everything is.

Everyone eating dinner.  They are so hungry when they arrive

This is all of them before they leave to their assignment.

And here's our fantastic office elders loading all the luggage.

Elder Wilhelm and Stephens

So with Tuesday over, we got ready for the 21 Elders and 1 Sister that will be coming to leave the mission.  Elder Plumb's parents came and totally surprised him.

When Elder Plumb began asking why all of his TCs had their travel itineraries and he didn't, we stretched the truth a bit by saying that his father had called and wanted him to stay completely focused on his mission and asked us not to give him his travel details. Elder Plumb said, "That sounds like my father."  So the surprise was complete.

So, in the afternoon on Wednesday, we pass out a packet to the departing missionaries also.  And once again, I talk to them about their travels plans and what is in their packet.

And of course, the famous fufu dinner.

And then there's breakfast time in the morning before loading the bus.

The President and Sister Stevenson didn't come to Accra with us this time.  The temple was closed for cleaning.  So here they all are with their President and his wife.  This is the last group for President and Sister Stevenson also.

Packing them in the bus.

And here they are at the temple.  We had to get a picture there for them.


Next stop - KFC.
This is what was left.

Some of the elders posed for us in the mall.

And finally at the airport.  Wayne and I took care of Sister Udom.  She was anxious to go.

Everything went well at the airport this time.  But I did receive a call at midnight from someone at the airport saying that there was a missionary there waiting for us to pick him up.  I called our travel department and hopefully they took care of it.  The missionary was arriving from Benin and I think the MTC forgot to pick him up.

When we got home on Friday to the office, it was all a mess. There were painters there painting.  So we just left.

Both Senior couples stayed at our apartment Friday night.  After a wonderful eggs and bacon breakfast, we said goodbye and they both left.  Later on in the afternoon, Wayne got very, very sick.  First thought was malaria, but he didn't have a fever.  Whatever it was, just knocked him out.  He didn't come to church on Sunday either.  Later on in the afternoon, Sister Clements called me and said that both her and Elder Clements were very sick also.  So it must have been food poisoning and something just the three of them ate.  

Sunday was Father's Day and the Bishop asked me right before Sacrament Meeting to do a tribute to fathers, especially about Wayne.  So I did, but I spoke about my father more than about Wayne.  And it was short and sweet.

So all is well.  

We love and miss you all.

Week of 5 June 2017

We finally got the internet turned back on.  Monday and Tuesday were awfully long days at the office.

Tuesday was the Yamoransa/Mankessim Zone Conference.  The air conditioning was out at the institute building where conferences are held and they don't have any fans either.  It was terribly warm especially with 40+ people sitting in the room.  The Assistants trained in the morning and then since these are President and Sister Stevenson's last Zone Conferences, they had everyone bear their testimony.  It was a very spiritual experience for all.



We held MLC on Wednesday.  The President talked to the Zone Leaders about transitioning from one president to another.  He told them that their loyalty now should be to President Hillam.  And that he will have the keys to the mission and will receive inspiration for all the missionaries.  It was a tearful experience for some.



It was Elder Young's birthday on Thursday, so we had them come up for cake and just sit around and talk.  Our office elders and assistants are awesome.

Here we are just lounging:

Elder Warner - Senior Assistant - will be leaving in July

Elders Young and Wilhelm.  Birthday boy and Senior Supply elder.

Elders Jeppson, Stephens and Ogar.  Elders Jeppson and Ogar are living in the apartment next door with the Supply Elders, which Elder Stephens is one.

We will be receiving 14 new missionaries on the 13th from the Ghana MTC.  So again there was the new trainers meeting on Friday. 

 

Friday night and most of the day Saturday it rained.  During a break in the storms, Wayne pretended to be Ghanian by carrying something on his head, but he had to use his hands.  He was bringing in a new bed for one of the back bedrooms.

So it was "transfer news" Saturday night and we had the Assistants and Supply Elders up for dinner before they started calling all of the Zone Leaders.  The President has combined six of the zones making a total of 7 zones now.  He combined Yamoransa and Mankessim - it will be the Yamoransa Zone;  Cape Coast and Elmina - it will be the Cape Coast Zone; and Assin Foso and Telecom - it will be the Assin Foso zone.

So after the rain, of course we had many flying bugs in our apartment and we found this hanging on one of the curtains.

Well next week is our busy week.  Transfers and 22 missionaries going home.  The airport should be exciting!!!!

Love you and miss you all.

Week of 29 May 2017

So our internet has been down since Saturday.  It just got up and running.  And it rained something terrible on Saturday also.  I don't know if I care so much for the rainy season.  And of course, there was lots of thunder and lightening.

My niece - Rebecca Crockett (my brother Gary's daughter) passed away and the funeral was held on Friday June 2 in Cameron, MO.  Just about 6 weeks before, she graduated from nursing school.  She had beautiful curly, red hair and was a pure delight.  Wish we could have been there.  Our daughter Teri attended the funeral.  Bekki and Teri were the same age.

This past week has gone by fast.  President and Sister Stevenson left For Accra on Friday to pick up there son Evans from his mission.  He will be spending this next month here in Ghana.

I copied a picture from President's blog.  This is their son:



They attended a temple session on Saturday before coming back to the Cape.

This is a picture of one of the ladies that sell things.  These are peanuts.  It takes them a long time to arrange them like that and they never spill any.  Amazing!


We had a welcome sign made for Elder Stevenson.  Here it is with him.

Not too much this week.  Next week will be different.  Transfers and all that stuff.

We love you and miss you all.