Week of 23 October 2017

We did some more apartment checks this week.  We were able to do Elmina, Ntranoa, and Agona Abrim. 

This is a picture of the Ntranoa apartment.  There are two elders living in it and it is in the middle of nowhere.  But what a beautiful apartment.  Since they are so far out, they do have a bit of a mouse problem.  Or maybe it's rats, but I am glad they are there ant not us!

On the road to Ntranoa.

Ntranoa Apartment

Agona Abrim is the farthest north we go for our apartment inspections.  There are two elders living there also.  Their apartment is right on the main road and is just big enough for the two of them.

I didn't get very many pictures this week.  I forgot my phone. 

On Friday night after the President and Sister Hillam arrived home from their Mission President Seminar in Accra, they called us about 9:00 pm and asked if we could have 3 of the sisters come over and spend the night.  They were on their way to Mankessim to pick them up.  We understood that all of the sisters (5) in the apartment kind of got into a yelling match.  So the president removed 3 of them and we watched them for the night.  We got to bed about midnight that night. 

Sunday it was off to Komenda again.  We sure enjoy going to this tiny branch.  On our way, we saw this truck.  Loaded with the trees that make their fishing boats. 




At 8:00 pm we met with the Assistants and President and Sister Hillam to discuss this next week.  Elder Nash of the Area Presidency will be conducting a Mission Tour. Lots of planning and making sure everything will be ready. 

That's all for now.  Love you and miss you all.

Week of 16 October 2017

We had an exciting week this week.  Couple of baptisms and Branch Conference in Komenda.

We also inspected some more apartments.  We have 3 Sister apartments in our Zone so we did 2 of them this week.  Both of them were spotless and big, nice apartments.  And both of them were in locked compounds, so that is really nice.

President and Sister Hillam were busy interviewing this week as next week they will be in Accra at a Mission President Seminar. 

On our travels, many times we see overturned trucks because they load them way beyond their capacity.  Just had to show this one.  They are trying their hardest to have it stay upright.

                    

I think only in Ghana

On Friday, Sister Hillam and I went shopping with Sister Nelson and her daughter.  She is the wife of the 1st Counselor in the mission presidency.  So she took us right down to the heart of the shopping booths.  It is just crazy there.  

I know you can't see them very well, but it's a bowl of fresh snails.  And they were crawling out of the bowl.  The seller would just pick them up and put them back in.  GROSS!!!

On Saturday, we had a baptism in Nkanfoa.  It was for Brother Samson.

Sister Quartson had to get in the picture.  She is such a sweet lady.  Stalwart in the gospel.

Elder Mease, Samson and Elder Jeppson. (And of couse, Sister Quartson)

We had about 50 people for our Branch Conference in Komenda.  And we spent two hours listening to speakers.  All of them did an excellent job.  It was just hard sitting for that long in a very hot and stuffy classroom.

Afterward, we drove over to Kissi to check on the Elder's apartment over there.  We also had three people be baptized for the Komenda Branch.  

Here is what they used for their baptismal font.

The person on the right is Ebenezer.  He is leaving on a mission in November.  He will be going to Botswana.  He is very excited.

Here are the three that got baptized.

Daniel, Kweku and Kobinah.  And Elder Seba who did his first baptisms.  It was a beautiful day.

There were quite a few young women over in the Kissi Branch and I was talking to them about their "Personal Progress" and how they were doing.  they didn't have any idea of what I was talking about.  It is so sad here.  They don't even know of some of the church programs.  So I decided I was going to help out and see if I can get some books and show them what needs to be done.

The church is still in its infancy here.  There's a lot of growing that needs to be done.

On last picture.  these young girls are putting away the hymn books.  And they only know one way to carry them

Love you and miss you all!

Week of 9 October 2017

It rained almost everyday this week.  Our road to our apartment was a literal lake.  We had one car get stuck and the elders helped to get him out.  There was mud all over them.

We did get to do a little traveling this week while President and Sister Hillam were off doing interviews.


This guy was hauling car parts in his cart.  Probably how he makes his living.


Just amazed at how they can carry things on their head and act like there's nothing to it.  Plantain chips and peanuts.

The president held some interviews at the mission home one day and of course it was raining very hard.  Our Ola Sisters had an early appointment and this is how they came.  How clever!

Sisters Aqwuoke, Brou-baah, Isaac and Nagbe.  Beautiful!

So I requested our flight home for January.  When I brought up the program and clicked on our names, my stomach started to hurt and I got kind of teary-eyed.  It's like - this is it.  There's no turning back now.  You have got to go home.  We did have to extend a few weeks however.  There is a new couple coming to take our place and we will have to train them.

So today, I thought I would bring up some pictures of our missionaries.

Elders Andreasen, Zakuani, Savage, Nelson and Mease.

Elders Nwichi, Etukudo, Assan and Chipapla.  Yamoransa Zone.

Elders Etim and Howard.  Elder Etim smiled!!!! Yeah!

Elders Apelu and Kallay.  Zone Leaders.

Sisters Anorue and Soda.  Elders Riboldi and King.

As Senior Couples, you really get to love these young men and women.  They all work so hard to brings others unto Christ and help them to receive the restored gospel.  

Gotta go.

Love you and miss you all.

Have a great week!

Week of 2 October 2017

This week has seen rain everyday.  So much for the hot season!  All of the dirt roads are muddy and very bumpy.

President and Sister Hillam spent most of the week in the Western Region doing interviews.  During this month (October) we had been told of a Mission Tour by Elder Nash (member of the Area Presidency).  However, he had to postpone the tour and different arrangements are being made for the week he should have been here.

Wayne and I went and inspected the Abura Sisters apartment.  Should have taken pictures.  It was a beautiful apartment according to Ghanian standards.  The apartment is big enough to hold 8 sisters or elders.  It was very clean, also.

Wednesday was MLC.  We had all the new Zone Leaders, STLs and District Leaders at this meeting.  They were taught how to be and what is expected of them in these leadership positions.  It was a very good meeting.



This is our Elders in Tarkwa.  It takes about 5 hours from the mission home.  But they are all doing well.  Eating in a "chop bar".

Elders Konan, Wilhelm, Bingham, Bills, Wendel and Abara.

Elder Solia thinking about where he is going to go to have his next GC. (gospel conversation)

Saturday night in Takoradi, our Zone Leaders were attacked by a "crazy" man.  He was naked and started screaming at them.  He came from around the back of one of  Elder riding and hit him with his fist in the eye.  When Elder Riding turned around to stop him from hitting him again, the man bite him on the finger.  Really hard because it ripped the skin from his finger.  Funny thing, this all took place right across from the police station and they did nothing to try and stop it.  But when the villagers saw what was happening they came and started beating on the man.  The police said they couldn't do anything because the man was crazy.  Well it makes for a good story for the zone leaders.

Sunday, during a rain storm, we headed out to Komenda for church.  This is just a cute thing we saw.  Big rigs carry anything they can.  One lonely goat!  Thank heaven it was tied to the flatbed.

When we arrived at Komenda, it was about 8:50 am and we were the only ones there.  We waited for 30 minutes and finally the 4 Elders in the area showed up.  Because of the rain, people don't come out of their homes unless they have to.  The Branch President didn't even show up.  So finally about 9:40,  some other people showed up and we had church.  We had 16 people there.  Six of us were missionaries, 5 children and the rest adults.  We had to go buy some bread for the sacrament.  So while we were waiting, mama pig and her piglets come around the side of the building.

Always an adventure here.

I'll have to post some more pictures next week.  Wayne and I are getting ready to run to Accra and the airport.  

We love you and miss you all.

Week of 25 September 2017

Transfer week - finally!!!  Everyone was waiting for this one.  It's been 9 weeks since the last one.

The new missionaries arrived right on time on Tuesday - fresh from the Accra MTC.

They are excited too!  And finally off the bus.  

Always lots of luggage, especially from the Americans.

22 Missionaries came in this time, with only 1 Sister.

 

They are all ready for their training on Wednesday morning.

Our Assistants to the President - Elders Masame, Young (going home), and new Elder Smith.  (He's from Salem!)

After the new missionaries left and went to Ola Chapel to catch tros and cabs to their new areas, the going home missionaries arrived at the Chapel also.  It's one crazy area for a while.

The sun was shining so bright, that almost everyone got sunburned.

Back to the mission home to start weighing the luggage and rearranging everything in the luggage so it's not overweight.

Of course, the final meal is Fufu.  Even some of the Elders got involved this time cutting up the cassava and plantain.  Elders Peterson, Park and Neville.

Finally - dinner served.

22 going home also.

Elder Woyesa and Sister Thomas had to leave at 6:00 am to catch their flights by noon.

Love these missionaries!

Everyone on the bus ready to go.

Here we are at the temple.

And then KFC.  Everyone really enjoys this part.

We use lots of tables.  But KFC loves it when we come!

Unloading the bus at the airport.  Always a mess!  Everyone is trying to get their bags.

Everything went smooth this time.  Elder Iyoha's bags were way overweight (which we told him) and he had to pay $140.00 US dollars.  Ouch!

Here's our final picture at the airport.

In the back - Elders Rowe, Hughes, Jarvies, O'Meara.

Next row - Elders Tietjen, Bakula, Park, Peterson, Hlalele, Neville, Chavengwa, and Hepworth.

In front - Elders Masunga, Allen, Tauveli, Manyayi and Young.  And of course - Sister Goba.

So we did some shopping on Friday before we came home.  My freezer was bare so we spent lots of money.

Friday night about 10:30 pm we heard a loud noise but really didn't think too much about it until the elders next door called us on the phone.  It seems like the board that was holding the electrical wires to their house and ours fell to the ground.  The wires were now touching their roof and the metal gate into the compound.    We called Bishop Laing and he brought an electrician with him.  Nothing was "hot", so he said he would come back in the morning to fix.

Since I had to get laundry done, Wayne turned the generator on so that I could do that.  I did 11 loads of wash, because of the elders and sisters that stayed at the house.  Our generator was on for 4 1/2 hours that morning.

Also, I went into the kitchen to start washing the dishes.  Up on the window sill just staring at me was a snake.  It was about as round as my little finger and about 2 feet long.  I don't know how it got inside the house, but I just called for the elders to come and get it out.  I hate snakes!

General Conference was wonderful.  We are sadden by the news of Elder Hales.  We were invited by President and Sister Hillam for dinner and to watch the morning session of conference with them.

We feel very lucky that we can even get conference in Africa.  We are so blessed.

That's it for this week.  We love you and miss you all.