July 4, 2015

We were invited to the July 4th celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Accra.
Thirty four senior missionaries enjoyed a Burger and Relish Hamburger on the lawn of the marine section of the embassy. We talked to several marines and felt right at home.

                             Bob found a shirt that he decided to bring home and wear.

Amy comes to Ghana.

Deanne's sister, Amy, decided to visit us after a lot of prompting.

 We took her to the market where she chose something other than the fish.

Amy went to the temple with us and with Alice who we had taught.

 This is the Kpone Ward on their temple trip. Five members took out their endowments and two couples were sealed.

Amy arrived in Accra bearing gifts. Cheetos were the first thing to be opened and eaten. 

Shopping at the Pit to take home some Africa.

Meeting Bernice-Days for Girls in her Bernice Bags shop.

Makola Market where the locals shop

Buying material at Esthers.

Eating local food, joloff rice, chicken, red red, fried plantain.

 

Sharing FuFu and Fish Soup with friendly neighbors.

Fufu is eaten with the fingers.

Touching a live aligator.

Cape Coast Castle 

Cape Coast Castle makes your heart feel heavy. May we never forget.

 The green nets of the Cape coast fishermen.

The castle was also a fort

Boat trip across the Volta River to Empower Project on the island and visiting the town of Big Ada. Look it up on google earth - Big Ada, Ghana

Families live in mud huts and have no electricity here.

Playground equipment generate electricity for batteries for lamps the children can take home to do their homework.

Amy joins in recess.

These children are generating electricity which gets stored in batteries they take home for light to do their homework by.

After wading where the Volta runs into the Atlantic, we head for home in our handmade fishing boat.

 TheWild Gecko is pretty wilde.

Last stop at the National Cultural Center and then run to catch the plane.

Any other adventurers interested in coming to Ghana?

Makola Market

     When we first came to Ghana there was a great mystique about Makola Market. Most of the senior missionaries would not go without a guide. It sounded like you would either get permanently lost or something more sinister would happen. Eventually Deanne discovered that Makola Market was just another place to shop. Bob discovered that it was a real place to shop for real merchandise from food to clothes to prescriptions, to you name it. It is one of Bob's favorite things to do when the weather is not too hot.  Some markets we have been to focus on selling souvenirs to obruni tourists. Makola is real stuff for real Ghanians and the occasional obruni who ventures there. It encompasses probably 8-10 city blocks.  

Deanne in one of the streets of Makola Market.

 Ripe tomatoes in canned tomato cans. Real food for real people.

Deanne was looking for a long hooded gown like Muslims wear.

One of the Jewelry shops. 

Why use a whole manikin when a half will do?

This girl was selling all sorts of crackers and biscuits from the pan she balanced on her head.

 This is Bob's favorite purchase at Makola or any other market. The vendor cuts the husk off the top half of the coconut and then chops the top off so you can drink the milk. When you finish with the milk he scoops the meat out so you can eat it. You can get the whole contents in a plastic bag to take with you. The cost is 1 1/2 Cedi or about 30 cents.