More People to Love

                             

                              One of the best blessings of being on a mission is the opportunity

                           to get to meet great people and to call them friends. As we leave West Africa,                                         here are just a few of the many we will remember.  

                                                       
      
                                Sister Scripture classes helped to fill us with the spirit. Nov. 3, 2014

Sister Scripture Class 10/15

Dinah De-Graft  and Wendy Ephraim our best friends in the Area Office.

                                       

                                                        James Ewudsie at Baptism Beach

                                                           

 

                                             Rebecca and (Matthew) - the most welcoming people
                                                                     in Ghana

                                                Bernice - a great example of a Ghanaian Woman
                                                                of God (Bags by Bernice)

                                                      Kent and Judy Fitzgerald our trainers.

Stephen and Rosely Webster our capable replacements.

                             

Old Friends (family friends)  help you get your feet on the ground.

Doug and Becky Stoker

                                                 Life long frends and examples of rightouseness.
                                                       Area President Lee Curtis and Jane

                                  We thank the Lord everyday for the opportunity to be in Africa.

                                                 Denny and Lorene Berrett joined us
                                                               from Liberia.

                                                         Priscilla Gyasi from Dodowa.

                                             Missionary presence at the Kente cloth festival.

                                          Bishop Sadehem and his wife Margaret. Maker of
                                                     our Kente cloth banners and friend.

                                                Seaders who joined us from Sierra Leone and
                                                      went to Cape Coast- Humanitarian.

                                            The Parks, & Sister Smith.(who did our cookbook
                                            and has a heart of gold.)  The Parkes, Gary and
                                              Helen were temple missionaries and are now
                                                   humanitarian missionaries in Senegal.

                             Regula (shopping buddy) and Phillip Kradolpher DT, Nene Dunenyo I

                                                                               
                                                     

                                              The Crisps kept the Ghana Mission running.

                                     Sister Wall, Sister Crisp, Sister Kirkham, Sister Barrett

Kent and Carolee Keel from the Ghana West Mission.

                                              President and Sister Afful - temple President
                                                 and Matron with the Assards.

                                             The Assards are back to serve in the temple.

                                             Area Presidency, Elder Lee Curtis, Elder Terry Vinson
                                            Elder Edward Dube with Phillip Kradolpher DT,
                                              and Robert Wilde, Exec. Secretary.

                                         The Crosgraves now called to be mission presidents.

                                        The Sanders - medical and MLS in the Ghana mission.

                                         Thanksgiving at the Hills house in Cocoa Palms.
                                       

                                         President Norman Hill and Raelene - good friends.
                                       

                                          The Robisons,Diane and Reid, President of the MTC
                                           and creative wonderful fiends.

                               Sister Malmrose and Sister Stutz with happiness in their eyes.

                                                 Bill and Arlene Barrett, and their son
                                                    Finance Manager and Mental Health

Julanders served in Cape Coast area as MLS.

                                         

                                           ICS Manager Okechukwu Imo one of our favorite
                                                                     friends.
                                                 

                                               Charles and Ave married in the Accra temple.
                                       Charles was our favorite and most kind emergency helper.

                                            Marion Esiape Human Resource Manager and
                                                       long time church employee.

                                         The Browns from Australia served in Koforidua.

                                                  Family Home Evening friends every month.

                                         

My favorite jacket was made by a kind friend, Sister Wade.

                                      
                                              Sister Wade, Hanna Morrison, Sister Wilde

   President Isaac Morrison, Hanna, Kelvin, & Gilbert at our house.

Can't see too many pictures of this dear friend Kay Vinson.

Jane Curtis teaching about the priesthood.

Naume and Edith Dube making sugar Cookies for Christmas with me.

Area Presidency, DT and Executive Secretary

                          Deanne Patch, Kay Vinson, Jane Curtis, Naume Dube, Deanne Wilde
             Renn Patch, Elder Terry Vinson, Elder LeGrand Curtis, Elder Edward Dube, Robert Wilde                                    

                                                    Next door neighbors, wonderful friends.
                                                 2nd Counselor  Elder Edward Dube and Naume

                                                   Upstairs neighbors, wonderful friends.
                                                   1st Counselor Elder Terry Vinson and Kay

                                                   
                                           Lifelong friends and shoulder of responsibility.
                                               President Elder LeGrand Curtis and Jane

                                   President Mensah 2nd Counselor Accra Temple and his guitar.

                                             Robert Smith - and musical genius on the piano.

                                                Sister Wade, Sister Wilde, Sister Kirkham

                                                         Delynn Heid- good friend

                                         President David Heid and Sister Heid- Accra Mission

Sister Caroline Martins - temple mission

Made our mission a lot more fun. 

Best Friend and Partner

                                                 

                                    Working at schools, Aye Mensah and Ghana Make a Difference.

                                                                 The Children of Africa.
                                       

                                             Mary Richard playing the flute for the children.

                                                Mary Richards, Jane Curtis, Deanne Wilde

Marty and Jennifer Slater Area Legal -  great friends.

                                      
                                                         Marty Slater- Area Legal Advisor

                                     Deanne Patch, Edith Dube, Kay Vinson, Deanne Wilde
                                                                   Jane Curtis, Naume Dube

                                               

Employee Devotionals blessed our lives.

                                          Traveling to Mole with Cannons, Wades, Packs,
                                           Calls and Watson.

                                          Countless dinner outs with fellow Ghana lovers.

Christmas day at the MTC 

                                              

                                                      Kay Vinson's best pizza in the world.

                                                  Nene  Queen Mother from Konogo

                                                   

                                                  Deavers joined us after the evacuation
                                                             from Sierra Leone.

                                                 

                                   President Ansah and Sister Ansah 1st Counselor Temple
                              Presidency with the  Gary and Helen Park - temple missionaires.

Wendy Ephraim 

Claire and JB are happy to have us home.

People in Ghana 2

There are many wonderful things about living in Ghana. Living within 250 paces from the temple is one but even better is the opportunity to be with the saints who attend the temple.






Being near the beach is great but the people on the beach are better.



When school is out these kids spend their day at mom's shop in the market.



This little one will also spend her days in the market until she is old enough for school.



Spending the day in the market is a grand adventure which brings a smile to everyone...




... as does bringing home dinner.



Dinner means different things to different people. This grass cutter rat will make a nice stew. (Ask Elder Wilde, he knows.)



When the shops close it is time to take your treasures home.

The people here are wonderful. We will miss them and their positive view of life.

Eli and Landon come to Ghana

My nephews Eli and Landon Henriksen came to Ghana to do some humanitarian work and stopped on the way to spend a few days with us.

We started out by visiting the Deaf School in Mampong. Elia and Landon brought gifts and most of all, they brought themselves.

Eli signs so he was a big hit. It was hard to leave.

We took a quick trip to Cape Coast Castle. Not only did we feel the sea breeze, but also felt the pains of slavery past and present.

                We hiked up to the bat cave and feed the baboons at Shai Hills.

We climbed up the light house in Jamestown.

And shopped in the markets.

Family Home evening in Ghana.

We are all waiting to hear what song Eli will write about Ghana.

"We've Been Working on the Railroad"

Actually we were working on the gutters in Ashaiman Market.  Theses gutters are deep to catch the run off from the rain, but when they are plugged up with garbage, sewage, and muck, they clog up and we get flooding. All of the members of the Church put on vests and worked together on Saturday the 15th of August, 2015 all over Africa. We are in the Kpone ward right now, so we went with the Asahiman Stake to clean our market. We all became Mormon Helping Hands.

We bought rakes at the market for 3 cedi each.

Our friends the Wades worked with us and bought us some gloves to wear.

President Morrison is the Stake President of Ashaiman Stake and does a wonderful job of leading and teaching.

Elder Wilde drinks coconut milk.

The real work was done by the shovelers who made large piles and then shoveled it into large garbage containers.

It was a joyous occasion and everyone celebrated when when the work was done.

We had hundred of workers in this market. In Accra we also had a stake cleaning the beach, and another cleaning and painting a hospital.  In Medina they worked on the Medina market. We became one.

Nzulezo - Stilt Village

 All the time we have been in Africa we have been hearing about the "stilt village". The stilt village is Nzulezo, the “Village on water” in Ghana's Western Region.500 people live in this village on the water. The vice chief told us that the original people were from Mali and were chased by their enemies across Mali, through Cameroon and into Ghana over the course of forty years. They were trying to protect their golden stool and were lead to this place by a god in the form of a snail. The tribe has lived on the water for five hundred years.

 We got to the village in this motorized canoe. The locals paddle. It takes about an hour to paddle to the village.

We wore life jackets though we were told the water was so shallow we could stand up if we capsized in most parts of the canal. We went with several other senior missionaries, the Pecks and the Kirkhams.

 These kids gave it their best to beat the Obrunies.

 This fellow has clearly spent a lot of time paddling.

 Welcome to Nzulezo.

The building on the left is under reconstruction. The pilings have to be replaced every five to seven years.

 This neighborhood is probably cooler in the hot weather.

 From time to time a building collapses. Garbage floats underneath the buildings.

 This is the school.

There are various trades in the village.

"Who came to see me?"

The residents are friendly. 

 Hanging out with my buddies.

All Ghanaian school children wear uniforms.

The cones on the left are fish traps. At the end of the block are cooking pots.

The trip to Nzulezo was worth the seven hour drive, each way. It gave us a view of a way of life which has changed very little in hundreds of years.