March 2019: October 2018

October 2018

Well, it has been a year and we needed a break. We applied for time away with the Glanfields to respite at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort in Cape Coast Ghana. Along with four other couples from the Area Office we enjoyed visiting the Elmina castle and the Kokuma National Park.

The Coconut Grove Beach Resort is a beautiful place with a spacious swimming pool, fine sandy beach and wonderful eating facilities. We met the Shepards there on retreat from GMAD. I played with the kids in the small pool the first night.

The next day we teamed up with the other couple missionaries (Glanfield, Christensen, McCullough, etc.) to spend the afternoon at the Elmina slave castle. Our guide , Akuwatse, gave us a detailed history of the original fort built by the Portuguese in 1471. The trade with the Africans included gun powder, alcohol and iron for gold, ivory and spices. The Portuguese began slave trade gradually with captives taken to Europe. Then following the discovery of the new world by Columbus the use of slaves began to grow. To where over the 400 years of Trans-Atlantic slave trade there were millions of Africans used for slave labor.

The African captives were treated cruelly and sustained a high death rate in holding before and during ship transfer. Nearly one half never made it to the new world.

The Portuguese ruled the castle for over 100 years then the Dutch defeated them and ruled for 265 year in the slave trade. Finally the British bought the castle and slavery was abolished in the 1800s.

I was appalled by the support of the Catholic church in slave trade. In the name of Christianity millions died before, during and after transport by ships owned and operated by men of that religion.

The next day we left early for Kokua Park. There our guide, Christian took us through the rain forest explaining the ecology and venues of the park. Our visit culminated in a walk along the planks of the canopy walk some 120’ above the trees. We ventured through seven walkways. We saw monkeys along the way. The park has a tree house available for overnighters and then hike to the elephant grounds. We also saw a beautiful huge tree still standing over 600 years. The other fascinating tree was the ebony. Still protected since it is a very valuable tree and in rare abundance.

While we were staying at the resort, we discovered the 18 hole golf course. Dawn and I played with our caddy, Oliver nine holes before dark one evening. We enjoyed the chance to golf again, however, on the third hole there was a crocodile hazard pond to be avoided.

Since our return from the holiday in Cape Coast we have traveled to Accra to take in bicycles and pick up Book of Mormons for the elders. The next day we traveled to Asikuma for a special interview, which never happened because the candidate was in Accra at the time of the interview.

So our month has begun quit enjoyable. We have had two good rain storms this month as apposed to no rain storms in September and just a small amount of rain in August. We are way behind in moisture.

A side note. When we got home after 4 days away we had no water. A flex hose to the wall water heater cracked and 13,000 liters of water emptied in our bathroom shower while we were away. Only in Africa!!

Tomorrow is General Conference in Kasoa. We will take Cecilia and her family to conference early in the morning then return home to feed the missionaries then back to conference at 4:00pm.

Senya Breku—after our district meeting Elders Memmett and Curtis rode with me to Senya. The town is over 20 KM from our chapel. The members and investigators are unable to travel to church on Sunday due to the cost of the taxi. We parked our vehicle next to a tree by the Fort Good Hope. There were several men playing Ludu and a man named Charles approached. He being a little drunk asked money to cook a few fish he had in his possession. I gave him 2 cedis. He said he knew the town and wanted us to meet his mother. She was an old woman with little. We took her phone number and Charles took us to a neighbor who could help with locating a place to hold church. Sandra told us to check with the school master to rent a classroom on Sunday. We did and found a member, Agnes who attended church some months ago.

We also talked with Hannah and her family. She and Erica came twice to church in Breku. Our plan is to convince Pres. Simpson to organize a group in Senya for next transfer. It is time.

This week was busy as usual. We traveled to Accra to deliver and pick up bicycles along with the usual missionary supplies. On our way home we had the perpetual 1 ½ hour wait through the slow driving at the Liberia junction (because of the cross traffic and the terrible road condition).

One good thing happened ,,,we found two incredible bicycles at the mission office. A ladies Jamis and a Gary Fisher in perfect condition, so we now have bikes to ride in our neighborhood. Friday we rode around our town and through the wild part of our neighborhood through the mud and puddles. It felt so good to be back on a mountain bike.

Friday morning Sister Russell summonsed me to look out the bedroom window. She spotted a large green snake crawling on top of our barrier fence. It was a beautiful green mamba. I tried to photograph it but when it saw me it was gone.

Today is Saturday. We were up early and to the chapel to clean. Following the cleaning we attended the baptism of Robert Kinson. He is a large young man taught by Elders Adjika and Asako.

Lastly, I solicited Elders Curtis and Memmett to help me with Linda. She has been off her medicine and totally psychotic. We found her wandering Breku and took her home. She is really scrambled and discovered she has had injections from the nurse at the local clinic. Hopefully, the medicine will kick in and she can find peace. She is lost right now.

RAIN! Finally a big rain storm today, it lasted about one hour. I had a beautiful soft water shower under the cascading corner eve. The kids, Samuel, Olivia, Ivy and Dennis had dinner at our table during the rainstorm.

We had our first long bike ride today. Dawn and I have really good mountain bikes from the mission supply office and we held them for us and not the missionaries. Our ride today was in the southern neighborhood or Awutu Breku. How wonderful!!

Good News! President Simpson called and said he approved us opening a new area in Senya near Winneba. We have been there several times with the missionaries scouting the area. Elder Memmet and Curtis were with me as we searched for a place to hold our meetings. Then last Saturday I drove out with President Simpson. He felt good about opening it up for proselyting. The community is next to the ocean and was an original old port for slavery. The Good Hope castle still stands as a reminder of the slave trade. We have two members living there and have taught a family three lessons.

Sister Russell and I would be assigned there to establish a group under the direction of Winneba 2^nd ward. There is much to do.

Today we finished our pre-transfer apartment inspections. There are only three more transfers for us. Taking on this new assignment will keep us very busy but now that we are assigned to Senya we will be leaving our Awutu Breku branch. Sister Russell will be giving up her primary assignment and I will be leaving the Teachers Quorum.

This week was spent traveling to do special interviews in Kunastase and Aboso. Both of these locations are outside our district but I wish to help our president when he does so much travel each week.

The month has come and gone. Everyone is still in-tact here and at home. Transfer day today and all the changes we were anticipating have come to fruition. Elder Memmet and Elder Entsie are assigned to Senya and I will be the group leader. We will start tomorrow looking for a place to hold our meetings. The head-master at the local school was willing to rent space for our Sunday meetings.

We filled our vehicle with 4 beds, one refrigerator, two propane tanks and various and sundry items for the new elder’s residence next to our home.

Lastly, I have suffered from a rather severe viral lung infection. I am finally feeling much better and less coughing. Time moves us one month closer to our mission final month. It is amazing how fast we see the days go by.