March 2019: December 2018

December 2018

We just completed 3 days of travel doing apartment inspections. Doing the inspections is the toughest thing we have to do. The travel alone is difficult because of the traffic. The Kenishie zone is almost to Accra and the roads are crowded with cars, Tro-tros, motos, hockers, vendors and fire eaters.

We picked up 5 bicycles for repair, installed two cook stoves, changed one bike tire, adjusted handle bars on another bike, replaced light bulbs and dropped of a ton of supplies i.e. B of M, pamphlets, kitchen tools, garbage liners, etc.

We did manage to go to Odoben on Monday for an activity with the Swedru missionaries. They provided lunch and we provided the drinks.

We also managed to take Elders Dzah and Pindi to Big Millies beach restaurant. Then today we took Elder Reid and Elder Nwarokwai to lunch at the Bawjiase Sports Club restaurant. We had two very fine meals.

Sunday was our Senya sacrament meeting day. There were 25 people in attendance. Sister Belinda Bessanvi spoke in the meeting on families. The Bessanvi family of 6 come each Sunday.

We also attended a Kasoa zone activity on Monday at the Kasoa stake. Games, sports and food dominate the missionaries ideas of fun. There was a meal served of chicken and rice, which was palatable. Late after the missionaries from Ashtown finished their internet communications home they packed their belongings after a 3 day stay at the Mansion in Buduburum. I put everything into my vehicle and took them back to their apartment in Kasoa. Apparently, there was an extermination done to kill harmful insects or arachnids.

Driving is so difficult here and especially through the Liberia camp. The roads are terrible and the traffic thick with tro-tros and taxis. Some days while driving it will take over and hour to go the 1 ½ miles to home.

We met Samuel, the map guy, on the road home in heavy traffic. He was selling small plastic trains that go around a circular track. This is in preparation for Christmas. We bought two to give as “white elephant” gifts for the missionaries at our annual party.

As group leader, I am responsible to find speakers for sacrament service. It is always difficult since there are so few in the meetings that can speak to us. They must be members in good standing and have a desire to talk. There are a few youth I have called upon and mostly older sisters. We need more men to join us and take the pulpit.

Harmaton is here. Dust from the Sahara desert is blowing in over West Africa all the way to Brazil.

Between our visit to Accra and Senya we do a lot of traveling. Today at sacrament meeting we announced the Christmas program on Saturday. We expect about 100 people to feed and entertain. We plan on a full meal set up under two canopies with 100 chairs. I will show the Christmas devotional with Pres. Nelson and the Nativity video. Sister Russell has a primary presentation and we have Father Christmas coming to visit the little ones.

Our temple trip was wonderful. I was so glad to spend quiet time in the temple doing an endowment for Benjamin Joseph Ratcliff. I met a young man from Nigeria and he asked me if I lived in the US. On inspection he wanted to know what town I live in. I said you would not know the town of Idaho Falls, Idaho. He stated, yes because he went to school there. What a coincidence.

Now, the Christmas season brings lots of activities. We have the elders from Kasoa tomorrow for Christmas dinner, about 16 of them. Then on Tuesday we are having a Christmas devotional at the Kanishie stake center for our ½ of the mission. We are singing in the program as a district and providing treats for our elders and sisters.

Then on Saturday, the 22^nd is the Christmas party at Senya. The following Christmas we have a New Year’s dinner for the Buduburum missionaries on the 31^st. Whew! I will be glad when the holidays end.

Fishing Ghana style. This morning very early I drove to Senya before dawn to meet up with Emanuel Bonney to fish. We took his long boat out to sea and then looked for fish to capture in the seine net on board. There were 18 men working with him. I captured the event on video. I was amazed at the operation of setting the net and drawing in the anchovies. We handed over the small fish to the owner of the boat operating the large commercial vessel at sea.

After we netted fish we were stationary and hand fished with anchovy bait. All in all it was fascinating. I saw tuna schooling the anchovy and birds feeding on the small fish. I saw all kinds of bottom fish and best of all. I saw the men work the seine net and had a good time with Emanuel.

We want to invite him and his family to the Saturday Christmas program at the DA JHS school. I will show them the video I made for the fishing trip.

Today we went to Senya to invite our fishing friends to the Christmas activity for tomorrow. We were fortunate to find them at home along with others caring for the fish. They said they would come to the party. He and his family were there.

We had difficulty in finding the key to the headmaster’s office to get electricity to our big screen TV. Agnes was able to find Mr. Ennsuman and get the keys. I talked with him this afternoon and he said he would come to the party. We have added bobbing for apples to the fun for the children.

Father Christmas is coming to give out presents to the children.. Elder Adzika has volunteered to be Santa.

Well, another Christmas is in the annals of time. This year we were busy as always at this time of the year. Maybe, extra busy because of the Christmas dinner and party we had at the Senya group meeting. Matthew and his family stayed with us for three days to celebrate. Christmas we had many elders calling home with my ipad. Dennis and Ivy and their mother were here along with Samuel and Ishmael. As a result we ate our dinner very late.

We had our district meeting and caught up our work in the mission. Finally the last event we attended was the celebration of the Simpson's 40th wedding anniversary. We had a lovely meal at the Moven-Pic hotel restaurant. It was an outstanding buffet. The trip to Accra somehow is worth the luncheon!