March 2019: January 2019

January 2019

It is a new year and a new time to begin planning for the future. We are already making plans for the coming year. Our biggest plans are to finish our mission with full force and see Senya group as a branch of the Winneba stake! Day by day we press forward with our efforts in turning the hearts of our African friends toward the Savior.

Yesterday Dawn and I celebrated the new year by riding off into the bush on our mountain bikes. I think to enforce our ability to continue to do those things that are hard yet healthy for us. Getting older is inevitable but keeping fit is an ongoing task for the aging.

Making resolutions is a given with us. They seem to be about the same thing each year. Service, temple, travel, family, ministering, reading, exercise, savings, FUN, and love for all. It is like putting a puzzle together each year by finding all the right pieces and making a picture out of a lot of possibilities. It is always good to finish it by the end of the year.

Celebration Afecio Pa (New Years) continues throughout the month of January. The Awutu Breku branch invited Senya to their New Year’s party on Saturday. There were about 200 in attendance. Dennis and Ivy came with their mother Georginia. The children danced to the music of the large speakers. They played musical chairs and I drank sobolo (ginger drink).

We ate fried rice, joloof and chicken. I took the ladies to the fufu machine to grind up the cassava. Once the cassava is placed in the machine it comes out as fufu! Wow!

We ate light soup with goat meat and fufu. It was wonderful.

On Sunday we took the Senya folks to Winneba for sacrament meeting. Also, the presidency was changed and Clarence Nelson is now the president of Winneba 2^nd branch. Benard Anponsha was ordained a deacon. Now we have two boys to pass the sacrament.

Dawn and I were able to ride our bicycles on Monday over to the Archibald area. We came back after 1 ½ hours. It was good to ride our bicycles.

We are in the middle of apartment inspections before the transfer on Tuesday of next week. There is only one more transfer in March before we leave. Apartment inspections are difficult only because of the travel. It is always a challenge to drive in the city to obscure areas where the missionaries live. Often the roads are so difficult I have to use 4 wheel drive.

We enjoy visiting with the Elders once we arrive at the apartments. Sister Russell always helps with the inspections and gives treats to the Sisters and Elders. She has baked cookies by the zillions and treats them at Christmas even better.

Our biggest delivery items are bicycles. There are always bicycles in need of repair and often I end up taking them to Accra mission office for repairs. The next abundant item, are cases of B of M and pamphlets used in teaching lessons.

Dawn is having difficulty with sleeping again. She cannot get her rest and is tired during the day. There is stress here and the heat compounds her tension. She will be glad to finish in Africa and move to a cooler climate, while I could stay and be comfortable here.

Senya group is growing, however, the challenge is finding speakers for the sacrament meeting. I would hope to get some assistance from our mother Winneba 2^nd branch. It is always a challenge in finding speakers. I often end up speaking with an interpreter.

Mind you, this will be our last foreign mission. Our family members are concerned we have been away for too long. It will be almost 4 ½ years away from home when we return. My mother is aging and not in good health and my son, Ben is also challenged with serious health problems.

May I say how much we have been blessed while serving here in Africa. No serious accidents with so many close calls while driving. No serious illnesses and no serious financial perils. I am sure prayers are said in our behalf to the extent we benefit greatly. Thank you wonderful souls who really care about our being here far away from home. Also, thanks to the Crofts for helping with our home while we are away. They are a great source of blessings for us.

Saturday and it has been a long day and a long week. In addition to completing the apartment inspections I have done 3 special interviews in Aboso, Kasoa and Odoben. The travel to these areas is difficult due to bad roads and traffic. However, I feel the spirit when talking about their serious problems to resolve before they can be baptized.

In addition to the long drive to Odoben for the interview we had three baptisms at the Awutu Breku chapel today. One was from Breku and the other two from Senya. Dawn and I were up early and cleaned the chapel in Breku today before the baptisms. It was exceptionally soiled and it took us longer than usual. Afterwards I paid little Georginia for helping clean the chapel. We pay for her weekly fees at her school (20 cedis/week and 90 cedis/term).

We had a literal “baptism by fire” today. Cecilia burnt the weed pile in front of the chapel just before we started our baptismal services and when we went to the font we noticed the fire had gotten into the neighbors field. So we hurriedly grabbed buckets of water and doused the fire. Elder Adzika was out there in his baptismal clothing helping put out the fire!!

This week there and many things happening as well and I am very tired. We are involved heavily with this mission. This may be the reason Dawn is having so much trouble with her emotional health. I tell her endure to the end and all will be well. The church should provide therapy for those serving in Africa following their mission!

There are days that are up and days that are down. Dawn is trying to come off her new medication. It seems to be causing much anxiety. Today she is settled and working hard in cleaning our apartment. She and Georgina have cleaned all the windows in and out. Last night the kids were here and we had a cookout. We fried plantains, cooked chicken sausages and ground cow. I made a huge bowl of fried rice to go with the meal. With a lot of shito they ate it all. Little Ivy had her share of the rice. I provided Rasta choco malt to drink! Olivia started the cookpot and helped with cooking as well.

I woke up at 3:00am due to a noise that sounded like someone banging on the front gate. I investigated but did not see anyone. Then this morning we went on a mountain bike ride on the south of Breku. It was early enough that heat did not bother us. Then we started back on the window screen scrubbing. While I was out back removing window screen, I heard the electric security clicking. There stretched out over 4 wires was a big green snake caught in the wire. He fell inside and was stunned. After seeing it was a green mamba I wanted to get it out of the compound. I found a long piece of pvc pipe and lifted him up over the wire onto the banana tree out back. They are fascinating animals but deadly.

We are looking forward to February!