WHERE DID THE TIME HO?!?

HELLO AGAIN FROM HO!!!  Yes we are still in HO. We have passed six months since arriving here and it seems like we just arrived. (at least that is our best excuse). We still love the place and the people.  We have had many great times since the last report and so we will try to catch up and be more diligent in getting the next one out sooner.  January was filled with wonderful visits from friends and an Apostle, helping some young people get into a school and many changes in assignments for elders

HO DISTRICT BEFORE THE BIG TRANSFER DAY

 in our zone including the opening of a new city with missionaries sent there for the first time. Oh yes and a little surgery just to keep in practice.

       We were thrilled to welcome Diane and Jesse Hunsaker to Ghana although they have been here many times before. 

ON TOP OF THE LIGHTHOUSE IN JAMESTOWN  IN ACCRA

VIEW FORM THE LIGHTHOUSE AT JAMESTOWN IN ACCRA

DIANE, JESSE, DR. BAAH, MRS. BAAH, ELDER BULLOCK, SISTER BULLOCK (HUMANITARIAN COUPLE MISSIONARIES), SISTER COSGRAVE ELDER COSGRAVE (JUST ALONG FOR THE MEAL)
Jesse is on a committee for Church Humanitarian Projects, and, as an ophthalmologist, he travels to places where the Church has provided equipment for eye surgeries.  He helps set it up and get things arranges for the local surgeons to do cataract surgeries and help many of the people overcome blindness.  In Accra, he works with a dedicated man named Dr. Thomas Baah who has an amazing story of rising from a little remote village to make his way through education and become an eye surgeon.  We were privileged to spend an evening with them as well as a few hours with Jesse and Diane.  This is one of the projects that is not highly known, but Jesse has been doing it for 7 years and it blesses the lives of thousands of people.

         Ten days later we were blessed to have a visit from Elder David Bednar of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and Elder Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy along with their wives.  They were visiting the African West Area, which includes all the missions in Ghana, Nigeria, Togo/Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d’ Ivoire as well as other parts of Africa. They held 3 meetings in Accra and we were privileged to be to all three as they met with members (about 2000 were there), leaders and then all the missionaries in the Ghana Accra and Ghana Accra West Missions (about 350). 

MISSIONARY MEETING WITH ELDER BEDNAR

There was so much to learn and such a great spirit among them.  Elder Bednar taught rather than just speaking and it was truly remarkable to see how he worked with each of those groups.  One of the great messages that Elder Bednar gave by word and example was the teaching pattern of the Savior. Jesus taught and still teaches “one by one.” And so was the teaching by this modern day Apostle.

     We also met a family, the Bardsleys, at the Distribution Center next to the Temple. 

They were here visiting another family and are from California.  As unexpected as this might seem, Brett Bardsley was the Home Teacher to Alex and Rachel Gunn ( Cindy’s nephew) and Alison Bardsley was the Young Women’s leader for their daughter Irene.

     Earlier in the month, we helped transport Elders Jones, Frimpong, Hall and Maja to Kpando to open the area for teaching the Gospel. 

There has been a small group of Saints meeting there for a few months and so they were thrilled to receive these missionaries.  These 4 are just what you would picture as servants of the Lord and as a result they have already invited many people to receive the message of the Restored Gospel.  We were with them last week as they met with 56 people (only 12 of them were members for the Church) and felt the great spirit of those who are seeking truth. 

It is a small town and there are members

RICHARD,STELLA ,SISTER COSGRAVE ELDER COSGRAVE ELDER JONES (THE PHOTOGRAPHER CUT OUT ELDER MAJA)
in additional villages that are somehow near.  It is an exciting time to be here.

      The education system here is quite different.  Children start “school” as early as 6 months, but the real classroom for primary education is at 5 or 6.  There are many fees attached to schools and they all have uniforms.  There are government schools and private schools and the costs are not much different. It is not unusual to find a 14 or 15 year old in class 6 because of poor previous performance (Caren, please note the alliteration) or the fact that they could not afford the fees (which may be as little as $10-$15).  So it is the exception, not the rule to have someone finish senior high school by age 18. Many of the schools (primary through senior high) are boarding schools in a town or village that is far from their home.  When they finish junior high, they take examination and if they score well enough, they move on to senior high and get placed wherever there is an opening that matches for them.  Two of our branch members were placed in schools in villages some 30 km away.  We offered to help them get there and so we packed up their boxes (look like footlockers) and their supplies (including hoes, brooms and machetes for “projects” at school).  Faith and Jerry are both great kids 

FAITH IN THE MIDDLE WITH HER SISTER GIFTY AND HER MOTHER BLESS

JERYY AND HIS  MOM CHRISTIANA

and we hope the education will help them rise from their current station to help themselves and their families.

      There have been a few opportunities to use some medical training.  We mentioned in a previous post about a cute little 18 month old who needed a nasal laceration repaired (on our dining table of course) and then more recently a few skin lesions that needed removing 

HIPPA FORM NOT REQUIRED TO SHOW THIS

and a few questions to answer.  It is not for sure that any of the answers solve problems, but it is interesting to note that many of the medications that we thought were so necessary can be replaced with some nutrition and tincture of time.  However, it should also be noted that there are many here who would benefit from those treatments that we often take for granted including correction of congenital deformities.  Our interaction with the healthcare system convinces us more than ever that the best care is given not by a government system, but by those who are dedicated to quality individual care.

    Well, that is it for this edition.  We love you all and are thankful for your messages and thoughts and prayers. We know with great assurance that we are about the Lord’s work and that His hand is in all that is done.  He loves this people and wants them to know Him and to receive the blessings of His covenants and ordinances. We are so blessed to be a part of this work that He is hastening.  May He watch over all of you!

(Sorry to miss this, but LATE HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL OF YOU TOO!!)