HEADING HO-ME FROM HO

Where in the HO does the time go?  These last weeks have been filled with many varied and wonderful experiences.  We have witnessed miracles, have laughed and cried,  been silenced by surprises and shouted for joy with happy moments.  We had hoped to get this up a couple of weeks ago, but a combination of things from  internet instability to travel are the best excuses we can come up with.  Anyway, it is most likely that this is the last blog post that we will make from Ghana.  We are heading home early (on 24 Nov, 2014 ) because we have been given another assignment for next July.  We don’t know where we will be then, but we are going with many mixed emotions.  We are excited to be with our family and friends in the US, but leaving these wonderful people with their great faith and kind hearts (not to forget their unbelievable smiles) is as difficult a thing as we could think of.  They will forever be in our hearts and prayers, and we know that our Heavenly Father will watch over them for they are some of the the most choice of his children.

In our last post we reported the great times we had with those of our family who came to visit us.  Their visit is still talked about among the youth of Ho; it touched hearts on both sides of the ocean. Since then we have been blessed with many rich experiences.  
In September we travelled to Accra with Mawuli and Patience Agbotse and their four boys.

                 

Mawuli, Patience and their boys Emmanuel, Bright, Victor, and John on the very going to the Temple

The Agbotse family went to the Temple where Mawuli and Patience were endowed and, with their boys, were sealed for eternity. It was a most heavenly sight to see those four handsome boys walk into the sealing room dressed in white and beaming with smiles. The doctrine of eternal families is such a blessing!We also joined other family and friends of two couples as they were married traditionally and are now preparing to have their marriages sealed in the Temple in Accra. Gilbert and Cynthia had their “Engagement” at her father’s house and followed that with the wedding reception;
                     

 Eugene and Christable also had their “engagement “ at the family home
                   

 

 and then had their marriage in the Ho Second  Branch chapel and their reception that followed at another venue. These events are very different and interesting. We have decided that our sons-in-law really had an easy pathway to marriage compared to these poor guys. Not only did they have to come up with thousands of dollars to pay a “bride price “ to the father of the bride for marrying his daughter, but he had to bring many gifts to the family and present them at the engagement.! Seriously, it is a “tradition of the fathers” that needs to be abolished because it makes it so difficult for people to get married. It sometimes takes the young man years to save the money.

Donne is one of the great youth of the Ho First Branch whom we met early in January of this year. He had been baptized a year earlier, but, due to some sad family circumstances he had not been attending.  He found us on the street as we were visiting another member and identified himself as a member of the Church.  Since then he has not missed a Sunday meeting and rarely missed midweek Mutual and Seminary. He has also been a fixture at Family Home Evening held on Monday evenings.  We  have it in our home for those who do not have a family of their own.(Donne’s mother left the family 3 years ago because she was abused and the father is an alcoholic who is rarely around). Three years ago, Donne had surgery to repair a perforated intestine and his incision broke down and left him with a huge abdominal hernia. With some divine guidance we found those who would help (this story is longer than you have time to read) and he had that repaired.  Elder Cosgrave was invited into the operating theatre for the surgery

                   

Dr. Nyamaume, Josephine the charge nurse and friend
and found the surgeon very skilled even though the equipment was probably from the 1970’s or 80’s. Donne did well and even found friends in the hospital with whom he shared his testimony of the Gospel and to whom he gave copies of the Book of Mormon.

                 

Donne (on the left) and his friend and fellow patient

The youth who live in our branch and who spend lots of time in our home continue to bring us many blessings.  In return, Sister Cosgrave thought that they should experience a marshmallow roast.  The result was a small fire in our front “yard” and great fun for these wonderful young people.  They also like to wash our truck and help in our yard.
                   

               

They are always so ready to help. We never have to ask them to clean up or to do the dishes…they just do it and do it well.

We continue to relish our trips to the distant groups in Kpando (pronounced pando) and Hohoe (pronounced Ho’hoy).  We were privileged to be in Kpando for the blessing of Mary Sesi’s newborn baby (1 week old).
   

Mary Sesi and her baby

Other family members who were not familiar with the Church also came and were received with great warmth and fellowship.



















In Hohoe the elders invited us to interview Jonathan for baptism. The story of his being led to find the Church is miraculous and would be unique except that it is the kind of thing that happens all the time in West Africa. 

Jonathan and his family

Elders Burr and Zaugg at the Hohoe baptismal site

Helen was taught and the her husband Gameli performed her baptism the first month that the missionaries were in Hohoe

He and his wife have been married for over 40 years and are the parents of 13 children and .still live together in the same house (unusual here). Others who thought that they were the only members in the town have welcomed new members with love.


In September, Elder Dube of the Seventy and counselor in the Africa West Area presidency made the mission tour.  All of us from the Ho Zone travelled to Kpong to be greeted and taught by this great leader.  He is such a warm, kind man and a great teacher as well. 

Elder Dube greeting the missionaries at Zone Conference (President Heid on the right)

We have met so many wonderful people in many areas.  Some we have come to know well and appreciate their talents. Among these is Wisdom who is a wood carver and does beautiful work.  His wife makes plantain chips which she cooks at home and then sells on the streets. Others are just friends we meet at the market or on the streets as we pass.

Holy makes Kente which is a Ghanaian form of weaving. You have to see it to really appreciate how it is done. But it is a treasure here in Ghana.  We have bought much Kente from Holy as have many of the missionaries that serve here and in Accra. He has become a dear friend. There is also Marcus at the grocery store, Kate at her mother at the market. Doris at the Batik  “factory, and Issiman the crafty man who likes to replicate ancient chief paraphernalia and beads.

We also made a brief stop at the Tema,Ghana MTC where we were able to see Elders Stulce and Hanneman from the Highland/Alpine neighborhoods. 

We loved greeting Elder Stulce (on the left) and Elder Hanneman and their companion

They are both serving in the Ghana Cape Coast Mission so we have not seen them since the MTC, but have had great reports on them from the couple serving in that mission.

In October we made a quick 10 day run to Wichita, Kansas to visit Mike’s sister Caren and her husband Earl.  They had been serving a mission in the Dominican Republic, but they had to return home for surgery. Because of her situation and treatment plans, our mission president, President Heid, suggested that we take a leave and go to see her. We showed up at her home much to her surprise.  (Her jaw dropped, but recovered quickly).

Caren greeted Blair with less astonishment than she had us

Earl riding the mower for the Fall cutting

 It was a great trip.  We so loved sharing the time with them.  Added bonus to the trip was the visit of their daughter Meredith and her family and then our Lyndsey took the time to come from Phoenix leaving Cory to tend Rowen. Lyndsey brought their new baby Blair for us to meet (she is our # 30 grandchild… and for you number people, her dad is Cory Grandma Gunn’s #30). An added surprise was the appearance of our Cristen who had met up with Lyndsey in Dallas to come and surprise us.

Mimi meets baby Blair for the first time (brought by Cristen and Lyndsey)

Caren and her cheerleaders Earl, Cindy Cristen and Mike

They were only there for a day, but it was so fun to see them.  We had such a great time on our visit and our prayers continue with Caren as she continues her treatments and gains strength.

Finally, on the day we were leaving for Kansas we were invited to a videoconference with President Henry Eyring of the First Presidency who called us to a mission next summer. That is the real reason we are returning at this time. There is no specific assignment until December or January but we will speak English.  It is more a surprise to us than anyone, but we look forward to this new opportunity.  It is difficult to imagine leaving again, but we are willing to do whatever is asked of us.

We will say over and again how much we will miss these people and all that they mean to us. We cannot say it enough how much we have loved our time here.  There are many things that are far different form Highland, Utah and many that create challenging moments, but those are the some of the things that have endeared Ghana to us. It is a sometimes crazy place, but we chuckle and say, ‘That’s Ghana!“ :) See some of our great Ghana people

Vivian Tsetse and kids arrive at Church on a motor taxi (her husband Hope, the Branch Pesident had come earlier)

Washing clothes at the river near Tafi-Atome

One of Ho's beautiful babies (those thighs are real hers)

Faithful young single adults Hanson, Adwoa and Saviour

Linda and her sweet children have just moved to this home in the village of Golokwati

Seminary at the Ho First Branch

Sister Cosgrave giving pointers on how to sew on a button to these future missionaries (Calvin on the right)

Some of Ho First and Second Branch's finest Aaronic Priesthood youth

The greatest thing will always be the people with whom we have lived and served.

We will be thrilled to see family and friends as we return.  We will report in Sacrament Meeting  on 30 Nov. So as they say here we hope to have a “safe journey” home and be reunited with our loved ones.