Many Kountries Kum together in Kumasi

            Akwaaba, “welcome” in Twi (pronounces twree) the most widely used language in Ghana. We once again have been busy in the Lord’s work. One of our favorite things is to meet with the districts in their district conferences. We have 5 branches that are directly under the mission president because they have not been organized into a district. So when we visit a branch it is usually one of the 5 Mike had stewardship over. So it is fun to meet with the districts and see the members that we don’t see very often. I also get to train the Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women leaders. It was so humbling last conference in a place called Sunyani, the sweet Young Women’s president in her talk said how much she loved to be instructed and taught. She almost pleaded to us to help them learn. These wonderful sisters are so humble and desirous to do the right thing. I feel so touched by their righteous desires and childlike approach to their responsibilities.

Mike also had the opportunity to talk in a devotional put on by one of the stakes for investigators being taught by the missionaries in that stake. We were also able to speak with the missionaries in one of the ward at their member-missionary devotional.

President Cosgrave and President Sosu, Bantama Stake

Missionary devotional

Mission Leadership Council at the Mission Home

Of course, most of our time is spent with the wonderful missionaries. Our numbers keep going up and down, but for now, we have about 170 missionaries. We have missionaries from Ghana, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Zambia, Tonga, Australia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Fiji, Philippines, New Zealand, and the USA.  So we have most of the missionaries who speak English plus their own native language, and some French-speakers who are learning English. It is a real potpourri of cultures. But they get along and love one another. They learn from one another and grow as they share their differences, but are drawn together by the cords of the gospel that teach them charity and love of our Savior. It is a great thing to behold. Some come from strong families that have pioneer ancestors, some from families that are 2^nd generation members. Some come from families who are not supportive whom they never hear from their whole mission. Some have only a mother, some from families of 5 and others from families of 12 and 13. They have bright faces and smiles, and are obedient, happy, diligent; and then you find out that they have lost both mother and father, and recently 2 young nieces have drown in a flash flood walking home from school, or that they are the only member in their family and came against their family’s wishes, or they have changed from wayward ways and bad decisions, one would never know. They all have come seeking to bring the joy of the Gospel to others. They don’t make excuses, and they go about the work they have been called to do with such faith and diligence.

            We are sad to see our missionaries depart. As time goes on and we are here longer, we become more and more attached to them. We also love to see new missionaries arrive. They are a little nervous and some have a deer-in-the-headlights look, but they are eager to meet their training companions and get to work. We love it when we get a lot!

            Last month we attended the mid-year mission presidents’ seminar for the Africa West Area in Accra. Twice a year we have the blessing of meeting with and being taught by our area presidency. Last year Elder Bednar spent a day and a half with us as well, and this year we were blessed to have Elder Rasband with us for the whole 2 days. It was amazing. We have met with Elder Rasband several times before, but it was different this time. The mantle of Apostleship was strong and evident as he taught and bore strong witness of Jesus Christ. He told us about his setting apart and expressed some of his feelings about his call. It was very special. We always come away refreshed, but challenged as well to the task before us.

Sister Detere and Sister Enabunlele all dressed
 up for zone conference

We just finished a week of zone conferences. We started in Kumasi with 2 zones on Tuesday and 2 more zones on Wednesday, and 2 more zones on Thursday. We left early on Friday and met with 2 zones in Techiman.  We left after the Techiman meetings and traveled to Tamale and held their zone conference on Saturday. Each conference starts at 10:00 and goes to 3:00 with an hour for lunch. It is exhilarating and exhausting, but we are energized and strengthened every day.

           

One truly Ghanaian experience happened in Tamale. I hesitate relating this because you might think Ghana is a hard place, but it isn’t hard, it is really quite humorous. I must admit it wasn’t humorous until the next morningJ  Mike and I decided to try a new place to stay while we were in Tamale. We had always stayed at the same little hotel called the MASH Lodge. It isn’t fancy, but it is clean and the people are very nice to us. Anyway, so we drove up to this  new hotel. Our first sign of trouble was the gate to the entrance was locked. After a few minutes someone opened the gate and then proceeded to direct us to a door to the office where he went in and switched on the light and checked us in. He then showed us to our room. The grounds were beautiful, and we were encouraged as we wearily took all our stuff into the very large nicely furnished room. We were staying for 2 nights so we had quite a

lot of stuff. Mike then went to park the car with the man who showed us to our room.  I don’t know why, but I went to the sink in the bathroom to turn on the water….nothing came out! So I ran to catch the man. I found him and told him there was no water, thinking he had forgotten to turn it on, he said to me, “Oh did you want to bath tonight?” I answered a little perturbed, No, but I might want to wash my face and brush my teeth!” It was now about 11:30 so I guess I was a little impatient-my bad! He told us there would not be water until the next day. Well, we ended up calling our old stand by MASH lodge and they had a room available. The next morning I laughed at the whole experience. We have a saying, “AWA” -AFRICA WINS AGAIN! That was certainly true. We had a good laugh and have been laughing ever since. The man was so apologetic and felt bad. They just don’t get it sometimes and it is ok J. They try so hard to please and they are sometimes so naïve.  We are always grateful for their kindness even under bad circumstances.

            Outside the mission home walls is a busy street. There is a compound across the street where several families live. I have yet to figure out who belongs to whom. Everyone just takes care of everyone. The children are adorable and wave to us as we pass by. The women are always busy cooking or sewing. They cook kenke and fish in a large pot on a fire out on the roadside. Kenke is a doughy ball made of corn that they cook and wrap in cornhusks to sell. They throw the fish in big pots of hot oil and fry them to sell with the kenke. They repeat this every day.

Sometimes friends pass buy to chat or to sell. And the babies and young children are often bathed in large bowls on the roadside.

            We have many people who help us every day. We are so blessed to

be surrounded by such loving and kind employees of the mission. Around the mission home is a wall and one needs to enter in through a large metal gate to come into the mission home compound. We have security guards who cheerfully greet us as we leave and return. One of those guards is a dear young man who served his mission in Ho in our branch. He also served in other areas that we traveled to and worked with so it has been fun to have him here.

Edward Frimpong alias Eddie, alias Elder Frimpong.
He served as a missionary in Ho and now he is a security guard
at the mission home. He is from Kumasi.

Brother Cooper

 Brother Cooper also is employed by the mission. He takes care of all the missionary apartments-that is a big, big job. He also  seeks out new apartments when we need to add or change apartments.

Elder and Sister Wardle

            We have 2 couples that serve here with us. Elder and Sister Wardle are from Pullyup, Washington. She is our mission nurse and he helps  Brother Cooper with apartment maintenance. They also help support 4 of our branches in Techiman.  Elder and Sister Halladay serve as our office couple. They are from our stake in Highland. I think it was guidance by the Spirit that brought us together while we were in between missions. We actively recruited them to come serve

Elder and Sister Halladay

Our great office elders-Elder Lawson and Elder Bishop. elder Bishop was transferred and now serves in Bolgatanga

Our able Assistants-Elder Abrams and Elder Zulu
Elder Zulu has since been transferred to Bolgatanga

Francis not only cleans around our building but he cleans the presidents pants!

Francis Appiah

Sister Ntuzela and Sister Ashon

Elder Sewell -US, Elder Lindley-US, Elder Soltabo-Phillipines,
Elder Ma'Ungatai-Tonga. They not only come from many countries, but in all shapes and sizes!

Sister Arthur and Sister Mynamane

Elder Peine, Elder and SisterCarlson -Liberia, Sister Peine

 with us. We are so indebted to them for the wonderful way they serve us and the missionaries. It is impossible to count the ways that we are blessed because of them. 

            We were so blessed to be able to stream the general conference live. What wonderful guidance and inspiration from our Church leaders.  There were so many amazing talks it is hard to mention one, but I will mention President Monson’s. First of all it was exciting for him to announce a new temple in Zimbabwe. It was particularly exciting because that is where our grandson, Josh Barlow has just receive his call to serve a mission. President Monson talked about choices. He quotes from the story of Alice in Wonderland where the Chesire Cat answered her in response to her inquiry as to which path she should take.  His response was it depends where you want to go If you don’t know where you are going it doesn’t matter which path you take. So as we make choices we need to see the end in mind and make decisions that will take us there. He also quoted, “The door of history turns on small hinges.” We make many decisions some small and some big and they all determine our destiny. What we do here in this life will determine our life to come. We are so grateful for the many young men and women and senior couples who choose to come serve. We are also grateful for the thousands who choose to listen to the invitation to come unto Christ and are baptized. Their lives and ours will be forever changed.