Entry #13

We are enjoying working with the people in Ghana and continue to be in awe as we observe their faith and humility. They have treated us with the greatest of respect and have gone the extra mile to be of assistance to us. We believe we have likewise been a blessing in many ways to them as we have befriended them and have worked to teach them more about the gospel of Jesus Christ and have helped them in teaching their own people of Christ and how to administer to the needs of their people. They are ever so careful to follow direction given. They hang on every word and sentence in the Handbook 2 (Administering the Church).

One of the senior couples that we have been serving with here in Kumasi will be flying home to Utah tomorrow (Buddy Ray and Bonnie Kay Zoll). We had a farewell dinner for them last night and it was great to reflect on all of the great work that they have accomplished in their 18 months in Ghana. We will admit that it made us a little jealous to know that they are on their way home and we will not be home to see family and friends for another 13 or 14 months.

We traveled yesterday to villages a couple of hours out of Kumasi (Villages of Agona and Asamang) to conduct a branch conference and do some training. The experience increased our love for the people and at the same time helped us realize more and more how much help is need for them to be able to bless and lead and teach their own people. It is interesting to realize as we attend the various branches of the mission that there are sometimes about as many investigators in attendance as there are members. The African people are so desirous of learning more of the Savior and the plan that our Heavenly Father has for his children here on the earth. There are a number of villages where there are just a handful of members and a number of investigators that are hoping and praying that missionaries will be assigned to their village and that there will be arrangements for a meeting place and eventually a branch organized. The biggest challenges, as we think we mentioned before, is getting leaders that can preside over the group and eventual branch. One of the pictures below shows us arriving at the Agona-Asamang Branch. Next week we will include some pictures of the wonderful people that are part of the branch.

This week we went to the four stores that we shop at to buy food. You find something here and something else there. And the prices vary. And if you find something new that you want, you buy lots because they most likely won’t be there the next week. So, this week we found canned refried beans! We were so excited! We’ve been wanting some bean tostadas – oh, just the taste. So, we bought many cans. That night MJ made flour tortillas and we had bean tostadas – refried beans, salad and cheese (unfortunately no sour cream or salsa). Yum, yum, were they delicious! We are eating well and realize how spoiled we are at home with so many foods available.

By the way, we voted this past week. We went on line, down loaded the ballot, signed it, scanned it and sent it in. We were so glad that we could do that. Thank heaven for the internet! We hope all of you get out and vote too – it is a very important privilege that we have. Get out and VOTE. We belong to the most wonderful country in the world. Let’s keep
it that way.

Love
Mom and Dad

This is behind our apartment.  The man is sharpening the cutless (a very long, sharp knife) – several on the cement next to the poly tank, our water supply- with his grinding stone. The woman is our land lady. Those are plantain trees – we have lots behind us.

The Horse Roundabout. It’s very well known because the four roads on each side (take us to the bank & post office, the food store, the mission home and to our apartment) are very important to us as well as the people here. It’s usually very busy and hard to get into.

On Saturdays people sell birds, dogs, newspapers, tables, etc. in the road at the roundabout. We use this every day.

Here is a huge lizard. They are all over the place. There are all kinds here – some red, some green. Don’t like them!

Pigs in the back of a truck. They are tightly packed in and are on the way to market. The guy on the right has a stick that he hits them with to keep them in the truck. The gutter on the right is typical – cement and deep. They get rid of the rain water but also, they are used as sewer drains. This one looks pretty good.

The pigs in the truck and the goats along the road. Goats roam in herds all over the place. They really do eat lots of the garbage.

This is at the Agona-Asamong church building where we had our church meeting. That is Brother Yamoah, Brother & Sister Zoll and Dad. See the snail on the step below the gate? That’s a huge snail! And people catch them and eat them. Yuck! Nothing like the tiny snails at home. More pictures next time.