Palmer's Mission in Kumasi, Ghana, W. Africa: Entry #11

We continue to very busy taking care of absorbing the increasing number of missionaries. With the latest group of new missionaries we are up to 82 missionaries. We were around 70 after the division of the missions and the establishment of this new mission. We will be over 100 by the end of the year and will, we guess, be around 140 by mid-year next year. One of the biggest challenges is to determine where it would be most profitable to open up new areas and then securing housing for missionaries. As we mentioned before you have to do a lot of renovation to get any apartment livable – and then by American standards you would consider it a very poor housing arrangement. Next week the mission president will be traveling up to Tamale – the third largest city in Ghana, where we have never had missionaries and where there are no established branches of the church. There are some members of the church in Tamale, but no organized groups. As mentioned before the difficulty is finding some leaders in the church that can get things going in new areas. Tamale is a 7 hour drive through very difficult roadways – which means any missionaries we put there will be quite isolated from the mission leadership. I am sure we will establish branches of the church and have missionaries there soon, but it will be a test for those that work there to get things started.

We are starting another round of skyping and look forward to having a video and audio session which each member of the family again. It is so good to see you when we skype and hear of the latest on a real-time basis. We love all of you and feel so blessed because of your goodness and your willingness to do those things that are pleasing to the Lord.

Last Monday we had a mission-wide preparation day (all of the zones, but one – which zone was too far away to include). It was very interesting to see all of the missionaries get together and tour a dam in their missionary attire and then change to sportswear to participate in soccer, volleyball horseshoes and card games. With transportation being what it is here, it was no small task getting Tro-Tros to get all of the missionaries there and back to their proselyting areas. Fortunately all made it and the only casualty was one missionary losing his phone and about 60 Ghana cedis (about $30 USD). See pictures of the P-Day below.

Every Monday, or P-Day , we invite the missionaries closest to us over for breakfast if they don’t have an activity going. So, we had the elders here but since the transfer on Tuesday we have sisters living in the apartment close. We had them over for pancakes and they love it. We enjoy getting to know them better. We have also invited the Assistants to the President elders but they are on their way to Tamale. Next Monday we will have them and the Sisters too. Below are the pictures of the Elders and the Sisters. Sister Nwokeka is from Nigeria, one of eight children, and is returning home on Nov. 7 after 18 months here. Before she came she graduated from college. She’s a very confident, fine young woman. Sister Gogo is from Cote de Ivory, one of five children, just got here Tuesday. She speaks French, very little English. She will be here 18 months. Both their families are members of the church. Elder Crump is from the U.S., Idaho, and will go home when we do next December. He’s a very hard worker. Elder Ramo, his name is Ramokgola but Ramo is easier, is from South Africa. He quit his college to come here on his mission and loves teaching about the gospel. His father has passed away and his mother is not a member. He has a cousin who is a returned missionary and who gives him lots of support. We love these young people.

We went to bed last night and pretty soon it started raining with lightening and thunder. And when it rains, it pours straight down! But, their drainage is so good that you can hardly tell that it rained so hard when you go out in the morning – it’s all gone. However, that makes for a very humid day. We went shopping for groceries this morning, and it was 86 degrees with probably 90% humidity. Whew! But it was very clean air and a beautiful sky with white fluffy clouds. When the sun is out, it’s very hot. The weather can change in a few minutes. Very interesting. We love the breezes that they have here. That’s what makes it bearable.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Going down into the dam – very humid. They produce power down here.