Question: How do five missionaries share three chicken dinners evenly?
Answer: Get five forks. Eat communally one meal at a time until all meals are consumed.
Families eat from the same big bowl all the time here. Everyone washes up before diving in. At our house, it would be the quick and the dead if we ate like that.
On Monday, we spent six hours with sick missionaries (not because they eat from the same bowl). With 200 missionaries, there is always someone who is not feeling well. It keeps Sister Stevenson busy. We get a lot of help from our senior couples. Usually, the ailments are minor, but every time the phone rings I twitch a little.
We continued our visits in the mission. This week we were in Winneba on Tuesday, Swedru on Wednesday and Asikuma on Thursday.
Some of the Swedru District (We had a little drama that day and didn't get a picture of everyone.) During dinner, we had a very delightful conversation. Elder Brown, who is one of our very fine new missionaries, was having trouble using the title "Elder" to refer to the missionaries (this is very common and it drives me crazy.) After correcting him a few times, I finally said, "Elder Brown, give me your hand." He reached over and I wrote "Elder" on his palm. It didn't take long before every missionary would just raise their palm when they heard someone forget to say Elder.
The Odeben District (in Asikuma).
Our time in Asikuma was interesting. The branch meets in a converted schoolhouse.
This is the restroom for the chapel--open pit. It was scary because the walls were covered with mosquitoes. I was very still as I used the facilities -- it reminded me of the horror movies where the hero tries to not wake the monster. Luckily, I escaped unscathed.
I had the opportunity to interview a sweet couple for baptism. They were very happy to have found the Gospel. Two of their grandchildren were also baptized yesterday with them.
On Friday, I worked on transfers. We have 16 new missionaries coming next week. There will be a lot of movement this time.
I spent Saturday and Sunday in Axim and Nkroful. On Saturday, Elder Julander and I interviewed several men in search of a new branch president. We felt impressed to issue the call to the current counselor in the branch presidency and had a nice visit with his family. It is a 2 hour drive on improving but still sketchy road to Axim from Takoradi where the Julanders live. We made that round trip both on Saturday and Sunday.
In a few months, this will be paved highway and the drive to Axim will be smooth sailing.
The temporary meetinghouse on the new property turned out nicely. The branch moved in last weekend.
They still have a great view. I thought they would set it up so the speaker was looking at this, but the congregation looks out at the ocean and the speaker has to be good.
We spent a little time in between interviews with the Axim missionaries.
This is the view from their apartment balcony. I told them we were not charging them enough rent!
I thought they were a little early on the Christmas spirit, but then they told me that the decorations had been put up last year by other missionaries and had never been taken down. At least they are ready for the holidays.
Elder Quasie teaching a hymn in Fante to Elder Julander.
These are our zone leaders in Sekondi. They live in the apartment below the Julanders.
I arrived home at 5 p.m. and was very glad to remove myself from the car seat for a few hours.
DATE NIGHT:
Ola Beach and pizza at Cheez:
CREATURE OF THE WEEK:
Transparent Crabs
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