Road Trip

Evans is doing pretty well adjusting to the Tropics.

Sister Stevenson and Evans spent some time on Monday with the Assistants at the market.

Shopping for a fufu pounder.

Just looking.

We held zone conferences Tuesday through Friday.  We were in Assin Foso on Tuesday.

It rained.

The Zone Leaders instructed on a topic of their choice -- The Doctrine of Christ.

This is how we did it in Tennessee.

Sister Love.

The Assin Foso Zone.

Wednesday in Takoradi.

Working with Members.

More Sister Love.

Practicing helping the members share the Gospel.

The Takoradi Zone.

Thursday in Mpintsin Zone.

Helping those we contact become progressing investigators and converted to the Savior.

I didn't realize that many of our missionary companions give a shout before they leave the apartment in the morning.  They join hands and as they raise their hands shout, "The Heart and a Willing Mind!" (D&C 64:34). We have taught them that the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind, but they came up with this on their own.  One nice thing about having Evans with us is that he is sharing some of the culture of his mission with our missionaries, and our missionaries are sharing ours with him. 

The Mpintsin Zone.

Then, on Friday we were with the Tarkwa Zone.

These zone leaders taught Our Purpose as Missionaries.

The Tarkwa Zone.

I had to be in Axim on Sunday and the mission home is undergoing some repairs, so we hung out on Saturday at Busua Beach and introduced Evans to lobster pizza.

He liked it!

Sunday at Axim Branch.

Inseparable.

Elder Owens using his head.

And finally,

More sister love from Mankessim.

You Came to Africa?

The Day After Transfers.

Another transfer has come and gone.  We had 22 missionaries complete their assignments and 14 arrived from the MTC.

  

These missionaries come from Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra Leone, the United States and Zimbabwe.

Dinner preparation, picnic style.

Rice Jollof, chicken and salad.  Ice cream and cookies later.

Final instructions before announcing the area assignments.

"You will be serving here."

Load up!

And so it begins.

Now it was time to prepare for the departing missionaries.

We're going to need a bigger boat.

Actual baptisms and weekly average key indicators for the last 12 weeks of their missions compared to their Finish Strong goals.  They did well.

Elder Plumb had a surprise.

You came to Africa???!!!

This better not keep me out of heaven.  When Elder Plumb began asking why all of his TCs had their travel itineraries and he didn't, we stretched the truth a bit by saying that his father had called and wanted him to stay completely focused on his mission and asked us not to give him his travel details. Elder Plumb said, "That sounds like my father."  So the surprise was complete.

Travel instructions.

On time for breakfast.

Also, on time for breakfast.

Our lone departing Sister.  The same thing will happen next transfer, with about 20 elders going home and one sister.

The Heleman District form the MTC.

Zimbabwe Brothers.

Time to go.

And they are gone.

Well done!

After the missionaries left, Evans went out proselyting with the Nkanfoa elders.

They were able to teach three lessons and also set up an appointment.  He also got to sample the fried dough.

Earlier in the week on Preparation Day, we had visitors at the mission home.

Some of the Elders wanted to try their hand at solo Fufu.

I understand there was a problem with the plantain, so it ended up being mashed cassava.  That sounds delicious to me.  I'm told the soup and the chicken was perfect.

And the Sisters brought in lunch for Sister Stevenson.

Father's Day at the Ola University Ward:

Investigators.

The Ola Sistas.

Primary Children singing for the fathers.

They sounded great!

The Relief Society brought cake!

Everything is a ceremony here.

Finally, the cake was cut and divided among the dads.

With the Bishop.

Sister Stevenson is making spaghetti for dinner tonight, so Evans and I are excited.