Thanksgiving Chicken

We didn't find a turkey this year, so we enjoyed rotisserie chicken from the man at the gas station. All of the senior couples were together for the day.

 Just like home.

Elder Stevenson had a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner as well in Tennessee.  Ribs and shrimp.  Sounds delicious.

We held zone conferences with Assin Foso Zone and Elmina Zone.

Here is Assin Foso:

Too cool for the blog.

And here is Elmina:

We also held follow-up training for the new missionaries and their trainers.

The new missionaries have been with us for almost five weeks.

Saturday was Coordinating Council with the Stake and District Presidents.

While I was at my meeting, Sister Stevenson invited our friend Sister Alice from the Asebu Branch to the mission home for lunch.  They had such a good time, they forgot to take pictures.

Sister Alice last year.

She brought us oranges, pineapple and coconut from her farm, and Sister Stevenson taught her how to make banana bread.  I enjoyed it all when I got home.

Sunday morning we began our drive to Tarkwa at 5 a.m. to attend the Brenu-Akyirim Branch conference.  We picked up President Nelson in Elmina and President and Sister Adjei in Mpintsin.  We left in plenty of time to arrive 30 minutes before the meetings started.  Unfortunately, we were delayed about 35 minutes by two trucks that were as wide as the two lane highway and averaging about 15 kmh.

Once we got around them, we enjoyed some seriously open road...

...but we still arrived 5 minutes after the scheduled start time for the conference.  However, since I was presiding, no one got too upset.

We have a serious chair shortage at the branch.

These three men were ordained as Elders today.

As we were leaving Tarkwa, I remarked that I hoped we wouldn't meet those two wide, slow trucks on the way back to Cape Coast.  Everybody laughed.

Ha, Ha.  

This was six hours after we were stuck behind them this morning.

So, we got to drive on the shoulder of the road for a while until we got around the jam behind the trucks.  Astonishing.

When dark clouds of trouble hang o'er us,

And threaten our peace to destroy,

There is hope smiling brightly before us,

And we know that deliverance is nigh.

Western Region Zone Conferences

Sunrise in Takoradi Ghana

We held zone conferences in Takoradi, Mpintsin and Tarkwa Zones, continuing our topic of improving our Gospel teaching.

Takoradi Zone

Open your mouth -- Fear not.

Sharing a "Mission Culture" experience.

Love those you teach.

The "Kwaw."

Practice...

Practice...

Practice.

Mpintsin Zone

Posers.

Tarkwa Zone

Teach by the Spirit.

The Clements have a mango tree!

Six conferences done .. Four to go.

On Sunday, we enjoyed attending the all Africa West Area Multi-Stake Conference broadcast from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.  Elder Gary Stevenson was presiding and other speakers included Elder Clayton, Elder Dube and Sister Stephens (of the General Presidency of the Relief Society).  

There were 72 stakes and 44 districts participating in the conference across Western Africa.  We attended with the Cape Coast Stake.  

It was wonderful to receive counsel from these senior leaders of the Church who are so familiar with the opportunities and challenges facing the Saints here.  Among other things, we were encouraged to embrace African culture which is in harmony with the Gospel, but to eliminate those practices that hinder spiritual progress -- to let the culture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shape our lives.

The Kissi Branch (my only mission branch now) brought three trotros filled with people to the conference.

  

The Kissi Branch President

Sister Stevenson helped teach this sister when she was investigating the Church.  Following her baptism, I was invited to perform the ordinance of Confirmation for her.  It was nice to see her again at the Conference. 

Peppe (we don't say "r" here) being dried on the side of the highway.