Sunday, January 22, 2017

Man Eating Fish



This was transfer week.  Elder Warner was assigned to be an Assistant to the President, replacing Elder Ameyaw.  Elder Ameyaw has been a great help to me.  He will be serving in Kissi this transfer.

Our twelve new missionaries arrived in the early afternoon on Tuesday.





After a light lunch, Elder and Sister Durrant helped them with some paperwork and welcome materials.



After some instruction and interviews, we enjoyed a nice dinner together.







Rise Up, Servants of God!


Adjusting to Missionary Life.


You will serve right here, in Assin Foso Stake.


Goodbye for now, MTC friends.



Seven sisters and five Elders.  These missionaries come from Nigeria, Ghana, the United States, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Soon after the new missionaries leave the mission home, the returning missionaries arrive.


There were just two missionaries going home this time.

 
We departed from the fufu tradition in favor of Talapia and Banku.





Because the temple was closed for annual maintenance, we were not able to attend an Endowment session with these missionaries.  It did allow us to have a leisurely breakfast before leaving for Accra.


Normally, breakfast is at 6 a.m. and consists of dry cereal and fruit.  The ham and eggs didn't make up for missing the temple, but we managed some smiles.


Elder Blay had served for several months as an Assistant.  He finished his mission in Kissi.


We had to stop at the Area Office to pick up passports, so we were able to take pictures at the temple, even though it was closed.




"And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we know not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice." 
(Alma 13:25)


Sister Stevenson and I normally say goodbye to the missionaries at the temple, but since we were the only ones accompanying them, we completed the whole deal by getting KFC on the way to the airport.  There are not many American food franchises in Ghana.  I think KFC Ghana has spiced up Colonel Sanders' recipe a bit, but they do a good job. 


Straw-Colored Fruit Bats in the center of Accra


Stellaluna! (Say it with the voice, kids.)


On Saturday, we met with the missionaries serving in the Cape Coast Zone for their personal interviews.



This transfer, we are having the missionaries arrive for interviews by district.  While I meet with them individually, Sister Stevenson is helping them with health training.


Among other things, they are reviewing the proper care of the water filters and stress reduction techniques. 



 


Everyone likes the stress reduction.

On Sunday, we were in the Abura 2nd Ward for Sacrament Meeting.


The Sister Missionaries introduced us to one of their investigators who will be baptized after church services.

Thus ended the first transfer of 2017.


Man eating fish.

  



Sunday, January 15, 2017

On Fire!


Our Monday tradition is to buy grilled Talapia from this nice woman in Cape Coast.  We like her fish better than those at the fancy hotels.

Sister Stevenson and I visited the District Meeting in Mankessim this week.  While Sister Stevenson participated in the meeting, I interviewed each of the missionaries.





As part of our annual training plan, the District Leaders set aside one meeting per month to focus on one of the eight "Fundamentals of Preach My Gospel" lessons.  This month, they are reviewing "My Missionary Purpose."




They did a great job.  There was even time for some practicing.


Wednesday and Thursday we were back in Assin Foso meeting with the missionaries.











Friday was Train the Trainers.


We have twelve new missionaries coming next week, including several sister missionaries.  Following this transfer, we will have exactly 200 young missionaries and 46 of them are sisters.  That is a huge shift from four years ago when the age requirement for sisters was lowered from 21 to 19.  As President Monson said, the young sisters "make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome their service."






On Saturday, we attended the wedding of Barbara Mensah and Samuel Nketsia.


We know the Mensah family from Agona Nkwanta, where Barbara's father is the Branch President. But we have also gotten to know Barbara from our visits to Tarkwa where she is a member of that branch and works at the front desk of the hotel we like there.




We ran into Elder Quaisie at the wedding.  He is one of our returned missionaries and is attending school in Tarkwa.


President Adjei was the Chairman of the Reception.  His job was to keep things moving.


 It was nice of them to invite us.  In Ghana, you must be married in a civil ceremony prior to being sealed in the temple.  The Nketsias will go to the temple in February when it reopens.

On Sunday, we attended church in Tarkwa.  President Adjei and I were able to meet with President Blay, the Tarkwa District President.  We also called a new Elders Quorum President and Assistant Branch Clerk for the Tarkwa Branch.





Weather Report:






It is winter in Ghana.


When you send people from Oregon to live in Ghana, you are bound to burn up an air conditioner or two.