Zone Conference and Nigerian Headpieces

President LeGrand Curtis

On January 8th we had Zone Conference.  Our missionary zone included all the senior missionaries.  Our Area President, LeGrand Curtis of the Seventy, gave a great talk on the mission work in Africa.  The Africa West Area (AWA) is the fastest growing area in the Church.  Almost 20,000 baptisms in 2013 (as it turns out, it was only seven short of 20,000).  This is a blessing and a challenge.  Finding new chapels and training new leaders fast enough is not easy.  The average missionary companionship will baptize 24 people per year.  That is quite a contrast to his 2 baptisms per mission (2 years) in Italy when he was a missionary.  Retention is high and 41% attend sacrament meeting.  In 2013 they created 71 new wards and branches.  He said he is excited and scared.  It feels like driving a bus at a very fast speed!  There are thirteen missions in AWA and two temples.  We feel fortunate to be a part of the exciting work that is going on here!

Singing the opening hymn at Zone Conference

 We also got to hear from our Self-Reliance missionaries.  Elder and Sister Cannon (sitting at the table on the right), and Elder and Sister Pack (sitting next to them) do a great job running the two self-reliance centers in Accra.  They, along with some great young volunteers, teach classes on self employment, career, planning for success, computers, Pathways program (preparing students so they can take on-line classes through BYU Idaho) and the Perpetual Education Fund where loans are made to qualified students so they can go to school.  One thing they do is help the participants see the talents and skills that they have.  A frequent comment from people they work with is "I never knew what I could do!"  The Church is an amazing organization with many inspired programs.  It was wonderful to hear about these programs and what they do to help people improve their situations so they can provide for their families.

Lunch--delish!

After being fed spiritually, they fed us a yummy lunch.  Quiche, salad and a cupcake.  (That chocolate frosting was more like a truffle than frosting--yum!)

Dressy headpiece

After lunch, the women enjoyed a special treat.  This sweet Nigerian sister showed us how to tie the beautiful Nigerian headpieces.  We had a great time.

More casual fabric

Another style

This is not easy!

Posing for the camera

We all walked around the office building to show our husbands the end result.  It was pretty fun and the African employees laughed so hard!  Somehow we don't carry this look off as well as our beautiful African sisters.

This could come in handy on a bad hair day.

Tying a baby (pillow) on your back.

She also demonstrated how to tie a baby on to your back.  Not having a baby handy, she used a pillow.  I am amazed at how they can do this with no help.  What a great day.