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.

Cape Coast Day Trip

The beach in Cape Coast

On Boxing Day (26th of December) we drove with Mark and Barb Taylor to Cape Coast.  It is a three hour drive from Accra in good traffic.  We were fortunate and had good traffic.  During the holidays, the traffic is much lighter.  Since Mark was driving, Robert was able to do all the looking he wanted to and there was lots to see.

One of the chapels in Cape Coast

This chapel is right by the beach.  We wanted to see the church and institute building right next to it.  Churches are also a good place to stop if you need to use the "facilities" or wash room as the locals call it.

Fishermen pulling in their nets

This picture is not far from the chapel.  The men pull in their large nets by hand.  The beaches in Cape Coast are quite clean and lovely.

Goats crossing the road

We saw lots of goats.  This picture does not show how small they are.  Some we saw looked like miniature goats.  So cute!  Chickens also roamed around freely along with the occasional cow.

Sister Taylor and their caddy

Elder and Sister Taylor liked to golf and Sister Taylor promised her clubs to a young man who caddied for them.  He was so happy to get these clubs.  He called two minutes after we left him to thank her again.  Later, his parents called to thank her.  It was typical of the Taylors who are very generous and giving.

Some of the hazards on this golf course

The golf course had a crocodile pond on it.  No young men venturing in there to retrieve any lost golf balls.  They also had horses grazing on this course.  

Coconut Grove Beach Resort

The golf course is at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort.  It is quite nice.  We'll have to try it out sometime on a long weekend.  

Part of the restaurant decor

We ate lunch at the restaurant there at the Coconut Grove Resort.   It was right on the beach and completely open so we could feel the breeze and hear the waves.

This little guy joined us for lunch

This lizard was about ten inches long.  He would raise up and down on his front legs.  It looked like he was doing the push-ups.  Robert shared some of his lunch with him.

Robert's lunch

Robert had ground nut soup (peanut soup).  The sides are banku (a mix of corn and cassava and plantain) and kenkey (corn meal).  Both are fermented so have a sour dough taste.  They taste best dipped in soup, then they take on the flavor of the soup.  Don't quote me on the ingredients.

Joan's lunch

My curry and vegetable rice was outstanding.  It was a delightful, long, lazy lunch.

The seat of power or authority

In the villages, the chief has a special stool or seat that signifies his power.  This was in the small museum type area at the resort.

Trying out the seat of power

You can see it is not very large.  The "Flagstaff House" where the government is housed is in the shape of this traditional seat.  It is on Independence Street not far from the temple in Accra.

The Flagstaff House

From the Coconut Grove Resort, we drove to a neighboring village and the Elmina resort located there.  The Taylors were impressed with the improved roads since their last trip there.

Beach at Elmina Resort

The restaurant at the Elmina Resort was right above these rocks.  It was very close to the ocean.

Castle at Elmina

There are two slave castles in Cape Coast.  They are not far apart.  This is where they held slaves waiting to be shipped out on boats.  When we return, we will take the tour and learn about this part of the history of West Africa.  

Market

There are markets every where in West Africa.  I will post more market pictures later.  They are very colorful.  They sell everything at these markets!

New Years Eve Dinner

Kente Cloth Ceremony

On New Year's Eve, we ate dinner at the El Paso restaurant.  It was also a farewell dinner for the Taylors.  Our group was a bit large for the restaurant so we had a long wait and almost two hours between the first served and the last served.











When couples leave they are presented with some traditional Kente cloth.

North Ridge Ward Young Women Class and leaders

Good bye hugs

The North Ridge Ward will miss the Taylors.  They presented her with an African dress on her last day there.  All the young women wear their hair short.

The Dress

Here is Sister Taylor in her beautiful dress.  She is with a co-worker.  She wore it her last day at work when she and Elder Taylor spoke at the devotional.  Yes we will miss the Taylors!  They have been wonderful friends in the short time we have been here.  We have some big shoes to fill as we replace them in the North Ridge Ward.  Good-by Mark and Barb Taylor.  We love you!

Christmas in Ghana

Alema Court missionaries wishing everyone a Merry Christmas

Sister Stoker made this Christmas Greeting for her family and shared the photo with us.  From left to right: Smiths, Taylors, Elmers, Walls and the Stokers.  We are missing the Bullocks who were unable to be there.  Elder and Sister Stoker live in the neighboring stake, Mount Olympus Stake, back home in Utah.  Sister Taylor and Sister Stoker are wearing clothes made from the beautiful African fabric they have here.  Most of the sisters get several items made for them while they are here.

Elder & Sister Taylor and Elder and sister Wall

We took these pictures just before leaving for an evening of singing Christmas Carols at the Area President's home on Sunday December 22nd.

Singing together is such fun!

President and Sister Curtis are sitting between the Stokers and Robert, who is at the keyboard.  Their grandchildren are on the couch.  We had some great singers there, even their youngest grandson, on the sofa, was quite a singer.  I will say they were all impressed with Elder Smith's piano skills.  We sang a lot of songs; many from the hymn book, some from our own song sheets and then several from the Children's Songbook.  We thoroughly enjoyed this.

Brother and Sister Kradolfer and Elder and Sister Elmer

Plilippe Kradolfer (his wife is wearing the red top) is the DTA (Director of Temporal Affairs) for the Africa West Area.  It was fun to be in a home with decorations and President and Sister Curtis were gracious hosts, very warm and welcoming.  We work with some very capable and fine people.

Sisters Smith and Stoker with Rebecca

Christmas Eve we were at the office until about 2 p.m.  We took this picture with Rebecca, a church employee, on our way out.  Many wore red today.

The Packs, the Walls and the Slaters

Christmas Eve all the missionaries ate dinner at the Hotel Alisa.  We had a delicious meal from their lovely buffet.  Elder and Sister Pack are PEF/Self Reliance missionaries.  Brother Slater is a Church employee in the legal department.  They are about half way through their four-year assignment.

Delicious food and fun visiting was enjoyed by all.

One of Robert's favorite dishes was the ground nut soup--peanut soup.  It was yummy.  I liked a potato and apple salad that had some sweet pickle in it.  I just liked the salad bar period!  This is not the way we usually spend Christmas but when you can't be with family, this is not a bad option.

Midnight Mass

About six couples went to the Midnight Mass at the Catholic Church after the dinner.  We arrived about 10 p.m. and enjoyed a little Christmas re-enactment of the nativity before the mass started.  The Archbishop kindly welcomed his Mormon friends.  We have not been to a midnight mass for a long time so it was interesting to see the procession, incense and pageantry.  We are not used to late nights now so we fell into bed when we got home.

Ghana Missionary Training Center

Ghana has its own MTC.  All the missionary couples went there Christmas morning for brunch (we all brought the food), games and singing.   President and Sister Graham will be returning home soon.  All the missionaries in Africa come here if they are going to French speaking countries.  There were only five missionaries there at the time.  Each of the missionary couples contributed an item or two

for a gift bag for each of them.  They were surprised and happy. 

Sisters Taylor, Fitzgerald, Cannon and Pack

People gathered for visiting and photos before the brunch.  The senior missionary couples become good friends while they are serving here.  Everyone is sad when someone leaves and happily welcomes the new missionaries.

This is Robert with Elder Call,  President Afful (Ghana Temple President) and Elder Assard a temple missionary.  The Assards are one of the couples who originally took the gospel to Cote d'Ivoire in the 1980's.  He met and married his wife in Germany when he attended school there.  They later returned to Cote d'Ivoire to help build up the church in that area.

Here Elder Cannon is visiting with Sister Assard and Sister Afful.  The dresses they are wearing are typical dresses worn here in Ghana.

Robert's music added to the Christmas spirit as we prepared to eat.  This is the first (only) real piano we have seen since coming to Africa.  Most of the buildings have electronic keyboards.  He also played for some group singing later.

Sister Bullock and Sister Elmer

We enjoyed breakfast casseroles, delicious fruit and a variety of yummy breads.  It was all delicious and there was plenty of food.  After eating, we went into another room for singing Christmas carols, several fun games directed by Sister Peterson, a white elephant exchange and a musical number.

The men were asked to draw a Christmas scene, per Sister Petersen's directions, on top of their head where they were unable to see.  Robert happened to win this game with his superb drawing of a fireplace with wreath, rug and a tree with decorations, gifts and a star.  The trick was, they had to go back and forth between the fireplace and the tree for each item.

Lots of presents for everyone!

The white elephant gift game is always fun and good for lots of laughs.  The Walls probably had to choose more gifts than anyone since theirs kept getting taken by others.

So a Merry Christmas was enjoyed by all.  We returned home, baked cookies, delivered gifts to our neighbors and enjoyed a DVD on the first Christmas.  We especially enjoyed reading emails from our children and getting some face time in with them.  It was wonderful to see and visit with loved ones.  We feel especially grateful for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and  and the great gift He has given to all mankind.  We are truly blessed!  

Gone To Ghana

Here we are in Ghana!  We have been here a little more than two weeks and the time has flown.  This post will be about our new "home".   We hope to give you an idea of where and how we live in Ghana.  We brought as much as we could from home, a hundred pounds each, plus a carry-on.

Robert checking us and our luggage in.

We did manage to get all of our stuff into Cheryln's car.  We appreciated Cheryln driving us to the airport.  We actually  bought a few new pieces of luggage but you can't tell by how well they match.  We're obviously not going for appearances here!  It was nice that our flight was not early morning, we were doing well to be ready by 8:30 or 9:00.

We live in the Alema Court Complex

Six senior missionary couples live in the Alema Court apartments.  The temporary office for the new Ghana Accra West Mission is also here.  These couples welcomed us with a pot luck dinner the day we arrived.   The Executive Secretary and his wife, Brother and Sister Fitzgerald, picked us up from the airport and drove us here.  We left our bags and went straight to the area office.

Area Office

This is the Africa West Area Office.  Unless we are traveling to do training, we will be here Monday through Friday.   An office mission a a bit like a job.   The office is just one building of several in this complex.  There is a church, housing for some missionary couples & the temple patrons, housing for the area presidency and the temple.  The temple was built in 2004.

Ghana Accra Temple

The senior missionary couples do sealings each Friday evening with one of the Area Presidency officiating.  Some Fridays we also do a session.  It is a beautiful temple inside and out.

Our office

We have a nice office.  It took us a full week to get the computers up and running and the first week was a little frustrating.  No one to train us and nothing working right.  The second week was better.  We are learning that the senior couples just kind of have to figure it out on their own a bit.  We are better off than most with Bill Barrett next door to us who did our job while waiting for us to arrive.

Jim and Paula Elmer

The Elmers, the area medical couple, took us under their wing the first few days.   He drove our car with Robert and I rode with Sister Elmer in their car on the drive home from the office.  They live right next to us. That is our door on the left and they live on the right.  They also took us shopping the next day so we could buy food and learn where the stores were.  We really appreciated their help.

Where we went to church the first Sunday

We also went to church with Elder and Sister Elmer on Sunday.  This is a building the Church rents for this ward.  We had a difficult time understanding the English.  People say it will get easier.  Luckily, Brother Elmer spoke in church so we understood something.

With the map in the living room

The Stokers gave us a map of Accra.  Robert spent the better part of an evening studying it and is pretty good at getting us where we need to go now.  I don't think I will drive here.  I'll save the traffic for another post.

Our living/dining room

This is the view of the other end of our living room and yes, that is a clothes dryer in the corner.  The important thing is the air conditioner at the top over the window.

Bedroom

Our bedroom is mostly bed.  This bed is definitely wider than a king and shorter than a king.  We have considered sleeping sideways but mostly Robert sleeps kitty-corner.  This is necessary because there is a footboard under that spread so no hanging toes over the mattress. The mattress is wedged in tight between the footboard and headboard.  Making the bed is hard on the hands.   It is undoubtedly the firmest bed we have ever slept on but so far we are sleeping fine.  Many couples have bought mattress toppers to give them more cush.

Bedroom Closet

We have about one good step between bed and closet, bed and dressers and the bed and window.  Joan uses the second bedroom closet to avoid having to take turns using the closet.  We may even move her dresser in there but right now there is a spare mattress leaning against the wall.

One of two bathrooms

We have two bathrooms, pretty much identical.  Since the sink and counter space is small,  we each use a separate bathroom.

No outlet in the bathroom for hair dryers or curling irons.  This is what Robert fixed up so Joan can do her hair.  Two plug adapters needed even though the appliances were purchased here in Accra.  Notice the water bottle?  You can't brush your teeth with the sink water.



The kitchen is pretty roomy and convenient.  We did need to replace the microwave that didn't work and we bought a blender.  We hope to make green smoothies--if we can find greens that are safe to eat.  We haven't eaten lettuce yet.

Our stove has a lid you can close

I also have a pantry in the corner to the right of the stove.  All in all, not bad storage for food and dishes.  We have a long open counter between the stove and the sink that is great work space.   We have some open shelves for "stuff" and a handy rotary kitchen utensil holder.  One problem, the pantry is behind the door to the kitchen and if the kitchen door is not open, I suffocate!

Like magic, a clean stove!

Fridge and kitchen sink

Cooking is a challenge.  Getting used to new and different products.  Finding all the ingredients for a recipe can be difficult so you get creative.  We eat a lot of cabbage and the fruit is outstanding.  The washing machine for our laundry is under the counter on the right.

Dinner at the Elmers

Last Sunday we had dinner at the Elmers.  On the left are Elder and Sister Miles who were visiting from Liberia.  They are humanitarian missionaries there and had some amazing stories and pictures of their efforts building wells, latrines, water towers etc.  He had a great sense of humor.  They are from Hooper, Utah.  Next are the Stokers who are Public Relations Specialists and the Bullocks who are humanitarian missionaries here in Ghana

Dinner at the Elmers

In this picture, next to Robert on the left, are the Taylors.  They are both lawyers and work in the legal department  for the West Africa Mission.  They will be leaving in January and we are all sad about that.  The Walls are next to the Taylors.  They are the office couple for the Ghana Accra West Mission.   Elder and Sister Elmer are on the right.  We really enjoy the other missionary couples.

Christmas Caroling by the PEF Group

We really appreciated the PEF group who came over from their office at the Church at the Temple complex to carol to the employees at the office building.  Elder and Sister Cannon, on the right, are the Perpetual Education Fund missionary couple.  This was the beginning of feeling a bit Christmasy.