Ministering can be interesting

May 26

 Yesterday, Comfort, I, and Juliet took off with Eugene to go ministering to Grandma. She is two weeks away from finishing her chemotherapy and life is very rough for her. I am sure she was not aware of all the side effects that come from chemotherapy. 

When we arrived she was feeling very sick, and weak. She only wants a certain type of drinking water as her taste is so bad. Her sister, brother in law, niece, and grandniece were already there. Eugene stayed in the car to wait for us. Her room was so small and we were crowded in there. Two people sat on the mattress with her. They gave me one of the chairs along with Comfort.

 Juliet, Comfort and I sang a song (which I didn't know all the words) and Juliet said a prayer and then we left. I am not sure if we were wanted or not or if we gave much solace.....

Eugene then dropped off Juliet to her home, and Comfort close to her home (you can't drive all the way to her house.)

Then Eugene asked if he could go visit his mother. He said she was moving from her home to another home. It took about a half hour or so to get there and I got to see much more of the area on a road I'd never been on. At one point the ocean was right next to us. Beautiful view of waves lapping the shore. 

We arrived at a Trotro station (parking lot with selling shacks all around) and picked up his mom and then wound around little tiny streets that could barely fit two cars if one went way over to one side. There were many people dressed in white. Eugene told me the Ga people were the first native people of Ghana and this was their territory. They were going to have a ceremony that evening and were preparing for it. The streets would be closed then. I asked if it was religious and he said no, it was tradition and was like the celebrating we would do on a holiday. He noted some of the people who were walking without shoes. Evidently touching Mother Earth is important. 

He and his mother were going to visit with a woman, so I stayed in the car. I saw no evidence of any other white person anywhere in that neighborhood. I was aware that my presence was noted by many. Every once in a while someone would walk by and bump the car. After reading all my texts and posts, I realized the appointment was going to take some time. Luckily there was a Book of Mormon in the side door so I had something to do.

Eugene and his mom came back, Eugene going over to a little hut while his mom and I chatted. Her name is Mercy and she told me about her four children, one boy has passed, so she has three living - two men and her daughter. We found that my oldest son, Nate and Eugene are the same age. Eugene came back with money - so I am assuming the hut was a mobile money place.

When Eugene got in the car, we all waited. I wondered why. About 10 or 15 minutes later, Eugene called out the window to two people walking down the street, they came over and got in the car. The man and the woman talked to Mercy for awhile in another language. I am guessing the money was for them. The lady was Mercy's new landlord.  They called out to another man who came to Mercy's window and there was more talking. I am seeing a new way of signing up for living quarters.

After dropping off Mercy at the Trotro station as she has a booth there for selling, we took pictures, and Eugene and I went home.  We were gone about four and a half hours. The day was definitely ministering as Eugene's car is out of commission right now.  It was one of the most interesting ministering days I've had. I'm probably not going to have one like it in California.

Eugene and his mom Mercy

Linda Ann and Mercy