Asking for Assistance in a livelihood

 I am sharing today a message I received from a man who is needs assistance with his livelihood:

Thank you Linda for your message. I am in Accra Ghana as well and I love learning more about your experiences. This is such a great time in your life staying in Accra and working with us here in Ghana. I did love to meet you in person. Let me know when that can be possible.

In terms of livelihood, I  certainly need help, I am a returned missionary and BYUI graduate and I also have served in many callings after mission. I also have done few jobs here and there but things has been rough and though lately. I started my own business as well called Brigham Healthcare Services and we basically do health talk shows, health screening, sales of healthcare consumables, homecare support services and support aged in the society, etc. I started this project in 207 [probably 2017] and with nothing but now I have a temporary office where I operate. I would love to renovate the place to be able to support the community with healthcare needs. the land and building for the center location belongs to mum and dad so I am given the right to build the business center here by road side at Laterbiokorshie Community here in Accra.

I am looking for support financially to renovate and buy medical equipment's to be able to use in the center to help generate some income for the business and myself to take care of my livelihood.

Here is how the center looks like video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZLAjyB6vY0&t=3s

Attached are the budget to buy the medical testing equipment's and items to be used to renovate the center well.

Also Brigham Healthcare Services has been duly registered and operation business entity so we can operate and serve the people of Ghana once you step in to support us. Any amount you donate will be used to build this center to the best way possible.

Please reach me back so I invite you here to the center so you see for yourself the edifice and how we can use this to serve the people of Ghana especially during this health crisis.

My contact/WhatsApp is : +233558704696 or 0558704696

My email is : celestial.robert@gmail.com

I hope to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Robert Mettle-Nunoo

Attached are the budget to buy the medical testing equipment's and items to be used to renovate the center well. 

Thanks 

Robert

ATTACHMENTS
1640608365122_relay-message-files_1632540675766_EKjU6cteRNaU0bH0WXNv_BHSBudgetCurrent2021-2022.docx
1640608387758_bhsbudget.PNG

If you want to help this man, contact him at the WhatsApp numbers he has given.

Update from Robert: Here are videos of Brigham Healthcare Services past programs to the community here in Accra Ghana. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Beq2GY5Xs&t=62s

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xBW9tePOGY&t=680s 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeL0FL1AfcE

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa8LOqscK34&t=2797s

Love This Time of Year!

The stark difference between this year and last is amazing. Last year we got here and found out how to shop, how to drive, how to get around and then everyone left! We were the only ones on the third floor - looking at each other. 

This year I have more projects going than ever before and I know lots of people. Though families are going out of town to visit with families, we have a wedding to go to and some celebrations coming up. 

This time of year suits my personality as I can 'Do' for different families and people. I can have as many or as few projects as I want. Today I ran some banana bread up to the Luke family and dropped off a game to make and play and made sure that Petra at the front desk had some banana bread to take home to her little boy.

At noon Dumevi picked up the banana bread I had made yesterday for his visits to ward members and friends. Lots and lots of banana bread made!

Another project was my stockings for the 3rd floor. Looking through my pictures I realized I didn't take one picture of that project! Amazing. I sewed up 26 stockings, then hung them on the partition of cubicles then Wednesday night I realized no one would be around on Friday to pick them up. That night I went to the little stationary shack that is beside our garage and told the owner that I needed to fill 26 little stockings. He and I thought of pens, pencils, erasers (he had some shaped like peanuts), little sticky note pads, highlighters, key ring tags, combs, pencil sharpeners, scissors, and glitter. So the glitter was stretching the practical gift, but if you have little girls you are going to love it. In fact I gave all the extra little bottles to Dumevi with some poster board so he could make his daughter a glittering crown. I hope he took heed of my "glitter drifts like dust" warning. But it will probably be everywhere!

Jeffrey took the filled Ziplock bags to work on Thursday morning while I stayed home baking banana bread and finishing up some trousers that needed to be cut out for an order of Dumevi's. Jeffrey said there were only five people on the floor so he gave them a stocking and a ziplock bag. I guess I will have to wait till people get back from their vacations to give them their stockings. 

Other projects include holiday baking with Sister Tagoe and her niece Winifred. Another project was finalizing the Zone/Area Conference to be held on the 12th of January.  So good times all around!

Banana Cream Pie - in Africa (not)

 So a country that has some of the best tasting bananas in the world - doesn't serve Banana Cream Pie. Interesting. I had Esther and Sharon come over during their lunch break so they could try this new dessert. Since there is a dearth of graham crackers, I just crushed up some shortbread cookies and used them for the crust. 

Esther and Sharon had little glasses to layer their dessert in, and I had a small casserole dish so I could make Banana Cream Pie for the Luke family. Chicken soup and Banana Cream Pie for supper. (whole 'nuther story)

I recorded the whole process for the grandchildren on Marco Polo and Esther said they just eat their bananas instead of making dessert because they are so good. I thought that was a reasonable explanation.

Crushed up the cookies and spread on the bottom, peel and cut slices then layer bananas. After make custard - easy peasey - from custard powder. 2 cups of milk, 2 tablespoons custard powder, a little sugar, mix and whisk and cook for three to five minutes until thick, then layer that over the bananas and crust. Let cool for a bit. Whip up the heavy cream into stiff peaks - you can add vanilla, little sugar, and maybe a tiny pinch of salt if you want. Top your dessert off with the whip cream and serve. I saved my whip cream in a bowl and my pie in its pan until I was ready to walk up and deliver it. Then I put it together and took hot soup and cold pie up to the Lukes. 

Esther and Sharon said it was good and it was easy. Esther was going to make it for her family. Sharon thought she might make it for her nieces and nephews during the Christmas break when visiting. What a lot of fun I had with these two ladies!

Bags by Bernice & More

 Bernice F. Anhrah is a gifted seamstress and is well-known by the ladies in the Area office. I was introduced to her shortly after I had arrived. She has sewn me a Sunday dress from material I bought that had been stamped and dyed by another lady, and then I had a whole  lot of things in an order of things to be made for my grandchildren.

Bernice surrounded by her beautiful items

In front of her shop. An assistant is opening the gate

A little tender mercy happened while I was visiting. I had asked God to help me find the right type of material to finish the stockings for the third floor office personnel. Bernice called and said to come in because an order that had been stuck in a container in the port had come in! While I was there I noted her white backing and asked how easy it would be to get it. She closed her shop, and took me right away to a little outdoor market where it was easy to get just the fabric I needed. Ask God, get an answer.

The best thing that has happened lately is the fabric cutter that she ordered and that I went to pick up. I expect it to help Dumevi in his business. Instead of cutting each piece of material out individually, he will be able to cut lots of layers quickly. I am excited to see it all come together.

Still Processing Feelings

 Yesterday was an odd/weird/good/wonderful day. On our way to church we came to a stop and a man was on the meridian sitting with a raised hand for (presumably) a handout. I rolled down the window and handed him a biscuit. He was insulted and started shouting in incomprehensible words and slapped my hand so the package of biscuits went flying. I rolled up the window and watched the children across the street head over to get some biscuits.

 The man crawled over and picked up the package and still shouting threw it on the car where it rolled to our windshield. Meanwhile the children were begging for treats at Jeffrey's window and he was getting overwhelmed by the hands and 'hello, hello, hello!!!" I told him to just pass the rest of the bag out and don't try to give each person one. They then fought over the bag and wanted more from Jeffrey. The light turned green and we thankfully made a U turn. At the next stop we gave our usual two men their apples, biscuits and cedi and they gave us beautiful smiles and Happy Sabbath wishes. I handed a bag of biscuits to a woman who waits every week and she gave me a happy smile. We were greeted very warmly at church and asked to stay after so we could be shown some things. The meeting was warm and friendly. 

I was asked to come over to where the women were congregating while they set up Sunday School and discussed the idea that we needed to meet on Friday at 3 pm to clean the church and then come on Saturday morning at 8 am for the Wedding that would be celebrated. What is it like getting married on Christmas Day? I think my Grandmother Lore was married on Christmas Day. I love being included with the ward ladies.

I was given two very colorful dresses that I had forgotten about and now have African print dresses to wear to the wedding and to church. That was fun. The Bishop and Sister Addy showed us the presents that Sister Addy has been making for all the men and women in our ward. She made ties and wallets for the men and fans and little purses for the women. I had given her money a long time ago and this was very cool to see it done. All of it was very nice, though different from what I had envisioned. That is ok. Next week we will give them out after the hour of church. 

Taking Dumevi home we ran into some more demanding children who got in front of the car and barely left when the light turned. It was nice to pull in past our security guard and know that we were free from desperate beggars. I tried to think how Christ would have taken care of it all. I am not sure how I feel

Moving Elephant

 My focus of the Christmas Celebration was the White Elephant Gift Exchange. Yes, I facilitated the room and got permissions but had other people doing the actual work. The Dukes, Derrs, Olsen's and others really put in a lot of effort for this celebration to come together.

I thought it would be cool to have an actual white elephant at the party. I asked Wisdom if he could carve me out an elephant from white wood. I told him it was a joke gift and didn't need to be elaborate or fancy. "Just the suggestion of an elephant," I said. He asked what size and I told him whatever size he wanted.

He's an artist. He can't have something roughly made.

Detailed with ebony tusks

The ridges on his nose. He is bigger than the elephants I am giving family

Even his tail is detailed. All sanded smooth

I could hardly put it down and stop touching it. I had to tap down every bit of greed that came running to the front to put it in the gift bag to bring. I knew it was going to be a big hit.

He was the fourth gift opened and ended up being picked up by at least eight people as I had made no concessions for how many times a gift could be traded, just a 20 second limit on the time to choose one. The M&M bottle was traded many times, the hip size shopping bag was traded many times, the Red box of candy was traded many times, homemade popcorn was a big hit and some of the other items were re-gifted several times. The last gift of the night was the white elephant. Since there was more trading afterwards, I really don't know who ended up with him. 

Second gift, but they didn't keep them long

Some couple were constantly getting up and down. Notice the hats on the Angles which started out on the Eastmonds. He ended up with a case of shoe shine kits (probably from the street which really made a hawker happy). 

It was instructive to watch those whose feelings were concerned for others and those who were fiercely competitive. Games are interesting. What a fun night! 

Talents being Used for Good

Success

 I love it when an idea all comes together!! I was approached by the Duke's because they had listened to a choir and wanted the choir to come to Accra and perform for the missionaries. I thought what a great idea that would be and then combine it with a dinner and game to make our Christmas celebration easy and fun.

Okay, so nothing is really easy. It took the Dukes negotiating back and forth to bring the choir to Accra. It took the Derr's to organize, buy, (loose 1/2 a ham - another story), and ask for donations to bring about a really great meal, and the Olsen's to set up, then decorate the tables very nicely. My job was the White Elephant game that turned out hilariously fun.

Lucy Anarfi (Lucy Ayebea Annafi-Aprakuwas) asked to build this Young Adult choir and she is in charge of "The Spoken Word" here in West Africa.

They were beautiful, inspirational, and lovely

The Ashaiman Bethlehem Choir came to the Christiansborg Stake Center chapel beside the Temple and sang for us. Sister Duke was surprised when only 25 of the 40 piece choir came. The rest of us really enjoyed the great choir that we heard. I felt they were wonderful. Great harmonies, transitions, and beautiful timing. I had invited Samuel and Dumevi (along with the ward) to come and hear. Dumevi came with his wife and daughter and Samuel sat beside us. Both of the men knew the language that two of the songs were sung in. They really liked the choir celebrating Christmas. When the choir was done, we gave them meat pies and drinks that Juliet had arranged for. She has pain in her leg so her son Michael brought them over and handed them out to the choir leaving. Since we had planned for 40, they had plenty extra to take home with them.

Dinner

Good sharing, good food, good friends.

Then we gather our chairs around for a hilarious White Elephant Gift exchange. A good time was had and we got to know a little more about the characters of the missionaries around us.

To Mothers of future missionaries - or those in the field

 Just a word to the wise - mothers and those who care about their missionaries - beware. When I was visiting a mission home one day, I heard some Senior missionaries in the office laughing their heads off. Evidently a mother had been concerned about her son and wanted someone in the office staff to make sure her son had fitted sheets for his bed. The fact that he even had two sheets was amazing. Somebody needs to tell him how the military makes their beds. Three weeks later I heard laughter about the mom and the fitted sheets. Don't helicopter around and make your missionary the butt of jokes.

Living a good life in the states cannot prepare anyone in understanding the facts of living in a COUNTRY in poverty. Yes, there are poor people in America and heartbreaking cases of how that affects families and neighborhoods. But it is different than a whole country that is chronically poor.

Another mother listened to her young son tell about the difficulties of surviving, so she sent him a package. Mission leaders do not want you to send a package. A notice will come that a package is at the post office. That requires a trip (in itself always an adventure) to the post office and also to customs. Time, lots of time. Then the cost is the length of time the package has stayed there and other factors that determine how much the post office will charge to get the package out. 

The Despains were doing a good deed for a mother in their stake who was concerned about her son newly in Accra. The Despains paid about 80 dollars at the post office and then another 60 or more from customs. When the customs man opened the package, Don Despain said, "You've got to be kidding!" The package had a 9 roll pack of TP, cans of tuna fish, with Ready to Eat Meals, etc. Maybe the Ready to Eat meals would not be the same but everything else in that package could be bought in Accra. True, not in one store conveniently - but shipping across the Atlantic Ocean from Utah is not convenient either. The package was about $100 worth of goods, $350 to ship and $120 to $140 to pick it up. $600 is a lot to pay for TP. There is a reason the Mission office does not want packages sent. There is a reason mission leaders do not want the hassle and time spent to pick them up. 

If your child goes to Africa, don't send a package. Send supportive, great letters in Pouch mail. Let him grow, turn to God and find his own answers like Nephi did.

Treated to Gelato - Kindness

 The Despains were kind to share a gelato treat after the great pizza. Since the gelato is right in front of the pizza restaurant it is an easy step over.

I appreciate the kindness and generosity of my friends. Later - sorry no pictures - the Despains took me with them to drop off some missionary packages to a missionary and also visited a lady who took us shopping for material and ordered a dress. At the end of the trip on the way home Don stopped on a busy street and to let me buy plantains! Nice. 

Eating Pizza the RIGHT way

 I caught up with the Despain's to see if they were going out to eat. Luckily for me they were on their way! I joined up and we went to La Pizza a Lebanese owned restaurant with great pizza. It looked like a beauty pageant was filming the ladies at this restaurant but we got a place at the side window. The ladies were supper tall and wore 4 or 5 inch heels and towered over the crew and camera man. They walked back and forth from the ovens to their table. Fun! It was ironic to watch them renew their make-up and then put their masks over it!

When the pizza came the owner came over and showed Sherri and the rest of us just how to eat a slice of pizza correctly.

 Push down in the middle on the crust slice bending it slightly, then roll the end up to the crust, then pick it up and eat it with your hands! No dripping ingredients off the sides or end. Just eat it like a sandwich - almost. 

Luke Family Home Eveing

 

Luke Family gave a wonderful PowerPoint presentation on living in Accra. I had no idea that the flooding could fill the street and there is a big reason there are so many potholes in the previous road.

They talked about school and how it works, and what happened during the COVID months, they had great and funny advertisements between each of their presentations, and showed us a some of the things we have been missing in this wonderful land. They had a food presentation, a school presentation, a dress presentation, music presentation and drums, and told some stories of church, funerals and births. You can tell they love their ward and have a great love of Ghana.

They are headed back home in just a few weeks and would love to go on another adventure in another country. Evidently they have been to France and who knows where else.  Two of the youngest were baptized here in Ghana and the family has been here three years.

We all asked questions from each of them

How much is one cedi worth? 

One Ghana for Your Pocket - Vodafone or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW6u2FrcMZ8

Old ways versus new ways -  If you only watch one advertisement, I found this hilarious! 

4G Blender - AirtelTigo or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZJWWTXmvnA

Data coverage - 

Browse Saaa - AirtelTigo or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnCMn4zgfZE

This is very funny for those who know how most of the names are truly pronounced. - 

Journalist Pronounces Names of Football Teams or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrjlf0FVjzQ

 

What a sweetheart Mary is! Her blog :

Also, here is Mary's Cooking Blog. or https://maryzrecipez.blogspot.com/

 

Celebrating in a land with no Pilgrims

 Thanksgiving Day in Accra is another work day. The missionaries from the Area Office decided to have a meal together and it was changed to noon so the MTC leaders could attend too. It was thought that there wasn't a kitchen but there is. It has a refrigerator(!), a sideboard, two empty cupboards and a sink with cold water. Two people can be in at the same time. Luckily we never had plans to use it.

Sister Munk and Elder Munk went to great efforts to have the luncheon turn out well. Sister Munk found a chef in a grocery bakery from Palace who ordered the turkeys (turkeys don't live in Ghana or Africa) then cooked them and made gravy! The Munk's both went over to pick them all up on Wednesday and the couples in Temple View apartments kept them all in their refrigerators until Thursday morning. Sister Martinez was gracious and let the Munk's carve up the turkeys at her place. Their hard work paid off big and we had a really awesome meal.

The hosts of the Thanksgiving Meal

Leftovers were given to the Accra Mission Home and to the workers in our apartment complex. Everyone was delighted.

Preparations:

Paper lined the tables for coloring later

No outlet in kitchen, had to find place to whip up the cream

Sister Munk organizing

We met together

   

Elder Katcher gave a message

Let the celebration begin!

Luke family won best art work!

OK I did it

 I sunk a tire into one of those deep ditches when I turned a corner.

I felt is drop as I turned the corner

People behind me started honking. When I jumped out to look two or three men started to come over. The first man asked if I had four-wheel drive. I said yes. He said I could just drive it out. I asked if he would drive it. He looked at me with skepticism and said no. He talked to another man and when I asked the second man he said sure.

Here is the guy who saved me today!