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!

Making Friendships

Working together is the best way to form friendship. Having an activity to engage in and talking, makes good connections to each other.
I, Sister Tagoe, baby girl BoBi, Sister BoBi, and Johanna

These two ladies know each other well and have a tight connection.

Sister Tagoe had many people drop in and this is one of her friends

 

Making Spring Rolls - in Accra

 I have made different kinds of spring rolls. My favorite was eating the Vietnamese Spring Rolls in a restaurant, but the Cambodian spring rolls with rice paper were excellent. Now I watched Sister Bobi under Sister Tagoe's guidance make the mix for Spring Rolls in Accra.

First she cooks the cabbage - no oil. That plate got quite a work out on Tuesday.

Then she cooks the onions with a little oil

She adds the drained cabbage and onions together, puts in the two spices used in the samosas, peppers, something that looks like soy sauce, and then the carrots and onions.

Cooked, mixed and blended together, she drains it again for tomorrows Spring Rolls. I ordered and bought some to pick up on Sunday! Can't wait.

Story of Beginnings

 Sherri Despain, (church historian missionary) was telling me how the church came to be organized in Ghana. I was fascinated. Here is my interpretation of what I heard:

R.A.F. Mensah was in England and met up with a woman who was spiritual though not a member of our church. She had however, been approached by the missionaries and been given literature and the Book of Mormon. She gave the materials to Mensah because she felt he should have them.

He came home to Accra and read them, but put them under his bed and ignored it.

Billy Johnson had a dream where he was told that Mensah had the literature under his bed and was suppose to be sharing it. Johnson went to his door early in the morning and knocked on it and told Mensah he had a book and things under his bed that he was suppose to be preaching about. Mensah was surprised! Here I can't remember if Johnson pulled the literature out from under the bed or Mensah, whomever, dusted it off and they started reading and preaching the truths they found there. 

The Book of Mormon was a light blue with the angel Moroni on the front and at meetings people would read a few verses and pass it on for someone else to read. The rumor is that it is dogeared and the pages are blackened by so many people using it.

A little while later there was tension between Mensah and Johnson, so Johnson was told by the Lord to go to Cape Coast. 14 years later there were between 10 and 15 branches of the church set up waiting for the mother church to send missionaries. The people in Ghana had prayed for many, many days (and years) for the missionaries to come. The priesthood was restored in June of 1978 and in December the first missionaries came to Cape Coast and started baptizing and in four days has baptized over 200 people. They told the members they were already organized, there were just a few changes - such as girls passing the sacrament that needed tweaking. The men were given the priesthood and official positions were given. The Lord can do His own work. We just have the choice of jumping in or not.

(picture comes from ebay advertisement)

Turn About is Fair Play

 Last Tuesday I went to Sister Tagoe's place to learn how to make samosa's. She prepares her meat and fillings on Tuesday and puts them together on Wednesdays. On Wednesday I have to go to the Area office to work, so I only went to see how they prepared the meat. I stepped down five stairs from the street right into her outdoor kitchen. She had some very big ovens on the left with a table and umbrella in front of the ovens, another large table in the middle and then at the right was a "stove" top that was metal low lying shelf with large circle holes that were over a tube with a flame at the top. The tube was connected to a hose that went to a tank of presumably gas. Large almost bowl-plate shaped pans were set in the circle over the flame.

Sister BoBi and her little girl are at the table in front of the ovens

Sister Tagoe gave a warm greeting and I sat down in front of her house to cut up onions. I took Johanna's place while she took water over to the men putting up rock-front on the walls at the church.

While I kept cutting up onions, Sister Bobi took stems off peppers and put them in a bowl that has a lid with a blade on it to cut up the peppers without burning the preparer.

Next step:

Under Sister Tagoe's direction, Sister Bobi puts the hamburger over the flame. It is hard to tell size in a picture - I could not put my arms entirely around this pan. She uses the plate as a spatula to turn and brown the meat. The little one stays away from the flame.

Sister Bobi would stop and take care of her little girl every once in awhile. Johanna would take over her duties or continue with what she had been doing.

Grinding the pepper while the meat is browning

Sister Tagoe and little girl Bobi unwrapped cubes of flavor - all kinds of flavors, a little like a Knox cube - she put them in the yellow tub and mixed them all together.

Johanna keeps unwrapping cubes while Sister Tagoe takes care of the meat cooking.

Sister Tagoe seasons the meat with the mixed cubes and also another seasoning mix.

This is so ingenious! A basket with little slits and a slightly smaller bucket to catch all the oil. They cover it with material so the flys won't get in it. 

While the meat is draining, Sister Bobi cooks up the onions with a little oil

Sister Tagoe adds spices to the onions and then adds the meat slowly back in, mixing between every bowlful. The peppers are added to the mix.

She calls Johanna to bring some of the same spices to add in again.

Carrots and green onions are added last and mixed in. Then it is drained again.

And there you have it, samosa meat ready to go for tomorrows preparations!

If - and its a big if -, I ever try to make samosas I will find a recipe and look back on how these were made to remember how make them.

Mama and baby

This is the youngest baby and it gets carried around by multiple people. I don't know if this woman is the mama, a relative, or a friend. She usually rocks then carries the baby when she wants to go to sleep. Others hold her too and I don't know who goes with who or who the baby girl's mama is. The babies and small children in our ward are everyone's concern and care.

Sister Tagoe brings bananas for Banana Bread

 We had so much fun when Sister Tagoe came again with all her ingredients to make banana bread. Juliet was over and Dumevi came with Sister Tagoe and stayed the whole time. We had a lively chatter and enjoyed the comradery of making something together. 

My two baking buddies together. Sister Tagoe and Juliet

Juliet mashing bananas and Dumevi checking on his business prospects

Brother Dumevi took good care of Sister Tagoe and carried her stuff to go home. I took Juliet to the Area office. It was a really fun day!

New Relief Society President for the ward

 On November 14th the North Ridge ward - new Relief Society president. It is my friend Sister BoBi!

She was set apart that day and got to teach too. There were only about five of us in the classroom, so I don't know what other classes are going on that there were so few sisters. She doesn't have counselors yet though I see her helping out everywhere. I guess when changes happen in the ward there are multiple dominoes that fall as people are shifted to other positions. 

The lesson was on President Oaks address and we had a very nice discussion.

Multiple Christmas Stockings - Sister Young Style

 I am putting this down close to Christmas time just in case I want to make multiple stockings again for any cause. I don't believe in re-inventing the wheel - or the engineering of how to make these stockings  quickly.

Sister Young is the wife of the mission leader in the Ghana Accra Mission and wanted to make each of the missionaries a little stocking to put beside their plate at a mission celebrations of Christmas. She had already bought the material cut it into long strips and traced the pattern on each stack. She showed us how to quickly cut, sew, and revert and showed up all the tips.

 The red material is wrong sides together so the white and red are right sides together. Each stack is white red red white and the pattern is traced on the top and a pin holds those four pieces of material together.

Each stocking is cut out together so all quirks are the same throughout each stocking.

She had two white and two red, but next time I will have white on the bottom

Then it is a simple matter to separate the two sides and sew the tops together. I would sew each stocking set right after each other, then reverse the next stocking sides up so I can easily see and keep track of each stocking set.

Reverse each set to keep track of each stocking

Cut between each stocking and stack set pairs up to sew

Tops sewn, open up, finger press, put right sides together

It is easy to take the pin out, separate, sew tops together continuing through the whole stack of stockings one after another.

Clip sets from each other and stack up new pile of sets. Take each set clip apart, put right sides together.

Simple matter to sew closely around the edges leaving a space on the white liner stocking to reverse to the right side. Clip corners and turns if possible.

Sew around both halves leaving place to invert stocking

Invert the whole with a chopstick pushing in from end of red toe until the whole is inverted. Sew up gap in white liner. 

Stack of sewn stockings ready to invert

It was GREAT to have a friend Sherri Despain help invert all those stockings while spending the afternoon chatting!

After the white liner gap is sewn, push liner into stocking, smooth out and then fold down the top.

It is a good idea to iron the stocking after inverting and sewing up the gap. Nice finish.

So....if I ever feel like making a hundred stockings again.....its all here:)

Nativity Set for my daughter in law and son

The only thing they want added is an elephant beside the camel (African animals)

Note the Chief with the sword. Click Here for sword and chief story. King with Spokesman staff.

Meaning of the Stool

 History of the African Nativity Set

by Wisdom Anani

The African Nativity scene was designed by my late father, years before I was born.  It was also during this time that he met the first missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other country representatives in Ghana. As I grew my father taught me how to carve.

The African nativity scene has fourteen pieces, carved from Ofram Wood or Teak. I prepare the wood by drying it very well before I carve.

I have the wise men as the Kings. One King holds the stool as a gift for Baby Jesus. The second King has gold and the third King holds the staff with a star at the top, which designates him as the spokesman for the Kings. In Akom he is called Skyeame.

I also specialize in carving Noah's Ark, and elephant family of five, napkin rings featuring African animals, book ends, chess sets with African features and more.

Thanks, and may God bless you for buying my wood carvings.

Contact numbers: 0244760365 or 0504017637 

Power of prayer works

 I would be remiss if I did not publicly thank the Lord for His generous blessings and protection today. 

In the morning I looked at my day and asked for divine help in achieving my goals. I asked for help in the traffic, driving, getting to my places on time, and just plain merging on to heavy traffic roads. The timing turned out perfectly every time and I could get on and off and into traffic and didn't even come close to the pedestrians. Power of prayer works.

Then I asked for help with the Thanksgiving dinner and being able to time my hot potatoes to stay hot and my banana cream pie to stay cold. How serendipitous was it that Sister Mondragon asked the custodian to leave the door unlocked to a room with a sink and refrigerator (having seen it will now become part of future planning) and then she kindly brought me a bowl to whip my whipping cream in that I had forgotten in my early morning drive to work. Power of prayer works.

The printer. Yes, I prayed over the printer (which doesn't like me). It printed out the bills and work product just fine first thing in the morning. But when I wanted my letters to the grands printed. Nope, it spit out one and half hour later another two of the colored first page. Then I had to run off to help with the Thanksgiving Day lunch. We had a really great lunch with all the senior missionaries and some mission presidents who had stayed over from another meeting, and a few other friends. When I came back to the office there were 5 new copies of my color first page and 5 copies of my black and white fun page! Power of prayer works.

I came home and addressed and stamped all my envelopes to the Grands, and Daniel, and the Later children (whom I have adopted - for at least letter writing). I asked God for the ability to preserver and finish my goals for the day. Sister Whitaker kindly bought me a bottle of water when I was standing in a shop melting. Power of prayer works.

Sister Despain wanted to go see Bernice the lady who has a little shop that she sews in. She is expert at many things and tailoring is one of them. Sherri has some pillows, dresses, and Christmas presents to get and I wanted to get a bag for Lorinda the same shape and size as one she let me have last April when we went to Senegal. Sherri was the navigator and the roads were just as chaotic as usual and she encouraged me when to go. When to go around, and when to wait. Unknown to her my prayer was to have the knowledge of timing to nose in front, wait, or go around. Power of prayer works.

I had such a success that I when I thanked Heavenly Father, I told Him how grateful I was and that the assistance I received must have taken quite a bit of time and that I would be happy to be of help to someone else. Tonight Sister Mondragon needed help to get her share of the stockings for the Accra Mission sewn up. I told her no problem, I would take care of it. Power of prayer works just fine!

Plastic Bags - Are Incredible

 Juliet came over early as she knew I was going to be going to an appointment at 9 am on Friday morning. She said she would be here at 8 am but she got here even earlier. She made Palm Nut Soup for our ward members but Dumevi didn't arrive at 9 with containers. 

She put the soup in plastic bags - that did not melt! These bags are used for a variety of things, most notably to me has been the sunflower, flax, and chia seeds that come in these double bagged bags. I had no idea that hot soup would work. Juliet got a bowl and then ladled the soup in the plastic bag in the bowl and filled it with soup and then the meat. 

Now that is a great invention. She twists the bag up tight, then ties it off. I have put hot things in any number of plastic containers and had the containers melt on me. But not these incredible plastic bags. We put all the dinners in a box with the banku balls, Palm Nut Soup, and cookies and set it beside the door. I left the door open and texted Dumevi where to put it after he got here. Off we went, on time! 

Juliet cutting up the fish

One full bag to twist and tie up

Juliet sets the bag in a bowl, ladles the soup and meat in, then ties it up.

The Importance of Heritage and Stories

 

At the National Theatre in downtown Ghana, the drums are beating a welcome, the banners have been hung, a wall for pictures is ready to go, tables just as conference goers come in are set up to register, other tables next to the doors of the auditorium are staffed with people to hand out water, conference schedules in a brochure and a family booklet to fill out along with a pen are in sacks ready to hand out. 

600 dignitaries, chiefs, and guests are scheduled to attend. Some have flown in, been put up in a hotel, had special dinners and meetings and then are ready to be driven over to the National Theatre. Some will drive for hours to be here and some will come from home just a little while ago. All are coming for the Root Tech sponsored by Family Search - all of which is funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Ushers, Tech, Security 

As missionaries in the Africa West Area Office we had been asked to usher and help out at the Root Tech conference. There were interns and other staff members I recognized from the Area office too. It took about 50 ushers and many, many tech personnel (I counted 25 just in the auditorium - probably more elsewhere), security officers and policemen to be ready to make this event happen and be wonderful. I would have to guess at the number of people it took to set up the whole building.

Greeters

Drummers, ladies dancing, and teenagers delivering flowers greeted the dignitaries and chiefs from Senegal, the Ivory Coast, the Gambia, Nigeria, Benin, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Togo. There were distinguished guest from Governments, Ministries, Schools, and Deputies. There were colorful group all in Native dress, being greeted with drummers and dancing. 

The Conference

After fulfilling my duties in greeting and registering all who came in, I was able to slip into the back row and listen to the speakers. Many talked about the connections we need and the type of unity that brings joy and peace. Knowing who your family is and how we all fit together was discussed.

Main Point

But the main idea I came away with was the great need to collect and save histories that are being lost. A distinguished man from Nigeria who had been all over the world earning titles talked about the days when he was young and would sit around the fire listening to stories from the chief and other old men. They knew all about their history and who had done what and gone where and who was related to whom. Then the cities began to be an important place to have a career and employment and the young men left the villages and went to the city in big numbers. The chiefs and story tellers had no one to hear their stories. This created tensions and a crisis when members of a group did not know who owned what land and who settled the land first. There were fights about who had what rights. It was all an oral history that the young did not know about. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has hired some young men to go out with recorders and notes to take down the stories of the chiefs and story tellers. The stories are given  to the chiefs to give to their families who have moved away. Thus preserving and helping out the tribes.  Too bad they haven't been able to record histories of all tribes. It is an important endeavor. I think others listening could see and hear the importance of record keeping and connections made with families and others.

An important Chief from Ghana spoke last with his message

The Bonner family got up on the stage with his group and when he sang, "Love At Home" the Bonners joined in and harmonized with everyone. It was really beautiful to hear the Bonner Family, the Chief and many in the audience singing this song.