Elders over for discussion on Saturday Night

If the Elders don't have a discussion or activity, they come over on Saturday nights to discuss some scriptures for a little while. One Saturday they had quite a few Elders so I just had to take a picture! 

The Elder standing had surgery and could not sit down

Full crowd for the Saturday night discussion

Jeffrey loves these discussions and looks forward to any questions.

Dinner with the Youngbergs

 Elaine and Ross Youngberg invited us out to dinner last week. It was such a nice evening! We followed them over from the Area office and we went to the Hibiscus. I love that restaurant! Ross Youngberg is Polly Youngberg Lore's uncle, so it's nice we have relatives here!

I don't think we stopped talking all evening. The topics started with our families and ranged all over the place. I love getting to know other missionaries more in depth.

Cousins!

 We came to the church on Wednesday night for a YSA teaching opportunity and ran into a cousin!

Elder Adams came with the our own regular Elders so we had to get a picture. With that name he is definitely a cousin somewhere on the line.

Elder Adams from Sierra Leone

The boys hanging around the  missionaries

They were so cute and ran races for me to watch and video - Maybe I'll put a short on YouTube

Missionaries from the Accra West Mission

Monday Morning

 Early in the morning we took Jeffrey to the Airport to fly to the Ivory Coast. Then we went to get Covid tests results for the girls. Prayers answered that they were negative.

Bernice came early and dropped off items for her grandchildren, Sister Despain (who is leaving to return from her mission goes to Utah on the same flight as Susan) came by with items to give, and we realized that the three of us were in orange and that Bernice had made all the outfits!

A little later, a man came to add robes for a wedding later in the year in Utah. We told Wisdom that he needed to have everything he wanted taken to Utah here by 4 pm. Susie is the ultimate packer and Rebekah is very organized. She left some clothes here because she wanted a smaller carry-on. They left a suitcase in our apartment that had followed Rebekah around for years so they would only have the two suitcases to return to the Littles and their carry-on. My heart was touched that Rebekah decided to take one of the suitcases so Susie wouldn't have to drag it around to her car in the night (there is snow in Utah).

Then we called Dumevi and told him we were ready to see the sights of Ghana. The last hoorah!

Ready for our next adventure!

A taxi drove the exact same roads I had gone on Thursday but with much more daring and confidence. We first went to the Black Star Memorial to look at history. Click here for information on this place and here. 

Then we went to the museum we missed on Thursday. Kwame Nkrumah’s Mausoleum. It needs some maintenance but if you look at this site you can see what it looked like years ago and read its significance of the first beloved president. I didn't take any pictures inside as I wasn't sure what was or wasn't allowed, but I had permission to take pictures outside.

The pool is not working right now, but look at the link and see what it once was.

We looked at a beautiful convertible that had been his and walked through the memorial.

Then Dumevi in his wisdom had us go to the beach. I had no idea there was a little snippet of the coast in Accra that was peaceful and beautiful, but he found it and we sat under the shade and just enjoyed the view and talked a little about everything. Dumevi told a story about a man who knew he would visit with food, that melted my heart. Dumevi gave us a drink of a fruit that was very nice. The feeling and peace was very nice. Life is good. Having good friends is important. God's tender mercies are very important in my life.

A little gateway to peace and beauty

I made no mention of what that beach in the distance was really like. Here is nice.

We wrapped up the day a little early and went back to the apartment to finalize what was and what was not going on the airplane and weighed everything.  Wisdom came 20 minutes before 4 pm and his items only weighed two pounds - win. Everything was ready to go and we left before it was dark. 

I have to admit it was a very empty apartment that night. But actually we had had so many answers to prayer that I felt good and comforted. Probably the answer to Susan's prayers. Life is good.

All good things come to an end

Jeffrey, Susan, and Rebekah getting on the plane

 Susie and I were half an hour late getting back from the Safari - being totally worth it to see Nash! I was sorry that Jeffrey's anxiety went up. All prayers were answered. Our silent driver was very good and got us back to Tamale in two hours! He knew when to speed, where to slow down and how to maneuver around traffic. After waiting for our plane, we walked out on to the tarmac and climbed up into the little plane. one seat on one side and two on the other, then listened to the jets rumbling as we took off. that part of the vacation was over.

Less than an hour later we are back in Accra where we walked over to the Covid testing place because Jeffrey, Susan and Rebekah were flying out the next day. Jeffrey in the morning and the girls at night.

Of course its complicated. Susan and Rebekah were told that if they took their tests they might not be valid after 10 pm the following night. So we decided that when Jeffrey came back at night to get his test results the girls would take theirs and get their test results in the morning.

We have all decided the whole Covid test parameters are a racket.

Sunday didn't really feel like a Sunday, but I guess that kind of even out a few days when we had felt it was a Sunday and realized it was a Saturday earlier in the month. We got luggage and bags, and items going back sorted out.

That night we went to the airport and Jeffrey picked up his negative result (thank you God) and the girls got their Covid tests.

I slept very well in my own bed - knowing I would get up early.

Susan and Rebekah

 I am so very appreciative of the extra effort, prayers, and miracle it was that Rebekah and Susan came to Africa for a short visit. I know it took extra money, patience, stress and time and I am so glad I got to see elephants in the wild for the first time with them.

Susan is always there for me

Rebekah

Rebekah took a purposeful approach to watch over and make sure Susie was okay and happy. Susie had just gotten over vertigo and Rebekah made sure she didn't fall down. Then when the vertigo came back during the trip, Beka helped Susie with the therapy the doctors had shown Susie so she could go on. Beka made sure Susie didn't fall over on the rocks and took her suitcase so Susie wouldn't have to deal with two. 

Two loves in my world.

Zaina Lodge - I want to come again

 Yes, Mole National Park is known for its elephants and the opportunities to see them and we did in every part of the days we were there. 

There are many, many other animals some are easy to see and some are nocturnal and very difficult. I looked at a book in the lounge of pictures taken by the night cameras. I thought the civet was very interesting. They are seldom seen. I imitated a call I'd heard in the night to our guide and he said I heard a hyena, that made me happy I hadn't gone out in the night. Actually the rule is after night you always travel with a guide or someone from the office. I had to laugh when they took out their phone as a flashlight while we were using our own phones as flashlights. The staff set lanterns on our path and on our porches and when they know we are in they pick them all up.

The peace and views were indescribable and my camera couldn't really capture it. The rangers set quick burning fires to get rid of last seasons dead grass and bush so the  new growth will come through and the animals will stay in the park. There are no fences, or borders so the rangers are tasked with keeping the animals in. If there is food they will stay, if not they will roam.

During the day there is the harmattan winds with the dust and haze, then the fires add another layer of haze. It looks like fog and it's hard to tell in the daytime which is which. But at night you can see the row of fires that have been lit.

The food was buffet style and they had quite a range for every type of palate. You can tell they had Europeans and Ghanaians with a mix of other nations too. I don't know who decides what to make, but they are expert at having something for every person. The staff is very attentive and polite. They are quick to answer questions and find out what you want.

We usually sat in the corner table where you can see both waterholes and all the animals that come to visit. Baboons, antelope, birds of all kinds, crocodiles and elephants could all be seen.

Ready for the Safari

We had a perfect mixture of relaxation and activities

Safari Animals

Birds - lots and lots of birds, I kinda wished Nathan Belnap could let us know what all the birds we saw were and what they did or ate. I'll bet he loved early mornings and the watering holes.

Hawk we saw on the Safari

Antelope - At least three different kind were seen, I don't know how many are in the park.

Warthogs:

We got to see the mama warthogs and their itty bitty babies but they ran into the grass so quickly we missed the picture.

Baboons:

The babies were adorable

These baboons were living very close to the homes of the staff members. They are known to steal anything that is open. A lady was walking along with a bowl on her head and a stout stick. The guide told us she is protecting her food because the baboons will steal anything they can get a hold of.

We loved the monkeys too and hearing about all the other animals. 

Then we came back to the human waterhole looking over the natural water holes with animals to watch.

We sat watching the waterholes drinking limeade - this is the life

There are all kinds of animals at the edges watching for the crocs

The swimming pool had a small waterfall over the edge

It was fun watching the human animals at their watering hole aka the swimming pool and how inhibited or uninhibited they were depending largely on how much they had had to drink. Lots of nice people from all over different nations.

I would love to come again - and again.

Elephants - Wonderful Elephants!

 I am sure you do not want to see thirty or forty pictures of elephants so I'll just give you the best of our Safari pictures. All of us went on the Saturday Safari and enjoyed it, while Susie and I went on the Sunday morning safari and truly had a great time.

Three brothers, note the heron or egret. I'm told they love to be by the elephants as they stir things up like insects and make the food more plentiful.

In art the trunk down means peace and the trunk up means good luck. You can always win with elephants.

We were about 50 yards away from one of the largest mammals in the world breaking branches and eating leaves as he ambled along. Sometimes fanning his ears.

This is Nash who has been documented, studies, and written about. We were so close I could see his eyelashes - well - in my camera zoom.

Everyone has an armed guard and a guide. Our guide on the right is Emmanuel and I didn't catch the name of our armed guard. Armed Guards act as rangers and policemen in the National Forest

These two went out of their way to make sure we saw and were able to take pictures of elephants. It must be hard to always find what your clients want to see. We passed cars full of bird watchers and those looking at other things. The minute they heard elephant chatter on the walkie talkie or on their phone, off we'd go to see the elephants. The knew their audience and we gave a big tip as their reward.