Sustainability

 I was a little overwhelmed by the response I got back from an email I sent out, so I'll just share the story in emails:

Original:

Dear Friends,

 What do you want for your Tuesday Lunch?  I will be asking on Saturdays now because Juliet is usually all done cooking by noon or 1 o’clock on Monday morning. Her fridge is kaput so she cooks at my house and I bring over the food on Tuesday morning.

I am not sure what will happen in June when I leave, though I know God will answer her prayers. She may have to find a new job. If someone wants to go in on a fridge I am happy to donate to the cause but I do not want to be in charge or responsible for it. Juliet found one for 1500 cedis – which is way beyond her ability to save up for.....(the rest of the email about items available for lunch)

Answers:

Dear Linda Ann – 

I think it is a marvelous idea to help Juliet buy a new fridge.  Count us in.  Emmy is happy to collect donations and give the money to Juliet if you wish.

Warm regards,

Richard 

__________

Jerie Jacobs: Count us in!

Pat Woodbury: We are happy help too  Follow up email: One more thought. Has anyone verified that the fridge she found is ok? It may be good to help her verify it’s something that will last a while. 

Marla Olsen: We are happy to help 

_________

Thanks Linda Ann for getting the ball rolling on this. I will talk to Juliet on Tuesday. 

I agree with Woodbury’s that we need to try to get one that will last. I will try to figure this out with Juliet and get a better idea on cost. I will keep you posted and then hope to wrap this up quickly....donations in by the end of the week? Again, I will know more after Tuesday and let you know.  

How wonderful to see this group step in and help in this and so many other ways....it is a privilege to be here with you.

 Warmly,

Emmy 

______

Lori and Eric Derr:

Linda & Emmy,

Lori & I are happy to contribute whatever is left owing for the fridge after everyone else contributes. Give it a week and see what you come up with.

However, I do want to sit down with Juliet and have a heart to heart with her on her business plan and map some things out with her.

Has she ever taken a “Start & Grow My Business” self-reliance course before?

________

Follow up email from the Derrs:

Good morning, all!

We included some screen shots of locally available fridges that look like what she is considering 

As mentioned previously, we are very willing to help, including sitting down with her once a month as a mentor if no one is filling this role, such that she can become self reliant. 

We are also very convinced of the importance of paying these things forward and allowing recipients of goodwill the opportunity to participate so they feel a sense of self reliance.

Perhaps there is already a plan in place, but some ideas :

"teaching catering skills in her stake YSA gathering place for a semester each year" 

Or 

"involving her bishop and/or stake president... to meet and discuss...even give the gift anonymously...and review the importance of faith and being honest with the lord in tithes and offerings such that promised blessings can flow...and develop a plan for self reliance"

Or

"A plan to donate 20 ghc of profits per week to her ward as fast offerings such that after 75 weeks she will have 'paid it forward', empowering her with greater confidence and self respect "

Or

?? 

Just a few thoughts...please let us know what you need. 

Thank you all for your examples of lifting others!

[This is followed by internet pictures of refrigerators available within the same costs]

_______

 JoAnn Munk: Count in the Munks to help the project.

Elaine Youngberg: Count the Youngbergs in too

My Reply:

My beloved friends, 

I’ve had a few tears of gratitude this afternoon as I tried to tell Jeffrey of the support and generosity shown by all of you in support of Juliet.

Having Emmy in charge and talking with Juliet will be wonderful. The Derr’s have such excellent advice about fridges they researched and the willingness to sit down with Juliet and teach her self-reliant principles. I feel it is a really good idea to tell her of my heart felt desire that her business and livelihood continue after I am gone – which I will do on Monday. I will not say anything about the fridge and leave that in Emmy’s capable hands. It might be a really good idea to have the classes with her husband also and make him part of the business. Emmy would know about the Bishop and Sake President of their ward and who should be involved and how. I love the idea of a pay-it-forward approach too! If the Derr’s and Emmy want to talk together and figure that out, it would be great. It is amazing what happens when everyone uses their particular talents to bless the lives of those in our circle. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I feel you are the answer to my prayers about Juliet. My great appreciation to you and to God!

Warm regards,

Linda Ann Adams

More replies the next day

Irene Eastmond: We want to help too.

 We do have another concern.  We had a Relief Society President in Cotonou who had a big beautiful refrigerator, but she couldn’t pay the power bill to keep it running.  That is a real issue here.  Refrigerators are big power eaters.  Will she be able to keep it going?  Is the power steady enough where she lives that power surges won’t burn it up?  Will she have a generator possibility if the power does go out?  Will she use it all week long, or only on cooking days?  How is she going to manage all that goes into having a refrigerator?  I have visions in my head of a premature baby ward in the DR Congo.  There were a dozen donated incubators in the room, but only one that worked.  All had been taken out because there was no generator to cover their operation when the power went off and then resurged when it came back on… There were 15 babies being rotated through that one working incubator, two at a time.  Just practical things to think about.  And perhaps the conditions are totally different here.  Whatever you decide we will support.

 [Eastmonds have come to Africa on their own and have served 3 missions]

Bob Jacobs:  Surge protectors are available for 40 cedis –

Pat Woodbury: Elder and Sister Eastman,

GREAT input. These are very important considerations.  Your humanitarian training is kicking in. 

We agree with you on these issues, and it is worth investigating.  There will be more issues if the initial concerns about the power, generator etc are not addressed first.

These are valid concerns here in Accra as well, we would concur in these concerns.

 Ross Youngberg: We just flew in from Liberia this morning.   We are also happy to help with the frig purchase. 

_______ 

This is all great input! Thank you! I will talk to the Derr’s and keep you all posted!

Thank you!

Emmy

These are my Friends

 

Wednesday Class with good discussion and good questions
Elders, Lynn Tagoe, Albert, Jeffrey, and Enoch

Something WILL Go Wrong

 Last Wednesday was the last Zone/Area Conference that I will facilitate. Another missionary who arrived last Sunday will be taking over my job and I will train her on Tuesday. It fills odd to be turning over my duties to someone else when I still have more than a month to go. I will be spending more time with ward members probably to fill my time with 'good works'. 

On Tuesday night, I got a text from Sister Kacher telling me she wanted to show a video from the internet but that it was complicated. I knew I would be in ICS making sure all the technology was up to speed by the time the conference started on Wednesday morning, so I didn't have any concern at her message. Early on Wednesday morning, Sister Call and Sister Middleton stopped by to let me know that Sister Middleton was taking over my job. We arranged for the Tuesday training. I told her then that every conference has a big problem i.e. the date will change, the speakers won't show up, the technology will not be up and running, something or anything will go wrong. I was smiling and laughing when I told her that.

I was grit teeth clenched when I saw her again at that afternoon. I couldn't even talk I was so mad. I tried telling myself that ICS was overwhelmed but I couldn't get it out of my mind that I was being dumped from one person to another even though I had sent an email the week previously so they could be prepared. At 11 I walked down to ICS and after talking to 3 different people was told that D Adams would take care of my needs. At 12 D Adams told me that A Henderson else would take care of my technology needs and set up. At 2 o'clock I went down to ICS again as I hadn't heard anything where Abizi said my link to the zoom portion wouldn't work, and gave me another to send out to all. That was tricky as many forwarded the link on to others that I don't have email access to. I prayed that any who needed to hear anything that was said would be able to get on.

At 2:30 after meeting A Henderson at the chapel to set up, he told me we would be having the meeting not in the Chapel but in the second floor conference room of the Area Office. I left a note on the chapel door. At 2:45 ish a woman walked into the 2nd floor conference room and told us Elder Martinez would have a meeting at 3:15 in that room so we were asked to meet on the first floor conference room. On my way down to the first floor feeling like a leaf on a swift moving river. After the technology was set up, Sister Kacher couldn't get her video to work because it "wasn't available in this geographic area". I was sending out calls to anyone who would pick up to call others with the fact that the meeting was in a new location. Sister Kacher and Elder Dance put their heads together to figure out the video.

At 3:50 people were trickling in after walking all over the campus and it looked like the people on the zoom call couldn't hear us. A Henderson and Elder Dance were working on that. At 4 pm Jeffrey welcomed all who came we had a song without music and an opening prayer. I gave a 3 minute story about how God answers prayers and my testimony of the miracles that happen on a mission. Jeffrey talked about how Jesus Christ is the ultimate Israel as One who has persevered with God, trodden the winepress alone. He talked about President Nelson and how we are at the hinge point in the history of the Church and how life and the culture of the church are going to be changed because of the different gatherings that are taking place.

Sister Kacher said some beautiful things about working together and her video could be heard about a bob sled duo and how they had separate jobs but worked unitedly to win which she likened to couples working in the mission field. Elder Kacher quoted some scriptures and then answered some really tough questions some of the senior missionaries had - such as how to tell a keyholder he is wrong - whether that is steadying the ark or telling the emperor that he has no clothes. It was a great discussion all around. 

At 5:35 I was thanking those who had helped us while Jeffrey ran up stairs to get his things. We had a "Come Follow Me" lesson we had to get to by 6:30. Luckily that morning I had made a dinner pasta salad to eat as we dumped our office things and packed up our class items. I am so glad I had frozen banana bread to grab for the 6:30 treat. That meeting went very well though not many attended - which made a nice cozy class. We got home and I was wired but very tired. Luckily Michael called and I was able to derezz while he talked about something entirely different in Concord. Life is good.

April 20, 2022 Zone/Area Conference

What Happens when the Elevator is Down?

 These awesome ladies from our apartment complex hiked up three stories to deliver our HEAVY groceries! This service was appreciated sooooo very much!

A Really Sweet Hour

 On Wednesdays the Senior Sisters who are not traveling in a different country or town, or not engaged in other meetings meet for a Sister's Scripture Study and enjoy the bonds that come from association with really wonderful women. Talking about a spiritual topic and sharing our feelings and lives with each other is fantastic. This is an important part of my life here. Very soul filling.

Elder Martinez came to support his wife in setting up her lesson

It took three ICS personnel to figure it out

The pre-meeting chatter is bonding

Nuria Martinez went around the room and gave every sister a heartfelt hug! Wow oh wow! I had forgotten how good a hug can feel. The Covid restrictions have really left a hole and Sister Nuria filled in a big one.

New ladies, new friends

the last of Nuria's rounds before she taught her lesson

Sister Martinez had a really great lesson using President Nelson's Momentum talk from April 2022 Conference. It was timely and we all felt a warmth and resolve in our hearts.

the chatter and discussions after the lesson were a sign of great sharing and bonding

Conversations went on for about an hour

Stories and sharing

I went to ICS for some computer issues and when I came out the ladies were slowly, so slowly walking down the hall still chatting and sharing.

Emmy had a birthday!

 Last Thursday, I presented some training on InfoGuide and how to pull up reports and how to set up the bill for review and signatures. We made a matter, opened, added an update, and closed it. It was a fun good training so that when Esther leaves (to go for invitro procedures!) - the office will have lost the last person who has accumulated knowledge of what goes on in the office. So I am trying to help by giving the ladies a way to help their husbands or Richard with the grunt work of billing, matter updates, or whatever will be useful to Dinah so she can concentrate on legal coordinating instead of secretarial work.

Afterwards, we jumped into the car and went out to lunch. Emmy's birthday had been Tuesday, so we decided to celebrate with a lunch. 

OGC girls

Jerie, Emmy, Esther, me, and Lisa

Fruit salad that had onions and avocadoes with carrots, corn, pears, apples and mango slices
Look at that avocado that is orange and green!

Emmy Burton Birthday lunch

Since it was a birthday we had gelato too!

Here is how to have a bowl and a cone

yummy!

Wall versus a tree - not the camouflage this moth was seeking

 If this moth were hanging on a branch it would be extremely difficult to find him. But a white wall...no problem at all. I love the shape and curl of his wings. His markings are detailed and awesome. He could very easily be mistaken for a leaf, tiny branch, or both - but not on this wall!

Not hiking? Playing with kids instead

 Having already been to Wli Falls, I knew I would be too hot going on the hike, so I didn't go. I hung out under the trees on a shady bench. Presently little children came over to say hello and strike up conversations. I asked them about all the things that grow in the area and we got to taking pictures and sending them to different WhatsApp numbers of their older siblings. There were a few teenagers too. They told me all about the rice that grew, about the sheep that ran around with the goats, and about different trees. 

The little girl on the far right took great care of her little sister (head in front)

One of the boys offered me some 'black berry" or Atitoe as it is known locally. The shell is peeled off and the inside is soft. You suck all the "fruit" off the hard black pit in the middle - which you spit out. 

Atitoe berry. Take the fuzzy shell off and eat the pink fruit and spit out the black core.

Some of the older girls offered to braid my hair when I told them about getting cornrows in Barbados long ago. So the girls gathered round and braided my hair in tiny braids.

One boy took many pictures and loved playing with my phone

These kids were very entertaining and I think a little curious about who I was

Odd looking but much cooler

Abena

Jeffrey came back early from hiking and got to met and talk with Abena

 Every one left to go hiking except this young lady. She didn't feel very well and didn't want to go on the strenuous hike. Her name is Abena and she is a midwife in training and also going to school. She got special accommodations from her mission president to come live in Accra early so she could sign up for school. She also signed up to work in the hospital. Because the Lord answered her prayers she is able to do both - go to school and go to work - which is extremely rare! For her work she had a little miracle as the government decides where new workers in hospitals work to make sure there are enough workers in every area. She was very lucky she found a spot in Accra close to her school that opened up when she clicked on that particular hospital. She also teaches seminary at night. Very busy with not a lot of sleep time.

Her mother is the one who first went to our church and told Abena she would like this church because they didn't yell and shout. The story of how her mother got to the church in the first place was hilarious but I can't remember the story except our church was closer than the one she meant to go to.

Abena went on a mission after being a member of the church for only two years and now is working hard to be a midwife.

 

Friends

 

Lorenzo and Enoch

On our Saturday adventure, we learned about these two men. The met at the MTC when they went to serve missions (in different countries and continents) and then both came back to Accra and worked in the MTC as teachers or leaders for two years. Now they are beginning a business together. It was great to see the bond as close as brothers that they have developed. Lorenzo is in our ward, and Enoch drove our car back to Accra - at night on pot hole roads - and did a great job.

Wli Falls

 After resting, eating and cleaning up, we all got back in the van and car and set off again.

The second adventure for the day was hiking up to Wli Falls. It is touted as the highest waterfall in West Africa. I had already gone to those waterfalls last April but didn't realize until this time that there is an upper and lower falls and I had just gone to the lower falls. The young adults wanted to go the whole way. Knowing how hot I got last time I wasn't even tempted to go with them. I was a little concerned because they were starting out so late in the afternoon and I knew it would get dark at 6 pm and we still needed to drive back to Accra.

On the other hand, this may be the only time these kids will get a chance to go. Many have never been and may not get another chance for many years. Jeffrey and I gave no advice.

Jeffrey set off with the young adults going over seven bridges until they got to the falls. I knew they would make it just fine - if I can get there - any of them could make the hike.

Jeffrey's description of the fun they had was wonderful! He took about 200 pictures. I would imagine the kids really like looking through them on the google photos site. I'm just telling the story so I am not putting up even a 10th of the photos taken this day.

It turns out that six or seven of them decided to climb up to the upper falls. They started out. When we got word back at the base, I and the driver of the van were very concerned as the time factor was bad. It was bad enough that they were dallying at the pool and falls, but to wait for the six or seven to get back from the upper falls would put us way into the night getting back. Luckily before they had gone very far they were told to go back as it was too far and too close to dark.

They all got back with various tales to tell and some were still a bit damp. But there was no damping the spirits of these kids! They were laughing and playing with each other and obviously had a terrific time.

We started out after the sun slipped the horizon but the road was still visible, but shortly it was full night. The potholes were just as bad or worse because sometimes they weren't seen until we landed in them. It's like going over a speed bump without slowing down. We arrived at the church at 11 pm, unpacked, went home and fell in bed.

At Sunday the next day we heard testimonies about the spiritual experiences they had hiking up a difficult mountain. Life is good.

Hiking Afadjato - Highest mountain in Ghana

 

After taking a little break, paying fees for the hike and posing for pictures, most everyone took off to climb the highest mountain in Ghana. We were told it would be a 45 minute hike. Jeffrey came back presently and said it was slick and rocky and straight up. He wisely decided not to turn an ankle or be helped out. Four others turned back early too. Jeffrey prayed that all the young people there would have a spiritual experience. 

The laughter and talk going out was fun to watch, the comradery was great. Coming back the groups were much more subdued although there were lots of fist pumps. It was reported by many that their legs were shaking and all who got to the top seemed exhausted. It took much more than 45 minutes. Prince made a couple of small videos from the top that I will have to figure out how to YouTube so you can see the view and hear his comments.

The hikers headed out around 10 am

Bye! See you later!

Hello!! We made it!

Nothing like success

Not quite the last but almost. The last hikers came in after 1 pm

There is really something wonderful in watching the young do hard things. The admiration they had for others on the trip, someone described Walker as "walking like Noah", the way they look out for each other. Moses came back with bare feet holding a pair of shoes. I asked him if it was easier to walk barefooted. He said they were not his shoes. One of the girls could not hike in her shoes as they were too slick. He gave her his and carried hers back.

They all left in a long column but came back  at staggered intervals.

Some of the first who arrived back pulled out the lunch containers and served up fried rice with chicken and salad. The last of the cookies disappeared. The lunch lasted about an hour and a half till all got back and had lunch.