Bishop and Sister Addy came to visit today around 8 pm. They were bringing the photos of our children and grandchildren that we asked for. There was excitement and anticipation opening the packages!
Oh my goodness, they were big and beautiful! They are in larger and different sizes than I ordinarily see. Luckily, we have the home that can take big pictures!
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| Anticipation..... |
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| I love how they turned out. |
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| Our family in a BIG picture. |
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| Extra gifts |
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| Now to get them all hung..... |
Bobby and his family came over again on Sunday for dinner. It was his oldest daughter's birthday, so we had a birthday party! Her name is Evelyn (like her mommy) and her sister is Faithann.
They had gone to a Stake Conference - long meetings because they had all the meeting on the same day - unlike the US where the adult session is the night before and only the general Stake Conference is on Sunday. There were tired of traveling and being gone when they got here. It was nice they had the anticipation of a party to look forward to.
Evelyn (the mom) Bobby's wife came with her mother Mary Anode-Kesson who we figured out was an early pioneer in the church in Ghana. She was present at the first baptisms in Cape Coast as a teenager.
Since the girls held on and didn't open presents until their dad showed them how to rip them open, my feeling is there have not been many times presents have been given - or at least not wrapped ones. Since I have had my own children with birthdays, I made sure that Faithann had a few to open also. They plan to come back in November when it is Faithann's birthday. (And of course Evelyn will get a few then also.)
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| The birthday girl and her gifts. |
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| After a little help from her daddy, Evelyn had a good time. |
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| Faithann with her mother helping her open some presents for herself. |
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| Sang Happy Birthday - did you know there are three verses? |
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| Make a wish and blow out the candles. |
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| Cutting the cake |
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| Delicious homemade cake |
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| Faithann was tired and wanted to be held, so Opa did. |
We have a couple who will only be here for two months. Elder McCortney helps different HR offices in different Areas for a few months and then travels on to the next place. His wife Sue loved being in the Philippines and a few other places, but some she didn't like very much. I am really hoping that she loves it here. Hopefully she can do something special with the Humanitarian group.
The Manwarrings invited everyone out to dinner as a hello.
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| Jeffrey, I, Rebecca and Kipp Manwarring, Sue and Ryan McCortney |
I got a call from Sister Sheryl McGlochlin from Utah. She misses being here but has been very busy this summer. She will be teaching music to children in two weeks. Meanwhile she if very anxious about a school here in Ghana that needed some help that she wants give. We figured out in about 10 minutes the logistics of how she could send money to my bank in California through Zelle. Then she called the man from the school in Ghana and he called me. I sent him money from my bank in California from Sendwave to Accra, Ghana and in his account. Utah to California to Ghana. Whoohoo, it is amazing what technology can do! Money zipping through phone and transatlantic lines can take care of problems in a moment. Nice.
........ D&C 44:4
4 And many shall be converted, insomuch that ye shall obtain power to organize yourselves according to the laws of man;
5 That your enemies may not have power over you; that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to keep my laws; that every bond may be broken wherewith the enemy seeketh to destroy my people.
6 Behold, I say unto you, that ye must visit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief, that they may be kept until all things may be done according to my law which ye have received. Amen.
Jeffrey and I make a good duo. He is doing all he can to keep the church in the countries in West Africa to obey the laws of those countries. It is very difficult sometimes to have the members of the church ok with keeping the laws. It is cumbersome, difficult, and unwieldy to wait in long lines despite conditions, to have officials set arbitrary appointment times, and the neighbors are running along nicely without all the certificates. Even missionaries who are given a car need to get a drivers license - which is VERY cumbersome. Jeffrey gets to deal with the members and the missionaries in many different aspects of church life and he is often seen as the fly in the ointment, or the person who is going to hold someone up in their efficiency. Then there is dealing with all the officials needed to construct buildings, offices, and obtain visas, etc.
The government does not own very much land. It is held by tribal members - who change and grow with time. So obtaining land to build a chapel can be risky when 10 people sign a contract and after the building is built, another says he owns the land too. Jeffrey is loving life.
I come into the picture by giving away Jeffrey's money. Lots of food sacks, tips, banana bread, a mattress, also hospital and medicine is going out the door every week, along with a few students educational pursuits. But despite my efforts there are mountains of people who can use help and aid.
I am really looking forward to the time things can be "done according to my (God"s) law". Which I don't think we are doing as life would run much more smoothly if God were running the show.
So for today we do the "small, small" that we can. And hope it is enough.
Asante saw that I was carrying bags and took them for me to carry home. When we came through the gate to our apartment complex, we saw a big tanker truck that was filling the propane container next to our apartment complex.
I stopped for a minute to watch (and take a picture) and started thinking out loud about how many people it takes to make a batch of banana bread. Here were men that had come with fuel, Lawerence who manages the complex and all the details in it, which makes it many more than I the one baking. I told Lawerence I should make a batch of banana bread for he and his workers which he readily agreed. Asante quickly said he was the one carrying the bags and should have the banana bread. A nice hilarious exchange between Lawerence and Asante continued.
Asante carried my bags up to my apartment, where I realized that I had no bananas so it could not be made in any case. Asante told me that he would make sure I had bananas the next morning.
The next morning I set out to go shopping with Sister Manwarring, Sister Penner, Dumevi, and the driver to go to a new store called Orca. I bought muffin tins - I have found I cannot make morning glory into bread as it does not cut up well and should be a muffin.
When I got back, Joseph who had been sent by Asante had a very big batch of bananas. I promptly made banana bread with of course the grated coconut that Asante had done.
This batch of banana bread took me, Asante, Joseph, Lawerence and two men bringing fuel to make. I have to wonder who I have left off the list in indirect help given to do my task.
It reminds me of how God works his works. So many unknown blessings that enable us to do the things we want. Sun, fuel, water, many people who give aid directly and indirectly all go to making my life good.
As soon as the banana bread was done, I cut it up and brought it over to the guard house at the temple complex for Asante and his friends. I love the grins.
Jeffrey feels very fortunate to be able to give patriarchal blessings to missionaries who didn't get one before they left for their missions. It has been a joy for me to get to go and help out on the technology (keep the computer running) so his transcription can be done quickly.
Many of these missionaries are pioneers in their families, and most have not been in the church for very long. There is so much potential and many great blessings in store for these young adults.
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| Jeffrey and I in front of the MTC |
Comfort and Juliet came over to my apartment from the church to help carry all the banana bread over to the cultural hall to set up for the celebration farewell of the temple presidency.
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| Coming down in the elevator with trays of banana bread |
Without a kitchen it is just a little tricky - but not impossible to get ready to serve food. Comfort had cut up all the different parts of the salad and had bags of lettuce, cabbage, green onions, carrots, etc. that she assembled in a media storage room. It was a locked room where she stored her coolers, bags, and boxes.
We brought the banana bread and set them on top of books on a shelf. Comfort with Juliet's help assembled the salad. I took pictures and held the trash bag.
In a small space with three foil pans, Juliet and Comfort put all the different elements of this dinner together. The chicken was already cooked and in a cooler, the fried rice was in little bags in another cooler, and the drinks were in the third cooler, the salad was put together in the media room and taken up with the rest of the dinner.
We took it up in the elevator to the next floor and set up the food on tables in the cultural hall. The chairs and tables are on racks at the end of the hall. Luckily the men took care of the heavy tables and chairs.
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| The big pan of fried rice isn't shown, but the rest of the dinner is on the table. |
It was unfortunate that the timing of this celebration was just after church because at noon every Sunday, Jeffrey gives patriarchal blessings to missionaries in the MTC. So I helped (watched and held things) and then had to leave to go with Jeffrey to the MTC - which was glorious, don't get me wrong. It was difficult to have two good things at the same time.
Asante texted me that he had coconuts and was coming over. Thumbs up. I actually wasn't sure what he meant by his post but continued baking in the kitchen.
About 45 minutes later, the doorbell rings and there is Asante with a small plastic bag. He had with him coconuts taken out of the shell. He set up a place and grated all the coconut to give me for future banana bread. Nice!
I was experimenting with different batches of morning glory bread, so it was nice to have coconut to throw in. I made a batch of banana bread and threw the coconut in. I told him it would take an hour to cook - would he be around? He said he was on duty for the rest of the night. I asked him how he had broken the outer husk. He pounded it till it cracked and pulled the pieces out.
Now I have a nice pile of coconut to use in whatever I dream up.
Later that night I walked over to the MTC guard house to let him try the banana bread with coconut.
Baaba came over to learn how to make banana bread. I was going to make quite a few batches as the Relief Society is putting on a small party for the outgoing temple presidency that I wanted to make banana bread and morning glory bread for. Baaba asked if she could come and learn as she might want to make banana bread herself for her colleagues.
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| While waiting for the previous batch to bake, she wrote the recipe down. |
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| Assembled and almost ready to go. |
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| Success! |
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| After the bread making, Baaba finished sewing on buttons for a dress she made for me. |
Such a fun day with a friend. We laughed, chatted, and made something useful. Baaba was especially good at everything.
I talked to a woman who gave up her bed to another ward sister who has four small children. This lady has been sleeping on the floor ever since, and sometimes comes in with stiff shoulders or back. I sat down with her to look online to see what the prices of mattresses were in Ghana and we found they were only a little over 1000 cedis. I sent her the cedis over mobile money.
She went window shopping at the market. She found the mattress that was shown online was actually a little child's mattress and much too small. So when we got back together she explained how small the bed was. The adult mattresses were a little over twice as much - which only makes sense. I sent her the extra cedis so she wouldn't have to sleep on the floor anymore. I have to admit my question I never brought up was - where does her husband sleep? They seem to have a pretty solid marriage. Regardless of the family dynamics she is now sleeping on a bed - well a mattress, and is getting a good night's sleep again.
I've had one or two questions on my "blonde" hair. My friend purchased exactly what I asked for - light blonde that will cover my grey. On the box it says exactly that. So that is why I am calling it an African Blonde. Standing next to my friend, I am a blonde. Standing next to a brown haired girl - I fit right in. This is just fun. Who knows what the next adventure will be?!
Today started out with a fruit stand run for bananas and apples with a couple of fruit salads to give away. Work started on the bathroom while Bobby was cleaning and I warned him some ladies were coming over to do my hair. But they didn't arrive until 4 in the afternoon. I was supposed to talk with a girl trying to get a visa for school but she put off the appointment until later which ended up 3 and then 5 pm. I went over to the Area Office to drop off things and check to see if the eggs had come - not yet. I did slip over to the church building to give the missionary sisters their ukulele cases. It was a hurry up and wait kind of day.
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| Finished! The after picture. |
The shower in the bathroom turned out nice. It was good they left at 3:30 because at 4 we ended up using that bathroom for the hair work.
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| Solace and Baaba |
So at 4 pm Baaba and Solace came. I realized this was going to be a different experience when Baaba pulled out two boxes of hair dye and Solace said this was the first time she had done Oburoni hair. Ok.
While my hair had the first application on it, the eggs arrived at the Area Office. I had to tell Sister White I could not get her eggs and then asked Jeffrey to bring ours home. Luckily Elder Manwarring was in the office and could take both White and Manwarring egg flats to their apartment. My appointment for the girl trying to get a visa came just as I was rinsing out the dye. It didn't not work out well and she will come tomorrow.
All in all an interesting day. I now have what I call African Blonde hair.
Maybe I should mention that while Comfort (who is the Relief Society president) and I were talking, we decided to help a lady in the ward start a new business. Comfort said she would go with the lady to buy the things she needs, and we'll ask Baaba to help her with a business plan and give her the principals of self-reliance. So I funded that one as the church only gives for people who are in trouble and/or starving. The church never helps people start up a business. The only thing I asked for was that this lady help someone else when she has her feet on the ground.
Another lady wants to start a business too. But for this lady I wanted her to go through the self reliance class, then put a business plan together. The reason is - she wants to try out something completely new she has never done before. I told her I would show her plan to my son. I didn't tell her I would be funding that one too - I just wanted a little more preparation so that maybe it wouldn't be money down the drain of dreams.
I do not want the big money issue to arise. When someone gets something big, then the relatives come for a little bite. It is very generous and nice that everyone gets a 'small, small' piece so no one is left without. But it is extremely difficult to start a business when your capital has been whittled down too much - which I have seen happen.
I am happy to facilitate as long as the principles of good business are practiced.
We are having a party for the out-going temple presidency and I had to laugh when new expenses came up to fund. Hey, it is going to be a good party and everyone will bring something.
There are new circles for us and new friends. We can't help everyone but we can do our share. Then Jeffrey and I will just watch and see how it all turns out.
The half life of money is now almost three-quarters and then he shares again. Last week I am pretty sure I used most of the Cedi stack. Life is good.
I love Thursdays because we have sister scripture study in the morning. Well, this Thursday was a scramble because I had closed my eyes again "for just a minute" and then had to race over to sss to be on time. Great lesson about holding to the word. When we receive a message from God or something divine, we need to hold on and life will be different. "Lay Hold upon the Word": The Power of Wholehearted Living by McKay Christensen May 9, 2017 (BYU Speeches) He tells when he was on deaths door and a man gave him a priesthood blessing right there in the field that he held onto in his mind. It is a great story.
Thursday 10:30 am is shopping day. Three of us went shopping together, Sister Penner, I, and Sister Manwarring. It was fun to go with three of us instead of two.
After getting back, I get a knock at the door while I'm putting away groceries, and Lawerence is there to bring workers to take care of the shower walls.
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| Before picture - taking out the old |
Just as I finish putting away the groceries, Comfort comes. She is grating up my coconuts for the morning glory bread and banana bread I'm making for Sunday.
While she is in the kitchen and the workers are all in the bathroom, the phone goes off and tells me that Bishop Addy is coming and needs to be buzzed in. He is bringing ukulele bags. He arrives with his son.
While talking to the Bishop, he is looking for more scriptures for the ward. We always gave scriptures to the serious investigators when we lived there. Later when he went to the Ancillary he found that it is closed while the temple is closed. We'll have to do that later.
Meanwhile, Comfort finishes the coconut!
I say goodbye to the Addy's and go see what they are doing in the bathroom.
They gutted it to the drain at the bottom. No glass of any kind. They took out the strips that held the glass too.
When I go back to the kitchen I asked Comfort if she would like something for lunch. She asks if she could make something. Oh yes, I never turn down a cook's offer to make something.
I gather everything I can think of and that she asks for and she makes a fantastic jollof rice. Perfectly suited to two Americans. Tuna and chicken out of the can, onions, tomatoes, a little cabbage, some beans, rice, and spices like chili pepper, curry, and salt. Delicious.
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| Juliet used to use a plastic (non melting) bag, and Comfort uses paper towels. I wonder what the secret is? |
When Jeffrey came home supper was ready to go, the workers had left saying they would be back tomorrow, and I have three new bags to bring to the missionaries.
It wasn't like we went very far into the Ivory Coast or traveled many places. I think that the city of Abidjan has so many facets that makes you feel like you have traveled and explored much. I think there are seven districts or Plateaus that our driver could name, but ResearchGate on the internet says that are 10. It was like little cities inside of the greater whole.
I can tell you is that each one is different from its neighbor and has a slightly different flavor as you travel between them. One is filled with gleaming tall skyscrapers, one across the lagoon has low level buildings and homes and one tall tower, going into the interior a bit is filled with residential homes and businesses that I would say was middle class. I heard there was a poor section of the city, but I did not see it. One of the first president's was a devout Catholic and made a couple of very beautiful buildings that were centered around Christ well, mostly Mary. So Catholic and Muslim live side by side and it all seems to be working out very well. The city is vibrant and beautiful. I loved our trip and enjoyed the commentary our driver and translator gave us.
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| Elder and Sister White dropped us off at the Accra airport. |
The flight was only an hour from one gate in Accra to the other in Côte d'Ivoire. Hopper flight. Jeffrey and I met with Zouzou Sadia while the Manwarrings were waiting for their luggage. I think they waited longer than the flight actually was.
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| Jeffrey and Zouzou Sadia, with another man from the office to pick up Sister Kyungu and her daughter. |
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| Yeah! They finally made it. |
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| Sister Kyungu and her daughter came after the Manwarrings |
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| We drove past an interesting shaped building where the Strengthening the Family Conference was held. |
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| It was good Esther came with us to translate - even though this menu had some English with it. |
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| The sides look dark, but actually they are all stained glass windows |
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| Inside they are bright and vibrant. Different scenes from Christ's life are depicted. |
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| I wondered why this man was kneeling. One leg doesn't work at all and the other one he uses a flip flop to rest on. |
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| There is a spiraling path up to the hill where people pray at the statue of Mary. We didn't go up as we didn't want to be disrespectful. |
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| This is right next to that last hill and on the left is an open wall that a service was going on in. I believe the spiral was a depictions of prayers ascending to Mary. |
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| Linda Yapi is a good translator, Rebecca Manwarring, and I |
