Visits!

Susie and I enjoyed puttering around getting things for her neighborhood barbecue and I getting stocking stuffers for my Christmas stockings to kids and grandkids. I love chatting about life and getting caught up on all the news. 

Susie made lunch for a crowd but left for her grandson's football game before anyone showed up.

We had two visits, one from Andrew, Briona, and Amber and then from Renald and Brendon Lore who are planning on coming to Accra. 

Andrew, Briona, and Amber were coming from Salt Lake airport and were on their way to Briona's grandmother's home in Idaho. They ate lunch and we had a nice chat, then Renald and Brendon came and we all visited a bit. The Adams left while I talked to Renald and Brendon about what they want to do in Accra. Susie met the Adams on their way to the car and she got busy with her neighborhood barbecue. 

I fought sleep until Susie got back and we all went to bed early.

Maybe I'll go see if I can nap until dawn......

Briona looked like she is feeling well, Amber was a delight, and Andrew is a great.

Amazing that Amber was so delightful without a nap and after a long trip. She will sleep good!

I missed getting Renald and Brendon's picture as I kept thinking how I could find someone to take them hunting while in Ghana.....everyone likes different things. Something I have never thought of or wanted to experience.  The boys (ok they are grown men, still I'm older than their parents) want to have an authentic "find the food" in nature, and prepare it, and eat it African style. I think I'll let them figure out what kind of peppers are automatically put in everything. Who knows maybe they like spicy.

It is 2 in the morning - wide awake

 I washed a few dishes hanging out in Susie's sink and tidied up a bit. Last night I was fighting sleep when before it got dark as I wanted to have a normal (for Utah) wake and sleep schedule.....Well, maybe tomorrow.

I'm thinking about what I should get done in my Relief Society calling - I have ministering interviews and I'm wondering who I can call in Ghana on WhatsApp but realized they are at Sacrament meeting right now. I have good friends in my calling. 

On Thursday, we met for our regular meeting. Comfort came about 3 pm and made a big pot of Jollof rice for everyone. We discussed the need for food sacks and who has approached the bishop for food.  Baaba came around 4:30 and we discussed some changes in the ministering roster and how we would give it out on the 13th of October when I get back. Comfort hasn't been feeling up to par in the last few weeks so I gave her some cedes to go to the clinic. She just had an apple and some fruit juice.  She dished up Jollof rice for Baaba and I around 5 pm and Erica and Joshua showed up with their darling little girl, so Comfort dished them up too. 

Jeffrey was late getting back from the office because he was trying to tie up loose ends, so we could go to Utah the next day. 

Baaba left around 6 pm and I chatted with Erica about getting pictures and she had more phone numbers for the Relief Society roster that we are going to give to out to the ladies on the 13th. Comfort went home after leaving Jeffrey a large plate of Jollof rice then packed up the remains to take home. Jeffrey showed up a little later and he and Joshua discussed some questions, scriptures, and ideas while Erica went with the baby to teach a class at the stake center for gathering places. 

Like I said, meetings are different and wonderful. People were fed, business was discussed and we share a good friendship by giving and doing things for each other. 

Love the center piece! A very relaxed atmosphere while Erica and I swapped phone numbers of sisters. and dinner finished up. 

Erica and her baby taking off to teach her class

Jeffrey enjoys these discussions very much. Joshua didn't want to miss.

One day, not months

 Jeffrey and I both were expressing out gratitude about the ease of going thousands of miles across the ocean in one day versus yesteryears long months of travel to get across the world.  I felt prayers were answered again as we traveled. I prayed for a smooth trip and the minute we got to the line to talk to an agent, a man motioned us over to a shorter line. The trip went well though it was long. We left our home in Ghana at five minutes to 6 in the morning and we arrived at Susan's home at midnight - which would be 6 in the morning in Ghana. Some of that time was the long layover in New York, but still much better than months of travel. 

The wind in Ogden was warm and nice. A little unexpected for October - but it's still September!

Then when we went into the bedroom, Susie had put all the Amazon packages we had ordered, so it felt like a mini Christmas opening the packages! Sweet.

Fun to unwrap packages

Monday with Sue

 After having an adventure in the morning, I met up with Sue, Dumevi, and Eugene to go on another educational tour with them.

We went to see how Kente cloth was made. I had a good time listening and filming a few Marco Polos as we learned how and why it is made. A manual system that has worked for 100s of years. Click here for Wikipedia page on Kente Cloth.

Dumevi's friend who was weaving the cloth under the shade of trees, very close to apartments and a main road, out in the open air. He had an incredibly long strands of black thread that he had anchored  to a block about 10 yards long that came up to his weaving apparatus. Then using his heel and toes on each foot, he would separate the strands coming in with a lever system then using both hands pass a shuttle back and forth with each hand to make a dense weave. He traded in different colors with the shuttles when he wanted to make a pattern or weave in a name. It was fascinating! This adventure was fun.

then we dropped into Rita's so I could pick up some material to make Christmas stockings for my children (spouses included) and grandchildren. It was full Monday.

Monday was a holiday - for some

 The area office enjoyed the holiday and many others did too. But not everyone. There were marketers who wanted to sell goods, there are those who want to get things done because no one would be there, and then there were the demonstrators who wanted to show how complicated they could make life.

Baaba and I went on an adventure. We took off from the area office lot and caught a tro-tro across the street so we could go to TK Beads for a Relief Society event in October. 

One who didn't have the day off. He was spraying all the bushes

So the Tro-tro drivers and their compadres didn't have a day off either. So we took off in the Tro-tro.

Now that was an adventure! The Tro-tro whizzed in traffic and out to the sidewalk or road edge to pick up people with the compadre of the driver shouting out the destination. He was also the one who took cedes for the ride from each passenger. People would jump on and off and some like us were there for a couple of hours. The potholes and swerving over to pick up people along with the heat of bodies made this a phun interesting trip. I would say educational. 

I kept thinking about all those who take a tro-tro to work every day to get to work at the Area Office. If you added a little rain and mud it would make it an effort. Luckily for Baaba and I it was a bright sunny day. 

The ladies and people at TK Beads didn't have a holiday either. It was nice to go shopping - BUT I was overwhelmed by the many, many choices. Not having an artistic side, the rows and rows of beads to turn into a creation just made my head hurt. I let Baaba be the creation expert and let her choose all the breads. I did pick up some bracelets (already completed) that I thought my girls would enjoy. Corina and maybe Lilly and Makynlee (well Isla would want whatever Makynlee had) along with their mamas and aunts might like one. 

We took the tro-tro  back but I didn't find it as great. My knees did not fit in the seat so I had to trade off putting them to one side or the other. The way back seem to have more traffic and many more stops. Baaba was very considerate and bought an extra seat so I could have room to move.

Then! There was a demonstration going on in Accra proper and we went a mile or two out of our way to go around the blockade. We ultimately got a taxi for the last half mile home as we got close enough.

She was prepared -- to keep her hair tidy in the wind coming from the windows and a sewing project.

Baaba and I at TK Beads

The man standing by the door is the driver's compadre 

Ideals of Friendship

 A few days ago, I wrote to Sheryl McGlochlin:

Dear Sheryl,

This morning I had the three presidents' wives come look at the packages you have in the bedroom. Lucie picked up one of the heaviest ones. One of the others asked if she took the heavy one because she was the president's wife. She said, "no, because she is my friend."

I was very touched by the evidence of the love that Lucie had for Sheryl even after she was gone and her desire to help Sheryl get her boxes back home. Later in the week she came and got two more boxes. Hannah brought a box too because Lucie asked her to. Friendship is an awesome thing.

Baaba comes over to play

 Baaba has gone on a few trips to Cape Coast and other places that are far away for various reasons. Mostly she has gone to funerals. Last week she went to a place that grows yams. These yams are sold in the streets and look like fat logs. But when you peel them they feel and look like potatoes. They even boil up a lot like potatoes. They do not taste at all like the 'yams' that are orange, yellow/orange, or red that are used for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Baaba said that the yams that show up in Accra city are from this area that she went to. She has some good friends who gave her some fresh yams and she wanted to share them with us. 

She came and prepared the yams (peeled the bark off, cut up and boiled) and then remade a cabbage stew that was left over and we enjoyed taking a hunk of yam and dipping it in the stew and eating both of them. It was interesting and fun. The nicest part was talking with a friend. I love playing with my friends.

Small impact

 Our Relief Society sometimes (every week) gives out food sacks to those who do not have enough for food. Comfort puts together a simple sack of rice, tomato paste, mackerel, and oil. It will feed a family for a weekend and a single person for about four days. I wonder if the tomato paste is really spicy. Spicy foods seem to make people feel full faster. I usually fund the sacks, Comfort puts them together, and Baaba calls and tells people they are missed at church and invites them to come back. It helps to know we are making a little difference here and there.

Wisdom Anani

 Wisdom is making elephants, key chains, spoons, and a special gift for Brent Belnap. It is nice to see his work again. I like his carvings and art work. It is nice to support someone who treats his work with perfection and feeling.

I'm sorry the number you have dialed is incorrect....

 A slightly British sounding operator keeps telling me the numbers I'm dialing "is incorrect".  This came after trying to go online to register my number which I was told was incorrect - whichever way I guessed it might work. Online, telephone, now trying a text. We'll see what happens. 

All I want to do is register for my insurance so I can make an appointment for a check-up when I go to Utah next week. All the roadblocks are just to get started. I have been assured that I am covered by insurance - but it very difficult to tell as I can't even get started.

I figured it is very good that I am taking my vitamin B - because I am not crying about it, just frustrated.

I wish there was a "windows" option or an easy reference. Learning the computer systems used to be "user error" all the way until windows came in and made life user friendly. My insurance online option is not user friendly. None of the numbers go through, and none of the phone numbers go through. What happens if I go to a doctor and they try to use these numbers?

If I don't register, am I covered?

I took out the incorrect number from the box, but really does privacy matter if it doesn't work?

 

A Question Answered

 I have noted since I've been here that I seem to be the object of service. Every time I go out to shop on the street for fruit and bread, someone comes to hold my bag. Whenever I am with Juliet she automatically takes any bags I am holding. Whenever I go shopping with Dumevi he almost instinctively takes my bags and pushes my cart. But then I was in a market shop and the lady taking my order carried my goods to the taxi. Now that was interesting as I didn't know her. It has happened quite a few times at church and in the neighborhood. 

I thought maybe it had to do with being a white person for some reason. But I noted two young white girls in the market who were carrying their own bags. Every single time we have a dinner on Sunday, the wife always picks up the dishes and sometimes the men want a broom. I have to really insist that I have a dishwasher and a vacuum to use after they leave. Please sit and enjoy the evening. So I've been wondering what this phenomenon is?

When Comfort came (with the dinner!) and then afterwards stacked all the dishes and then insisted that she wash them and then swept up the floor, I finally got the answer.

I am a grandma. In Ghana the grandmother doesn't wash the dishes and sweep the floor when she has guests. I guess she doesn't carry her bags either.

Ah, so this is the good news, bad news. I know now why everyone is so helpful. I am old.

Comfort last night in my kitchen

Juliet carrying my shopping bags

Thursday Meetings

 Our Relief Society presidency traditionally meets on Thursday late afternoon to discuss what needs to be done for our sisters. When Erica's husband came with their daughter because they had more meetings to attend that night and live too far away to come and go, I noted how easy it would be to have a supper along with or after our chat. 

Last Thursday, Comfort came early (as usual) and brought Waakye a traditional northern Ghanaian dish that consists of rice and beans (it has some leaf in it that turns them red), and gari (has the consistency of parmesan cheese-without that flavor), spaghetti noodles, black sauce (very spicy), and thick stew of beef and hard boiled eggs set in. When she served the meal, she stacked each of the components over the rice and beans.

It was fun! I took Marco Polos to tell my grandkids and friends about this cool dish. I think Jeffrey was surprised that it was good to eat. We had a nice evening chatting. Erica could not make it as she was feeling ill. So we were all surprised when Joshua called and said he was coming. So Comfort dished him up some dinner and He and Jeffrey started discussing scripture questions while Comfort's husband Michael, joined in with some great answers. 

The evening was interesting, fun, educational, and something I would love to do again. 

Though I have to put aside my customary ideas on how a Relief Society meeting is held. I talked with Comfort early in the afternoon, then Baaba joined us - bringing a temple dress she made for me - and then the men joined about 5 pm and we had dinner. Baaba had to leave early to go to intake at the MTC. So conversation and decision making was in fragments. I do think we are moving forward. I am trying my best to be of value. My input seems to be donating money for the food sacks which come from the Relief Society presidency, making picture rosters, and bringing refreshments for activities. Baaba is the organizer and has ties to most of the ladies in church. She calls many of the ladies for various reasons every week. She makes sure we have a teacher when needed. Comfort is the heart and has a warm touch for ladies in troubled circumstances. 

Baaba and I make up the ministering roster. We have found the phone numbers on the church site are inadequate and often wrong. Erica has been really good at finding out the ladies information. She also posts lessons and information on the WhatsApp group so those who read can know ahead of time what is going on. 

So life is good. Being part of something is good. Making new friends is really good.

Baaba sewing on a button to finish my temple dress

Comfort would not rest until my kitchen was clean again.

Michael, Joshua, and Jeffrey intent on scripture questions.

Love Hate Technology

 Easy, just register or sign up and we'll open the world of wonders to you. That's basically the advertising when I asked for a doctor's appointment. First of all I spent way too much time calling doctors in the Ogden area looking for an appointment. True, I live most of the year in Accra, Ghana and I would only visit the office once a year.....nobody wanted a long distance client. I figured I just didn't have all the information I needed to get a yearly physical with a doctor prepared for overseas living.

The lady at church headquarters asked if I had registered online. She said there was a lot of information from that portal. I tried a few months ago, so I thought I'd try it again.

1. Certificate or Group access number - Group number did not work, the number on the top of the page did not work, the number under my name let me go to the next page! Success.....too bad it's fleeting.

2. email as a username - luckily I could just drop it in. Success.

3. birthday - three tries until I had it exactly the way they wanted. partial success.

4. password - sorry they don't match, three tries and it let me go to the next.

Submit - sorry Group access number is wrong.......really? You let me go through nine different tries at getting information just so and I didn't have it right in the beginning? Fail.

So after hours of calls and frustrations with registering I am no better off than when I started. I just have experience of more rejection (though everyone said to have nice day) and technology fails. 

It's just in my mind that I am not the first person living abroad trying to get registered or get a doctor's appointment.........I need to look in the right place.........with the right person........at the right time.....

Two Years old - It's a Birthday

 Dumevi and Pricilla's youngest daughter turned two on Monday. We had them over for a birthday party. Something tells me that this a rare occurrence as the girls were very quiet for the first of the evening. That is okay as we had dinner. It was their favorite - Jollof Rice. Of course, I got Comfort to make it the birthday dinner.

We chatted and found out about their greater families and where they fit in birth order and how Pricilla wanted to be a nurse from a very young age. And now she is a nurse. She talked about an international accreditation and is putting her application in for that. I am not sure I understand what that means but I could tell it was something prestigious to look forward to. Dumevi is caught up in the emerging politics. He is excited that he got his drivers license. The hard copy should come in the mail soon.

The little girls warmed up and started talking and running around the house. It was great as they got comfortable being here. We gave them presents which they held in their lap. When we showed them how to rip them open, the oldest (Nutifafa) got it quickly, the youngest (Kesinonu) needed help to get her presents out. Obviously there are not many packages wrapped up and given to them. I think they had a good time. We did. 

Nutifafa, Pricilla, Kesinonu in front, and Dumevi - Jeffrey is welcoming them in.

She clung to her mom when she got to our house

I always give to both siblings on a birthday

Dad shows her how to open the presents

Oh wow, there is something in there.

The birthday loot

Stumbling block - tank of water

 We were talking with a family a bit ago about their daughter who turned eight in March. She was excited to be baptized and everything went smoothly in the program until she was asked to step down into the water. She was absolutely terrorized. She has never taken a tub bath, never been swimming in a pool, never gone in a lake or river. So she didn't get baptized that day. 

Her mom and dad have done everything they can to help her get over her fear. 

I've thought a lot about the experiences that I take for granted and the knowledge that I have. I remember all three of us as children in the bathtub together playing in the water. Rafted on a pond, had swimming lessons, gone tubing in rivers, and floated on lakes and ponds, I even went to the ocean as a toddler. I tried to imagine a world without playing in water....but there are too many memories for my imagination to ignore. 

For her to be baptized takes a lot more courage than the average US child. I am praying it all works out for her soon. 

Pool Party

 We call it a pool party, but actually it is all about the exercise. The Area presidency's wives, the temple matron and I get together at 7:30 in the morning to do exercises in the pool. It has been so fun getting to know each one of them. We try for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - but they are often going to conferences and mission tours. The temple matron sometimes has early shifts to be to. But whenever we can, we get together and have a "pool party" morning.

I, Lucie, Funmi, Hannah, and Doe

Sunday Dinner

 The table is all set. Savior's family asked for Jollof Rice, we have watermelon, and fried chicken. Then we waited. Later we found out they have a baptism for their cousin they had gone to so it took longer until they could come.

It was so fun. His niece and their three little girls told us what they were going to do when they grew up. We learned how Savior and his wife met. They brought ice cream and I had muffins too. It was such a nice afternoon. 

Jeffrey had to leave for a zoom call at 6 pm but they stayed chatting for a little while. They are a very interesting and fun family. 

Its the girls!

Sevandah (his niece who lives with them), Eleanor in pink, Raya in pink in the front, Justina the mom, Emma who likes to be different, and Saviour the dad.

Full Circle

While I was in the Ivory Coast, we went shopping at a little mall. Though I could not speak French, the ladies at the stall could understand enough to know what I was looking for. It was fun. I brought back some materials that I really didn't have a purpose for. I just like them.

When Comfort came over a little later, she noticed the material and said she liked it, so I gave it to her. Today at church she had a new outfit that came from that material. I didn't recognize it until I looked very closely. It sews up differently than it looks laid out. I thought she looked nice.

Balance

 I seem to have a routine and a normal for me. Though I did not go through cultural shock or have to adjust to sight, smell, hearing, and taste all over again. I am still trying to find balance in this new life.

Yesterday I made some Morning Glory muffins for a Relief Society food preservation meeting that was happening in the afternoon. As I thought about how quickly the banana bread disappeared in an after Relief Society linger longer, I made another batch. Then since is was before noon I decided to make a large pan of school house peanut butter bars. 

At the meeting - only 13 people showed up. I am reminded of that scripture which says, ".....and stumble because of my over anxiety for you." Yup, over anxiety can cause a tip in the balance of my life. Next time, I will not prepare so much.

I stumble on a few things, then have to readjust how I go about life. Another example is one day working in a temple session for the first time. It was a chaotic type of day. Many missionaries showed up speaking different languages. There were many Elders versus the sister who came. I could see that the brother helping out on the other side was overwhelmed. I stepped in to be efficient and get the session started. A week later a temple matron asked to speak with me and we went arm in arm down the hall, but when she ushered me into a room and shut the door, I felt a little like I was talking to the principal. In the nicest, kindest way she asked my opinion and let me know that brothers take care of brothers and sisters take care of sisters. Efficiency should never take the place of allowing others to do their job. I assured her I could do things the way that she wanted. Lots of next-times in my life here. Luckily I am an old dog that can learn new tricks. Life is good.

Set ready to go with everything I though I needed

We had a meeting where everyone shared tips and ideas on how to make food last longer, and how to take advantage of crops when they are in season and store them for later when they are not. Water storage and use, fuel, and even documents that needed to be saved in a flood were all discussed.

It was a good meeting. I noticed that all the refreshments were taken and gone. Missionaries down the hall, another class, and of course all the ladies present took care of them all. 

Pathway to Nowhere

 About 10 years ago in 2014, I began a dream to finish my bachelors degree. Pathways was being advertised as the way to "finish what you started." I am not sure what other advertising they used or said as that was the element that sold me on going back to school in my 50's to finish what I started in my 20's. 

It was exciting, hard, interesting, and both kinds of phun and fun. I am glad I continued after we were called on a mission in 2016 to finish up my studies in 2019 and finally get my degree. I feel like I was a much better missionary and person because I went to school. I do know I had realized that I could do hard things and learn new tricks. 

When I arrived in 2020 and we began our mission in Accra, I still had the satisfaction and furor of how good getting my degree was. I talked with several missionaries. One in particular was from Nigeria and was intelligent and hoping for a better life for himself. He had already begun in Pathways and was looking to finish school when he got back home. We talked about life and schooling and how difficult it was to find jobs. 

Two and a half years later, I meet this returned missionary again and he is married and moving on in life. But I was very saddened when I asked how Pathways turned out for him to hear him say the same thing I've been hearing from other young people who have tried out Pathways. He said, "It is the Pathway to Nowhere." 

Evidently the program here is touted as a vocational school, but it doesn't have the elements necessary to get a job. I am not sure if the advertising is off, or if there just are not enough classes, or if the degrees from an online school just do not have the necessary requirements to enable these young men and women to find a good job.

I remember going to a wood carvers home in the Philippines. We had traveled for many hours to get to his place to see where he did his work. The whole town was dedicated to functional and art wood carving. He must have grown up around the whole craft. I thought about the many hours he had to travel to sell his wares to the missionaries at the Area office as he was a member of the church and knew which items senior missionaries would want, but most especially - pay for.

But on his wall was a degree certificate of Engineering. My heart sank when I realized how much time, effort, and especially money was spent for a degree that he could not find a job in. He had a family that he needed to support. Wood carving was what he did.

I am very sad that the young adults are not finding what they need in an area that I felt so happy and strong in. I am sad that the job situation is so bleak. I am sad that the educational program that is touted to be worldwide, is only serviceable to those in the United States. It is so sad. I hope an answer is found.                       

In Awe of Women Here

 I went to the market the other day with three Ghanaian friends. They were very accommodating of my wishes and needs. They also laugh a little about my comments, questions, and the wonder of the things I witness.  

For all of them, it is perfectly normal to see a woman with a baby on her back carrying a load on her head. Sometime even holding the hand of another child or carrying something else in her arms. You see it everywhere! As I watched one particular woman, I wanted to get a photo from the back - as I know people don't like their picture taken by random people. As I tried to get a picture other cars got in the way, then she turned toward me......but Eugene pulled over as she walked down the street until I had my picture. Nice guy to wait and aid in my endeavor to photograph her. Awesome mother.

Good things to do each day

 Sue came over yesterday to finish sewing up her bean bags (made with rice) to bring to the school today for a game. I love the fact that she finds good things to do while she spends two months here while her husband does his work. 

I wonder what I would do if in that situation. Always changing homes, friends, and people around you. She is very gracious and kind. She does not want to go to any kind of shopping as her suitcase is already full. 

So watch for our adventure next Monday. We are going to go see a man who makes Kente cloth. I told Sue I was going to take video of her trying the little machine out making a row or two of the cloth. If you are on Marco Polo, wait for it!

Kente cloth has been around for many, many years. The kings were the ones to wear it in the old days. Now everyone can wear it and there are many, many different styles and colors.