Moving Elephant

 My focus of the Christmas Celebration was the White Elephant Gift Exchange. Yes, I facilitated the room and got permissions but had other people doing the actual work. The Dukes, Derrs, Olsen's and others really put in a lot of effort for this celebration to come together.

I thought it would be cool to have an actual white elephant at the party. I asked Wisdom if he could carve me out an elephant from white wood. I told him it was a joke gift and didn't need to be elaborate or fancy. "Just the suggestion of an elephant," I said. He asked what size and I told him whatever size he wanted.

He's an artist. He can't have something roughly made.

Detailed with ebony tusks

The ridges on his nose. He is bigger than the elephants I am giving family

Even his tail is detailed. All sanded smooth

I could hardly put it down and stop touching it. I had to tap down every bit of greed that came running to the front to put it in the gift bag to bring. I knew it was going to be a big hit.

He was the fourth gift opened and ended up being picked up by at least eight people as I had made no concessions for how many times a gift could be traded, just a 20 second limit on the time to choose one. The M&M bottle was traded many times, the hip size shopping bag was traded many times, the Red box of candy was traded many times, homemade popcorn was a big hit and some of the other items were re-gifted several times. The last gift of the night was the white elephant. Since there was more trading afterwards, I really don't know who ended up with him. 

Second gift, but they didn't keep them long

Some couple were constantly getting up and down. Notice the hats on the Angles which started out on the Eastmonds. He ended up with a case of shoe shine kits (probably from the street which really made a hawker happy). 

It was instructive to watch those whose feelings were concerned for others and those who were fiercely competitive. Games are interesting. What a fun night! 

Talents being Used for Good

Success

 I love it when an idea all comes together!! I was approached by the Duke's because they had listened to a choir and wanted the choir to come to Accra and perform for the missionaries. I thought what a great idea that would be and then combine it with a dinner and game to make our Christmas celebration easy and fun.

Okay, so nothing is really easy. It took the Dukes negotiating back and forth to bring the choir to Accra. It took the Derr's to organize, buy, (loose 1/2 a ham - another story), and ask for donations to bring about a really great meal, and the Olsen's to set up, then decorate the tables very nicely. My job was the White Elephant game that turned out hilariously fun.

Lucy Anarfi (Lucy Ayebea Annafi-Aprakuwas) asked to build this Young Adult choir and she is in charge of "The Spoken Word" here in West Africa.

They were beautiful, inspirational, and lovely

The Ashaiman Bethlehem Choir came to the Christiansborg Stake Center chapel beside the Temple and sang for us. Sister Duke was surprised when only 25 of the 40 piece choir came. The rest of us really enjoyed the great choir that we heard. I felt they were wonderful. Great harmonies, transitions, and beautiful timing. I had invited Samuel and Dumevi (along with the ward) to come and hear. Dumevi came with his wife and daughter and Samuel sat beside us. Both of the men knew the language that two of the songs were sung in. They really liked the choir celebrating Christmas. When the choir was done, we gave them meat pies and drinks that Juliet had arranged for. She has pain in her leg so her son Michael brought them over and handed them out to the choir leaving. Since we had planned for 40, they had plenty extra to take home with them.

Dinner

Good sharing, good food, good friends.

Then we gather our chairs around for a hilarious White Elephant Gift exchange. A good time was had and we got to know a little more about the characters of the missionaries around us.

To Mothers of future missionaries - or those in the field

 Just a word to the wise - mothers and those who care about their missionaries - beware. When I was visiting a mission home one day, I heard some Senior missionaries in the office laughing their heads off. Evidently a mother had been concerned about her son and wanted someone in the office staff to make sure her son had fitted sheets for his bed. The fact that he even had two sheets was amazing. Somebody needs to tell him how the military makes their beds. Three weeks later I heard laughter about the mom and the fitted sheets. Don't helicopter around and make your missionary the butt of jokes.

Living a good life in the states cannot prepare anyone in understanding the facts of living in a COUNTRY in poverty. Yes, there are poor people in America and heartbreaking cases of how that affects families and neighborhoods. But it is different than a whole country that is chronically poor.

Another mother listened to her young son tell about the difficulties of surviving, so she sent him a package. Mission leaders do not want you to send a package. A notice will come that a package is at the post office. That requires a trip (in itself always an adventure) to the post office and also to customs. Time, lots of time. Then the cost is the length of time the package has stayed there and other factors that determine how much the post office will charge to get the package out. 

The Despains were doing a good deed for a mother in their stake who was concerned about her son newly in Accra. The Despains paid about 80 dollars at the post office and then another 60 or more from customs. When the customs man opened the package, Don Despain said, "You've got to be kidding!" The package had a 9 roll pack of TP, cans of tuna fish, with Ready to Eat Meals, etc. Maybe the Ready to Eat meals would not be the same but everything else in that package could be bought in Accra. True, not in one store conveniently - but shipping across the Atlantic Ocean from Utah is not convenient either. The package was about $100 worth of goods, $350 to ship and $120 to $140 to pick it up. $600 is a lot to pay for TP. There is a reason the Mission office does not want packages sent. There is a reason mission leaders do not want the hassle and time spent to pick them up. 

If your child goes to Africa, don't send a package. Send supportive, great letters in Pouch mail. Let him grow, turn to God and find his own answers like Nephi did.

Treated to Gelato - Kindness

 The Despains were kind to share a gelato treat after the great pizza. Since the gelato is right in front of the pizza restaurant it is an easy step over.

I appreciate the kindness and generosity of my friends. Later - sorry no pictures - the Despains took me with them to drop off some missionary packages to a missionary and also visited a lady who took us shopping for material and ordered a dress. At the end of the trip on the way home Don stopped on a busy street and to let me buy plantains! Nice. 

Eating Pizza the RIGHT way

 I caught up with the Despain's to see if they were going out to eat. Luckily for me they were on their way! I joined up and we went to La Pizza a Lebanese owned restaurant with great pizza. It looked like a beauty pageant was filming the ladies at this restaurant but we got a place at the side window. The ladies were supper tall and wore 4 or 5 inch heels and towered over the crew and camera man. They walked back and forth from the ovens to their table. Fun! It was ironic to watch them renew their make-up and then put their masks over it!

When the pizza came the owner came over and showed Sherri and the rest of us just how to eat a slice of pizza correctly.

 Push down in the middle on the crust slice bending it slightly, then roll the end up to the crust, then pick it up and eat it with your hands! No dripping ingredients off the sides or end. Just eat it like a sandwich - almost. 

Luke Family Home Eveing

 

Luke Family gave a wonderful PowerPoint presentation on living in Accra. I had no idea that the flooding could fill the street and there is a big reason there are so many potholes in the previous road.

They talked about school and how it works, and what happened during the COVID months, they had great and funny advertisements between each of their presentations, and showed us a some of the things we have been missing in this wonderful land. They had a food presentation, a school presentation, a dress presentation, music presentation and drums, and told some stories of church, funerals and births. You can tell they love their ward and have a great love of Ghana.

They are headed back home in just a few weeks and would love to go on another adventure in another country. Evidently they have been to France and who knows where else.  Two of the youngest were baptized here in Ghana and the family has been here three years.

We all asked questions from each of them

How much is one cedi worth? 

One Ghana for Your Pocket - Vodafone or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW6u2FrcMZ8

Old ways versus new ways -  If you only watch one advertisement, I found this hilarious! 

4G Blender - AirtelTigo or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZJWWTXmvnA

Data coverage - 

Browse Saaa - AirtelTigo or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnCMn4zgfZE

This is very funny for those who know how most of the names are truly pronounced. - 

Journalist Pronounces Names of Football Teams or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrjlf0FVjzQ

 

What a sweetheart Mary is! Her blog :

Also, here is Mary's Cooking Blog. or https://maryzrecipez.blogspot.com/

 

Celebrating in a land with no Pilgrims

 Thanksgiving Day in Accra is another work day. The missionaries from the Area Office decided to have a meal together and it was changed to noon so the MTC leaders could attend too. It was thought that there wasn't a kitchen but there is. It has a refrigerator(!), a sideboard, two empty cupboards and a sink with cold water. Two people can be in at the same time. Luckily we never had plans to use it.

Sister Munk and Elder Munk went to great efforts to have the luncheon turn out well. Sister Munk found a chef in a grocery bakery from Palace who ordered the turkeys (turkeys don't live in Ghana or Africa) then cooked them and made gravy! The Munk's both went over to pick them all up on Wednesday and the couples in Temple View apartments kept them all in their refrigerators until Thursday morning. Sister Martinez was gracious and let the Munk's carve up the turkeys at her place. Their hard work paid off big and we had a really awesome meal.

The hosts of the Thanksgiving Meal

Leftovers were given to the Accra Mission Home and to the workers in our apartment complex. Everyone was delighted.

Preparations:

Paper lined the tables for coloring later

No outlet in kitchen, had to find place to whip up the cream

Sister Munk organizing

We met together

   

Elder Katcher gave a message

Let the celebration begin!

Luke family won best art work!