New Years in Ghana

Christmas time is Ghana is definitely different.  Almost no traditional christmas decorations, gift giving, etc.  But come the New Years Celebrating that is a different story.  We are now approached by many strangers asking for their christmas gift.  They want money or something, and it has nothing to with christmas.

The fancy costumes come out, and the parade's through town are everywhere.

From little kids to grown adults the costumes are elaborate and some very costly.  They only use the costume once and then sell it or give it away.

He is part of a large parade that went past our home.  I am having trouble with the download of the video.  Someday maybe I will get this blog stuff figured out

This mask is very tame compared to many that have approached our car.  The first ones we were not sure if we were really safe.  They approach everyone and want money.  Some even carry a cane stick.  They all assure us they don't use them.(at least on obruni) Not the case with there own people. It is Halloween on steroids 

A couple of cross dresser's

The last sunday of the month produced a number of baptisms.  The zone exceeded their trimester goals and the mission meets it goal for the year.  Always a good indicator that the work is progressing

Behind me is the baptismal font

After the first baptisms we were off to the other chapel in Swedru for another nice service.  This was a special time because three of these Elders were going to be in the transfer on Monday. Great way to finish your assignment in any given area.

Sister Bybee was feeling a little better, but said she did not want to miss this opportunity to be with all of the couples one last time before there return to the US

This is the new apartment in Asikuma that we have been working on for several weeks.  It had to be painted inside and out as well as the floors.  We made several trips to the mission home to pick up the furniture and supplies the Elders will be needing.  We have two missionaries assigned this transfer and two more will join them the first week of February

When we found the Elders apartment the landlord had these two school building he wanted to rent and currently we meeting in school across town.  Long story short the Church representative Bro Manube was able to secure the buildings.  The owner had to make them tenantable. He had to pour concrete in part of the building, plaster and paint the walls, install windows and doors.  Then the Church will come in and pay for the remodeling necessary to make it Church Standard.  Asikuma is a new Branch and is growing very nicely.  They have a great spirit about them and being members of the Church is very important.

This is one of the schools Sister Ivie has been talking about.  This is the new one the Wallace were fixings to able to relieve the other building. It got new paint inside and out, a new wash room that isn't really a wash room.  Today just a small number of kids returned to school, by next week everybody will have figured out vacation is over and you have to go back to school.  It is something that happens a lot in the private schools.

I missed getting pictures of this building before work begin.  You would not believe the transformation that took place in just over a weeks time.

These are the brand new desks for the extra classrooms.  There are fifteen new desks and that will serve 30 kids.  The carpenter charged 7 Cedis, that is 3.50 US per desk for his labor.

I left Sister Ivie at school one day with Sister Wallace while I took President Wallace (our electrician) out to Odoben and Asikuma to make some repairs.  She and Sister Wallace went with the kids in their school bus as there were taken home.  Then the two of them went to the Chapel and had a piano lesson, until we returned.  She said the ride was not quiet like a trotro but close.

Sister Ivie making a quick stop at the grocery store.  It is nice to have these little stores all over town and especially this one that is a block from home.  There is a vegetable market next to this store and it is nice to not have to go down to the main market.

Where did December Go

After the mission Christmas Devotional time just flew by, because there was so many things happening.  First a transfer on Dec 23rd, Christmas eve dinner with the couples, completing the preparations for a new apartment for the Elders at Asikuma Branch, New Years Eve with the couples and having a chance to spend a little time with the Bybee's who finish there mission on January 9. So from here I will post some pictures of the events of the last three weeks, and hope I do not leave something important out.

Zone Service Project at the Orphanage near Swedru. The weeds were high the missionary wild with their cutlass's  (a Ghanian weed eater).  Best part we only had a few blisters, but no cuts or damage to any of the body's

They really made short work of the tall weeds.  You can now see the entrance and it will help getting back on to the  roadway without getting run over.

This picture is out of sequences, the Zone Leaders went with us to see if there was a project that we could help with.

After the working part of the project we taught the kids the song " Children Holding Hands around the world

The kids wanted to have a picture with the missionary's

Then we went to our apartment cleaned up a bit and had lunch.  Sister Ivie's nature will not allow someone to leave our home without food.

This is our mighty warriors after a job well done.

This Travis Lybbert talking to the deaf kids at Asikuma.  The Lybberts and the Ivies  have committed to keep the school operating for at least three more months.  They were having a parents meeting as we arrived to tell the kids and parents the school was closing for Christmas break and would not be starting again after the first of the year.

Rockwell, the Lybberts son saw a football one of the kids had, and he motioned to see if they wanted to play while we were talking adult talk.  They all vanished in a heart beat and played for about an hour.  They all wanted to be sure the boy (Rockwell) and the girl (Hanna) came back again after the first of the year.

Elder Brown is from Australia, and his grandmother sent a christmas package to President & Sister Shulz, that  contained 50 hand made Christmas stockings that was filled with candy and several other goodies.  She requested they be given to the children.  So you guest it we knew where the box could go.  So Elder Brown, Elder Dekane, Sister Shulz,  the zone leaders from Swedru, and Sister Ivie and I met to deliver the stockings to the children on Dec 21st

Handing out the stockings

Sister Shulz was a big hit with the kids

Elder Dekane and one very happy little guy

Monday the 23rd of December we left the MTC with a thirteen new missionary's, and headed for Cape Coast for their  orientation and area assignments.  Lots of the mission was  involved in the transfer today.  All of the Elders and Sisters were pretty good sports about having to transfer two days before Christmas.

Same group as Thanksgiving, except the Bybee's were not with us.  Sister Bybee was under the weather a cold and  plugged up ears (not a good thing to having when you will be flying in an airplane in just a couple of weeks)

Travis and Rockwell Libbert