Time Flies

I absolutely do not know where the time has gone since my last post.  I am so sorry because I know there people that keep checking to see what we are up to.  I have gone back into my pictures to try and see a few of the things that have made the time go so quickly.

It is still a wonder every evening or so the beautiful sunsets, but they only last about 5 to 10 minutes at the most.

This is looking west out of our front porch

When we were preparing our house for the floor tile this is the way they mix the cement thin-set.  They mix it in the room they will be laying the tile.  It was about two inches thick

The painting crew was very excited to have their picture taken and wanted me to take there picture every day.  We were finally able to move into our new home just before Kristy and Travis arrived.

We had a mission district training in Prozo.  We stayed with the Schiffman's and had a great weekend.  On Sunday we went to Hemang for the District Conference.  It was held in the auditorium at the Forever Young Campus.  Forever Young was started by Billy Johnson, who was one of the original pioneers of Ghana. He purchased the property over twenty years ago with the dream of building a school and providing education to children from primary thru senior high school  His son Brigham and daughter in law now run the school with support from Steve Young and Elder Gays group.

This a portrait of Billy Johnson that hangs in the main office.  He died a little over a year ago.  To prepare for the funeral his son built an auditorium to have the service in.  It now serves the school and is where the church holds meetings for the Branch and the District.

It is a beautiful piece of property that is located in a palm grove.  There is a special place at the back of the property where Billy Johnson is buried.  This is Elder Schiffman walking up to the main House and Office

Brigham and his family live in the upper story with the offices on the main level.

This is President Schulz and the District President.  The district president is translating President Schulz last message to the district.  The Area Presidency has asked that the teaching be done in English and can be translated into the native language or if it is given in the native tongue it is to be translated into English.  

This is the Chief of Hemang and he attended the District Conference and afterwards wanted to have his picture taken with Elder Schiffman and Elder Ivie

He really wanted his picture with our wives.  We took several and He made sure someone had their arm around him.  Funny guy

This is Bishop Asari and Samson in front of the Accra Temple.  Samson is one of Sister Ivies piano students and He was going to the Temple today for the first time.

Sister Ivie trying out her drumming skills.  We were shopping for the drums that needed to be sent home in Schulz's shipping container.  So some time in the future the Ivie children will get a drum like  the one she is playing

 A couple of our special Sister Missionary's  Sister Klass and Sister Ndenga.  I have a fun video of the Elders playing basketball but no still pictures and for some reason I can't get the video upload properly.

Elder and Sister Crittenden on the front steps of the Accra Temple.  You may have noticed our departing missionary's jump off of the steps in past blogs.  Elder Crittenden took the pose but decided against the actual jump.  They finished their mission in May and we were able to take them to the airport with one final stop at the Temple.  We were able to go out for a mexican food dinner before they left.  Sister Crittenden thought is was one of her best meals eaten out.  Boys is she going to enjoy being back home.

A few days after the Crittenden's left we took Elder and Sister Schiffman to the airport.  Elder Schiffman had some medical issues that needed to be attended to at home.  We were able to take them to the airport as well.  We were so very sad to sent them home and we miss them more than words and cxpress

Just two day after the Schiffman's left for home we were back at the airport to greet Kristy and Travis and their three daughters.  Ivie, Sidney and Maggie.  This is Sister Ivie waiting so patiently for them to come out of the Immigration area.  Their plane landed a 5 AM and it was the start of a fast two weeks visit. They had been traveling for a day and half by the time the reached Ghana.

Maggie and Spencer Kimball Wallace, they became good buddy's right away. and Spencer keeps asking about Maggie.

This is the first stop on the way home from the airport.  The beach at Winneba (or windy bay)  This is a swimming pool on the beach that is filled with the rising tide.  It is several hundred years old and is still used today to protect swimmers from the under tow. It is also the first view you get of the ocean.

Travis had walked down the beach in the rain to get a picture of the fishing boat that was sitting on the beach

We met up with the Shulz's who son Matt also came to visit.  We went to the Helping Hands Orphanage, one of our favorite places to visit.  This is Jr., he is one of the older children at the home.

The kids just want to get a hold of you and they enjoy being hugged and loved.

This is only a small gathering of the children at Helping Hands.  There are about fifty kids at this home.

After the visit to the Helping Hands we went to a small village to be able to show the real side of Ghana.  These little twins are very recent arrivals and are so cute.

The village recently got a new bore hole that provides clean water to much of the village.  It has a hand pump and the kids all wanted to try it out.  They saw small children bring bucket to fill and then place them on their heads and carry the water home. I think this helped all of our family appreciate a faucet in the kitchen. 

Matt, President Schulz, Bishop Maxwell.  Maxwell and Abigail lived with the Schulz's for a while when they were going to school in the USA.  They knew President and Sister Schulz when they were in Ghana on their first mission thirteen years ago.

A couple of the village grandma's

Its always good to sit around the table with a bowl of popcorn and just visit about the days activities

We visited out to Asikuma and the Deaf School that we have told you lots about.  Ivie and Sidney were excited to help teach the kids a new game.  Duck Duck Goose.  Now you have to modify it a little when you can't hear anything, but it still works the same way

Sister Ivie still thinks she is just one of the kids and will not be left out of the fun.

The Girls loved getting to know the kids and their teachers.  They had been practicing sign language before they arrived and were anxious to learn more.  Kristy and Agnus got along very well and Kristy learned a lot of cool things in a short time.

There is much more to come but for tonight I will stop for now and will add more in the next couple of days.  Just want to say how very special it was to have Kristy's family come to visit.  Thank You