Soooo many things have happened in the last couple of months, it is hard to know where to start and what to include. One thing, to try to build a defense on,is we had a speculator night light show a couple of months back when a large electric transformer caught fire. It was seen over 15 miles away and so many people thought the Second Coming had begun. But that took all of the power down in the region for over 24 hrs..( Totally amazed that we had power back in 24 hrs.) But since then the power goes off everyday or night for up to 12 hrs. Every time you start something on the internet, meeting, laundry, or what ever, the power goes off.
The first time when it was off for 24hrs. we started our generator the next evening we had a couple of girls want to charge their phones. So we set out an extension cord to let them. With- in a half hour we had over 14 devises hooked up and charging, from computers to phones to emergency lights. It is one of the few times the neighbors didn't mind to noise from the generator.
The random loss of power has a real effect on trying to get some things done, like this blog, calling on Skype and so on. Oh well, enough of the complaining. Let's see what else has been happening.
Probably one of the most interesting things was a phone call informing us the Liberia and Sierra Leone missions were being closed and the missionaries were being reassigned to other missions through out the world. The Ebola threat was just too great for the Church to leave them in those two countries. We received eighteen missionaries and two senior couple missionaries. We had to travel to Accra to meet the first wave by 9:00pm in the evening and then drive them back to Cape Coast to the Mission Home. We arrived about 1:00AM, and what a trip, rain, heavy traffic and tired bodies. The missionaries had been up for over 30 hours in the transfer, because they had to travel to Portugal then to England and finally to Ghana. Then the next day we got the call to do it all over again to pick up the last group. Needless to say it was a long week and took some time to recover.
What a blessing it was to our Mission! We received an Office Couple that had been serving in the Liberia mission, and we were needing a couple in the worst way. President Stevenson had to scramble to create nine new areas to receive these missionaries. It was a nice boost to our missionary forces.
This is Elder and Sister Miles and they are from Centerville, Utah. They were serving in the Liberia Mission as the office couple. Our office couple had been the Critendons and they went home in May.
Just after our new missionary's arrived we had a mission tour by President Curtis, He is President of the West Africa Area. He and his wife taught us and we were all uplifted and inspired by their comments. He told of the challenge we faced getting the missionaries out of the two countries and the challenge the members are facing. We have a lot of humanitarian help being sent in to get them food and water and some of the important things they can't get
This is Elder and Sister Seader, They came from Sierra Leone; they are humanitarian missionaries and they have been working in Accra for several weeks helping to get supplies into Sierra Leone.
This is Elder and Sister Hanlan from Kentucky. They had received a call to serve in Liberia and then were changed to Ghana Cape Coast. They were an unexpected blessing and they are serving in Praso. We went with them to introduce them to their new home and town and what an experience! The mission had moved the zone leaders into the house when the Schiffmans left and so it was necessary to bring back the A/C, the generator, and the hot water heaters. The beds were changed back to the king size and the living room furniture was replaced. Well we were at the house about twenty minutes when the electricity went off and of course it was after dark and the generator would not produce electricity. There were no emergency lights, nor were there any pillows, sheets and ... you get the picture. It was two hours of nasty roads back to the mission home, so we went shopping downtown Prazo. Could not believe our luck but we found bedding, and emergency lights, so we camped out and survived ok. They were such troopers and didn't seem to mind. It may help He is retired military and they have lived all over the world. They have been such a great help and they are wonderful people we love.
Yaw is living at the Children's Home and seems to be doing ok. We stop and see him once a week when we can. He walking better, but still hasn't found the need to talk, or find his way to the toilet by himself.
You may recognize this clinic check in, this is where we had to bring Yaw when he had Malaria. Well one Sunday morning Sister Ivie had been down for a couple of days with no energy and diareha. We went to the clinic and got a IV treatment. She tested negative for malaria but the treated her for anyway.
You just got to love the open air clinics and the wild life that just wanders around where ever they want.
This is not the kind of Sunday anyone wants to have, she at least had a blanket under her and thank goodness for her driving pillow. We were there for four or five hours.
We have had lot of experience this last month with hospitals, and clinics. First we had two missionaries that needed dental work. Unfortunately they waited until the couldn't be filled and the tooth had to be extracted. Another experience you do not want to have in Ghana. Then we have had two elders with extreme cases of malaria, one had to be taken from Praso to Accra by ambulance, Elder Hanlan followed on the bumper of the ambulance and has hair raising tales to tell. Sister Hanlan was in the ambulance and you do not want to know her thoughts. They both were glad to have angels attending and protecting. After being in Accra with Hanlan's and the missionary for four days we were all able to return to the mission.
No hospital experience is complete with out having a visit to the maternity ward. You may remember our good friend Grace Wallace who has the nursery school. Well it finally came time to have her little baby. She had to take a couple of suitcases and a bag or two to have what she would need. She had to have her own linen, cloths for her and the new baby, diapers, blanket, food, water and any other necessity for her several day stay at the hospital.
Well meet Melody Ann Ivie Wallace, healthy 8 lbs baby girl. Mother and baby are fine. This was taken at her 1 week check up. Sister Ivie is definitely getting her grammy fix.
The Winneba district had a service project to teach 350 kids about the Savior on a special Saturday get together. We were ask to help, so Sister Ivie helped line out six different stations to have an activity or a lesson. Then every 20 minute they would change area's. Pretty ambitious for a two day notice
The school was a little way out in the bush and we had to walk to the school. It took about fifteen minutes and was literally out by itself in the bush.
We were greeted by a mob of kids that was very happy to have us come to their gathering. There are several school that come together on Saturday for special instruction. We prepared to have them in six groups and had a special flag with a special color to follow as they moved from group to group. We played games, had races, sang special songs, learned about the birth of the Savior, the importance of prophets and why we should all pray.
After four hours of fun it was time to gather for pictures and walk back to where the taxis could pick up the missionaries. We left the flags for them to enjoy for coming get togethers.
Well for all of you who have been to Accra and saw a new mall being built on the West side of town, it is now officially open. Can you believe it even has a underground parking garage, which we appreciated because it was raining cats and dogs the day we went to check it out.
It is a beautiful mall and felt like we walked into any new mall opening in the United States. It has Shopco on one end and the Palace on the other end as anchors. There are several nice restaurants and fast food eating area's, a new theater, bank, new cars on display in the center courts, it just does not get any better than this
This was two transfers ago and turned out to be quite a story. Everything was progressing like it was planned, Go to the temple, take our pictures, go to the mall and have KFC and then to the airport for departure. Well I picked up the passports and the travel money and decided I would give each missionary his or her passport and money just before going to the airport. So as I was giving out passports we were one short. Elder Cavaness's passport was no where to be found. We searched the vehicles, the area around where we ate, called the Temple, and the ancillary, the travel office, Elder Wilds office and everywhere I had been that day. No Passport, No Leave on your flight, so Elder Cavaness had to miss the flight, and travel was telling us it would take two to three weeks to secure a new passport. I think I was sicker that the Elder, because I could not believe how I could have lost that passport. So early next morning Elders Julander, Hanlan, Ivie and Cavaness set off to start the process of getting a new passport. We had to go to the police station and make a report of the lost passport and get documentation to that fact, Then to the US Embasy to apply for a replacement. We arrived at 11:20 AM and were told we had to have two passport pictures (which we did not have), and $350.00 dollars(no credit cards or local currency) and then they would start the process. Only problem is they close at 12:00 Noon and are closed until the next day. We were able to get the pictures taken across the street from the Embassy and by a stroke of miracle we had US Currency between us to get the receipt from the clerk. We were back at the window by 11:50 and started the conversation. She said two weeks, and Elder Hanlan plead with her that there must be some other way. She said no, but just then a male employee came up to see what was going on. Turns out he was a member of the church from the US. He said "Just sit down and wait a few minutes" and he would see what he could do. Ten minute later we walked out of the Embassy with a Passport and documentation for the airlines to allow him on a flight that evening if we could get the tickets. The travel office at the Area Office couldn't believe what just took place, and they were able to re Issue his tickets and he departed one day late instead of two weeks late. Totally a miracle!!!
It turns out this is the last group of new missionaries that we will be picking up from the MTC. From here on President Stevenson is going to send the big orange car to pick them up on Tuesday and take them to the Mission Home. There he will interview each one; they will have supper together and then stay the night. The next morning they will get their assignments and be off to the trotro station and go to their areas. All of the other transfers will be happening at the same time. Those Elders and Sisters that are departing will come to the Mission Home for their final interview, last supper and testimony meeting. They will stay at the Mission Home for the night and the next morning (Thursday) we will take them to the Temple, and Dinner, and Airport.
We hired this car from Winneba to drive to the MTC on Tuesday morning and pick up the missionaries and their luggage, and then drive to Cape Coast.
The Couples are still going to go to help transport the departing missionaries and their luggage to the Temple, and on out to the Airport. Most of them will be able to go shopping and dinner right after the temple, and then drive home or stay in Accra over night if they want. We will be staying with the missionaries until they are through customs and immigration. Several time in the recent past the travel office have not had the work permits renewed and we have to pay additional fees at the airport. So we hang around until they are all through and into the gate area. We usually stay with friends in Accra and then travel home the next day.
The Elders in Swedru have been very busy these past weeks and have had a lot of success. Swedru 1st ward has grown to the point I have been preparing the paperwork to divide it into two wards and one branch. The paperwork was approved by the Area Presidency last week and has been sent to Salt Lake City for final approval. That is a project that has kept me very busy locating members on a map and then working out the boundary lines to have fairly equal numbers of Priesthood holders, Relief Society, young men and young women, and then there is primary. There is always enough primary children
Well with Thanksgiving next Thursday some signs of Christmas is beginning to appear in Accra at the malls. We found this beautiful nativity set that is carved wood. We purchased from the carver. So we now have two nativity sets for our Christmas Decoration. Oh did mention that this is the time of year it go back to HOT. We certainly enjoyed the rainy season while it lasted.
I hope this fills in some of the gaps of the past few months. It is amazing how quickly the weeks slip by. At this point there isn't anyone coming to replace us. The first of December it will be three months until we leave. We are beginning to feel just how hard it will be to leave. The people here are so good and faithful and there is so much help needing to be done. It has been a great place to serve. A couple of you out there had ought to come and see what we are talking about.
No comments:
Post a Comment