A picture of Elder Inyon, his wife, and four young children. The man on the far left is Patrick, our driver. I asked Elder Inyon how he was able to marry such a beautiful woman. He told me he prayed to God for 1 1/2 years for a wife and God answered his prayers.
Motorcycles are a very common mode of transportation in West Africa. They carry people or other various items that need to be transported from one place to another. However, on the ride from the city of Uyo to Calabar we saw a motorcycle carrying a most unusual item.I was able to pull out my I-pad just in time to snap a picture.
We have a lot of "favorite" people in Africa. One of these "favorites" is a young single adult by the name of Rebecca Mensah. She has been doing her required National Service for one year as the receptionist at the front desk in the Area Office. When she finished her National Service and the receptionist position became available, we were hoping she would be hired. To our delight, she was hired and we had a "Congratulations Party" for her. A couple of weeks later, another one of our "favorite" people, Matthew Lamptey, proposed marriage to her. Unfortunately, her non-member mother is "requiring" a "bride price" telling Rebecca she must follow the African tradition or she will not support the marriage. We are doing our best to encourage her to take the necessary "leap of faith" and follow God's traditions and not man's traditions. It is hard enough to marry here without the "bride price", but with the "bride price" it is near impossible. Often couples here will decide to get pregnant in order to marry and avoid the "bride price". One can understand why Elder Bednar called the 'bride price" Satanic when he was in Africa last year.
On the way we decided to stop and take a picture of the reason we needed a truck. Elder Call and I have declared the road to Asamankese to be the #1 worst major road we have traveled on in West Africa. The District President told us that our third trip to Asamankese earned us our PhD, i.e. an official "pot hole dodger".
As we stopped to take the picture, a young man selling coconuts saw an opportunity to make a sell. You can see him approaching in the background. By the time we were ready to leave, he was at our window wanting to sell us a coconut. Elder Call decided he deserved the sell because of his hurried walk up the road.
The milk is cool and refreshing.
The training we do in some of the smaller towns in Ghana are some of our most rewarding because those willing to go to those areas are rare, thus the members and leaders are very appreciative. The District President in Asamankese, President Wellington,shaking Elder Call's hand after the young men/young women training meeting.
I am starting to realize that our mission will be coming to an end sooner than I probably realize. As we were driving home from Asamankese, we passed a couple of typical African country side scenes. Since our speed was slow...dodging pot holes, several times I called out "Stop" to Elder Call so I could record the scene in my history...and share a piece of Africa with you.
Two young women doing wash and gathering water. Notice that the condition of the water is less than desirable. It is one reason the Church offers to drill wells in African villages as humanitarian projects. However, the villages have to be willing to maintain the wells, which does take some money. Some villages actually prefer the polluted water rather than "bother" with maintaining a well.
Young boys happily playing at the side of the road. They stopped their play to get their pictures taken. Notice one boy is holding a chicken. Chickens and goats run freely around the houses and streets.
A young girl stirring fufu over a fire. Fufu is a staple food in a Ghanaian's diet. It consists of pounding Cassava and plantain and then cooking it to make a paste-like substance that they eat with their hands with a stew or soup. 
Young boys trying to earn a little money by filling up potholes and then asking for money from the people in the cars as they pass by. We always try and stop and give them something for their efforts. It is not always money we give. Once we bought a basket of avocados to give away and another time we bought bags of water.
Hope you enjoyed those pictures of rural Africa. :) There is much poverty in Africa..but there is also a "charm" that comes with the people that is near impossible to capture on camera.
Other great news in February is that the literacy senior missionary couple we have been waiting and planning for arrived toward the end of February. Elder and Sister Heckle came and it was a pleasure to finally meet them in person. As I have mentioned before, the whole literacy initiative has been one miracle after another. As we sat and visited with the Heckles, we realized that their side of the story was also laced with miracles. From the time that Sister Heckle was 15 years old, she has desired to teach English in a foreign country. Her university studies and experiences as a single woman has finally, and miraculously landed her in Ghana with a husband that she married just 18 months ago. The hungry and longing eyes of these wonderful Ghanaian people who desire to read and write English will now begin to be satisfied.
We have been working mainly with another senior missionary, Sister Terry, to organize the literacy training and to prepare the materials. The picture is of the three of us and the boxes of supplies ready to be delivered to the first teachers to receive literacy training.
As you can see, for a "slow" month, much was accomplished, and I only mentioned some of what we did. As the "count-down" of our mission begins and the months fly by, my heart is torn. I refuse to "count" for I don't want to be reminded how soon we will be leaving Ghana, but then I look at the pictures of grandchildren in America I have not yet personally met. What a blessing to know that we have eternity to meet new people to love and continue to love those we have already met.
