March 2015 in Ghana

March in Africa starts the beginning of the rainy season.  It never gets real dry in Africa because of the amount of vegetation and the proximity to the ocean, but the rainy season brings the much welcomed greener grasses.

March was another month of training. It began with Young Men/Young Women training in Nkawkaw (pronounced cocoa with an "n" on the front) and Sunyani. Nkawkaw is north of Accra and lies at the base of some picturesque but steep mountains.




Elder Call and President Koomson, the District president.

The training in Sunyani was a special treat because Sarah and baby Anson had gone to Sunyani to spend several weeks with Sarah's mother-in-law.  In between church meetings and the training, we were able to visit with Sarah for awhile and hold that little baby.

I decided in order to be a "real" Ghanaian grandma, I needed to carry a baby like a Ghanaian grandma.  So, with the help of Sarah, I was able to "tie" Anson to my back.  It is actually quite a comfortable way to carry a baby and it has the advantage of allowing freedom to your hands in order to do other tasks.







March 6, 2015 marked the 58th anniversary of Ghana's Independence from England.  As in the States, the Ghanaians celebrate their Independence Day.  The biggest celebration most undoubtedly occurs in Accra at Independence Square.  Elder Call and I and several other senior missionaries decided to attend.  Independence Square is close to the ocean and Accra's soccer stadium, which you can see in the background.

We got there one hour early, but most seats were already taken, but with the help of some kind Ghanaians, Elder Call and I were able to sit together.  The program began with a procession of school children.  Ghanaians are very proud of their children.  Hundreds of school children, representing several schools in the area, marched out, perfectly in step, onto the square.  The school children here all wear uniforms so you can tell the school by the different colored uniforms.

There was a long talk (which we didn't understand) and then several government agencies put on a display including the military, the firefighters, and the police.  There were also cultural dances and music.  After a couple of hours we decided to leave, but most Ghanaians seemed inclined to stay.  We don't know when it officially ended. 

 

March also saw the arrival of Elder and Sister Heckel.  Sister Heckel has received training and experience with adult literacy.  When we learned of their desire to serve a mission, Elder Dube called and invited them to serve a mission in West Africa to help roll out the literacy initiative the Area Presidency has wanted.  We and Sister Terry have been doing the preliminary work to prepare for their arrival.  March began the first training with the literacy teachers.  It has been a pleasure to learn from Sister Heckel.  She also incorporates the "Come, Follow Me" teaching techniques Elder Call and I have been teaching for over 18 months so it was fairly easy to watch her and then apply the knowledge in teaching adult literacy to train literacy teachers ourselves. 

The picture is of the first literacy teacher training meeting.  We had gotten everything ready and were just waiting for the teachers/leaders to arrive. Sister Heckel is standing, then Sister Terry and Elder Call and I.

 

March was also a special month for Elder Call and I got to teach two lessons in Sister Scripture Study.  Every Monday morning the sister senior missionaries have scripture time together.  Each week a different sister is assigned to teach a particular set of scriptures.  This year we are studying the Book of Mormon. I was assigned to teach the second half of the Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi, and was excited when I saw my particular scripture block.  Then the sister who had the first half of the Isaiah scriptures was scheduled to be out of town, so she asked Elder Call to substitute for her.  This was actually the second time Elder Call has come to Sister Scripture Study.  I was particularly excited for then we could teach the Isaiah scriptures together.  So, Elder Call and I took two weeks to teach 2 Nephi 12-24.  It was great "fun", just wish we could have been given even more time. 

 



Elder Call and I after teaching Sister Scripture Study.

March was also the month we did an Area-wide training in the Young Single Adult programs. We chose a local stake YSA committee to be our example.  We reviewed the YSA activities they had planned for the year; their challenges and successes.  Then we gave them name tags to wear and changed the stake committee to a multistake committee and planned a mock multistake activity.  We feel the training on a whole went well, though there were some audio problems at some of the sites.  The teleconference went to 27 sites throughout West Africa including, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia.  The picture is of the Ashaiman Stake Young Single Adult Committee.

 

A picture of Elder Call and the IT specialist, Charles, that helped set up the teleconference.

 

 

The last picture is of a man named Edmond.  He is a janitor here at the Area Office.  We see him often, and with Elder Call's "friendly ways" we have gotten to know most the staff here.  One day he asked if he could come and visit with us.  We said, "Sure".  He told us that he was a single father trying to raise his three boys.  His wife left him seven years earlier and he has since been struggling to raise his boys and pay for their schooling. We immediately were concerned because we have been told not to give money to the employees and they have been told not to ask for money from the missionaries.  However, as he proceeded we learned he only wanted a loan.  When Elder Call made it clear that it was only a loan and agreed on the time it would be paid back, we gave him the money. 

 

When Edmond came in to pay, he told us "things" had been hard, and he only had 1/2 the amount of money to pay us.  We agreed to give him more time and Elder Call asked him if he had considered getting remarried.  He told us he had and, in fact, had selected "the lady" he wanted to marry.  He had visited with her parents but they were requiring a bride price and so he wasn't sure when they could marry.  Elder Call spoke to him for some length about talking with his future bride and having her speak with her parents about following the church leaders and not paying the bride price.  He seemed to be attentive and want to follow Elder Call's advice, but Africans often say "Yes" or agree just to be polite.

Several days later, Edmond came to pay the rest of the money.  He pulled it out of his pocket and gave it to us.  Elder Call then asked him about his marriage plans.  He told us that he had spoken with "the lady" and she was going to visit with her parents about "putting aside the list".  He said they had picked a date as Elder Call suggested and planned on getting married August 8th, which was his future bride's Birthday. 

 

Elder Call then told Edmond how much he respected him for his integrity and also trying to follow the prophets in eliminating the bride price.  He then took the money Edmond gave him and said, "I would like to give you a wedding gift, take this money and we wish you the best for your future".

 

 

The reason I relate that story is not to brag about my wonderful husband, of which I do have. :) But because the story exemplifies how our Father in Heaven deals with us His children.  He asks us to do certain things, and when we do, He blesses us.  He can not bless us, however, until we do as He has asked.

 

I am grateful for a Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ who can bless me far beyond what I can imagine.  This is His Church, we are engaged in His work...I know that!!!