IT'S WHAT WE DO (PART B)

Elder Day getting some blood work done

Sister J. is responsible for taking care of health problems the missionaries encounter. They call her with concerns from ingrown toenails to Malaria and Typhoid. The most common cure she prescribes is "drink more water." The missionaries walk all day in the hot sun, and most don't drink near enough. This creates an environment for many different health issues to occur.

(above and below left) Sister J. instructing

We have the opportunity to instruct the missionaries every few months. We use a curriculum that Elder J. helped develop. 
Sister J. was a little nervous at first, but has
really enjoyed this part of our assignment.

Elder J. discusses eternal values and agency, and Sister J. teaches about creating "SMART" goals and reducing fear.

The response from the missionaries has been very positive. They actively participate, and often ask for us to follow-up with them, either as a district or individually.

Elder J. instructing

It has been one of the most rewarding things we have done here. One missionary is taking the information home so he can teach his siblings and others in his ward.

Here is a picture of the Takoradi District before the instruction.

And here is a picture of the district after our instruction. You can see how enlightened  we are.













We sing to all the missionaries in our area on their birthday. We have written words to a tune we know, and compose a few personal verses for each missionary. Then we sing it to them as close to their birthday as possible.
                                                                        



          

We secretly collect as much information as possible on each missionary so (hopefully) the verses are clever and specific. Elder Affy (above) is learning English, and had to have one of our verses explained to him after it was over. Then he laughed even harder.

                                            We also give each one a birthday gift. They have their choice of
                                            a CD (Called To Serve by the Tab Choir), or a goodie bag which
                                            contains (among other things) Pop Tarts, a big temptation for some.

In Ghana, the traditional birthday celebration includes being doused with water. Here is Elder Chishinji getting "soaked" from head to toe.





                         

Here we are singing to the "soaked" Elder Chishinji.  We've had a few of the African missionaries tell us this is the first birthday present they have ever received. We love these missionaries, and love singing to them....many their 1st personalized.







              
                                                                                                     ....TRANSFERS....

We have a Nissan truck which we use occasionally to transport missionaries. Our most and least favorite time to do this is the big transfer home. We take the departing missionaries to the mission home,  then to Accra the next day to attend the temple and then to the airport.

                                                 The "departees" have a final meal at the mission home of their
                                                 favorite food here in Ghana - fufu. This is plantain and
                                                 casava pounded together and served with chicken in Light Soup.



 
         They have time to relax, get bags weighed, and write in each
         others journals.

Elder Pearmain

We also purchased a journal for the missionaries to write in. Here is Elder Pearmain writing very nice comments in
ours....... or else!







                                                                                            



          At the end of the first day, the missionaries get their travel packet, including tickets, itinerary,  
         passports, medication for malaria and de-worming, and some emergency money. Then they bear
         their testimonies for the last time in the mission and go to bed.

Morning comes early, and there are always group pictures to be taken. Each missionary receives a banner with the mission name, their name and the years they served.

   

You'd think we would get bored doing this transfer after transfer, but we don't. This is the last group we took to the airport.

                                                      We love the Accra temple. It is the most beautiful building
                                                      in Ghana. We are excited that the people in Ivory Coast are
                                                      getting their own temple. They come here by busloads.

Elder Quaisie

It's very difficult saying goodbye to all our amazing missionaries. Especially for those like Elder Quaisie, who we hope to see again in this life, but most likely will not.

Elder Egbert

                                                                 Some we know we will see when we get home.

Elder Odongo

Sister Modimakwani

Elder Omokoh

     
These are just a few of the missionaries we worked with. We wish we had the time and space for all their pictures.
          

           One tradition that persists, in spite of the mission president, is jumping off of the temple stairs.
           Here they are in various stages of flight.

                    Here is another favorite site for pictures. This transfer saw six sisters and one elder leave.

            We included this pic, because it is our favorite. Everyone is in the air, and look at the faces......



                                                                       MUSIC IN THE TAKORADI STAKE

                                               Can you find Sister J. in this picture of the stake choir practice?
                                               It's easier than it was when she was in the Tabernacle Choir.

For Stake Conference, we had these fancy choir duds sewn for us. We really had a good time with these people, and love being with them.









                                                                                                                                                                  

I don't know how they looked on us, but they somehow looked nice on everyone else.

The stake music director had us get together and perform a concert of "jazz" songs. The community was invited, and we had a good time. This is the only picture we took during one of the rehearsals. The man, Kwaw, is not a member (but should be), and plays a mean jazz piano.






We have both taught piano lessons with keyboards provided through a grant. If they complete the course and promise to teach others, they get to keep the keyboard. Some drop out when the lessons become difficult, but some have remained faithful. Porshia took several lessons outside the church by emergency light because the power was off. We learned through sad experience NOT to use the truck lights to see.

Sister J. conducting a ward choir rehearsing for ward conference

Sister J. has been called upon several times to assist a ward choir that was struggling. We all had fun, and the choir sounded much better than before she came.










                                                                                                                                                               

Do you recognize the yellow vest? With around 200 members, we cleaned a section of the city of Sekondi where we live. All the wards and branches participated in the national "Helping Hands" clean-up day.

For exercise and for fun we often walk around the town. There are a lot of friendly people, and some really cool paths we have discovered. It's not unusual to have gospel conversations on our walks.

Our days are never boring, and we never get tired of serving with our amazing missionaries and these incredible people in this beautiful country. We are so blessed!

IT'S JUST WHAT WE DO!  (Part A)

We've had a lot of people ask us what we do here in Ghana. Well, we do a lot of different things, so we'll portray in pictures most of the things that occupy our time. This is not a comprehensive list, but we hope you get a better idea of what we're doing with our time.

Elders Affy, Ntlhaakgosi, and Cowan learn how to clean the stove.

Every transfer (6 weeks) we do "Apartment Checks", going to each of the 14 apartments in the Western Region and check to makes sure they are clean and well kept.

Elder Nielsen being "taught"

We have taken a little different approach, asking the missionaries to rate their cleanliness, and then taking time to teach
them the "doctrine" and the "principles" of cleanliness.

Elders Joseph, Barlow, Tu'akoi, & Nielsen

Then we commit them to improve in some areas.

Elder Price showing his "clean" bedroom to the skeptical Sister Julander.

 There are, of course, consequences if the missionaries don't comply. Resistance is futile.

Elder Pearmain assisting Elder Julander, or vice versa.

 The missionaries cook with propane, 
so we have been delivering tanks to the apartments when they are "finished"
(empty).

Sister Fani assisting Elder J. She's stronger than I am.

Since most of the couples in the mission are leaving soon, this part of our job will be done by an individual in the area. We will not be sad to give up carting these cylinders around.

Elders Joseph & Tu'akoi can see themselves now.

We mix exercise with delivering items to the closer apts.

Installing a new countertop at Mpintsin apt.

Painting Shama apt. kitchen. It was the dark blue visible at the edge.

We occasionally get to do a major project in an apartment. We get to see the drastic change and enjoy making things nicer for these great missionaries we serve.





Word got out that Sister J cuts hair. These are some of her victims........

Elder Stoddard

Elder Nielsen

                                                                                                             

Elder McGuire

Elder Wasden

Elder Halterman

Elder Price

Elder Kaiser

She hasn't cut any of the sister missionaries hair. They have lots of wigs and weaves and such, and they have theirs done locally. Only one African elder has let her cut his hair. They like it done by the local barbers. The local barbers don't know what to do with the fine, straight hair of the Americans and Europeans, so Sister J is in demand with them.







Elder J. is a counselor in the mission presidency, and meets with the five branches in the Western Region. The branches don't get together for pictures very often, but here are two.

Last years picture of the Agona branch just before the Shulz's left to come home.

The Nkroful branch. The center couple (girl in blue) was just married.

                          Elder J gets to attend meetings, help solve problems, oversee audits, and other things, but his favorite is interviewing prospective missionaries, and members for temple recommends.

These are members of the Agona Nkwanta Branch going home after the Sunday meetings. We love the bright colors.










                                                                                      

In every branch, there are wonderful missionaries. Here are six that served in the Axim Branch. Elders Thipe, Quaisie, Ofordeme, Labrum, Godvindsamy, and Hartman.

Agona primary.

We love the kids here. The branches have many, and primary is well attended. Often there are only two primary workers and kids range in age from 18 months to 11 years. In Axim they had 2 primary workers and over 35 kids. We were left alone with them for a few minutes, and it solicited feelings of abject fear.

Axim primary, where they all meet together in the same room for 2 hours.. Go ahead and count them. There were more lurking in the shadows, washrooms and asleep on the floor at the back. And only TWO adults! They have since divided them into the junior and senior primary with two adults each. We love these cute kids.

Elder J with the Relief Society president and two of the Laurels of the Axim Branch.

Sister & Elder Tetteh & Sister & Elder Adjei

 These two wonderful couples were called to serve as special missionaries in the Axim Branch. Both men have been bishops, and both still serve on the Takoradi Stake high council. Sister Adjei continues to serve as Relief Society president in her ward. They are a great strength to Axim with their unselfish service.

Quarterly training meeting with branch leadership

Elder J. handing Arthur Young his mission call. He is the 5th member of the Agona branch currently serving.
Number six is waiting for his call.

Sisters Kasim & Asare with their investigators after the baptismal interviews. Elder Baldwin did one, and I did the other.

Sisters Udoh & Fani with their investigator after a wonderful baptismal interview. The brother was interpreting for Elder J.

Elder J. with Sister Pricilla after she had opened her mission call. She's the first missionary called from the Axim branch

Elder J couldn't resist taking this picture. These are primary kids outside a home where he was interviewing. He labeled it "the future bishopric".

Elders Hanneman & Dearing with their baptismal candidate. He gave us these huge bananas from his tree.






Baptisms are such a joy, and they are plentiful here in Ghana.

Baptisms are sometimes difficult. The water was not flowing in Sekondi, and the font in the chapel had to be filled by hand from the cistern. Elder Williams and Elder Boamah are hard at work getting water to fill the font. A member was the only one willing to go into the cistern.










Elders Joseph, Halterman & Nielsen assist in filling the font. Even Elder J carried in buckets.

            Members in Agona survey the font prior to a baptism. The black tank in back stores water.

Elders Lucas & Omokoh with baptismal candidate

Elders Boama & Nielsen with Candidate

                 This is part A. Part B will follow as soon as we get a few moments.