Thanksgiving and Christmas in Ghana 2013

                              January 2014 ! 

                                          

Meet our precious new granddaughter - Preslie Kathleen born December 28, 2014!  I think little Ev thinks she's her baby doll , so sweet.  Congrats to Kylie & Daniel !

                                            

                ( When we walked out of the church we had to take this picture, it was so pretty.)

As I wrote the date today I can't believe it's already January 2, 2014!  We actually made it through Thanksgiving , and Christmas, a new grand daughter and now onto a new year.  We have so much to be thankful for in 2013. Our health, our children's health, the health of our grandchildren, our two new little grandchildren, our many friends, and our new friends here in Ghana .  It's been quite a year.  Last year if anyone would have told me that I would be in West Africa in 2013, I would have said, " not there  is no way I'll  be in West Africa ". Actually I know I was told that and I did say that.  But I now realize what I would have been missing out on had we not been blessed to come to Africa.  Now as we drive the streets and get lost we don't feel nervous at all. We just know that we will find our way around and we are not threatened at all.  Today we even walked down the Main Street to get me some eye drops for a small infection I seem to have.  This was my first time walking the " real" street.  As we passed by the small shops, and people sitting around, we would say " hello" and they smile and say " good morning".  This is what happens all the time, just a simple smile and " you are welcome " to say hello. We have gotten use to the beggars on the street and have a few favorite that we like to say hello to and give spare change.  On Independence ( the main road to go almost anywhere ) at one of the lights as we stop there are a group of four young men who run up to the car to wash the windshield.  As they come running up with big smiles, " missionaries! Missionaries! A few times we have been out of change, and they just say" that's ok, next time". One time Lynn asked " why do you like the missionaries ? He smiled and said," they are nice to us ", yes they have us pegged , ( all of us ).  You do feel for these poor people but we also realize we can't help them all, but the little change we have we give out and we love the " bless you " that we get in return.

                                                 Saturday Outings

We have been able to go to the movies a few times since we have been here it's kind of funny, you go to the theater at the mall, watch an American movie and kind of forget where you are until you walk back outside. It's a very different feeling.  We have seen Gravity, Catching Fire, Frozen my favorite.  We  have learned to try and go to the Saturday afternoon movie so that when we come outside it is still light .  It is not fun to drive here in Ghana when it's dark. There are no street lights, you can't see the people, and they cross right in front of you as if it is the middle of the day. Oh and the tro- tros ( minivan taxes )get even crazier pulling out in front of you.  So yes we TRY to avoid the night. We are told the mosquitoes come out at dark too. :)

              Some of our happenings these last few months:

Thanksgiving at President & Sister Hills home. About 60 or so of us.  We had turkey and everything that goes with it!  The Area Office REALLY tries to take care of us!

Elder & Sister Scoville , we were sad they had to leave to go home in December, Elder Scoville was playing with a little child and was kicked in the eye.  Years ago he had had a cornea transplant, so this was not good. He left right away to go to England to save his eye, but had to be transferred to Virginia. We hear he will be fine, we are sorry they had to leave in such a hurry. 

                               TK Beads

So we decided to go to Auburi Gardens with the Calls.  We stopped by "TK Beads" along the way.  

We had the tour and saw how glass beads were made.  How they crush the glass bottles that have been collected. Then put glass into molds and put them in the fire to melt it.  Paint, fire it again. Depending if the bead is a solid glass or translucent in color is how long they " bake" them in the adobe ovens.  Of course you have to buy some beads before you leave, so I did and made a few little necklaces.

                             

   

                                                         Auburi Gardens:

These Gardens used to be very well taken care of when the British were " in charge", now a lot of over growth has taken over. Some of the trees were massive, and looked quite old.

                                       

                                

    Walking through the park these two young men ( Micheal & Moses ) ran up to Lynn & Terry and said they wanted to introduce themselves and find out who we all were.  As the conversations went on for a few minutes about the church, they were given a Book of Mormon by the Calls. They were great, we left and after a few days one of the boys called and asked Terry if he would pay for his college, haha we get that a lot.  :)

                                    

                                   

                             I can only imagine how beautiful this road must have been years ago.

                                                   Lunch at "Hillburi Inn"

Then onto Christmas Celebrations!

Lunch at the SRC with our volunteers!  A very nice lunch was caterered and arranged  by our branch manager Alex Tandoh.  He was very kind to get some " obruni " food along with the traditional Ghanaian food.  Fun day with the entertainment from the volunteers, and then we provided the "Santa pass along" game.  This was loved by all.  We had bought " American" candy to pass around. :)

  We have come to love these great volunteers.  We laugh, joke around ,tease, teach and learn with them all.

    A very nice catered lunch provided by our manager Alex Tandoh . They served the traditional

   African Banku, fish soup, fried yams, Jolaif rice, and the chicken, rice, vegetables, salad for us  

  "  Obrunies ".

Our entertainment:    Collins, Samuel , Johnson , Emanuel below 12 days of Christmas Ghanaian style.

    

   Santa pass along game that we always play with our family.  Everyone LOVED this. We had wrapped a bunch of American candy bars we found at a store.

                                                            CAPE COAST

After Thanksgiving we had a break at Christmas Time and went to Cape Coast with the Cannons'. It's very interesting going through the small towns/ villages.  Such humble circumstances.  

                                 

            

                                              On the road to Cape Coast Ghana

                             

 

We went to the Cape Coast Slave Castle.  This was one of the saddest places ever. Here  there would be 800 people at a time waiting to be sent off to the Philippeans and South America for slave trade. Both men and women. It could be months that they would be here in the stone rooms with no lights, bathrooms, little food, and water.  They slept on the floor, a lot of time they were chained together. The weak would die and be put in the ocean.  Husbands and wives were separated a long with their children.  Only the stronger people would be taken to the ships.  In the ships they were mstanding chained side by side for weeks at a time before they reached their destination . Not very many survived the horrible circumstances they were in.

                                 

                      The wall where the water used to come up too and the ships came in.

                Here we are walking back up from below the fort.  We felt bad as we were walking right through somebody's place they lived. We just smiled and said hello.

                                      My buddy Emanuel , he was making sure we were safe walking along the rocks.  We were not quite in climbing attire.

            The fishermen mending their nets. ( I think there is scripture that goes with this :) )

          Pretty colorful looking at these old fishermen boats.  They work hard for very little, but this is how they survive.

                                        Onto  Coconut Grove Resort our " Hawaii " :)

                     Lovely picture after our walk on the beach picking up sea shells . Haha

                                     

                                   

                                                          The sea is not very calm.

                                    

                                                                  African sunset.

                                

 

I know I couldn't do this if I tried.  I am amazed how much the African people carry on their heads. Even starting at a very young age, they keep their hands free and carry on their heads.  It always catches our attention when someone is carrying anything in their hands, even a child on a hip and not on the mothers back is very rare to see.  We enjoyed our two days away from the city and then it was back to the big city of Accra.

 

                                           Merry Christmas 2013 Tema MTC  

                                       

  Lynn drawing a picture on their heads.  It was a fireplace, stockings hanging up, a present etc.

  Some looked pretty good, others...not so. :)

         

                           

                         When there is a gathering, there is ALWAYS GREAT food! They day went well. There were seven young missionaries that also joined us.  We played the white elephant game and had a great time. I'm sure my white elephant gift will be regifted next year. Maybe I should keep that to myself.  I'm sure you would agree.

                             

 

         Then we all went home to make our FaceTime calls!!  Hope everyone had a wonderful

          Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior.  Have a Happy and blessed New Year, 

          from us here in Ghana to you wherever you may be, we love you all.