Where did July, August, and September go?

        

Here we are entering the second week of October, we have been here through two or three "rainy seasons", had our one year mark, and just viewed our third General Conference from Salt Lake here in Ghana! It seems like the summer just flew by. We have noticed that when there are not any seasons before you know it another month has come and gone.  We are now down to five months before our mission will be completed.  And I'm not going to talk about that right now.

The first picture I am sharing, I "borrowed" from Regula Kradolfer . Her husband Phillipe is an amazing photographer and he took this at the Agotime Kente Festival in September  all of the Senior Missionaries were very blessed to attend this . I will show more further in my blog.

               BATIKING at Esters

    First choice to make was to look at all these foam pieces on the wall and decide what order 

    to place them.  These are each cut from a piece of foam made into a design.

    

                                 I thought mine was going to work great.

   

         

            Many colors to choose from for the dye.

    

      

 

 

        My cloth, before it dried.  After it dried the only designs to be seen was the edge.The whole       middle is too light. :(

                                         

This pot has my fabric boiling in it so the design will come out. Well, it was supposed to be cute like it looks in the picture before this.  When it dried the only design you can see is the pineapple on the sides, and the adinkra symbols on the side .  Oh well next time.

                             AGOTIME KENTE FESTIVAL EASTERN REGION GHANA 

 We were so privileged to be able to go to this Kente festival in the beginning of September.  Last year a few of the missionaries went along with Philippe Kradolfer our West Africa Director of Temporal  Affairs. Philippe is a wonderful photographer and presented a few of the Villiage "kings" a picture of them, great PR for the church.  Having done that, he was invited back this year as the honored guest photographer. A month before the festival his assignment was changed to be back in Utah . He still came back and brought his daughter to be his assistant and take amazing photos . It was tiring for us just to watch him with all his energy running from group to another, climbing up trees, on top of trucks, however he could get the best shot.  Here are some of my snapshots of the memory of the Kente Festival.

                                              A Village King Arrives

  

       

Villiage Kings

 

                   All the colors were amazing.

    

                                           Beautiful twins dancing in the festival.

    

           Lynn giving a geography lesson, " where in the world is Salt Lake City Utah"

 

            My friend ( and everyone elses )for the weekend, Emmanuel . He had a great smile.

        

           Pottery in the making

   

    

    

    

  

    

    

           Finished product...

     

    

                Using the finished product...

           Pottery on the head, baby on the back.

    

                                   Reenactment of war, everyone in red

    

     

    This guy came up and wanted his picture taken with me... Haha

    

       Part of the walking parade coming into the town.

    

       Women waiting to be " auctioned" off..the reenactment 

    

       Wonderful Sister Missionaries plus Brother Kradolphers daughter.

             Elders of the Kente Festival showing the many Kente Ties.

    

       

    We had such a great weekend at the festival, with these great couples. The entertainment was great and we were treated as special guests if the festival, thanks to Phillipe Kradolpher.  Everyone was very welcoming to us all.  We were also able to see The Cosgraves in Ho.  They had other commitments so were unable to join us.  We did meet up with at their home . We are lucky enough to be able to do fun activities with the other missionaries.  Everyone of these wonderful people are serving here, we are all in the same way of missing our children and grand children, but glad to serve the people here in Ghana .  We all feel blessings of being here, and are greatful for this opportunity to be missionaries and share the Gospel with those who want to know more. 

     

It's Ghana all Day Every Day

                      Sights we see every day on our way home. There

           are a group of men who sit off to the side if the road and paint on the cement

        block wall.   One of the men came over to our window one day while I was talking to

       Halie on FaceTime . He said hello to her and went back to what he was doing. :)

          

        

                    

        

                 

                               On the wall in Jamestown . The oldest part of Accra .

         

                              These are a couple of paintings that were in the apartment.

              

                                       

         

                                             Colorful Sights along side of the road

                                    

                                                 Bountiful fruits displayed

                   

       

        In the baskets you can see " sun dried " fish they are selling.

       

              Not sure where I saw this....but I liked it. It paints the REAL Accra...confusion!

       

               We see this wall everyday on our way home.  Thought it was interesting how they were 

               Free painting this advertisement for frytol oil.

       

                                                         The finished wall .

      

                      Headdress activity with the other sister missionaries . For some reason

        when we " obrunies " or " white " ladies try to wear the fabric on our heads, we look silly.

                                           Where the African women look beautiful!

          

       

           

              

          

                                                             Sister Elmer!

     

       

                                                          Sister Peterson!

    

                                                           Sister Cannon !

                                                  Look at cute Sister Curtis!

    

                          And then.....me!

     

                   The group ! We did a parade around the Area Office ( Yeap we did )Felt like we 

   Were wearing our shower caps! Haha all the Ghanians were taking our pictures ! Oh the things 

    we do! Fun times!

    

             Another fun outing with some of the Ladies , we went to the basket lady..

     

                            Jamestown with The Parkes - the oldest part of Accra 

                           Looking out across the area from the lighthouse

    Taking a tour through the fishing Villiage . We met up with about 12 other missionaries. 

         Walking through the streets, the children LOVE their pictures taken.

                                           Sweet little girl on the road.

                                                                                  Just visiiting

                                                         

 Elder Bullock showing them their pictures.

       Thought this little child was so cute pulling around the bowl with dried fish it it. It was almost as big 

        him!

                                                                

           At the top of Jamestown lighthouse 

                             

       All is well, I have so many more pictures to post.  I will finish with this one today. At this time we are almost to 11 months on our mission! These pictures are from a couple of months ago. Ghana has been good to us, yes we miss everyone like crazy at home, but time will be passing by even faster these next 7 months.  We are grateful for our many experiences we are having here in Ghana . :)