1-7 February 2016

We went for a drive  and passed this hill.
  It's an abandoned termite mound.  We were
looking for some botanical gardens.  Pres.
Brubaker was trying to follow Google Maps
but it didn't really work too well. We never
found the botanical gardens, but it was fun
to get out into the country. 

Each community seems to have their own school
uniform. Many of the schools are affiliated with churches and that may be the reason for the
 uniforms.  The students always look so nice
and neat and the girls always have dresses or
skirts.

Near the community of Dodowa, the uniforms
are brown and yellow,  This group of teenagers
were willing to let us take their picture.  The
adults prefer not to. I asked a lady if I could take
her picture and she said, "No. I don't like my face."

This is the Dodowa outdoor market.  It's pretty
big and very interesting people. 

Bright colors abound with bright red peppers, drab
yams and ginger root and very interesting looking
dried fish.

Onions look like onions wherever you are. These
ladies had no problem with me taking a picture. 

Paula and Sister Brubaker love the fabrics.  Even
in little Dodowa they found fabric to buy.

These are wooden vessels they make for the pounding
of cassava root to make Fufu.  Interesting that tapioca
 is made from the same root.
On our way home, we kind of got lost, driving over dirt roads
with big pot holes, etc.  It was a real adventure.  We finally
found the motorway but going the wrong direction so had
to go almost to Accra before turning around!

We stopped at the "Dress Tree" and Paula and Sister
Brubaker tried on dresses.  One size "fits" all.  Loel and
Pres Brubaker were laughing at us from the car, trying
on dresses over our clothes with no mirrors, just each
other to look at.  Especially dresses hanging from a
tree, right beside a busy road.  

This the shop of Bernice, She's a member of the
Church and devotes a large amount of her time to
charitable work.  This man came into her shop
selling air fresheners and she asked him he needed
work.  He did so she trained him as a seamstress
and now he has an occupation. He's sewing on
a little porch in
front of her shop.

More of the many fabric designs available.
I'm having a skirt made from her shop.

We bought a coupe of baskets for the apartment and we're trying to
 figure out how to get them home.  They are very
pliable and fold easily.

Baskets are woven from local grasses. We really
enjoy the baskets.

When we arrive here I saw these cars driving around
 with yellow fenders. I thought, "Boy,there are a lot of
cars with replacement fenders and they buy them from
the same place". Then I realized they are taxis and this
 one of the ways they identify taxis.

This is the Presidential palace.  We have no idea
why it's called Flagstaff

Sister Hill, the departing doctor's wife arranged for
us to get together at a very, very nice restaurant for
Paula's birthday.

There was Elder and Sister Hill, Elder and Sister
Anderson (the new doctor), President and Sister
 Brubaker and us.

Paula enjoyed the desserts. Especially
since the cafeteria doesn't really make desserts.
This hotel was called Movenpik.  Our
car had to be checked for bombs before
they would let us into the hotel.

Sister Hill arranged for the staff to sing Happy
Birthday to Paula.  There are three verses to
Happy Birthday here. We'll teach you when we
get home.  They brought her a nice fizzy drink.

We had to take picture in the lobby. Not exactly what
we expected in Africa  This is the nicest place we've
been in Ghana.

Sister Brubaker arranged for the Aba, the cook, to
 make a birthday cake for Paula. She had me bring
Paula down stairs under false pretenses and all the
missionaries were there to sing Happy Birthday.

Because we are at the beginning of an
intake we only had seven missionaries
in the MTC, so they could all be there
and share the cake.  Many of the teachers
were there, too, along with some of
the office and kitchen staff.

The next two days we did an intake of 51 new
missionaries - these are some of the cute sisters
waiting to talk to us as we bring each in.  We ask
them about their health, measure them for
garments, and Loel has to see their passports
and temple recommends.  

Elders waiting to see us for their intakes.

These sisters speak English.  We have to find a French
teacher to translate for us as we intake the French
speakers.  

This is Elder Chico from Mozambique.  He speaks
Portuguese, but taught himself English so he could
serve a mission. He speaks very well.

This was quite the spread that our cook, Aba, made
for a farewell lunch for Dr. Hill and his wife. It was
REALLY good!  

The Hills who are leaving and the
Andersons who are the new doctor
and his wife from Alaska to replace them. Dr. Hill was orienting Dr. Anderson on
how we do immunizations, etc, give a
health presentation, etc.  They saw a few
missionaries with health concerns while
here.  

This elder was raised in Western Samoa, on a little
island near where I visited Andy when he worked
there.  He said the heat doesn't bother him here.

This is a whole pile of Ghana cedas, the money we
use here.  This is about $400 but it's huge.  Each ceda
is worth about a quarter, so 4 to a dollar. We're
always carrying around big wads of money. The largest
bill we've seen is a 50 cd - about $12.50.

We attended our first testimony meeting on Sunday and were so impressed with the missionaries'
testimonies.  They bore pure and simple witnesses - no personal stories, just testimonies.  We
were amazed at their spirits and their strength and their faith.  I think Fast Sunday is going to
be my favorite Sunday, even though I was starving - no breakfast or lunch is served on Fast
Sunday in the cafeteria.

We took our whole MTC to the temple this week - the temple was closed and they opened it especially for us as many of these missionaries needed to go through for their own
endowments before departure the next day to their mission fields. It was a long day but a wonderful one.  I helped a new sister go through a
session, helped check everybody in, learn the procedures, where they go and when, etc. We were set apart as ordinance workers and were given beautiful blessings by an African counselor.

We attended our first Farewell devotional the night before they all left.  Each district prepares a song they sing and one of their teachers says a few words and bears their testimony.  It was a
spiritual as well as a wild night with lots of enthusiastic singing, clapping, etc.  So many of
the missionaries want to take pictures of us with them - I told Sis Brubaker I felt like a movie
star.  Then they all want us to sign their journals, too.  It's really cute.

Pres Brubaker had me say a few words at this meeting - asked me to share my observations of this group.  I told them I loved how they hug me and we cry as we say good-bye, like we're
best friends, when we've only known each other for two weeks.  I told them I loved how
they call me "Mum".  I thanked them for their patience with me as I learned the medical stuff and
said I was grateful I hadn't killed any of them yet.  They all laughed.  I told them how I loved how loud they sing and how enthusiastically they say "AMEN."  It was a great night and then they were gone the next day and it was  very quiet.