18-24 April 2016

We had two days after the missionaries left, with only five
missionaries here.We planned a trip with the Brubakers and
three other Senior Couples; the Sanders, the Bodines and
the Paces. We traveled to the Volta Region about 3 hours
north to the town of Ho.  The Volta Region is in the extreme
East of the country, adjacent to  Togo. This is a tree we saw
along the way.

We went to a really nice resort for lunch and took a boat ride first on the river and around an island.  It was so relaxing.

A house and kids along the river.

More houses along the river.

Our group on the boat with the bridge behind us.

Pictures of the Royal Senchi resort.

We stopped at one of the Elders' apts - this is
where they live.

We stayed in this hotel - it was really pretty nice
with a nice refreshing pool that we all enjoyed
until it started pouring rain.  Then we ran
inside and ate dinner in an outdoor restaurant
all wet from the pool and the rain, but we didn't
care because for one of the first times in Africa,
we weren't hot!

We went to a bread making place and
watched the process.  These guys were
running with 110 lb sacks of flour on
their heads.

Look at all this flour.  Sis Brubaker and I each
bought ten empty flour sacks to make things
out of - the flour mill is in the town we live in,
in Tema, so the bags have our town's name on them.  And they have a Dutch windmill on them, too.

We don't think they have child labor
laws here . . .

All these workers were happily rolling out and
weighing the bread loaves.  Then lady at the head of
the table is kid of in charge.  They drop a big chunk
of dough in front of her, She cuts it and weighs it and
tosses it to the other workers to be rolled and put
in pans. 

Look at all these bread pans with
dough rising in them. They will rise
over night.

They had two huge clay wood fired ovens.
They burn wood in them all day and night
and bake the bread the next day from the
residual heat. These loaves of bread were really
big and very pretty.

They put a pretty design on each one.

Elder Sanders buying bananas on our way to the
monkey sanctuary.

This is the same mountain from below.

We hiked to the top of this little mountain
with the cross on top.  We had amazing
views all around.

Views from the top.

We walked up to this pretty little church.

Loel took this picture through a crack
in the front doors as they were locked.

Feeding the monkeys!  They would climb all over
you - anything to get to the bananas.

Notice the baby monkey hanging on
to her mom.  

Hiking through the jungle searching
for more monkeys.  We found lots.

We had a tailgate lunch before our next hike.

We hiked to Wili Falls and on our way, passed these people doing their wash in the river.

Passed a pineapple growing by the trail.

And some kind of big bug with lots of legs.

Walking through the jungle.

The falls were beautiful and we were
finally cool for a few minutes while
there. This is the lower falls. The upper falls isn't visible from here. You have to
hike up and around to the lower falls to reach the upper falls. The upper falls are
in Togo.

We thought these were birds but they're bats.
They were flying all over, too, and making
lots of noise.

It felt so good to wade in the cool water.

Just walking by on the trail carrying
things on her head.  

Typical African view.

And another.  Notice the pot holes in the road.
They're everywhere - you don't get too many
smooth rides in Africa.  Luckily, we were in two
Nissan trucks that could handle the roads.

Just a nice shot of the scenery.

This was the sign on one of our churches - pretty
fancy.  A new more official one is now up.

Here's the church - the missionaries live here, too.

Baptismal font beside the church.

Can't beat this picture . . . 

Or this one.  Sister Sanders snapped
it through the front windshield as
we were driving - again, notice the
potholed road.

In front of the MTC with our best friends.  We
are now back in the thick of it with the biggest
group of missionaries coming in ever - 90 of
them.  Most will be with us for 3 weeks but some
for 6 weeks.  

The Sanders came to help us with immunizations
for their last time, as they go home soon.  We will
miss them so much!  Notice this elder was so scared
to get a shot, that he's hanging on to Elder Sanders
and practically sitting on his lap, screaming!  It
was hilarious.  They always laugh when it's over.

A group of BYU MBA students are bringing us suitcases full of clothes for our missionaries!  When they have an extra suitcase, the mothers of many of the Ghana missionaries gather supplies together and send them along and we are the beneficiaries.  The sisters and elders are so happy to receive sports clothes - many of them don't come with any.  More suitcases are coming next week, too.  It's been a huge blessing.  

More happy elders with their new
sports clothes.

My latest skirt I had made.  It's very bright
and all the Africans loved it.  The brighter
and more colorful, the better.  I actually
had a matching blouse made, too, but
it was a little much to wear them together!