14-20 November 2016

The view from our apartment looking down on the vans taking the missionaries to the airport on their way to their various mission fields.  The Brubakers were in South Africa for 4 days for a mission presidents seminar - we had a new intake of 95 missionaries who arrived in their absence, but everything went smoothly with our wonderful staff.  We enjoyed our two days off with lunch out with another senior couple and some shopping, a visit to the Kente weavers, and Aba took me to get a nice massage!

Patrick, our MTC manager, with the
gift we and the Brubakers gave to him
as his wife just had their second boy.

Two great American elders who learned French and were with us for 6 weeks.

One of our senior couples had kids and grandkids
come to visit them and brought them by the
MTC to visit and to bring us lots of nice
clothing donations for our missionaries.  Here
they are visiting with our 5 missionaries who are
learning English.

Three sisters missionaries from Uganda.  This group of 100 missionaries come from 18 different countries - even Ethiopia, Madagascar, Swasiland, and Zimbabwe.  Notice my new earrings which are in the shape of the African continent.

The Spackmans, a senior couple from Florida whose
mission is in the temple.

The McDougals, another senior couple.

Sister Anderson made this incredibly
delicious triple chocolate banana
cake for Sis Stutz' birthday.

The Peines - he's the mental health counselor
for the West Africa area.

Sister Carter, she serves in the temple.
She lives across the street from my old
home in Edgemont (when she's home).

The Nays - humanitarian missionaries.

Eating breakfast with the Stutz.  I spent the night with them so I could attend her birthday party - I took all these pictures of the other senior couples who were there.  The Stutz are so welcoming - they go home in a few weeks.  I was able to do water aerobics in the morning with Sisters Stutz and Anderson (she taught it), at 6:00 am and then later attended a weekly sisters' scripture class in the area office.  I was glad I got to attend at least once while here.  Loel stayed back at the MTC with technical responsibilities.

The Peines bought this wooden alligator and use
it to display some beads.  We want to get one.

The Peines also bought this door size
wooden carving, that was very cool.

Here's a closeup of some of the
carvings - all painted, too.

I wanted to to include an excerpt from my journal this past week:

"I have to record this haunting image that I can't get out of my mind.  Often, when we stop in traffic, the street hawkers are all around the car, trying to sell us things, and teenage boys will rush up to our windshield and start cleaning it off in hopes that we'll pay them a little.  Our automatic reaction is to say no, no, and tell them we don't want it cleaned (sometimes it ends up worse than it was).  Last week, it was a little boy - he couldn't have been more than 7 - he raced over with his little squeegie sponge thing and started cleaning our windshield.  We immediately said no, and said we didn't need it done.

He immediately stopped, and very carefully tried to get off the little bit of soap that he had just put on as he had started washing our window.  For some reason, I can't get the image of his little face, trying so hard to do just as we asked, stopping right away and trying to clean off the little spot.  We gave him a little money, but looking back, I just felt so sad that we didn't give him more, even though our policy is to not give money.  But he was so young and trying so hard to please, and he probably needed the money to help feed his family.  I just feel like crying every time I think about him.  Life is so hard for many Ghanaians and even little children are constantly out trying to sell things, making very little money in doing so.  It breaks my heart.