9-15 January 2017

Lunch out with great friends at one of our favorite restaurants in Accra on the day we flew home.  Such wonderful people - we'll miss them very much.  The Peines let us hang out for the afternoon after lunch at their place before taking us to the airport that night.  I hated saying good-bye to the Brubakers - what an adventure we've had together in Africa!

A selfie with Ishmael, one of our favorite MTC staff.

After our last temple day together with the Brubakers.  It was an amazing day, filled with family history temple work and topped off with a sealing of a sister missionary to her parents.  Very touching to be able to have this be our last ordinance in the Ghana Temple.

And wonderful to serve one last day in the temple
with the Hills, our replacements.  They will be
fantastic!  

The men at our last lunch in Accra the day we flew home.  Great people.  

I snapped this picture of Loel checking
in our 6 bags of luggage at the Ghana airport,
right before he found out they were
going to charge us an extra $200 for
a bag - then he wasn't smiling anymore.

Happy reunion!  Lots of tears and hugs.

Airport pictures with some of the grandkids.

Emily and Thomas made this cute banner.  It was so wonderful to have so many of our kids and grandkids there - what a happy time.  

And part of being home is going to a BYU tennis
match with Brad and his two cute kids!  We
have so many memories here and plan to make
a lot more with the grandkids.
So we're home now - we gave our homecoming talks today and had a nice open house afterwards.  We were so happy to see several senior couples from our Africa Mission - Stutz, Bodines, and Sanders, as well as the Beckstrands from our Belgium Mission and some of our young missionary friends from that mission, too.  Wonderful to see so many other friends, family, cousins, and ward members - one of my mission companions from NC even came - we served in 1975 together!  It's great to be home, but we will always hold a special place in our hearts for the African people and the missionaries at the Ghana MTC.


(Loel)  This has been a great ride.  We didn't anticipate this mission, but it was a wonderful introduction to the Ghanaian people and the Church in Ghana. We come away richer for the experience.  I don't want to forget how blessed I am and that many in the world are in need.  President Brubaker sent this picture yesterday and I want this to be as strong a memory of Ghana as any I have.  This is Kofi, an orphan living in a sanctuary near Cassua.  He lived on the streets fending for himself until he was picked up and placed in sanctuary. As you look at his leg, this is the result of an injury sustained when he was run over by a car. He speaks very little English and he is starved for affection.  He is one of thousands in Ghana who live a very disadvantaged life.  I must never forget this.