This is our Africa West Area president, Elder Hugo E. Martinez. He is from Puerto Rico. He and his wife joined the church when they were both in medical school in the states. They have 5 children. She went on to get her law degree also. Talk about an over achiever. They were also mission presidents in Guatemala before being called as area president here in West Africa.

Recently there was a Africa West Area Mission Presidents Seminar.  All 17 mission presidents and wives came for 3 days of meetings, break out sessions and zoom speakers from Salt Lake City including Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They invited us and the area doctor and his wife to come to as much as we wanted. We went for two morning sessions and were finally able to meet the mission presidents and their wives in person that we've been talking to on  Zoom for ten months.

The seminar was held at a lovely beach resort on the Atlantic, though the beach was closed. Some of the mission president wives, from Nigeria, had never been swimming.

We left on a Friday afternoon with about 20 senior missionaries in five cars and drove four hours NE to the Volta Region. This was somewhat near the Volta River where we took boat rides before. We drove to the Adomi Bridge which overlooks the Volta River. We then stopped at the Akosombo Dam; the dam created Lake Volta, the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area, and third largest by volume. We stayed at the SkyPlus Hotel and Resort. More like a Motel 6. The nicer places were booked but we didn't care. The cost was 250 cedi ($50) per room which included breakfast, wifi and pool. The restaurant was nice, bed adequate, good AC,  but the water heater didn't work and no water pressure. Oh well, TIA (this is Africa).

The bridge and the lake. You really can't imagine the enormity of it.

Saturday morning we went to the monkey preserve. It was fun to feed these little guys the bananas we bought from the fruit stand nearby. Isn't she beautiful?

They tried to swing from the tree and take the banana out of your hand. But if you held on tightly, they would jump on your shoulder to eat.

The babies cling on to mama.

Then we drove on to the Tafi Abuife Kente Village. It is a weaving village that weaves with primitive looms. Ghana is famous for its Kente cloth. It is a Ghanaian textile, made of handwoven cloth strips of silk and cotton It usually has the bright yellow, orange and green colors. They work the looms by their toes and heels, and different colored shuttles are woven through the string.

These kids work from 6am to 6pm on their weaving in exchange for a few hours of school. They can sell their fabric for a pittance to make their own money. The strip we bought took a month to make and cost only $6.

These are random pictures on this weekend trip. Above is the all important borehole or water pump that a village may be lucky enough to have.

A sweet mama and her children walking through the monkey reserve.

We hiked an hour into Wli Falls. It is the highest waterfall in Ghana and the tallest in West Africa. You don't want to touch any fresh water in Africa because of Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic flatworms which are endemic in all fresh waters of Africa. This area of Ghana reminded us so much of the many hikes we took in Hawaii.

This is the Kente cloth and a few pieces of jewelry I bought on this outing. The cloth was made by the weavers and some of the jewelry made by this happy young lady and some bought at the bead factory. The vendors are so grateful and so happy when you stop and buy. A pair of handmade earrings was 5 cedis or $1/

We and our neighbor/friends, the Youngbergs stayed one more night in the city of Ho so we could go to church there. Most of the group drove home Saturday night. Our GPS could NOT find the meeting house, of course there are very few street names so it wasn't surprising. We drove around and around with no luck. Finally I said "we'll jump out and take the mo-mo, and you guys (Youngbergs) follow us." It's a fancy 3-wheel motorcycle/taxi. You better hang on to the yellow handles or you'll be dumped for sure. It was a blast going over the bumpy, rutted dirt roads; is this what a jeep tour ride is like? He followed looked at the meetinghouse address on our phone and asked a few people until we found the chapel. The taxi ride was only 2 cedis-40 cents.

In the Mo-Mo

The young lady on the left was so excited to be leaving for her mission the next day. Her mom in the middle and sister in yellow.

This sweet little thing was running all over and loving the attention.

This is Ensign College of Public Health. It's pretty much out in the middle of nowhere in the Kpong region. It was started by Elder Robert C Gay. He was a mission president in Ghana 2004-2007. I heard that BYU and Univ. of Utah are involved in it also.

On the 3 hour drive home we came across these baboons running in the road. Aren't they amazing? I love the baby riding on top of the mama.

Looking a little fierce.

This older gentleman was walking along our street when Steve and I first saw him. He was walking with a limp and was barefoot. Steve ran ahead to our apartment and grabbed the new pair of flip-flops I had just bought him. We gave them to this man and he was very appreciative, though we couldn't understand him. He walked on while carrying the shoes and I didn't know if he would wear them.. Funny thing, the very next morning while walking with my friends he was walking on the street again. This time he had the flip-flops on.

 This is Makola Market. The largest market in Ghana. It's absolutely crazy, crowded. You don't want to get lost. We parked in a multi story parking garage and caught this view. I had no idea there were parking garages here. Most everything looks like it's from China. There were also lots of veggies, and some outdoor meat markets that were enough to turn your stomach. 

There were four of us missionaries on our excursion. Young girls with the big metal bowls will will follow you and carry the goods you purchased throughout your shopping and then carry them to your car for 10 cedis-$2. I bought a heavy box  of packaged cookies that we give out to the street children. Others bought fabric, skirts, shoes, etc.

Often on our morning walk we would pass this local barber shop. I finally stopped to check it out for Steve. His hair was looking a bit shabby and he was willing to give it a try. The young man gave an excellent cut and Steve was very pleased with it. I love supporting our neighbors and vendors with our purchases. It was only $5 US.

Before leaving home I quickly made this Christmas stocking for our newest grandchild in the Laura and Craig Przybyla family. He is #7 baby born last summer in Paris where they have been living for the past two years. They sweetly named him Benjamin

Etienne. Etienne is the name for Stephen in French. It was a nod to their stay in France and to Grandpa Steve. I knew I would need to fill my time while Steve is talking with missionaries. It took several months to cross-stitch his stocking to go along with his siblings' stockings. Is this the last stocking?

Tidbits:

If you ever get a chance to serve a mission in Africa, please accept the call. Or better still, put it on your selection list. You will love it! Senior missionaries are always given very nice apartments that have everything you need; AC, hot water, wifi, W/D. The African people are so loving and grateful for the little they have. They are very knowledgeable about the Old and New Testament and desirous to learn about the Book of Mormon. Please consider serving a mission here. I say "serve a mission and see the world!"

I just read a fascinating article in the online Meridian Magazine about the brilliant scholar Hugh Nibley. As a young man he served a mission to France. He found it difficult to find interested readers for the Book of Mormon in one of the most highly educated and literate countries of Europe. 

    In sharp contrast to the general indifference to the Book of Mormon he experienced on his first mission, he remembered when he and his wife served in the office of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa mission. They couldn't walk anywhere without someone noticing their missionary name tags and wanting to talk about Jesus or ask them for a Bible. He hadn't anticipated such great interest in the Book of Mormon in the heart of Africa--after all, he had not thought this was "their" story in the same way it was the story of many indigenous groups in the Americas and the Pacific Islands. But he and his wife soon found they were mistaken: the stories of continual violence, wars, and conflicts, endemic corruption, government leaders on the take, Gadianton robbers and assassins, courageous Christians, life changing visions from heaven, and the Gospel being preached to the poor and poor in heart were indeed their stories, too--and it struck them to the heart to read them. 

    After having lived in the Congo, many of the Book of Mormon stories became daily realty--as they are becoming reality in too many parts of the world. He goes on to say that they shared a Book of Mormon with the parking lot attendant in their compound who eagerly took it to read during his night shift. The next morning the attendant bust out with uncontainable enthusiasm, "I can't believe how much I learned from Alma about what happens to people between death and resurrection!" This increased his admiration for the spiritual inclination of the Congolese people. They immediately recognized there was a treasure of infinite worth hidden in the Book of Mormon, and they wanted to know more about what God had spoken.

We have wonderful monthly zoom meetings from the Missionary Mental Health department in Salt Lake City.  They are desperate for area mental health advisors that can speak Spanish. One of Steve's counterparts in South America (working from home in the US) is speaking with missionaries in 34 missions. Can you imagine her work load? Steve talks to missionaries in only 17 missions and often works as late as 10:30. If you are a therapist and fluent in Spanish, please give it some prayerful consideration.

If going on a senior mission is in the back of your head, please go while you are still in good health. Many senior missionaries here are in their mid to late 50's and early 60's. In Hawaii we had many missionaries in their 70's and one that was 80. What an example you will be to your grandchildren.

Did you know that if you live closer to the equator you weigh less? We looked it up because we are both 2-3 lbs less than at home. Apparently because we are nearer the equator, the pull of gravity is less. We do not recommend going to the Artic Circle.

If you read this whole blog down to this point, you can have a free round-trip flight to Accra, Ghana. All you have to do is agree to serve a mission here for 18-23 months and the round-trip flight is free!! Any takers?