= Sunday, Andrew “Drew” Salery, Michelle’s younger son, was baptized today! We watched the ordinance from our room via Facebook Messenger. I sang in rehearsal knowing I wouldn't be available for performance. We enjoyed a devotional.
= Testimony is something you know; conversion is something you become.
= Monday, we prepared for departure. I glued the sole of one of my dress shoes to the upper; they were separating. Steph's U.S. phone number has been parked; we can use our phones through WiFi. Laundry done and suitcase contents juggled, we made it barely under 50 pounds per checked bag.
= Including carry-ons, we are each lugging 140 pounds.
= Tuesday, we flew from Salt Lake City to New York City (four hours). Then to Accra, Ghana (nine hours). We're very pleased with our Delta experiences, and we received priority boarding due to my military service.
= At the NYC terminal, Steph spoke to someone who is related to the senior couple we are replacing in Ghana!
= Wednesday, we touched down in Accra. We felt our heavy carry-ons as we made our way to baggage claim. Stephanie retrieved our luggage while I warded off porters. Once we had our wheeled luggage in hand, movement was easier. We gave our fingerprints at Customs and met drivers from church. We were driven to a hotel, where we spent the night.
= An undersea cable cut made Internet mostly unusable, and we had WiFi-only phones.
= Thursday, our drivers brought us to the Accra mission home on the temple grounds. From there, we walked to an immigration center to obtain non-citizen cards. And then Elder Sroufe and I were led to the immigration clinic to give blood; only the men were tested for disease; a doctor examined us both.
= After a light meal, our drivers brought us to the Cape Coast mission home. President and Sister Morgan fed us supper and we talked until we were bunked down, literally. I had the top bunk.
= Friday, Elder Barilleau took the Sroufes for their driving lesson/evaluation. I noted that the vehicle the Sroufes would take to their home had an expired insurance sticker and replaced it before they left. After lunch, it was our turn to drive. I can't sum up this invigorating experience in a few words; see photos. We drove to our new home. Nice; see photos.
= Our house is on a compound with one other house; I accidentally locked the missionaries who live in that house out of the compound, but we heard them and let them in.
= Saturday, President and Sister Morgan briefed us until noon, we ate sandwiches at their house, and then they continued to brief us until about 2 PM. Our duties are daunting. We support the young missionaries. If we fall short, it reduces their effectiveness and joy.
= Elder and Sister Barilleau drove us to Melcom, a variety store like a Dollar General (but with only one refrigerated case), so we could stock some basic items. We had rice with a can of beans in tomato sauce for supper.
Your treatment
of others demonstrates your discipleship
“Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion”
Approaching NYC
This image at the airport reminded me of my visit to the 1964 New York World's Fair; you may know it in the context of the movie “Men in Black”
The airport is a busy place: comfort inside, activity outside
Crossing the
Atlantic
Lights were turned down for us to rest
And Delta fed us well
A glimpse of Ghana! (The outskirts of Accra)
Accra, the capital
If you ever wondered how your luggage gets off the plane before you do…
The Ghana Accra
Temple, patron apartments, the Ghana MTC
We combined a multi-outlet adapter; a ground remover for the wall adapter, and a wall adapter with big prongs; we didn’t learn until much later that the wall plugs are “universal”; their many holes and slits let you plug anything that handles 220 volts into them except a polarized plug; we didn’t need this caterpillar of adapters.
After our night in a hotel in Accra, we’re ready for cross-country travel; the Sroufes will caravan with us; you see the Sroufes and some of our luggage
The Ghana MTC
Photos of
people who did work for their ancestors here in 2023
The ladies wait while the men get physicals at a military facility that supports immigration to
Ghana; ladies aren’t subjected to these tests
We thought this was creative driving until we had been here a few minutes; this is a very wide street with almost no traffic
Creative packing; the load is twice the height of the cargo area
Fort Amsterdam: built by Britain, taken by Netherlands; its bastion was repurposed as a slave
prison
Yes, Cape Coast was a departure point for slaves
A branch of the church meets in this rented house within a five-minute walk of the mission home
Our first view of the mission home compound
President Morgan, speaking with Elder Sroufe in front of the mission home
Entrance to the mission office
Sister Morgan and President Morgan putting the mission in perspective
This quote by
Liz Newman on Sister Barilleau’s cabinet at the office is my favorite. Don’t make people feel
bad about what to them is normal. See the situation from their point of view
when trials come. They may not even think of them as trials.
This one’s good,
too
The "road" to where we live now
Elder Barilleau had each of us drive downtown
This is a wide downtown street with light traffic
The Barilleaus had made sure our house would feel homey
A locally produced manual for the Twi language
Part of our water supply
Watermelons growing on the cement of the mission compound
Double a Dollar General
Most substantial structures have a sign like this; we learned later that the code at the bottom translates to GPS coordinates; this one is at the entrance to the mission compound
View from our front door; missionaries live in the house uphill from us in our compound; yes, the slope is steep, the camera isn't lying
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