Week of 20240324 - Week 2 in Ghana: Phones; Takoradi; Support Tasks

Week of 20240324 - Week 2 in Ghana: Phones; Takoradi; Support Tasks

We received new phones!

= Sunday, we tried to find the branch we have been asked to serve, but we had bad GPS coordinates, wound up too far in the wrong direction to make it there on time, and so attended the branch near the mission home instead. It was a good experience, even though nearly all of it was in Twi. All of the hymns were sung in English. The chapels don't have air conditioning, but most do have overhead fans.

= The Branch President held a special session after the Sacrament meeting to focus on gathering and documenting our family history.

= Monday at the weekly 0900 planning meeting, the Mission President authorized buying cell phones locally for us to use while we're in the mission; pre-loaded software on the phones set aside for young missionaries severely restricts the phone if the email account logged into it doesn't belong to one of them. The new unrestricted phones will let us use WhatsApp to communicate with the rest of the mission.

= Because those who come here don’t usually have family resources to help them, the mission provides some help with such things as worn-out clothing and the missionary pays the rest. I work with missionaries to make that happen when it's necessary. I also document incidents (such as thefts).

= Stephanie is part of a medical council that also includes the Mission President and his wife, a doctor in Accra, and other medical professionals as needed. Stephanie meets monthly with them, weekly with the Mission President and his wife, handles medical calls and texts from missionaries, makes daily reports to the Mission President, and reports continuing or serious medical situations to the church.

= Tuesday, access to WhatsApp began and missionaries could reach us readily (and we could reach them). I started tracking my actions through a spreadsheet so that we can see who asked for what and what I did. I realized that the registration sticker on the windshield of our vehicle would expire this week and got the sticker updated. I worked with an Elder who was documenting his family history.

= Wednesday, we rode with the Barilleaus to Takoradi (two hours away) to activate our Ghana non-citizen cards (that due to Internet problems had not been activated when they were issued). We shopped, Takoradi having better stores for what we sought than Cape Coast does.

= Home, at the Mission President's request, I followed up an unfolding incident that hours later had a good resolution.

= Thursday, we started working from home. We went to the office in time for me to receive training via Zoom regarding my responsibility for mission vehicles. I helped load housing supplies for delivery. I interacted with Elders regarding clothing.

= Friday, I used Word to assemble camera images of my phone to show missionaries how to obtain the Family Tree username and helper number so I will be able to see the records they have documented and reserved (in order to advise them).

= Saturday, we considered how we would role-play the process of counseling about callings, coming to a conclusion about who God wants you to extend the calling to, and extending the call. This information is in the handbook (on-line for the world to see), but role-play will likely be more powerful. We do not have the authority to lead members, but we do have the assignment to teach them.

The Yamoransa chapel, found while we were looking for a chapel more than an hour in the opposite direction.

There are some very nice buildings here. Notice the difference in emphasis from our air-conditioned culture; there are spiral staircases and big porches instead of glassed-in windows.

This is our coverlet; someone did this work with a sewing machine, not at a factory.

Tomato "base", like tomato paste with added fiber. I used spices to try to approximate spaghetti sauce. I miss Ragu Garden Variety. We would have to hunt through multiple stands for peppers, potatoes, onion, garlic or wait to get to a big store.

The instant pot knockoff left behind is "challenged":  the timer and display aren't working well. But we can use it if we time manually.

The wooden chairs are coming apart. We're using others until we find some wood glue.

The "roads" keep passengers in constant motion.

This is a mostly flat path from our home. Click the center once;

wait for controls and press the control at the bottom.

One of many open-air resorts as you head west on N1 from the mission home.

Trucks haul water in bags.

A suspension bridge. The water is muddy below.

People go to a "cold store" to buy frozen food such as chicken.

No asphalt shingles are used here; metal, clay, or even thatch is used.

Fishing boats are small. Fishermen start not far from shore and draw nets to the shore.

Drying racks for fish.

A bend in the shore.

Heading inland.

Acknowledgment of God is everywhere. The banner on this bus means "Ask God".

No Jesus, no life!

Innocent Blood Cold Store (in Cape Coast)

Cement curbs look nice, but they give you nowhere to go when three of you want to use the road at once.

A typical roundabout in Takoradi.

The Ghana card renewal office in Takoradi is in a room on the back side of a bank.

The Chapel Hill chapel in Takoradi

Fancy second-floor restaurant with a pool in front. It overlooks the chapel.

Behind the camera.

A traveling market filled most of the parking lot in front of Takoradi Shoprite on this day. Markets travel on a regular schedule.

New driver

There's a branch of the church somewhere nearby. It might meet in a rented house.

Carrying items on one's head is more natural here than carrying them in your arms.

I spotted a couple of unmarked cemeteries; here's one. Someone is caring for it (via machete) or it would be overgrown. To clear brush or grass, people use machetes here, not lawnmowers.

Can you spot the church sign?

See the blue big-bump sign? Every little village has large bumps to slow you down in the hope that you will shop.

Can you carry that much firewood? On your head? (though she's brought her arm up to help)

When in the office, we sit in front of this map.

Steph assembled salads for lunch.

I helped pack the back of a truck with items to be delivered to missionary apartments.

This is what we call a KK. About half the width of a regular vehicle, they often have a load strapped to the top and four passengers riding inside. It's the usual mode of transportation for short distances.

For those who have watched a certain movie that had a reference to Shwarma. (What we call French Fries are called "chips" here.)

A typical pharmacy; most are this size, some are larger in nicer buildings

Me3 makes a chicken wrap so large that you might have leftovers.

You can give someone your "helper" number to let them help you use FamilyTree (in this example) or FamilySearch to document their ancestors. I took these photos of my camera to show others how to find their helper number so I could help them.