The Ladner Archives: Week of 20240602 - Ghana Week 12: Reading Twi; Power; Fufu; Medical Deliveries

Week of 20240602 - Ghana Week 12: Reading Twi; Power; Fufu; Medical Deliveries

= Sunday during Fast and Testimony meeting, I delivered my testimony of Jesus Christ and his teachings in the Twi language and later read some scriptures out loud in Twi. Now I need to interact in everyday settings; that will take more preparation.
= After regular meetings, Steph and I led lesson four from the temple preparation manual. We covered the material, but we're not synchronized with each other yet. A member translated for us. We eventually made it home in advance of heavy rain by five minutes.
= I woke up at about 0130 and worked until 0530 on posting items to the apartment issues workbook that had been flagged in apartment visits. It seemed important to do that in advance of the Monday planning meeting.

= Monday, the owner of the compound we live in showed up at the office; he'll have the electric company replace our meter, which has been beeping since before we arrived. We brought medication to a missionary waiting at a chapel downtown. Home, we watched Don't Miss This (scripture commentary). Steph fell asleep at the end and stayed asleep all night.

= Tuesday, the landlord showed up at the house with workers from the power company. They started removing old wiring next to the connection to the house, even though the power had not been cut off at the pole yet. They ran new wires from the pole across the "road" and provided an electric meter with a remote that you use to check the meter's money balance: type "007"; it's also a way to add more money to the meter.
= The landlord met Steph, and he and I spoke at length. He arrived in the United States the year I returned from Turkey, eventually did health information services for Providence General Hospital in Rhode Island, and lives in New York State. When he decided to invest in property, land is cheap here; our house is the first one he had built.
= He has continued since the meter swap to push the electric company to apply the money that was on the old meter to the new meter. For that first night, though, the power company had placed only enough funds on the new meter to last until past midnight; Elder Barilleau found a way to add a little to get us through to the next day.

= Wednesday, we inspected a missionary apartment in Mankessim (about an hour away). We tallied things to be fixed. Then our landlord called, needing the card for the new meter for the power company, but the card was at the house. We dropped off pain cream to Sister missionaries in Moree on the way home. The landlord parked his car near the beginning of our "road"; I walked the card out to him; he brought it to the office (we were trying not to drive down the mud slide today). Elder Barilleau used it to apply the funds that he would have placed on our old meter card.

= Thursday, the Elders next door had arranged for people to work in their apartment, and then Brother Bright showed up to move stored furniture from their apartment to a new apartment. We worked from home until it was time for us to eat with missionaries at noon downtown.
= We ate fufu at the Sahara restaurant. We received soap and jug of water to wash our right hands. A fish was cut in half to fit a large bowl and was laying on top of a blob of fufu the size of two fists, all sitting in broth. In a couple of minutes, I was able to reach the fufu, pinch off a portion, and swallow it without chewing, as per the usual etiquette. The restaurant television was tuned to a 24-hour Catholic channel based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
= Afterward, we were diverted to Oak Tree Medical Services to pay a bill for missionaries who had traveled there from Jukwa. Then with them to a pharmacy. Then picked up our laptops at the house and worked at the office. Elder Barilleau had a problem with the funding workbook I had created, but he figured out how he had caused it; the workbook is fine.
= President Morgan shared that there are 441 Mission Presidents in the world. Collectively, they interview 72,000 missionaries every six weeks! Being on a mission is a great opportunity at a key point in your life to frequently discuss your worthiness and progress and receive guidance from someone who has been set apart to counsel with you.
= Home, Steph had two calls at once: one to her phone and one to mine when the second person couldn’t reach her. I found myself writing a question for her to answer for the second caller. I worked to get missionaries to test their smoke detectors. Some missionaries had never encountered one; I set a video to show them what it looked like and how to test it.

= Friday, we worked from home and then briefly from the office. Elder Barilleau refilled Steph's imprest to pay medical bills as they arise. We left for Melcom in Mankessim by 2:30 for Date Night. The road was good: few potholes. Melcom is similar in concept to a large Dollar General, but with appliances and furniture and almost no refrigerated or frozen items. This Melcom has a parking lot. Otherwise, its selection is similar to what's available in the Melcom at Cape Coast. We were home before dark and watched Netflix until 0430!

= Saturday, we alternated personal and mission activity. I worked on editing my notes for our temple prep lesson for Sunday. At about 8 PM, missionaries started tripping over each other to reach Steph via text and phone. Steph was the proverbial one-armed paper hanger for the next hour and a half. When Steph and I got together to finalize plans for tomorrow’s temple prep lesson, we finally broke down in laughter about our difference in approach to lesson planning.

Our road on a good day

A Catholic elementary school in Mpeasem

Actually, Virgin Plus Restaurant

Holy Home Hotel is advertised

Adom Ara Kwa {Just a Grace} furnishings

Members walking past houses, heading to Mfuom branch (not in our view here)

Can you see whether there's oncoming traffic? Neither can this driver.

The back of this hearse says, Life is not one day!

Try saying this fast the first time you read it.

Vehicles and pedestrians dodging potholes...

and more potholes.

The stool is to have something to set your wares down on when you stop to sell or reload.

It's afternoon, but the lights on this vehicle are an indication of what's to come.

From our front door, fifteen minutes later

But nothing dampens our spirits.

Our kitchen with the power off, briefly, at the beginning of this storm.

Our living room fifteen minutes later, with the power back on. Our desks are at this end of the room, behind stuffed chairs, facing the front door.

Steph cooked canned beans and a whole (frozen) chicken in the Instant Pot with palm oil and seasonings.

Our morning question mark: do we take it fast or slow? Can we do it in 2-wheel drive or do we switch to 4-wheel? Do we make a K-turn above this point to line up with the ruts, or do just make a right turn and swing into the ruts? You can see evidence of the right-turn approach in this photo.

The mostly repaired mission compound wall after having been pushed down by the force of the mud

These goats are grazing just up the road from the mission compound, a road we walk for exercise when we have the opportunity.

The stucco to repair the compound wall was mixed directly on this existing cement porch.

Just beyond Pedu Junction, heading north on Jukwa Road

Pausing to go into 4-wheel drive, heading home

White pineapple is common here and sweet, something that Steph will miss, but it doesn't travel well.

Don't Miss This scripture commentary. The young woman on the right reminds me of our middle daughter when she was younger.

Caramel topping on banana wafers: not worth repeating, sadly. (The wafer flavor is weak.)

I used peanut butter to patch holes in the bread before adding the fig jam and fried egg.

Same slide, different day.

Still daunting enough that our landlord and the electrical workers who followed him parked at the small shop (just beyond sight) and walked in with their wire and tools.

The stepladder was used to remove the old meters. The man on the tall ladder started pulling down wires before the power from the pole was turned off!

A new meter was installed closer to eye level than the old ones, and the wires from the pole to the house were replaced.

The man on the ground is applying tension to a wire strung from the pole through a large eyelet at the house.

Wires draped across the roof of this old caretaker shack as they were removed and added.

Definitely an upgrade from the old meters, one of which beeped incessantly and the other that looked functional but wasn't. And it even came with a remote. However, there was a problem...

The old meter had recently been reloaded and had about 11,000 cedis credit. The power company loaded the replacement with only 99 cedis, a figure already dropping from the moment of installation.

Plantains are sliced on the bias to create chips longer than the plantain is wide. We don't have these in the States.

I had to move our truck out of the way. It's next to the house in our compound where missionaries live (usually two companionships, sometimes more).

Where there's a will

We had hoped this would be a large store near us but on the main road. We eventually learned that it's a warehouse for the electric company.

This van pulls out into visible traffic and the vehicle he wanted to pass cuts across traffic to the left, dodging not just the the oncoming vehicle but another vehicle entering from the left.

Pre-ordering, anyone?

The yellow containers seen everywhere usually start out holding cooking oil and then are cleaned for carrying and storing water.

These blue containers are frequently for sale. Someday we will buy one just to see what's in it. Probably banku.

On the road between Cape Coast and Accra, there's a place where the road is lined with dozens of shops, all selling the same thing.

Proposed site for Deep Green Power recycling/refinery plant

Time to relax, or at least stay out of the sun

A reminder that this part of the road is not as far from the shore as it seems

Firewood, for cooking or for making charcoal

Traffic won't stop this determined person.

With God... [nothing is impossible]

Yes, there's oncoming traffic...

Notice that the van and the red car are sharing space during this recovery from the van's passing maneuver. We generally get along just fine.

Hope for the Hopeless Guest House

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the same sign design throughout Ghana. A small arrow points in the direction of a place to meet. Yes, that's our yellow camera in the shot.

A vehicle passes and two more vehicles on a hill and curve;
blessedly, the oncoming traffic wasn't as close as it could have been.

Not a problem; he will clear our lane before we need it.

I Love You Spot (local food and liquor)

Another church sign. We try to have meeting places within walking distance, even it means that members congregate in someone's home at first. Then in a rented home. Then in an actual church building when there are enough people close by to fill it.

I Place My Trust In Allah. Ghana has a sizeable Muslim population.

This is the only ice cream truck we've seen. Usually vendors sell from insulated containers on bicycle or even carried on their heads.

Sign design trumped clarity here. Welcome to Egyaa [number 1], named after the local village; it claims to specialize in spicy octopus.

The return trip: more blue containers sold by shop after shop.

Yet another church sign. And perhaps a sale from the crate atop the lady's head is about to be made.

On the "road" to our home; this is opposite new construction, hence the wheelbarrow.

A treat assembled by Steph: "mimosas" with broccoli and fried plantain chunks

As I threw trash, I spotted a KK picking up two of our missionaries.

In a land where carrying things anyplace but your head would be unusual

The large, round building in the background is a parking garage/market.

California Joint and a broken KK

Sahara restaurant desk/bar

Checking eyelids for leaks

The server brought water and a small container of liquid soap. You wash your hands, especially your right hand. Because, that's the hand you'll eat your fufu with.

The Sahara Restaurant has a 24-hour Catholic channel from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Their food has arrived, but they're waiting for us to receive ours.

Joy!

Someone took a group photo. We received this two months later, and I added it to the blog.

Never before have we eaten tilapia this large. The mass in the middle of the stew is fufu. With the right hand, we ate the fish - we each had a bowl like this - and didn't notice the skin. Steph did notice and avoid the eyes. [grin] With the right hand, we pulled chunks of fufu, shaped them to hold a little stew, and swallowed the result without chewing, as per etiquette. Next time, we might get something with fewer bones to set aside, but it was otherwise good and we'll be back.