Week of 20250119 - Ghana Week 45: Faith; Quick Medical Action; Filling Jugs; Pig Roast Pork; Lost Mailbox; 4 Bicycles; Top-Loader Wrestle; Kissi; Java Museum; Batik; Ridge Royal; Duties and Activities

Week of 20250119 - Ghana Week 45: Faith; Quick Medical Action; Filling Jugs; Pig Roast Pork; Lost Mailbox; 4 Bicycles; Top-Loader Wrestle; Kissi; Java Museum; Batik; Ridge Royal; Duties and Activities

= Sunday, a talk reminded us that by faith, all things are fulfilled. The lesson pointed out that when a 14-year-old Joseph Smith prayed to know which church to join, he was told to wait and join none of them. (Three years went by before he was told what to do next, and it was another four years before he was allowed to start doing it.)
= An Elder had a medical issue that needed a fast response. Steph directed him to a clinic in time for treatment to be effective.

= Monday, Elder Dimmick helped me fill and load six jugs with water. Medical meetings kept us from joining a pig roast two hours away, and Elders next door accidentally locked us out of our compound until evening; so, we ate at Becky Kay's.

= In the evening, the Morgans brought us some of the pork from the roast: the best we’ve ever had. We showed them a photo of our kids.

= Tuesday, we worked from home. I tested placing Steph’s laptop and the TV monitor so Steph could see herself via Zoom to check her alignment while exercising.
= Our virtual mailbox provider is quitting! I signed us up for another. Now to jump through the postal service’s requirements in order to use it.

= Wednesday, I was at the house while a vendor replaced the water heater for the guest shower. So, I missed helping with the long-awaited purchase of four bicycles. We were useful at the office. Home, Steph made Mac and cheese with the pork.

= Thursday, calls came early. Then we inspected the Kissi apartment. On the way back, we received a guided tour of the Elmina Java Museum regarding men from Ghana who fought for the Dutch in the Philippines, notably the island of Java. It also included the history of Dutch efforts to produce batik and how that failure led to the marketing of related designs.
= We were useful at the office. Home, I exercised the top-loading washers, learning as I went.

= Friday, we paid a medical bill. We had an early date night meal at the Ridge Royal hotel. We served at the office until 5:30. Home, we watched Netflix until past midnight. We relaxed.

= Saturday, we were up early (for a Saturday). Sewing. Yoga videos (continuing education for Steph’s fitness credential). Hair prep. Journal. Blog. We wrote down our rhythm and "usual" activities.
= I tried rinsing Steph’s hair with a mug and bucket, but the water was too *cold*! I drafted a Sunday School lesson in case I'm asked to teach. When I printed it, I had to admit that it was time to replace the black ink cartridge. (That leaves two spares to last the rest of our mission.)

Steph on the way to church. Three fingers for the points in Steph's Sunday Snippets.

Showers of Blessing

I think from an early-morning meeting..

From the same source, going in different directions.

A meeting soon

These machines are used to finish roads.

Every meeting needs chairs.

Most rural families cook with wood.

Football {soccer}

It is uncommon to see a woman driver.

Using the new football pitch just south of Aponsem Square

Christ in Me

Strolling together

[Ko Bɛda might be meant, which I think is War.]

This taxi has a trailer hitch.

Construction material

Poles are laid from crown to edge, perhaps in case of wind?

Chemical sprayer; could be for pesticides

I imagine the South was like this before air conditioning and cars were common - except for balancing a pan on your head.

Clearly, the existing traffic hump wasn't doing the job of slowing traffic enough. More dirt.

That football pitch

Time No Dey {Time does not exist}

[Most people feel that God is not bound by time.]

Youngsters

Selling carpet

Ɛfua Nyame {It's God}

This is the gathering that was being prepared for this morning

Perhaps hoping to sell

Thank U Jesus

Delicious French Toast

While Steph was dealing with medical meetings and I was working with Cyril (Vehicle Fleet Manager), preparations were being made for a pig roast two hours away from us. 

Here's a piggery.

Experts selected two pigs. Some of our missionaries do pig roasts in their home countries.

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(Sister Campbell at left)

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(Elder Campbell at left)

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Back in Cape Coast, we were finally free.

The cushy second floor of Becky Kay's.

I joked that we could just pay for the cost of a meal to take a nap up here.

Ahhh

Pineapple-coconut

Five different juices, I think, starting with passion fruit

Highly seasoned catfish smothered with vegetables..

Served with banku: corn flour and cassava flour, slighly fermented to give it a sour taste

I had ordered fried rice with my meal, but Steph mostly had the rice and I had the banku.

The banku helped combat the lip-burning sensation of my goat stew.

Water to wash up with

Fried potatoes with local spam

Bucket and mug for shower

Steph, shredding marvelous pork, brought to us by the Morgans, from the pig roast. (They hadn't been able to attend in person either.)

The dead water heater for the guest bathroom

Casualties of the process. The plant, now a stump at the left, had slumped over the wall. Another plant was blocking access to the heater and also had to be cut back.

But these were saved (plantain in foreground, banana in background).

The new hot water heater for the guest shower. (The water heaters don't sit hot all the time; they heat on demand.)

The newly cleared area at the end of our road is being put to use.

Recently, people along the road to the mission compound are selling office chairs!

Another view of that instant store

Steph is getting ready to push the switch to start the mission borehole pump so I can fill a jug for flushing.

Four new-to-us bicycles for the mission

Water delivery to the mission compound

What's missing?

(It comes and goes.)

Cheesy macaroni with pork

Don't Miss This

"Filling" the top-loader

Half a jug barely covers the fins at the bottom, but we like to reserve some to rinse.

Suds galore with a small amount of detergent

Somehow, the device manages to dunk and scrub each item..

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Tamp down the clothes, place a separate piece like a Frisbee with holes (not shown) on top to keep the clothes in the cylinder, close the slotted lid (shown) and the lid over that, and spin almost dry. (No heat, just spin.)

We can catch some of the wash and rinse water and save it to flush toilets.

This device lets us check the balance on our prepaid electric meter.

So matter-of-fact

Bicycle on the roof

Nyame ne Nhyira {God and Blessings}

Transferring for the "last mile"

Pink bus

This is what a confident German technician is supposed to look like.

By His Grace Plumbing; also notice the small sales in front.

Just in time applies three ways. The taxi is loading a passenger. The truck says "Just in Time". And the van had better finish its passing maneuver; you can see other vehicles in that lane.

Fear God

Passing..

And he makes it.

And we're passing (as is the vehicle in the distance)

Leapfrog..

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And we both make it.

One More Time

Young, but working

Mr and Mrs Kwasi Sam - Mr and Mrs Nana Palace. Maybe someday.

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You don't need a stand, just accessible roadway

Tractor for sale

This is the right "road"; the only tough part was reaching this point by squeezing past vehicles under repair.

Our destination

Newly screened-in porch; the mission leases this half of this duplex.

We'll have our lane back before we need it.

Elmina Java Museum; a man is touching up (or creating) relief work (small human figures in action) on the fence.

This is a privately created museum that honors men affected by Dutch efforts to get men from Ghana to fight for the Dutch in the Philippines, notably the island of *Java*. It also includes the history of Dutch efforts to produce batik and how that failure led to the marketing of related designs.

See Wikipedia: Belanda Hitam {Black Dutchmen}

and Wikipedia: Elmina Java Museum and Wikipedia: African Wax Prints.. History

An old political map: from left to right (west to east): Ivory Coast; Gold Coast [Ghana]; and to the east of the Volta river [Togo, Benin], Slave Coast. The Dutch wanted troops to maintain its presence in Indonesia, and it sought them by seeking recruits, by paying chiefs firearms for individuals captured in war, and by offering individuals freedom in exchange for a loan to buy their freedom, a loan that could never reasonably be paid back.

Our knowledgeable guide in front of an illustrated timeline. One side effect of the Dutch interaction is that African chiefs often expect visitors to show up with a bottle of schnapps: Dutch Rum. She showed us a bottle from this time period.

When the Netherlands yielded Indonesia, these soldiers could move to the Netherlands as Dutch citizens, return to Elmina, or remain where they were. The museum touches on all three groups.

The walls have family trees. Unfortunately, my photos of them are unclear. There are also photos of ancestors of individuals who served in Java. Those photos - I did not take pictures of them - have a very personal feel, like looking at someone else's photo album: most meaningful to relatives.

Some homes in Elmina were designed in European architecture and built with materials brought by ship.

Of special interest to sewers is "From Imitation Batik to Dutch Wax". Some of my understanding here is an amalgam of information drawn not just from the museum guide.

In Indonesia, wax was drawn by hand on cloth to produce the designs in Batik fabric. The Dutch hoped to automate the process.

In the wax printing process...

- Phase 1: The negative of the design is printed in wax on the cloth

[The display skips phase 2; the phases are probably mis-numbered but still in sequence.]

- Phase 3: Most of the wax is removed from the cloth [in this case, most of the area between the designs of leaves and stars]

- Phase 4: The first color is applied to the design 

- Phase 5: The remaining wax is removed from the cloth

- Phase 6: The second color is applied to the design

This stamp for a traditional African stylized sword design looked like a shaver to Dutch workers; so, they called it a shaver.

These gentlemen are considered the founders of Dutch Wax. One built the first wax print machine; another built one independently. One copied an existing one.  In early attempts, the wax tended to crack, placing unwanted lines in the design. Our guide indicated that the lines bothered the European market but not the African market. [Eventually, resin supplemented or replaced wax and was easier to automate with; still, some of the work was done by hand until the 1960s.]

Seagoing canoes..

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The blood of Jesus

Canoes..

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Hearse. It looks a little short for a person and certainly too short for a casket.

God Is Good Fabricating and Welding Shop

Rolling store

God First

Travel between big cities can be relatively comfortable, but you have to buy the ticket a day in advance. This terminal sits between KFC and the Goil station we use.

Ye Obi Diɛ Yie

Ga (spoken in Accra): {Congratulate yourself}

Twi: {is someone who is well treated}
[seems less likely; the sticking point is finding a meaning for diɛ in Twi]

Hungry yet?

Steph came outside to get away from the desk and wound up talking with Ebenezer (a guard who also repairs bicycles).

A *very* busy repair shop across from the chapel near the mission compound. To work on the underside of a vehicle, the usual procedure is to roll it onto its side. 

Washing in very little water. (My cuffs are already dingy; don't blame this washer for that.)

Separate spin drum; very fast

The washer spun off of the ledge around the shower.

I tried restraining it for the future. [That didn't work; I had to just set the whole thing into the shower.]

This house was almost invisible before the on-purpose burn.

Future canoes..

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Confidence

Balanced

Business as usual

This football {soccer} champion touts the Kivo brand, in this case Steph's favorite: 4-in-1 gari, creamer, roasted ground nuts {roasted peanuts}, sugar. Steph puts ice cubes in it, as shown in the illustration.

Car parts

God can do all things

Part of the buffet at Ridge Royal Hotel. (We just used the restaurant there.)

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We'll probably order from the menu next time. See these burger variations.

The buffet includes desserts.

The foyer

The entrance

These travelers stayed at the hotel and are now continuing their journey.

Checking our crop

Our water meter hasn't moved.

Sewing

Start

In process

After rinse, ready to spin

Homemade

Our Duties

Steph is the mission medical mom. Answer WhatsApp and phone 24/7 to give advice and direction. Track medical requests and feedback. Produce a daily medical summary email. Post medical progress to an online system (eMed) daily. Participate in a monthly medical council with Area medical doctors and the Morgans to discuss ongoing medical situations. Take missionaries to and from clinics and hospitals. Pay bills at clinics and hospitals. Pick up prescriptions and deliver them when missionaries can’t find them where they are. I am her driver. Provide a Medical Minute at zone conferences. Other duties: review suitcase contests of incoming missionaries for sufficiency and suitability.

I’m the mission logistics guy. Check to see that apartments are associated with teaching areas on line. Obtain/ confirm and post apartment GPS coordinates. Follow up overdue periodic smoke/ carbon monoxide detector checks. Organize apartment visits by seniors. Queue apartment issues for resolution, discovered in visits or reported by missionaries. Keep the jumpstart battery charged and available. Make working bicycles available. Assist with clothing requests. Train and evaluate new drivers; track permit renewal dates and annual training. Schedule missionaries for Ghana non-citizen card renewal trip to Takoradi. Report and follow up on incidents; interact with church risk management. Keep the satellite phone ready for use and test it monthly. Help missionaries do family history. Report vehicle readings monthly. Arrange for vehicle maintenance and repair.

Other duties: I was the financial secretary for a month. I’ve correlated phone and text records to the missionaries who had those phone numbers at the time of each conversation. (Phones move). With the assistance of Bishop Kobi, with whom I navigated the church site and took screenshots, I created a PowerPoint that was used by others to train Branch and Ward leaders in how to create temple recommends. I have recently been asked to help our Branch President and Clerk improve their posting of tithing and management of branch funds. Not assigned: I hand-typed and corrected Twi lesson content to an editable format from PDF page images that could not be screen-scraped.

Our Activities and Rhythm

= Transfer week: Sunday church; Monday office; Tuesday departing missionaries; Wednesday arriving missionaries; Thursday transfer meeting and meal pickup for missionary travel; missionaries often stay at our home Tuesday and Wednesday night. Friday modified date night, Netflix; Saturday home.

= Conference (the following week): Sunday church; Monday office; Tuesday-Wednesday home/ office; Thursday-Saturday conference and meal pickup for mid-conference, with modified date night Friday.

= Other weeks: Sunday church; Monday office; Tuesday home; Wednesday home/ office; Thursday apartment visit/ office; Friday late special lunch for date night, Netflix; Saturday home or a senior activity (often KO-SA beach resort).

= The fourth week after every other transfer, we go to Takoradi Tuesday (if needed), Wednesday, and Thursday to supervise Ghana non-citizen card renewal, an all-day affair.

We study scriptures, Twi, and anything else that jumps out at us. We watch Don’t Miss This (scripture discussion) and listen to Sunday on Monday (scripture discussion/ commentary). We have taught District Sunday School leaders how to teach their Ward, Branch, and Group counterparts. We are sometimes asked without warning to teach Sunday School in our branch. I do Quizlet Twi exercises nightly.

We’ve fallen off of the exercise wagon recently, but I did move furniture and arrange extension cords so Steph can use the laptop camera and TV monitor to check her form while she does belly dance. Weekly, Steph produces Steph’s Sunday Snippets based on impressions she has received. She updates a weekly planner. I blog most spare moments; with so much to see here, I sift almost 250 photos each week for the weekly blog. Meals, dishes, laundry. Occasional piano, guitar, singing together. We have outings such as Cape Coast Castle (once: grim), Kakum National Park, and KO-SA beach resort. We do occasional water jug delivery and bicycle pickup/ delivery. And we inspect missionary apartments and do shopping as needed. 

Some Activity of Missionaries

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