The Ladner Archives: Week of 20250302 - Ghana Week 51: Teaching; Septic Repair; Water Deliveries; Two-Phase Power; Sewing Success; Polytank Athletics; Amisano; Mankessim; Birthday; KO-SA Beach Resort

Week of 20250302 - Ghana Week 51: Teaching; Septic Repair; Water Deliveries; Two-Phase Power; Sewing Success; Polytank Athletics; Amisano; Mankessim; Birthday; KO-SA Beach Resort

= Sunday, I helped ordain a young man to the Aaronic Priesthood office of Priest [able to bless the Sacrament]. I bore my testimony in English and Twi that God will help us get through our trials, and I cited my recent mishap with the toilet pit as proof.

= Steph and I both taught temple preparation topics. She spoke on tithing and fast offerings, I spoke on why we try to make the Sabbath different from the rest of the week. She spoke on the Word of Wisdom again.

= Monday while the rest of us attended the Monday meeting, the Dimmicks were satisfying the requirements of the law and public officials: medical exams and vehicle inspection. The Dimmicks had been hit from behind, and the other driver refused to admit fault; so, this went to court. The judge sentenced the other driver to three days in jail "for lying", but this isn't done yet.

= I worked to get three bicycles repaired. We drove to the tire repair place again; a pinhole in a sidewall this time, still the driver-side front tire. I filled four jugs from the mission borehole for us: ugly water for flushing. I got phone applications synchronized on the replacement phone.

= Tuesday, our septic tank was pumped and new lids were furnished and cemented into place; they got the ladder out I had been standing on before they sealed up the tank. Steph and I take life less for granted now.

= Wednesday, I drove to the office so the Dimmicks could use our truck. They had been summoned to revisit the scene of the accident. The water from the mission borehole was looking better than before and a guard volunteered to fill our jugs. However, it had only looked good because silt in other jugs he had already filled by the fence had settled; it was still ugly when stirred up by a ride to the house. When the Dimmicks returned and were settled, I bought a gift downtown for Steph's birthday and headed home.

= Because we're missing one phase of three-phase power, many of the outlets in our compound don't work, and that includes the power for the big pump that would have filled the overhead polytanks from the ground polytank into which community water is flowing again: water that the houses in our compound can't access without that pump. Steph cut off the air conditioners for a few hours to give them a rest and opened the windows: not bad with fans running. We moved the top-loader washer to our shower where we had power, and washed white shirts from jug water.

= Thursday, we inspected an apartment (“Ntranoa”) in Amisano. Home, a water tanker delivered to both overhead polytanks! On those towers, one worker boosted another the rest of the way to the top of the tank to hold the hose in place (at which point the top man was three stories up). Both houses have running water from their overhead tanks now. Steph used the hand-crank sewing machine to make a black slip from scratch. The machine's stitches aren't even yet, but they won't show, and she did her work well.

= Friday, we inspected a new Mankessim apartment. We shopped at the Mankessim Melcom. The Morgans invited us and the Dimmicks to join them at KO-SA beach resort on Saturday. We picked up medication. We ate at La Femme restaurant. Then we doubled back almost to the apartment at the Mankessim chapel met the missionary who needed the medication. Then to Cape Coast Castle to pay for a bundle of items a shopkeeper had handed Steph a month ago. We watched Star Trek Enterprise until 0100.

= Saturday, we were at KO-SA by noon, dressed to swim in the Atlantic. The six of us snacked, then swam together, mostly in water not even to our waist. The current was strong: think “endless pool”. The water was clean. We had a good time and a good meal afterward. And it was Steph’s birthday.

= Home, Steph updated medical notes. I summarized this week's journal.

To church; we may have an afternoon visit with the person in the background in a couple of weeks.

The photographer, by our front door

Nyame yɛ Nyame {God is God}

Ready to display goods

[The stool is to set the tray down on.]

Youth dressed for church

Men carry kids, but piggyback or in arms, not in a wrapped cloth the way that women do.

Nice suit

Waiting for transportation

Or they'll get there on foot

This could be a place to eat together after sundown (for Ramadan).

Bringing water home

"The Girls." [Ladies, don't settle for someone who doesn't treat you as the prize that you are.]

Keep your secret

Football

Sewing machine. (Most people carrying these do it without the steadying hand that she is providing.)

What a friend [we have in Jesus...]

Sheep. Not much wool, though.

Firewood for cooking

It is well [... with my soul]

Palm oil fruit clusters being loaded with the use of large forks

The segment where overhanging bamboo was cut back months ago at the edge of Kakum National Park, making rough road more obvious. I have begun to wonder whether there's a connection between plants and potholes.

To market, or to a gathering?

(They are not far from where we worship, but we're not the only religious gathering on this hill.)

God gives us everything; he asks us to give 10 percent of our increase to further his work (through meetinghouses and temples, missionary work, and strengthening families) to help us live the gospel, care for those in need, invite all to receive the gospel, and unite families for eternity.

We also help others and ourselves by fasting at least monthly, giving at least the value of what we would have eaten so it can benefit those who need it, and starting our fast with prayer so we can be humble without being forced to be humble.

Keeping the sabbath helps us focus on God, rest, and keep his commandment to do so. (It also provide a great opportunity to visit families we minister to.)

By keeping the word of wisdom, we receive greater health and wisdom. At a time in my life when I had stopped going to church, keeping the word of wisdom, "adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints", was my promise that I would come back.

Members make sure this man can come to church each Sunday and contribute to discussions with the rest of us..

The young men following will help when the wheelchair has to go downhill. [I only learned that detail on 13 March from a missionary who served here.]

The man at left is manufacturing cement blocks.

This carefully built mound (visible from where the Sacrament is blessed) will be used by someone to produce charcoal by restricting oxygen to burning wood.

This individual chooses to drive in the shoulder against traffic for the moment.

Wearing a dress is no obstacle to riding a motorcycle.

50 kilometers per hour is a hair over 30 miles per hour: the speed limit except between towns on a major road. (The higher limit for major roads is 80 KPH: 50 MPH.)

We love this advice.

Heading home from services

By his grace

Women do it all.

Men aren't lazy either; they just serve differently.

Sightseeing.

The sign in the background is for Hans Cottage "Botel". Google it.

Volkswagen Beetle

[Nostalgia]

Abura Chapel

Our chapels are open-window design with ceiling fans, air conditioning provided only for offices and specialized rooms.

Construction tools. (Bamboo is re-used.)

A plantain plant by our house broke too soon; these won't mature.

Nap mode; I can use this music lamp while Steph dozes on the couch.

President Morgan took this photo of us wearing matching "outfits".

Who is your spiritual father

Yɛ ne wo sere kwa [We laugh with you for nothing]

[Also a song by Ghanaian artist Daddy Lumba]

All Is Well

Cold Store

God Gracious

Ɛmbrɛ Pa {Very Tired}

Don't Miss This [scripture discussion]

Shawarma and "chips" from Pizza City

Pumper for the septic tank

Pumping from the side I didn't fall into. Notice how thin the cap is; I didn't.

Here's the ladder Steph had me stand on so I could let go of the hole to the next compartment.

The man at the left caught the ladder with a notched pipe and brought it up far enough for the man at the right to grab it. Looking at the opening from this angle, I marvel that I dropped right down through it. It's 23 inches square.

From the sunlight reaching the bottom directly and from the reflection of the opening from the trace amount of water left after pumping, knowing the size of the opening, it should be possible to determine the depth of the pit.

Another view to check those calculations with

The ladder

Stew made by Steph

The mission compound borehole

Jehovah-Jireh {The Lord will provide}

I find this amazing.

We have louvered windows between the hallway and the living room. Breeze passes passes from one side of the house to the other when everything is opened up.

Most of our living room in daylight

We moved the washer to the master bathroom shower to reach an outlet not reliant on the third phase of power.

Shirts

I put barely enough water into the washer to cover the fins at the bottom. The fins roll the clothes into the water.

Sauce from leftovers, by flashlight

New caps for the septic tank. These are thicker than the old ones, beveled, and have handles as a hint not to stand on them.

Probably to sell. That's a long way to walk in the hope of selling something.

Chairman 1. The fine print down below says: I'm not a failure.

Tonic Wine for a better you

Bitter herbs as medicine are regulated to the extent that they have to contain what they say they do. Adding them to liquor is a common ploy here to create the excuse that the liquor is medicine.

Same idea. Ginger is healthy; so, liquor with ginger must be healthy. [Not]

Tupperware is available here through individuals (as this outlet one is; the phone number is on her Facebook page) and through stores on line.

I never cease to be amazed at what women carry.

Activity between the breakwater and the pubs..

There's a person sitting with the speakers.

This eatery will have a blue ceiling. We think the sun will shine through it.

He's in my lane, not in the shoulder.

So is he.

Nyame ayɛbi {God has done it}

Recycling

Preparing a gas station?

A quiet spot with shade

Ditto

Usually the prop is on the worker's side and the opposite side lays on a tire; not so here.

Things gonna be okay

A colorful school, but it was empty today.

Prisons Land. [The actual prisons are far away from this road.]

Wide load

Graffiti is rare here.

HKS Psalm 23 Ent. Our Customers - Our Priority

This area has many nice homes.

Having missed the turn for the apartment, we we turned around in St. Thereasah Minor Seminary. This block is named St. Lwanga.

Shrine to the Virgin Mary

St. Peter's block

Football goal

Administration office, I think..

I think this is the end of the same building.

Paing

Gethsemane

is visible from multiple sides of this tall building in the compound that contains a missionary apartment.

They're here.

This is their apartment: a separate building to the right of that tall one.

Note to ourselves: turn in here - we're shown leaving - instead of going straight ahead to the Seminary.

The term "Supermarket" is relative.

Amazing.

Carts are useful here.

The other side of the same road; both sides are designated Prisons Land.

Fetching

Cattle..

Better-fed than most

Double-decker

It's not even noon.

Good seat

The brand of chainsaw we usually see at storm cleanup in the States.

Back beyond the breakwater..

.. (Chopping coconut for sale)

Making a lane

Still Jesus

Probably Medimafoɔ Teasɛ {Mediator Lives}

If indeed Medimafo Tease, that's the title of a popular song that says to trust God.

Cooking by flashlight; without the third phase, this room and some others have no power, not a big deal.

Sewing at last

Hand crank

Winding the bobbin

Replacing the bobbin

The finished product (a black slip) is under this outfit.

Water delivery!

Overhead polytank for the Elders' aparmtent

Notice what it takes to reach the top..

To insert the hose. The used the same athletics to fill our polytank.

Firewood [for cooking]

Gye Nyame {Receive God}

Market

Not by might

Zechariah 4:6 - Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Full load

Contrast. In the "shadow" of nice apartments, someone is cooking outdoors. The clay lumps where the smoke is coming from serve as a support for a pot when burning wood is fed in between them.

No octopus today. When they have it, it dangles off the edge of the table if you want to buy it to cook it yourself.

Nso Nyame Ye {Also, God is good}

[I think this might be {God is definitely good}, but I can't find backing for that opinion.]

Imagine yourself walking a few miles this way.

We have room to move over if they don't play nice, but not much time to do it (with our shoulder blocked ahead).

Waiting for transportation

Rejoice in the Lord

Supply your own caption. [grin] Perhaps the group at the left has just been dropped off and is taking the opportunity to visit before going home.

Pink bus

The van at the right says David Ba {Son of David}

Ɛyɛ Adom {It's Grace}

They're catching a ride.

Jesus is Lord

He's lugging those empty but will probably catch a ride when they're full of water.

Carrying building material

Activity picks up as we approach the Mankessim Roundabout..

Heading north from the roundabout..

Grace Bakery and Deco Training Institute

Baking and decorating go together. When you ask for a cake, you'll need the venue to be decorated also.

The man at left counts every vehicle that passes over the string.

This KK isn't afraid of a long dirt road.

But I wonder whether this taxi driver is looking for help.

We see this pattern in other compounds: the guard has a nice, elevated house next to the entrance.

We're going the right way.

Though we may wonder at times.

Just roll over part of the sand pile.

Almost there

Have we run out of road?

No, we look to our right.

And this is our destination: a new apartment in Mankessim.

Visit over.

We retrace our steps.

(When this is complete, it will have stair railings.)

And we come out at a branch of SEACO, a global container leasing company.

Back through traffic. The label on the red taxi says Almighty.

Don't expect just two-way traffic here.

As I was saying..

But we're almost at the roundabout.

Yea!

Dɛn Na Wɔbɛka {What Will They Say}

Rolling store

Medical calls don't wait.

But La Femme serves serious food.

Love them but never trust them.

[I would say, love everyone; choose your friends; we each have our limitations.]

The lady at right carries propane in addition to her other purchases.

The KK says Pray for Yours. The motorcyclist is carrying a mid-sized propane tank, probably water, and oil.

The vehicle at the right says By Grac[e]. At left, notice a pan of fresh fish for sale.

This time, we're turning left.

Down a nice road.

Then turning again to find ourselves here.

And here, until we ask for a pin and go the right way. [oops]

And get back to town.

The vehicle at left says Unity

A hearse that doesn't double as an ambulance! You can see a coffin.

Almost at the chapel

The Mankessim chapel

Obiara Boa {Everyone Helps}

Focus

And we come through the roundabout for home.

The passenger has a helmet but not the driver. The taxi at right says: Missed Call.

This vehicle is getting back into line after passing us.

But not for long as he passes on the hill and curve.

Sorry about the blur. He cut back in without hurting anyone.

Multiple vehicles are approaching in this lane.

They're working their way back over. Note that the red car has nowhere to go if they don't do this quickly.

3 PM, heading away from town

Men don't balance as well as women. The sign in the background says By God's Grace - Special Kitchen.

There's no shoulder and we're going uphill, but vehicles pass anyway. The damaged guardrail says that hasn't always gone well in this short stretch of highway, the only stretch in this area without a forgiving shoulder.

The man in the middle is pushing a tire.

Can it hold a little more?

In school uniform, one holding a phone

Another day, pull in here..

..for Junction Restaurant and Lounge (XO Bar), home of very good spaghetti mixed with vegetables and topped with fried egg.

They have much water to put away.

A 1 - God is One

Drums!

(This is outside shops at Cape Coast Castle.)

Carefully heading home

Shopping at Andy's, a place that features products from out of country. Do I buy it, or do I buy it? (She bought the container of gum to give away.)

Francol Transport Services, commonly called the Ford station. Missionaries leaving Cape Coast often take a bus from here if the STC buses by KFC are full. Hutchland Bakery farther north on this road (Jukwa) serves many places, including this shop by the station.

Who knows tomorrow

The sign above the window says Psalms 121, which begins..

A Song of degrees.

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

We'll all fit.

Funeral

Pick a side, any side.

Ironic: Tonic Wine - Twice the Vibe - for a better you. Freedom.

Freedom to make clear choices is exactly what you don't get. Herbs for health won't make up for twice the vibe.

Seagoing canoes

People get so used to passing that they sometimes don't wait when there's no shoulder for oncoming traffic to retreat to. The silver car had better be quick.

Carrying speakers

Mr Dispatch. Great name for a delivery service.

Notice that an oncoming motorcycle is approaching in the same lane.

Isaiah 41:10 - Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.