Week of 20250803 - Ghana Week 73: Missionaries Trapped; Food Storage Prep; Home Cleaned; Head Hit; Truck-Boat; Abakrampa; Abura Dunkwa; Car Pushed; Clinic Donated; Ajumako; Enyanmain; Broken Rock
= Sunday, we awoke without an alarm [whew!], left late anyway, but arrived in time for Sacrament; I pushed hard. I had forgotten to craft a testimony in Twi; I was silent. The assigned teacher taught the Come, Follow Me [scripture] lesson today and did a good job.
= When their doorknob/bolt cover fell off the inside of their door, missionaries were trapped in their bedroom and the keys to enter the apartment were in a different room; so, they couldn't simply hand them out through a (barred) window. Brother Bright (Facilities Manager) handed them tools that they used to get through their door.
= Home, following up a comment from Sister Tachie-Menson about food storage for the mission, I created a Word document proposing two goals and a list of potential foods for each goal, given their different rotation possibilities. Steph served sobolo (hibiscus with other things) that she learned to make a week ago.
= Monday, we worked in the office even though the weekly meeting has been moved to Friday. President Tachie-Menson hopes to provide church laptops for both of us to use; that will make handing things off to our successors easier. Not everyone travels with personal laptops and a portable printer [grin].
= Home, Steph fixed calamari steaks. We watched Don't Miss This (scripture discussion). I slipped on the water deposited by a leak in the roof and my body hit the floor the same time that the left side of my head hit a raised portion of the cement floor. I'm blessed; no problems followed.
= Tuesday, I learned that the church has donated a medical clinic to a place in Ghana where no members congregate and no missionaries visit; it was needed, and the church provided it. I planned for this week's apartment visits and vacuumed the house. I should have planned to be at the clinic handoff, but I lost track of that. Steph made smoothies and demonstrated the power of her Migaku service that creates subtitles on steroids: you create a practice "card" that includes the image you saw, an explanation of the word you want to learn, and the voice of the actor speaking the word.
= Wednesday, mud made steering the truck like steering a boat at some points. We inspected an apartment in Abakrampa, then Abura Dunkwa, where we followed instructions to use a safer way out of their labyrinth. We picked up glasses for missionaries, delivered one set to the Ola chapel and the other set to a Sister missionary who was waiting with her companion at the Ankaful Main Camp Prison. Prisoners, guards, and regular people mingled freely.
= Home, I successfully pushed a front-wheel car out of where it was stuck and got it to solid ground. Surprisingly little mud got on my pants; I had to thoroughly rinse the shoes and let them dry. One takeaway from listening to Sunday on Monday: all our knowledge is partial knowledge.
= Thursday, we inspected an apartment in Ajumako. I had intended to go to Enyanmain first, but I accidentally swapped the coordinates. Getting to Enyanmain was "interesting". Close to the destination, workers had recently spread a thick layer of dirt on the road. Instead of two lanes, this wide road had one set of tire tracks, weaving back and forth through the mud, and each vehicle had followed that same set of tracks. Missionaries showed us which bad-looking side road to follow, and as I took that one, our four-wheel truck was a boat again. We arrived successfully.
= On the way home, we bought more squid from a roadside vendor. The grill pattern on the outside of the squid makes it look like pastry; so, we didn't try this treat for our first year and a half.
= By going to inspect apartments today, we missed supporting the formal handoff by the church of a new medical clinic, including supplies and equipment, to a small community in Abuenu, Ghana.
= Friday, we had the weekly meeting at 0900. We worked on mission items until 3, then headed to Lemon Lounge. The bus parked out front was a hint of likely delay; we didn't finish eating until 7:30. Home, we watched War, then episodes of Star Trek - Next Generation; we relaxed.
= Saturday, I helped unload water filter units being moved from storage on the mission compound to storage and distribution from the Big House next to ours. Room is being made for food storage!
= I moved three loads of broken rock and tile to the hole in front of our compound. Steph fielded medical calls and waited for responses all day.
To church, interacting with people nearby, rushed
Matthew 26:53 - Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 - And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.
Fufu pounding sticks
Wa nye wo serew kwa {You are the one they laugh at}
Progress on the building across from the Audit building on our "road"
Toasting with Sobolo (hibiscus, ginger, sweeteners)
Ink pads are stored upside down so the ink stays at the surface instead of pooling at the bottom; Steph uses them for decorating planners.
Eleven days of electricity remained at about 150 cedis per day; just checking.
Moving clothes from the drying room
The puddle where I hit my head on the upper level as my body hit the lower level
With corn. Sliced cucumbers with ranch dressing on the side.
Don't Miss This (scripture discussion)
Mopping a leak that ran to the couch from near the back window
How to cut a pineapple. Chop the top.
Slice off the sides, and only then mess with the inside.
The result; these pineapples were old.
Pineapple; frozen watermelon..
Frozen spinach, then give it a whirl
A round for a second container, then enjoy together
The area outside the gate is becoming more aggravating to turn in.
And I try to miss the soft mud when getting out of and into the vehicle to close the gate.
Pushing a bicycle in the rain
Suro Nɛr Obɛn Wu {Fear Near Death}
Hutchland Bakery on Jukwa Road near the Pedu market ships bread to nearby communities.
Don't leave the jugs behind.
Gyɛ Nyame {Receive God}
Making cement
I give marks for creativity
The bottom storage rooms become stores.
I have been unable to get a clear shot of the statue of the man reading a book. The motto of this school: Knowledge is power.
From this side, one sees the lectern and book but not the person.
Firewood, neatly stacked for pickup
Some members go to church here.
Asebu Plot Holders Association
Asebu Pan-African Village would have made it easier for foreigners whose families had been enslaved to have a place to live if they returned to Ghana. Recent litigation over who had the right to provide the land has halted its growth.
Pouring cement in the rain isn't something that I've seen done elsewhere.
Gingerly dodging potholes
..
Visited graves
Serious driving; the truck steered like a boat. (Preparation for the next day.)
They died a year earlier.
And the program includes "Unveiling of Tombstone".
Oranges, likely overripe, left near a school athletic field in Abakrampa
Not stepping on the path itself; it's too slippery.
Our destination: Abakrampa. Missionaries live on the left, not at the front, of this duplex.
After our visit, I took this side trip to explore the route that the GPS favors.
But it's longer, and in some places, quite narrow; I've spared you the rest of the photos of this diversion.
And here's where we entered.
An attention-getting name
They were working very hard to scoop up the spilled grain..
When we saw this man letting his cattle graze in a garbage dump, we concluded: no medium-rare beef for us.
This coffin has been made to resemble an open book
And this one a closed set of scriptures.
Better views of more-traditional designs..
We can't drive and photograph the tightest turns at the same time.
Imagination: raise the washer/ spinner to make it easier to drain into a jug
We were told of a less-harrowing route and followed it to leave the apartment. The polytank at the left was donated by someone; that's not uncommon here.
I've seen the other half of this statement elsewhere. The entire question is: Who is your spiritual father?
[right]
Firewood, and some cardboard to start the fire with
AfriMALL, like a lightly supplied Big Lots, on N1 near the turn for the mission compound
Traffic slows to a crawl, but it doesn't help. The truck bounces vigorously over these reinforced traffic bumps.
Never give up in this life
Nyame So {God, Therefore} [everything else matters]
The sign says 8 cedis to Elmina from here (Cape Coast). That's about 80 cents in August 2025.
Raised patio by the street
Probably an apartment complex..
Lady with a sprayer on her back
A long road, but he's not deterred.
Jesus the Secret of my Joy
Peace be unto you
Tropical. One of many bars/ restaurants along the ocean.
The man is selling ice cream.
This one is also, but he has an umbrella.
OK, guys, give me some room, please.
This is the car I pushed out of the mud at the left to firmer ground.
The road goes uphill to the left; the car sat and spun on the level; it would not have made it up that hill.
Pushing near the center of the back of the car, I somehow managed to stay out of the spray of mud from the tires.
Rinsing..
Our largest frying pan has no lid; Steph has put a towel over a smaller lid.
I heard a noise that to me sounded like it was coming from under the lid for the propane tank storage..
Steph realized it was coming from above; something was scratching or chewing at the roof.
This thing has become our first pothole of each day.
A clearer view of where the car I freed got stuck; the spot looks harmless now.
But another car, perhaps an SUV, seems stuck just where the hill starts to climb.
The last daunting hill between us and N1.
He's just about at the crest.
The van came out of the gas station too soon.
Somehow, everyone made it work.
[He's saying that God needs to change]
They all sell kenkey; some sell a couple of other things as well..
The guard rails show us that accidents do occur. They occur here perhaps more than most places; because, there's no shoulder to escape to.
We turned down this "road".
In Jesus' name
Ɔye Adom {He Is Grace}
Ɛwɔ asem bi ka {It has something to say}
Compound with guard shack, within sight of the ocean..
I wonder whether this ever reached its potential at some point.
In Birawa, Auntie Kate Octopus and Yam Joint is within a kilometer of where people sell fried squid to you in your vehicle (cooked closer to where they sell, not here).
Seagoing canoe under construction, within sight of an inlet leading to the sea..
Within sight of wood for which negotiations might be taking place.
There were two trucks of wood at this location.
One wonders what all the cameras are for.
A thing for you never lost
How many eggs can you carry?
Did she lose one?
Mankessim Melcom; there were few shoppers the last few times we were there; we didn't stop today.
We'll go straight today..
Carrying one of the ubiquitous plastic bags. They're great, except that the zippers don't last.
Traffic counter. If he's distracted or tired, he'll pull the string so you'll have to get his attention to come through; he doesn't want to miss anyone.
Of course this should be La Femme. Signs seen later have a barely noticeable correction to the name. It's a good and fancy restaurant in the rainy season when there's water for the staff to thoroughly wash hands, etc. [Skip the cakes, though: dry.]
A truckload of drugs, or at least advertisements for them
In what seems like the middle of nowhere
Remember when everyone carried a pocket knife?
Nice arch, seemingly to nowhere
Genesis 49:9-10 - Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh {asher-lo = whose right it is} come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Judah = Lion; Lionba {Lion's Son}
Jesus is a descendant of Judah, the Lion, and is often called the Lion of Judah
Never been there, but Good Corner seems like a good name to give an establishment.
Helping build this nice section of road..
Stepping out at Ajumako, it's as muddy as it looks.
Notice that they've switched positions.
..
Notice that there's only one set of tracks. Driving the truck felt like driving a boat..
Our turn is actually to the right, after this building. But we didn't know that and turned around after the brow of the hill, when we saw a vehicle stuck in the mud.
Sorry for no photo coming up a hilll that stops at the apartment, but it took lots of concentration. The truck drove like a boat.
Nice view once we arrived
Through a window facing the "street"
At the bottom of the hill from the apartment, heading toward the "street"
Notice that most of the tracks sway drastically to one side at the mid-point. I thought it was safer to power straight across and up the hill. We're coming down now, but no reason not to go straight.
The water pipe to the apartment was injured by roadwork. So, occupants dip water from here, at the break at the bottom of the hill. (See the pail on a stick.)
It's nice that it wasn't raining while we slid through town and up the hill to the apartment.
Steph dislikes this stretch; because, it's narrow with drop-offs on both sides, and the bridge rails are often hidden by brush.
Nyame Nti {God, Therefore}
Cold Store
God Dey {God exists} Washing [of vehicles]
The turn for La Femme Restaurant. Fancy. Good Food. But probably best in the rainy season. We didn't do as well in the dry season when they had no water for washing hands except from a bucket.
I have wondered what it would be like to see the world from your mother's back.
It looked as if he had plenty of room to pass us..
But he slowed down too much for the rift in the road and shared the lane with an oncoming vehicle.
Five, not counting the driver behind the wheel
Some of the wood from earlier is still there..
But it's not substantially offloaded..
and it's not where canoe construction usually takes place on this road.
Nets and some floats are spread out on school property
At a glance, you can guess why we passed these up for a year and a half, thinking they were pastry, being sold by people bringing them to your vehicle window.
But those are grill marks from cooking..
.. delicious squid.
Our first time was on training wheels; it was cut up for us; so, we just saw delicious pieces. But this is the rest of the story, and it's tender and good.
It appears that one lady does the cooking and the rest do the selling.
Yesu Dea {Jesus owns it}{It belongs to Jesus}
We left some tracks today.
But because we had made and kept these appointments, we missed..
.. formal handoff of a medical clinic in Abuenu, Ghana on 7 Aug 2025 to the community by the church because a clinic was needed. We have no members nearby and do not currently teach nearby.
Also https://news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-medical-clinic-donation-introduces-ghanaian-community-to-the-church
The man in the red tie is Mission President Tachie-Menson, with his arm behind his wife.
(I received these photos from people who were there.)
It lights up when slapped..
She was too rough with it.
Its buddy is checking on it.
Artificial Resuscitation..
He seems pretty much back to his old self.
There's the light in his belly.
The blue guy has something like a string.
..
Trying to show the golden gleam
Shoulder stretches
Cutting squid
Someone without understanding put cement bags near the turn where that person got stuck.
It should be mixed with sand and gravel to be effective. That didn't happen here.
Lemon Lounge was filled with two large groups; we were seated at a couch instead of at a regular table for our meal. (Good thing; the wait was quite long.)
I spotted some cooking being done outdoors. (This is the second floor.)
Chicken Alfredo was a great disappointment.
And they tried to fix the lack of chicken by adding dressing [sigh].
But the other dishes were good.
..
Near the door, they've installed games for kids.
The driver-side low beam was out, as usual.
And Star Trek - Next Generation
Moving items from a cargo container at the mission compound to the "Big House" for distribution. This step cleared the container so it could be used for food storage to support an emergency. The food will be rotated by using it with meals for transfers and zone conferences.
Moving rock and broken tile from the back of the property to the hole in front of the gate..
I scraped my head on the razor wire sagging into our side of the fence.
But in general, I was none the worse for wear.
Activity
God Dey {God exists} Washing [of vehicles]
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