= Sunday, we went to the Bakaano Ward for church, about 20 minutes from the house. Announcements were in English. A pianist accompanied the hymns. (The sacrament prayer, scriptures, and hymns are in English in Africa West Area.) It was the first Sunday, Fast and Testimony Sunday; I bore mine in two languages, closing with: "I know that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, families are blessed in this life and can live together in heaven too." The scripture discussion was in Twi except for the lesson outline (online) and scriptures.
= Home, Steph crashed; I followed 45 minutes later. When I awoke before 3, we had no power, but one phase (select outlets) came back on as soon as I turned my attention to the journal. At 3, we broke our fast with prayer, then Steph slipped back into sleep. I snacked, then by 8 we had a proper meal that I had fixed, and we had complete power again.
= Monday, I picked up a few items, then made the truck available to the Office Elders; theirs was being worked on. I mostly journaled, blogged, and napped today. Steph worked on arranging the podcast she will initiate in March, around how overcoming challenges makes us better people. She fixed a big meal, which we had while watching Don't Miss This (scripture discussion). Life isn’t just for the purpose of testing us. There’s something about resisting temptation and conquering obstacles that changes our hearts. By making good choices, we BECOME something better to return to God, which is the point. Living the kind of life that God does - helps us become like Him.
= Tuesday, Office Elders tried to give back the truck, but Brother Michael, the mission driver, had me look under the truck. The transmission was leaking fluid profusely. He dropped me off at the house and the vehicle repair vendor picked it up to work on. Home, I journaled and blogged. Steph rested and fixed meals.
= Wednesday, I paid tithing, blogged, fixed lunch, and napped. When I woke and found the power to be off, I napped some more and got up shortly after the power came back on. In the meantime, Steph had been working on her Sacrament talk for our return.
= I arranged to pay for six months of RV storage on our return. I pawed through suitcases, separating items to be left here, and placed the suitcases on beds in the guest bedroom so we don't have to pick them up from the floor to arrange them.
= Thursday, we had no power; I was at the office by 0900 to work there and had a fruitful day: satellite phone test; jump start battery check; bicycle inventory; Ghana non-citizen card renewal sessions covering all of 2026; bicycle swap requests for four locations; monthly vehicle report.
= Heading home before 5, I bought KFC and fueled the truck. The power came on shortly before 6, but we ate where Steph was, on the floor of the bedroom for privacy (all windows were open) and comfort. After 7, Steph learned that missionaries needed transport from Cape Coast Stadium Clinic to their apartment in Yamoransa; I handled that and made it back home by 8:30. I worked on status updates until 11:45. Steph essentially finished writing her Sacrament talk. She read me what she plans to send to invite her first podcast guest.
= Friday, I updated the journal and posted remaining select photos to the blog. The "weekly" meeting was at noon. I printed enough copies of my status report for all participants instead of just briefing orally; I expected that this would be my last opportunity to emphasize duties others will take on when I leave. The biggest question: how do we close open requests for apartment work and supplies when they have been satisfied?
= Steph's medical meeting with Sister Tachie-Menson ran a couple of hours while I nudged laundry at home and filed papers at the office.
= Saturday, I handled mission issues. We sifted and sorted belongings. It occurred to us to ship books instead of carrying them; that will save almost 34 pounds.
Just as we routinely fortify some foods in the States, tomato paste in Ghana is fortified with soy fiber for better digestion and with vitamins: tomato mix.
When the rice was added, there was so much food that I dumped it back and forth from a large bowl to mix and moisten with water, steaming it.
The man in the foreground is trimming coconuts so only one more cut will open them for a customer.
Steph cleaned the rest of the Italian chicken and added the leftover vegetables, mixed balsamic vinegar, honey, and soy sauce. Better than before.
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