Into the Bush

Terry with the new office 12 passenger van

Well Terry has started driving, he is driving this van it has a manual 5 speed  clutch . It is not easy to drive on the stop and go traffic of the city. But he started driving it last week and now is very good at his almost aggressive driving. One of the couples here that is leaving, said they finally were able to be at ease more with the driving when they realized that that is was like a dance and you just couldn't bump into anyone and no one dances in lanes.

We have a brand new missionary couple here that came last Wednesday. They are going to live up in the bush, but their apartment is getting a remodel, it is new area for the West Mission and it will not be ready until next Tuesday. 

We have been taking them around to the grocery store etc. They think we know a lot because we have been here a week longer than they have been. Unfortunately that is not true, we have been lost a lot more times.

I just want to tell the kids thanks so much for the Garmin and for loading up the Africa map. We use it all the time, there are no street signs, we have to go to someplace and and put in the co-ordinates, and hope it is not too cloudy or stormy the next time we go there

On Saturday there was a district conference(like a Stake Conference) in Asamankese. Asamankese is considered in the Bush. The new Couple in our mission Elder and Sister Nielsen from Monroe Utah, are going to be the missionary couple there. President Judd asked us to come to the District Conference with them. We had to drive the Nielsen's four wheel drive truck, because we needed that kind of vehicle for the road and on way were they going to drive (just like we felt the 1st week). The drive was about 75 or 80 Kilometers which is about 35or 40 miles it took as about 2  - 2 1/2 hours. We were on a 4 lane road about half the way and then we just drove off the road by some bread sellers, drove under the overpass on a dirt road and continued the rest on an unbelievable bumpy road ( there was pavement, dirt and giant holes).

 We passed villages like this and other little towns, that had lots of shacks, but always stands with giant yams and other produce for sale. When we came to Asamankese it was not much different, only lots bigger. We turned in the church parking lot and a far as I could see the nicest building in the town.

This is a picture of the church building, Terry is in the back talking to Sister Judd, and the Neilsen's are in front, about now they are about ready to head to the airport after the ride and looking at the town and villages. A couple of things helped them to change their minds. Sister Nielson had a friend in Monroe who had a son that had only been in the Accra mission for about 3 week and was having a hard time. When we went to look at the apt. they were renovating, it was in a complex with 3 apartments, one of the other apartments has 4 elders in it and he is one of them. The Elders were so excited about them coming to live out there. All the other people in the ward where so nice and so happy that a Senior Couple was going to be there.

At the leadership meeting on Saturday morning, Sister Judd was teaching all the Y.W. Leaders, R.S. Leaders an Primary Leaders about the teaching- (the new Youth- Program) she was telling the ladies about it and said we are trying to Be like Jesus, you know, the Primary song says.- just then without any prompting all the ladies sang the whole primary song, it was very beautiful and touching. The whole Saturday Conference was very nice, and we turned around on Sunday and headed up again for the Sunday Conference.

These are some of the beautiful people we met. This lady has 5 girls, including the baby on her back, the babies necks just flop, and we were wondering if they would become bow-legged.

As we were leaving, the FM Group (Facility Management Group) was just beyond the gate, keeping the grass down ( they do not know it is Sunday)