Heidi tells me it is my turn to start. We have just returned from our branch about 1 hour away in Nsawam, said Nsaw wam. The past 5 weeks I have attended the English class during Sunday School. There are 5 sisters, ages ranging from about 20-what appears to be 75, they trying to learn English, for the past 4 weeks the teacher has had them write the ABC's. Today myself and a substitute young returned missionary team taught and they wrote their names. We taught from a book "Ye Shall Hear My word", the Church created for teaching English using the scriptures. On the 2nd page was a picture of Joseph Smith at a young age, none recognized the prophet, so I ask Stephen, my co teacher, if he would relate Joseph's story in Twii, said Tree. I believe today was the first time they have written their names. Ama, the oldest was so proud of herself and worked so hard to do it, it took about 45 minutes for them to write their names. I copied the material from the Hear My Word, and each sister was pleased to take a paper home with them for some homework. These sisters for one reason or another have not had the opportunity to attend school, where English is taught. The youngest, Mary, quite a shy girl but wants to learn so badly, had to take care of her siblings and still does, she helps the others. If allowed next week we will try and teach them the primary song, I am a child of God. In that way they can share it with their children and grandchildren.
Yesterday during the Open House at the stake center on the Temple grounds I street contacted inviting passerby's to come into the entertainment, native dancing and drumming and learn more of Jesus Christ in the Open House part of the program. We had about 9 yesterday, 16 on Thursday and 26 on Friday afternoon. The dancing reminded me of the Islands. One young man I met yesterday and was finally able to get him to come in and have a cookie and drink, probably 10 or 11 had a small box of his worldly belongings on his head and two toys he never let go of. One a toy truck and one a transformer. It was obvious he lived on the street, tattered and dirty clothing. Mentally not all there, when I first spoke to him he was very scared, we only determined later that is was his mental challenge that made him cautious. When he left he still had in his box the cookies we gave him and the orange drink he carefully placed in his box earlier. He was ever so grateful although could not express himself well for as I walked him to the gate, showing him how to get out, he said thank you, not in any way one could understand, but in his expressions. We could only pray God will watch over him and protect him. I know most people of Ghana will be kind to him. There are a lot of challenges here in Ghana, and we know only the Gospel of Jesus Christ, its ordinances and covenants, has the ability to raise up the people to be equal to that which must be done. Listen to conference this October, two of our area Presidency will be speaking, Elder Dubey, and Vinson.
We were going into the area office and saw 3 men wearing suits coming out. No one around here wears a suit it is too hot, so we instantly knew they were from Salt Lake. When they came out we realized that one of them was a neighbor that lived next to the rental house we lived in while we built our house. He was also our older children s seminary teacher, Jon Monson - small word sometimes.
On Saturday when we went out for a walk, we ran into this big fit for life walking group going the other way, they wanted us to come and join them. We did and they were so excited to have us walk with them, they had the BBC photographer come and take a picture of us. We don't know if it was because we were the only white people or were the oldest people walking, maybe it was a combination.
Terry usually gets 4-5 plumbing problems a week, this week on Saturday night the Elders from Kade called and said they did not have enough water to have a baptism, because their neighbor had stolen all the water out of their Poly /tank. Terry told them that we could not do anything to help them. They called tonight and they had bucketed the water in. You gotta love those missionaries.Our injured missionary is doing good and working again, and everyone of them better be wearing their helmets.
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