On the go….

This week was a VERY busy week. Between support of the Area Presidency and invitations to do some traveling Saturday and Sunday, we were exhausted by Sunday evening. Wednesday while I was in the weekly Area Presidency meeting that can last 3+ hours Stephaney was invited to go see a place like where the Kinte clothes are made. These are banners that are given to Sr. Couples who are returning from completing their missions. The village where this is done is not far outside of Accra but very rustic and in some ways very primitive. You will enjoy seeing the place this is done and the tools they use to weave fabric.

Below are some pictures of the cloth that they weave on these looms. They weave narrow strips that are then swen together to make wider articles like place mats and bed spreads. The guy showed us a beautiful bed spread that took 2 months to make and cost CD2,000!

Stephaney took some video clips of them doing the weaving. Notice how they employ both hands and feet in producing these very colorful cloths. They can have very intricate designe. The first picture shows a man spooling thread. All of this is done right out in the dust and amidst the chickens. In one of the videos listen for a rooster! There was a cat or two around, too.

Saturday we were invited by our area doctor, Elder Maughan, to make a trip north of Accra about 35 Km to an Orthopedic Training Center at Nsawam – pronounced N-sah-waum. It is run by the Catholics. A "Brother" founded it and was there. He now is crippled and uses some of the devices they make there. This was a very big deal. We ended up not tending kids, but sitting in the ceremony. At one point when they "appealed for funds", the music on the PA got loud, the call for feeling the spirit push you to contribute, etc, came as close as we have been to experiencing a "revival". We sat in the heat, thankfully under a tent, for hours. It was their 50th anniversary celebration and they needed someone to watch the small children – toddlers and infants - while the staff attended this celebration. The children are handicapped in some ways – usually missing one or more limbs. It is still such that a deformed child may be left to die, if not rescued by someone outside the tribe. Polio is still real here, and many deformities are from diabetes. Our area doc said the diabetes is genetic. It is not that they eat loads of sugar!

The primary purpose of the Center is the rehabilitation of the physically challenged in Ghana and people from other countries. The center manufactures prostheses for the needy children in the area and train individuals on how to make these prostheses. They had quite an assortment of dignitaries and supporters in attendance to include the Ambassador of the Netherlands, Archbishop of Accra and Minister of Health. The last picture is of Adoagyiri Chief, Nana Afutu Dompreh II; a local tribe. At one point in the program he did some chanting with his priests. Children from another place did some dances. There were talks by those who financially contribute large amounts as corporate sponcers. No mention of the gifts our church has given, such as wheel chairs. The Church never minds about getting recognition. Helping those in need is the point.

While we were not used to help watch the children we did attend the celebration and got a tour of the facility. These next few pictures show the prostheses made at this facility and the tools that are used. Most of them are very old but very functional. They are very resourceful, and use scrap metal. The prostheses they make may cost a family under GHC 15.00 ($10.00) while we were told that those same items would run up to $5,000 in the US.

Next to the training center we saw this tree. Note the size of this fruit. Some are the size of a volleyball. The hard shells of the Calabash tree fruit are useful as bowls, cups, and other water containers when hollowed out.

Sunday morning (Gordon's birthday! and a perfect way for him to spend it. He hates staying around the apartment.) we loaded up our van and rode with Elder & Sister Dickson and the Dunns (the Director of Temporal Affairs) to Koforidua, (pronounced Ko-for-ridge-ua–a) community 2.5 hours north of Accra. We visited three branches of the church to see how things are going and to make sure the facilities are being taken care of. One small branch meets in a rented facility that from the outside does not look that bad but inside gives you a different idea. The Area is working on getting them into a better and larger rental for now. In this country property is either owned by tribe or government. Our church does own buildings, however. Stephaney is greeting the Primary children and showing where they hold their classes. After the meeting, the kids flocked around and wanted to shake hands and hugged her. As everywhere, beautiful people! The third picture is where the priesthood meets.

The other two branches actually meet in Church owned facilities that are much nicer.

Unlike the country that we saw in Abuja, Nigeria that we imagined Africa would look like, the countryside in Koforidua is very tropical looking. The following video clip should give you an idea of the beautifully green countryside. We actually drove up a mountain that had switchbacks like the Alpine Loop in Utah valley. You may be able to see off in the distance a ship docked in the Tema harbor but it was a bit hazy as it was early in the morning and the sun had not yet burned off the haze.

Not the least of the excitement this week was the arrive of our 21st grand child! Crystal had little Odin (from mythology) on Friday. (We'll share a picture when we get one.) This is Gordon's mother's 99th great grand child, and somewhere in the 70s on Stephaney's side! Families are the most wonderful wonder in the world!!