Week 15 - Sleeping, Sealing, Birth DAY Naming & Daily Sunbathing

Big news of the week!  We have a new bed!  We lasted as long as we could and finally cried, "Uncle!"  The hard, double-sized bed, even with a 2 inch foam topper, was just not doable.  We looked around and found a king-size softer bed!  So for the last 2 nights, we have slept like king and queen of Accra! What a difference a good night sleep makes!  Next mission, we will not wait 3 months.  Yes, we are 3 days away from being here 3 months!  Unbelieveable!

SUSIE & JOSEPH AMOAH

We met this darling couple in our Trade Fair Ward.  They are the cutest!  They have been married for 1.5 yrs.  Last Saturday, they were sealed in the temple.  We were invited to attend this beautiful ceremony.  They were radiant and overcome with feeling.  So much so, that Joseph kept his head bowed in silent awe, with tears and much joy.  It was incredible to watch this sweet couple unite for eternity in the House of the Lord. 

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

What day of the week were you born?  This can be a very typical question when you’re in Ghana. This is due to the Ghanaian Day Names tradition, one of the many ceremonies and customs that take place in Ghana.

The day naming system is a very old tradition used by the Akan people and even by other west African countries.  It’s about giving newborn babies a special name based on the day of the week they are born. These are called “day names,” and they hold meanings regarding the soul of the baby and character traits.

Children are considered to be a gift from God in Ghana. Names are very important!  We learned very quickly here that we needed to know what day of the week we were born.  Honestly, I had no idea and had to Google it!  

Sunday

Kwasi (male) Akosua (female) – the day on which “KWA”(the Creator) descended.

• KWASI means “the Lord of Life Descent”.
• AKOSUA means “descent”. Females born on Sunday are known to be leaders in society. They are very inquisitive and tend to be pulled into a thing of interest.

Monday

Kwadwo (małe) Adwoa (female) – corresponds to the day on which “KWA” created the firmament.

• KWADWO & ADWOA: both mean “Lord of Life Firmament day”

Tuesday

Kwabena (male) Abena (female) – The day on which land was made to appear.

• KWABENA: means “Lord of Life’s Land Day.”
• ADWOA: means “Land’s Day.”

Wednesday (Cindy)

Kwaku (małe) Akua (female) – According to the book of Genesis, was the day on which the heavenly hots (sun, moon and stars) appeared.

• KWAKU & AKUA: both mean “Lord of Life’s Group/Host”. They commemorate the creation of the sun, the moon and the stars.

Thursday

Yao (male) Yaa (female) – the day on which various life forms (plants, animals, etc ) were created.

• YAO & YAA: both mean “Lord-of-Life Reproduction.”

Friday (Jordan)

Kofi (male) Afua (female) – the day on which the first home was created or established. This is because the word “Friday” is a combination of two words in Aka which are “Fi” (meaning home) and “Da” (meaning day).

• KOFI & AFUA: both mean “Lord of Life Home” and commemorate the creation of the first home in the Garden of Eden and the institution of marriage.

Saturday

Kwame (male) Amma (female) – “God’s Rest Day.”

• KWAME / AMMA: both mean “Lord of Life’s Satisfaction Day”, names that commemorate the institution of rest. This is why Akan societies observe Saturday as the Sabbath.

Jordan was born on Friday (Kofi = Koh-fee) and I was born on Wednesday (Akua = Uh-quee-uh)!  How about you??

One more little tid-bit about names in Ghana....

There is a high level of respect for your elders in Ghana.  We have learned that you never call someone older than you by their given name.  This rule follows with close family members as well.  An older brother or sister will be just that.  Brother.  Sister.  Young people refer to older people as "auntie" and "uncle" or "mommy" and "daddy" or even "grandma" and "grandpa."  Fortunately, the latter has come only from our actual grandchildren and we mostly get "mommy & daddy" as our titles here.  We love it and have a little chuckle every time.  

DAILY OCCURRENCE

We mentioned that we had an office that looks out over the Accra Temple.  It is actually a really awesome sight to have!  What makes it fun are the regular visitors to the top that we see daily.  There are 2 birds in particular that love to sit on Moroni's hand and also just below his feet on a ledge, where the bird spreads it's wings and basks in the hot sun.  I don't think they will ever get tired of this daily ritual.  I know we won't!  Can you see them both?

Lots of love from Ghana!!! 💙💙💙

Week 14 - Holidays, Head Porters & Knock Offs

We are loving the African Holidays!  They sneak up on us out of nowhere.  We have another long weekned due to Eid al Fitr (Holiday of Breaking the Fast). This is a religious festival for all Muslims around the world. Eid al Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Eid al Fitr is Allah's reward for believers who fasted during the holy month of Ramadan. This is also focused around believers thanking Allah for giving them the chance and the strength to carry out His commands during the blessed month of Ramadan. Traditionally, Eid al Fitr is celebrated for three days in almost all Muslim countries.  After the Ramadan month of fasting, Muslims celebrate Eid al Fitr with feasts and family visits. The start of the holiday is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which vary according to geographic location.

So, Saturday was a busy day for restaurants!  We went with friends to get what they promised would be "the best burger in Ghana" and forgot about the crowds that would be out and about.  It was actually a really good burger, but watching the crowds was the highlight!  Everyone was dressed in special made clothing for the celebration and boy were they feasting!  Every table was laden with anything and everything from the menu, all being shared amongst friends and family.  It was a sight to behold.  I wanted to take so many pictures but restrained myself to just a few, as I know this is a very special day for them. These sweet ladies wanted us to take their picture!!  

 

HEAD PORTERS

There are female head porters popularly known as “Kayayei” in Ghana. "Kaya" is a word meaning goods and “yoo" is a "Ga" word (language spoken by natives of Accra) meaning woman, thus "yei" being women.

"Carrying on the head" is common in many parts of the developing world, as only a simple length of cloth shaped into a ring or ball is needed to carry loads approaching the person's own weight. 

In Ghana, affluent residents of the southern cities employ young women who migrate from the poorer northern region, to work for $2 a day. There are about 100,000 female head porters in Ghana with over 70% in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, due to high demand for their services.  Unfortunately, many are subjected to verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination. The difficult nature of their work and the maltreatment they face contribute to poor mental health outcomes. Studies show a majority suffer from poor physical and mental health including anxiety (94.4%), depression (86.6%) and stress (42.2%).

There is not a time out driving we do not see these incredible women, children and sometimes men, doing everything they can to support themselves.  They wander between stopped traffic, along the center medians and sometimes throughout dangerous moving traffic.  The hot and difficult conditions alone are grueling.  Knowing many are trying to support families makes it heartwrenching.  The amount of weight carried on their heads and necks is unbelievable.  They learn to balance by training from a young age.  We have seen them carrying everything including furniture, propane tanks, lumber, sewing machines (quite common), and much more.

 

    

    

TRADEMARK ISSUES?  NOT IN AFRICA!

We have found some awesome stores over the last couple of months.  It took a while of visiting, investigating, exploring and researching to find the ones that fit our style the best.  We now have a few standard stores that work for us!  However, some of them seem like a distant memory of a few stores in the USA.  I can't imagine why?  Can you identify what these might be likened to? LOL!

A LAUGHABLE MOMENT IN GHANA

After being here for a couple of months, we noticed there was no longer any wiper fluid to clean the windshield, which means there probably wasn't much to begin with since we had hardly used it.  I searched at gas stations as we were filling up and in the automotive sections in stores but had no success finding washer fluid.  One day I happened to pass the fleet manager for our vehicles at the church office buildings.  I asked, "Hey Hanson!  I've noticed we don't have any washer fluid and wondering where I might find that here in Ghana?"  He looked puzzled and said, "For your washing machine?"  I chuckled and said, "No, for your windshield on the car."  He again looked puzzled and said, "You mean water?"  I laughed out loud and about rolled on the ground.  "Really?  Just water?  That is what you use here?"  Hanson laughed and asked me what we use.  I said, "windshield washer fluid!"  He said, "Why?  Water works fine!"  So, Jordan found a hose at our apartment building and filled us up!  Actually works pretty good!  Wouldn't recommend it for colder climates where water freezes, but here we now have a cheap hack!

Much love from Ghana!!!! 

 

Week 13 - Long Weekend, Exploring & Frogs

We recently had a 4 day weekend!  Good Friday on April 7th and Easter Monday on April 10th.  It was awesome to sleep in, explore more of Ghana and rejuvenate ourselves a bit!  Life is busy busy busy here and if we don't take time to "Sharpen the Saw" we are going to burn out!  And we don't want that! 

On Friday, we went with another senior missionary couple, Bob & Jerie Jacobs, to explore Jamestown a bit, including the lighthouse and Ussher Fort. 

Jamestown and Usshertown are the oldest districts of Accra, Ghana and emerged as communities around the 17th century as British James Fort and Dutch Ussher Fort on the Gulf of Guinea.  Today, both Jamestown and Usshertown remain fishing communities inhabited primarily by the Ga people.  Although in quite a state of decay, the districts are significant in the history of Accra, which replaced Cape Coast as the capital of Gold Coast, a British colony in 1876.

Ussher Fort is in Jamestown, Accra, Ghana. It was built by the Dutch West India Company in 1649 as Fort Crèvecœur, named after a Dutch town.  It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It was one of three forts that Europeans built in the region during the middle of the 17th century.  It has a long history of having been a trade post, slave dungeon, a police post and a prison.  Some of the images portrayed in the Fort are obviously disturbing, showing the horribleness of the slave trade.  It was also used for military detention and served as a court-martial unit, and refugee camp for both Liberians and South Sudanese as recent as 2005.

We stood on the top of Ussher Fort and looked out over the ocean, watching life go on without fanfare.  Young boys playing with a bottle tied to a piece of rope, fishermen preparing their nets and boats for the day's trip out for fishing or sleeping in the boats under tarps, men and women cooking under umbrellas and old tarps or harvesting a recent catch of fish, fresh from the water, mounds of garbage strewn along the beach.  So much to see!  We watched for the longest time, just taking it all in.  Depsite the conditions, there is beauty to be found.  

 

    

 

These little boys were having a great time with a bottle tied to a piece of rope! 

ABURI BOTANICAL GARDEN

On  Monday, we ventured off into a more mountainous region to see some lush gardens.  The trees were ginormous, varied, and beautiful!  For whatever reason, it also felt a little cooler, even though the temperature remained the same as in Accra.  Maybe because we strolled through the shady and beautiful "jungle" rather than being baked on the hot concrete in town.  An old helicopter left over from UN peacekeeping missions is now a playground for kids.  There are also large termite mounds everywhere in Ghana, which are pretty cool.

FROGS

I've always been somewhat of a night owl, but seem to be getting a little better with time and age.  At night when all is quiet and Jordan has gone to sleep, I sit silently in the living room and listen to the frogs.  They begin slowly with a few chirps and gurgles here and there, but before long, they are a resounding chorus of some of the greatest croaking sounds you've ever heard!  There is one big daddy that has the lowest and loudest sound of all.  I must find him someday!  Wish I could record and share with you this little evening treat that I love so much!  I have always loved FROGS!!

Sending Lots of Love from Africa!!! 💗💛💚

Week 12 - Easter Sunday, Kings & Missionaries

Wishing everyone a beautiful Easter Sabbath!

This morning we were filled with the love of God and our Savior Jesus Christ as we pondered the true meaning of this wonderful day. Because our Savior suffered and died for us, we have the knowledge of a glorious ressurection for all!  There is great hope and peace that comes from knowing we have the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. He offers all who come unto Him... hope, freedom from discouragement, relief from despair and pains of every kind.  No challenge is too great for the Lord to guide and direct us, giving us understanding and comfort.  

The Savior came to save others, not himself.  We must likewise seek to save others!  To reach out and find those who are suffering and need our kindness and love, offering our support and help.  How we treat others, speak to others, interact with others, must be in a higher and holier way.  We are called to find those searching for truth and invite all to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.   

Visit from a King

Last week at General Conference, a special visitor from Ghana attended!  He was recognized from the pulpit by Elder Rasband.  His Majesty King Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse and President of the Ga Traditional Council of Accra, Ghana, visited the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 2-5, 2023.  The Ga Mantse is greatly revered in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana and is one of the most prominent traditional rulers in this country.  During his visit, he had the opportunity to tour Welfare Square and Brigham Young University, but the highlight of his visit came when attending the Church’s April 2023 General Conference and a meeting with the First Presidency.

Gã Mantse is the title of the Ghanaian king of the Gã State in the southern part of Ghana, where the Ga-Adangbe people dwell with Accra as the capital city.  His role is to better the lives of the people, creating opportunity and equality, focusing on continued education and progress for his people.  

This is a sweet video of The Ga Mantse's visit to Utah. We were thrilled to see Ghana represented in the Tabernacle Choir also!  Tubo Oreriba Elisha Joseph was chosen to sing with the choir for conference.

The 2nd picture is Elder Nash, previous area president here in Ghana, 

and our daughter-in-law Megan's uncle.  

LIGHT IN THEIR EYES

There is a light in the eyes of the people in Ghana!  There is much to be discouraged about in life.  We see homelessness, hunger, illness, deformity and so much more all around us.  Depsite this, the light in the eyes of everyone we meet is bright and radiant.  A sweet mother with 3 boys has been living on the street just a few blocks from our apartment.  After seeing them a couple of times as we were going to and from the office, I couldn't pass them by another time.  My next time out, I prepared a bag of warm food and a few supplies with water and kleenex.  I stopped and met Akusa (mom), Emmanuel (oldest boy about 11), Gilbert (middle boy about 9) and Christopher (the youngest about 4).  Akusa is Pentecostal, a woman of faith.  She has no home, no family to care for her, and has charge of her 3 young boys.  My heart breaks for her.  It is difficult to know what to do in these circumstances.  But I do know how to show love, kindness, offer some food and supplies and a friendly wave as we go by.  

We must always look around us!  There are people waiting for our love!  

MISSIONARIES in the AFRICA WEST AREA

Our official mission call is as legal missionaries in the Africa West Area.  We have 17 countries within our area:  Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Western Sahara.  We are offical in 12 of the 17 countries.  We mostly see and associate with senior missionaries. This is mainly because we are in an Area assignment and not assigned to a particular mission.  However, we just learned last week that we will be rolled into the Ghana Accra Mission for ocassional conferences and missionary related activities.  It will be fun to see the young missionaries in action a little more!

    Our cute sister missionaries, one from Nigeria and one from Ethiopia!

BOWL

Gye Nyame indicates the recognition of the supremacy of God over all beings, and therefore is the one that is feared and revered by all. This is one of the many Adinkra symbols of West Africa, Ghana, and is used by the Akan people in various decorations, clothing, and artwork.  The Gye Nyame symbol is the best known adinkra symbol from Ghana. It means “except for God” and signifies the all-knowing power of God.  It is a reflection of the religious character of the Ghanaian people. 

I found this bowl at a market and loved it!  It reminds me that without God in my life, I am missing the most vital part of who I am.  

May we all be focused on coming to know our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ more personally each and every day!

Week 11 - Fruit, Wages, Travel & more

It is almost impossible for me to believe we have been in Ghana for two months!  My how time flies!  Seriously, I feel like we just arrived.  

FRUIT

Speaking of fruit....WOW!  The fruit in Ghana is second to none!  Or GOAT fruit for the younger generation!  Pineapple, bananas, papaya, mango... you name it and it is fantastic!  The avacados are also unbelievable!  Huge and so sweet!  Doesn't look like we will be losing any fruit calories here.    

The other day I went by a new fruit stand.  The hard working women of our city set up shop here, there and everywhere to sell fruits and vegetables.  I noticed a strange looking pod and inquired about it.  All she could say was, "Vitamin C!"  Then proceeded to show me how to crack it open and suck on the pulp, then spit out the pit/seed.  Once you peel away the outer surface, a soft peachy-orange pod remains.  The texture is a little spongey at first but then quickly begins to melt in your mouth until nothing is left but a hard little pit that looks like a brown, flat bead.  I showed our cute secretary at work and she said, "Oh! Those are blackberries!"  From the curious investigation I've done, they are called the Velvet Tamarind.  They grow on bushes and unfortunately, are becoming extinct because farmers do not see them as a lucrative crop. Most health claims are overrated given the amount of fruit you would need to consume to derive the benefits.  That said, they are a sweet little snack and quite unique!  I love trying the local produce!!

LEGAL COORDINATORS

Our wonderful and capable secrataries/legal coordinators are Dinah De-Graft Mensah and Esther Abuyeh.  These amazing women help us so much each day.  They are the stalwarts that have been in the OGC (Office of General Counsel) for years and put up with each set of new senior missionaries that come in green and need to learn the ropes!  They are patient and kind!  We already love them so much!!  They travel more than 1.5 hrs to and from work each day, leaving their homes at 5:45 am so they can beat the traffic and arrive by 7:30 am, and then leaving the office by 4 pm so they can get home before 6 pm at night.  I admire their tenacity to support their families with these positions as church employees.  These are coveted jobs and they do not take them for granted.  

WAGES

The average daily salary for labor workers (parking lot attendants, grocery clerks, store clerks, etc. is 30 cedi a day (about $2.60).  How do they support themselves or a family on these meager wages?  It is impossible.  They are always looking for ways to improve their situation.  We have a wonderful man named Bobby who comes to clean for us once a week and charges 150 cedi each time ($12.80).  We have Eric & Zach that knock on our door each Saturday, reminding us to wash our truck, which we gladly do each week, for 50 cedi a wash ($4.30).  There is a sweet gal named Favor that sells cashews and peanuts to us, many workers here at the apartment always wanting to carry groceries from the car to the apartment for us.  They are hard working and will do anything to better their station in life.  I admire them greatly.

OUT & ABOUT IN GHANA

Our first trip out & about in Ghana was to the Volta region.  Just west of Togo (neighboring country east of Ghana), the Volta region sits in the southeast corner of Ghana and has a beautiful but somewhat dangerous river flowing through it.  Although we did not swim in the river, we took a beautiful boat ride and avoided any contact with the water, even being splashed on.  The doctor missionaries traveling with us made sure to warn us against any contact whatsoever with the water.  

There is an awful disease called Schistosomiasis.  It is caused by a parasitic worm that lives in certain types of freshwater snails. The parasite leaves the snail and enters the water where it can enter a person’s body through the skin when a person wades or swims in contaminated freshwater.  Within days of becoming infected, a person may become very ill. More complicaitons within one to two months of infection.  Left untreated, schistosomiasis can cause serious health problems. Children who are repeatedly infected can develop anemia, malnutrition, and learning difficulties. After years of infection, the parasite can also damage the liver, intestine, spleen, lungs, and bladder.  Nothing to be messed with!  

Life along the river.  Many locals were bathing or washing in the water.  

We did an awesome hike in the Akwamu Gorge in the Forest Hills preserve. The hike wound us upwards through dense forests, large rock formations and straight up to the top. We saw termite mounds, snails, centipedes, huge trees and crazy trees with thorns.  The peak had a spectacular view of the Adome Bridge spanning the Volta River, as well as views of some of the Volta islands.  It was hot and we were horribly sweaty, but a great workout and view of the surrounding area were the prize!

   

 

The roads in Ghana are pretty bad once you get out and about in the countryside.  Going only 54 miles took us 2.5 hrs.  There are some potholes so big they could swallow your entire vehicle!  Glad we have a truck!  It saved us quite a few times!!  Gotta love it!!

Our resort was a nice get-away for the weekend where we enjoyed swimming in a nice pool, good food, friends and relaxation. Sometimes you just need a little pampering!  It was fun to get out and about!!

GENERAL CONFERENCE

We just finished watching General Conference!  The times end up being 4:00 & 8:00 PM on Saturday, midnight Saturday (which we watched Sunday morning), and then 4 & 8 PM again on Sunday.  The messages were clear and powerful and reminded us we are here serving in Ghana for a great purpose.  The gospel is rolling forward in Africa!  We love seeing this happen, right before our eyes!  The Ga Mantse (Ghanaian King) attended this General Conference and was welcomed heartily and acknowleged from the pulpit!  Elder Rasband spoke of his time in Takoradi, Ghana (about 143 miles and 5.5 hrs from us) and showed pictures or their Sunday worship.  There was also a young man from Accra that was selected to sing with the Tabernacle Choir this conference.  Fun to see our mission country represented so well in UTAH!!

We love and miss our family dearly!  Thank you for supporting us while we are here! We will do our best to make you proud!  Love you ALL! 💓💛💚