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! 💓💛💚