Handing Over

On Tuesday, July 21, 2015, we had the hand over ceremony at the Peminase Clinic. After giving something to a clinic or community they have a gathering to accept the gift and to say thank you. It was a grand event. They decorated the premises, invited dignitaries (including chiefs and the District Health Director) and the community turned out in force. We estimated that around 200-250 people were in attendance.

Here we are with Grace (the Midwife in charge of the clinic) and her staff showing off their new delivery bed. The LDS church donated a delivery bed and hospital beds and other much needed equipment along with a well as they had no water at their clinic. They do now, and the community is thrilled! The clinic will sell the water to community members to raise funds to help support the clinic.

New Machines



New hospital beds

 
 


New equipment
 



The pump house ready for the ribbon cutting.

Chiefs and other community leaders

A very happy community!

As part of the program these school children came prepared to recite poems that they had written for the occasion.

A dance group performed

This little girl carried the scissors used for the ribbon cutting ceremony.


 

 We are happy to support this community by supplying water and helping their clinic. Grace and her staff are very dedicated workers and the community is very supportive. As we are nearing the end of our mission in Ghana we are now handing over the items we have donated to the communities and they are so grateful for the help they have received at the hands of LDS Charities. It has been an honor for us to represent the church as missionaries. 

Visitors from afar

Our son, Travis, and his girlfriend, Heidi, visited us several weeks ago here in Ghana. We had such a good time during their 10 day visit. It was wonderful to be with part of our family for the first time in 13 months.



While they were here we got to see Ghana through their eyes, going places we had wanted to see but waited so we could go together. We went to Mole National Park and saw elephants, baboons, wart hogs, deer, monkeys, water buffalo, beautiful birds, crocodiles and more. An elephant came up to our motel and ate the landscaping. A baboon came up to the restaurant and took food off a little girls plate. These are wild animals but we were very close to them. They are not caged or fenced. We went on a safari on the top of a jeep and got to see the animals in their own habitat.

We saw a lot of deer at Mole Park.

Baboons

 

We saw beautiful birds but it is a little hard to see them in a photo.

Can you see the crocodile?



This is the water buffalo herd that came chasing us in our jeep. The passengers wanted to stop to take pictures.
 The driver stepped on the gas and got us out of there because even though these guys are big they were coming fast!

I see a monkey looking at me

A herd of elephants crossed the road in front of our truck. It was fun to see the bike rider on the
 other side of them. He got a good first hand look at the elephants.



This elephant came right up to the motel and ate the landscaping.



We walked to the watering hole where these elephants were keeping cool.



We went to a water fall, visited a village and learned how to make Shea Butter,
watched villagers dance, shopped, went on a canoe ride, went to the largest outdoor market in West Africa and rode horses at the lake. We played games, talked, laughed and had a great time.

Our canoe trip

When we were getting out of our canoe there were women collecting water from the river.
This picture is a good illustration of why we are drilling wells in Africa.

Villagers dancing

Heidi and Travis were invited to dance with them and they were good sports.

Kintampo Waterfall

Thank you Travis and Heidi for your visit. We look forward to seeing you in August.

 

The End

How old are you?

At church we met a very interesting man, Kofi Oduro. Well, we think he is an interesting man. We couldn't speak to him because he doesn't speak English but he laughs in English and he did a lot of smiling and laughing. He came to church because his grandson, the Branch President, invited him. Our Branch President is 75 years old. The part we think is interesting about this man is that he says he is 135 years old. That is how old the President says he is, and that is how old his daughter (who came to church also) says he is. We wanted to share some pictures of him. When we asked President Ajai what he thinks the secret to his grandfathers longevity is, he said, "He is a decent man."




Kofi Oduro

 

President Ajai and his grandfather

 

 

Kofi leaving church with his daughter and great granddaughter

 

 

 

Kofi, who is wearing the robes of a chief, is surprisingly spry and alert for a gentleman of 135 years. He was born in 1880.  He is older than the combined ages of April and Mike.  We enjoy being with him because he is one of the few people who can make us feel young.

 





We love...

Since this is Valentines week we want to share a picture of the family we love at home and some of the interesting things we love seeing here in Africa that we don't see at home:

Trees full of bird nests

Calabash Trees

 


Baboons on the side of the road




A taxi full of chickens flying around loose in the back of the car



 Newborn babies in an orphanage



 Crocodiles



The LDS Temple in Accra, Ghana

Colorful bugs and colorful fabric

Beautiful churches

Pink chickens, painted to camouflage them from the hawks



There are many sights, sounds, foods, people and experiences that we love here in Africa. We are wishing all of our family and friends a very Happy Valentines Day and sending you our love.        Mike and April