Another "normal" week-Meetings and Food

We spent the first of the week in the office because Thursday and Friday were multi-zone conferences in the city and in the "bush".  We love to see the missionaries, but after two days of travel we were very tired.  And, our responsibilities are only 1/100th of that of the mission president and his wife!!

 Nancy wanted our grandchildren to know that she looks at them all the time when we are in the mission office.

 

During a "break out" session of Zone Conference, Elder Jones, talked about geocaching and what gospel related objects he would use as a way to introduce others to the LDS Church.

 

During Zone Conferences there was a missionary broadcast from Salt Lake City.  The Missionary Executive Committee was giving counsel about how to be better missionaries and also announced more flexibility in the daily schedule.  Pictured above is Steve Allen, the Managing Director of the Missionary Department.  We heard he was just released from this position after 18 years.  Steve was in the broadcasting sequence with Nancy at BYU.  (He won an Emmy for the church Homefront public service announcements).  Steve and Stan met while working at a BYU dorm cafeteria. He encouraged Stan to sign up for the MC Directors.  These "directors" were the technical crew (lights, sound, and MC's) for the University's Program Bureau.  After a short time, both Steve and Stan started touring with the BYU Young Ambassadors.  Steve was the YA business manager and Stan did lights and sound.

Below is a picture of the Young Ambassadors in South America.  Can you find both Stan and Steve?

  

On the way home from the multi-zone conference, we encountered the usual...heavy, heavy traffic.  Notice the overloaded flatbed ahead of us?  There were 20 plus passengers sitting on wooden benches.

 We never know what we will see on the roads!

 

Another ROYAL TRAFFIC JAM photo.  It took us two and 1/2 hours to get home.  In the morning we arrived at the Conference building in 25 minutes. No real reason for the traffic mess; just a lot of cars!!  We struggle to exercise patience in traffic as many people just "dive in" and cut us off even when there is no opening.  You only have two choices...1) let him in, or 2) let him run into the side of your vehicle.  It really is a game of "chicken."

This was the Kpong, Ho and Ashaiman Zone Conference during a stand-up break on Friday. Stan and Nancy were asked to talk about "stewardship" and missionary funds. Stan reminded the missionaries that these funds were available only because of the sacrifice of church members.  Nancy had them plan out menus to help them avoid "Affliction Week", when missionaries tend to run out of money before the next subsistence "payment".  For many of these young adults, this is the first time they have ever had to manage money.

Saturday evening we went with our neighbors, the Jones's, to Heritage Restaurant for Indian food. It was delicious and authentic, since the managers are Indian themselves.  We were the first ones there when they opened for the evening, but the place filled in by the time we left.  We have eaten there previously, but at the downstairs restaurant which is Chinese.  You can order from both menus no matter where you decide to dine!!

Following our dinner, we watched the movie, "Freetown".  It was filmed in Ghana and is the true story of LDS missionaries serving in Liberia when a civil war erupted in 1989.  One of the missionaries was from an opposing tribe and his life was in danger.  A group of 8 missionaries (the film uses 6) and a driver make a 30 hour journey via a small car past 50 rebel checkpoints (the movie depicts 3 or 4) to travel to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where they were able continue their missions to preach the gospel.  

We have about seven missionaries from Liberia and several from Sierra Leone.  Between a history of civil war and the Ebola epidemic, you can understand why they want to teach others of faith and hope.

What a wonderful mix of nationalities we have in our mission.  From the left:  Elder Schmanski is from the US, Elder Scheepers is from South Africa, Elder Kalolo is from Samoa, and Elder Asiegbu is from Nigeria. These elders serve in Dawhenya, about an hour from the mission office. We worshipped with them on Sunday.  One of the counselors in the branch presidency is Gilbert Oppong, our mission facilities manager.