Suhum and More

Richard Sackitey stopped by our office with his wife and daughter to collect a check.  He is able to get supplies that we need for reasonable prices ....cooktop stoves for the missionary apartments, light bulbs, etc.  He is also the Ghana director for an NGO called "Ghana Make A Difference".  The Sackitey's are outstanding people.

(Ghana Make A Difference was started by a couple in Idaho who wanted to provide shelter for orphans or abandoned children until they could be placed with families.  In 2017 they will also sponsor a medical mission with medical professionals from the US. and Ghana.  They expect to perform 60 major medical surgeries,100 eye surgeries and provide dental care for 300.

Computer class for the non English speakers.  It is so fun to see them progress.  Sister Heid, former English teacher, is in the purple outfit.

We love it when elders "have to hang out with us at the office" while waiting for their companions at computer class or getting Non-Citizen cards.

 Nancy's Friday night dinner at La Villa, a boutique hotel with a restaurant

Yes, eating again!!  Saturday night we had a potluck at the mission home.  The Cosgraves, the Ghana Kumasi Mission President and his wife, were in town and they are seated next to Stan. (We visited them a month or two ago when we "traded" missionaries for a few weeks.  They were also a senior missionary couple here in Ghana prior to being called as Mission President in Kumasi.)  Across from Stan are Ryan and Mary Richards.  Ryan is a church lawyer on assignment for about 3 years in Africa.  Mary is an accomplished musician and the granddaughter of Ezra Taft Benson, a former president and prophet of the LDS Church.  President Heid is seated in the back next to our apartment neighbors, Meg and Wayne Jones.

Sunday we attended the dedication of the Suhum building.  Sister Heid is posing with the Branch Relief Society President.

We showed pictures of the building in a previous blog.  It is a nice facility.  This was taken prior to Sacrament meeting.   We had over 100 in attendance.  President Heid was asked to offer the dedicatory prayer.

 Elder Kamanda with a "helper" ready to greet visitors.

Three of the four missionaries assigned to Suhum posed with Stan.  Two are wearing traditional ties, one of beads and one of Kente cloth.

It is difficult to see the magnitude of this tree, located about a block from our apartment.  It is very impressive.

Side Note:
Some of you may have heard that some LDS missionaries in Sierra Leone were involved in a car crash this week.  We understand they had just arrived in the country and were being driven to their areas in a mission van when they were hit head on.  Two are in "very serious" condition and were air lifted to Accra to be stabilized before being flown to the US.  Our  Area medical doctor, Dr. Anderson, has been overseeing their care.  We encourage everyone to pray for these missionaries and their families.

Stay tuned for the next two weeks, as we hopefully will have some interesting experiences to share.