Trip to Cape Coast Jan 15,2015

Darrell & Shelly Miles our friends from home are serving in the Cape Coast Mission so we went to stay with them and have them show us the area. It was fun to renew friendships and compare stories. Their mission is the next one to the west about 3 hours. They were in Liberia but were moved due to the Ebola outbreak.

Kakum National Park Canopy Walk

Our guide Ben

Protection for the trees

This pod has a natural pain medication in it.

Elmina Castle-slave trade

The harbor by castle

The Miles and Us at the castle

The First Baptism spot in Cape Coast

Helping to pump water

Our Apartment Before and After

Bathroom after

Bathroom before

dining after

dining before

We totally refurbished the apartment before we moved in. New paint tile floors,new granite counter tops, walls in the bathroom, a new vanity for the bathroom, moved the washer-new one that actually uses hot water. We love it.

Living room after

living room before

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

Bedroom after

bedroom before
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Mission Tour with President Curtis Jan 6, 2015

The missionaries lined up to greet the Curtis's in Senchi

Also in Christianborg

We had a mission tour where President Curtis (president of the West Africa Area) toured the mission and shared words of wisdom. It was a great time.

Tema/Newtown service Project

We participated in service for a school owned by a branch president in the area. His legs are severely deformed from birth but is amazing to see get around and function. Instead of begging on the streets like so many in his condition, he has made something of himself. The area is very poor and is right on the beach. Imagine what could be beautiful beach front property ruined by a slum in its place. We helped dig and install a water line for the school. The ground was so hard that we had to use pic axes to loosen the dirt and then shovels. We ran the line a long way from the street through another property, under the foundation across the school yard and to the bathrooms. I was moving some rocks when I saw a group of kids watching me so I hired them to move the pile for me for a bottle of water each. We were all hot and sweaty so we went to the church and played and ate. It is so fun to get to know the missionaries. They were arm wrestling and someone decided I needed to try to beat the winner--I did of course--using both hands and my chin!! and I think he let me win!!

Digging the trench

I win

Beach front property

Chicken and rice to burn out the taste buds

The branch president

The school

The whole group

The kids I hired to move rocks

The line

SCEF Service Project in Jamestown

Several Zones participated with SCEF-a charitable organization that helps the street children in the area. School is supposed to be free but once you add the cost of uniforms, books, supplies, it is not and the kids cannot attend without these items. Jamestown is one of the poorest areas in Accra. This was held right near the river where it empties into the ocean. The river is so full of sewage that it was very smelly--luckily the wind changed direction and it got better.So this organization chooses 50 children to pay for school for 5 years and then during those 5 years, they also work with the parents to teach them a trade and find them a job so they can be self sufficient after that time. The church is a big supporter for them and actually donated a large library to their cause. They had those 50 kids plus another 1200 from the area (chosen 25 from each area school as kids that would not be able to have much) come and participate in a big Christmas carneval. We provided the man power for games and entertainment for the kids. They had musical chairs, blow up slides, gunny sack races, a train, duck duck goose and many more. Then they gave them lunch. The hardest part was at the end of the day when the meal was there, they had the kids file out and get their meal on the way out. Many other children in the area heard about the food and showed up, hoping. We had to make a barricade to keep them out it was so sad. Some of the workers were actually swinging a bat at them to keep them back!! Break my heart!!

Elder Fryer

Elder Nash

Tired Out

The barricade

Sister Naziwaa

Carrying water like the natives

LDS Helping Hands

This last week we were able to participate in a great service project where we helped to re build a house for a member family whose home washed away into the river during a rain storm. Very humble dwelling but better than nothing. Elder Sanders was the "foreman" for the job.

This is Precious and she is my new friend

Since we had to stay up in the area to go to church the next day, we got a sweet hotel room at the Royal Senchi Hotel. It was pretty amazing.

This large rat was caught in the elders appt next door--gave me nightmares for nights. The worse part is that one of the church employees took it home for dinner!!

We actually found some American food at KFC--as we have traveled the world, KFC always seems to be there!!