Gary has a hidden talent!
Kathie's Elephant!
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Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Fried Rice and Five Gallon Buckets
Last week we decided it would be a good idea to have our District Meeting (for all of our missionaries) at our new house. In case of an emergency (earthquake, political revolution, any kind of natural disaster, etc.) the plan is that all the Elders make their way to the senior couple's residence and then we contact the Church to get us out. Since most of them had not been here, we felt it was a good idea to have them all familiar with where to go.
We decided to make the meeting a little special and had the Zone Leaders order chicken and fried rice lunches from a little chop house called the Green Hand that's downtown. We were told the meals would be ready at 2 p.m., so knowing how Africa time goes, we went about 3 p.m. They were still not ready but the girls were putting the lunches in the bags so we decided to just wait. I stayed in the car and Elder Thayne went up to the side of the little shack to talk with the girls as they finished packing them out. All of a sudden, one of the girls stepped out of the back of the shop, walked over and straddled the gutter where Gary was waiting, lifted her skirt and proceeded to go to the bathroom in the gutter. When she was through, she casually walked back into the shack and continued packing the lunches. Needless to say, the Elders had two extra helpings of fried rice and chicken that day! I don't think we'll ever get used to the casual way everyone goes to the bathroom in public.
While we were living in our old place in Nkwabeng, our air conditionaing kept going out. The young man who came to fix the AC was named Daniel. He speaks very little English, but he and Elder Thayne really hit it off and have become great buddies. Gary asked if he wanted to learn about the Church and he said yes so the Elders are now giving him the lessons. He is about 28 years old and lives alone in a rented room. He's asked us to be there when he has lessons and we are excited to be a part of this experience. It is so humbling. We went to his room in one of the unfinished cement buildings and he brought out two little benches (like footstools) for Gary and I to sit on. Then he brought out three five gallon buckets for him and the Elders to sit on. So here we were, the five of us, sitting in a little circle, talking about our Heavenly Father and His prophets. Daniel has such an innocence about him and is so eager to learn. These are the moments that make this mission worthwhile.
We decided to make the meeting a little special and had the Zone Leaders order chicken and fried rice lunches from a little chop house called the Green Hand that's downtown. We were told the meals would be ready at 2 p.m., so knowing how Africa time goes, we went about 3 p.m. They were still not ready but the girls were putting the lunches in the bags so we decided to just wait. I stayed in the car and Elder Thayne went up to the side of the little shack to talk with the girls as they finished packing them out. All of a sudden, one of the girls stepped out of the back of the shop, walked over and straddled the gutter where Gary was waiting, lifted her skirt and proceeded to go to the bathroom in the gutter. When she was through, she casually walked back into the shack and continued packing the lunches. Needless to say, the Elders had two extra helpings of fried rice and chicken that day! I don't think we'll ever get used to the casual way everyone goes to the bathroom in public.
While we were living in our old place in Nkwabeng, our air conditionaing kept going out. The young man who came to fix the AC was named Daniel. He speaks very little English, but he and Elder Thayne really hit it off and have become great buddies. Gary asked if he wanted to learn about the Church and he said yes so the Elders are now giving him the lessons. He is about 28 years old and lives alone in a rented room. He's asked us to be there when he has lessons and we are excited to be a part of this experience. It is so humbling. We went to his room in one of the unfinished cement buildings and he brought out two little benches (like footstools) for Gary and I to sit on. Then he brought out three five gallon buckets for him and the Elders to sit on. So here we were, the five of us, sitting in a little circle, talking about our Heavenly Father and His prophets. Daniel has such an innocence about him and is so eager to learn. These are the moments that make this mission worthwhile.
Personal Health & Grooming (Women Take Heed)
Medications and Diet:
Every morning we take our "Doxy" pill (doxycyclene) a partial preventative for malaria, the number one cause of death in West Africa. It makes us a little nauseous at mealtimes and it makes one have really weird dreams, but it's better that getting sick. You can only catch malaria from a mosquito bite, so repellent is necessary after dark. The missionaries even have to sleep under mosquito nets each night, but our house is tighter than their living quarters so we don't have to do the same, thank goodness. All water is unsafe unless it is filtered, boiled, or bottled in a sealed container. Teeth must be brushed with filtered water and we've even learned how to keep our mouths shut while showering. Even dishes have to be washed in a soapy, bleach solution. ALL food must be cooked, cleaned in bleach, peeled or just thrown away.
Skin Care:
We brought a ton of creams, lotions and oils only to find that we don't need any of it. Our skin is always soft and supple -- never dry.
Make-up:
After the first few days I simply gave up. We sweat so much--whole bod--face included, that the make-up is pretty much wiped off within the first hour.
Nails:
My wonderful nail terchnician went to great lengths to find a battery-operated ultra-light activator system to set gel nails. She put together an incredible kit containing everything I would need to have great-looking nails while in Africa. After 40 years of having my nails done and looking good, it was a great comfort to know I could make it work. Elder Thayne even gave me a wonderful manicure and new set of nails the first few days we were here and he did a great job! Unfortunately, that was before I found out that your hands are in and out of bleach a dozen or more times every day. After just a few days, the nails peeled off, so it's back to stumpy fingers 'til we get home.
Feet and Shoes:
I managed to sneak in quite a few more shoes than the alloted two pair and at the last minute we found we had a little more room in the suitcases, so both Gary and I threw in a pair of sandals to wear when at home. We've found that BOTH of our feet have swollen ( at least a size or two larger) and NOTHING fits but the sandals......go figure.
Hair:
I've managed to cut Gary's hair once and he complained that I didn't get it short enough. He's cut my hair once and actually did a pretty good job. Of course, it just goes curly the minute I walk outside anyway. Hairspray is non-existent in Sunyani. The African women have their hair buzzed short, or wear black "wiggy" wigs, or spend hours having artificial long braids woven into their own hair at the scalp. They use a grease to manage their hair and don't even know what hairspray is. I was concerned about hair coloring. My beautician at home found an incredible powder hair color that mixes with water and is permanent. It has worked GREAT! I think I'll even continue using it after I get home.
All in all, we've decided that in the past at home, we have just put too much emphasis on very unimportant things. We've found that even though these things are nice, it really doesn't matter if I have beautiful long nails or perfect make-up or if Gary wears shiny polished shoes or has a great haircut. The sun comes up the same and when it goes down nobody cares if we're perfectly groomed. They just remember if we've made them smile or helped them just a little.
Every morning we take our "Doxy" pill (doxycyclene) a partial preventative for malaria, the number one cause of death in West Africa. It makes us a little nauseous at mealtimes and it makes one have really weird dreams, but it's better that getting sick. You can only catch malaria from a mosquito bite, so repellent is necessary after dark. The missionaries even have to sleep under mosquito nets each night, but our house is tighter than their living quarters so we don't have to do the same, thank goodness. All water is unsafe unless it is filtered, boiled, or bottled in a sealed container. Teeth must be brushed with filtered water and we've even learned how to keep our mouths shut while showering. Even dishes have to be washed in a soapy, bleach solution. ALL food must be cooked, cleaned in bleach, peeled or just thrown away.
Skin Care:
We brought a ton of creams, lotions and oils only to find that we don't need any of it. Our skin is always soft and supple -- never dry.
Make-up:
After the first few days I simply gave up. We sweat so much--whole bod--face included, that the make-up is pretty much wiped off within the first hour.
Nails:
My wonderful nail terchnician went to great lengths to find a battery-operated ultra-light activator system to set gel nails. She put together an incredible kit containing everything I would need to have great-looking nails while in Africa. After 40 years of having my nails done and looking good, it was a great comfort to know I could make it work. Elder Thayne even gave me a wonderful manicure and new set of nails the first few days we were here and he did a great job! Unfortunately, that was before I found out that your hands are in and out of bleach a dozen or more times every day. After just a few days, the nails peeled off, so it's back to stumpy fingers 'til we get home.
Feet and Shoes:
I managed to sneak in quite a few more shoes than the alloted two pair and at the last minute we found we had a little more room in the suitcases, so both Gary and I threw in a pair of sandals to wear when at home. We've found that BOTH of our feet have swollen ( at least a size or two larger) and NOTHING fits but the sandals......go figure.
Hair:
I've managed to cut Gary's hair once and he complained that I didn't get it short enough. He's cut my hair once and actually did a pretty good job. Of course, it just goes curly the minute I walk outside anyway. Hairspray is non-existent in Sunyani. The African women have their hair buzzed short, or wear black "wiggy" wigs, or spend hours having artificial long braids woven into their own hair at the scalp. They use a grease to manage their hair and don't even know what hairspray is. I was concerned about hair coloring. My beautician at home found an incredible powder hair color that mixes with water and is permanent. It has worked GREAT! I think I'll even continue using it after I get home.
All in all, we've decided that in the past at home, we have just put too much emphasis on very unimportant things. We've found that even though these things are nice, it really doesn't matter if I have beautiful long nails or perfect make-up or if Gary wears shiny polished shoes or has a great haircut. The sun comes up the same and when it goes down nobody cares if we're perfectly groomed. They just remember if we've made them smile or helped them just a little.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Fu Fu Day
It finally happened. The Elders decided to have a special "P" day (preparation day when they have the day off to clean, wash, shop and get ready for the upcoming week). They decided to get together and play futbol (soccer) and then have a special treat -- a fufu lunch. As I mentioned in an earler blog, fufu is the traditional main meal most Africans exist on. It is made of cassava and plantain which is mashed down with a huge mallet for hours, until the starch breaks down and becomes a gooey ball, then cooked with no water to become an even gooier ball. It is then submerged in a soup or stew that has been cooking for hours and has who-knows-what in it. The big pot is placed in the center of those eating and everyone sticks two fingers in the dough and then scooping up some stew, puts it in their mouth and swallows without chewing.
I found out later that all of the Elders were taking bets as to whether or not Sister Thayne would eat fufu. I should have known something was up when two of the neighborhood kids showed up with two live chickens for the Elders. They took them over to Auntie Mary, the wonderful woman who lives in a mud hut next door. Little did I know then they were to be the main ingredient in the stew. Auntie Mary spent literally hours pounding the plantain and the cassava roots into the fufu dough.
I was amazed at what great soccer players all of the Elders are. They were quite incredible and it turned out to be a very competitive match. Then it came time for the "fufu dinner".
Forcing mayself to forget the live chickens that were now floating in the stew, we actually broke down and tried this Ghanaian main meal. The stew was actually quite tasty, but a little spicy, and the fufu dough was tasteless, just plain gooey. I do have to admit, that much to everyone's objections, Elder Thayne and I ate our fufu out of our own private bowls.
I found out later that all of the Elders were taking bets as to whether or not Sister Thayne would eat fufu. I should have known something was up when two of the neighborhood kids showed up with two live chickens for the Elders. They took them over to Auntie Mary, the wonderful woman who lives in a mud hut next door. Little did I know then they were to be the main ingredient in the stew. Auntie Mary spent literally hours pounding the plantain and the cassava roots into the fufu dough.
I was amazed at what great soccer players all of the Elders are. They were quite incredible and it turned out to be a very competitive match. Then it came time for the "fufu dinner".
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The Church in Sunyani
A little over a year ago, the First Presidency of the Church and the Area Offices over Western Africa initiated a new concept in the way the Church was going to open up new cities and introduce missionaries into these areas. Sunyani, the capital of the Brong-Ahafo Region, lies in the heart of the Ghana rainforest, and became the testing ground for this new program. Under the direction of Elder Dickson, Area President, the Church divided Sunyani into four areas and leased large block homes in each of these areas. Part of each of these buildings was to be used for meeting houses and part was used to house a pair of missionaries while they began their proselyting efforts.
They initially sent in eight missionaries as well as one senior couple. The gospel spread quickly but before a year had passed, Elder Bennett (the senior Elder) developed serious health problems, and they were sent home immediately. They had done an incredible job of getting this little outpost of missionaries going. The missionaries, now 10, were left entirely on their own with the only nearby support two hours away in Kumasi. These young men performed unbelievably and the Sunyani area grew with three of the four areas (called units) becoming branches before a year was even up.
When we arrived in February of 2012, our living quarters were in one of these branches. The Nkwabeng branch had grown so much by now, that it was necessary for us to move so that the members could use all of the rooms and space in the building for their meetings. They are so excited that they now have places for Primary and Relief Society, Priesthood, and such. We are currently looking for apartments/homes for the missionaries who are living in Penkwase, another of the buildings, so their members can utililize their building as well.
The Church is now growing so rapidly here that the other unit will soon become a branch and we are looking for a new building for the other existing branch as their building is very soon going to be too small. Since we have been here, we have had 2-3 baptisms every week. This week, we will be having five. All of the buildings share a large blue plastic container that we use as a baptisimal font and we transport it on the top of our truck from one branch to another. We are hoping that we can soon build more permanent fonts in at least two of the branches.
The people are incredible! They are pure and sweet, loving and very friendly. There are no gangs, no graffiti, no smoking, no pornography. You never even see members of the opposite sex holding hands or flirting. We see little drinking. The Sunyani people are so ready for the Gospel. They love their families and in most cases, extended family all live together. They are very poor. Many live in mud huts or cement unfinished houses with no electricity, water or plumbing. They cook, bathe, go to the bathroom and brush their teeth outside. And yet, they are contented and always happy.
In the short time we have been here, we have become very close to our ten missionaries. Three are from the USA (Dallas, Texas,and Centerville and Idaho), one is from New Zealand and the other six are African Elders from Accra and Nigeria.
Last week, the Zone Leaders had received a referral from Church headquarters in Salt Lake. A young African man had found information about the Church on the internet, had studied it quite extensively and wanted to know more. He was actually from Dormaa, a city west of Sunyani on the Ivory Coast border, but was going to school in Techiman, which is a city about two hours north of here, so the Elders asked us to drive them up there to meet him. It turned out to be one of those fabulous days when you just feel the Lord's hand guiding you. We arrived in Techiman to find that this young man named Shadrack also had two brothers living with him and they were all VERY well versed in the Bible. They met us in this huge marketplace and then took us a family compound--a courtyard encircled by houses within a walled area. We sat on plastic chairs in the courtyard and all around on the porches of the surrounding houses sat older women. The Elders proceeded to teach the three young men. They were so anxious to hear more and had so many great and thought-provoking questions. After an incredible couple of hours, the Elders gave each of them a Book of Mormon and challenged them to read it. They were all so excited to know more. We said our goodbys and as we were preparing to leave, a very older woman, who was dressed in authentic African dress and had no teeth, approached us and very excitedly said something in Twi and pointed to Elder Thayne. She kept repeating the same thing and pointing to him. We finally found out that she was saying, "I want him for my husband!" She was not about to take no for an answer, so we thanked her politely and left quickly. I'm not sure if Elder Thayne thought it was a great compliment, but the Elders and I laughed all the way home.
That very week, back in Sunyani, we were approached by President Mintah (one of the young branch presidents) to go to Dormaa (the same town that Shadrack and his brothers were from). Wow! What a coincidence! Dormaa is the opposite direction from Techiman and we were going to meet an honorable Parliament gentleman who is a member of the Church and lives in Dormaa. He is very powerful, spends most of his time in Accra, as he is like one of our US Senators and works in the Capital. He wore an official government uniform and welcomed us into his family home, served us cookies and juice and talked about opening up the Church in Dormaa. It is probably a little way off, but he is looking for a building and will help us when the time is right.
Next month we will be forming a new District over all of Sunyani (over 140,000 people) as well as the surrounding areas. Gary is going to be put in as District President over the entire area. It is really exciting because now we can really help the area grow and be able to train these new Branch Presidents and all of the auxiliaries. They are so new in the Gospel and so eager to learn. It will be an overwhelming job and responsibility, but he will be great. In July, the Ghana Cape Coast Mission will be split and we will be in the new Kumasi Ghana Mission and will be getting a new mission President and we've heard over 50 more missionaries. We are really excited because perhaps now we can open up some of these new areas we've been visiting. Isn't it interesting the way the Lord works and opens doors for the things he needs to get done?
They initially sent in eight missionaries as well as one senior couple. The gospel spread quickly but before a year had passed, Elder Bennett (the senior Elder) developed serious health problems, and they were sent home immediately. They had done an incredible job of getting this little outpost of missionaries going. The missionaries, now 10, were left entirely on their own with the only nearby support two hours away in Kumasi. These young men performed unbelievably and the Sunyani area grew with three of the four areas (called units) becoming branches before a year was even up.
When we arrived in February of 2012, our living quarters were in one of these branches. The Nkwabeng branch had grown so much by now, that it was necessary for us to move so that the members could use all of the rooms and space in the building for their meetings. They are so excited that they now have places for Primary and Relief Society, Priesthood, and such. We are currently looking for apartments/homes for the missionaries who are living in Penkwase, another of the buildings, so their members can utililize their building as well.
The Church is now growing so rapidly here that the other unit will soon become a branch and we are looking for a new building for the other existing branch as their building is very soon going to be too small. Since we have been here, we have had 2-3 baptisms every week. This week, we will be having five. All of the buildings share a large blue plastic container that we use as a baptisimal font and we transport it on the top of our truck from one branch to another. We are hoping that we can soon build more permanent fonts in at least two of the branches.
The people are incredible! They are pure and sweet, loving and very friendly. There are no gangs, no graffiti, no smoking, no pornography. You never even see members of the opposite sex holding hands or flirting. We see little drinking. The Sunyani people are so ready for the Gospel. They love their families and in most cases, extended family all live together. They are very poor. Many live in mud huts or cement unfinished houses with no electricity, water or plumbing. They cook, bathe, go to the bathroom and brush their teeth outside. And yet, they are contented and always happy.
In the short time we have been here, we have become very close to our ten missionaries. Three are from the USA (Dallas, Texas,and Centerville and Idaho), one is from New Zealand and the other six are African Elders from Accra and Nigeria.
Last week, the Zone Leaders had received a referral from Church headquarters in Salt Lake. A young African man had found information about the Church on the internet, had studied it quite extensively and wanted to know more. He was actually from Dormaa, a city west of Sunyani on the Ivory Coast border, but was going to school in Techiman, which is a city about two hours north of here, so the Elders asked us to drive them up there to meet him. It turned out to be one of those fabulous days when you just feel the Lord's hand guiding you. We arrived in Techiman to find that this young man named Shadrack also had two brothers living with him and they were all VERY well versed in the Bible. They met us in this huge marketplace and then took us a family compound--a courtyard encircled by houses within a walled area. We sat on plastic chairs in the courtyard and all around on the porches of the surrounding houses sat older women. The Elders proceeded to teach the three young men. They were so anxious to hear more and had so many great and thought-provoking questions. After an incredible couple of hours, the Elders gave each of them a Book of Mormon and challenged them to read it. They were all so excited to know more. We said our goodbys and as we were preparing to leave, a very older woman, who was dressed in authentic African dress and had no teeth, approached us and very excitedly said something in Twi and pointed to Elder Thayne. She kept repeating the same thing and pointing to him. We finally found out that she was saying, "I want him for my husband!" She was not about to take no for an answer, so we thanked her politely and left quickly. I'm not sure if Elder Thayne thought it was a great compliment, but the Elders and I laughed all the way home.
That very week, back in Sunyani, we were approached by President Mintah (one of the young branch presidents) to go to Dormaa (the same town that Shadrack and his brothers were from). Wow! What a coincidence! Dormaa is the opposite direction from Techiman and we were going to meet an honorable Parliament gentleman who is a member of the Church and lives in Dormaa. He is very powerful, spends most of his time in Accra, as he is like one of our US Senators and works in the Capital. He wore an official government uniform and welcomed us into his family home, served us cookies and juice and talked about opening up the Church in Dormaa. It is probably a little way off, but he is looking for a building and will help us when the time is right.
Next month we will be forming a new District over all of Sunyani (over 140,000 people) as well as the surrounding areas. Gary is going to be put in as District President over the entire area. It is really exciting because now we can really help the area grow and be able to train these new Branch Presidents and all of the auxiliaries. They are so new in the Gospel and so eager to learn. It will be an overwhelming job and responsibility, but he will be great. In July, the Ghana Cape Coast Mission will be split and we will be in the new Kumasi Ghana Mission and will be getting a new mission President and we've heard over 50 more missionaries. We are really excited because perhaps now we can open up some of these new areas we've been visiting. Isn't it interesting the way the Lord works and opens doors for the things he needs to get done?
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
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