July 20, 2021 The Adoagyiri Branch We traveled to Kumasi on Sunday to train the new mission president, President Kunz and his audit committee.   The Kittelson’s went with us.   Their first time to Kumasi.   We planned to enjoy worship meetings along the way and I selected the Adoagyiri branch with President Amankwah-Appiah.   The meeting house is north of Accra 50 minutes in good traffic. The sacrament speaker was a young mother with a child and several elementary school age children.   She talked about tithing in this way.   She knows the Lord wants her to pay tithing, so she does.   Her husband leaves town during the week to find work and returns on weekends.   The economic life is tough for many.   She also sells at the local market to help with family finances.   The market’s best time for sales is late afternoon and into the evening.   Her school children, however, leave school at 3:00 pm and she knows she should be hom...

  July 17, 2021 I like to keep a photo journal of our experiences here.   This blog is great for that.   Pictures vividly bring back memories.   I do not want my postings to be nothing more than a travelogue of West Africa, however.   I want to remember as much about this place and the “feelings” and “learnings”, as I can.   So, my motives in writing this blog are in large part selfish.   A full-time mission is a unique adventure that can provide serious insights into gospel truths if one wants them and looks for them.   I have enjoyed many such insights so far and am very grateful for them.   It feels good to have some knowledge as to who God is and that He is mindful of me. I have felt very close to Him and look forward to more of those impressions. As latter-day saints, we know a lot about God’s plan for His children.   We know a lot, but there is so, so much to know our knowledge is really very small.   However, in relation to...

Uyo, Nigeria training, July 9 & 10, 2021 We were so disappointed to miss the first Nigeria training of the group under Stanley Omorogbe.  Our visas were not ready last May when those meetings took place.  I attended both days on zoom, however, which is just not the same as being there in person.  I seriously missed out.  Not this time. We always take a group picture at the end of the training.  The AAAs love it and so do we.  They look forward to getting a copy.  These assistant area auditors (AAAs) are educated, experienced, very smart and good latter-day saints.  Most have been bishops, branch presidents, and district presidents.  I was impressed with their depth of church auditing knowledge and opinions.  They all had opinions and were not afraid to express themselves.  During our meetings, if you didn't know they were Nigerians having a conversation, you would think, "someone is going to get hurt, real soon".  It was gr...

 July 9 & 10, 2021 was spent training our AAAs in part of Nigeria.  These guys are managed by my friend Godwin Udofia, a severely dedicated soul who is retired and now farming with his wife and younger children on about 12 hectares of property in several parcels near his home.  He is a hard worker, physical and mental, and does his hardest and best at everything he takes on.  His English is difficult for me to understand, but his dedication to the gospel is easy for all to see. Here is a photo outside our hotel in Uyo, Nigeria (pronounced "ooyoo"). And one of me and Godwin with the hotel in the background. Uyo is more rural than the I had expected.  Nigeria has some huge cities.  Like Lagos for example with an approximate population of 17 million.  Lagos is in the western part.  Uyo is out east and has a population of maybe 500k, but it must be spread out as we didn't experience heavy traffic or miles of street shops and people everywhere....

June 19, 2021 Saturday in Accra, Ghana.  The first surprise was the main road in the entire town was blocked off where we catch it on Dr. Amil Cabral Street.  Police are re-routing people off Independence from there down past the Temple and Ridge Road and on to "downtown" as I call it. That whole stretch is blocked off.  Our guards told us there are political visitors from other countries in town today and they need to get around without the hindrance of bad traffic (?).  I find that a little hard to believe but then this is Africa.  Things like this happen.  But the entire eight kilometers or so of the main thoroughfare?   My first thought was that there would be some kind of parade because of Juneteenth.  Nope. Our first errand was to the Dubois Center art market.  Lots of stuff is sold there; clothes, paintings, Africa arts and crafts, etc. etc.  One booth has bagels.  They are just like a bagel ought to be.  No surpris...