On our way to Mole National Park from Tamale, last Friday (August 27, 2021), we stopped at the village of Larabanga to see the famous mosque, founded in 1421.  Hard to explain this building.  It stands out.  It isn't super big or anything like the structures around it.  It is so white and odd.  Not sure what the architect had in mind.  A sacred building as far as the Muslims are concerned.  The mosque has a challenging history to document because of oral history limitations mostly. We are respectful. Those are "ground nuts" (peanuts) drying in the courtyard, yet to be spread out to properly dry.  You use whatever is available to take care of business, even the mosque courtyard.  The two young people near the mosque were taking selfies and then "posed" for me.   We were met at the roadside by a group of young men ready to take us on tours, explain things, wanting to be paid for various services or causes they had.  Not an organi...

Sunday, August 8, 2021 We chose a branch not too far north of us to visit this Sunday.  The traffic is always good on Sunday mornings and it is an adventure not knowing what the building will look like.  The constant is the warm welcome from the members, old and young.  The saints dress up for Sunday as well, so you meet people looking their best and they feel that way too.  Sunday worship is something these saints take seriously and look forward to.  Their faith is simple and grounded in the basics.  With that said, the Sunday lessons are not remedial.  They are among the best I have attended anywhere we have traveled.  The faith is simple and strong and their understanding of doctrine is mature and generally well taught.   For example, today the Elders Quorum lesson was on ministering and used Matthew 16:24-27.  They tied it all together and spent the last part of the hour discussing the quorum members and how they could be minist...

 Saturday, August 7, 2021 Started the day off with some basketball at the MTC with three other senior elders.  It was good exercise, but basketball is not my sport, especially two-on-two when the last time I played any basketball I have to count in decades, not years. Later in the morning we visited Dubois market.  The bagels are still there, and they are still good.  Elaine picked up a blouse she had "made to order" for her.   A father and son wood carving team were there with all of their great work.  The giraffes are especially fun to see.  One is six feet tall and the others about four feet.  We are working on a way to get a giraffe home and it isn't going to be easy.  To be continued. Our friend, Kathy Kittelson is playing the music at a wedding in their ward today and invited us just that morning to be there with her and her husband, Steve, so we went there after the market.  The Trade Fair ward across the street from the La P...

August 6, 2021 In Ghana and other countries of the Africa West Area, the most common means of public transit are privately owned vans.  Each has a yellow stripe around it.  The stripe is an indication that the van is licensed by the government to be a public transit vehicle.  The van is called a "trotro" in Ghana, pronounced "troe troe". They were noticeable from the day we arrived.  The driver does his thing while his "mate" hangs out the shotgun window as far as he can or the sliding door and waves people down offering rides.  It is a great team approach to entice people to ride.  The idea is to cram as many people as you can into van.  I avoid the right lane while driving down the major roads in Ghana because the trotros are pulling off into these specially carved out parking stops in the road, picking up people and then quickly getting up a head of steam to re-enter the right lane and head off to the next trotro stop.  Look out for that mergin...