Since this blog is a journal of our Africa senior mission experience, I thought it best to include a little bit of our only Christmas holiday experience in Accra, Ghana.  Some senior missionaries experience two holiday seasons in Ghana because of their calling date.  Since our mission began in January 2021, this last holiday season, December 2021, is the only one we will spend here.   We weren't sure what to expect with city traffic, people going out of town, etc. etc., so we planned the Cape Coast senior missionary get away for December 3, 4 and 5.  It was great and we had a good turnout for it.  Everyone enjoyed it.  We stayed at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort, enjoyed learning about the Church early days in Ghana with Brother James Edwusi ("the church is true!") visiting Baptism Beach, the Cocoa Shed where they had church meetings, and their "Hill Cumorah" where they would go to pray, sometimes all night, in the hope of missionaries coming someday s...

You may have wondered what "senior missionaries" really do from day to day.  What happens to fill their days up?  How do the days compare with the "pre-mission" days? The answers are likely as different as the personalities of the missionaries who try to answer the questions.  And one more thought; they are as different as the particular calling that the missionary said "yes" to, because there are many different senior missionary opportunities. I have thought about blogging about this, but hesitated.  The subject is a bit dry.  The reader may not get all the way through the blog so it would be a waste of my time to put the thoughts down.  It is not as interesting as climbing a mountain, visiting a slave castle, or meeting little turtles on the beach at 3:45 a.m. To start with, Elaine and I work with senior couples in Area-wide positions who have the following callings: Area mental health advisors, Area medical advisors, Humanitarian missionaries (they can...

  Nest #106, eggs laid on October 2, 2021 and then taken from the beach to the nursery, 110 eggs laid, expected to hatch on December 30, 2021. The turtle nursery.  Each basket in the sand is a nest of turtle eggs with its own sign with all that information. The beach at the C-Resort in Prampram, east of Accra, where the turtles eggs are laid, captured, and the hatched turtles are later let loose for the ocean.  The resort is the most modern and clean hotel we have seen in Ghana.  One big draw is the turtle nursery where the eggs are protected until they hatch, then the turtles are put out on the beach where they find their way to the ocean.  They either see the white surf in the night, hear the sound, or simply sense where the water is and are drawn to it. The mother turtles come ashore and dig a hole to lay the eggs.  A hard journey out of the water, up the beach, dig a hole with their flippers, lay the eggs, bury the eggs, then scoot themselves back into ...

 September 10, 11 & 12 Elaine and I are the designated "party planners" "excursion experts" for the Area senior missionaries.  Senior missionaries should work hard, make a difference for good, and see some of this beautiful country of Ghana.  Senior missionaries are called to do specific things and while doing "their thing" they may, or may not, get to see much of the Africa West Area countries or even Ghana.  We all work out of the Area office in Accra and get out into the wards and branches some, however, each position is different in terms of travel.  Therefore, Elaine and I were asked to make sure everyone who wants to, will get out of Accra and see what Ghana is like out there. We were part of a trip to the Volta Region early on in our missionary experience (last April) and thought it would be a good thing to do it again because there are new senior missionaries.  And we love the Volta Region because it has mountains (!) and lush jungle area (!) a...

In the September senior missionary trip to the Volta Region, we included an opportunity to climb the tallest, free-standing mountain in Ghana; Afadjato.  And, we visited the village at the base of the mountain, Liate Wote ("Lee ah tea Whoa tea)".  At we Wote enjoyed the local high school kids perform local dances and then walked through the village to visit with the villagers and learn how they prepare cocoa beans for market, prepare palm oil for use and basically see how life is for these people.   The local school put on a demonstration of local dances.  The boys played the drums and the girls did the dancing. Sister Eastmond talking to the dancers.   Irene and Nick are on their third African mission and have a deep love for the people.  It is easy to see. After the lunch and cultural show, we walked through the village.  Here is some of what we saw. I need to say that the villagers were surprised at the honest interest we showed them....

Wli ("Vlee") Falls is the tallest waterfall in West Africa.  80 meters in height.  The falls is known locally as Agoomatsa waterfalls, meaning "Allow Me to Flow".   The falling water creates this unique climate that is cool and refreshing after a walk through the forest.  I was surprised to look up and see thousands of fruit bats resting on the rocks in a semi-circle around the top of the cliffs.  A young man picked up a hefty log and banged in on a bigger one causing a loud sound that scared the bats into taking flight.  It was awesome and scary at the same time.  After seeing the number of bats and where they rest and fly, I was not surprised we were cautioned not to swim in the water.  They tell the senior missionaries not to get in any water except the shower and a chlorinated swimming pool due to the lively bugs that live in most waters.  The falls water looks so clean, and it likely is as it leaps from the opening in the foliage covered...