Some of what we saw this week…..

This week we attended the Logan Town District Meeting, which includes Logan Town and Doe Community Branches.  Because of all the rain, bad roads, and traffic on Bushrod Island, we were a hour late but still enjoyed a great meeting.  

L to R - Elders Kamara, Ideh, Osatohangbon (sitting) Gharbin, Burr, Price, Widdison, Okunrobo

There is a group of small shops by the old American Embassy that we call 'The Mall'.  That's where I like to get recycled glass bead bracelets and Elder Berrett likes to try his bartering skills with the shop owners.  We've been there so many times, that now we know the names of many of the shop owners.  We are especially attracted to the wood carvers who use the simplest of tools.  Look closely and you'll see this carver making an elephant using a small hatchet.  They are fascinating to watch.

This is Abu who employes many of the wood carvers there to make things for his shop.  Here he's putting the finishing touches on the carving of a man reading a book for Elder Berrett.

This is a view of the Mission Office as you drive up Redemption Road.  See the office just to the right of the two palm trees. This location gives great views of the ocean.  

This large tree, located by the Mission Office, fell over during a big rain storm. Notice how small Elder Berrett looks!  They had already cut the branches off that were blocking the road, but you can still tell how large it was.     

Of course this sign caught my eye.  A fully furnished beach house for lease!!  Sign me up.

Saturday Samuel Weah and Marya Fahnbulleh were married in a civil ceremony at the Duala District Center.  Don't you love their outfits.  I would love to be able to try Marya's hat on.  It is made of cloth that has been stapled to fit her head.  It was beautiful.

This is Samuel's mother - Sister Comfort Weah.  She is the Relief Society President in the New Kru Town Branch where we go to church.  She is so faithful and we just love her.

One last picture - Brother Wallace, a branch missionary and Elder Orton walking towards their apartment after a morning of proselyting.  That's their compound on the right.  I love it when we come upon the missionaries out 'doing the work'.

This week in our Liberia

This is a picture of the New Kru Town Primary doing the 'I Love You' sign.  

I taught them to do the sign as a reminder that Sister Berrett loves them

 AND so does their Heavenly Father.

And here is the New Kru Town Branch Young Women's Presidency.

L to R - Naomi Johnson, Margret Nepay, Nmasnoh Larmie, and Mary Nagbe.

We've just had a training meeting in the courtyard of the church.

I wanted everyone to see what it now looks like in the Logan Town Chapel since it's been remodeled. Doesn't it look nice!  It's so large and bright.
Now all the members can fit inside for Sacrament Meeting.  No one needs to sit outside.  

That's President Kirkham visiting with some of the members.

Had a great Meeting with the Brewerville Zone.

L to R - Elders Osanebi, Cottrell, Nartey, Fairwell, LaMont, Amoah, Maurana, Etete, Backman, Humphreys, Anderson, Abbott and Sister and Elder Berrett.

Elder and Sister Hezseltine will be going home on July 23.  So, we have been driving around with them, trying to learn where the missionary apartments they take care of are located on the Monrovia side of the mission.  On our travels we passed a fruit stand where I bought this cute little pineapple for only 30 LD - Liberian Dollars - which means it cost about $.30 USD.

On our drive we passed this road side business where weights were for sale.  The larger weights are made from car parts. The small hand weights are iron bars with cement balls on the end. There's even weight benches.  No excuse not to be pumping iron!!

Look…..No hands!

We made this young man stop so we could look at the hair accessories he had for sale.  He was carrying quite an array of goods on his head.  When we stopped him, he put the stool he was carrying down and sat the box from his head on top of it.  Was a clever way to display his wares. Sister Hezseltine found what she was looking for, but he wouldn't dicker with her on the prices which is unusual.

We made a stop at the Gardnersville Chapel and saw how well their garden project was going. They had a grow box with some plant starts in it.  We weren't sure what was growing in it, but we could tell that the plants underneath were cabbage.  You can see the rice sacks lined up against the building that they have also planted cabbage in.  It was quite a large and beautiful garden.

They were also growing a few pineapples.

When we stopped at Harbels Grocery Store on Friday, I noticed a young boy holding this bouquet of flowers standing on the sidewalk.  Elder Berrett asked, "How much?"  When he said, "$5" I knew they'd be mine.  Aren't they beautiful!  Bird of Paradise.
Thanks Elder Berrett!!

And finally …..

Remember Elder and Sister Ekufu, the Senior Couple from Nigeria who came in March?  They were only here for two weeks when they received news that their daughter who was 8 months pregnant had been killed in a ferry boat accident.  The next day, Sister Ekufu's mother passed away.  They returned home to take care of the funerals and waited to see their son sealed in the Temple on June 18.  After the marriage, they were on their way to the airport to fly to Lagos, Nigeria to be set apart again so they could return to Liberia on the 20th and resume their mission.  On the way they were involved in a head on crash with a bus.  Sister Ekufu was killed and Elder Ekufu was seriously injured.  We were looking forward to our reunion with them and are deeply saddened.    

We pray the Ekufu family will be blessed with peace and comfort.  We will always remember them.

Back row - L to R - Sister and Elder Hezseltine, Sister and Elder Miles 2, Sister and Elder Dever, 

Sister and Elder Ekufu.

Front Row - Elder and Sister Berrett, Sister and Elder Miles 1, Sister and President Kirkham

What a great day!!

Last Saturday, Princess and Abraham were married.

This Saturday they were baptized members of the Church.

Abraham asked Elder Berrett if he would baptize him and Princess.  Of course!

Elder Berrett had to borrow Elder Finau's white pants.  We never thought that he might have the chance to baptize while on mission.

This is the font at the Matadi chapel where today's baptisms were performed.

Notice Elder Berrett's crutches.  He stepped in a small hole over a week ago and sprained his ankle  pretty badly.  He's been on crutches now for 9 days, which means I'm doing all the driving!  Yikes!!

Elder Berrett in the font ready to begin.

Before the  baptism, this tiny gecko had to be fished out of the water.  

Elder Berrett was able to perform all the baptisms scheduled for today.  

Romeo Twaklee Flomo, Linda Theresa Smith, Princess Kormbah, Abraham Kormbah.

The Matadi Branch showed up to support their newest members.

The missionaries and their converts

Elder Bosomtwe, Abraham, Princess, Elder Elliott.

Elder Bosomtwe and Elder Berrett signing the baptismal records.  

If the only reason we needed to come to Liberia was so that we could introduce Abraham and Princess to the missionaries, IT WAS WORTH IT!