We started our week with root beer floats!

Nsawam District 

L to R - Elders Taylor, Bowring, Bianucci, and Brother Sarpong - a branch missionary.

Tuesday, we went to Nsawam's District Meeting.  We surprised the Elders with root beer floats.  We were able to get A&W root beer at the 'American Store' in Accra.  Add vanilla FanIce to it and you've got yourself a nice root beer float.  The Elders were so excited.  Some even kept their empty cans!  Elder Bianucci had to give Elder Berrett a hug to share with me.  He was so happy.  :)

You'd be amazed what you can buy while stopped in your car at a red light.  As soon as the light turns red, the 'Hawkers' start walking between the lanes of cars to sell their wares.  We had street vendors in Liberia, but it was nothing like here in Accra.  So many more people selling.  The man in the yellow vest is selling phone cards.  The girl with the blue tub on her head is selling water. You can also buy all kinds of food, maps, dog collars (have yet to see anyone walking a dog here.  The chains and collars are HUGE), toys, tools, hair clippers (which Elder Berrett has purchased and they even work!), paper towels, framed pictures, canes, soccer balls, flags, chocolate candy bars, and much, much more!! 

This girl is selling containers of Que-tips on her head.  In her hands she had toothpicks for sale.  You never know when you might be driving home and suddenly remember, "Hey, I need Que-tips!"  No problem.  Just wait at the red light for the hawker to come by.

This is a picture of a water 'satchet' that they sell on the street.  It's a sealed plastic bag about the size of a sandwich bag.  They bite a corner off and drink.  I say "they" because we have been told it's not the cleanest way to get water, so I've never tried it.

BUT….

We have tried the plantain chips (top) and ground nut candy (bottom) that you can buy from the street hawkers.  They are both 1 Cedi and good!  Right now, a Cedi is worth about $.33.

(Ground nut is another name for peanuts)

A plantain looks like a BIG banana but tastes much different.  We don't care too much for cooked plantain, but we love the chips dipped in salsa.

Elder Berrett and I were sitting outside our apartment reading one afternoon when these 3 boys, on their way home from school, looked in our gate and saw us.  In they came to visit. ( L to R - Nicholas, Danorgi and Isaac.)  After I gave them a sucker, Elder Berrett went into teacher mode and began to work with them on multiplication.  I guess they enjoyed it because they came back again the next day.  Maybe it was the suckers.

Nana, our branch clerk, stopped by with 9 pineapples for us.  NINE!!  Anyone need a pineapple?

You've never tasted as good a pineapple as the ones they have here in West Africa.  So sweet.  

BAD week with power out.  

Seems the power bill didn't get paid to our compound because the electric company couldn't find anyone at home to give the bill to.  It is hard because there are no addresses, no mail boxes and, no mailmen.  Well, because they couldn't deliver the bill, they came and clipped our power lines.  

So, no power for 56 hours!

Once the bill was paid, this young man from the power company put on his pole climbing boots, quickly climbed up the pole, and reconnected the 'live' power lines.  Elder Berrett said his shoes looked like someone had just attached a bear trap to the bottom of them.

YEAH!  We've got power - for a few hours any way.  

  

Sunday was the All Africa broadcast with Pres. Uchtdorf, Elder Bednar, Elder Gay and Sis. Stevens.  We assembled at the Achimota Chapel to view the proceedings.  This was in place of our Tesano Stake Conference.  Because the Stake is so large, they had to send half the ward/branches to one building and the other half to another.  The building was packed.  Can you see the tiny TV up front that they are using to show the conference to everyone?  Can you find the one 'white' head in the group?  (That's me!) 

I believe this was a historic event for Africa.  Elder Bednar emphasized that Ebola is real and if we follow the preventive guidelines we will be protected.  Both Elder Bednar and Pres. Uchtdorf talked about "Bride Price" and that it was detrimental to having the Church go forward.  They said it is a practice that needs to be discontinued.  We believe that strongly and if this practice will discontinue there will be many more marriages and eternal families created. 

Our Adoagyiri Branch President, President Quansah, his wife Charlotte, and their daughter Perses.

When I got up at 6:30 am on Sunday, branch members were already at the chapel waiting for their ride to the 10 am session of Conference.  The branch makes arrangements for a 'Tro-Tro' to come pick the members up and bring them back.  Our branch needed three!

The Adoagyiri Branch at Stake Conference

You can just barrel

y see Elder Berrett and I way in the back. You'd be amazed how many Primary children came all by themselves.  I LOVE these faithful Saints.