These three + the photographer were the entrepid crew that plied Makola Market today. The other couple is Kirt and DeAnn Krieger. They are from Park City and live just down the street from us. He is the Church's General Counsel (attorney) for Africa. DeAnn is a world-class African shopper and guide. 

Mom bought some fabric from this lady at the market today and she asked me to bring her a copy of this picture. So I will. This fabric is all hand made (colored) and is called batik. The colors are so beautiful and the dark African women look so beautiful in the vivid colors. This is Africa. 

The three women in this photo (you can't see them all very well) are carrying a load of cassava on their heads. Cassave is ground and pounded and boiled and makes up the principal food of West Africa...foo foo! In the USA we use it to make tapioca. 

Mom loved this trader's hat. She is cooking plaintains (like bannanas) and fish and selling small bags of ground nuts (like peanuts). 

This girl crossing the street today had her TV on her head (along with a few other things). 

This one doesn't look heavy but it sure is convenient. 

She is carrying heavy cans on her head and getting along just fine. The women have an uncanny sense of balance to do this and it gives them a wonderful graceful walk. 

African women carry everything on their heads. They could never carry this much in their arms. 

In the 1 1/2 hours we wandered we saw about 10% of the market. This is a shoppers paradise...if you are an African. 

You can find anything in the world to buy here...if you are an African. Today there were tens of thousands of shoppers, traders and hawkers. 

The Makola Market winds around streets and alleys and is a beehive of activity every day, especially Saturday. 

Today, Saturday Aug 27th, we spent an hour and a half at the Makola Market in downtown Accra with the Kriegers, our neighbors. 

This was our first visit to the Ghana MTC last Thursday, where we both spoke to the missionaries (who are all form West Africa). You can see a few more shots of us and some of the missionaries on the MTC President's blog at . 

Real men carry everything on their heads. Actually real African women do too. 

The African Queen (she's the one in the white blouse) and she nearly sparked a riot here. I helped things a lot by taking her photo. 

The stake center, right across the way from the Area Office. Those two buildings frame the temple in the middle. 

The Accra Temple 

This is the Area Administrative Office where I spend my working days. I have an office on the top floor looking out at the temple (on the left). Notice the beautiful "fan palms" that gracefully surround the temple. This is the nicest building complex in West Africa (along with the new one in Nigeria). 

The stake center in Accra, on the grounds of the temple. A primary activity day is in progress. 

Open for visitors...come any time. 

This is our house. This is not a grass hut! 

You can stop feeling sorry for us. This is our house. 

The view of our street, looking from our house. We live in a gated compound that is very nice. 

This is our Ghanaian chariot...a new Toyota Camry. 

The youth in the temple district presented President Hinckley with two gifts, a wood carving and a "talking" drum.