Say hello to Kwame. He is the one who gives me my weekly grandma fix. When I just have to get on the floor and play, he giggles, squeals, and is totally content for me to play peek-a-boo with him for an hour.  

We are celebrating Sister Thompson's birthday (notice the candle). Elder Thompson (our Area Executive Secretary) is at the head of the table. The 2 ladies opposite us were visitors from Church Headquarters who came to Ghana to do Family History training. One of them is in the Thompson's ward and brought a suitcase of presents and goodies from the Thompson's kids and grandkids.  

Our farewell picture with President & Sister Ritchie of the Ghana MTC, Eugene Engeman (MTC Director), and Elder & Sister Child 

Spending the morning at the Osu Orphanage - these two were crying and needed to be held. They were happy as can be until I had to leave. 

This is President Oteng of the Swedru District posing with Sister Dil of the Cape Coast Mission in his ceramic shop. The two silver pieces are his hand made kilns. Between this and his teaching post at the University of Swedru he supports his family.  

This is some of the clay that President Oteng uses in the making of his ceramic pots. 

This scene of the fisherman at the Cape Coast Castle where we took the sisters for a tour looks like it could have been happening a few hundred years ago 

The fisherman at Cape Coast Castle are pulling in the nets. It's still being done the way it has been done for centuries. 

I think the plaque was added by the descendants of those who went through this door and never saw home and family again. 

On our return to Cape Coast Castle I finally got an unobstructed picture of the door of no return. The small door to the left was a holding cell for the women. 

As we arrived at the Takoradi Stake Center to begin our training we were welcomed by Young Women in traditional dress and beads doing native dances to the beat of drums. It was colorful and exciting. 

Our welcoming dancers dance us into the ward building. They presented the General Board Sisters with flowers too. 

The drumming Young Men and the Grandmothers of the Takoradi Stake who were showing us how to do the dance. 

President Dil of the Cape Coast Mission and are drummers who provided the beat for he dancers. You can see Sister Lifferth and Sister Dalton joined in the dancing too. 

Some of the YW (with their leaders) who came to the Auxiliary training in Takoradi to be with their friends. They loved Elaine and Margaret 

This father and son saw the women getting their pictures taken and didn't want to be left out of the fun. They are such sweet people in Ghana 

When we first stopped to take a picture of some women with pans on their heads there were three of them. But each time we tried to take the picture, more women ran up saying, "wait, wait". We finally ended up with this many who straightened their dresses, and adjusted all their pots and pans just right for the picture. Mostly they wanted to see themselves on the digital camera when we were done. You never heard so much giggling. 

These are the primary children and their leaders in the little branch we attended on Sunday in Assin Foso 

Don't the women look beautiful in their handmade dresses? 

Sister Lifferth and I helped in the sharing time with these Primary leaders from the Habitat Branch when we attended their Sunday meeting 

This little gal was one of the Primary girls and she wanted to become my pen pal. She gave me her address and made me promise to write. It will be a trick to see if she ever can actually get the letter, but I'm determined to try. 

Driving home with Sister Dalton & Lifferth on Sunday we came across this stream located near a rural village in Ghana. The stream was getting well used for the chores of daily living 

Our village bathers discover we are there taking pictures and they stand up to wave and pose au natural. 

You can see the village stream is for washing, bathing, drying, and fun 

This is one of the beautiful flowers that surrounds the temple in Accra. It was so delicate in the early morning light when I arrived for my temple shift that I had to take a "snap" I wish I knew the names of all the different flowers and plants.