Trip to the Ocean

Our Sabbath Day has been delightful as we took a leisurely Sunday drive (after attending church in the McCarthy Hill Ward) to see the OCEAN. We've been in Africa for 3 1/2 months and had still never actually seen the ocean--even though Accra looks like it is right on the coast. Where we live is inland about a mile but because of the city buildings and trees, we had to travel a few miles to find a place where we could walk on the beach and feel the waves at our feet. The place we chose was Milly's Resort--it had a true African fishing village flavor. Elder and Sister Johnson were our host companions for the day...they did the driving. We had prepared a picnic lunch and ate in an elevated hut that gave a beautiful view of the ocean.

Thinking of Christmas on the drive home after a true tropical afternoon, is creating a memory of the Savior associated with surroundings different than snow, decorations, shopping, and Christmas music. Without all the usual trimmings, we have to stop and truly contemplate the meaning of Christmas. The Son of God came to earth as a babe, to save mankind by living as a perfect example, and atoning for the sins of us all through sacrificing his life and taking it up again that we might all live forever. The gift of eternal life is offered if we strive to live righteously and keep his commandments. We are anticipating our Christmas experience in Africa by focusing on the life of our Savior. We pray that we may all 'remember the reason for the seaon' and have a Christ-centered Christmas. We are grateful for our traditions and for all of you for being part of our lives. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Love Elder and Sister Brown

Big Milly's Munchies where we had lunch

Huts and palm trees in the resort compound

Sister Brown inspecting the homemade boat

Boats, flags and ocean

This little boy is shaking the sand out of his shorts (oops!)

This little girl just saw her first white man

Great fun covering Mama in sand

Sisters on a stroll along the beach

Ocean Trip Continued

Elder & Sister Brown

Elder Brown in front of lunch hut

Elder & Sister Johnson

The 12 Days of Christmas

We received this from our missionary friends in the Church Office Building. I thought it was a worthy addition to the Christmas season to pass along.

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'

Merry Christmas Everyone

The Christmas season was ushered in here at the temple compound with a lighting ceremony last night. It 'tis the season even here in Africa. I found the craziest Christmas tree at the local grocery store--just had to take a photo.

while this is posted by Kassie Jane it was an email that I received from mom and dad. I enjoyed it enough I thought I'd share it with more than their children.

Ghanaian Stake Conferences and other things

This is the street in front of the Temple Grounds

A Temple excursion of Nigerians, while their own Temple is closed

Mom and daughter ready to perform for a church video

President and Sister Breillatt of the Ghana Temple

Elder and Sister Brown accompanied them to Adenta Stake Conference

Ghanaian Sisters in Ghanaian dresses

Family at Stake Conference

I took most of the rest of the pictures to show the dresses

Notice the twin girls in this picture

Pretty dress

This is Wendy and her son. Wendy's husband is in the USA going to school

Wendy works in the area office as secretary to the Area Presidency

More Beautiful dresses and sisters at Tema Stake Conference

Kathy is having a dress made out of blue fabric

We ran across Elder Jeremy Reid from Gunnison while at the Tema Stake Conference

He looked good and so did we

How's this for a head dress

This is the congregation at the Tema Stake Conference, some people were in other rooms

watching on closed circuit TV, about 2,000 attended. Our Boss, Daniel Yirenya-Tawiah is the Area Welfare Manager and the Stake President of the Tema Stake, that's part of the reason we attended. The other reason was to meet and talk to the Perpetual Education Fund Students and Specialists

Saw this lady at the Fruit Stand with her colorful fabric and matching headress

Sister Missionary Trip to Cedi Bead Factory

          On Saturday, October 3, another African Adventure began. Five Senior Sister Missionaries (Sisters Bevan, Bingham, Brown, Peterson, and Stubbs) planned an excursion to the Cedi Bead Factory. Now, because that is the extent of my knowledge of where we were going, I'm going to quote from the written tourist info. "The Cedi Bead Factory in Odumase Krobo before Samanya (left at Kpong). You will be treated to a step-by-step tour on how glass beads are produced. (no charge) A gift shop is on the premises where you can buy beads. Also the town has a bead market open on Wednesdays and Saturdays."

         We left home at 8:30 am so that we could be home for our 4 pm session of General Conference (your 10 am session) The trip takes about 1.5 hours. Sister Bingham was the brave driver and wwe arrived with no problems. I was the only one with a camera and there are a few pictures I took but they didn't take -- as only a novice photographer knows. I hope you can get the picture through. The process of bead making is like all things in Africa -- very labor and time intensive. We came away with a greater appreciation for the strings of beads that adorn the necks and wrists of the jewelry lovers. In the gift shop I purchased a bowl made from termite hill mud. It's the same medium they use for their kilns. Anyway, dumb as it sounds, I bought one because it looked like a cow's udder. Another plus was that it fit in a curio Rex bought in Kumasi that needed a bowl to hold.

          After leaving the bead factory we stopped at the bead market -- it was high noon and HOT. We looked quickly, kept to the shade of the shops, and marveled at the sights and smells of inner Africa. At the market there was a fabric shop that we looked through, but at that point (hot and tired), my shopping desire (or lack thereof) sent me hustling back to the air conditioned car with the other Sisters not far behind.

          We arrived home after one other stop but it's been a whole week and I can't remember where it was only that it was by the little green oil advertisement sign. It is important to notice the landmarks to know how to find things and it's an observation talent I'm going to have to work on. The stop was at a bead shop where some of the sisters bought necklace and earring sets and ornaments. We arrived home in plenty of time to attend the first conference session in the Area Office building. The other sessions we watched on our computer at home. We were able to connect through KSL.com and enjoyed the inspirational messages from our leaders and prophet. On Sunday morning we attended fast and testimony meeting in the Jamestown Branch. Conference didn't start here until 4 pm, so for the Africans Saints it was Sunday as usual. Most of the natives don't see Conference until it comes out on DVD.

         

         The Bead Factory excursion was one the Elders weren't particularly interested in but it was a great day with just the girls.

Kilns made from termite mud with men putting molds in the fire

Molds with blue glass pieces ready for the kiln

Man cleaning beads after they are taken out of their molds. He throws sand on them and rolls them around in a rock bowl, then washes them with water.

young girl helping her mother string beads

On the way home I took a picture of this school bus because I thought that it was cool.

the bowl I bought at the bead factory sitting on the curio Rex bought in Kumasi

SHOPPING

Kathy at the fruit and vegetable market with Mama

Umm good, we especially like the avocadoes and pineapples

Sister Brown checking out the brown eggs, they are all brown in Ghana

These signs are all over the city of Accra and probably every place else in Ghana

This has nothing to do with shopping, but these are the generators out our back window. Kassie said we could rearrange the pictures but I'll be d... if I could figure out how.

Max Mart, one of three places we frequent on shopping days.

Obama again

The bakery in foreground, unfinished building in back.

The bakery where we get our bread and not much else, the pastry isn't like at home

It isn't as easy as the Africans make it look, Kathy couldn't even keep it up with one hand