Akwaaba to Ghana: Our First Six Months

Thank you to so many dear friends who helped us get ready to leave our home of over ten years.  After a couple long flights, we arrived in Accra and immediately saw a sign saying, "Akwaaba"--"Welcome" in Twi.

 We brought 14 suitcases, 7 backpacks, and 1 violin.

New friends and coworkers drove us to our new home...

... and helped us settle into a temporary apartment.

The view from our apartment building .  The temple is on the right.

The three middle children quickly started school.  Mary and Tyler home schooled from April to June and helped navigate our new surroundings.

We met new friends at church, which is next to the temple:

 

Shopping for produce:

Makola Market is very crowded, especially on Saturdays:

Friends taught us how to make some local dishes: jollof rice, groundnut soup with rice bowls, and red red (saucy beans and fried plantains):

The view from one of our windows during a rainstorm.  The car was abandoned until the water drained.  It's summer all year long here, but the rainy season lasts from April to October:

We braved the canopy walk and ropes course at the botanical gardens:

We were in our new apartment by Sarah's birthday and General Conference.

Sarah was baptized after church on May 5th.  We are so proud of her for following the example of Jesus Christ.

I love teaching and playing the piano for primary!  

We help teach Young Adult Outreach for our stake.  We love these young people and the time we  spend with them.  They are amazing.

So much of life is lived in the streets, and we have many friends to greet as we drive.  We buy bananas, tiger nuts, yooyi berries, data for my mobile phone, and toilet paper on the way to school.  Children, goats, cows, and chickens roam the sides of the streets.

Find the goat and the Volkswagen Beetle in this picture:

On our fifteenth wedding anniversary, Elder D. Todd Christofferson was visiting the Africa West Area and spoke to our stake in a special fireside.  Our primary president is on the right (so is Austin's hand).  He said, "I testify that the Lord accepts every offering we make—no matter how imperfect we may feel at a given moment it may be."  (More here.)  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was also formally recognized in the country of Mali in September.  (More here.)

In the summer, we visited Kakum National Forest and slave castles in Cape Coast and Osu.

Austin attended "youth camping," which is like youth conference.

Ghanaians' focus on God and Jesus Christ is evident everywhere.  Taxis and tro tros (public transportation vans) often have religious sayings written on them.  A few of our favorites are "Dependable God," "Showers of Blessing," and "I am an example of Jesus Christ in my generation."  

This billboard for an investment bank reads: "The eyes of LORD are upon Ghana, even the entire nation.  His hand is stretched out and the LORD Himself and He alone is the Covering of Ghana.  Upheavals and disruptions no matter how schemed and connived He thwarts them... for I hear upheaval and yet God says I keep the land!  That is the word of the LORD."

The Missionary Training Center is an amazing place.  I help in French and English with "intake" on days we receive new missionaries who will be serving in West Africa.  I also help with literacy tutoring.  One week, the children were able to help several missionaries practice teaching families about Jesus Christ:

We ran into missionaries on their preparation day on Austin's birthday playing miniature golf.

Someday the children may return to Ghana as missionaries themselves!

See inside on this YouTube video.  Some of the people giving the tours are David's coworkers:

We have lots of support from other expat friends.  Here, Mary and Anna were baptized on behalf of some deceased family members.

We especially enjoy spending time with the senior missionary couples, some of whom live in our apartment building.

We love and miss all of you!  We are so grateful to be here in Ghana as a family.  We have learned so much already and look forward to more adventures.  

P.S.  I will post more pictures occasionally.  Use the subscribe links if you would like an email notification for new posts.  Feel free to ask questions about Ghana in the comments!