Before the departure...

Elders Lowe, Grabau, Priddis and Kitson-Dodoo looking over Freetown from Lester Point.  How beautiful Freetown looks from this view!  This time of year everything is so green!

On Saturday Elder Grabau and Elder Smoot had several wonderful souls join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through baptism.  Elder Grabau thought it was a great way to end his mission.  He saw many lives changed and filled with joy over two years of service to the Lord.

Elder Smoot in front of the freshly painted Mission Office.
We just took Elder Grabau, Elder Kitson-Dodoo and Elder Lowe to the water taxi.  Twenty minutes on it, then another 15 on a little bus and then to wait in the airport for about 1 1/2 hours for the flight to Accra.  Elder Lowe goes from Accra to JFK airport in New York then to Salt Lake City.  Elder Grabau goes from Accra to Amsterdam to Houston and Elder Kitson-Dodoo goes straight home to dinner in Accra.  We will get departing pictures up as soon as possible.

First Meeting in the new Kissy Chapel Today

The building and grounds looked like this in January.  It has three pods on each side of the chapel for classrooms, bathrooms and font.  We had to smile because no one could "walk the halls" because there are no halls.  This is the first of its kind in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

 This is what it looked like today. We will have an open house and dedication in August.  We had 174 in the congregation for the Kissy 2 Branch Sacrament Meeting.  Kissy 1 Branch was gathering as we left. Yesterday, the missionaries used the new font for eight baptisms.  We are so happy to have it open!  It is a great blessing for the Saints here in Freetown.

 President Roggia and I with Sister Brown (our public affairs director for the Freetown District) with her daughters standing next to Elder Olukanni of the Seventy.  Elder Olukanni presided and spoke in Sacrament Meeting.

 President Roggia and I with Elder Olukanni.  He taught us so much and is so full of faith!

Elder Emanuelson and Elder Addo with a friend in front of the new Kissy Building.

for my mom...

All missionary mothers (and fathers) like to see their missionary son or daughter.  This is for my 94 year old mother...I love you Mom.

Another one, only back 36 years ago, serving in the Louisana Baton Rouge Mission.  :-)

Congo Cross Elders

On their way to visit their families after waiting for President Roggia to interview one of their candidates for baptism. (This is for Sister Akwah and Sister Visser...."hi moms"

An Office Elder Meeting and West Africa travels

Elder Hickey and Elder Allred talking with Elder Patterson about plans for Bo.  Elder Allred will be going there as an office elder and training a new missionary from the Ghana MTC.  He will be doing lots of multitasking plus opening a new area to missionary work. Because we are going from 60 missionaries to 94-100 in the next coming months, he will help find apartments and gather the furnishings for them .  Elder Hickey will be working the apartments and furnishings in Freetown with another elder that he will train because he finishes his mission in August.

This was just a fantastic sunset the other night in Freetown!

Huts on the road to Bo.  The highway is new and great to drive on.  I love to see the huts and the craftsmanship that goes into them.

See the hanging wet clothes on bamboo poles?  As a young girl on the farm in Montana, I remember hanging clothes on the fence to dry, too.

This is some of the highway going back to Freetown from Bo.

 Recently, I split a tooth.  It didn't hurt any but I knew it couldn't last too long in that condition.  While in Ghana a few weeks ago, the area doctor made an appointment for me with a competent dentist.  This was his dental office parked next to....

his actual dental building where I had a cleaning.

On the flight to Ghana

Back to Freetown

a little Bo, a little Freetown, a little Monrovia

Elder Ditsi, Elder Hilton and Elder Iheanacho with Elder Grabau in the back on their way home from Bo District Conference.

 Elder Stott, Elder Bennion and Elder Vaughan waiting to leave.

Elder Grabau goes home next week so everyone was signing his notebook and saying good-bye.

Some of the missionaries walking toward the road for transport to their areas...

Dinner with the Kimballs and Kirkams June 1st before we flew back to Accra.

 Elder Svongwa and Elder Grabau

 Elder Eyinda, Elder Addo, Elder Emanuelson and Elder Rochester with a family baptized last week.

Elder Addo, Elder Emanuelson, Elder Lowe and ElderBuckman with three others who were baptized last week.  (last two pictures courtesy of Elder Rochester's camera)

Bo District Conference this weekend

Our missionaries after Bo District Conference.  There were 1128 in the congregation today! Amazing amount of Latter-day Saints in one building.  We had to run speakers into different rooms to accommodate all.  It was a great conference. 

Elders hamming it up.  I told them after the one serious picture they could stand however they wanted....lol

President Roggia walking and talking with Elder Kitson-Dodoo and Elder Stott after District Conference.