trying the group picture again..

This picture wouldn't enlarge so we will try it again so that you dear mommas can see your sons!  Let's hope this one works.

Trip to Liberia Last Weekend

Here we are: The Monrovia, Liberia Zone with Elder and Sister Dickson touring the mission.  The couple on the right front is Elder and Sister Smith, called as a Service Missionary Senior Couple.  Our first ones for the area.    We enjoyed their visit so very, very much.

President Roggia set apart Elder Campbell to serve in the Nigeria Enugu Mission.  He actually flew with us to Accra, Ghana on Friday.  He was greeted by the Missionary Training Center staff who took him there to begin his training for the next three weeks.  We were glad to be with him to help him navigate the water taxi and the airport.  It was his first water taxi ride and airplane flight.

The sky going to Accra from Freetown was just so fantastic!  The blues and whites were very vivid.

Elders Lowe, Boateng, Stott, Taylor and Priddis. We are in the Duala Chapel on Bushrod Island.  We had a box to give to Elder Taylor so they came in to watch.  We also brought letters that had come in.

Our Monrovia Zone, Zone Leaders, Elder Intsiful and Elder Massey.  What faithful and happy missionaries!  No wonder the Lord has them serving their fellow missionaries.

Elders after the Bushrod Island District Fireside during which Elder and Sister Dickson spoke.

 More from the Fireside...there were around 400 people there.

Lunch during the Zone Meeting on Monday.  Sister Kimball is the best cook!  She made a great sweet and sour sauce with chicken. (I peeled and minced 80 cloves of garlic...that is a record for me!) The wife of the branch president did the rice, salad and donuts. 

Elder Ellsworth and Elder Essell...that's a lot of "e's" and "l's".

Elders Priddis, Marveh, Boye-Doe, Ellsworth, Guzha and Milton came out together and were at the Missionary Training Center together in February 2010. That's Elder Kimball to the right.

 Elder Dickson was waiting to finish his instruction to the missionaries. It was wonderful, wise and spiritual.

Elder Okeke (O kay kay) and Elder Merrill after the meeting. 

Elder Stott, Elder Chaparadza and Elder Moss, MTC mates back in July 2010.

Leaving after the great meeting of inspiration...

What? Another trip to Liberia?

Yes, we are flying tomorrow.  We fly into Accra, Ghana and fly out the next morning to Monrovia, Liberia, with Elder and Sister Dickson, of the Area Presidency.  He will be doing a Mission Tour, instructing the missionaries and also visiting members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Bushrod Island District and the Monrovia District.  There are approximately 7000-8000 Latter-day Saints there.  We will be there until Monday when we fly back to Accra.   We'll get back to Freetown on February 1st.  We'll take lots of  "snaps" for all of you wanting to see your missionary. We should have a post uploaded by Feb 2.  (By the way, we estimate that we will do at least 36 trips to Liberia during our mission.  This is the seventh!  :-) )

Potpourri!

Plantains from the tree behind the Mission Office.  They are delicious fried just right!

Mangoes!  Throughout the Mission Office grounds we have mango trees.  We also have monkeys who love the mangoes so it is a race to see who gets them first.  The monkeys like only the side that faces the sun because it is ripe. Often mangoes are found half-eaten because the monkeys are so particular.  President Roggia had three tonight.  He says they were very, very tasty.

One morning while getting in the vehicle, this really fantastic praying mantis was on the roof.  If you click on the picture, you can really see it's eyes.  It looks like it's staring right at us! It is just such a detailed picture...I liked it.

Before Elder Gunderson (Dano, now) left to go home in November, we drove to Liberia.  We saw the rubber trees and he used my camera to get these really great pictures.  Notice that the bottom one caught a drop just perfectly...thanks, Dano!

This DHL bike is how we receive our pouch mail and some boxes.  They have a  truck that comes when we have large orders from distribution in Accra, Ghana.  Mostly, though, we see this same delivery man on this bike.  We like to see him as do the elders who live in the apartment by the Mission Office!

Markus goes to the post office and picks up our packages and any letters that come to the "Box 263" address.  As you can tell, Christmas had a large overflow of packages. And this was only about half of them.  We received lots more after this picture. Surprisingly, some packages only took two weeks to get here and some were two months.  Go figure...

The flora here is so wonderful.  I just have to give you all some idea what it is like.

Beautiful hydrangeas!  One of my favorites!

On our way to Bo a couple of weeks ago... the sun was behind the haze and fog of the early morning.  It was so vivid.  I wish I could have gotten it better for you all.  It was so very distinct and clear at the time.

Elder and Sister Neves on one of their many trips to Bo and around Freetown to take mail, propane tanks, food etc, to the missionaries.  They do a lot of teaching too.  They do so much in so many ways...

Elder Jenkins (6'4") and Elder Lambson (6'2") with one of their investigators...such great missionaries...so kind and good.  He really wasn't that short; it just appears so between these men of stature!

Elder Njaga...just really a great picture of him and shows his tender heart. (Elder Lambson in the background)

The Young Men and Young Women of Freetown Branch had a youth conference and are playing a board game.  They were laughing and having a good time together.

We went to a store called "The Essentials".  We had gone there to explore it the day before but decided to go back to buy a couple of things.  When we got there, the electricity was off and their generator wasn't working either.  So, the clerks handed each of us a light (in my right hand) and off we went upstairs to shop.  We were the only ones in the store.  We decided to call it "the blue light special".  It is one of the better stores in Freetown with lots of items but also pretty expensive.  It was totally dark in there even though it is light from the flash in this picture.

New Life!

On a personal note:  We had a sweet baby girl born to our son Dean and his wife, Melanie last week: Carmella Riley Roggia.  Yes, grandbabies just keep on coming whether we are there or not. This is #11.

Then, last night at 36 weeks, little Rosalie (#12) came early to our daughter Cathy, and her husband, Jason.  We are so blessed to be able to listen (and even though it is freeze frame,) see our newborn grandchildren.  Two future sister missionaries!  :-) We have had three grandchildren born while we are serving here in the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission.  We are grateful for their health and the health of their mothers.  We count our blessings--and there are too many to count.  We are grateful for the protection and love our Heavenly Father gives to each of us.

More Freetown Zone this week.

Five of the elders in the Freetown Zone, who were the "youngest" on mission, taught the Fundamentals of Preach My Gospel, "How to Teach".  This is Elder Norton teaching his portion on receiving revelation through prayer.

Elder Jenkins and Elder Visser standing tall to see if they were the same height.  Each around 6'4"! January is President's Interview month.  Elders were everywhere in the office waiting patiently for their time with President Roggia.

Elder Emanuelson smiling at the joy the missionaries have when they get to see each other and share their testimonies with each other.  It is a wonder to watch and so touching.

The assistants gathering everyone to take back to the East Side of Freetown.

Elder Hickey waiting for Elder Grabau to back up the van and taking an opportunity to practice balancing his scriptures on his head.

When the assistants drive and back out, for safety reasons, one is always on the ground directing the other where to go. (Elder Hickey doing the honors this time)

Elder Grabau backing out with his load of missionaries.  It takes them about an hour to get to the East Side apartments and then about another hour to get back to the Mission Office.

Freetown Zone Jan 12-14

After Zone Leadership training, many elders came in to wash and dry the dishes.  They liked looking at the grandkids on the refrigerator.

Left to right around the table are: Elders Smoot, Ewudzie, Kitson-Dodoo, Afadi, Lanari and Adjei.  Elder Grabau and Elder Hickey looking and talking with President Roggia.

Friday we had Zone Specialized Training.  We asked the "Caribbean Fusion Cafe" to cater for us.  They made rice and beans, "jerk" chicken (which is very, very spicy---almost burns your lips spicy) and some veggies.  We also served bananas and some little cookies.

Each serving had a chicken leg and thigh.  The brown peppi sauce is what made it so spicy.  The missionaries loved it and every serving disappeared!

The Freetown Zone!