Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Rain, Interviews and Boxes!

It has been pouring rain.  Elder Barth gave his umbrella to a little boy and was running to the mission office.  He was soaked clear through... (Had to go up to their apartment and put on dry clothes...)
Then following closely behind--- Elder Appleby... it was a fun moment...
Elder Edwards, Elder Mills and a baptismal candidate.  Elder Mills is wearing the rain boots that the mission provides.  Those who have been here a while know that a good pair of rubber boots are very necessary.  The rain is heavy!
Elder Purcell playing hymns for us.
President Roggia with Elder Essel during a zone meeting.
Freetown Zone
Freetown Zone coming into the Mission Office for interviews with President Roggia
Who's next?
We had a load of supplies come in...well, since we had all these wonderful elders... we made an assembly line to unload the truck!
What fun! The boxes were flying with great flourish and speed!
The Final Box and Elder Ngerem joyfully has it!

Friday, July 6, 2012

At the Mission Office and Around

Elder Asiadu and Elder McDonald with baptismal candidate.
Elder Clawson, Elder Wolfgramm, Elder Baffoe-Appiah and Elder Essel
Elder McDonald and Elder Asiadu on their way back to Freetown East Zone.
Interesting boat we saw the other day...
A Mama and her babies...
Will try to get snaps of as many as I can while President Roggia does interviews this month... Going to Liberia again in a few days.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Lunch and New Missionaries

Welcome Lunch at the Mission Home.  We are welcoming Elder and Sister Lauritzen too.
Elder Nwosu from Nigeria   
     Elder Narteh from Ghana       
                 Elder Sumrak from Virginia
          Elder Hales from Utah
Elder Weller from Utah
Elder Hill from New Mexico
Elder Edwards from Utah
Elder McDonald from Utah
Elder Serafine from Utah
Sister Attigobe from Ghana
The Assistants welcoming Elder Edwards...the first to come out the door at the Lungi Airport.
Last night on the ferry...it's about an hour ride from the Lungi side to Government Wharf in Freetown.
More on the Returning Missionaries:   Elder Stott's watch.  His watch worked for the whole two years and stopped yesterday morning at 4:15.  He didn't change the battery all that time.  Wow!
Elder Allred....
Elder Barth and Elder Stott....Elder Stott trained Elder Barth a year ago... father and son as the missionaries say...
Listening
See you later Elder Norton...
Markus, our stalwart...
Enjoying the last moments..
Elder Emanuelson, et al.
President Roggia and Elder Mazani

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Flight out! Flight in!


Before getting in the van to go to the wharf... All seven missionaries leaving today did not have Malaria or Typhoid on their mission for the whole two years because they faithfully took their doxy and slept under nets.  They are our first missionaries that we received when we arrived two years ago; so, it is hard to see them go home.  But, it is as it should be... We love them all...  
On the ferry heading to the Lungi Airport
Going into the airport doors... We'll miss each one of you so much!
Ten new missionaries arriving from the Ghana MTC
We welcome you to the Best Mission in the World.  Sierra Leone Freetown Mission!  You are gonna love this!  Mothers, encourage your missionaries (that just arrived) to faithfully take their doxy and sleep under their net.  They, too, can go their entire mission without contracting Malaria or Typhoid.  
Questions and answers.... Elder Barth and Elder Appleby orientation time..
The port the ferry pulled away from...

Monday, July 2, 2012

Going Home....

Going home!  We will miss you all! We love you.  Coming home tomorrow mamas!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Road from Liberia to Kenema


Elder Appleby is talking in the background.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Bo, Monrovia, Museums and Missionaries

Elders waiting to catch transport after we arrived in Bo on Saturday.  The Assistants went with the Zone leaders to visit families they are teaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We had Sisters Conference in Bo. It was great!
Love this picture of the sisters in the circle in the wall...
One more picture of us Sisters in Bo...
Beautiful.... right after a rain in Schlehuber's compound.
Last Sunday in Bo, I got to attend Sewa Road Branch's Primary.  She was teaching about thanking Heavenly Father for water.  The children were all participating. One of the best primary classes I've sat in.
Sewa Road Branch was split into Lewabu Branch.  This is the Lewabu Branch who will meet at this chapel.
Sewa Road Branch who will be meeting at the Njaiboima Chapel.
Mingling after pictures...
We had Seminary and Institute Graduation at Bo that same Sunday.  There were 209 attending!  These are all young single adults. A Seminary graduate attends four years of early morning scripture classes. Seminary ages 14-18 and Institute 18-30.  All receiving education about gospel principles and doctrine, provident living, missionary preparation, marriage preparation, and much, much more at no cost. 
Roads to the Liberian border we wet and muddy.  Six hours on this at least.
We took two vehicles and drove both into Monrovia with 11 of us.
Sheep along and among the villages...
And then, we get to see the other sweet, little "lambs" along the way... Some are in blue because they came home from school.  We stopped in the village because some of our missionaries were vomiting from the rough ride.  The village "Elders" came to see why we stopped.  We told them we were stopping for just a moment and only passing through.
Our passengers...Our dear sisters... The Assistants had the roughest seat and the bounciest.  They felt every bump, dip, turn, slip, slide and heads touched the top of the car!  No indentations, however, either on their head or the car top!
Stopped for a "bushroom" break and saw these pretty little flowers...
Peanut butter, jelly sandwiches, water and snack cakes for lunch at the border.
We took time to have a Couples Conference with the Kirkhams and Krumms.  We visited the National Museum of Liberia in Monrovia.
These are Identity masks.
 In July 1827 a ship named Norfolk carried 131, 143 or 144 Africans to Liberia from the United States, of whom 78 were adult women and another eleven or twelve were under ten years of age. One hundred twenty of those people had been found on the slave ship Antelope when it was seized off the coast of Florida in 1820 They had been held in Georgia for seven years waiting for the courts to settle their fate. After being kept under supervision in Monrovia for a while, the people from the Antelope were settled along Stockton Creek on Bushrod Island about four miles up the Mesurado River from Monrovia. The settlement was named New Georgia after their home of the prior seven years. Although "recaptured" Africans (people taken from slave ships by U.S. Navy anti-slave trade patrol ships) had been brought to Liberia previously, none were still there when the people from the Antelope arrived. Most, if not all, of the people found on the Antelope in 1820 and taken to Liberia in 1827 had originally been loaded on slave ships at Cabinda, and were probably Congos.  (check wikipedia about New Georgia, Liberia)
The faces on this carving are very interesting.
We had a really good meal of pasta, fruit salad, cole slaw and even pumpkin pie with whipped cream!  
We played Skipbo and Zilch!  I won one Zilch game so am doing the "wave" of victory.  lol
Celebrated Sister Kirkham's birthday with cake made by Sister Krumm, ice cream and root beer floats.  We were all enjoying every taste!  We appreciate our good couples in Sierra Leone and Liberia.  They are the anchor and the rudder of this great work! We thank them and pray for them. 
We also had a wonderful Sisters Conference in Monrovia!
 

Monrovia Zone Council

 I didn't get to see Elder Anderson so here is a snap from about May timeframe.
More rain and more mud going back
 The vehicles were really dirty.  Boxes and luggage got pretty wet in the truck even with the top on it.
 What a way to move a car!
Always amazing what the human body can do.