Some VIP's at the MTC

Some explanations are needed regarding these very special, but out of the ordinary people. The Brother in charge, Elder Snow - for the record, (in case any one from SLC sees this entry) is a very 'by the book', charismatic and motivating leader - loved by everyone who gets the opportunity to rub shoulders with him. Sister Snow is a loyaltist to her favorite General Authority but also a very unique and personable soul - a very accomplished person even without the 'credits' of her now-famous husband. The Hales - in every picture - are always in a hugging mode (more on this behavior later). You will notice he did not wear his Kente tie like every one else - he says his nature is to be a non-conformist - it is only because of the gigantic spirit of obedience in Sister Hale that he has agreed to 'usually' wear a white shirt and tie - and the primary reason she always keeps his arm around her - is not because she gets cold in Ghana but it is to know where he is and to keep him in line with 'most' of the requirements of senior missionaries - she is not only a beautiful latter-day Saint (and a pretty good tennis player) but also Elder Hale's greatest hope for passing the pearly gates without a bribe. He was an Oral Surgeon and Movie Producer in his former life and has grown used to having his hand in peoples mouth or their pocketbook (now that was a cheap shot) - seriously, he is a truly marvelous human being and being in Public Affairs is a perfect place for this gregarious and fun loving personality. Now on to the Thompsons. Sister Thompson is a true jewel and everyone knows she is a shoe-in for the 'top floor' when they are assigned on the other side. Elder Thompson, notice the dark shades?, well that gives a glimpse into the inner soul of this powerful leader - he would have been just as comfortable riding here on his motorcycle as in the mission van. A very accomplished man with the things of the world and just as committed with the things of the Spirit (not as much as his bride but she nearly has him 'prepared' for his final interview). It was fun having them drop by while on their way to do some very important chuch work up North - I'm sure it was very important work because you know they would never be caught 'monkeying around'.

Kente Tie Day at the MTC with the Snow's

Elder and Sister Lowell (Rusty) Snow 'fired us up' and let us take our picture with them on the front porch of the MTC - notice Elder Snow in his Kente tie that says "RETURN WITH HONOR" - pretty good message even before they opened their mouths to speak...

In their Ghanaian's Kente Ties - in the chapel...
Even more handsome close up... you can tell what's happening by looking into their eyes and straight into their hearts...no frauds in the room...
From ten countries and four continents...
Me doing what I'm 'paid' to do... notice every head is into the scripture we are studying...they comment a lot about how much they love the MTC for 'the scriptures they learn and how to study'...

For 'only' $80 you get a wonderful Boxer Day Buffet, great band, Santa Claus and million dollar company

Boxer Day Buffet at Golden Tulip Hotel - with tip we paid twice what our guards make for a month of twelve hour days...but the company would have made it worth any price - and the food was the best we have had in Ghana. President and Sister Gay (Accra Ghana Mission Pres.) , Elder and Sister Merrill (Area Doctor), President and Sister Snow (Area Presidency).
Santa Claus came but he had a better tan than the ones we are used to and he said he has a tough time in Ghana because of no chimneys...
He doesn't seem to fit in but they still called him their brother...

Christmas Day - Some more 'sights and sounds' of Christmas in the MTC

Lining up for Christmas Dinner...and lovin' the food they see...
Multilinguel singing at Relief Society in Sister Ritchie's apartment on Christmas Day - see the beautiful Kente scarfs, a gift from Sister Ritchie to these five special sisters...
Same beautiful sisters on lawn in front of the MTC with their 'mother'...
Moroni District - our French Elders and Sister along with Bro. Mintah their multilinguel teacher...
Helaman District
Abinadi District - notice all the Kente ties - their only Christmas 'commercial' gift...we really had a spiritual feast all day...

The Ahadjie Family Present The Christmas Story on Christmas Day

President and Sister Ahadjie, president of the Christianborg Stake in Accra Ghana, and their family give the MTC 'The Real Christmas Story" - a wonderful Christmas gift to 36 special missionaries.
All 'decked' out in their Navitity best...
Luke 2 in real life...
The Missionaries loved it...

Two Great Men's Birthdays are celebrated on Christmas Day - Our only December Birthday so Jackson gets all the billing

Jackson Ritchie's birthday on Christmas Day was probably a planned event...He and his FRIEND probably decided to have the same day for the world to celebrate their arrivals...Both were Miracles and both have blessed many lives. On this day he was heading to the temple to assist in expanding his Celestial family - he looks good in 'temple white' - probably a color he was foreordained to wear often...
Everyday is not a temple day - one day you finally have to leave home and go to school and they had better watch out because 'here I come'...
But sandwiched in between the Temple (church) and school one must find some time to play and how much better can it be to be with Dad at Dodger Stadium...maybe during the 7th inning stretch he will get me a Dodger Dog...'ya gotta love it baby...'

Ghana's finest...

These two wonderful Elders began their Christmas Eve with some baptisms and now they are on the phone as they leave the MTC planning their Open House for New Years Day here at the MTC - no grass growing under their feet and they have been avoiding all Mango Tree's...

Christmas Eve Dinner by our famous Kitchen Crew

Sister Datsun with her beautiful Christmas Cake...
The Sisters at the MTC for Christmas
The fish for the newest fishers of men - they also had chicken, beef, three rice dishes, cabbage salad, bannana cake and ice cream together with real live soda pop - a real holiday treat here...

Wedding Day on 'THE FAMOUS PARKING LOT'

Remember this famous parking lot? Well, it is now getting higher and better use with a wedding.
The guests have arrived...
The Bride and Groom
They come at all ages...notice the blanket? It's hot enough to boil an egg on the pavement (not really, but plenty warm) but this is the typical way you will see young babies - wrapped up to keep warm...wow, where's the sweat...??
some wedding party dresses...
Bishop and Sister Ahadjie, the marrying Bishop...
they are all decked out but notice the young man - does he look like a future missionary or what???
not your typical Utah 'go to the wedding' outfit...

Security on full alert...

No mischief or terrorist will sneak by this security man...he's on full alert. I wish I had a better zoom lens as this does not do justice to the full slumber he is enjoying and I didn't want to walk out towards him for fear of frightening him and if he was started and fell backwards over his bench he could kill himself and then I would spend the rest of my days in a Ghanaian jail and never see my grandkids...to be fair, this is Thursday and on Thursday our regular crew have their day off and a non-committed (obviously) temporary guard is sent in to ensure our safety. In other words if you are going to 'attack' the MTC, do it on Thursday.

I want to further report. I checked with the guard and he said it is his newest defense strategy. He is thinking about having it patented. It is called "The Fake" and it works like this: You act like you are asleep but you really have one eye partially opened and then when the thief or terrorists sneaks up you jump up and scream and they run away and they are so scared they send out the word to all future criminals that the MTC is guarded by very active and alert security people. I was fascinated by his theory and offered to assist in the publication of his security formula. I have even pondered staying on in Ghana and stating up a company with this fellow as my head guard trainer. WE have not come up with a name for the company yet... Fake Security just doesn't do it for me...

An early Christmas present for the Nigerians - Eba!!

The Nigerians are cheering and celebrating 'their' meal - EBA - not a favorite of all, but today it is Nigeria Day...the only day anyone gets to eat with their fingers - they tell me that it wouldn't taste good eating it with a fork...
Even the Americans 'tasted' it - good sports but you will notice the potatoes and chicken strips on their regular plate - and the fork...ha

Group 29's MTC office board with a few Christmas additions

The Board - Thirty Six missionaries, five instructors, one manager, the laundry manager and the housekeeper all give us a festive feel...
Sister Ritchie and Sister Ohenhen in front of their creation. Sister Ohenhen is spending a day with us waiting for her flight home to Nigeria. The flights she was scheduled to go home on was cancelled due to Bellview Airlines being grounded after their crash landing with ten of our missionaries aboard - good thing they were on board, with all that Priesthood it 'had' to arrive safely. Sister Ohenhen was a missionary with us 18 months ago and now she has completed a successful mission and is going home - makes us feel old to think that we trained her nearly six months into our mission, she has faithfully served and she still goes homes before we do...

Merry Christmas From the Ghana MTC - 2005

Merry Christmas from Ghana in West Africa. It is December 21, 2005 and we are hosting 36 missionaries from ten countries from around this wonderful world of ours. We get to have Christmas with them. It will be a working day but we will have a few minutes to be thinking about all those we love who will be surrounded by their little families and teaching them the true meaning of Christmas. For us, it will be a Christmas that will long be rememered as one of those where we spent the entire day in serving others...the ultimate Christmas gift.

Chinese Dinner with the Dil's and three missionaries going home from a successful mission

The Peking Chinese fine dining in Tema - now that we are about to leave they start opening some lovely restaurants... Elder Richard Burton - yes, you heard me right - had his father and mother with him whose name is also Richard Burton, an attorney in Washington D.C. and I was told that his wife's name was Elizabeth Taylor, but I was eating Sweet and Sour 'anything' during the introductions and might have missed the name...(nice people and they loved their brief stay in Ghana).

The Changing of the Guards in 2004

President and Sister Hadley give up their "Kimgdom" ...

They sure make 'em cute in Africa

Truckloads of converts in West Africa ...

This may not be an 'actual' picture of new converts but the missionaries are baptising them fast enough they might need to start trucking them to the font...now don't call Salt Lake on me, it's just an idea...

Two "Hills", Two General Boards and one General Authority

Brother and Sister Ned Hill of BYU Marriott School fame visited Ghana and came and spoke to our missionaries - we 'paid' them with lunch.
Eugene Hill of the MTC Chiefs has come to Ghana twice during our 'reign' - marvelous human being and even a better teacher - and boss...
Sister Clegg of the General Primary Board and Sister Pingree of the Relief Society General Board accompanied by Elder and Sister Sheldon Child, our Area President visited the MTC during our time here. The missionaries loved having lunch with them and hearing some wonderful counsel from each of them.

Some Early 'Shots' of Group 29 - December 19 to January 4, 2006

Monday Morning breakfast with the four early birds and Brother Engmann. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, Ghanaian pineapple...
Moroni District - our French District, mostly from Ivory Coast and the DR Congo with Brother Mintah their teacher.
The Helaman District with Brother Baidoo as their teacher.
Abinadi District with Brother Ofusu as their teacher. WE had missionaries from ten different countries with this Group 29 - thirty six missionaries finally showed up after a crash landing at the airport - the Nigerian group of ten believe in Miracles.
This was a fine moment as I watched this Ghanaian Elder try to find his temple recommend. His case did not have a single item folded, pressed or packed in any manner - literally he had 'put' his stuff in - all he owned - and came. Compare that to the American's suitcases - usually three of them - with a ten year supply of everything all new, pressed, folded and packed - quite a comparison.
A full house - we had nearly 50 over for breakfast this morning. That included some missionaries stopping over from the Cape Coast mission who are on their way home and needed a nice last Ghanaian bed and breakfast. President and Sister Dil also were with us for this 'gourmet' meal - two pieces of bread, boiled egg and a hot drink...