Fwd: Our Visit by the Military

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nancy Bullock <noflattires@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 18, 2014 at 1:58 PM
Subject: Our Visit by the Military
To: Jim & Nancy Bullock <noflattires@gmail.com>

Last week we did a humanitarian project where we gave 5 computers, 1 printer and support equipment for the computer setup to the Military base here.  They had sent a request and we wrote it up and it was approved by the Area Presidency.  One reason we did it is to improve relationships with them --- not that they were bad;  there just wasn't any.   There are members living on the base but the home teachers, missionaries, etc. cannot visit them there.  The Mission President who is over the area where the base is located also wanted to be with us, for obvious reasons. 

When we gave them the computers we told them they were welcome to come visit us anytime and we would show them around etc.    Yesterday the Lt. Colonel called and ask if they could come this morning and give us a formal thank you.  We called back and ask if they had time that we would like to show them our facilities.  He said they would like that and could give us a half hour.   He said he would bring his director and a couple of other people.  The Director was not able to come. 

We got hold of our Public Affairs couple and they made up 4 or 5 folders with pamphlets and information and a CD of the tabernacle choir.  We also bought some drinks (sodas) and some banana breads to serve them.   Public affairs arranged to have some key people there to take them around.  We have a couple of men who know the Lt. Colonel from their past military days.  

They arrived right on time but there were not 4 of them -- there were 9!  We called the Public affairs couple and they quickly put together some more folders and prepared the snack for a few more.   We took them to the Stake Centre that is on the grounds and gave them a tour.   There is an Employment centre there with a computer room and a classroom  They were shown that and it was explained to them what we do there and that it is for members and non-members alike.   I think they were impressed with that.  There was a class going on while we were there with probably a dozen or more people.   The Lt. Colonel  had questions.  Then across the hall we showed them the baptism font and there just happened to be some missionaries in the room having a District meeting so it was an opportunity to explain about missionaries.  The brother who was doing most of the talking, talked about investigators but then had to explain what that meant.  He told them that people can investigate the Church for as long as they want and when they feel in their hearts that they want to join then they can be baptized and confirmed.  As we left that room the Lt. Colonel said that he may want to be an investigator one day.  Then it was on the the Family History Centre.

We showed them the Chapel and the gymnasium and there were a couple of young people there who are doing the Pathway program and so that was explained.  

We then took them to the Area office (across the grounds) and took them up to the Area Presidency meeting room where the refreshments were laid out.  Elder Vinson, from the Area Presidency, met us there.  The Military presented us with some military calendars and we gave them the prepared folders etc.   Refreshments were shared and quite a bit of visiting and then some photos.

The Mission President ask if he could go visit the Lt. Colonel sometime and he readily agreed.   The Lt. Colonel also said that he would call us as soon as the computers were set up so that we can go take some pictures. 

It was also interesting that the assistant to the Lt. Colonel ran into a friend in the Area office that he had grown up with.  They were thrilled to see each other.  Some really good things happened.  Everyone was feeling good about the whole thing!! 

It was a GREAT morning!!  We are feeling really good about the whole thing.   They did comment that they knew nothing about the Church before today and some said that they would visit on a Sunday.  

Photos:  The first photo is the class going on at the Employment Centre.  The second is the Lt. Colonel presenting Elder Vinson with the military calendars and the third is a group photo of our visitors with Elder Vinson and three or our brethren. 

Humanitarian Projects

We had two projects approved recently. 

#1   We are giving 5 new computers, a printer, toner, etc. to the Military.   We received a request from them and we decided (Area Presidency) that it would be good for government relations etc.

#2   We will give Ga Hospital a Haemalogy Analyzer (blood analyzer) and also we will pay the cost of building and installing cabinets, work benches, etc. in a laboratory room that was built for them by another NGO (non-government organization).   We are excited to be able to do this for them and they were so thrilled when I called on Friday to tell them that the project was approved.   Many of the patients must be referred to Accra for their blood test (50 km. away).  This will really help them a lot.  This small hospital services about 225,000 people, with the help of smaller clinics, etc.  

When we went to visit this Ga  Hospital to look at the project (with Bro. John Buah) we all felt really good about helping them.  We looked at another project the same day and didn't get that same feeling at all. 

Billboards

Here are a couple of billboards that we see on our way to Church.  

Saturday Pool Party

We are lucky to have a pool here in our apartment complex where 5 missionary couples live - along with others, of course.    Saturday I went for a swim earlier in the day and then we went out to get a few groceries.  When we came back some of the others had decided to cool off in the pool.  Fun!

Coffins

Okay - I know this is a weird topic but......  in Ghana you can have a custom coffin made if you want to pay the price.  It can look like just about anything you want.  Here are some suggestions.....

Groundbreaking Ceremony

This past Wednesday was the groundbreaking for the new Church to be built in the community of  La.  The La Ward and the Tradefair Ward will meet there.  They say it will take about 11 months.  Right now we meet in a house and it is too small so everyone is excited about the new building.

La is pronounced Law.   We have 2 sets of Sister missionaries in our ward and they do a great job.

Jim is 1st counselor in the Bishopric. 

Street children

I think these are Street children taking a bath and doing their laundry by the side of a busy intersection.  

Fwd: Fishing Boats

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nancy Bullock <noflattires@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 9, 2014 at 9:30 AM
Subject: Fishing Boats
To: Jim & Nancy Bullock <noflattires@gmail.com>

Fishing is a HUGE industry here.  There are fishing boats of all sizes, some with one person on board, and some with several.  They use nets mostly.  They go out in the evenings and come back first thing in  the mornings with their catch and apparently there is always a market for it at the shore.  I didn't know before that fishing is best for them at night. 

They do not go out on Tuesdays though.  Something to do with the God of the sea.  They do repair their nets and make other preparations on that day.

Eating coconuts

Just a couple of pictures I took of some boys with their coconuts.  They were in Cape Coast near the Slave castle near a market. 

Slave Castle visit

There are several Slave castles here in Ghana along the ocean.  We visited this large one and it was really hard to hear of the horrors that took place there starting in the 1400's.  Such terrible things for so very many years!  

They showed us the different areas where men and women were kept prisoners and told of the horrible things that happened to them.  It was hard to imagine that human beings could do that each other.   Unfortunately, human trafficking is still a problem throughout the world.

Canopy Walk

All work and no play..... wouldn't be any fun at all! 

Clarence Kofi and John Buah, who we work with, wanted to take us on the Canopy Walk.  Clarence is afraid of heights so he took the short route but the one we took had 7 different stretches between VERY tall trees.  I am not too crazy about heights either but I did it!!   As you can see from the pictures there are nets on either side but I was afraid that even if I slipped and fell into a net it would be very difficult to get up and going again.  This walk was actually made by some Canadians.   We were the last to go on the walk for the day as they were suppose to already be closed so at least we didn't have a lot of people on there at the same time making it shake and jiggle more than necessary.

It was really pretty from up there.  We were in a rain forest.  It was very humid and hot though and we were pouring sweat and very happy to get back into our air conditioned truck afterwards. 

Cape Coast area Water Project - Hygiene/Sanitation Training

We drove to Cape Coast and were there for 4 days, during which, we attending some trainings of the Committees from different Villages where we will be providing boreholes or a hand dug well, as well as some latrines.   The committees are trained how to take care of the wells and also on different ideas of how they can collect money to maintain the wells and how to account for the money (ledger book).   We have a company that is contracted to do the training for us.  We were really impressed with the job they did. 

When we first arrived we had a meeting with the District Assembly for the area (first photo).   From there we went out to the training points and spend a little time with a couple of different groups that were being taught.   They met in a Church and it was so HOT!    I have included a few pictures of the training and the paticipants are presented a certificate at the end.    They are given transport money and provided snacks and lunch.  

The ones who are trained in hygiene and sanitation will go back and teach it to the village and will also keep a journal for several weeks of diarrhea and illnesses for each family.  We hope to see this decrease as they practice better hygiene.
 

Kumasi

While Dr. Hunsaker and his wife, Diane, were here doing the Vision projects we flew up to Kumasi and back one day.  It isn't far away but the roads are not good so the drive would have taken too long.  The hospital there sent someone to pick us up at the airport.  We toured the new Vision building of the hospital, where LDS Charities has donated some equipment and it will be part of the 2014 project to donate some more for them.     We also saw that they have some big water needs at the hospital and we will look into that.   I am not including pictures of the hospital but a couple of pictures of the view from the hospital.  I couldn't resist taking the picture of the guys who were having some 'down time'.   They were very busy earlier signing people up on the Ghana health insurance.