After being here in Kumasi for nearly 3 months we have decided that the greatest treasure here are the people.  They are just so happy.  Their smiles light up their faces and exude such joy.  The above picture is of Joseph's sister.   Joseph is the man that we knew in Saint Thomas  that we wanted to find when we got here and we randomly went to the building where he went to church  our first week here in Kumasi!  This past week, we went to visit Joseph, and met his sister that lives with him in the same house.  In this picture she is washing used shoes that she gets from Great Britain, Korea or Dubai.  She washes them and then resells them.  You will see this all over here, where people sell used shoes and clothes.  I am not sure how this all works......I know that she buys the shoes by the huge bag, so doesn't know exactly what she is getting.  But she told me that she likes cleaning them and selling them, and that is how she supports herself.  

I took a picture of these lovely sister missionaries eating lunch after zone conference only to be surprised to see Elder Yeboah (one of the AP's) right in the middle of them!

Each six weeks, we have the opportunity of going to Zone Conference somewhere here in Kumasi.  It is a great opportunity to be taught by the young missionaries and also by President and Sister Kunz.  I am always impressed by the knowledge and insight that the young missionaries have,  it makes me feel at ease with the leadership of our future generations.  

Here is a picture of the fruits and vegetables that we bought at a little roadside stand on Saturday morning.  This will last us for the week.  I still needed to wash in bleach and rise with filtered water.  All of this produce cost us about 5 dollars. Before coming here I worried about what we would eat, what I didn't know is that Kumasi is known as the fruit basket of Western Africa.  There are so many good fruits and vegetables.  The mangos and pineapple here are just delicious!  

The two pictures above show the great divide here between the people that have money and the majority of the people who do not.  The first home was obviously built by someone with money and is behind a wall with gates and security.  The one on the bottom is how most of the people live here with just scraps of wood and metal nailed together for shelter.  No running water, no electricity, and no bathroom facilities.  There is so much poverty here and a bit of wealth but not much in-between.  It sure does make us grateful for all the things that we take for granted and view as necessities in the United States.

This is a picture of Harriet, she is the Primary President in the Branch that we attend.  She has three little children and has to walk to church with them. She is so faithful though.  I love the way the women carry their kids on their backs.  Basically, they use a piece of cloth that is about the size of a twin sized sheet (maybe a bit smaller) and they pull it tight around the kids while leaning over.  then they tuck the ends in at the front.  Harriet told me that as soon as the baby's umbilical cord falls off, then the babies go on the back.  The kids seems to love the position and snuggle right up and sleep really good.  

A picture of our Primary Class from last Sunday.  We had an abundance of  boys!  Love the kids so much!

One thing that I love about being on a Senior Mission is the simplicity of life and the time that we have to study the gospel.  I have been trying to strengthen my foundation this year and learn more about Christ and deepen my relationship with Him.  I am finally taking up President Nelson's challenge to read all the scriptures from the topical guide about Christ.  Dick did this study when the challenge was made!  I am slow to the game, but really enjoying it so much.  I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and for the life that He lived and the truth that He taught. He is The Truth...... Here is one of my favourite scriptures about Christ:  

2 Nephi 32:3

“Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”

What a promise huh?  We don't need a fortune teller or advice from experts, we just need to try "feast" upon Christ's teachings and take them into our hearts.  I have seen this so much in my life and especially while serving this mission.  There have been so many times, that a thought will come into my mind that is not my own, but that is the answer to a problem that I am trying to figure out and for that I am so grateful.  

Well, that is a wrap.  The weeks seem to be going by pretty fast.  Before we know it, it is Friday again. I admit, many days seems like Ground Hog Days, where we do the same things each day, but the work is necessary and if we can help out even just a little bit, then that is good right?  Hope you all have a good week.  Stay strong and steadfast....

Love,

The Garrisons