I think this family was carrying an entire meal for the neighborhood on their heads the other day!  I am wondering why we don't carry things on our head in the United States?  It is a very effective way to carry things....try it!  

We are getting into kind of a rhythm here in Kumasi. We definitely have a routine going, and anyone that knows either of us, nows that we like our routines!  Here is how it goes....Basically we are at the office from 9 to 5 Monday thru Friday. We exercise, study and have breakfast before leaving.  Sometimes we go in earlier and some times we stay later, but those are our usual hours.   We usually start exercising at 6:30am.  I should say, that is when I start, Elder Garrison is up at 5:30 doing his own version of a HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout before we even start together! (overachiever) Mondays we usually go on a long walk, Tuesday and Thursdays we do a HIIT routine with our coach and leader Sister Moomey.  She works us hard!  After the HIIT, we go for a short walk.  On Wednesdays and Fridays we do a 30 minute yoga routine (with Adrienne via You Tube) and then a short walk and then on Saturdays we play Pickle Ball from 6:30 to 8:30. Saturday is our PDAY, so after Pickle Ball, we usually go and get our fruits and vegetables from the little stands that people set up.  When we come home, we have breakfast and then I usually cook for a few hours-getting things prepared for the week and washing the fruits and vegetables.  While I do that, Elder Garrison does the laundry and sweeps and mops the floors.  We are a good team!  This last Saturday after that was all done, my favorite hair dresser (also Elder Garrison) colored my hair!  (He will be taking appointments when we return, if you want to book him.  He is cheap, all you have to do is feed him.).   Sometimes of Saturday nights we get together with the Moomeys and the Kunzes for dinner. 

Sunday we travel to Obuasi with the Moomey's to attend church.  It is about 1 1/2 hours away from us. The two branches that we attend just need a bit of support as the leadership is very young.  When we get home, we have lunch,  do Come Follow Me, write letters, call our kids and grandkids and then about 6pm, we go over to the office because Elder Garrisons has a little bit to do to make sure the missionaries get their money for the week.  That about sums it up.....of course we have things that come up that throw off our routine, but basically that is it.  So sometimes, it feels a lot like Ground Hog day......

Here is a picture of Oddesia, we buy fruits from her every week.  She always has such a beautiful smile of her face and is so happy to get the business.  

One of the things that we have noticed since living here are the elaborate gates and fences that people (with money) put around their houses.  Take the one in the picture above. We pass this house  on our morning walks.  We call this house the "Flintstone's" house.  Don't you think that Fred and Wilma would have loved this fence and gate around their home in Bedrock?

This is random, but all the missionaries in our mission take Doxycycline every day to prevent Malaria and I just thought this picture was hilarious!

We got a new Senior Couple this last week.  The Steinmetzes, they are from Houston, TX.  The Kunzes recruited them!  They are going to be MLS missionaries (member leader support) in Tamale.  We are so happy to have them here!

If you think you need a brick and mortar store to sell your goods, you are wrong!  All you need is a stroller and some chicken wire.  Then you can hang up your cells phone covers or whatever you are selling and take your store anywhere.....genius right?

We got some very sad news this week.  Our long time friend, Mike Thompson passed away.  It is hard to put into words how much we have treasured our friendship with Mike and LouAnn.  We have been friends since 1979.  It was with them, that we moved our little family all the way across the country.  We moved to Dover New Hampshire.  It was like living in another  country for me.....but we made so many good friends and had some great times there.  Dick was called to be the Branch President in the Somersworth, and Mike was his first counselor.  LouAnn was the Relief Society President and I was her counselor.  Because we came around the same time, many of the members couldn't remember who was married to who, it was hilarious!  We had so many life-changing experiences there together as we were in our early years of marriage and thru the years we have made many more memories with them.  Mike was so full or life and always was planning the next adventure.  We went on houseboat trips,  a camping trip on a floating campsite, RV trips along the coast......just so many great memories.  We will miss him so much, but are so grateful for the Great Plan of Happiness that assures us that  the same sociality that we have here on the earth now will be what we have in the next life.  I know we will see him again and until then, we will mourn with LouAnn and their beautiful family.  

On our walk the other morning, we found this "gym" it is about a 5 minute from where we live.  So we went this morning and did a work out with weights.  It only costs us about 3 dollars each time we go, so our coach Sister Moomey and Elder Moomey and I will probably start going a couple of mornings a week.   Elder Garrison prefers walking vs the gym; he likes to do his own thing & has lost 35 lbs. He says he will find them when he returns to the USA! haha. Take a look at some of the pictures on the windows of this place!  Look out!  You won't recognize us when we get back!  

President Russell M. Nelson (the prophet of our church) has taught a lot about personal revelation.  While being on a mission I have noticed so many times that a thought or a feeling will come to me that helps me with what I am doing.  It can be something as simple as how to do something on the computer that I have never done.  I know that the Lord helps us each day with what we do and I am thankful that we can HEAR Him.  He loves each of us.....He is always there for us.  It reminds me of a favorite scriptures of mine:

Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

Well, that is the week in a nutshell.  We are gearing up for a big group of missionaries that will come on February 8th and a group that will be leaving the same day. We are so thankful for these young adults that put their plans on hold and serve for 1 1/2 to 2 years.  It is a sacrifice for sure but their lives will never be the same and oh what a foundation they are building for the rest of their lives.  I am so proud of each one of them.  Until next week.

Stay Strong and Steadfast.

Love,

The Garrisons