These two handsome boys: Dallinton and Pastor Raymond are in our Primary class each week.  I wanted to take this picture so you can see this smock that Pastor Raymond  is wearing.  This is a Ghanian smock.  It is worn by mostly men in Ghana and is very traditional.  The missionaries from the States like to get these as a souvenir. 

 Can you see the bag that Dallinton is holding up?  This is how a lot of food is packaged by the people that sell food on the street here and the people kind of suck the food out of the bag and that is how they eat it.  This particular bag has something in it called Waakye....it is beans and rice with seasoning.  They have it a lot for breakfast, and that is exactly what this little boy was having in our primary class!

This week was way less busy than last week, but we still managed to have lots of things to do in the office.  On Thursday it is MLC (Mission Leadership Council)...so all the leaders come in for a council and then they have a lunch at 1pm and then most of the missionaries travel back to their areas.  We enjoy MLC because we get to see and visit with some of the missionaries...which we don't really get a chance to do that often.  Here is a picture of some of our Sister Leaders working out their funds with Elder Garrison :  

On Saturday on our way to try out the pool at the Golden Bean Hotel, we got stopped by the police.  It is very common to have police stops.  Usually they just wave us by and we try to be very friendly and respectful but not this time.  They made Elder Moomey and Elder Garrison get out of the car and get searched and then they searched our bags very thoroughly.  We were pretty surprised that they did the search, but one just never knows what they will do.  Sometimes they will ask what we have for them, insinuating a "bribe" but we always just play dumb and say that we are missionaries and we don't really have anything to give them.  A few weeks ago this happened to a new Senior Couple and they handed over 100ghs to the officer.....so they will now probably be on the look for them!  

Here is a picture of Sister Moomey and I in the pool at the Golden Bean Hotel.  I felt like we had died and gone to heaven.  It just felt so good to swim and be in the pool.  It isn't quite a good at snorkeling in the Caribbean, but for a treat in Ghana, it was just  plain delightful.!! That is one of the perks of being a Senior Missionary!  We can go swimming on our P-Day.  So if any of you are holding off from coming on a mission because you won't be able to swim, you can strike that excuse off of your list!  Come and serve!  You will NOT regret it ever, but you might regret forever that you didn't.👀

Got this great picture of Talor(our oldest grandson) this week serving his mission in Brazil.  I am just so happy that he is serving at the same time that we are.  It is something that he has wanted to do for as long as I can remember.  I recall when he was just a toddler and we bought him a little missionary tag and he would wear it proudly  every single Sunday.  I love what serving a mission does for our children.  Not only does it solidify their understand and devotion to Christ but it helps them appreciate what we take for granted in the United States if they serve in a foreign country.  It sets a foundation for their life that really cannot be replicated any other way.  It is just such a blessing.  💛💛💛💛

About a week ago, we had a  senior couples council.  President Kunz asked us how we could help the younger missionaries have more faith in what they are called to do and I immediately thought of a talk that I cherished when I was called to a calling that I didn't feel like I could do.  It is a talk by Pres. Henry B. Erying called:  "Rise to Your Call".  This talk helped me so much to realize that the work is His, it isn't our work and that He will be there with us to sustain us, to magnify us and to qualify us to carry out this great work.  If you have ever felt like a calling was overwhelming, take a listen to this talk....I know it helped me so very much.

Well, that's a wrap.  The weeks go by pretty quickly even though many days it feels like "ground hog " day all over again.  We are blessed to serve here in Ghana with these wonderful, believing people.

Have a good one.  Stay strong and steadfast💙💙💙

Love,

The Garrisons