This lady is literally carrying a walking produce stand!  How they do it, I don't know, but they can carry so much on their heads!!! It is a talent!

 The highlight of my week was going to the largest single market in West Africa which is known as the Kejetia Market. Kejetia Market in Kumasi has over 10,000 stores and stalls. It is really hard for me to describe in words what this was like and apparentely we didn't even scratch the surface; it is just sooooo big.  There were booths of fabric, housewares, produce, clothes, shoes, jewelry, really anything that anyone would be looking for, you could find at the Kejetia market IF you could find it!  We went with the office Elders and our Mission cook/housekeeper, Hannah.  We were after a pan to make banku, and  a mortar and pestle (ghanaian style) to make fufu.  I will just post a couple of pictures to give you an idea of the place:

The large sticks (pestles) in this picture are used to pound the fufu.  They are really big and heavy! Fufu is prepared in various ways, the most common way of making this is by pounding cassava puree. The process usually involves mixing and pounding separate portions of boiled cassava thoroughly with water to achieve a smooth and dough-like consistency. The pounding process is very laborious since it involves the use of a mortar and a pestle. 

Fufu is usually eaten with the fingers. The best way to eat fufu is to pinch a small size of the fufu off from the big lump in your right-hand fingers and then roll it into an easily ingested round ball. Then dip it into the soup and swallow. Also, fufu is not so sweet on its own, the best way to enjoy fufu is to pair it with stew or soups. 

This lady was carrying FISH on her head going up the stairs....

Here is Hannah and Elder Mubu picking out the right pestle, as Sister Moomey looks on.

Once we got the mortar, we had to get it back to our vehicle and it was really heavy! Elder Mubu picked it up and carried it on his head like a boss!  

Fabric galore!  This picture doesn't even do justice to the amount of beautiful fabrics that are available at the market.

Here is a section that just had black, red and white fabrics.  In Ghana, funerals are a BIG deal.  As custom has it, the members of the family wear red showing how deeply they feel about the loved one, the black cloth is worn by distant relatives and well-wishers who are mourning for the family and white is worn when the person is over 70 years old to celebrate having lived a full life. Rather than sadness it is a joyous occasion. They have so many beautiful patterns in each color.

Last Sunday, Elder Garrison and Elder Moomey had the opportunity to do a training meeting for the priesthood leaders in the Obuasi District.  Here in Ghana, one of the main challenges is how young (as in how long they have been members
the members are. They just don't have the years of experience of growing up in the church many times, so learning what they need to do to fulfil a calling is challenging.  That is part of the reason that Senior couples are so valuable here.  Senior couples  usually have years of experience in church leadership and can help out the members here in learning what their callings entail.  

Also on Sunday, our little friend, Grace, was baptized.  She has become our little shadow at the Obuasi 4th Branch since we started attending. She meets us at the car, carries my bag in, helps translate our English to Twi for the children in Primary and sits by us in Sacrament meeting.  I didn't even know she wasn't a member of the church until she told us last week that she was getting baptized!  She has been coming to the church with her grandparents for quite a long time.  Here she is with her cute friend, Florence. 

Monday was independence day for Ghana, so it was a holiday but that didn't keep our mission driver (and our right hand man) Brother Alex Cobbina  from coming into the office to check on some things.  This time he brought his cute little boy: Scott.  Alex is a Bishop and has been for 8 years now.  He also has 3 little boys and teaches institute.  I appreciate his help so much.  He takes the missionaries here and there and everywhere and he runs errands for us, takes missionaries to get their Non citizen cards, to get covid tests, immunizations and many times he makes calls to people that I cannot understand on the phone!  He is just invaluable.  So thankful for these faithful Ghanian saints, they are such examples to me of dedication and faithfulness. 

We had Zone Conference this week.  I snapped this picture of Elder Degelbeck and Elder Ferry with their Ghanian smocks on.  The Elders really get into the native clothes here!

Zone Conference is always a treat for us.  Not just because we get to see the missionaries but because President and Sister Kunz and the Assistants to the President always teach us such good lessons.  I am so thankful for their dedication and preparation. 

They get to present these lessons 5 times because of all the zone conferences they do and then turn around a do it again 6 weeks later!  Thankful for all they do.  

We have been enjoying the study of the Old Testament this year.  I look forward to each lesson and try to glean something that I can apply in life each week.  During our study I ran across this quote from President Faust: 

“Here, then, is a great truth. In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through a refiner’s fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong. In this way the divine image can be mirrored from the soul. It is part of the purging toll exacted of some to become acquainted with God. In the agonies of life, we seem to listen better to the faint, godly whisperings of the Divine Shepherd.

I just love that quote and find it so true.  It is during the hard times that we become acquainted with God.  Another quote that I read said:  "Faith is developed in the dark."   Meaning that it is in the darkest times that we often turn to God and find the divine.  Those times strengthens and make us stronger to face other trials that undoubtedly will come our way.  I am so thankful for that.  

Well, that's the week in a nutshell.  Hope you are all finding joy in the journey.  Stay strong and steadfast.  Thanks for your prayers...

Love,

The Garrisons