Here is a quick recap of the last few days. Last Thursday we went to a meeting at the stake center with the other two YSA couples. As we entered the room, we could see that there was still construction dust and debris from a recent renovation. In an attempt to move on with the meeting and offer was made to help the custodian. He insisted that he do it alone, because it was his job. He finish the cleaning, we start at our meeting. After 30 or 45 minutes we heard a tapping at the small window in the wooden door. It was the cleaner motioning to our YSA leader to come into the hall. When Elder Hymas, our leader, returned he was very subdued from the custodian’s message. The custodian said, “Thank you for letting me clean your room. God made this possible for me to serve you today.” He was so grateful for his job in a country where jobs are so hard to find that he felt it was Heavenly Father‘s hand and His blessing that he has a job.
Remember the man we met during our layover at JFK who plans to bring jobs to Ghana? Dale arranged a meeting with him at the Area office to discuss his business. He talked about his plan to process the cashews that are grown but currently processed Tiawan to in Ghana. He plans to bring the processing equipment to Ghana this fall. Exciting if it happens. We are now discussing how to market our people to his company. We call him the Cashew Cowboy.
On Saturday, the Mondragon’s were kind enough to take us to a local market to see the culture and shop for several household items. We drove through the city of Accra, from one end to the other, becoming oriented to stores that carry things from handmade baskets, to lightbulbs, to Domino’s Pizza. They let Dale drive their Honda Accord so he could become familiar with the roads and driving in a small car, instead of driving the Mitsubishi truck we have been issued. At one point Dale missed a turn and ended up on the approach to quite a large and established military base. When we got to the gate we were met by the official guard, dressed in military uniform, complete with a machine gun. He was semi-pleasant but direct. He understood Dale‘s mistake told him to drive to the top of the hill ahead of us, turn and exit. Somehow the others passengers in the car heard go to the light, turn and drive back out. With the confusion of not knowing where we were and how to get where we wanted to go, Dale followed the directions of our passengers. He drove to the light the guard had pointed out and once there, since we were the only car on the road, made a U-turn and drove back to the guard station. When we approached the guard station again a second guard, also carrying a machine gun, approached the car with extreme agitation. There was no humor in this man, he was all about power, and he was in charge! He looked right at Dale and in a very authoritative voice demanded that he repeat what the first guard had said as we entered. At that point our passengers started chiming in with what we had been told. They were trying to defend the new guy in town, saying he was just following instructions. The guard very curtly said, he asked the driver to speak and not them. After he went on, letting Dale know that he was the boss and Dale was the dummy, Dale told the guard he understood the mistake, he was sorry and asked what the guard would have him do. This took the wind out of the man sails. He allowed to drive on and continue with our day.
Every senior missionary in Ghana has stories about being stopped by the police. But no one, to our knowledge, has had a run in with the military carrying a machine gun.
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