Batik Experience

I recently had the opportunity to learn how to do batik. This is a fabric printed by an Indonesian method of hand-printing textiles by coating with a wax the parts not to be dyed. It was an interesting and fun process. It was all done outside where it was quite hot and rather dirty. These are the ladies that went with me. They are Sister Marie Hadley, her niece Danea, visiting from Idaho, Sister Wendy Tolley, and me.

This is Emanuel, our instructor and his helper, Pricilla. They are cutting the muslin that we used in the process.

These are sponge squares that have been dipped in hot wax, that have African designs on them.

This is Emanuel dipping the cloth in colored dye. After it dried, we repeated the process by stamping a different design.and then soaking it in a different color dye.

After the dye dried, we had to put the cloth in boiling water to set the colors. This is Pricilla  stirring the hot water.










These are examples of the finished product.

LDS HUMANITARIAN SERVICE UP CLOSE - PENYI HEALTH CLINIC

Penyi, Ghana is a tiny community about 4 hours drive east of Accra. We went there with other  Sr. missionaries to attend a "Handing-Over" ceremony.  LDS donates millions of dollars in humanitarian efforts around the world.  Our natural disaster relief is the best but so are our planned projects where we look for ways to make a substantial difference to communities who are willing to do their part in learning to sustain the project after it is completed.  Planned projects involve months of efforts to work with needy communities, usually lead by Sr. missionaries.  (FWIW, I am now doing legal contract basic work for these type of projects for our humanitarian missionaries.  I've done water boring project contracts and wheelchair initiative contracts recently.)

The idea here is to make a donation or fund and manage a project that the community maintains and it is a sustained benefit to the community.  (the Church turns down 80% of those who ask for help because the community is not willing to work and do what they can....entitlement is everywhere!)  

Here, there is a tiny health center for a very poor community.  Two women give birth here every month and our church donated birthing bed and other beds and medical equipment.  This ceremony is where the donated items are unveiled and "handed-over" to the community.  Tribal chiefs along with workers and, yes, politicians come to give thanks for the gift. Their expressed gratitude far exceeds my ability to describe it!

The white couple, Elder and Sr. Redlin (friends) in middle are the LDS humanitarian missionaries responsible for the gift with chiefs and dignitaries .

Chris & Linda back left

Sr. missionaries and health clinic workers.

"Labour Ward"

Old birthing table being replaced by a new one.

Receptacles in labour room

What's a birthing room without proper instructions for the mid-wife!!!  (this is taped to wall near birthing table!) And you thought you had reason to complain of the hospital service when you had your children!

"Lying-in-Ward" ....Post-Delivery to us

Lyin-in-Ward

Linda with the clinic administrator

Tribal chiefs await ceremony

Others wait as well

Even the chickens are ready to go!

Elder and Sister Redlin, who made this project happen

Us with the mid-wife of the clinic.  The lady could not have been more appreciative!  The interaction with this tiny community quickly teaches us that this is what serving others is all about!

The local council-woman....You can't do a good turn without a politician!!  (actually she was very gracious to the Church for its generous donation)

The unveiling.

The local LDS church leader presenting a plaque recognizing the LDS Church as the donor of the equipment.  The permanent installation of recognition of LDS Charities is part of our agreement to fund the project.

The reason for the donation.

And you thought your twins were a handful!!

Super mom!!

This boy had probably not seen so many white faces in one place...or maybe never!  Is he cute or what?
Finally, note the road up to the clinic and the transportation used by all the locals to come....we brought the only autos.

Ben O'Brien arrives at MTC in Ghana

Ben O'brien with his first companion at MTC.  Ben arrived late 7 September 2017 and this was taken the 8th.  Ben and his fellow Elders are dead tired with jet lag but are about to undergo a morning of checking their papers, medicines and other preliminary stuff before they get down to the business of learning how to share the gospel.  Ben will be here 5-6 weeks as he gets a crash course in French before being sent to his area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

I am not sure who is happier to see who!! What chance of meeting up with our  friend and neighbor as he is off to serve in a different part of Africa?  I think we were Ben's second employer (his dad was his first) as Ben has mowed our lawn for several years.  We have been in the same Ward since Ben was a very young boy and I had the honor of being his bishop many moons ago!  

Elder O'brien is one of 170 new missionaries who arrived the same day.  To handle the many different things to get them settled, Linda and I along with about 7 other couples helped with their "intake" process for half of the day.

Ben is in the middle of the bunch.  The 18 second video below has the bunch singing Called to Serve.  Someone get a tissue for the O'briens as they look for Ben in the middle!

 Listen to "Call to Serve"  18 seconds

Elder O'brien and Elder Paskett.  Linda introduced these guys as Paskett is friends with the Hancocks who used to attend our Ward in Crestwood.

My small job in the "intake" process was checking some documents the missionaries brought.  Yes, Ben had his act together (no doubt because his mom made sure he did!).  So far, the morning I got to work near this group of young men and women, has been the most enjoyable for me.  It far exceeds the review of contract to purchase real estate so we can build a meetinghouse!!:)

Woman Selling Peanuts on Roadway

The lady spends about 1.5 hours stacking the peanuts beautifully on her tray for presentation.  She then walks in traffic with small plastic bags and carefully fills them as she works the cars.  She sells bags for 1 cedi (.25 American) per bag.  We have yet to see a baby on a mom's back cry or make a scene!  Tough day at work for each of us lately?

We stopped and bought 2 bags of peanuts so we could get permission to take this pic.  This typifies the Ghanaian mother who sells on the streets.  This pic was taken a block from our apartment.

Fun miscellaneous pics

We try to visit a different LDS Ward (congregation) each Sunday to see if we can help with their "Gospel Literacy" class.  Here is the chapel of the Ofankor Stake Building which we visited 3 Sept. 2017.

Small courtyard with one cute girl keeping her on that funny Obruny!

These sisters were so cute they deserved 2 pics!

Linda with kids she helped read at the Osu Library (suburb of Accra)

If we only knew their thoughts!

Goethe (pronounced Gerta) Arts Festival

The first Saturday of each month, a local German Institute (Goethe) sponsors a small arts and crafts fair.  The artists and a few food vendors set up on a couple of blocks and sell their wares.  Below are a few pictures I took.  You can't buy EVERYTHING so a picture will have to do!!

Very small painted locals sitting on table top.

Small carvings on sidewalk.

Bronze work on sidewalk.

Bad lighting but bronze work on table.  We bought a statue of a lady carrying a pot on her head and a bucket in one hand.  I have my eye on the elephant and giraffe in the pic before this one.

Tribal ship wood carving.

Tribal ships with artist.

This carved piece of an African drummer was not at festival but on a friend's coffee table.  I'm looking for one like it.