Bakers in Ghana

  Morocco Part 2 The beginning of this week found us still in Morocco! We made our way down to Marrakesh, our final stop—and what a great one it was. When we arrived, we were met by a man who led us to our riad. We walked through the bustling markets until we turned onto a winding alleyway that led us to our destination. It was so fun! We felt like we were in the movie Aladdin as we made our way back. Our riad was amazing! Riads were once used by people traveling from city to city with camels. The camels were kept in a large central courtyard, where they were fed, watered, and allowed to rest. The travelers would then sleep in rooms surrounding the courtyard. It was such a fun and unusual experience. We were served dinner on the rooftop terrace—traditional Moroccan food prepared by a sweet woman who worked there. It was delicious and truly one-of-a-kind. That evening, we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the market. It was phenomenal! We saw how wool yarn is dyed, learned how to...

  WARNING: Long Post Ahead This week we enjoyed several true African adventures! The first adventure came at the beginning of the week when we experienced our first real power outage. Unfortunately, we were the only ones in our apartment building who lost power. 🤣 At first, we wondered if someone had forgotten to pay our power bill. Then the apartment staff came and flipped the electrical switches in our box three times. Next, they told us to turn off all the lights… oh wait… and finally, they decided to call the power company to see what was really going on.  We think they said it was the flux capacitor that needed to be replaced.  Thankfully, they were able to restore power within half a day! A true Africa miracle! Early Thursday morning—at 3:00 a.m.—we headed to the Accra airport for a grand adventure outside of Ghana: Morocco! We went with three other couples: The Deshlers (temple missionaries and our amazing neighbors—Carol keeps Doug well-stocked with cooki...

We are grateful for another great week in the dusty plains of Ghana. Not a week goes by without some adventure! Doug’s doctoring was a little rough this week. One of the hardest parts of being in Africa is learning about some of the difficult trials people endure here. The stories we hear about some of the missionaries are truly heartbreaking. As we were studying Come, Follow Me this week and reading in D&C 101, there was a scripture that has taken on a whole new level of meaning since arriving here. D&C 101:16 says: "Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in my hands; be still and know that I am God.” Sometimes, the trials these missionaries face seem like “infuriating unfairness.” It is hard to wrap our minds around why some of their challenges happen, but it is so comforting to know that all flesh is in the Lord’s hands. We can be comforted by being still and remembering that He is in charge! One of our dear couples missionary siste...

 It has been a wonderful week here. Though the rainy season is coming to an end (cooler weather—75–85 degrees), we are choosing to enjoy every ounce of coolness or breeze that we can. This week has been especially nice for that! It’s also been a busy week for both Doug and me. And honestly—it felt good to be busy! Doug continued with his regular day-to-day AMA assignments. There wasn’t much new or exciting on the doctoring front, which makes for a less-than-thrilling update—but it’s a blessing in disguise. It means the missionaries are staying healthy and are able to do the work they’ve been called to do. One highlight this week was attending the New Area Mission Leaders Conference on Friday. The meeting brought together all new Mission Leaders from the Africa West Area. Doug and the other AMA, Elder Steed, gave a presentation on how to keep missionaries healthy and how to work with doctors and hospitals in the area. It was a great meeting, and we truly enjoyed meeting the new l...