Kris to the Rescue!

 This week started out a little sad as we woke Monday knowing Nick was well on his way home. It was soooo fun to have him here for an extended visit! He said he would miss us, but I know he’ll be happy to be home! ❤️

The thing that made his leaving more doable was that my dear friend Kris Benson came to visit—a true miracle! This is the friend who would only leave the U.S. if it was on a cruise ship where she knew there would be food she could eat. The friend who told God, “Send me anywhere but Africa!” The friend whose mom said, “Kris, you and the Bakers are crazy for going to Africa!” Yet at 8:45 Tuesday evening, out she walked—right here in Africa! It was so fun to greet her at the airport. Non-ticketed people can’t go inside, so Kris said she felt like a celebrity as she walked out to an adoring crowd. Luckily, we were easy to spot, and loud squeals and big hugs soon followed. We headed to the car, and the adventure began.

We were so spoiled! Half of her luggage was packed with goodies for us—it was like Christmas! New shoes, socks, Valentine’s treats, cute T-shirts, hair stuff, and delicious snacks we cannot get here. She even managed to deliver fresh Crumbl cookies with the icing still on top. Amazing! After the suitcase reveal, we were all tired and ready to head to bed.

Thankfully, Kris slept in on Wednesday—she was rightfully exhausted. Doug and I worked on mission things at home until she woke up. We had a wonderful time just visiting and catching up.

Wednesday evening, I started my new assignment at the Gathering Place in Teshie. This is a center where Young Single Adults learn marketable skills to start a business. I signed up to help in the beading and hair-braiding classes. Kris got to come that first night, and it was wonderful. She asked all the questions she had been dying to ask. She was floored by the skill of the men and women, especially their ability to balance objects on their heads. The girls giggled as it’s something they learn from a very young age; many were fetching water on their heads by age two! Kris gave it a try and balanced one of the girls’ purses on her head for a solid five minutes until her neck began to hurt. She is well on her way to mastering head-balancing!



We also learned about TroTros and how to ride one. Very interesting, but we don’t see ourselves riding one anytime soon—they are packed, chaotic, and full of hand signals we could never decipher. The girls were fun, and it was a joy to spend time with them.

Thursday was another “lounge and chat” morning—heavenly to move slow and steady. We drove around a bit, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of Africa, then arrived at the MTC at 1:00 for new missionary arrivals. I love being at the MTC! The Spirit there is incredible, and helping young missionaries navigate their first day is a joy. Kris also enjoyed helping and meeting our MTC friends. She was in awe of the missionaries’ dedication, their willingness to put everything aside and serve for 18 months or two years. Missions are not easy, and we’ve seen firsthand the sacrifices and miracles that come from such dedication. As the hymn says, “Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven,” and we see it every day!

Friday, Doug had his MTC health council meeting, and Kris and I prepared for a trip to Kpong and the Volta region. After Doug got home around 11:00, we loaded up and headed out, passing through Makola Market so Kris could see the largest market in Accra. We made a stop at 80/20, our favorite hamburger joint. Kris declared their hot dogs the second-best she’s ever had—the first being in Iceland! Who knew a hot dog in Ghana would earn that distinction?!

It took about three hours to reach our hotel. We tried to find Cedi Beads along the way, but GPS failed, so we finally gave up. We stayed at the BridgeView Hotel in Volta—a lovely hotel with incredible views of the Volta River. Lake Volta is the largest man-made lake in the world. Beautiful, though all freshwater in Africa is full of schistosomiasis, so no swimming for us!


As we headed to dinner, a huge storm brewed. We made it to the restaurant just before it poured. Our table had the perfect view—wind, cooling air, and heavy rain! Water started seeping under the glass, and we had to lift our feet to keep our shoes dry. The storm ended just in time for us to call it a night—a memorable experience!

After a good night’s rest, we hiked to the top of the hotel for pictures and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Kris saw firsthand how much Ghanaians love their food—piled high with rice, chicken, vegetables, fish, sausage, and more. She was fascinated watching them eat Banku soup, a mixture of plantain and cassava wrapped like a tamale, scooped into soup, and eaten with their hands. Restaurants provide two bowls of water—one for the initial wash of fingers, and one for the final rinse. It was amazing to watch!

After breakfast, we drove to the Volta River Dam and enjoyed more beautiful views. We tried one more time to find Cedi Beads. GPS failed again, but two gentlemen stopped to help, and one kindly hopped in the car to guide us. We paid him 5 cedis and successfully made it!



At Cedi Beads, we learned about the history of glass beads and watched them make five different types using primitive—but scientific—methods. One bead could take up to an hour to make! We couldn’t resist buying a few bracelets and a coffee table book to remember the experience. The drive back to Accra was full of beautiful scenery, and we even saw baboons along the road.





We made it back in time for the Butterfly Market. Kris found plenty of cute souvenirs for nieces, nephews, and family—but shockingly, we left empty-handed. More in the shopping budget for next time! 🤩

Sunday was an adventure as usual.  We had no power at the church when we arrived, making it hard to hear the speakers, but the Spirit knows no bounds and we felt spiritually fed. That night we attended the MTC devotional where Doug played the piano. It was wonderful—being at the MTC with these missionaries is always uplifting.

Afterward, we headed home, had a quick bite, and talked to our kids while Kris packed for her 6:00 a.m. flight. We had to leave at 3:45 a.m., but it was so worth it to have her visit! ❤️

In his first devotional at BYU this week, President Oaks listed four ways to come closer to Jesus Christ, including seeking help from others. He emphasized the importance of surrounding ourselves with friends who help us strive to be better disciples. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have Kris Benson enter my life so many years ago, but I am eternally grateful. She has blessed our family beyond measure—through our highest highs and lowest lows—loving us unconditionally, challenging our “stinking thinking,” and reminding us that with God, nothing is impossible. She is truly chosen family!

We are grateful for so many wonderful friends in our lives. Heavenly Father has placed the right people in our path to love us and help us reach our fullest potential. This week, we are especially thankful for our friends. We love you all so much and are grateful for your love and support. Watching and learning from you has drawn us closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are beyond blessed!

We love you, our friends and family, and hope and pray you had an incredible week!

With love,
Elder and Sister Baker

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 2 – From Salt Lake to Accra!

Image
The first part of our week was spent in Salt Lake City, learning all about the resources, policies, procedures, and technical details Doug will need to know as he serves as the Area Medical Adviser. The amount of information packed into just four days was unbelievable! It was very well organized and presented—but it was A LOT. Unfortunately, the air conditioner broke during our training! They brought in giant fans to try to cool things down, but Salt Lake had an unusually hot week, even reaching 100 degrees one day. Maybe it was good preparation for the African heat! We’re grateful for the many resources available to help us serve better and more efficiently throughout our mission. After two days and two flights, we’ve officially arrived in Africa! We left SLC on Thursday evening and flew to JFK, where we spent the night. The next evening, around 5:30 p.m., we boarded a 10-hour flight to Accra. We’ve only been here for a little over 24 hours, but we already love Africa! We were war...
Read more

Another week here in Accra!

Image
This time of year is considered the rainy season, and we’ve been blessed with a few solid rainstorms. The rain helps keep the temperatures down, which is nice—but it does a serious number on the roads! The roads in downtown Accra are  paved..sort of.   Once you get outside the city center, the roads turn into orange dirt. When it rains, that dirt becomes orange clay, which is quite an experience to navigate. Combine that with the animals, cars, trot ros , bicycles, motorcycles, and trucks… you get the idea. Driving is a real adventure! In the spirit of driving, Doug got pulled over this week. This might be a mission record for the longest time without being pulled over. The officer said we had run a red light and explained that we’d need to go to the police station. As luck would have it, it was around lunchtime. Said officer was hungry, and since he wanted us to have a positive experience here in Accra, he was willing to let us go—for a lunch “donation.” Doug offered him 100 ...
Read more

Akwaaba!

Image
We survived—and in fact, we thrived—in our first week here in Accra! We were sad to say goodbye to our good friends, the Broxes. We are so appreciative of all they did to help us get settled, get going, and acclimate to our new surroundings. This week continued to be a steep learning curve for us! Doug is getting everything set up for his medical Zoom calls and meetings with mission leaders throughout West Africa. Most of his meetings are in the afternoon to accommodate participants in the United States. He has around two to three meetings each afternoon. Each meeting includes him, the mission leaders, the AMHA (Area Mental Health Advisor), a dentist, and a mission health advisor. The mission health advisor could be a nurse, PA, EMT, or another medically trained person assigned to a specific mission. If no health advisor has been called for an area, the mission leader’s wife will serve in that role. These meetings are held to discuss the specific health needs of missionaries in each ...
Read more