Training in Ghana

Ghana now has 12 LDS stakes and 8 districts. Part of our responsibility is to help Ghana's national public affairs director train the public affairs councils in these Church units throughout the country. Travel is expensive and time-consuming for people in West Africa, so we hold two trainings outside of Accra and a third one for the 6 stakes in the greater Accra area. The physical boundaries of an LDS stake in Ghana are still very large, so meetings are held on Saturdays to allow more travel time for those attending.

We have been busy the last several weeks preparing materials and traveling to the trainings. It was good to meet many of the public affairs people we have only known by name before now. Our national public affairs director made the arrangements for the trainings and got everyone there.       

  

One training was held in an LDS chapel in Cape Coast, an area
 where some of the first converts were baptized 35 years ago. 

The seminary and institute building on the Church property in
Cape Coast was a perfect facility for our meetings that day.

Happy July from Accra!

Our friends in Ghana know that July is a month for celebration in the United States, especially in Utah. Parades, marching bands, floats, rodeos, cowboys, picnics in the canyon, barbeques, fireworks -- all on the 4th and the 24th -- are foreign concepts to most Africans. But they know how seriously we, as U.S. citizens and beneficiaries of a great pioneer heritage, take our July holidays. Here Ernest, Ivy, Seth, and Charles display their understanding of the importance of living in a free and peaceful country. And they, too, are very proud of the pioneer roots established such a short time ago in West Africa as the Church had its beginnings in Ghana. We have more in common than we realized!

        

Martin Obeng

We spend time with a lot of great people in West Africa. One person who keeps popping up in our lives is Martin Obeng, a terrific example of one who reaches out to others through service in the community. Martin is a teacher by profession. His greatest desire is to make a difference in the lives of young people. We have followed Martin around to several of his projects and assignments in and around Accra. Often with the assistance of LDS Charities, Martin works tirelessly alongside organizations to inform the public of issues that usually have simple and effective solutions.   

  

Outdoor stations are organized in strategic areas where
mothers can bring their children in for screenings and medications.

Malaria is an especially threatening illness in Africa. A simple test
can determine if children are suffering from the disease.

Dr. Emmanuel Kissi

Newsroom is an official resource of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints available to news media, opinion leaders, and the public. Originating in the United States, it has now expanded to many countries throughout the world. The purpose of Newsroom is to provide those who are unfamiliar with the Church with an accurate source about its doctrines and teachings, to help correct misconceptions, and to acquaint the world with the Church's global membership. In September 2013, Newsroom went live in Ghana. As Public Affairs missionaries, we have been very involved in keeping Ghana's website fresh and up-to-date. That means providing regular new articles and pictures. We are constantly on the lookout for good stories and events involving members of the Church and their communities in Ghana.

One of our goals is to find a Ghanaian team who will eventually be able to take this responsibility and run with it. Among other talents, good writers are needed. Yaw, a good friend of ours and a student in journalism, went with us to interview a prominent member of the Church who practices medicine in Accra. Some of you may be familiar with Dr. Emmanuel Kissi, who wrote the book Walking in the Sand: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana. Dr. Kissi is kind and considerate. He warmly received us in his office at his clinic and gave Yaw all the time he needed to ask questions about his profession and his conversion to the Church. Yaw wrote a great article about Dr. Kissi for Ghana's Newsroom. This is exactly what we want to see happen. As Ghanaians begin to catch the vision of Newsroom, we hope to find others who have a desire to be involved. Meanwhile, we are learning and growing and slowly making progress as we develop this valuable website here in Ghana.                

Elder Stoker snapped a picture of Yaw interviewing Dr. Kissi at
  his medical clinic in Accra, which he named Deseret Hospital.