Taking the Hover Craft to the airport in Sierra Leone

 Sister Kirkham is ready to get on the hover craft.

 But we have to wiait.  So, Elder Kirkham and Pres. Dickson (West Africa Area President) discuss missionary matters waiting for the hover craft, while Sister Dickson gave iPad lessons to Sister Kirkham.  Sister Dickson really knows a lot about iPadding.

 Sister Kirkham inside the hover craft.  Picture taken by Sister Roggia.

We depart on the hover craft.  What a great machine!

Reunion with former Liberian missionaries

Elder Kirkham telling Elder Ekpo and Elder Esiaba about the growth of the Church in Liberia since they left and came to Sierra Leone.  Elder Ekpo lost a lot of weight since we last saw him.  I asked his companion how he lost the weight.  Without hesitation, Elder Esiaba said, "I work him hard!" :)

 Sister Jibba, Sister Kirkham and Elder Kirkham.  Sister Jibba has been an exceptionally effective missionary.  We feel especially close to her.

Sister Moseray & Sister Jibba with their "trainer," Sister Kirkham.  They were the first two sister missionaries in the Sierra Leone Freetown mission and both came to Liberia.  They are now at the end of their missions.

Being with President and Sister Roggia in Sierra Leone

 Sister Roggia and Sister Kirkham in their mission home kitchen

 Elder Kirkham with President & Sister Roggia at the mission office in Sierra Leone.

Road Shots

 This is where we spend a great deal of time - in our Ford Ranger 4X4 truck.  This picture was taken by Sister Roggia.  We were delivering missionaries from the MTC to their apartments.

 Here's one way to move a mattress.  The Passenger's perspective.

The "taxi" driver's perspective.  Just pray you don't get a strong wind...or a big hole in the road...or a taxi passing too close...or a big truck whizzing by...or....

Gathering & Delivering 12 new missionaries from the Ghana MTC

 Twelve missionaries arriving from the Ghana MTC is the most we've ever received at one time in Liberia.

 Here are the Terrific Twelve - who come from the USA, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria.

Elder Kirkham had to pause in delivering his four elders in order to put some air in the back tire which has a slow leak.  Elders Okunrobo and Zolo look on.

Sister Elaine S. Dalton, General Young Women President, and Sister Kirkham

Sister Dalton, Sister Burton and Elder Curtis provided leadership training for the auxiliary and priesthood leaders of Monrovia and Bushrod Island Districts.  This picture was taken following the training.  The auxiliaries of Bushrod Island presented Sister Dalton and Sister Burton an African dress and necklace - which they promptly put on!

Sister Linda K. Burton, General Relief Society President, Visits Liberia

 As part of her visit to Liberia, Sister Linda K. Burton, General Relief Society President of the Church, made home visits to four sisters in Monrovia.  l to r. Sister Burton, President Prince Nyanforh (behind Sister Sumo; he is 1st counselor in our mission presidency and as a young missionary taught Sister Sumo the gospel and baptized her), Sister Jan Jay Sumo (1st counselor in a branch Relief Society Presidency), Sister Curtis, wife of Elder LeGrand Curtis (1st counselor in the Africa West Area Presidency), Sister Kirkham.

 Sister Sumo prepared some fruit for everyone that she gave us as we were getting ready to leave.  We met on her front porch. l to r, Brother Burton, Elder Curtis, Sister Sumo, Sister Beah (Monrovia District Relief Society President), Sister Burton, Sister Curtis, Sister Kirkham

l to r, Brother Burton, Sister Burton, Sister Sumo, Elder Scott (Area physician), Sister Curtis

Sister Linda K. Burton visits Sister Martha Jackson

 l to r, Sister Burton, Sister Beah, Sister Curtis, Brother Burton, Sister Kirkham, Sister Martha Jackson who is a branch Relief Society president in Monrovia District, Elder Scott.  Sister Jackson does catering and is one of the persons we use to cater lunch for Zone Conferences.

Sister Jackson has faced a multitude of challenges with unwavering faith.  Elder Curtis was impressed to ask her if she would like a priesthood blessing before we left.  She readily agreed.

Sister Linda K. Burton visits Sister Lucy Kukulah on the porch of the Kukulah's home.

 Here, Sister Burton is greeting the daughter of Sister Lucy Kukulah.  Sister Kukulah is a branch Relief Society President in Monrovia District.  Sister Kukulah is seated, her husband is standing in the doorway.   Sister Beah on the left is the Monrovia District Relief Society President.

 After the visit, as everyone was getting ready to go, Elder Curtis, 2nd Counselor in the Africa West Area Presidency, noticed the neighbor man (on the left in white undershirt) who came over with a chair, and sat listening to what was going on.

 Elder Curtis went to the man and asked him if he was a member of our Church.  He wasn't.  Elder Curtis briefly explained what we were doing there and asked him if he would like to come to our Church.  He answered that he would, if he could come with his neighbor (Brother Kukulah).  Elder Curtis assured him he could.

Brother Burton and Sister Curtis are taking pictures of Sister Beah, Sister Kukulah, Sister Burton and Sister Kirkham in front of the Kukulah home.

Visiting home of Sister Lucy Cooper with Sister Linda K. Burton, General Relief Society President

 Sister Linda K. Burton, General Relief Society President of the Church, wanted to make home visits to several sisters during her visit to Liberia.  l to r from Sister Burton is Sister Beah (Monrovia District Relief Society President), Brother Burton, Sister Kirkham, Elder Curtis (2nd Counselor in the West Africa Area Presidency), Sister Curtis, Elder Scott (Area doctor), Sister and Brother Cooper (a former Branch President).

 Notice in the background, the neighbor woman cooking breakfast on her charcoal stove cooker.

This shows two neighbor young women doing the wash while the home visit with the Coopers is going on in the background.  Notice the sleeping dog, the wash board, the water which must be pumped from a neighborhood well and carried here. 

Bushrod Island Zone Conference, Nov 2012

Great View! The scenery is nice too!

Sister Kirkham and Sister Roggia on Subsistence day at the elders' Caldwell New Georgia apartment.

Training branch leaders at our mission branch in Kakata

Sister Kirkham is training the branch Relief Society presidency in visiting teaching using some of the Church's leadership training videos we have on our laptop computer.  Sister Harmon on the right, the Primary president also wanted to sit in on the training. Next to her is Elsie Jensen, the Relief Society president (with the colorful head wrap) and her two counselors.  They are meeting in the "chapel", an empty classroom.

 Elder Kirkham is training the 1st counselor in the branch presidency (sitting next to Elder Kirkham) and the 1st counselor in the Young Men presidency.  We used Church Handbook 2 and For the Strength of Youth for the training.

Brother Weah, the Area Assistant auditor, is performing the semi-annual audit of the Kakata branch with the branch president, Pres. Harmon, and the branch clerk.  They are meeting in the branch president's office.  The "desk" which Bro. Weah is using is borrowed.

Buying lapas from a boy at Harbel

 When we went to Harbel for a baptism, a boy with a large metal bowl filled with lapas walked by.  Judy decided she wanted to buy a couple.  The neighborhood children were very interested in this business transaction.  Each lapa cost the equivalent of $3.35 each.

Here you see the young businessman with his store on his head.  Lapas are about 2 yards of bright cloth that women and girls wrap around them for a skirt.  Mothers wrap their babies to their backs using a lapa.

Harbel Branch is a mission branch where no missionaries are assigned. Five converts were recently baptized.

Meeting at the Harbel branch clerk's home, Elder Kirkham and Elder Krumm check out the baptism clothes for five baptismal candidates.

 Neighbors and branch members wait for the baptismal candidates to put on their baptism clothes.

While the five candidates were putting on their baptism clothes at the branch clerk's home, this mother was busy preparing a fish breakfast.

Here are the five baptism candidates from Harbel branch.  Since there are no missionaries in this branch, the investigators were taught by young men who were preparing for their missions.  They taught them during an Investigator Sunday School class using Preach My Gospel.  After they were taught, two Zone Leaders were taken to ensure that these investigators understood the lessons and were keeping their commitments.  The Zone Leaders then interviewed each candidate to determine their worthiness and readiness for baptism.

The branch elders quorum president did all the baptising in the local reservoir, just a few minutes away from the branch clerk's house.

Gormet meals by Sister Kirkham, dishwashing by Elder Kirkham

Sister Kirkham fixes gormet vegetarian meals. Here are some samples.  Upper left, green lentil soup.  Upper right, vegetable linguini with shrimp. Bottom, typical breakfast of Kellog's Fruit & Fiber cereal with homemade granola by Sister Kirkham and plain yogurt.  Plus our bottle of doxycycline pills. We take one every day to prevent malaria.

 Elder Kirkham is a good dishwasher, but a fantastic dish stacker.  Notice the duct tape on my apron.  It started to wear holes in it, so apply a little duct tape, and no problems!

More gormet meals.  Upper left, sliced cabbage, onions, kidney beans, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Lower left, 13 bean soup with brown rice, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Right, red lentil soup and two salads - cabbage, tomatoe and cucumber salad and a fruit salad.

Training & Mentoring

 Sister Kirkham training the Brewerville Relief Society presidency after Church on Sunday (and one of the daughters).  Sister Kirkham used two of the Church's 8 minute leadership videos on visiting teaching.

Elder Kirkham training the Brewervill branch presidency and Young Men president using the Church's leadership training videos on the Aaronic Priesthood.

 

Elder Kirkham helping Elder Krumm with Google Earth.  We use Google Earth to locate every family on a Google Earth map, to draw area boundaries for the missionaries and when splitting branches.

 

Sister Kirkham training the Brewerville Primary presidency, Sunday, after Church meetings.  Notice the computer for videos.

Random Shots for September

 Rainy season.  We weren't sure if the door was meant to be an umbrella or if he just had to take the door somewhere...in the torrential downpour.  Notice the road washing away on the left.

 We thought this was an appropriate sign for a huge manhole (has never had a manhole cover) in the main road leading to the main bridge in Monrovia. 

Another marker for a manhole with no cover - tree stump with plastic sheet wrapped around it.