David & LaReita Berky

June 30, 2024 Sunday

Flying through Amsterdam – 6 hour layover

Comments?

David: LaReita bought me a 2 hour nap in a sleeping pod, weird by restful.

Ammon: I kept begging mom for McDonalds but to no prevail

July 1, 2024 Monday

Arrive Accra 

What I enjoyed about today

David: Shower

Jacob: Shower

Ammon: Idk I don’t remember

Most interesting part of the day:

David: New and different smells of the city, observing the markets and streets and buildings.

Jacob: Driving to the team house

Ammon: Idk I don’t remember

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

David: Some people are very strict with the rules they are to enforce. May not consider the situation if it is different from a normal situation they encounter.

Jacob: How the roads look and how people drive on them

Ammon:idk i don’t remember

July 2, 2024 Tuesday- 

Temple day

What I enjoyed about today

LaReita: Being in the temple with David & Jacob doing baptisms, and having Jacob baptize me (it was his first time!) Feeling grateful. 

David: Doing baptisms with Jacob and LaReita. Trying out food from the temple complex cafeteria, it was good.

Jacob: I liked trying the food at the cafeteria.

Ammon: i liked the playground

Most interesting part of the day:

LaReita: Watching the missionaries come into the cafeteria to eat right after we arrived. Also bummed that I missed meeting Cornel to get his books to pass out to various Literacy Center managers. (Purchased 30 “Familiar Stranger” books he wrote.)

David: Adjusting to how soon and quickly the sun went down in the evening.

Jacob: Sitting at the front of a taxi with becky in the back

Ammon: Idk

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

LaReita: Having to drive to the airport to go buy our in-country flight tickets on PassionAir (to Tamale & Kumasi) because their website isn’t working to accept Visa payments (or Visa doesn’t want to work with them). 

David: Driving is much different from the US, few stoplights or stop signs, sometimes no lanes marked in the road – but it seems to work for them – we got where we needed to go without causing or being in an accident.

Jacob: The driving is much different from home, and there is a lot more speed bumps.

Ammon: Nothing I want to go home

July 3, 2024 Wed- 

Rain delay. Left later than wanted to. Drove to West Hills Mall. Supposed to see a chicken farm, but didn’t. Went to FMF Sewing/baking school. Waited for Jerry to arrive to speak more about various items of business. Becky also there and spoke about agricultural training. Drove back to Team house.

What I enjoyed about today:

LaReita: Watching Ammon play in the rain. 

David: Walked around the neighborhood where the Sewing/Baking school was with Ammon. Saw many different types of homes – some completed, some under construction, some seemed to have been abandoned or not worked on for a long time.

Jacob: Playing scrabble with mom

Ammon: Idk

Most interesting part of the day:

LaReita: Meeting with the baking school students and teacher and negotiating about what they will provide for their educational expenses since FMF is providing the location, teacher, and baking tools. The students are to provide their own food stuffs since they are making it and eating it.

David: Baking school with no electricity, ovens or stoves – just a workbook that the teacher had and was reading recipes to the class. I’m sure the students are looking forward to actually baking, but I hear that “learning” without hands-on applications is often the norm.

Jacob: Learning new words from scrabble 

Ammon: Idk

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

LaReita: Deborah Julle, one of the sewing school graduates from April, following up with me about the sewing machine graduation gift for each of the students. Having to ascertain which students are staying in Ghana, and who is gone, or going to Liberia.

David: Importance of meeting people face to face, getting to know them and asking about them before “getting down to business”.

Jacob: Seeing more of how the back roads work.

Ammon: Idk

July 4, 2024 Thursday – 

Drove to Cape Coast (4 hours). Presented books at Antem school. Drove to VRBO up a scary looking hill. 

What I enjoyed about today

Ammon: Nothing

LaReita: Meeting the headmistress and the PTA president Linda Odofopabi, who was very adamant and advocated getting a LC in her school. Watching “The Music Man” in our VRBO to celebrate Independence Day. 

Jacob: Having my own room to myself 

Dad: Very nice VRBO large house, modern, fun watching movies with boys and LaReita

Most interesting part of the day:

Ammon: Having runny tummy (diarrhea) 

LaReita: Having to clean up throw-up at 1am, do the doTERRA AromaTouch technique for 1 hour to help Ammon’s various systems calm down. Later in the evening also having to help clean up his “runny tummy” (diarrhea). 

Jacob: Seeing the tro-tro go up the hill

Dad: Interesting to see a school in Ghana and how it works. Fun meeting the kids and playing with them.

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

Ammon: Having runny tummy

LaReita: Julius driving the tro-tro up a 25% grade hill with random 1 foot ruts in the road, and making it up to the top, no problem!

Jacob: Seeing how google maps doesn’t know about all of the african roads

Dad: Watching the countryside as we drove by, surprised at how many empty or uncompleted buildings there were in the countryside as well as in the city.

July 5, 2024 Friday

What I enjoyed about today

Jacob – The drive

Ammon – When we got back to the house (VRBO)

David – Enjoyed touring the school (Laurel’s Valley Academy – Pres Samuel Laing). The forest was fun, though I was so nervous looking forward and keeping my balance I didn’t enjoy the view. Although I enjoyed the forest view on the platforms

LaReita – Waking up at 5:45am to the village loudspeaker playing choral music.

Most interesting part of the day:

Jacob – “I don’t like the kids. They give me side-glances. They freak me out”

Ammon – The wifi is weird

David – The school ceremony process was … interesting/instructive. Now I understand what you mean about the presentations.

LaReita – The school “beauty pageant”. Making chicken broth in the evening for Ammon to help him.

Tell something about the Africa part of today:

Jacob – The forest (Kakum) was fun (The canopy walk)

Ammon – I guess the forest (he was still recovering from his ‘runny tummy’ from the past 2 days, and Donne carried him the whole way.)

David – The volume of the speakers and music (was very loud).

LaReita – After the 20 minutes wake-up of choral music, there was 90 minutes of announcements, which then shifted to preaching mode in Fanti. Grateful for the washing lady, Anastasia, who washed our 5 days worth of laundry.

July 6, Saturday

What I enjoyed about today

Jacob:  The drive

Ammon: The beach

David: Learning more about the slave trade and how it affected Africans.

LaReita: I stayed with Ammon in the van while Dave, Jacob went into the tour with Donne. I read Cornelius’ book “Familiar Stranger” where he mentioned an influential biology teacher (in Nigeria or Ghana) named Aunt Berky. 

Most interesting part of the day:

Jacob: learning about the slave castle. (What was impactful about that?) Both sides played a role.

Ammon: The beach

David: What I learned during the tour at the Cape Coast Castle. 

LaReita: Grateful part of the day – That Dave and Donne could give Ammon a blessing this morning. Ammon woke up with headache and lethargy. Still getting over “runny tummy”. Grateful for Linda who brought Ammon’s flip-flops he left at the Antem school.

Tell something about the African culture part of today:

Jacob: Shrugs. Their pancakes aren’t filling. The orange juice was fresh.

Ammon: They don’t have maple syrup for the pancakes. And the peanut butter tasted different. 

David: They don’t know what a pancake is. (Jacob & Ammon ordered a pancake at a restaurant). Appreciated that the tour guide at the Cape Coast castle was even-handed in his retelling of the slave trade. Local Africans had equal part in selling their fellow citizens.

LaReita: Waited for 1.5 hours for our food at a local one-man-band cafe called “Life is Good”. The owner/chef I noticed had to go out to get ingredients. Food was good though. $20 total. 

July 7, Sunday

What I enjoyed about today

Jacob: Relaxing in the hotel room (dad says, “I think you must be my son”)

Ammon: I enjoyed the Milo (hot cocoa)

David: Surprised how quickly Fast & Testimony meeting went because I was so focused on trying to understand what they were saying.

LaReita: Being with the Primary children and singing! Giving Jemima a BIG hug!

Most interesting part of the day:

Jacob: Attending Primary was interesting. 

Ammon: The kids swarmed me and took my books. I set them down, and other kids would pick it up and ask “can I have this?”

David: Was surprised how well the girl Kimberly knew all the Book of Mormon (she lives with her grandmother Selena Edwards, a Liberian. Kim said, “Yes, because our family reads Come Follow Me every day”)

LaReita: Talking to so many people after church and hearing them out. The Mission President and wife of Accra West mission were in Sacrament meeting today and were invited to bear their testimonies. I was surprised they didn’t speak with an African accent. Another missionary couple from California were also in attendance – their 2nd week. The Sister came immediately afterwards to speak with us and ask why we were there today. We also got to meet the Mission Pres and wife and I said, “I’m Becky Roger’s right-hand woman” to which she replied, “Oh! Good to meet you!”

Tell something about the African culture part of today:

Jacob: I got a chicken sandwich that was chopped chicken formed into patties. 

Ammon: I don’t like the bread here. I’ve noticed everything seems less expensive.

David: Design of the church building was interesting.

LaReita: Walking together as a family to church along a dirt road. Then had Elisha Lartey drive us a distance we could have just walked. (Felt a little silly about that.)

July 8, Monday

What I enjoyed about today

Ammon: Going to the Andrika airport lounge and got food, including hot chocolate while waiting for our plane to Tamale.

LaReita: Going to St. Gregory’s hospital and meeting David Mensah to give him and his family a gift of a book “You Are the Placebo” and my old iPhone 7 for his mom, Angel. Also offering to him that we would pay for his mission (& his brother Denzel), should he decide to go after he finishes his national service at the hospital (in October).

David: Met with a friend of a business associate (Laureen Jandrothrep) named William. He is a teacher in the Oti area of Ghana on the East side of the country. We learned about his school, he teaches 3rd grade, and the troubles he has teaching and working with administrators. We gave him some books to take back to his school, Including a Book of Mormon.

Jacob: Staying at the airport lounge and putting my feet up at the hotel

Most interesting part of the day:

Ammon: At night in the My Time Hotel in Tamale we heard the cows mooing. 

LaReita: Listening to 12 hours of long, hard African rain while sleeping in My Time Hotel in Tamale. It was also interesting to see a woman in Buduburam camp wearing a Big Ocean Women shirt. 

David: We visited David, one of Angel’s sons at the hospital in Buduburam where he is a nurse. It was interesting to see how a rural hospital in Ghana functions.

Jacob: Being in an airport lounge

Tell something about the African culture part of today:

Ammon: In Tamale (northern Ghana) He wanted pizza. I can’t order just cheese pizza. I can order chicken or beef pizza though 🤔 Pizza comes. Ammon suspiciously looks at it. I point, “I think this is chicken?” Phrases not heard often in USA when looking at your ordered pizza. 😜

LaReita: The hostess in the Andrika lounge was more than accommodating to us while we waited for our plane. A great hostess.

David: Hotels that only give you one towel for two people to share – happened now in 2 different hotels we’ve been in.

Jacob: The differences in hotel rooms and beds.

July 9, Tuesday

What I enjoyed about today

Ammon: There was a playset at the “Wooden” restaurant. I got 2 orders of french fries and made my own fry sauce. Also the kids were so “excited to see a white kid” that they were grabbing me and pulling me into the crowd. And when we got the soda I would secretly shake it hoping that somebody would open it and it would explode right in their face.

LaReita: During the presentation watching the dancers, singers, recitations (one of which was about me, but I couldn’t exactly understand what they were saying), and then presenting as a family the certificates of participation and the winners of the storybook contest.

David: I enjoyed interacting with the children in the school.  It was fun to watch them or make a silly face and see them smile.  Also shaking hands and meeting so many of them

Jacob: Lying in a soft bed at the FMF house

Most interesting part of the day:

Ammon: The presentation at the Happy Home. It was weird hearing mom talk in an African accent for a while.

Also the kids grabbing and pulling me so hard that they were pulling down a small section of the crowd, and I thought it was kinda funny.

LaReita: Having to keep nudging Jacob to look up and smile at the crowd of kids, even though he didn’t want to. In a city of mostly Muslim population, we did drive by a new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel.

David: Watching the crowd of 1000s of school children gather and participate in the presentation at their school.  Watching them continually encroaching on the “front stage” area was amusing.

Jacob: Seeing a school with over 4,000 kids

Tell something about the African culture part of today:

Ammon: The kids at the Happy Home swarming me. 

LaReita: Dancing to the music while being presented and dressed with traditional northern Ghana clothing. Seeing parents drive home all of their children on 1 motorcycle. 

David: Teaching by songs – since paper and writing instruments are scarce sometimes teaching concepts and facts using songs is the best way to get the children to remember them – but do they understand them?

Jacob: How they do assemblies in ghana

July 10, Wednesday

Slept in, drove to the airport, Lounge, flew here, stopped at the mall and had another 1 hour wait for a lunch (that cost $10), drove to FRC, met Fautina’s family, Faustina macheted the overgrowth to get to the swings. Jacob, me and Sylvester drug away the overgrowth, swinged, s’mores over a coal pot, had Rice ball and peanut stew for dinner. Bucket baths (except dad)

What I enjoyed about today

LaReita: Meeting with Faustina’s family again. Watching our Ghana friends try s’mores for the first time.

David: Seeing the FRC that I’ve been hearing so much about.

Jacob: I liked sleeping in and waiting at the airport

Ammon: I liked the rice balls and the swing. And the peanut stew (i liked everything) besides the one hour wait for the food AND THE FOOD WAS SPICY WHEN I ASKED FOR NO SPICE(geez) and mom needs the get me more socks NOT UNDERWEAR and the swinging on the palm leaves and the smores

Most interesting part of the day:

LaReita: Clearing the bush with another mother so our children can have fun on a swing. For roasting the marshmallows we used long sticks from the palm trees.

David: Watching the kids and adults try their first smore.

Jacob: the restaurant had spaghetti noodles but there was no spaghetti sauce, meatballs, and it was spicy

Ammon: WHEN I ASKED FOR NO SPICE (all of the above)

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

LaReita: Little LaReita is 7 on July 25th. She doesn’t know much English, because she is only going to government school and they only speak Twi there. 

David: It is still interesting to me how people don’t eat together. We are used to being together and enjoying each other’s company when we eat as part of the “celebration of the meal”.

Jacob: Spaghetti noodles are spicy? Ig? I sweat a lot while clearing the bush for the swing.

Ammon: The rice balls AND THE SPICY FOOD

July 11, Thursday

Toured the grounds of FRC, LaReita taught a class to the women “Why do I do that? Understanding your mind”, stood at top of the quarry – one of the highest points in Kumasi, going to the ASA LC, flying back to Accra. 

What I enjoyed about today

LaReita: Reading and listening to the kids read at the LC. I also enjoyed doing my presentation with the women at the FRC.

David: I enjoyed the tour around the FRC and visiting the LC afterwards and doing puzzles, flashcards and reading books with the kids.

Jacob: Looking out at the quarry

Ammon: I liked swinging on the branches and also rice balls were ”yummy for my tummy”.

Most interesting part of the day:

LaReita: our driver, Fred, has a small screen in his car that can play YouTube. Ammon wanted to listen to certain songs, so I pulled them up on YouTube. I wanted to share with Fred what Blues and Jazz music is like. The network was being slow and couldn’t pull it up as we were driving from the FRC to the LC. He dropped us off and came back 3 hours later to pick us up. He got the video/songs loaded in so we could listen to them as we drove to the airport. 

David: Seeing how many of the neighborhood kids showed up. 

Jacob: Seeing the FRC

Ammon: Idk I don’t remember

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

LaReita: helping to clean the sores on the tips of the ears of the dog, Zeus, at the FRC. I have seen other dogs have these sores as well. I think it is from ticks and flies. (Zeus began licking my hand and the washcloth. I think he was expressing his thanks.)

David: Lack of safety protocols being enforced or building permits (referring to building on the FRC property)

Jacob: That cooking non-spicy food requires a personalized chef (he’s referring to Felicia at the FRC who knows how to not cook spicy for Becky, and other Americans)

Ammon: the rice balls and swinging on the branches

July 12, Friday

Went to Adeola & Jemima’s house/school – Valiant Ensign – where the students (about 20) had a program ready for us. Then drove to the church to do our trainings/presentations. Back to the XXX hotel, and streamed Ghostbusters Frozen Empire. Ordered room service. French fries were good, and made our own fry sauce. 

What I enjoyed about today

LaReita: Watching Jacob teach the yoga class and play Legos with the kids.

David: Watching the kids do the various african dances.

Jacob: Playing legos with the kids

Ammon: Same as Jacob and playing tag.

Most interesting part of the day:

LaReita: Watching our African friends try some basic yoga moves. The women were laughing about it, but more men seemed to take it more seriously. 

David: It was interesting how many people showed up (about 20) for the trainings at the church.

Jacob: Seeing how the kids would play with legos 

Ammon: Playing tag and legos

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

LaReita: Can’t decide if I prefer a hotel room with no pesticide smell and no AC, or a room with AC with pesticide smell. Also, while doing our trainings at the church we had the fans on full blast, but one of the moms with her small child asked to turn them off because they were too cold. So us Americans began sweltering. Good thing it was 6:00 and the sun was going down. Plus, it has been unusually cool with cloud cover THIS WHOLE TRIP. A BLESSING!

David: Eating Banku and Okra stew with MY FINGERS, and NO NAPKIN at first. That was challenging.

Jacob: How people listen to presentations

Ammon: How they have this instinct to take something for themselves or like if im building something they might steal it or the materials that i need to make it.

July 13, Saturday

Graduation for 25 Liberian students who took the Interweave Solutions “Masters of Business in the Streets” course which we/Dave/Me/FMF funded/sponsored. Dave & were speakers. Long-time friend Cornelius Kayode was the keynote speaker, and did a fantastic job in emphasizing service & gratitude will move you to success. Many grateful graduates came to thank us. He drove us to Kasoa to meet with Ben of Code Coast to ask questions about how to take momo payments on a website. Ate at PizzaMan restaurant. Jacob and Ammon sat at the front of the room during the graduation while 2 of the children of graduates came up and sat with them to play on phone with them and Jacob read a book to one of the girls.

What I enjoyed about today

LaReita:

David: Enjoyed talking with the technology guy, Ben (Code Coast) and learning about his product/services.

Jacob: Coming back to the hotel to be close to the toilet.

Ammon: I liked the pizza and ice cream/frozen yogurt.

Most interesting part of the day:

David: Learning more about the Masters of Business in the Streets program while people were coming to share their experience in classes.

Jacob: Reading to the girl (Kim) while we were in the 3 hour graduation ceremony. 

Ammon: Not really anything.

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

David: Enjoyed hearing the students sing the Liberian National Anthem (twice!)

Jacob: My body is not used to cheese now. 

Ammon: Rode in an African taxi and we got stuck in construction traffic.

July 14, Sunday

Church with Buduburam Ward and going to Primary again. Teaching the younger class (so many this time!). LaReita talking with people. Dave & LaReita met with Bishop Calistagoe. Changed clothes at the hotel. Jerry Korboi got us a taxi to his house (he said we could walk there, but that would have been about a 1.5 hour walk for us! Victoria made us potato leaf stew with deep fried peanuts and plantain. Ammon gave the last 2 bags of Legos to Emmanuel. Daughter Mercy taught us about some of the Ghana superstitions about water. Elisha Lartey drove us to the Team House, where we got the rest of our bags, showered, then went to the airport. Used the Akwaaba Lounge for an hour before our flight to Amsterdam

What I enjoyed about today

LaReita: Teaching the younger primary class again (What is Joy? , and teaching the 2nd verse to “My Heavenly Father Loves Me”

David: Enjoyed teaching the younger primary class with LaReita.

Ammon: I liked the Akwaaba lounge

Most interesting part of the day:

LaReita: Learning more about African – and specifically Ghanaian – superstitions. Also Kokotoa Airport is named after one of the “Big Six” who helped Ghana gain independence.

David: Same as LaReita but I had trouble staying awake since it was during my nap time.

Ammon: The potato leaf stew was interesting.

Tell something about the Africa culture part of today:

LaReita: Loved having (one of) my favorite meals and being with the Korboi family in their home. I thanked them for letting me invite ourselves to their home. Jerry & Victoria laughed and said we are welcome any time.

David: Death of the Ashanti tribal king requires human sacrifices as part of the burial ceremony and people are warned to stay indoors at night for about a month so they don’t get “volunteered”.

Ammon: (mom’s point of view: The primary kids invading his personal space.)

July 15, Monday

Landed in Amsterdam 6am. We were able to access an airport lounge with our Priority Pass. So many people in the lounge, we didn’t have the usual attention of having someone to notify us of our flight. I fell asleep in my comfortable lounge chair, but woke up with a start. I looked at the clock. 10:05am. Gates close at 10:25. It’s a 15 minute walk to our gate. We walk really fast and make it with 5 minutes to spare. I was able to upgrade my seat with Ammon, and we got a middle row (4 seats) with me, Ammon, empty seat, a dude. Ammon got to lay down quite a bit of the time. Lucky.