This post is dedicated to my sweet 87 year old Mom who I love dearly.  She feeds birds in her back yard year round and loves to watch her birds.  Mom, these are the birds I watch outside our office window this time of year, April 2017.  They have just shown up this week.  We have a pipe outside our window from our air conditioner, that only drips a drop of water at a time.  The birds come every morning around 10:00 to get a drink and have a bath. 

                             If you look close you can see the bird on the pipe getting a drink

                                    Here he is getting a bath and you can see his wings flapping. 

 We have 4 birds like this one come every morning. They sit in the trees outside our office window and sing a beautiful song.  They sing into the evening time also.  

                             The picture above is a tree they sit in and eat the pink flowers. 

 No post about birds in Africa would be complete without these guys.  This is a bat that flew in the other morning and wrapped himself up and stayed for the day.  We see lots of bats here.  (top and bottom picture are the bat)

 The picture below is a kingfisher.  He comes for the rainy season, so we know it is almost here.  We saw several of these last year in the rainy season, but they migrate in the dry season. 

Sunday evening 2 April 2017 between Conference Sessions, Brent and I walked down by the Church in our compound and we heard the ward choir for Dwarzak Ward practicing.  I love the singing here and this was particularly beautiful. Enjoy!

 P-day for the young Missionaries is Monday.  27 March 2017.  Elder Cornista wanted this one with Brent and I and Elder Wolters because we were all in blue.  (Sorry Greg)  Elder Wolters, Debbie, Brent, Elder Cornista. 

 The missionaries were on their way to play basketball.  Back L. to R.  Elder Smith, Elder Carlson, Elder Izekor, Elder Gamil.  Front L. to R. Elder Sarkodie, Elder Cornista and Elder Wolters.  What a great group of young missionaries. 

 The bananas in our banana grove have done wonderful this year.  Here are just a few bunches.  I bleach them and give them to the missionaries as they ripen.  When we get to many and can't eat them all I make banana bread for the missionaries.  I love to do that for them. 

We came home Saturday and followed this cart for a ways before we turned into the drive to the mission home.  We see these carts all the time filled with different things.  They push and pull them right in the roads with the traffic.  If there is no way to pass, we just follow them. 

                       March 21, 2017  The Missionaries we welcomed for the Ghana MTC

 Eight Sierra Leone Missionaries leaving for the Ghana MTC, 23 March 2017.  This is the largest group we have had leave at one time.  L to R:  Debbie, Elder George, Elder Brima, Sister Ndanema, Sister Sesay, Sister Koroma, Elder Kamara, Brent.  Front row: Elder Bayo and Elder Kainesie. 

Another picture of the Sierra Leone missionaries leaving.  Elder Kamara on the far left stayed at the mission home a couple of nights.  He is the kindest and grateful young Elder.  I really enjoy working with these missionaries and helping them get ready to serve. 

 On one of our P-Days in March 2017 we took a trip to a light house.  These two pictures were on the way and this was a pretty Beach we passed. 

 This is not a working lighthouse anymore.  There are several care takers that live in a barracks like apartments that the British built.  It is called Cape Sierra Leone Light house.  (We looked it up on line and Wikipedia says it was built in 1849 by the English)  I'm guessing the care takers just took a guess on the date and someone painted 1812 on it and said the Portuguese built it. 
  

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A cool tree on the way walking back to our truck.  The next two pictures are pretty flowers we saw not far from the tree. 

 This little cutie is really growing fast.  Her name is Deborah after me and she was born in January.  She was all smiles this day and let me cuddle her.  March 2017

 Her mom brought her over for me to see the other day.  Moona Conteh is her mom and she is really a nice Sister.  She and her husband Abduli do a lot for the mission. 

Their children really are darling.  This sister came into the office the other day and her little girl just grinned at me.  She let me hold her and she didn't even cry.  Give her another few months and she will cry and run when she sees us.  This is in the office. 

 18 March 2017  Relief Society Celebration in Freetown. It was the 175th Anniversary of Relief Society.  All the Sisters in the Stake and in Kissy District and Kossoh Town Districts marched in the streets of Freetown.  Top is one of the bands they hired to march with us. 

 You can see the long line of sisters marching.   The sister on the left with the black plastic is Jeneba.  She is one of my good friends and works on Tuesday's in the Distribution Center in the office. 

 Each Branch and Ward had a banner like the ones you see here.  The picture below is some of my sweet sisters from Upgun Branch. 

 These two pictures were taken in the stadium where we marched to. Sister Clawson took the pictures and sent them to me.  If you look close in the picture above  you can see the Sister with the blue head dress holding a sign.  Just behind here is a white woman that is me.  Below, the Sister on the left in the beautiful blue dress was from the government, she was our guest speaker.   On the right the sister with the white hat is Sister George,  she is the District RS President for Kissy District.  Upgun is in  Kissy District. 

 Sunday 19 March, the sisters of Upgun.  It was so fun to dress like them this day.  I do love the clothes they wear here. 

 Another picture of the RS Sisters at Upgun.  This in in our RS room.  The picture below is the RS dinner.  The RS president is serving the rice from her cooler.  She prepared the meal for all the sisters.  It was rice and chicken. 

 Pictured above is all the members of Upgun who were there on Sunday 19 March.  The men all had matching ties.  You can see Brent and I in the back towards the left. 

 President Julius Rowe, our Branch President and Brother Emmanuel Kundunor, Me and Brent.  Bottom pictures is Brent and I with the missionaries in serving in our Branch.  Elder Oyewusi by me and Elder Badoo by Brent.  These are great missionaries.  Elder Badoo plays the keyboard and I am so grateful he can play. 

 15 March Elder Kenewah departing from Sierra Leone to serve in the Birmingham England Mission.  He is the first Missionary from Sierra Leone to serve in that mission.  Below is Elder Kenewah and Elder Saunders.  Elder Kenewah was a Branch missionary in Kenema and he served with Elder Saunders there.  They became really good friends.  Cute missionaries.