The photos below will give you an idea of our experiences there. We arrived in Accra, Ghana, completed our business and while there attended the temple which is small, but very beautiful. We drove up the coast to the Cape Coast area. Our first adventure was walking a tree bridge which was about 300 meter long and 200-400 feet above ground. We stayed at the Elmina Resort which was on a gorgeous beach with a fishing village about 1/2 mile down the beach.
We visited Elmina (St. George's) Castle, which was the oldest holding area for slaves in West Africa. The castle is 531 years old and was originally built by the Portuguese who were there for 155 years. The Dutch captured it and continued using it for slaves for 200 years. Finally, the British arrived and used it for soldiers' quarters. This is a necessary, but horrible reminder of man's inhumanity to man. The cruelty and terrible living conditions that existed there are beyond belief.
We visited Mormon Church history sites such as Baptism Beach, where the first baptisms occurred in Ghana. We saw the first building utilized as a church known as the Cocoa Shed. We attended the current church and visited with two of the first group to be baptized.
This trip was quite rejuvenating and strengthened us for our last few months in West Africa.
May the Lord bless you and keep you all safe and happy. Our love to you all.
Penny at the Accra, Ghana LDS Temple
Accra, Ghana LDS Temple
Ant hill, seem to be everywhere
Tree rope bridge near Cape Coast, Ghana
Elmina Resort - view from our room
Top floor, middle building - our room
kids playing soccer on the beach
Sunset
Dinner with the Stokers and Petersens
Sunrise
Beach house
Stealing sand
Washing clothes
Fishing village
Fishermen
Slave compound at Elmina Castle (St. George Castle) -
oldest slave castle in West Africa (531 years old).
View from castle of Elmina Bay
Door of no return
Male slave dungeon
Slave holding cell
Large holding cell for 100-200 men or women
Heavy cannon ball attached to women for punishment if they refused to sleep with the governor
Slave exit to boats
Church above slave areas in the castle
Cocoa Shed - first meeting house in Ghana
James Ewudzie, 4th baptized member of the Mormon Church in Ghana, at Baptism Beach
James Ewudzie with Elder Cannon - Elder Cannon's father baptized Bro. Ewudzie
Thomas Ewudzie (brother of James) 7th person baptized and 1st deacon
organized in Ghana with his son
(left to right) James, Thomas, Thomas' son and James' wife
At Baptism Beach
At church in Elmina Bay
Current church - compare to Cocoa Shed
Cocoa shed - meetings began here in 1969 before the church was officially brought to Africa
The group at Baptism Beach
Hill Cumorah #2 where Billy Johnson (1st person to be baptized in Ghana) and James Ewudzie went to pray and fast for the church to come to Ghana
What a great privilege to see Baptism Beach and Cocoa Shed. Wonderful African pioneer church sites. It als must have been inspiring to see some of the very first saints in West Africa. I am sure the castle was sobering as well. Glad you got to take this trip.
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