Kakuma National Park

After visiting the Slave Castle we got in the van and headed out to Kakuma National Park where we:   

 Did the canopy walk 300 feet above the forest floor.  

 Swung on trees

Attempted to climb bamboo trees

Seeing it on an episode of Lost doesn't mean it is possible.  It is in fact, impossible to climb bamboo and will result in a gift of over 100 splinters :(

Used the restroom inside of the tree

 And bought the most delicious pineapples from the side of the road.  These pineapples are amazing.  They are so sweet and don't have any of the bitterness that pineapples in the U.S. have. 

Slave Castle

Cape Coast Castle was originally used for timber and gold trader but later was used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  A very somber building.  Incredibly sad that people were selling people, that countrymen were selling countrymen.  As sad as the building itself it, it has amazing architecture.

 During the middle of the tour I was off taking pictures and came back to find Kassie in a corner by herself trying to get our attention to show us...

A cave of bats. 

Cape Coast

Cape Coast Sunset and Gators

After we left Rebecca's home we drove in Accra where we spent the night.  The following day we attended a church meeting where we only stuck out a little.  Took a family picture by the LDS Temple, and headed off to Cape Coast.  Yao had been telling us all week about the alligators that are at the hotel in Cape Coast.  Kassie and I went to check out the gators and were...unimpressed.  We found about 7 gators but we were positive they were statues.  Their mouths were wide open and even after "someone" threw a stick at them, they still didn't move.  We decided to give Yao a second chance and went back to the gator pond the following morning.  ok ok.   Apparently alligators sleep with their mouths wide open...to catch some free food???  Who knows, but my jaw hurts just thinking about gator TMJ.  The sunset at Cape Coast was amazing.

Rebecca

On our way from Abomosu to Accra we stopped by a small village to see some good friends that Dr. Thueson had met when he lived in Ghana.  Dr. Thueson and his wife were medical missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints a few years back.  If I remember the story correctly there were other missionaries that were visiting villages to assess wheelchair needs.  The missionaries found Rebecca and her family.  I believe at the time Rebecca was about 8 or 9 with feet so severely clubbed that she couldn't walk.  That didn't deter her though.  Rebecca was so motivated to go to school that she would walk on her hands to get to school.  Such an amazing girl.  The missionaries got in contact with Dr. Thueson and being the amazing doctor that he is, he was able to set up the surgeries through a local Catholic hospital to have a round of surgeries on her feet and hips.  She was away from her family from months while she recovered.

As we were driving down the dirt road to Rebecca's house, the mother, Rosalind was so excited to see Dr. Thueson that she came running down the road to see him.

 Tim knocking on the door.  The whole family came outside to greet us but Rebecca was inside for awhile (we later found out she was trying to hurry to put on her pretty dress)

 Baby Daniel

Rebecca

 The kids don't care about doctor talk.  They loved playing with the balloons though

 The laundry room.  The blue tub in the middle is the wash basin.  

The family

Rebecca needs another round of surgeries now to address a shortened achilles tendon, recurring inversion and flexion contracture of her hip.  If you are looking for a good cause to donate to, this would be a good one.  This money will be going directly to the missionaries who are currently in Ghana doing the job that Dr. Thueson did when he lived there.  3214 N. University Ave. #501, Provo UT 84604.