LIF STORY/AS TOLD BY ANDRE' RAMSEYER

 GILEAD AND POSTPONED EXPECTATIONS

While in Quebec, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to the 26th class of Gilead School in South Lansing, New York. Graduation day came on February 12, 1956, and I was assigned to what is now Ghana, West Africa. But before I could go, I had returned to Canada for "a few weeks" until my travel documents were ready.

I ended up waiting seven months in Toronto for those documents. During that time, I was kindly housed by the Cripps family, and I came to know Sheila, their daughter. We fell in love. When I was just about to propose marriage, my visa came in. Sheila prayerfully decided that I should go to my assignment. But we would keep corresponding to see if and when a future marriage might be possible. That was not an easy decision, but as it turned out, it was the right one.

After a month of traveling by train, cargo ship, and plane, I arrived in Accra, Ghana. There I was assigned to serve as district overseer. That included throughout Ghana as well as neighboring Ivory Coast (now Cote Togo). Most of the time, I traveled alone in the branch-provided jeep. I enjoyed every minute of that time!

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