Trip to a Bead Factory

        On Saturday, November 1st, many of the men were in a mission area council meeting so about twelve of the wives went on a tour to a bead factory that is northeast of Accra. Sister Hill, the Accra West Mission President's wife and Sister Wilde, the Secretary to Elder Curtis, the Area President, did the driving honors. You all would have been very impressed as they maneuvered through the Accra traffic, especially Sister Wilde driving the area's new Honda Odyssey. You have to be a Kamakazi driver on these streets and have nerves of steel.

All types of glass is collected and placed in the yard.

The glass in placed in this heavy iron container and

 pulverized with the heavy metal rod until it is a very fine glass powder.

The glass powder (on the right) is mixed with a powdered dye of any color. This of course being blue.

The glass powder and colored dye mixture is then poured into these small white discs. A small reed is placed in the center of each hole and then they are placed in these kilns. As the glass is heated it melts to form the bead and the reed dissolves and leaves a hole in the center of the bead.

After the beads have cooled they are placed on a wooden dowel and each bead is hand painted. Layer upon layer of different colors are applied until the desired effect is achieved.

Inside the showroom there are many choices. These bundles are several strands, a single strand costing about $2.00 each.