Week 4: It's SO Hot, Teaching Like Crazy, and Nearly Hit by a Car!

Mom's comments will be italicized throughout this post.
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There were no pictures this week because of connectivity issues.  The first of many of these types of issues, I'm sure!  I am NOT complaining though.  As you'll see below, we received a lot of information from him.  Tender mercy for mom!  

Goodbyes were hard at the MTC.  We left at about 7 am Sunday morning.  Our first plane was delayed so that threw everything off.  When we got there, we had to go through security again.  That almost made us late for our Amsterdam flight partially because we were waiting at the wrong gate.  But we made it.  That's all that matters.  While we were on the plane to Amsterdam, I talked to a guy that was going to Nigeria. We literally talked for hours about faith and God and I placed my first Book of Mormon before I even got into the field.

Like I said, he's ready!

He's in a town called Oda- other Elders love to call it the Bush. He can speak a little Twi (pronounced TREE) and understands when others speak.

In Oda, it is mostly just a bunch of little shops. That's how people make most of their money. We are very fortunate to have the apartment that we do. It is really nice compared to the other things around. 

His trainer is Elder Bloomfield from Florida. I've been talking online to his mother for a week or so. I knew she had a missionary in Ghana Accra West.  I just didn't know her elder was my missionary's trainer!

He has been on his mission for a little over a year and has been in Oda for 6 months now. He has taught me
a lot about the area and the people and I'm glad this is my first area.

Thank you Elder Bloomfield!

Tuesday

Long day. Stuffed us all in a tro tro and it took us 3 hours to get to our area. Today I finally got to take a shower for the first time since Sunday morning. I had my first lesson of the field, we did not have very much time because it was transfer day. All we talked about was family home evening with them and the importance of it because it brings families closer together. They gave me a bottle of water which is like gold.

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I cannot even imagine how miserable he must have been with 3 days of traveling and no shower!


Wednesday


First full day. I did not stop sweating. We taught 7 lessons and got 12 contacts. We had Ghana's version of chicken nuggets in bread today for breakfast. Midweek meeting was today and it is pretty much like
Mutual back home. But everyone in the branch comes to that meeting. I enjoyed it. For dinner we had bread and egg which is exactly how it sounds. We saw a members family today and I showed them American money
and they got so excited. It was awesome.

Thursday


Not much happened. We just taught a bunch of lessons and stuff. It is really interesting to see how surprised they look when I wave or when i play with the kids. The kids are nervous to talk to us so I just try to show a lot of love. I have also noticed that my hair sparks lots of interest and it a great way to talk to people, great way to get contacts haha. Today we played soccer with the children. I am way too fat to be playing soccer. The kids are too fast. We hung out with a member and also other missionaries after we ate fufu and played Skipbo.

Fufu

Friday


Pretty successful day. Some non-members invited us over for lunch. We had jollof rice, which is like spicy stew baked into rice. Definitely my favorite food here so far. I have had it 3 times. Today we bought oranges and bubble gum and gave it to some little kids who had just got out of school, they were so happy. I am surprised I haven't gotten sick yet. I also bought water for the man who was cutting the grass at the branch building. We met with this family who had a small child probably like a year old. She has never seen a white person before,
she literally cried for so long but finally got acquainted to us.

Saturday

Today was taken up mostly by the 3 baptisms we had. We had to wait at the branch building for the floors to be cleaned, and also had to wait for a member of the branch presidency to show up. I committed someone to
be baptized on January second-- my first of the field. I hope he is serious about becoming a member.


Sunday

Definitely a little emotional today just because its weird not going to church with family. Me and Elder Hunt had to speak in Sacrament Meeting. It is so hot in the church. I'm so used to air conditioning and now we get fans. Still surprised about how I'm not sunburned.

Ghana Accra Temple at a Christmas Chorale Celebration taken by another missionary

Monday

Went to market
Cleaned house
Cleaned clothes
Almost got hit by a car LOL

I'm not sure that the "almost got hit by a car" part is my favorite...thankful for the protection of the Lord's missionaries. They pay a local lady to do their laundry.  It's a good thing because it took them 45 minutes to wash their personal items.  Imagine if they had to wash all their clothing!

He feels great!  He already found a Nativity for me! Tender mercies all around!