Week 19: Sick (again), 2nd Degree Burns on my Face, and I'm Going to the City.....Kinda

Counselor in the Branch Presidency- He's a returned missionary.

Questions Answered:

1.    Do you have transfers this week?  Give us the scoop!

Yes.  I will be leaving Oda. My new companion is Elder Lewis-Reese. I have served around him before. He is a Black American. I’m going to a place called Nsawam. Well not really. It’s called Adoagyri (adawagery). I am 30 minutes away from the city and a mall is in my zone.

2.    Are there any investigators that you need us to pray for?

Everything is the same, just pray for me for health.

3.    Did you have a special program at church for Easter or was it just like a regular day?

The choir sang. That’s pretty much it, wasn’t much of a holiday.

4.    We noticed that the temperature is a little cooler.  Does it feel a little cooler to you?

It is cooler and rainy (rainy season) but we still have hot days.
           

5.    Are you still using 5 fans?

No Elder Latham took the extra fans and beds and stuff so I have 2.

6.    Have you tried to shave with the brush from the shaving kit?

Yeah I have used it plenty. It helps a lot.

7.    Are you hands getting better?  What are you doing to get them better?

Yes but still putting cream on it. I’m sick again though…I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.

8.    Have you bought a hat?  I've seen other missionaries with hats in pictures.  

No but I need to buy one my face got sunburned so bad this week I had blisters so didn't proselyte much.

9.    How are your shoes holding up?  Do you wear your sandals much?

They are holding up pretty well. When I go to the mall I’ll buy another pair though, Yes, I wear my sandals.

 

Tummis Family- One of my Favorites

Ama and Peter- always feeding us

"The duck goes quack quack quack, the cow goes moo moo moo, and the rooster who knows everything goes cocka-doodle-doo" - Me with my crappy morning voice waking up Elder Ferrin (It is a reference from the movie 'Warrior' reference). It’s a good movie everyone watch it. 

Dang, I don't know what’s wrong with me. I think I am a living example of Job right now. One thing after another keeps happening to me. First I’m sick. Then I get a blistering sunburn and then back to very sick. About 3 o'clock this morning, I woke up to severe stomach pains. I went to the toilet and threw up the Fufu I had eaten for dinner. I don't think it was bad Fufu because it is just a bunch of stuff pounded together. Who knows. But it’s always something with me lol. I was talking to my Zone Leader this week and he said that it took him 3 months to send a package home and mine took like 2 and a half weeks. There is something good that’s happening right now in Ghana, the light has not been off in a long time!

So I was on the toilet sometime this week and this came to mind only because we are talking about sickness but yeah I had some revelation. I figured out that I never want to have kids because that means I have to change diapers and to be honest that grosses me out. 

And on the topic of revelation I figured out what I wanted to do for my District Counsel lesson. I knew that I had to talk about faith. So first I go around the room and ask the elders what faith means to them. Then I read from Alma 32:28-32 which talks about a seed and stuff. Also I compared faith to working out and a sun on a cloudy day. Do the math :) Then I went into how we grow our faith--based this who thing off of Neil L. Anderson's talk in Priesthood Session about faith--even incorporated (wow a big word) Preach My Gospel into it as well. I guess you could say that I nailed another District Council lesson. 

So you are never going to believe this. Ferrin and I are so dumb. We got a bill that was shoved in our light box for 55 cedi so not even thinking about it we went to go pay this "light bill.” So we show up at the ECG office and low and behold this lady just looks at us and starts laughing and says "This is your water bill." We just say forgive us and did a long shameful walk out of ECG. The lesson from this; Don't try to pay your water bill at the electric bill place. You're welcome haha.

So I bought some Kente and had this one tailor make me some ties and literally I was so mad because he messed them up! Kente is expensive!  I gave it to a member to fix and I hope he finishes it in time. I have to leave. I think he might come soon. Who knows. But yeah, I hope they turn out better...

Transfer news: I am leaving and going to the city haha jk. I swear I will never really serve in the city. Pretty much where I am going is like Oda but not 3 hours away from the city. There is a mall in my zone so I will be enjoying KFC on P-days. My new area is Adoagyri. It is still a good 30 minutes from the actual city but whatevs I ain’t trippin. But I’m getting a black companion. I thought this day would never come, haha. But he is American. I have served around him before. He was in the same zone as me for a while so yeah he is cool.

Everyone go read Matthew chapters 1-6. It blows my mind. (Sermon on the Mount)

Me and Elder Randall

I went on exchanges with Randy (Elder Randall) on Friday. We literally went to work teaching 8 lessons. We did, however, end our night early because of my terrible sunlight.  I guess that was how I was blessed for my work that day lol. It was a good day. We visited my recent convert Edward and he said something that literally almost made me cry.  "My baptism was the best thing that has ever happened to me besides having my kids." Edward is going to be a good and strong member of the church. So Samuel also said something that really got to me too in the same day. He comes out with 10 cedis worth of these wafer things and malt.... I was like dang Samuel you are spoiling us and by the way 10 cedis can feed his family for 3 days... and he said this: “This is worth nothing compared to the joy and happiness you have brought to me.” Seriously this is what keeps me motivated through the sicknesses and sunburns. Literally just seeing the happiness the gospel brings to these people here make me appreciate it more. I'm telling you this is what motivates me. I am happy with my first 2 converts.

Me and Samuel

So our apartment is breaking. Good thing I am leaving soon haha. So in our bathroom we have a thing you can connect a hose to. I don't know what it is called. I have been in Ghana too long haha. But this thing literally exploded off the wall in the shower and next thing you know we had an ocean in the apartment. I have no clue how the water pressure is so high. Next thing you know I’m sprinting out of the door to cut the water line off to our bathroom so our house doesn't flood, hoping that i don't poop my pants because I’m sick. So we have to shower from the well until a plumber comes. But then again I'm leaving so who cares. Also our toilet leaks and we have to self flush it---meaning dump water into the bowl of the toilet so that the waste water goes away. I don't know how it works but it is different here in Ghana. So yeah everything that can go wrong with a bathroom did.....well except for the sink---that one works....because we just got it installed a couple months ago.

Tummis Family

Well I think that is it for the week. I have to ask anyone who reads this to do something for me--just pray for my health to get better! Thanks. Love y’all

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He mentioned that he is probably going to have to buy extra seats for his things on the Trotro because they will not store bags on the taxis.  It sounds like he could use some prayers for improved health (and for healing of sunburn AND for finding a hat!) and to be able to get all his things to his new area!  These pictures this week are some of my favorite he has sent.  I love the feelings they evoke.  The church is indeed growing in Ghana!