Pigs and Fufu!

Cash Money!

This week was very busy!

Don't you just love these? :)

On Monday was a standard P-day. We did the usual like bargaining for food and washing clothes. We had to email a little earlier because that night we had Zone FHE. And the activity was roasting a pig and watching Ephraims Rescue. We have Elder Gasolo from Samoa in our Zone so we did this activity because of him. He skewered the whole pig and roasted it. It was pretty tasty too. :)

My MTC's!!
(Caption from Mission President:
"So, this is about 20 companionships,
Another 20 companionships are six
weeks ahead of them also training.
That means we have 40%
of the mission training!")

Tuesday was Zone Conference. It was 5 hours long.... but we received lots of good instruction about involving members. 79% of our baptisms result from members. And if we don't make a good relationship with the Bishop then we can't have a good relationship with the members. And also the importance of a ward mission plan. If the ward has a good mission plan, then the work is able to progress much much faster. :) So that day was spent mainly at the conference.

Cheap good food. :)

Wednesday's study session was very beneficial to me. I was studying about love and charity, and one of the thoughts I came across was that God corrects and chastises those He loves. He loves us enough to cut us down and prune us so we can grow stronger and taller.

Mosquitos in the water....

We were finally able to exchange my $200 into GHC's and here the US dollar is worth almost 4 cedis. So I got 780 Cedis! And might I remind you that everything here is about the same price as it is back home. Which means everything is 1/4 the price and I have 4 times the money. :)

My bestie! Sawah

The weather here is still considerably coolish. We will be entering their dry hot season. So I'm probably going to die during Christmas when it hits. The power is out again.... shocker right? ;)

My Bay!
(This is Elder Bay from the MTC.
He's my favorite!)

Thursday was just another confirmation that the culture here is different. They are a very pleasing culture. Which means they hate to disappoint and be an inconvenience to your face. So they'll tell you yes to something you ask of them, or tell you they'll be in the house at a certain time, but then when the time comes, they won't be.... So it's slightly frustrating but it's normal here so I'm still adjusting.

Pounding Fufu
with Sister Sopa! :)

I killed a cockroach in my room today, which was slightly exciting and disturbing. Man those things are quick on the ground... but I'm quicker! :)

Pounding Fufu with Sister Gloria

Friday was a follow-up training meeting where they gathered all of the Trainers and their new missionaries. It was a lot of fun because I got to see a lot of my TC's! It was nice to catch up and to visit with those that I had developed such close relationships with. :)

I've been reading my Patriarchal Blessing 3 times a week and it's been helping so much. It truly is a road map to your life and you find new meanings in it each time you read it. Frequently read your Blessing. :)

My Brown brother
from Louisiana. :)

Every Saturday we go play football with the members or the Hemina Zone. So this week was supposed to be with the members, but when we got to the field, it had buses on it, because the field is part of a Catholic youth school... Those darn Catholic buses... ;) So we walked the 3 miles there and back for nothing. The day was very productive though, nearly all of our appointments were available and we were able to teach them!

Review Training
for the new missionaries
and their trainers.

For dinner we went to a road side shop and got Fufu.  It was only 2 cedis! So like 50 cents! I had it with light soup which is actually quite hot but it's the lightest one they have.

Sunday we had 4 investigators come to church! I was so happy to see them walk into the chapel. We sat by one of them and were able to visit with the others afterward.

Review Training

Sister Sopa fed us Fufu for dinner which was tasty. We helped her pound it which was quite tiring, but worth it. She also taught me how to suck the meat out of a crab. You have to crunch the shell with your teeth, and then you suck out the meat.... while filtering out the shell of course. :)

Monday was really nice. We had our morning devotional and then got right to work on cleaning the apartment and washing. My hands get raw each time due to the soap and scrubbing, so hopefully they'll harden up so my knuckles don't keep bleeding.

Photo from Mission President:
Baptism in Nkroful

Festival started today and goes through Sunday. Certain days are bigger than others so today was pretty low key, just lots of people coasting around town.

I still haven't had a haircut because we're always so busy! So I definitely need one next week. The Africans like my hair, but it's just a tich too long for me. :)

We had FHE with Sister Gloria and she fed us Fufu as well. Which I helped her pound, but this time it gave me blisters on my hands. But this means I've had Fufu 3 days in a row! Fufu tastes great, but it's so heavy! And we usually have to eat it way late, so you end up going to bed with this rock of Fufu in your stomach... I hope I don't get a belly... But if I do then I guess that means I'm not starving. :)

~Elder Park