Cripple Break in

Abakrampa District!

For my last Monday we had a Zone activity. Elder Rowe and I rushed to the hospital early so that we wouldn't have to worry about it later. When we got to the activity, though, no one was there. Shocker.... It's impossible for missionaries in this mission to be on time to anything. They all played basketball while Elder Johnson and I prepared the food. The Zone leaders brought all of it, we just had to cut and butter the bread. We had some make-shift hot dogs and chicken with a mineral. It was nice.

Twinners :)

In the evening we had one last gyming session. Man, it's going to be hard to gym without Elder Machaka there.

My best guy Elder Machaka

Tuesday, District meeting started late (surprised?). I gave the instruction and it went pretty good. It was short notice but it still turned out good.

After we took loads of pictures and Simon pulled up just in time to join us for the photos. We all cruised to DIS because 3 of the 4 of us have problems! After he dropped us in Asebu so that I could say my final final good-byes.

Simon and the crew

When we got back to the house Elder Connelly had me try these weird red seeds. You peel off the red outside and suck on the white inside. After sucking on it for a bit you go and eat the most sour orange in your life and guess what... It tasted like sugar! What on earth?!?!?! Some crazy juju trick. The seed makes everything you eat sweet, even water becomes sweet. We should plant some back home. ;)

Transfer day! The 4 of us just chilled and played a few games until it was time to go, for old times sake. ;)

Cab selfie!

Simon came and somehow managed to cram all of our stuff and us into his car. It was pretty impressive. I got dropped at the Pedu station and met my companions! All 3 of them. Elders Nsenga, Harward, and Kiiza. They are from the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), West Valley Utah, and Uganda. We got to our house and it's huge! President said it's the biggest in the mission. It could easily be a 6-man but it's only been a 2-man! We have a massive stone-tiled patio with a super nice gazeebo. This is phenomenal for Ghana, might I remind you all. ;) Elder Nsenga stayed with me while Elder Kiiza took Elder Harward into the area. I sat out and enjoyed the evening breeze on my new patio. :)

My favorite ZL!
He only has 1 to go!

Thursday was my 11-month mark! Crazy! The day was pretty normal. I cleaned up a lot of the apartment because it was a mess. This house is going to be so clean. I sat out in the sun to soak it up. Elder Harward stayed with me for the day. They rotate because at least one has to babysit me. As it turns out, they have a nice bench and good weights here! Heck ya! So I will still be working out. :)

Last time
with my New Zealand brother!

The house is quiet and in the bush. We always have a breeze. A perfect environment for a healing body. :) Cleaned some more and made things look just dandy, got some more sun time. It's nice.

The new crew!
(making history in a 4-some ;)  )

I asked for something different, and I got something different. When we returned home from the hospital on Saturday our key wasn't opening the lock. I love Elder Harward so much but he isn't the most coordinated or athletic..... So I had the privledge of hopping our 8-foot wall and lifting a ladder over the wall for him. All with my wonderful foot. So that was a completely different experience that I thought I would never have in my life. A cripple helping a non-cripple..... Interesting. :)

Elder Harward,
my new hospital buddy!

Sunday was wonderful! I absolutely love this branch. They greeted us so warmly and for the first time in a long time I actually felt the spirit. That might sound sad but it's true. A lot of the members in my past areas have not been serious, but this branch is amazing. The spirit was so strong and was just a delight. President Thompson is a great man and has done a splendid job.

4-some?

My Branch #1

Monday was normal, early trips to the hospital so that we have more time to cruise town. They bandaged me up super small this time and so it felt weird. Normally my shoe is tight due to the big bandage, but it was sliding off. The struggle. :)

Don't judge my water-
proof plastic bag sock.... :)

We went to my favorite chop bar in Cape and had a mix of Fufu and Konkonte with Nkakrah. I hobbled to the station and we caught a Trotro. We did our own miscellaneous things when we got home. I read the scriptures a lot and really just waited around until it was time for us to gym. I finally benched the big one with no help, and repped it 3 times! I'll take a picture so that you all can see what the big one is. Improvement and Progression. :)

Thursday weeding :)

Tuesday was normal aside from the MLC report. It was raining so I had to improvise a way to keep my foot dry to the meeting. So we wrapped it in a polythene bag. :)

Branch Mission President
Brother Bright

The meeting was good but due to people showing up late and being totally unserious it lasted till 2..... Eish. It rained nearly all day, so we just chilled at the house, it's not like I can do much else anyway. The rain though has made things a lot cooler, which is a wonderful blessing.

I love this boy!

It looked like it was going to rain, so we had Simon pick us up early in the morning so that we could make it to the hospital and back before the rain. But as it turns out it never rained. They sky just needs to make up it's mind. The hospital was slick, minus the stuck up awnry new pregnant manager..... :)

Fufu with Felicia :)

Got back and had our studies which are just lovely. I made a nice beef curry in the evening too.

My Branch #2

We went and weeded at the investigator's place again. I love getting out of the house and enjoying the fresh air and vegetation. We had Exchanges so Elder Machaka stayed with me at the house. We cooked up some nice chicken, washed, and studied. Of course, power had to go out too. But we still decided to work out.

President Amos Yemoah :)

A new guy dressed my toes Friday..... New guys shouldn't dress them. I did, however, meet an interesting man at the hospital. A man named Rolof from Austria. He looked just like my Grampa Helmut/ Uncle Kristopher. I heard his English and knew he was from the Germany part of the world. So I asked him and we had a wonderful conversation. It was quite delightful. :)

Sister Priscilla
and her little boy, Teo

Saturday was a little anxious. It was transfer news day. I rested off the pain after getting back from the hospital. Just did small things all day. As far as the transfer news, I'm getting transferred to Ntranoa to be in a 4-some! Have any of you ever heard of a 4-some?! Well, I'm in one. :) I'm super sad on leaving, I'm excited to go, and at the same time disappointed.

Mary and Yaw :)

And just like that it's my final Sunday in Asebu. I gave my testimony and just enjoyed the atmosphere. I took tons of pictures with everyone after ward. I was only here for a short time and yet I've come to love these people so much. I will always remember them. :) We went into the area small so that I could see a few of the members that couldn't come and a few of my investigators. I am going to miss them. Felicia invited all of us missionaries over to her place for Fufu. She stays in Abakrampa and will be leaving on her mission to Nigeria on Thursday. She is a wonderful young lady and will do such a wonderful job. :) That was my week! :)

Finally a Change!

1 year celebration
for Elder Connelly

Monday was nice and quaint. We all did our washing in the morning, but due to the rain, the humidity is killer, which means that it takes ages and a half for things to dry. Did our usual shopping and emailing, and then came home and took a nap. Later, Elder Machaka and I gymed our chests. I love working out.

Zone Conference

Tuesday was a super eventful day, considering the immediate past. We had Zone Conference in Ola. We thought we were going to be late, and we were actually the first ones there! What a pleasant surprise! We received wonderful insights on Accountability, Goal Setting, and Planning, plus lunch was just dandy.

We did a small photo shoot after and then got dropped off at the station. Got home right before it rained, score. :) Got spanked by 80 cedis while prepping dinner...... eish, some people.

 

Wednesday the power was out pretty much all day. Simon took us to DIS. It was speedy as usual and they did a good job. It's healing ever so slowly. We had nothing to do when we got home until the other guys got back. Elder Machaka and I gymed some more.

 

Elders Connelly and Machaka invited us to help them farm at an investigator's house that lives just up the hill. So we went and had a good time. It was so nice to get out and smell the green. It rained during the night so everything was just nice and earthy and wonderful. Power was out again..... shocker. Elder Makoti came (my Zone Leader) for exchanges with Elder Machaka. Due to the rain and power being out we couldn't do much.

 

Friday we did the usual morning hospital routine. But this time, on our way to the road the skies just dumped on us, being a gimp and not being able to move at a desired speed can be frustrating. So my companion made it to shelter just damp, I hobbled in soaked completely through. Woooo.....

 

We chilled under the shelter until the rain died down small and then snagged a cab. On the way back to the house the rains came again! I don't know how I feel about God's sense of humor.... ;)

 

Saturday I washed small and then baked cakes all day in prepping for the party. Elder Connelly hits his year mark on Sunday, so we decided to have the party on Saturday. It was nice and simple. We played cards and visited for a good amount of time.

 

I love Sundays. The only thing I get is the Sacrament prayer, plus a word or phrase here and there, but I love it all the same. The Sacrament is the best part anyway. Got home and listened to some nice instrumental music and read the Liahona. I am so grateful for the words and insights that we can read from our leaders and fellow members around the world.

Waiting for a Cab

Lately I've been reading from the New Testament in Acts. I have come to love the Bible. It contains wonderful life and gospel lessons that everyone can learn from. Power went out and it rained all day. That seems like the standard conditions now a days. :)

Cabin Fever

[Since Collin didn't have any photos to send us this week, the photos for this post were borrowed from the Mission President's blog.]

I am so sick of the house. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired! But really though, being a missionary and not being able to proselyte is essentially being a convict with no privileges.... Anywho, my week wasn't too much of a thriller.

Monday was actually pretty grand. We get to pull 400 cedis now for our subsistence which means that for the next few months we'll get to enjoy while the cedi depreciates and equalizes our subsistence. We went to the hospital and then emailed after. After emailing we did our shopping and then traveled back to the house. Dressed down and then made my chowder again (only this time much much bigger) and had a light dinner. Later Elder Machaka and I gymed pretty hard. It always feels so so nice to make your muscles strain after laying around the house all day every day.

Tuesday we had District meeting at the Asebu chapel. I love our chapel. :) Elder Connelly gave a wonderful instruction on how the Bible and Book of Mormon are like our eyes. We can only have clear good depth perception and vision if we use both eyes and if the eyes are good. Only using one eye will finish our depth, and if the Bible isn't translated correctly then it's a partially blind eye which is barely good. I loved it so much. :)

Simon finally got his car fixed, so he'll be able to start taking us to and from the hospital again. The visit was under 30 minutes which was a record for a Ghanaian hospital.

Thursday, Happy Birthday Emma! You'll be 5 before I know it! It was a normal day. Cooked, washed, played cards, studied, repeat.... Elder Masame came over for exchanges though. He's a super chill kid from Sydney. I like him a lot. :)

Friday I finally had a decent day. We did our morning routine and then went into the area. It was so nice to get some fresh air and share the gospel small, only for 2 hours because that's all my foot could manage.

Bright is such a wonderful kid. He's so enthusiastic about the work that it's just a dream to work with him. The skies opened up and the rainy season began. We got home soaked... It's always nice to get beat by the rain every now and then. ;)

The only exciting things to my day are studies and hospital visits.... and you can imagine how much of a thrill that must be. I'm such a frequent customer that at times, they don't even have me check in. They have my file on hand and so they just wave me on to the back to get it re-dressed. Benefits! :)

Sunday was nice. Began the day with the Liahona and then listened to a fast and testimony meeting in Fante, the only English was my own. :) I had the wonderful opportunity of ordaining Bright to the office of Priest and giving him the Priesthood! He is such a good kid and has a powerful powerful testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. He will bless so many.

Once again the skies opened up, but this time we made it inside before it crashed down, however we have 3 inch gaps under our doors so the water made it in anyway. Our kitchen was flooded, but thankfully our rooms are a few inches higher than the kitchen floor, so most of the house stayed dry. :)

My foot just needs to heal! But all will be well. :)