A Bigger Chorky, Satan is Real, and an Almost Accident

Kissi District

Monday morning was sweet. Cleaned and worked out and caught another spider, plus a couple other bugs for food. :) I love Chorky. We went to Cape and everything was dandy. We ate fufu at a chopbar. Went to the market and then came home. Relaxed and cooked dinner. Elder Andreasen had a ton of washing to do, so I read the June Liahona. :)

District meeting was good. Elder Manyayi instructed on Love. It is a topic that could be covered quite often. All good things begin with love. Came home and ate. Then we had a 3-hour long lesson with Felicia and Kojo about the commandments. Super productive. I love their thirst for knowledge. :) Taught Mami Ekua and then had the chance to see Albert and Jane. We came home and killed a mouse. That's always a thrill. A miniature deer hunt with a broom instead. :)

Lightning Ants

Wednesday was awesome. I made another curry since it's the apartment's favorite food. We went and finished up the commandments with Felicia and Kojo so that they are essentially ready for baptism. We bounced around after them but we did have a good lesson with Terresa about the Book of Mormon. Went and ate fufu, then visited Stephanie. We closed our night with 2 new investigators: Ernest and Kingsford. :)

Thursday we taught Felicia and Kojo about the temple. Kojo was thrilled. :) From them we went and taught Stephanie and just went over all of the things that have to be in the Lord's Church. She wants to convert to another faith but doesn't know which one... Well, we do. :) So we showed her the things that have to be in the church to be His church. :) In short, she just needs to gain a testimony of Joseph Smith. We taught Albert and Jane the Plan of Salvation which was awesome. Came home and caught a massive spider that dwarfs Chorky.... We might have a new Chorky soon. :)

Phillomina is leaving!!

Satan will do everything he can to stop people from joining the church. Kojo's family started resisting his upcoming baptism for some strange reason. They've been so happy that our message has been changing him and now it's like a switch was flipped... So frustrating.

We had a so-so lesson with Effie since she was distracted, but we finished the day with Ernest and Kingsford and they are some awesome dudes. :)

Saturday was sweet. Elder Manyayi came and interviewed Felicia and she's ready for baptism! We bumped into Phillo and it turns out that she's leaving for Takoradi on Monday and won't come back till September! Eish.... She's such a stellar young lady and we had high hopes for her. Ate some Kenke and had a short lesson with Ernest. President Nelson came and interviewed Kojo and he's also good! :)

Sunday was a straight bummer. Felicia and Kojo were supposed to get baptized. But Kojo's family essentially kept him in the house by force and Felicia didn't come to church.... We were so sad and distraught. Satan is so real and I hate it. Albert came to church, though! That was the one upside. Chopped fufu and light soup at Mary Asmas. Tried to see a few people and then nearly had an accident. Barely got back to the toilet in the nick of time. Ghanaian food can mess you up inside. We finished the evening with Gladys. She always spoils us every time we visit her. Love her. :)

Chorky, Our Pet Spider

Arachnis Deathacis

Monday was pretty good. Did all my stuff bright and early as usual and then we headed to Cape. Emailed and went to a chop bar, but then it started to rain. The rain kept us from moving for a little bit -- but because of time, we had to gap it to the market and do our shopping. Found a trotro and came home. The rain was coming down pretty hard and so when we got out of the tro we had to wade through a stream to get home. Ghana. :) Got cleaned up, prepped the stew, and fed our pet spider Chorky a grasshopper.

Heading home from Cape!

Tuesday started out rough. Elder Andreasen's stomach wasn't feeling 100%. And after District meeting an FM bounced. Bummer. After we ate lunch we went out and were planning on seeing plenty people but all of them weren't home. We only got to see Anita and Felicia and they're easily distracted. We tried seeing other people and most of them said "oh... tomorrow.." So we'll see.

An early Thanksgiving :)

Wednesday both of us weren't really feeling it. His stomach was still upset and I started getting a small cough. Life. It kind of ruined our day because he was running till 3. Went to PEC which was the only good thing. Everyone failed which is why we are always trying to find more people. Loved on some small children by Phillos. (I sometimes feel like we're the only ones that show these children affection. Beating is the answer to everything...)

Thursday, my TC's (Travel Companions) all flew home! I would have loved to go with them, but the Lord has better plans for me. I'm glad I'm still here in a place and with people that I love soooo much. :)

Chorky
(the big spider which is our pet)
eating our earlier friend. :)

We made mashed potatoes and gravy with chicken. Man it was so nice. I'm so glad I'll be home for Thanksgiving. Fed Chorky and went out. We had a nice long productive lesson with Felicia and Kojo. I will give them all the time in the world if they need it. They will be so powerful in the church. We also had a wonderful lesson with Stephanie too about Repentance and Baptism. Most of our people aren't serious, but we have a few gems where if they join the Church they'll never leave, and those are the people that we're here to find. :)

Komenda Fort

We finally got the conference Liahona! I never got to hear the Sunday afternoon session or the General Women's session. I love all of the guidance and direction we receive from our leaders. :) We tried to see Felicia and Kojo, but it didn't really work out, but we did help her make Fufu with Light soup, and afterward she surprised us with some! I love Fufu. :) We saw Terresa and Anita with Felicia. Both were pretty good. In the evening we fed Chorky that Green-butted Arachnis Deathacis. :)

Komenda Fort

Saturday morning we went and attended Martin's Father's funeral. Ghanaian funerals are so strange.... After, we had another great lesson with Kojo and Felicia. Hopefully they'll get baptized next week. :) We tried to leave but they insisted on feeding us cassava and garden egg stew. I love that meal. :) Josephine was the only other one that gave us time, and her mind tends to wander. Priscilla's Mom dashed us a watermelon and Mami Esi fed us Fufu with Palmnut soup.

Komenda Fort

Sunday morning Elder Knecht had some cereal which he shared with all of us. Man, it was so nice. Felicia was the only one that came to church today -- we had high hopes for several others. We'll just have to keep working on them. Mary Asma had us over as usual, and this time she fed us rice with bean stew. I really need to learn how to cook like her. She dashed us coconuts too! Everyone bounced. When we came home, we burned some trash, ate some coconuts, fed Chorky, and cleaned Elder Knecht's ear.

I am loving life here! :)

6 more weeks! (I hope I finish here)

Photo provided by Mission President

Monday was sweet. I was super productive in the morning and prepped the chicken for the curry in the evening. Went to Cape and emailed. The AP's gave me my subsistance finally. :) Shopped and went home. Made the curry and went to FHE with some university students at the training college. They're a good group of people. :)

District meeting started a little late, which means it ended late, which means it shafted some of our plans. But it's okay, we made up for it. We had a super nice lesson on the plan of Salvation with Felicia and Kojo. They loved it. We had a small discussion with Stephanie and then Georgina.

Wednesday was sweet. We saw Stephanie and Josephine first thing and had a nice lesson on Alma 32. Faith. They seemed to get it pretty well. We taught Felicia and Kojo Faith also and they loved it too. They love everything. :) Although, after them no one else gave us time. Which is a little frustrating, but it gives us time to find more people.

Photo provided by Mission President

Thursday felt somehow productive. :) We waited on Mami Ekua for an hour and then she finally gave us time. Wandered around Lokoss. We haven't gone around there yet and so we had some nice finds. Hopefully they work out. Came back into town and taught Albert and then Pricilla. She's super shy.

Friday, the sun just wrecked us. Man, it was so hot. Felicia bounced so we went and saw Effie and Terresa. They had some good questions for us. We did more finding in Lokoss. Ever looking for those few gems. :)

Photo provided by Mission President

At 2:20 a.m. it rained the hardest it's every rained my whole mission. It sounded like a jet liner was taking off on our roof. We went and weeded for Mary Asma again. This time we finished the farm. My grip strength was gone. You can only swing a cutlace so many times. Went home and got cleaned up and went back to Mary Asmas because she wanted to feed us rice and stew. I LOVE HER FOOD!

Some of our people bounced, But we had a nice lesson with a young lady named Janet. She's a super less-active Jehovah Witness. I would love to convert her. :) Taught the Plan of Salvation to Stephanie. The mosquitoes just eat us alive. Transfer news came... We're all staying! Heck yes!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Prepped a 15-minute talk for church. He told us to each prepare one in the morning... Love that. All of our investigators failed, Felicia came though! I was happy. :) Mary Asma fed us some nice Fufu with Light soup. It was also Stephanie's birthday!

Farming in the Rain

We see this bird everywhere.
And it's either Orange or Red,
sometimes it changes
while you're looking at it....

Monday morning I got up and got busy. We did everything we needed to and got out at a really good time. Went to Cape and emailed and tried to pull our subsistence and guess what! It didn't come! So I called the Finance couple and they told me I would have to come next week, eish... My companion was able to pull his.... I love surprise stressors. :) Went shopping (with his money) and came home and cooked a nice curry, the best one yet. Went to Mary Asmas and spent the evening there. Came home and Elder Andreasen gave me a pretty nice haircut.

Rachael! You're married! I love you Sis. :)

District meeting was pretty good. I enjoyed it. We came back, had lunch, and then went straight to Kojo. I love teaching that man. :) He's already doing missionary work. We had a good lesson with Veera and then were able to have some time with Albert. The weather turned on us though and so we started home, helped Steph close, and then had a small discussion at her place as long as the weather permitted.

Wednesday we started the day by weeding for Miracle. Weeding around Cassava is not fun, in fact, it's terrible. Finished and prepped for the day. Went and had a nice short and sweet lesson with Felicia. Some of our appointments bounced. We went to Jennifer, a young lady that asked us to come and as it turns out, she's not serious. Not everyone is. :) Phillo gave us a little bit of time. Everyone else was busy so we just tried to have effective GC's.

Farming in the Rain :)

Thursday was a dud. The morning was great but the rest was kind of bleh... Nobody was free all day. No one! Mami Ekua wanted us to come so she could feed us cassava and Kontombre stew. It was nice, but the leaves weren't washed all the way and so our throats were a little itchy the rest of the day. The only productive thing that happened all day was PEC. I wish all days were super productive, but you have to work with what you get and try to make it better.

Happy Birthday, Emma! I love you so much!

We had our first lesson at 4 with Terresa. We visit with her all the time, but she finally let us teach her for the first time. She is a devote Catholic, but the spirit does this strange thing: soft drops of water can wear away the hardest stone. :) One day one day maybe she'll convert. :) In the evening we had a poor lesson with Stephanie and Josephine because strangers were actively trying to distract and disturb our lesson. Patience is a virtue. :) Mami Esi had us over for Fufu at 7. She told us to come by 7 so we came by then and she blasted us because the Fufu was ready by 5:30 and we didn't come right when it was ready...... but she told us 7.... Patience Patience Patience. :)

Photo provided by Mission President:
Presentation is important in Ghana.
For example, this vendor must spend
hours stacking the peanuts.  She saw
our interest and ran after the car
without spilling a nut.  We felt obligated
to buy some peanuts after all that effort
and she let us take her picture.

Saturday morning it rained super hard. Lots of places were water-locked and flooded. It was great. We went farming for Mary Asma and so everything was super soft and easy. And with the clouds and rain the temperature was cool. I loved it. Mary Asma fed us Fufu at 1 with Light soup. Her light soup is to die for. Most of our people we couldn't see because they were water-locked. Sometimes the work has its ups and downs, sometimes it's weather-induced. :/

No investigators came to church, some were busy and others were sick. And it was fast Sunday. The best day for them to come. :( It's always so sad when they don't come to church. They miss out on so much. Mary fed us rice ball and palm nut soup with fish. It was nice. :) After we visited with Steph and had a really really nice discussion about the Book of Mormon. It truly answers the questions to the soul. I love the Book of Mormon. Life is so much better with it. :)

Soaked and Knee Deep: Round 2

Last time with Elder Owens!

I love being productive! It's such a good way to live. We went to Cape early and did our emailing. Then we went to the castle since Elder Andreasen wanted to buy some things. I bargained the guy down quite a bit. Gotta help a brother out. ;)

Sisters with a bottle baby :)

After we went to my favorite chop bar in Cape, the one at the top of the hill by my very first apartment. We got home late but I did manage to clear some of the weeds around the house. If you let the weeds grow, then the mosquitoes just move right in.

Komenda Residential

Tuesday morning rained super hard. At district meeting, Elder Lopez gave a phenomenal instruction that he related to Testimonies and farming. I loved it. Came home and made some nice rice. Elder Andreasen and I spent quite a bit of time just listening to the spirit and trying to figure out what we should do with Martin. He has become like one of the seeds that falls on stony ground. :/ We're trying to remove the rocks before the sun scorches him. Elder Owens needed to say goodbye but Elder Manyayi was sick. So I stayed in the house with him so that Elder Andreasen could go with Elder Owens. Washed all of my comp's clothes and did a bunch of other productive stuff. :)

Out somewhere :)

Elder Owens is bouncing. So we made him banana pancakes and sent him out the door. He's getting transferred to Axim. That place is gorgeous. Elder Manyayi also received Elder Knecht. He's from Vegas. The day was pretty standard for us. We taught Kojo and Felicia, then taught a new family: Albert and Jane. They seem like sweet people. :) In the evening we saw Phillo and Georgina and gave them a loving push, helping them understand that the things we are asking them to do are out of a sincere desire for their welfare. :)

Georgina and Phillo
came to Church!

Thursday morning was great. We never have people to teach in the early afternoon, so we spent all of that time looking for people to teach during that time! Explored some places and met some super sweet people. If you're not careful you'll get lost moving through the bush side. We went and taught Stephanie and then it started to rain, and it didn't stop! We were stuck the rest of the evening and ended up just packaging all of our needful things in poly bags and walked home bare foot. :) Gotta love that squishy mud in between your toes. :) At least, I think it's mostly mud.....

Christopher had us come over in the morning. He's the German that lives close to us. He's a super sweet guy and has good sincere questions. Hopefully we'll be able to help him out. Had a rough lesson with Kojo -- he seemed kind of flustered from something, next time will be better. Went and got a Mirinda. I love Mirinda. They have Coke and Pepsi products. Coke has Coke, Sprite and Fanta. Pepsi has Pepsi, 7-up, and Mirinda. Why don't we have Mirinda in the US? It's so much better than Fanta.  We taught Albert again. The rain was teasing with us too.

Photo provided by Mission President

Saturday felt pretty long. We bounced around a lot, but we did teach a new girl named Veera. Her English is half half somehow. Played with plenty of random children. I love kids. :) SO MUCH! :) Had a much better lesson with Jospehine. Invited a few people to church and helped Stephanie close her shop, walked her home and had a good lesson with her at the house.

Photo provided by Mission President

Sunday was pretty sweet. We went and picked Phillo and Georgina for church. Stephanie came too! But our usuals didn't come. :/ We'll find out why and bring them next week. :) Mary Asma had us over for rice and stew after church. We ate and visited with her and then went to Effies who made us Geoloff. So much food. The Peppe was a little much. It comes out the other end a little hot.... Visited with Phillo and had a good heart to heart lesson with her. She's such a sweet gal. I love this area. :)

Soaked, Muddy, and Knee Deep

We found him
outside our apartment! :)

Monday was way chill. We didn't go to Cape because we didn't need anything and I wasn't feeling the best, so we stayed in and did all of our house work and slept small.

In the afternoon, I made a ton of Japatis and they grilled up some chicken. (As grilled as you can get here.) We went to the Bodos for FHE. Their children are so well-behaved. I love them. When we got home I gave Elder Andreasen a touch-up hair cut, now he looks way fresh. :)

Their backs are super hard.

It rained at night, which made running in the morning super nice. The weather was perfect. We even saw Georgina. She's awesome. It rained for half the day which killed some of our plans. Saw our usual Tuesday people. Felica and Martin. In the evening we saw Stephanie and also Phillo and Georgina. We did pretty good for a half day.

Last Presidential interview
with them!

We went to Cape to email on Wednesday and life was just frustrating. Nothing was working out. Life is always so nice, but sometimes you just get a bad day. Thankfully it's just for a day. We met a girl named Josephine and had a lesson which was pretty rough, eish. Sat down with Mary Asma who has adopted us as hers. Had a nice lesson with her and Steph about the Restoration. If they convert, they'll be powerful. :) I got a package from home and it was awesome! Thanks Mom and Dad. :)

Wading through small lakes....

Thursday we had Kojo show us where a girl named Cecilia stays. They know each other which will make fellowshipping her super nice and easy. :) We stopped for a snack and then went to PEC. Our Branch is awesome. :) Taught Mary and Stephanie again and then Georgina and Phillo. Always good. Then came home and helped Elder Manyayi make Geoloff.

My past ward members,
friends, and converts! :)

Friday we had our last interview with President Stevenson. I love that man so much. He has helped me grow and learn so much. I'll miss him when he goes. After, we went and ate Fufu ( I LOVE FUFU! :)  ) Went to Felicia and killed like 2 hours.... it was such a poor day with lessons. Time management was so bad. Because we then went and did the same thing with Martin. Eish. And to add to it, Martin seems to be getting less and less serious. It's so sad. He's been the focus of a lot of our prayers and we just can't seem to find what's best for him....

Photo by Mission President

We finished on a high note though with Stephanie and the Restoration. She is a delight to teach since her English is so phenomenal. (She spent all of Elementary school in New York.)

Saturday started down. We went to Kissi to farm. After waiting for 2 and a half hours, the dude cancelled on us. What?! Grrrrr. When we left the house for the day most of our people weren't home. We did see Cecelia and she's nice. :) Bounced some more and then taught Georgina and Phillo.

Photo by Mission President

Right as we finished teaching, we said amen, and power went -- plus big rain drops started coming. So we decided to gap it home. We only made it 100 yards and it started to pour. So we hid in a stranger's home until it lessened and then we started running the rest of the way home. However, when we got to Zongo, the roads were flooded and were continuing to flood. So we took off our shoes and socks and rolled our pants to our thighs and waded home..... Pitch black, knee deep in water, letting the lightning guide you home. :) Memories. :)

Happy birthday, Dad! We tried to pick people for church. We went 1 for 8.... But we were super surprised for the one. We packed the whole branch into a tro and went to abura. Stake Conference was so nice. I was able to see tons of past members from Cape Coast. I love seeing familiar faces that hold lots of cherished memories. :)

Photo by Mission President

When we got back, Mary Asma fed us Geoloff and Chicken. Probably the best Geoloff I have ever had. Man it was good. Bounced around and spent the evening with Gladys and her family. I would love for her and her husband to join the church. I'm loving life. :) I'm happy. :) I'm Healthy. :)