The Bush!

Hello Everyone!!! Thanks for all of your wonderful emails! They made me smile till it hurt so good job! This week was crazy but awesome! There was Apostles, reunions with high school friends, transfers, and more!   So I'll try to start from the beginning... *Flash back blurs*

It all started on Tuesday when I had to go to the mission home and sleep over. I got there and said good bye to my companion after he got his trainee from Kenya. I'll miss Elder Howland, he was a great guy. While I was at the mission home I kind of just hung out with the AP's and the Office Elders who are really cool guys. So cool in fact that they offered to take me to an all American store called "American Essentials." It was a tiny little store but it's title perfectly describes what it has inside. I went in there and bought A&W root beer, Skippy peanut butter, snickers, skittles, even fetching Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce! That was a great day. The Office Elders wanted to help stock me up for the bush. We even ordered African pizza that evening which made the day even better. The other Elders from Ho came and stayed the night so that the whole mission could go to the Apostle the next day. It was fun to see my friends who I haven't seen in a while.

Then on Wednesday we all went and saw Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the 12 Apostles! It was such a great instruction! He talked about how we need to invite people by committing them to a principle, promise them blessings, then testify of the truth of it. It's something that I was kind of doing passively but now I'll do it all the time! Just like after seeing Elder Rasband, I now have a personal witness that Elder Stevenson is truly an Apostle of Jesus Christ and that the priesthood keys have been restored. Now on my mission I have seen three apostles personally! (Bednar, Rasband, Stevenson.) I'm so grateful that I got that chance and opportunity.

After the meeting I got to chat with Elder Bennett Roberts of the quorum of best friends in high school. It was so cool to see how he's doing and to talk about missionary work and Ghana in general. It so cool that we could both talk to each other while we both have our tags on. I'll always remember that. I even spoke some Twi with him which was fun too! When we're both home I'll be able to say "Remember that time we ate rice together in West Africa?" and hopefully he'll be able to say yes. It was the third time I saw him so I hope another apostle comes before we go so I can see him a fourth time.

After the conference I also met my new companion! Elder Kamanda (Like Commander) :D  from Sierra Leone! Man I am so blessed with the best companions! He's a great cook and a wonderful teacher! He's the only one in his family who is a member and he is 19 years old.

After I met Elder Kamanda we went and packed my luggage on a tro tro to take us to Suhum. It was about a three hour drive but it was a really cool one! We drove over these mountains then down into a valley where there's another city called Koforidua where I'm emailing you right now. Then the Zone Leaders drove us another half hour to Suhum. The cool thing about the Eastern Region is that there are trees everywhere! Plus a couple mountains and rivers. When I got to Suhum it really hit me I was in Africa. Suhum isn't like a village by any means but it was just that it's more quiet and there's trees everywhere! I got transferred from the apartment next to a taxi station and a main speed bump road, to the apartment that's fetching quiet! It's super awesome! The other only difference is that you have to walk a ways to buy anything and they Don't really have a variety of stuff unless you go to the market. But on Sunday I went to church and met lots of the members at the brand new chapel we have. Some of the members have been members over 20 years in this branch! So they know all the hymns and everything unlike my other branch. Anyways it's going to be a really cool area, I'm just still adjusting :D

So that was basically my week! My testimony has been strengthened to know that God needs me to be here and I'm so grateful for all the people here. They are so loving and nice! On Sunday we biked with a member and taught a lesson at a one room house in the middle of these little banana trees! It was then that I realized I was in Africa, after a year and two months I finally realized it :) haha. Anyways I am so grateful for this chance to be in Suhum and I know with time, everything will be okay. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Pics:

Our Chapel,

Me and Elder Roberts

Me and My new comp Elder Kamanda

Twi of the Week:

Asim-Wala "It's up to you" :)

Love you all! Have a great week!