Wowzers, what a week! I think I can just end the e-mail there....too much! Geez louise this was quite the week. But oh well, I like the busy-ness way more than boring-ness. Not that any week has been boring! So let me just jump right in with what happened this week.
So, I don't know if I talked about it last week, but the focus of the week was Saturday, our district was having a combined baptism, about 25 people were going to be baptized. So basically everything for the week was focused on that. Tuesday we had our district meeting, we did a lot of talking about what we needed to do for the baptism. We and Yamoransa decided to take the lead for getting everything organized, since we are the ones living next to the chapel. Remember how many problems came at our last baptism? Imagine my fear looking at a 25 person, four unit baptism. So we had a lot of planning to do. On top of that, we heard it through the grapevine that there were going to be cameramen from the church in Yamoransa and Moree filming for a new "Introduction to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" film, so of course we were talking to the Stake President (President Kaku), bishops, and President Sabey trying to get them involved. President Sabey said there was a good chance they would come, so that added pressure made everything seem crazier! President Sabey told me everything needs to be perfect, so I was pretty freaked out about a 25 person baptism. So all of my focus was on that all week.
Tuesday was the only day I actually was in Moree until Saturday. We went, taught Phillip, taught a family, and visited some other people and the bishopric to make sure everything was cool for the baptism. But preparing Phillip and the family was the most important. Phillip is a stud by the way, I love that guy. He is awesome, one of my most favorite baptisms yet. I had been frustrated about how I really hadn't been teaching full families, so the family we are teaching makes me so happy. They are going to help Moree ward have a solid foundation of families. And to see them go to the temple next month will be awesome! They are so excited for that.
Wednesday I went to Mankessim to interview Elder Bunker and Elder Alba's candidate. Man is he a sweet guy. His name is Kwesi. He is about 60 years old, and has been looking for a true church his whole life. He was so excited to be joining the church. Honestly, the interview was so cool. In the afternoon I came back to Yamoransa to do their interviews. They had 6 to interview, all really cool people. Most spoke English. Oh yeah, there is a really cool story about one of them. His name is Michael. Elder Mortensen and Elder Katoa had been teaching him for a little while, and they learned he was married and they always asked to meet his wife, but she lives in Abakrampa. So they never really met here. But how awesome is this: When they asked Michael if he would like to be baptized on the 22 Jan, he started crying and said, "Yes, and that is the day my wife is getting baptized too". His wife was being taught by the missionaries in Abakrampa the whole time, but for some reason, he didn't tell them that! So he knew she was going to be baptized that day too, and so when they said that, he just lost it I guess! How sweet is that?! They were pretty excited about that. I had the privilege of interviewing them both, so that was awesome.
Thursday, we had a leadership training meeting in Ola. Friday I went to Abakrampa for their interviews. They had 12 people to be interviewed, so it was a very long day. But it was fun. They are the first Elders there ever, so they are finding lots of success. It's a village, and since Elder Smith speaks Twi, they are going to teach a lot of people there. I got to interview Regina (Michael's wife) while I was there, so that was a sweet experience.
And then Saturday....holy moly. I think I used all of my phone credit for the entire month on Saturday. In the morning, we hiked up to the chapel, set up the chairs in the chapel, set out everyone's clothes in separate changing rooms, we labeled everyone's clothes so there wouldn't be confusion (we got the clothes out on Thursday so we didn't have to worry about not getting the closet door open :) We labeled the changing rooms, wheeled out the TV, set up the piano, made sure that the font was filled, set up the Relief Society room for the baptisms, and a million other things I can't remember right now. The camera crea was there the whole time, interviewing a guy from Moree named John (aka Sika sam, a way cooler name. Sika means cash. Haha) And they told us they would be coming for the baptism. Oh man, way more stress! Then we jetted off for More to meet the Zone leaders so they could do the interviews for our candidates. The baptism was going to start at 4, so we told everyone we were leaving at 1:30. I did one more interview for Yamoransa, and all of their candidates were there by 3, changed and ready to go. Mankessim showed up a little after 3, as did Abakrampa. Every candidate was changed and sitting in the chapel by 3:30! No joke!! It was a true Ghanaian miracle, not kidding at all. The camera crew showed up around then, and filmed us doing normal baptism stuff, taking pictures together, greeting people at the door, etc. The chapel was pretty much full with people from Mankessim, Abakrampa, and Yamoransa to support, and their bishop was there ready to start. It was like an actual meeting back home! Everyone was there early ready to go! So I played some prelude music from 3:45 to 4, and the baptism started at 4 o'clock sharp! CRAZY!!!!!!! President and Sister Sabey walked in right at 4 o'clock, so they were impressed haha. The baptism went smoothly. 22 people were baptized. It was crazy running around everyone's clothes between the classrooms where they changed and the bathroom after their baptisms, but everything went well. Elder Bunker got a close-up from the cameramen. The baptism wrapped up, the talks were powerful, the crew was impressed, and president said he had never been to a better baptism. Man, it was a miracle. An absolute miracle. I was so worried about it, but the guys in our district did awesome. Man it was awesome. And maybe you will get to see it on the film that will come out in the summer! Keep an eye out for it in the distribution centers/bookstores. The cameramen followed Elder Mortensen and Elder Katoa on Sunday and interviewed them today, but I'm glad I got to be a "behind the scenes" guy haha. If you just get a glimpse of my face, that'd be awesome :) They are interviewing Andrew tomorrow, so I am way more excited for him to be on it than me. I hope you get to meet him through this video! He is so powerful.
Sunday, another miracle, everyone was at church on time to be confirmed. Phillip was so excited, and our family looked as happy as ever. This week was crazy, but so so awesome. I felt more accomplished Sunday night than I ever have on the mission. Man oh man. Then, to top it all off, we had another miracle Sunday night. Remember Seth, our sweet investigator that was going to be baptized but moved to Takoradi? Well, the missionaries there could never find him. We tried calling him every day, but no answer. We thought we had lost him! But, as we drove home in the taxi, the taxi randomly stopped right outside of Seth's old house. I looked out the window and what did I see? Mr. Seth standing right under the tree. As the taxi started to pull away I yelled to Elder Nzuki to pay the drive and get out and I jumped out of the moving car. When Seth saw us running over to him, he got the biggest smile on his face. He had gone to a village to work for a few weeks before going to Takoradi and didn't have any phone service there, and his phone had been lost. He had got a new phone a few days before and said he was praying that we would call. I am so happy that taxi stopped there for no apparent reason. Seth is going back to Takoradi today and is going to meet the missionaries on Wednesday. Man oh man, what a week.
So anyway, a lot happened this week. It was an awesome, awesome, awesome week. The most taxing I have had, but the most accomplishing I have had. Today we got transfer news. I'm not going anywhere, another transfer in Moree. Elder Nzuki is still here too. I love you guys so much. It's hard here, but this week was incredible. I can only pray that I will have more weeks like this. The baptism, finding Seth, wow. Thank you so much for everything. I love you guys so much.
-Elder Griffin H. Brown
Monday, January 31, 2011
January 17, 2011
Wazzup fam. Life is good in the neighborhood. PS-the church is true. I'll start off with a sweet little story that happened this week. As I have talked about earlier, pretty much all of our investigators right now are Fante speakers. We have two that speak English right now, Solomon and Christian. We weren't able to meet with Christian this week because he traveled or something. But we met with Solomon a few times; we have taught him a lot, are on the commandments right now, but he has always had trouble coming to church. But anyway, we got to church nice and early on Sunday, and were waiting outside the doors to greet people as they came in. While we were standing there, I sort of turn around towards the wall and just said a silent prayer that Solomon was on his way coming to church and we would see him soon. Before I even finished the prayer, the phone starting buzzing in my pocket. It was a Solomon, telling us he was on the way coming!!!!! He showed up 5 minutes later, 10 minutes early for church. It was so tight, made and Elder Nzuki preeeeeeetty happy. So that was a great start to Sunday.
Anyway, the week was sweet! Pretty normal week, but it was solid. We went to Takoradi today for P-day, w combined with Abura zone to play Takoradi and Sekondi zones. It was fun, we won like 7-1 or something, no big deal. I started off the scoring today, I'm getting the hang of the old futbol. My position is center-mid #8. Tuesday we had a great district meeting, Elder Meinzer instructed on "Will you come to church" and talked about what it really means to go to church for our investigators and for us. I thought about it a lot this week because we were focused on helping some investigators (like Solomon) come to church for the first time. At the meeting, we talked a lot about our district's upcoming baptism. Every companionship in our district is having a baptism this weekend, so we decided to combine for a big district baptism in Yamoransa. It's going to be sweet. There is going to be 20 total people baptized. We're going to make it ultra awesome, nothing is going to go wrong!!!! (we can only pray...haha, maybe the door won't open again). So that will be fun this week. 3 people from Moree will be baptized. Phillip, a young man who has progressed really really well. He will be baptized and also two young boys, Peter and Andrew. Their parents are both members. They started coming to church about a month ago, and are now preparing to go to the temple to be sealed. So it's been cool helping Peter and Andrew prepare for baptism-but it's been cooler as their whole family has been there for the lessons. They have two other boys that are younger than 8, so that will have a sweet time at the temple in a few months!
Wednesday I went on splits with Elder Katoa in Moree (Elder Nzuki doesn't know Moree well enough yet, but he will have to by Friday because I have to go to Abakrampa for the day to interview their ten people for baptism!) It was a pretty normal day, Elder Katoa is awesome. Thursday was cool, Elder Nzuki didn't receive his patriarchal blessing before his mission, so I got to go with him to Ola so he could get that. It was his birthday, and he was veryyyy excited to have an awesome birthday present from the Patriarch. Friday we worked at the chapel in the morning. I realized that working at the chapel would be sweet, and so I just went and talked to the foreman, who gave it the ok. Elders Mortensen and Katoa came to help too, and the Zone leaders called us Thursday night to go on splits with us for Friday, so they came too! It was sweet, we moved a bunch of dirt to fill in an area...pretty serious work :) haha. It was cool though, I think it will help us be more one with the ward since so many members work there. We are going to start doing it every week. Elder Leko came with us for the rest of the day, he is our newer zone leader. He is from Uganda, pretty sweet guy!
The weekend was pretty normal as well. I had to call Elder Adams on Saturday to ask about a baptismal record that he accidentally packed and took to Kumasi. He sounds like he is having fun up there-it is 100 times different than Moree though. Everyone speaks English. It's basically like neighborhoods back in America he said. So he contacts A LOT, pretty much all day he said. He and his companion are also in charge of the "unit" there in Atonsu. It's not a ward or a branch, but it's just a group. They meet for sacrament meeting in Elder Adams' apartment. So he's having fun with that I think. That's the new strategy for the mission, start "groups" in places where there is no place to worship. It should help the mission expand pretty rapidly.
Before I forget, here's some things to send (if you haven't already):
-Pretzel M&Ms (elder mortensen got them and they are awesome!), peanut m&ms, almond m&ms, any kind of m&ms! They get here really good and they are delicioussss.
-Don't send Reeses, they completely melt and become destroyed on the way here.
-EASY CHEESE! Sharp cheddar is fine if there is no bacon and cheddar,
-precooked bacon! Elder Mortensen got it and oh my sweet goodness I need some!
-Cran cherry drink powder. If they don't have cran-cherry, any kind, cran-grape, whatever kind of thing. Send a ton of drink powder in general
Welp I think that's it......Another great week on the mission. Also, it was awesome to open my inbox this week and have 13 emails!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks everyone for e-mailing this week, it was great:)
I love you guys! Thanks so much for everything, sound like you guys are doing great. Hope everything goes well for you this week, it's going to be a crazy week here getting ready for baptism!!! I'm going to be doing interviews everyday, so it will be crazy. Thanks for the great e-mails, packages, letters, and everything! Always feel free to send more stuff :) Haha, esp always throw in some pictures with letters or packages!
Love you!
-Elder Brown
Anyway, the week was sweet! Pretty normal week, but it was solid. We went to Takoradi today for P-day, w combined with Abura zone to play Takoradi and Sekondi zones. It was fun, we won like 7-1 or something, no big deal. I started off the scoring today, I'm getting the hang of the old futbol. My position is center-mid #8. Tuesday we had a great district meeting, Elder Meinzer instructed on "Will you come to church" and talked about what it really means to go to church for our investigators and for us. I thought about it a lot this week because we were focused on helping some investigators (like Solomon) come to church for the first time. At the meeting, we talked a lot about our district's upcoming baptism. Every companionship in our district is having a baptism this weekend, so we decided to combine for a big district baptism in Yamoransa. It's going to be sweet. There is going to be 20 total people baptized. We're going to make it ultra awesome, nothing is going to go wrong!!!! (we can only pray...haha, maybe the door won't open again). So that will be fun this week. 3 people from Moree will be baptized. Phillip, a young man who has progressed really really well. He will be baptized and also two young boys, Peter and Andrew. Their parents are both members. They started coming to church about a month ago, and are now preparing to go to the temple to be sealed. So it's been cool helping Peter and Andrew prepare for baptism-but it's been cooler as their whole family has been there for the lessons. They have two other boys that are younger than 8, so that will have a sweet time at the temple in a few months!
Wednesday I went on splits with Elder Katoa in Moree (Elder Nzuki doesn't know Moree well enough yet, but he will have to by Friday because I have to go to Abakrampa for the day to interview their ten people for baptism!) It was a pretty normal day, Elder Katoa is awesome. Thursday was cool, Elder Nzuki didn't receive his patriarchal blessing before his mission, so I got to go with him to Ola so he could get that. It was his birthday, and he was veryyyy excited to have an awesome birthday present from the Patriarch. Friday we worked at the chapel in the morning. I realized that working at the chapel would be sweet, and so I just went and talked to the foreman, who gave it the ok. Elders Mortensen and Katoa came to help too, and the Zone leaders called us Thursday night to go on splits with us for Friday, so they came too! It was sweet, we moved a bunch of dirt to fill in an area...pretty serious work :) haha. It was cool though, I think it will help us be more one with the ward since so many members work there. We are going to start doing it every week. Elder Leko came with us for the rest of the day, he is our newer zone leader. He is from Uganda, pretty sweet guy!
The weekend was pretty normal as well. I had to call Elder Adams on Saturday to ask about a baptismal record that he accidentally packed and took to Kumasi. He sounds like he is having fun up there-it is 100 times different than Moree though. Everyone speaks English. It's basically like neighborhoods back in America he said. So he contacts A LOT, pretty much all day he said. He and his companion are also in charge of the "unit" there in Atonsu. It's not a ward or a branch, but it's just a group. They meet for sacrament meeting in Elder Adams' apartment. So he's having fun with that I think. That's the new strategy for the mission, start "groups" in places where there is no place to worship. It should help the mission expand pretty rapidly.
Before I forget, here's some things to send (if you haven't already):
-Pretzel M&Ms (elder mortensen got them and they are awesome!), peanut m&ms, almond m&ms, any kind of m&ms! They get here really good and they are delicioussss.
-Don't send Reeses, they completely melt and become destroyed on the way here.
-EASY CHEESE! Sharp cheddar is fine if there is no bacon and cheddar,
-precooked bacon! Elder Mortensen got it and oh my sweet goodness I need some!
-Cran cherry drink powder. If they don't have cran-cherry, any kind, cran-grape, whatever kind of thing. Send a ton of drink powder in general
Welp I think that's it......Another great week on the mission. Also, it was awesome to open my inbox this week and have 13 emails!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks everyone for e-mailing this week, it was great:)
I love you guys! Thanks so much for everything, sound like you guys are doing great. Hope everything goes well for you this week, it's going to be a crazy week here getting ready for baptism!!! I'm going to be doing interviews everyday, so it will be crazy. Thanks for the great e-mails, packages, letters, and everything! Always feel free to send more stuff :) Haha, esp always throw in some pictures with letters or packages!
Love you!
-Elder Brown
Monday, January 17, 2011
January 10, 2011
Memo mo akyi, I could go for some snow right now....I had a dream about cold weather the other night...so weird bc I think I did feel cool haha. You gotta love it when they cancel church for snow though! I really really really wish it would be freezing cold just for one day here! But no biggie I guess haha
Today for P-Day we played we played some basketball by the beach. I didn't play too well, my bod just hurts! The cold and the football from last week didn't help me out. But it was still fun. Abura zone came and played with us, and as I was talking with one of their zone leaders, Elder Harrison, we figured out we stayed in the same room at Budge Hall at BYU! He's the guy that was on the BYU soccer team. And he went there just the year before me, so it was like right when he left that room that I came, since I went in the summer. Small world. We also got ripped off when we bought jollof rice for lunch today...lame! but oh well, we got subsistence today, so I feel rich haha.
Well last week was pretty sweet. It was a really busy week, so it was really good. Tuesday was my first district meeting as district leader and I guess I did ok. After that, we had interviews with president in Ola. Those went well, nothing too special. It's always good to talk with president one on one. We played some scripture Jeopardy during the interviews...pretty fun.
The rest of the week, we were just preparing for the baptism really. We met with John and with Kojo every day to make sure they are ready, and they were. Kojo did so well to progress. His older sister is a member so it was nice to seem them happy together at the baptism and at church on Sunday.
John is a really cool guy too. As we were talking after his interview, I asked when he first came to church, just expecting a "6 months ago" or "around this time" sort of answer, but he said "27th December 2009." An exact date! It was a ward party he went to with his friend, Ignicious, that was his first time. So he's been waiting a while, but he's finally a member!
It's still been a little frustrating teaching all Fante speaking investigators, but it's been ok. It's helping me to learn it better already. Last week was one of my better Fante learning weeks on the mission. Being with Elder Nzuki does help a little, bc Africans seem to pick up on the language faster, and because he wants to learn a lot. So hopefully we learn a lot together.
The baptism on Saturday went well, but it was somehow crazy, as always! Transportation was fine, the 2nd counselor in the bishopric worked it out with his taxi and everyone got to Yamoransa fine, but when we got there, the close with the baptismal clothes was locked! So we called their bishop and someone brought the keys, but when we tried to open it, it just wouldn't work! We spent 30 minutes trying to get the door open. Finally, Elder Nzuki got it. It was so frustrating. Delayed the baptism almost an hour. But it was ok. It was a good service.
So nothing else too special. We have a baptism scheduled for the 22nd-everyone else in the district has a baptism scheduled for that day too, so we are thinking about doing a big combined baptism at the beach in Moree. It would be cool! Probably 20+ people baptized, it would be really sweet. (ps-in the Ghana artwork highlight from the Ensign you sent me, there was a painting of "Baptism beach" and I am 90% sure that is the beach we do our baptisms at).
Anyway, it's all going well here. Elder Nzuki is getting his patriarchal blessing on Thursday, so that will be cool. Life is good in the hood. Moree ward is seriously growing. Less-actives are coming back, a family going to the temple in a month to get sealed and people are bringing new people to church every week. Most of all them are Fante speakers, so I gotta get busy learning more!
I love you all vewy vewy much, thanks for everything. Enjoy the snow, have fun watching football tomorrow, and make sure that BYU beats utah 108-43 tomorrow. Love you!!!!!! ME DO MO PA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Kwesi Brown
Tell everybody I love em! And that I'm sorry pouch takes like 2 months to get there!
Today for P-Day we played we played some basketball by the beach. I didn't play too well, my bod just hurts! The cold and the football from last week didn't help me out. But it was still fun. Abura zone came and played with us, and as I was talking with one of their zone leaders, Elder Harrison, we figured out we stayed in the same room at Budge Hall at BYU! He's the guy that was on the BYU soccer team. And he went there just the year before me, so it was like right when he left that room that I came, since I went in the summer. Small world. We also got ripped off when we bought jollof rice for lunch today...lame! but oh well, we got subsistence today, so I feel rich haha.
Well last week was pretty sweet. It was a really busy week, so it was really good. Tuesday was my first district meeting as district leader and I guess I did ok. After that, we had interviews with president in Ola. Those went well, nothing too special. It's always good to talk with president one on one. We played some scripture Jeopardy during the interviews...pretty fun.
The rest of the week, we were just preparing for the baptism really. We met with John and with Kojo every day to make sure they are ready, and they were. Kojo did so well to progress. His older sister is a member so it was nice to seem them happy together at the baptism and at church on Sunday.
John is a really cool guy too. As we were talking after his interview, I asked when he first came to church, just expecting a "6 months ago" or "around this time" sort of answer, but he said "27th December 2009." An exact date! It was a ward party he went to with his friend, Ignicious, that was his first time. So he's been waiting a while, but he's finally a member!
It's still been a little frustrating teaching all Fante speaking investigators, but it's been ok. It's helping me to learn it better already. Last week was one of my better Fante learning weeks on the mission. Being with Elder Nzuki does help a little, bc Africans seem to pick up on the language faster, and because he wants to learn a lot. So hopefully we learn a lot together.
The baptism on Saturday went well, but it was somehow crazy, as always! Transportation was fine, the 2nd counselor in the bishopric worked it out with his taxi and everyone got to Yamoransa fine, but when we got there, the close with the baptismal clothes was locked! So we called their bishop and someone brought the keys, but when we tried to open it, it just wouldn't work! We spent 30 minutes trying to get the door open. Finally, Elder Nzuki got it. It was so frustrating. Delayed the baptism almost an hour. But it was ok. It was a good service.
So nothing else too special. We have a baptism scheduled for the 22nd-everyone else in the district has a baptism scheduled for that day too, so we are thinking about doing a big combined baptism at the beach in Moree. It would be cool! Probably 20+ people baptized, it would be really sweet. (ps-in the Ghana artwork highlight from the Ensign you sent me, there was a painting of "Baptism beach" and I am 90% sure that is the beach we do our baptisms at).
Anyway, it's all going well here. Elder Nzuki is getting his patriarchal blessing on Thursday, so that will be cool. Life is good in the hood. Moree ward is seriously growing. Less-actives are coming back, a family going to the temple in a month to get sealed and people are bringing new people to church every week. Most of all them are Fante speakers, so I gotta get busy learning more!
I love you all vewy vewy much, thanks for everything. Enjoy the snow, have fun watching football tomorrow, and make sure that BYU beats utah 108-43 tomorrow. Love you!!!!!! ME DO MO PA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Kwesi Brown
Tell everybody I love em! And that I'm sorry pouch takes like 2 months to get there!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
January 3, 2011
Afe nko mmeto yen bio! (response to Afehyia Pa. Afehyia pa means "the year has come to meet us" and the response means "let the year go and come back to us again") Oh mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. I am so tired and drained right now its ridiculous. This week has been so crazy. Awesome, but crazy. We just got done playing some football. A little too physical than I'd like...got some scratches to prove it. But I guess missionaries have to let it out somehow. We played Abura, we lost. Abura has a guy on the BYU soccer team on their team. Plus they brought some investigators to play with them because they only had 8. I scored though! And it was a serious, legit goal! Elder Katoa gave me a perfect throw in from the sideline, I dribbled baseline (as they would say in basketball) gave a fake pass to Elder Mortensen, then fired it home past one defender and the keeper. I felt pretty good :) I was wearing my #23 Prince Boateng Ghana national jersey, so I think that gave me some magic.
Anyway, so yep, this week was veryyy crazy. Tuesday the transfer happened. I went with Elder Adams to the STC station in Pedu, and we waited there for his STC bus to Kumasi. The APs and zone leaders brought over his new companion, who was serving in Swedru. His name is Elder Smith, from Utah. A few hours later, Elder Nzuki came down on the bus from Kumasi. He's really sweet. He's from Kenya, and has been on the mission for a couple months. He actually served as a local missionary in Kenya before he came, so he's used to it all. He played rugby over there, wants to go back and play on the national team when he's done with mission, but he's not all that big like Elder Katoa. His native language is Swahili. It's the language that they used for the Lion King! Hakuna Matata literally means no worries!!! Haha, and he also speaks like 13 other languages or something...he speaks French really well. So he's a pretty smart dude!
So Wednesday we got out to proselyting. First day without Elder Adams, as senior companion, and with that didn't know the area was tough, but fun. We taught a lot of lessons. Sunday was Fast Sunday and it was the best fasting experience I've ever had. I didn't think I would make it, just with being sick and all (recovering from a cold) but I never felt better fasting than I did on Sunday. It was one of the best days I have had on the mission yet. I was hungry sure, but I had more strength than I had had that whole week for sure. So anyway, it was tough being sick, especially this week, but I think its the way it was supposed to be. I honestly felt so good on Sunday walking around Moree. It had been a tough, rewarding, packed week, but I felt so so good on Sunday. I'm glad it was this week that I got sick, because even though it made everything a little harder, it made it all the more better when we finished another good week. I feel like I am a lot better off having this week to think about now.
So anyway, let me get on to some of our investigators right now. We have so many investigators right now...it's hard to keep track of them all!! 13 investigators came to church on Sunday. Almost all of them only speak Fante, so it's difficult meeting with them and teaching them, but hey, God is no respecter of persons! I just gotta learn Fante! It's so hard....but its coming kakrakakra. One of our sweetest investigators came to church for the first time. His name is Solomon. He works on the chapel. He speaks great English, and is loving the stuff we teach. He lives really far away. But he came and even brought a friend yesterday! It was a great feeling when he walked in.
We are really sad about one of our investigators though, Seth. He is about 30 and had a lot of friends in Moree ward. We contacted him about 3 or 4 weeks ago, and have taught him all the way up to the Commandments (so basically everything). He was committed to baptism for January 15th, and had come to church, so he was already for the date....but he's moved to Takoradi on Saturday!!!!!!!!! He's already contacted the missionaries there though, we made sure all was good getting it worked out for him to meet the missionaries there, so hopefully he went to church with them yesterday! We were so bummed a couple of weeks ago when he told us he was moving. So it's sad that he's not here and that we can't see the baptism, but all that matters is that he becomes a member, and I'm pretty confident that will happen. He is in the Takoradi Zone Leader's area, and they are studs, so I have no worries.
So if you were wondering...I didn't stay up until midnight on Friday (New Year's Eve) Thought about it...but didn't. There was a little parade thing in Yamoransa on Saturday....like 30 people walking down the street banging drums and blowing trumpets and trombones, but that was it. Some random people were shooting guns or setting off firecrackers or something on Friday. That was about it! Very weird it's 2011.
Welp, I can't think of anything else from the week. We are having a baptism on Saturday for John and Kojo. They're both sweet guys, they are both 19, John is a student (speaks English) and Kojo is a fisherman (no English). They are both referrals from members, Kojo from one of our recent converts, Dennis, who has helped a lot in the teaching. But man...I think I will look back on this week and it will define my mission. I feel like I've changed a lot. Having the pressure on me as we are proselyting that the day is successful, having a lot of Fante speakers to teach so having to find translators all day, and just of course being sick. But we powered through every day. It's a lot different being with Elder Nzuki but the experience is sweet. Every second I'm learning just because our cultures are so radically different. But it's all the same work, for both of us. We might be from a world apart, but it's still the same work and we're going to work as hard as ever. The experience I had on Sunday with fasting and just the day of proselyting was really special for me. I can't even really explain. But I'm so thankful for everything that is happening to me now, even if it's hard, or difficult or whatever. It's going to be awesome, and I'm looking forward to the future.
I love you guys, I can't even begin to explain how thankful! I am for you and for everybody back home. I hope you guys are enjoying the exciting time back there, and keep thinking of your guy in Africa :) Stay fresh as always. Yebehyiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
-Elder Brown
PS-shout outs to Grandma, Hayden, Matt, Syd, and Grant Myres for awesome emails this week! And Amanda :) And mom and dad!
Anyway, so yep, this week was veryyy crazy. Tuesday the transfer happened. I went with Elder Adams to the STC station in Pedu, and we waited there for his STC bus to Kumasi. The APs and zone leaders brought over his new companion, who was serving in Swedru. His name is Elder Smith, from Utah. A few hours later, Elder Nzuki came down on the bus from Kumasi. He's really sweet. He's from Kenya, and has been on the mission for a couple months. He actually served as a local missionary in Kenya before he came, so he's used to it all. He played rugby over there, wants to go back and play on the national team when he's done with mission, but he's not all that big like Elder Katoa. His native language is Swahili. It's the language that they used for the Lion King! Hakuna Matata literally means no worries!!! Haha, and he also speaks like 13 other languages or something...he speaks French really well. So he's a pretty smart dude!
So Wednesday we got out to proselyting. First day without Elder Adams, as senior companion, and with that didn't know the area was tough, but fun. We taught a lot of lessons. Sunday was Fast Sunday and it was the best fasting experience I've ever had. I didn't think I would make it, just with being sick and all (recovering from a cold) but I never felt better fasting than I did on Sunday. It was one of the best days I have had on the mission yet. I was hungry sure, but I had more strength than I had had that whole week for sure. So anyway, it was tough being sick, especially this week, but I think its the way it was supposed to be. I honestly felt so good on Sunday walking around Moree. It had been a tough, rewarding, packed week, but I felt so so good on Sunday. I'm glad it was this week that I got sick, because even though it made everything a little harder, it made it all the more better when we finished another good week. I feel like I am a lot better off having this week to think about now.
So anyway, let me get on to some of our investigators right now. We have so many investigators right now...it's hard to keep track of them all!! 13 investigators came to church on Sunday. Almost all of them only speak Fante, so it's difficult meeting with them and teaching them, but hey, God is no respecter of persons! I just gotta learn Fante! It's so hard....but its coming kakrakakra. One of our sweetest investigators came to church for the first time. His name is Solomon. He works on the chapel. He speaks great English, and is loving the stuff we teach. He lives really far away. But he came and even brought a friend yesterday! It was a great feeling when he walked in.
We are really sad about one of our investigators though, Seth. He is about 30 and had a lot of friends in Moree ward. We contacted him about 3 or 4 weeks ago, and have taught him all the way up to the Commandments (so basically everything). He was committed to baptism for January 15th, and had come to church, so he was already for the date....but he's moved to Takoradi on Saturday!!!!!!!!! He's already contacted the missionaries there though, we made sure all was good getting it worked out for him to meet the missionaries there, so hopefully he went to church with them yesterday! We were so bummed a couple of weeks ago when he told us he was moving. So it's sad that he's not here and that we can't see the baptism, but all that matters is that he becomes a member, and I'm pretty confident that will happen. He is in the Takoradi Zone Leader's area, and they are studs, so I have no worries.
So if you were wondering...I didn't stay up until midnight on Friday (New Year's Eve) Thought about it...but didn't. There was a little parade thing in Yamoransa on Saturday....like 30 people walking down the street banging drums and blowing trumpets and trombones, but that was it. Some random people were shooting guns or setting off firecrackers or something on Friday. That was about it! Very weird it's 2011.
Welp, I can't think of anything else from the week. We are having a baptism on Saturday for John and Kojo. They're both sweet guys, they are both 19, John is a student (speaks English) and Kojo is a fisherman (no English). They are both referrals from members, Kojo from one of our recent converts, Dennis, who has helped a lot in the teaching. But man...I think I will look back on this week and it will define my mission. I feel like I've changed a lot. Having the pressure on me as we are proselyting that the day is successful, having a lot of Fante speakers to teach so having to find translators all day, and just of course being sick. But we powered through every day. It's a lot different being with Elder Nzuki but the experience is sweet. Every second I'm learning just because our cultures are so radically different. But it's all the same work, for both of us. We might be from a world apart, but it's still the same work and we're going to work as hard as ever. The experience I had on Sunday with fasting and just the day of proselyting was really special for me. I can't even really explain. But I'm so thankful for everything that is happening to me now, even if it's hard, or difficult or whatever. It's going to be awesome, and I'm looking forward to the future.
I love you guys, I can't even begin to explain how thankful! I am for you and for everybody back home. I hope you guys are enjoying the exciting time back there, and keep thinking of your guy in Africa :) Stay fresh as always. Yebehyiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
-Elder Brown
PS-shout outs to Grandma, Hayden, Matt, Syd, and Grant Myres for awesome emails this week! And Amanda :) And mom and dad!
Friday, January 14, 2011
12-27-2010
Dang Ghanaian computers. Anyway, it was so awesome to get to talk to you guys on Saturday, just hearing your voices made me feel a little closer to home for Christmas. Hope your guys' Christmas was great. It was great here in Ghana. We had our own little White Christmas here. Even though me and Elder Adams didn't have anyone quite ready to be baptized on Christmas, it was fun to be able to go to Yamaransa's and Mankeissim's. Elder Bunker asked me to give the talk at the service. I used Alma 7:10-15 and it made it a Christmasy baptism talk, so it was fun. We went down to the beach for the baptism, which is always cool. I don't know if I talked much about our Christmas meal that we made, but oh man it was great. I'll talk about it small so you can get the feel. So a few weeks ago President and Sister Sabey told us that we would get 5 extra Ghana cedis in our sub to cook a Christmas meal for a family in need. We decided right when we heard about it to do it for a family in the area. They are recent converts. We decided to make them Red-Red, our favorite Ghanaian dish. It is fried plantain with bean stew (tomato paste, tomatoes, onion, palm oil, pepper, and beans). We had Sister Suzie (Sister Pratt) teach us ho to make it, and we went to the Pratt's in the afternoon to cook it. We cooked it all and brought it over. A friend cooked some sea snails to go with it so that was nice. He also bought alvaro (the most delicious soda ever) and fanta and had it chilled and ready. We had a great time and had a few gifts for the kids. Elder Adams and I headed back to the Pratt's to wash the dishes when we were done eating. It was great, couldn't have asked for a better Christmas meal.
Welp, we got a fun phone call in Yamoransa this morning. It was from President Sabey....Elder Adams is going on transfers! :( It honestly came out of absolutely no where. We were both pretty surprised the past few transfers when we stayed together, but neither of us were expecting this at all. It is somehow an "emergency" transfer. Not because anyone did anything wrong, it's because they are opening up a new area in Kumasi, but they just didn't have the apartment ready at the last transfer. So they had to do a mid-transfer transfer. Elder Adams is going up there to Kumasi to open it up, and I'm staying in Moree! My new companion is named Elder Nzuki, he is from Kenya and has only been on the mission for a month and a half. One of the guys in our zone (Elder Alba-SLC,UT) is his MT, and he told me he is tight. He was companions with him in the MTC, and he said I would get along with him for sure. He seems pretty cool! It'll be sad to see Elder Adams go, I've been with this guy for over a fourth of my mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crazy! It's weird he's actually leaving. I don't think either of us really get it right now haha. But he's leaving tomorrow at noon on the STC bus up to Kumasi, Elder Nzuki will be in Yamoransa tomorrow. I'm gonna miss Elder Adams. He was an awesome trainer, an awesome missionary and a great friend. We got to know each other better than I think we realize. We've spent every blessed day together for the last 6 months! Haha, it's been so fun. Many many memories with him in Moree and Yamoransa. We got to play some basketball today one last time before he leaves. Elder Adams is a baller by the way. We'll go in to Moree tonight so he can say some goodbyes, I'm sure it will be fun, but sad for him. He wanted to stay here for a full year. Moree is all he has known on his mission. I'm sure I'll hear little kids yelling "Elder Adams!!!!!" for the rest of the time I'm in Moree. Alright I gotta stop talking about it, I'm gonna start crying!!!!!! :) It'll be sad tomorrow, but its tie to start a new chapter on the mission! I'm excited to have an Africa companion. Also.....I'm the new district leader....not too excited about that. I haven't even been a senior companion or a trainer or anything yet....so I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to be doing, but I guess I'll just learn as I go. I learned with Elder Adams being district leader, so hopefully I do ok. I'll get to travel to Abakrampa and Mannkeissim a lot at least! Haha
So anyway, that's the big news of the week. Elder Adams is excited to get to see Kumasi and get to learn how to open an area, but I can tell he's sad to leave Moree. This was basically his home in Ghana! It'll be sweet for him up there in Kumasi I'm sure.
The Christmas call was so great, and thanks for all the gifts and notes and singing cards!!!!!!! Thanks everyone for being so awesome, even though I'm far for Christmas. I felt all of my family and friends' love here on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! I went to bed on Christmas just as excited as I ever was as a small boy. I suppose it really is because it's not about the gifts, or the lights, or the food or anything. It really is about remembering the most important birth that has ever happened. It really is about the Savior, and his Atonement And Love for us. And in turn its about family and friends, and Love! And I felt it here in Cape Coast for sure. It was different, it was far far away on the Guinean plains, and it was hot, but it was great :) Thanks for everything. I love you so much, can't even begin to explain. I'm excited to start a new year and a new chapter of my mission. I'm nervous being the senior companion and all, but I know in Whom I trust, and its all gonna be good. Elder Nzuki is gonna be fresh, I can already tell, and we are going to have tons of fun together in Moree.
Mom said about 2010- "It's been quite a year" I say AMEN to that. Too many things to even start thinking of right now, but 2010 has been quite a year for sure. 2011 is bound to hold some more awesome stuff, no doubt. I love you guys, and everyone else back home! Merry Christmas! And Afehyia Pa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Happy New Year :)
Love,
Elder Brown
PS-thank President Freeze and all the YM for the awesome package and you can tell Jordan that, yes, I have enjoyed the "bountiful harvest" :)
Welp, we got a fun phone call in Yamoransa this morning. It was from President Sabey....Elder Adams is going on transfers! :( It honestly came out of absolutely no where. We were both pretty surprised the past few transfers when we stayed together, but neither of us were expecting this at all. It is somehow an "emergency" transfer. Not because anyone did anything wrong, it's because they are opening up a new area in Kumasi, but they just didn't have the apartment ready at the last transfer. So they had to do a mid-transfer transfer. Elder Adams is going up there to Kumasi to open it up, and I'm staying in Moree! My new companion is named Elder Nzuki, he is from Kenya and has only been on the mission for a month and a half. One of the guys in our zone (Elder Alba-SLC,UT) is his MT, and he told me he is tight. He was companions with him in the MTC, and he said I would get along with him for sure. He seems pretty cool! It'll be sad to see Elder Adams go, I've been with this guy for over a fourth of my mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crazy! It's weird he's actually leaving. I don't think either of us really get it right now haha. But he's leaving tomorrow at noon on the STC bus up to Kumasi, Elder Nzuki will be in Yamoransa tomorrow. I'm gonna miss Elder Adams. He was an awesome trainer, an awesome missionary and a great friend. We got to know each other better than I think we realize. We've spent every blessed day together for the last 6 months! Haha, it's been so fun. Many many memories with him in Moree and Yamoransa. We got to play some basketball today one last time before he leaves. Elder Adams is a baller by the way. We'll go in to Moree tonight so he can say some goodbyes, I'm sure it will be fun, but sad for him. He wanted to stay here for a full year. Moree is all he has known on his mission. I'm sure I'll hear little kids yelling "Elder Adams!!!!!" for the rest of the time I'm in Moree. Alright I gotta stop talking about it, I'm gonna start crying!!!!!! :) It'll be sad tomorrow, but its tie to start a new chapter on the mission! I'm excited to have an Africa companion. Also.....I'm the new district leader....not too excited about that. I haven't even been a senior companion or a trainer or anything yet....so I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to be doing, but I guess I'll just learn as I go. I learned with Elder Adams being district leader, so hopefully I do ok. I'll get to travel to Abakrampa and Mannkeissim a lot at least! Haha
So anyway, that's the big news of the week. Elder Adams is excited to get to see Kumasi and get to learn how to open an area, but I can tell he's sad to leave Moree. This was basically his home in Ghana! It'll be sweet for him up there in Kumasi I'm sure.
The Christmas call was so great, and thanks for all the gifts and notes and singing cards!!!!!!! Thanks everyone for being so awesome, even though I'm far for Christmas. I felt all of my family and friends' love here on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! I went to bed on Christmas just as excited as I ever was as a small boy. I suppose it really is because it's not about the gifts, or the lights, or the food or anything. It really is about remembering the most important birth that has ever happened. It really is about the Savior, and his Atonement And Love for us. And in turn its about family and friends, and Love! And I felt it here in Cape Coast for sure. It was different, it was far far away on the Guinean plains, and it was hot, but it was great :) Thanks for everything. I love you so much, can't even begin to explain. I'm excited to start a new year and a new chapter of my mission. I'm nervous being the senior companion and all, but I know in Whom I trust, and its all gonna be good. Elder Nzuki is gonna be fresh, I can already tell, and we are going to have tons of fun together in Moree.
Mom said about 2010- "It's been quite a year" I say AMEN to that. Too many things to even start thinking of right now, but 2010 has been quite a year for sure. 2011 is bound to hold some more awesome stuff, no doubt. I love you guys, and everyone else back home! Merry Christmas! And Afehyia Pa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Happy New Year :)
Love,
Elder Brown
PS-thank President Freeze and all the YM for the awesome package and you can tell Jordan that, yes, I have enjoyed the "bountiful harvest" :)
Monday, January 3, 2011
December 20, 2010
What's up?! Merry Christmas! In Fante they say Buronya Pa...it means "white man is celebrating", haha. There's really no Christmas celebration here. We just saw a guy in a Santa suit though, so that was pretty cool, but other than that there's not much. A few things here and there but not much. The email will be a little shorter today since we will be talking on Saturday, so I'll just fill you in on the cool stuff from the week :)
I got some more packages today, one from the California Browns, one from David and Valri, two from Grandma and Grandpa brown. And one from you guys that had been mis-sent to Sri Lanka! How tight is that?! You sent it in October and its just now getting here! It has a big stamp on the front that says "sent to Sri Lanka" and then says that it was sent through Dubai too. So that thing has been all over the world! Haha. Thanks everybody for the packages!!!!!! I can already tell they have got sweet stuff in them :)
Sad to hear Guyer lost, it seems like they had it in the bag. Glad that BYU rolled, seems like they've got a solid foundation for the future. Hoffman is only a sophomore right? I played some pick up ball with him every now and then in the RB. Lived in one of the Helaman dorms while I was there.
Still can't believe that Olivia is actually here! The pictures are so cool. It just doesn't feel like it has happened because I'm not there, but obviously it has! So glad that everything is going well with her and that she's in the apartment now. I'm sure Mom is just loving it, but doesn't even know if it's real still! Seems like you and H have had a lot of times by yourself in Denton since I've been gone! Been living it up I'm sure :)
Oh yeah I forgot to tell you! I'm emailing you from......................................Cape Coast:) Me and Elder Adams are staying together in Moree! We will have been together for 7 1/2 months at the end of this transfer! No one ever stays together that long really, so it will be another sweet transfer in Moree. It'll be weird though, for basically the first third of my mission I will have been in one area with one companion. It'll be sweet! Elder Mortensen and Elder Katoa are staying together as well, so our apartment is the same. The put elders in Abakrampa, which is about 15 minutes down the road from Yamoransa, so we are in a district with them and Mannkesim now, Elder Adams still the district leader. We got to go to Mannkesim on Saturday for interviews, and it is a sweet place. It's a really really busy town, it has a giant market and a big big tro-tro station. It's about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Cape Coast. One thing I've never really talked about is how small Cape Coast is. You might think of it like a big city, but it is not at all. It's honestly the size of downtown Denton. There are tons of people everywhere, but there are no big buildings, everything is under three stories. To drive from Cape Coast to Yamoransa , is basically like driving from the Square to Forrestridge or something. Really small. But there are tons and tons of people, just because it's so densely populated.
So the week of proselyting was good. We have a lot of Fante speakers to teach again. The sweetest part of the week though was that we taught Seth a couple of times, and he came to church on Sunday! He's another guy like Andrew, so it's been sweet teaching him. We didn't even have to pick him for church either, he came himself! He even said that his brother was trying to get him not to go, but he came anyway. It was sweet. He was scared at first, but he saw when he got there that there was a bunch of people that he knew there, he even knew Andrew! So Andrew was with him throughout church helping him out, which was perfect! Bernard received the Aaronic Priesthood, he is doing really really well. We proselyted with an awesome guy from the ward on Sunday, Elliot. He's so happy, he works at the chapel, he travels to Ola (other side of Cape) to go to mission prep class every week, he comes to our ward missionary meeting every week, and he is just the happiest guy at church. He even dresses fresh! Yesterday he had on a fresh black v-neck sweater (don't know how in this blessed earth he could do that in the heat), nice and slim black trou, and fresh matching topsiders. I asked him if he read GQ! Haha I told him he could move to New York and work for the magazine one day if he wanted to. He really is a stud though, he was so good at translating and he took us to three referrals yesterday! He's doing great.
Welp I'll just leave it there for today. I hope you guys have a great week, a great Christmas Eve, and Merry Christmas! But I'll get to talk to you for that one :) Just don't turn off the phone or anything :) haha. Tell Olivia Merry Christmas for me! And tell everyone in the ward and in Denton!
Love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Brown
Oh PS- I didn't do anything too for special for my six months. Me and Elder Bunker (my MT) were going to go for Burgers in Abura, but it's just too much of a hassle to get there. so we just got some killer fried rice in town.
PSS- The Ghanaian name for a girl born on Monday is Adwowa. That's the only one I forgot last week.
Love you guys!!
I got some more packages today, one from the California Browns, one from David and Valri, two from Grandma and Grandpa brown. And one from you guys that had been mis-sent to Sri Lanka! How tight is that?! You sent it in October and its just now getting here! It has a big stamp on the front that says "sent to Sri Lanka" and then says that it was sent through Dubai too. So that thing has been all over the world! Haha. Thanks everybody for the packages!!!!!! I can already tell they have got sweet stuff in them :)
Sad to hear Guyer lost, it seems like they had it in the bag. Glad that BYU rolled, seems like they've got a solid foundation for the future. Hoffman is only a sophomore right? I played some pick up ball with him every now and then in the RB. Lived in one of the Helaman dorms while I was there.
Still can't believe that Olivia is actually here! The pictures are so cool. It just doesn't feel like it has happened because I'm not there, but obviously it has! So glad that everything is going well with her and that she's in the apartment now. I'm sure Mom is just loving it, but doesn't even know if it's real still! Seems like you and H have had a lot of times by yourself in Denton since I've been gone! Been living it up I'm sure :)
Oh yeah I forgot to tell you! I'm emailing you from......................................Cape Coast:) Me and Elder Adams are staying together in Moree! We will have been together for 7 1/2 months at the end of this transfer! No one ever stays together that long really, so it will be another sweet transfer in Moree. It'll be weird though, for basically the first third of my mission I will have been in one area with one companion. It'll be sweet! Elder Mortensen and Elder Katoa are staying together as well, so our apartment is the same. The put elders in Abakrampa, which is about 15 minutes down the road from Yamoransa, so we are in a district with them and Mannkesim now, Elder Adams still the district leader. We got to go to Mannkesim on Saturday for interviews, and it is a sweet place. It's a really really busy town, it has a giant market and a big big tro-tro station. It's about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Cape Coast. One thing I've never really talked about is how small Cape Coast is. You might think of it like a big city, but it is not at all. It's honestly the size of downtown Denton. There are tons of people everywhere, but there are no big buildings, everything is under three stories. To drive from Cape Coast to Yamoransa , is basically like driving from the Square to Forrestridge or something. Really small. But there are tons and tons of people, just because it's so densely populated.
So the week of proselyting was good. We have a lot of Fante speakers to teach again. The sweetest part of the week though was that we taught Seth a couple of times, and he came to church on Sunday! He's another guy like Andrew, so it's been sweet teaching him. We didn't even have to pick him for church either, he came himself! He even said that his brother was trying to get him not to go, but he came anyway. It was sweet. He was scared at first, but he saw when he got there that there was a bunch of people that he knew there, he even knew Andrew! So Andrew was with him throughout church helping him out, which was perfect! Bernard received the Aaronic Priesthood, he is doing really really well. We proselyted with an awesome guy from the ward on Sunday, Elliot. He's so happy, he works at the chapel, he travels to Ola (other side of Cape) to go to mission prep class every week, he comes to our ward missionary meeting every week, and he is just the happiest guy at church. He even dresses fresh! Yesterday he had on a fresh black v-neck sweater (don't know how in this blessed earth he could do that in the heat), nice and slim black trou, and fresh matching topsiders. I asked him if he read GQ! Haha I told him he could move to New York and work for the magazine one day if he wanted to. He really is a stud though, he was so good at translating and he took us to three referrals yesterday! He's doing great.
Welp I'll just leave it there for today. I hope you guys have a great week, a great Christmas Eve, and Merry Christmas! But I'll get to talk to you for that one :) Just don't turn off the phone or anything :) haha. Tell Olivia Merry Christmas for me! And tell everyone in the ward and in Denton!
Love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Brown
Oh PS- I didn't do anything too for special for my six months. Me and Elder Bunker (my MT) were going to go for Burgers in Abura, but it's just too much of a hassle to get there. so we just got some killer fried rice in town.
PSS- The Ghanaian name for a girl born on Monday is Adwowa. That's the only one I forgot last week.
Love you guys!!
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