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" :)