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!