August 8, 2011

Sorry my update was short last week. Computers here.... are good :) The first couple days we had to have our investigators come to meet us at the chapel, which went pretty well and we stayed fairly busy. Then Wednesday we went and GPS'd the rest of our area. So we didn't have a normal week of proselyting (aka walking A TON) but it was still very successful. Because yep, the baptism did work out. We had the interviews Wednesday night, then Sunday everybody was on time and ready! And the font was just fine this time!!! We had four baptized on Sunday. Elizabeth - we have been teaching her for a while now, she would come to church every week but worked at central market in Kumasi everyday from sun up to sun down, so we could never meet her during the week. But after 5 solid months of coming to church every week, she was ready for baptism for sure. She was sweet, some missionaries contacted her while she was selling in Central Market, and she decided to visit the church, found out the closest one to her was at UST (at the time) and traveled 45 minutes to an hour every Sunday for church. Makes you think... maybe some of those random people I have contacted decided to go to church at their home town... maybe :) Haha. So she is sweet. Then Eric got to baptize his son, Sammy. Sammy is his last kid that lives with him, and started coming to church after we taught him once with Eric. He has made really good friends with the YM, and is loving the church. He is 14, so now he can't wait to become a missionary. Elder Nyame.... pretty cool :) Haha. We are still working with Eric's wife Comfort. We taught the whole family together last night after the baptism. So we shall continue to work and pray!!! Then Gilbert, Bro. Timothy's brother. He took a lot of effort too because he doesn't speak English or Twi, only Ewe (although he is learning English and Twi pretty fast - his whole interview was in English with no translator). Bro Timothy helped us a lot to teach him, and he was baptized yesterday! Gilbert is so sweet... love dat guy!!!! Lastly, but certainly not least was Brotha Richard. What a stud. This guy is the freshest dressing guy in Kwamo. Seriously. He's got this fresh NY Yankees hat he wears all the time that I want...! We were doing a service project a few months back, and he called out to me, Elder Timothy, and
Cosmos while we were passing by his house on the way back to the chapel. He looked at my tag, said "Yes... Latter-day Saints... I want to learn more about you, I am very serious" and the rest is history! He is 20 years old, and said he wants to go on a mission. He was waiting to apply to go to UST, but he says he is deciding if he wants to go on a mission first or not. He pretty much has to go before or after college, they won't let people defer for a mission. Elder Anarfi... also pretty cool! Two of his best friends Emmanual and Mensah are getting baptized 20 August. Mensah might be the only person in Kwamo that dresses more fresh than Anarfi. So that was all with the baptism on Sunday... probably my smoothest baptism yet.

Today we played a full pitch football match, here at Kwamo. It was pretty fun, I played midfield for most of the game and then keeper at the end. I am getting better, I had a few good runs, had a pretty sweet set-up and assist if I may say so myself. I took the ball like half the field, dribbled around two defenders, then passed to my boy Elder Bassey (Akwai-ibom, Nigeria) who poked it in for the goal. My ball handling is the worst facet of my game, but I could see improvements today :) I am still not a very good keeper though haha. I gave up a goal in like the 15 minutes I was keeper.

Hmmm, what else.... I am forgetting stuff. I didn't write down notes this week so my mind isn't as focused haha. Well if there is nothing else I can think of off the top of my head... then I guess that’s about all the cool stuff that happened :) Cosmos is preparing to get his patriarchal blessing, All the recent converts, Eric, Thomas, Cosmos, Cliff, Degraft, now Anarfi and Gilbert, are preparing for the Melchizedek Priesthood with Stake Conference coming up in a few months... Elder Nathan is doing great, life is A-OK! And it wasn't even that hot this week! Pretty cool to be honest, today was perfect while we were playing football. Hope you guys break the 100 degree day record :) Haha. Good luck with Seminary mom, you are gonna do great! There is some sweet stuff in the Old Testament that has helped me a ton on my mission. I will make a list this week and send it to you next week, so whenever you get to that scripture you can say, "oh yeah, this scripture is very important for mission (life) per Elder Brown in Ghana".

Welp other than that, life is going on here! We have FHE at Thomas and Patricia's tonight and then on to a great week ahead. Every week, every blessed week, my testimony gets stronger out here. This is all true! It’s so awesome to see the gospel in action every second of every day. Oh and thanks Mom for teaching me how to sweep, and how to not care about what other people are doing, and how to take out the trash, and every other little thing. And Dad too :) It’s crazy
how every little thing you ever said.... was exactly right :) Elder Nathan tells me I sound like his mum (not mom) most of the time, and that is mos def a good thing :) Love you guys!!!!!!!!! So so
much!!!!!!!1 ME do mo paaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Elder Brown