So this place is great, when you are working hard in the hot sun and are thinking "man, I am sure hot and could go for something light and refreshing that only costs around 50 pesewas (cents)" a guy pushing a wheelbarrow full of coconuts walks by. He chops it up with a machete (don't know how to spell that...a really big dull knife thingie that the skeletons in "the adventures of Sinbad" or "Clash of the Titans" use)and cuts off the top for you and you drink the yummy goodness inside thus quenching your 'something refreshing' craving. Then he cuts open the coconut you just drank and then scoops out the inside for you and gives it to you in a little convenient to-go bag so you can graze on it throughout the day. Here is a pic of me enjoying the nummy coconut.
Sorry all the pics are around our apartment. People go nuts when you break out a camera, plus I don't wanna look like a tourist PLUS I don't wanna get it stolen or whateva.
HA this picture will make Britt laugh. Here is me holding up some plantains like someone on a refrigerator magnet would - haha. We eat lots of plantains. You can buy killy willy from the people on the streets and it is so delicious. It is marinated plantain fried in oil. They marinate it in salt water for a min and then fry it up. So good. Oil is very big here, like everything has oil in it. The stews are mostly oil based. I bet you that I have eaten more oil here than I have in my entire life. Yet my pants are still falling off... weird. (pronounced "wheird)
HA this picture will make Britt laugh. Here is me holding up some plantains like someone on a refrigerator magnet would - haha. We eat lots of plantains. You can buy killy willy from the people on the streets and it is so delicious. It is marinated plantain fried in oil. They marinate it in salt water for a min and then fry it up. So good. Oil is very big here, like everything has oil in it. The stews are mostly oil based. I bet you that I have eaten more oil here than I have in my entire life. Yet my pants are still falling off... weird. (pronounced "wheird)
Here is me and the A-yo lady. Elder Riding and I buy the A-yo a bunch. She puts that big ol bucket of stuff on her head and carries it around. This is in front of our neighbor’s gate after we helped get the A-yo off her head. We just discovered she sells something called eg bay me (again the spelling, I have no idea. Spelling is kinda however you want here. It really isn't a written language. There are multiple spellings for stuff, plus the Germans are the ones who came and developed the system to write down their language so all is fair game). It is like cream of wheat. YESS!!!! I add a strawberry cowbell (strawberry powdered milk thingie) to it so it is not bland. The milk tastes kinda like the left over milk after eating a bowl of cap'n crunch berries.
Also we got some tupperware a while back so the cockroaches don't get on our dishes. Here is a tupperware pic. I am so excited.
So now onto the work stuff. President Golden, from the 70 and West Africa General Authority, came to our area of Ghana and spoke at our McCarthy Hills stake conference. He is the dude!!! Our stake was just declared "full strength" instead of "basic" and is now calling more counselors and stuff in bishoprics. Like our bishop doesn't have a secretary or a 2nd counselor and most wards don't have counselors. Now our stake has around 3,000 members so they are going to start calling a lot more leaders. It is great. They are starting to support themselves in the church. It is cool how God kinda focuses on certain areas of the world. Like it started with Joseph Smith in New York and the U.S. then kinda England, Canada and Europe. Then it went to mexico and south america and now it is being focused on Africa. Hopefully it'll work it's way over to China someday. It is like in the beginning of Acts (chap 1 v. 8 ) where Jesus tells the Apostles to go to Jerusalem, then Judea then Samaria then the rest of the world. It keeps on being focused on certain areas then moves on to larger areas after they are made strong. The Stake was very happy and the house was packed. It was like our stake center but full and with it being broadcast into other rooms of the church. Of course the boundaries for the stake are massive but there were tons of people there. It was great.
Here are some good thoughts that President Golden and his wife said.
President Golden's wife, Sister Golden said stuff that the relief society general president said. The young women of the church need 3 things.
1. To pray each morning and night
2. To read at least 5 min each day from the Book of Mormon
3. To smile
I shared this like crazy yesterday. I know it'll help our investigators and all the young women. Plus they added a new young women value "virtue" to the list with the color gold because it is pure and refined. That is so great.
President Golden talked about people spending too much on weddings and funerals. Funerals are a big deal here. People spend an outrageous amount on funerals and they become a burden on the family. He said that his grandpa just wants a wooden box with some rope and to not even have a headstone but rather plant grass so the kids can play football on top of it. Those things shouldn't be so much of a burden.
Also that we need to visit the temple more often, especially when we live in the shadow of the temple. He said that he was married in the London temple because there was no temple in South Africa or Africa for a long time. He stated that because the temple was not close to his home and he could not visit for years at a time, that the Lord enhanced his visits. He said that when we live in the shadow of the temple, when it is very close, we lose that privilege of it being enhanced. He said we need to have multiple frequent visits in order to get the same effect. Dig?
I also liked what he said about kinda like seizing the day. He said that if you see someone new walk into church or if a member needs a friend or a smile, "don't think that someone else will do it. Go do it yourself." I really liked that. Ka pow!
He said a lot of good stuff, too much stuff to write here. I took notes so one day you can read them if ya want. IT was great. I kinda cried when the congregation sang "how firm a foundation" because I can see and feel what my purpose for being out here was. All these people need the gospel and they are united with 1 voice in praising God. It was very sweet.
Speaking of being united in 1 voice, I'll finish up my music thoughts and write them down next week for you. I'm still finding more and more each day.
Also we are supposed to make a list of all of the members we know who have been baptized and who do not have a calling. When a General Authority requests it then we will do it. I was thinking about that the other day and then a general Authority comes and assigns us to do it. The list is plenty already, this will help all of these newly baptized people not fall away. Ah the general authorities are inspired and receive revelation for the people they are in charge of.
So we are trying to get another baptismal date set. We have a couple people who might be ready but we will see. We don't just toss the dates out there because then the people will might not understand the commitments and covenant they will be making and then fall away after making a covenant and that would be bad. So we make sure that they fully understand that they need to read, go to church, follow the prophet, keep the commandments etc. Our baptismal candidates will be strong members and won't fall away because of lack of knowledge of what they are doing.
Elder Riding is helping me with my listening skills when teaching. I fear the silence still. I'm workin on it. This will help in guitar lessons later on as well ;)
Here is a neato story. We gave a pamphlet to this older kinda guy. We were teaching his grandson who is about 25. When we came over for our 2nd lessons mr. Older kinda guy came up and went, in a very scary type of way, "WHO GAVE THIS TO ME!!!!" as he was pointing to the pamphlet having it opened up to the first vision page. I was like "ummmm. (debating whether to run away or just distance myself by stepping around a couple of goats)" then he said "this thing is correct!!!, teach me more!" He said that it was all so familiar and made so much sense. IT was neat. We will see how he goes. It was cool, I'm glad I didn't get killed by an old crazy man, but he turned out to be ok.
Well thanks for all your letters and stuff. Nice to hear from you dad and mom, britt, grandma and grandpa. Keep on writing and sending stuff.
Love to talk more but I gotta make a flyer for this fireside. Man I can never escape the fliers. I will make them until I die. Now the hard part is to do it without photoshop and with a lagging computer and just use microsoft word... I will figure it out though. gotta go.
I love you all.
May the force be with you.
So now onto the work stuff. President Golden, from the 70 and West Africa General Authority, came to our area of Ghana and spoke at our McCarthy Hills stake conference. He is the dude!!! Our stake was just declared "full strength" instead of "basic" and is now calling more counselors and stuff in bishoprics. Like our bishop doesn't have a secretary or a 2nd counselor and most wards don't have counselors. Now our stake has around 3,000 members so they are going to start calling a lot more leaders. It is great. They are starting to support themselves in the church. It is cool how God kinda focuses on certain areas of the world. Like it started with Joseph Smith in New York and the U.S. then kinda England, Canada and Europe. Then it went to mexico and south america and now it is being focused on Africa. Hopefully it'll work it's way over to China someday. It is like in the beginning of Acts (chap 1 v. 8 ) where Jesus tells the Apostles to go to Jerusalem, then Judea then Samaria then the rest of the world. It keeps on being focused on certain areas then moves on to larger areas after they are made strong. The Stake was very happy and the house was packed. It was like our stake center but full and with it being broadcast into other rooms of the church. Of course the boundaries for the stake are massive but there were tons of people there. It was great.
Here are some good thoughts that President Golden and his wife said.
President Golden's wife, Sister Golden said stuff that the relief society general president said. The young women of the church need 3 things.
1. To pray each morning and night
2. To read at least 5 min each day from the Book of Mormon
3. To smile
I shared this like crazy yesterday. I know it'll help our investigators and all the young women. Plus they added a new young women value "virtue" to the list with the color gold because it is pure and refined. That is so great.
President Golden talked about people spending too much on weddings and funerals. Funerals are a big deal here. People spend an outrageous amount on funerals and they become a burden on the family. He said that his grandpa just wants a wooden box with some rope and to not even have a headstone but rather plant grass so the kids can play football on top of it. Those things shouldn't be so much of a burden.
Also that we need to visit the temple more often, especially when we live in the shadow of the temple. He said that he was married in the London temple because there was no temple in South Africa or Africa for a long time. He stated that because the temple was not close to his home and he could not visit for years at a time, that the Lord enhanced his visits. He said that when we live in the shadow of the temple, when it is very close, we lose that privilege of it being enhanced. He said we need to have multiple frequent visits in order to get the same effect. Dig?
I also liked what he said about kinda like seizing the day. He said that if you see someone new walk into church or if a member needs a friend or a smile, "don't think that someone else will do it. Go do it yourself." I really liked that. Ka pow!
He said a lot of good stuff, too much stuff to write here. I took notes so one day you can read them if ya want. IT was great. I kinda cried when the congregation sang "how firm a foundation" because I can see and feel what my purpose for being out here was. All these people need the gospel and they are united with 1 voice in praising God. It was very sweet.
Speaking of being united in 1 voice, I'll finish up my music thoughts and write them down next week for you. I'm still finding more and more each day.
Also we are supposed to make a list of all of the members we know who have been baptized and who do not have a calling. When a General Authority requests it then we will do it. I was thinking about that the other day and then a general Authority comes and assigns us to do it. The list is plenty already, this will help all of these newly baptized people not fall away. Ah the general authorities are inspired and receive revelation for the people they are in charge of.
So we are trying to get another baptismal date set. We have a couple people who might be ready but we will see. We don't just toss the dates out there because then the people will might not understand the commitments and covenant they will be making and then fall away after making a covenant and that would be bad. So we make sure that they fully understand that they need to read, go to church, follow the prophet, keep the commandments etc. Our baptismal candidates will be strong members and won't fall away because of lack of knowledge of what they are doing.
Elder Riding is helping me with my listening skills when teaching. I fear the silence still. I'm workin on it. This will help in guitar lessons later on as well ;)
Here is a neato story. We gave a pamphlet to this older kinda guy. We were teaching his grandson who is about 25. When we came over for our 2nd lessons mr. Older kinda guy came up and went, in a very scary type of way, "WHO GAVE THIS TO ME!!!!" as he was pointing to the pamphlet having it opened up to the first vision page. I was like "ummmm. (debating whether to run away or just distance myself by stepping around a couple of goats)" then he said "this thing is correct!!!, teach me more!" He said that it was all so familiar and made so much sense. IT was neat. We will see how he goes. It was cool, I'm glad I didn't get killed by an old crazy man, but he turned out to be ok.
Well thanks for all your letters and stuff. Nice to hear from you dad and mom, britt, grandma and grandpa. Keep on writing and sending stuff.
Love to talk more but I gotta make a flyer for this fireside. Man I can never escape the fliers. I will make them until I die. Now the hard part is to do it without photoshop and with a lagging computer and just use microsoft word... I will figure it out though. gotta go.
I love you all.
May the force be with you.
