Broken pump = Bucket showers in dirty water! March 19, 2018

Well this week was a good week but we didn't get to see as many people as we wanted to. Mostly because of crazy rain all day and people just not being home but we still got to see the people we needed to. 
Our water pump broke so we've had no water since last Monday so we've been pulling water from a well.  This means bucket showers but I'm used to that, I think I've had more bucket showers than regular. The problem is the water from the well is super nasty so I hope we can get a new pump soon. We don't drink this water though so we can go a while like this if we need to.  All our drinking water is in little sachets that the mission supplies and delivers whenever we run out.  We can buy cold ones almost anywhere so we don't have to pack them with us. They cost 20 pesways or you can buy them for 3 cedis for 30.  That is less than $1 american money for 30.  I had fufu yesterday for the first time since I left Axim.  In Axim people are always pounding fufu, you can always hear the pounding and its everywhere but here in Tarkwa yesterday is the first I've seen it.  Here they eat a lot of banku and my favorite emo tuo which is like a rice ball and both are served with soup.  A lady in our branch feeds us every Sunday and this is where we get to eat all the good cultural food.  She is the Relief Society President, she's single and is raising her 7 year old nephew.  This is a very typical situation here in Ghana. 

This is our water sachet.  It is pretty much the only clean water in the whole country.

 This is a picture of Banku.  It is served with soup.

If we're not eating with a member then we cook eggs or indomie which is kinda like ramen noodles but we cook them and then fry them with veggies, like a ramen noodle stir fry.  Other than that I can't think of anything else exciting that happened this week but I'm still doing good and pressing on.

Rain Everyday...Finally! March 12, 2018

Well this was a pretty good week. It's rained almost every day and it's been cooling down. I can't believe it but I've been out for 6 months. Time really does fly. We have a member going on a mission and he's been set apart for a week and not leaving till wednesday so he's been with us all week. He's a cool guy and has gone through alot to go on a mission. We also had transfer news on Saturday and Piutau is staying another transfer so that will be good. We're getting some more people that may be serious but none will be baptized anytime soon. Other than that everything is going good and I’m enjoying Ghana.

Elder Piutau

                            

my apartment 

Zone Conference- Liken Ourselves unto Nephi- March 5, 2018

We had our zone conference this week and it was a really good one. It's been the first normal zone conference since I've been here. The first was a mission tour with Elder Nash of the seventy, the second was a special Christmas devotional, and the third was a huge 5 zones combined one. We had some great instructions on how we can take our mission like Nephi took the wilderness and not like Laman and Lemuel. Pres. Hillam described it like Nephi, Laman and Lemuel all were on the same journey, with the same family, for the same amount of time but they had a very different experience than each other. What made that difference was their attitude. All us missionaries are here for the same amount of time doing the same thing, but it's up to us to determine our experience by our attitude. I thought that was a good way to liken the scriptures unto us. Later that night, a women that we buy rice from who had been taught by tons of other missionaries but never was interested  told us she really wanted to be baptized that night. We explained to her we couldnt do it then but we'd do it as soon as we could. Well she said she wanted us to come teach her then but she didnt show up to church and won't pick up her phone so I don't know how serious she is. On sunday we came back from church to eat and we had the biggest rainstorm I've ever seen hit us. It was raining so hard. But I'm glad the dry season is over haha. Other then that its been a good week.

a look at the city from a nearby hill

our Chapel in Tarkwa

Zone Conference

Uneventful Week Feb 26, 2018

Well not much has happened this week. It was just kind of a slow week. We’re having trouble finding serious investigators but when we do find a serious investagator they are really good. So quality over quantity I guess. But that’s just how tarkwa is. Litis was confirmed and given the priesthood this week. It was Piutau that ordained him to the priesthood and he said the prayer wrong but our branch pres insisted that it was right so we let it go. Well the district pres was there and he took Piutau out and gave him fire for saying it wrong and we had to do it again and Piutau was really embarrassed but he got it right. We also have another inv. named Comfort who should be able to be baptized as soon as she can get out of work on Sunday. It’s the same with another one named Georgina. They're trying but they have to work on sunday beacause their bosses are both Seventh Day Adventists so they think the Sabbath is Saturday not Sunday. But yea other than that I’m doing great. 

Litis Baptism Feb. 19, 2018

We had a baptism this week for Litis. We were worried cause when we came to institute on Friday our water pump for the church got stolen and so we didn't think we could fill up the font, but we had water delivered in a truck so we still had a baptism. Piutau performed the baptism cause it was his first convert. It was super sweet and Litis will be a strong member. On saturday when we came to chapel cleaning we noticed water was leaking out of the bottom of the building. We opened it up and there was about 2 inches of water on the ground. The members had left the taps on when there was no water and as soon as the water came everything was running. So we had to push a lot of water out of the chapel. It took over an hour but we got it all out. Other than that it's been going good.

My Companion's Birthday Feb. 12, 2018

Well, it's been another week of sweating and teaching here in Ghana. It was Elder Piutaus b-day yesterday but since it was Sunday we're going to celebrate it today. We did get a cake from one of the members and it was super good. Whenever its someone's birthday everybody else soaks them with water. So with the help of the members that brought the cake we soaked him with water and covered him with bluing which is a laundry whitening like a safe bleach that is a blue powder, mixed with a food called garri which is shaved cassava bits soaked in water.  Were going to a mexican resturaunt today to buy a wrap, it's super good but its also super expensive or else we would eat there more. We're also preparing a man named Litis for baptism this week. He's a super sweet guy and loves the church, he's made it everyweek since he started being taught and he comes to chapel cleaning every week too, he also wants to serve a mission. It's always nice to see someone like that joining the church. Other then that I'm doing good and still loving the work. 

Elder Piutau and Me-

he is from Tonga and is one of the coolest guys I've ever met

 Some members made Elder Piutau a cake and it was so good but nothing like cake in America, different ingredients.

 Happy Birthday Piutau!

Pictures of my apartment in my new area Tarkwa-

Mom, it looks a little rough but it's really not that bad. ;)

Transfer to new area- Brenu-Akyirium Feb. 4, 2018

Well it was transfer week and I was getting ready to get in a tro to go to Cape Coast when I got a call from the assistants saying not to go to Cape because I'm just going to a nearby town that I can take a taxi to. I stayed in the the same zone, Tarkwa zone. I wasn't sure what to think about that but my new area is in the city of Tarkwa and it is super nice. Tarkwa is a gold mining town and everybody is rich and it's a super nice town so going from a village to that is a big change. My new area is Brenu akyirim 2 ( Brenacheem) and my new comp is Elder Puitau from Tonga and he's one of the coolest guys I've ever met. He came out 1 transfer behind me so it was kind of surprising that I was a Senior comp already. I cant believe it but I've been out for 5 months and it feels like 1. Mission time really does fly by. But yea everythings going good.