Caroling in Obuasi!

Hello all!

This week has been a very nice week!

We really had two big events with it being Christmas week. The first was on Christmas Eve. We went caroling with all the Elders in Obuasi (14) in downtown Obuasi! That very nice and we could see that it made people really happy to have a bunch of young white men come and sing them Christmas carols.

On Christmas I got to talk to my family! That was very very nice and it made me really happy to be able to see and hear them! Except somehow it just felt I was being interrogated the whole time! Kidding! If you have any questions on how I am doing feel free to ask them!  Merry belated Christmas and an early Happy New Year to all!

Odo,

Elder Brandt

Another Trip to Kumasi, Christmas Celebration and a Blister Beetle Bite!

For all,

This week was really cool! We had the opportunity to go to Kumasi again for a Zone Conference! That was on Thursday.  That is where a bunch of missionaries went, we had some instruction from our Mission President, sang christmas hymns, and presented skits! It was lots of fun!

On wednesday we were able to travel up to Kumasi and to have the day to ourselves! We went and printed pictures. Then we had some Plantane and Contombre Stew for lunch. Then we went to the Ghana National Culture Centre in Kumasi.  I was able to buy a nice necklace for cheap. I think it is made of brass and it is a Ghanaian symbol called "Rams Horns" which means humility and strength. It was only GHC 5. I had this shoulder bag that I brought with me that spoiled. It was a cheap one anyway but I needed a new bag. So while we were there, I bought a backpack with a Kente fabric on it! Very cool! was only GHC 40.  Then for that night we went to the Mission home to stay the night. Played games and had fun!

Unfortunately around here it does not really feel like Christmas time! It is dry, dusty, and hot! Although I look forward to skyping my family! I am very excited! I wish all of you a Merry Christmas!

Afishyia Pa! (Merry Christmas!)

Me odo enpaebo (My love and Prayers)

Elder Brandt
*** We get to Skype Taylor at 5:30 AM Christmas Day! We are very Excited!

This is from a "Blister Beetle" the real name is a Champion Bug.

It was pretty painful, but I just took a certain pill for it and it was gone in like 3 days.

It left a pretty cool scar! Really not that big of a deal. 

(He says this so his Mom doesnt worry!)

But ya... cool scar!

We saw this in Kumasi! 
Colorado License Plate???

How the heck did this get here?!

Trip to Kumasi, New Companion and Weird Fruit!

Hello All!

First I will start by answering a few of my Mom's 1 million questions!  My new companion Elder Ike (ee-kay) yes he is actually taller than me! Our companionship is going great! We get along very well and have over-acclompished a weeks worth of work in 4 days! He is powerful!  Our branch is doing very well and Elder Ike really wants to help it grow! Since I have been here I have gotten pretty close with our mission president, President Cosgrave.  He a fantastic man, with lots of wisdom and knowledge he loves to share with us missionaries!

First thing this week. On Monday we went to a members house because she wanted to feed my previous companion before he left.Traveling to and from is way too far for walking so we have to take a tro-tro. So we went there and she prepared us BIG Bhanku! I can honestly say that it was quite the struggle putting it all down!  Then coming back, we got in a tro-tro and began coming home. The driver began going faster and faster.  I am pretty sure he was in some rush because he was going soooooo fast!  As we were coming, we hit a big dip without him slowing down.  I came off the seat completely, hit my head on the ceiling and after I landed back on the seat, a bag of bananas that used to be in the trunk, landed on top of my head. That was pretty fun. haha. No worries. That is very uncommon.

On Tuesday I had to escort Elder Nortey-Annan to Kumasi to be trained as a District Leader.  After his training, we went to KFC! It was a very nice taste of home! :) On the way home Elder Nortey-Annan wanted to stop and barber his hair. So I decided, I will try it to just to see how a Ghanaian barber will look on me. They actually did very well! They payed very close attention to detail, which unfortunately also made it take forever. haha.

Wednesday I  got my new companion Elder Ike! He is from Nigeria and he is very cool!  We get along great, enjoy all of the same foods, appreciate the same kind of humor, etc!  Hopefully we will continue to work well together!

Odo,

Elder Brandt

 More African Wear Pics

 My New Companion...Elder Ike (ee-kay) from Nigeria

 On our trip to Kumasi...we got to go to KFC!!!

 I think he missed French Fries!

 Weird African Fruit!

 Cool New Hat...Why Not?

 Merry Christmas from Africa!

Stylin' in some new Threads!

Hello All!

      This week was pretty cool!  We also had a little bit of funnies thrown in!

First event was on Monday! I got some Ghanaian African wear!  We bought the fabric for GHC 40 (Cedis) and then we got it tailored by our Branch Mission Leaders personal tailor for another GHC 40! So total I spent GHC 80! Which I think is equivalent to about 20 USD! Not bad! I am also very very impressed and very very satisfied! :)

Just on Friday, we taught a guy named Enoch. We first met him a week before. We were walking by one of the football (soccer) fields in Asonkore right by the apartment. As we were walking by, he stopped us and asked us if we had one of the "Books according to Mormon".  We told him we do not have one with us but we can bring him one another time! He said that would be great! So on Friday we went to go and teach him and give him a Book of Mormon.  As we taught him, we learned that he was taught by missionaries over a year ago and was given a Book of Mormon.  He told us that when they gave him the book, he had already heard that the book was demonic and he would be cursed for reading it. With these thoughts in his head, he said he opened the book after they left and could not even pronounce the first name, Nephi.  Then the very next day he went and gave the book back to those missionaries and said that it was not for him.  When we explained the Book of Mormon to him, we read with him the first paragraph of the introduction. After reading it, I could see something click inside and he instantly knew that the Book of Mormon was not demonic, it did not replace the bible, and there was nothing bad about it. He thought it was incredible how the Bible and the Book of Mormon work together, and how it makes sense because the Bible was written by prophets in Jerusalem and the Middle East, and the Book of Mormon was written by prophets in the Americas.  Some other things we learned about Enoch is that he was a tourist and he has been to America, Turkey, Russia, Liberia, and Austrailia.  He also plays on a semi-pro football team in Kumasi! (maybe that is where he gets his traveling money)

On Thursday, we found a new investigator named Blankson.  He lives in Kwabenakwa, our other area where we work, about 1.5 - 2 miles away.  He seemed like a pretty good guy!  And then, we went and taught him on Saturday.  When we went to meet him by the bus stop in Kwabenakwa, he seemed to be in a very good mood!  Then he said we would go back to his place so we can begin teaching him.  Then for some odd reason we started walking in the opposite direction of his house.  I was not entirely sure what was going on. Maybe he was trying to be funny?  We continued to follow him, as he meandered around pointlessly for about 10 min babbling about something in Twi.  Then I began to be suspicious, but I did not want to jump to any conclusions.  Then he finally led us back to his house.  This day, Saturday, we were teaching with our Branch Mission Leader, Ike Mensah.  As soon as we sat down, Ike confirmed my suspicions... He leaned over to me and whispered, "Why are we about to teach a drunk man?".  Dang it.   I was really really hoping that I would be wrong thinking he was drunk.  When we told my companion that we should not teach him and see him another time, my companion insisted we teach him anyway.  So we started teaching him about the Word of Wisdom.  We told him that there are 5 things that we do not put into our bodies, so as to keep them clean on the inside. First, alcohol. He was somehow fine with that one. Second, tobacco. He was fine with that. Third, tea. He was fine with that. Fourth, coffee. HE FLIPS OUT.  What do you mean no coffee?! He continues to talk for about 20 min about how coffee is sooooooo good for you. When you are tired, drink coffee.  When you are sad, drink coffee.  When you are just thirsty, drink coffee.  When he finally finished, we told him about how we do not drink coffee because it is a "hot drink" and how it easily becomes addictive which limits the agency we have been given by Heavenly Father. He responds by saying how we will drink cold coffee from that day forward.  When my companion mentioned that our bodies are like temples, we keep them clean inside and out, he says how he is not jealous of other peoples big houses or nice temples.  He is perfectly happy with what he has.  He told my companion to come see something, but I was not allowed to see. I had to come anyway because I have to be with my companion, he took him to his room. He unlocked the door, opened just enough for my companion to see, shuts the door, locks it, and walks back to the bench we were sitting on and says, "You see that is what I have and I am happy with it!"

As far as the rest of the lesson, I leave that up to your imagination how it went.

Finally, this Wednesday I will getting a new companion. Elder Nortey-Annan will be going to Asuoyboa, Kumasi and my new companion will be Elder Ike (ee-kay).  Elder Ike is a Nigerian and I keep hearing from people how cool he is.  I am pretty excited!

Love,

Elder Brandt