Monday, February 29, 2016

Nicholas was baptized and I would love more snail mail!

Hello Everyone!

Sorry today the Internet is no good and I am typing on a garbage keyboard so this week might not be long.  This week was pretty cool. Just yesterday we were able to have another baptism! The man's name is Nicholas and is one of the best people I have ever met here on my mission!  He is a teacher and also owns a small phones shop for extra cash. He is a super super nice guy and he loves the gospel and all of the blessings it has to offer!

This week was kind of a normal week other than that! Elder Anai and I are doing very very well! Elder Udobor and Elder Ojok are very cool guys and they make the apartment very fun! I will try to include pictures of them soon! I love you all and appreciate support! Do not forget I LOVE getting snail mail! Do not be afraid to throw something this way!

Odo,
Elder Brandt

Elder Anai and I being goofy


More views of Ejisu

Monday, February 22, 2016

Baptism and Baggy Clothes...


All my beloved friends and loved ones!

This week was kind of cool! I had a couple of realizations this week about how much I have physically changed since coming to Ghana! 
-Let me begin with my shirts. The collar on my shirts is 17.5 and they fit well upon departure. I can now fit my entire hand between my neck and the collar!
-My arms. One evening in the apartment I was wearing shorts and just happened to notice how much darker my arms are than my legs! (since my legs are always covered and my arms are not)
-My pants and belt.  Also upon departure, they fit well.  I was on the second hole in my belt and now I am on the last. I am even about to make 1 new hole in belt.  For my pants I can now hold the button about 4 inches away from my actual waist!
You can see in the pictures I will send!
My new area of Ejisu is sweet! It is also very big! We probably walk an average of at least 5-7 miles a day, and that is just walking around inside of our area from appointment to appointment!  In Ejisu there is a main roundabout called Yaa Santewaa Roundabout. That is the name of the most fierce Ashanti female warrior, supposed to be the most fierce female warrior ever. It's kinda cool. 
Just yesterday we were able to baptize a woman named Rebecca Adubofour! Her husband is a member of 2-3 years and we were finally able to teach her and she was even baptized by her own husband, Asante! It was a great experience!
As part of being a missionary we get to do lots of studying and learning. The past couple of days I was able to study about receiving personal revelation! We know that it comes "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little." We should not expect that that revelation will just come in some crazy dream and answer all of our problems! I will be some idea... that will seem to occupy our thoughts and press itself upon our feelings!
Good things come to those who wait!
Odo,
Elder Brandt

Here are some Twi (pronounced chi)words I use everyday...

Akwaaba - Welcome
Medase - Thank you
Matiase - I understand
Ma che - Good Morning
Ma haa - Good Afternoon
Ma jo - Good Evening


Me, Asante, Rebecca, Elder Anai


Branch Counselor's son...so cute!

Weight Loss!


Darkening of Skin!


My daily views of Ejisu, Ghana



Monday, February 8, 2016

Hello Ejisu...and 27 new bug bites, fish eyes and cow heart

Hello all!

This week was exciting! I have transferred to a town called Ejisu
which is just outside of the big city Kumasi.  My new companion Elder
Anai is awesome! He is from Ghana just in Accra. The other people in
the apartment are Elder Udobor from Nigeria and Elder Ojok from
Uganda. Elder Udobor is actually a very hilarious guy and he is
cracking jokes all the time!  Elder Anai is also a really funny guy.
We get along great, love to share jokes and stories, and we also know
how to work hard!

This week I decided to take an inventory of my bug bites. The count is
currently at 27. It continues to increase. All just part of the work!

This week, I also got to add to my "interesting" foods list! The first
thing is fish eyes! I am sure most of you know Gushers! They're kind
of like that. The second is cow heart! I got to eat some of that this
week! It was actually pretty darn delicious! :)

I love you all and appreciate all of your support! :)

Odo,
Elder Brandt



Ejisu, Ghana



Elder Anai (from Ghana)

Monday, February 1, 2016

Transfer to Kumasi!

Hello Everybody!
I hope all of you had a good week! This week I definitely felt all of your love and all of your prayers! I want to quick and just say thank you to all of who have been supporting me this whole time! I love and appreciate all of you! 
This week I got a package from Grandma and Grandpa Lerner! Thank you! :)
I hope you all like news! This is transfer week, and I am being transferred! I am leaving Obuasi! I will be going to the big city of KUMASI!!! I am going to be in a zone call UST, in a district called Kwamo, in a town called Ejisu! My new companion will be an elder named Elder Anai. He is a Ghanaian! I will be able to tell you more about him after I actually meet him! I will be leaving Wednesday morning to go and meet him and move into my new apartment! 

This week we also had what is called a Specialized Training. This is where two of the zones in the mission (Obuasi and Asuoyboa) met to receive an instruction from our mission president and his wife. President Cosgrave and Sister Cosgrave. That was a very very nice conference! They talked about effective planning, faith, and diligence! It was very nice!
I love you all and hope you had and have a good week!
Odo,
Elder Brandt