Teaching a whole family and going to Kumasi...

Hello all! This week was not too bad!

Currently we are preparing a family for baptism next Sunday! The man's name is Kobbina, his wife is Ekwia, and he has two sons Kojo and Akwasi!  Next Sunday we will be able to baptize Kobbina, Ekwia, and Kojo! They are a very powerful family and during our lesson with him last week on Friday, he was thanking us for coming and teaching him. The spirit was there very strong as he thanked us for showing him the truth about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the gospel!

Today we are going to Kumasi for a specialized missionary training. We will coming back tomorrow! This week was somehow just really good! There was not much that happened but it was just good! This week it seemed I was able to have some time for personal meditation. I was able to think about what is my purpose for being here and thinking about all of the good I have the opportunity to give to people!

This morning was pretty funny we found a centipede in our apartment! Ya, I guess that was pretty cool haha.  I hope everybody is doing well! Feel free to send me snail mail and emails! I love receiving them! :)

I love you all and I can feel you prayers, love, and support!

Me odo empaebo! (My love and prayers!)

Elder Brandt

Random Pictures out of the Blue!

Bahnku and Soup!

Creative Ways to eat Slim Jims...Thanks Gavin!!!

Havin Fun and 3 balls of Bahnku!

Hello All!

Unfortunately this week was not super eventful but I will try the best I can!

First I would like to thank Gavin for the package! :)

This week Elder Ashby (district leader) went on an exchange with Elder Moyo (zone leader) on Wednesday.  Elder Moyo is from Zimbabwe and he is a very funny guy. It is funny because him and I would mess with my companion Elder Ike, then Elder Ike and I would mess with Elder Moyo, and then Elder Moyo and Elder Ike would mess with me.  For example, Elder Ike was cooking eggs and Indomie (the Ghanaian equivalent of Ramen Noodles). He put it down on the table and then went to go and grab some water from the kitchen. As soon as he left the room Elder Moyo or I would run by and grab the plate of food and hide it. So he would come back into the room and... POOF... his food is gone ;)  That was a fun evening.

Just on Saturday one of the branch members, Samuel, invited the missionaries over for supper. (Me, Elders Ike, Ashby, and Naawu)  We went over and he fed us Bahnku. A LOT. Each ball of bahnku was about the size of a large softball. He gave each of us 3 balls! Samuel does not have a lot. He lives in a small house, works on his own farm, and he kept telling us how he has been saving money for over a week to be able to afford this for us! It still ceases to amaze me how kind and warm-hearted Ghanaians are! 

I love you all! Thank you for your continued love and support!

Odo,

Elder Brandt

PS -  I have gotten the package from Gavin! It was AWESOME! I was really happy with the Slim Jims and Propels bebrayyyyyy. (Bebray means plenty or lots) And those two shirts were awesome! Give him a huge thank you and I love you for me! Give him a huge squeezing hug for me too while you at it!

Alma 26:27

Odo!

Drinking Fresh Coconut Water!

My Companion, Elder Ike

Kente Pattern 

Look What I found!!!

 Priscilla

Found some time to write music!!!

Everyday Life...

Goats, weird old woman and Protector of small boys!

For all:

Hello!
This week we had plenty happen!

Wednesday - First every Wednesday, we have a meeting with our branch mission leader.  We have this meeting at the chapel. Something that is not uncommon, is we have goats get onto the chapel grounds. They will find holes in the fence and invite themselves to chill on the chapel grounds. (not to mention they poop EVERYWHERE). This last Wednesday as we were waiting for our branch mission leader, we had to sack all of the goats from the chapel. We had gotten all of them but one baby so far.  This baby was so dumb because we would chase it straight to a hole in the fence. It would run up to the hole, scream, and then run in a different direction. Eventually we cornered it and then I was able to pick it up, carry it to the fence and drop it over on the other side. It was actually pretty fun, and it is pretty funny to carry a baby goat while it is screaming.

Thursday - The day was pretty basic. Nothing interesting was really happening. That is until about 4 or 5 in the evening. As we were walking from one house to another, we notice there is a very old woman standing and watching us. That is not the weird part. The weird part is that she was wearing some sort of skirt and no top.  She even walked in front of us, stopped us, and started talking to us. It gets even weirder. As she was speaking, I could tell she was not speaking Twi.  Even though I do not fully understand Twi, I can tell when someone is speaking it. I am not entirely sure what she was speaking. Even, a younger woman was walking past us and as she heard the old woman talking she looked at her very weird. Eventually me and companion had to somewhat juke her out and continue walking.

Friday - This day was very good. We have one investigator that we have been teaching for some small time. Her name is Priscilla. Every time we teach anyone, at the end of our lesson we always challenge the person to pray and ask if what we taught them is true.  This Friday was our second time teaching her.  After we started, we followed up with her and asked her if she had prayed about what we taught her.  She said yes and then we asked her what the answer was that she received.  She said that when she prayed, that something was telling her on the inside that it was true. She also said the feeling she could not describe, and that God had not revealed it to her yet. Then we explained to her how God answers prayers through the Holy Ghost. Then we read with her Galations 5:22 which talks about the fruits of the spirit. Then she realized that the good feeling she could not describe, was actually God telling her through the Holy Ghost that yes, it is true.

Monday (today) - This morning we played a football (soccer) game with the missionaries in our district. (8 missionaries)   As we were playing, we had our bags on a bench right by the field.  Some of the small boys from the branch were there and they were watching us as we played.  Right as we took half-time, we noticed some commotion. There was a group of guys sitting by our bags. What the deal was is they were all drunk, and they were planning to steal from our bags. They told the small boys if they tell us, they will beat them. Well we found because of one of the boys named Earnest. After I had heard this I turned around to see one of the guys holding one of the boys Francis by the shirt, ready to beat him.  I started running over to them. As I was running I shouted hey at the guy, he saw me, and the pushed Francis away. At first he looked like he wanted to fight. But then as I got closer, he ran away. I was not to happy with those guys.  We hid the bags at a branch member's house, then continued the game with the small boys so those guys would not disturb them again.  But as of now, Everything is good! Life is great!

I love you all! I hope you are doing well!

Matthew 5:14-16

Odo,

Elder Brandt

Happy New Year!

Hello All,

This week was pretty cool! We taught lots of people and just had an over all good week!

I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year! 

Unfortunately not much happened this week. Although on Saturday, I was able to help someone get down coconuts! No, I did not climb the tree because we are not allowed to. Instead, this guy gave me a really long piece of wood.  What I did was stand under the tree, holding the wood on the bottom with both hands. Then I would jump up and push the wood up so it would hit the bunch of coconuts. Eventually someone else decided that was taking too long, so he climbed up the tree and began taking them down with his hands.  He let me drink one of them too! It would have tasted really good except for the water inside was SUPER warm. That made it a little gross :(  oh well! Fun experience!

My companion and I are doing very well! If any of you have any advice you want to give me I would except it with grateful ears! I love you all! BTW, big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Brandt for a package! :)

James 1:5-6

Odo,

Elder Brandt

 I am sorry I cannot send pictures today.... the internet is stinkier than a pig stall today! haha

Love ;)

Elder Brandt

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?!