Weeks are like days and months are like weeks

Moma Akye!!

First thing, I am really freaked out about how fast the weeks have gone by so far. When I woke up on Friday morning, I was sitting on my bed and thought it was Tuesday. So, the statement that I heard that weeks are like days and months are like weeks is true.

Trying to remember all that happened this week.....

1. We finally got rejected by someone! Elder Hanson and I were walking to one of our areas (Essikado) on Friday (??)  A younger man walked by us about 20 or so, came up to me and said, "stop spreading your message."  I thought he said keep spreading it haha.  He told my comp the same thing but included the word bull ___.  He quickly walked away but that was the first time for me to be rejected.  And for Elder Hanson as well  :P

2. The baptism.... STRESSFUL.  We received a call from the Bishop on Saturday morning and he said the font is being taken care of.  We had our program set.  Elder Hanson said it was so smooth that morning that he was expecting something to go wrong and he was right.  On our way to Sister Dina's house, who was getting baptized, the other Elder Johnson called at 3:00 and said the font was empty and water was not working.  We rushed over there with some buckets.  To get to the water there was a hatch outside the building underground.  The Bishop stayed on the ladder filling buckets while Elder Johnson, Hanson, and I would run the buckets to fill the font as much as possible before the start of the service at 5.  It took forever.  So ya... that wasn't fun.  We have 2 more baptisms on Saturday and if they don't fix the water, I won't be happy!

Dina's baptism on Saurday

Franklin who is getting baptized on September 5th

3. Elder Hanson and I went to Cape Coast on Friday, which is a 2 hour travel.  It was a follow up training meeting for those in my MTC group since it was the end of our 4th week in the field.  It was great to see my friends.  When everyone was arriving, all you heard is ELDER ____ followed by a hug.  Seeing how much everyone's attitude has changed is amazing.  Those that were scared and wanted to leave,  love there area.  One person from the MTC, Elder Nelson is up in the "bush" in a town that is the farthest from Cape Coast, about 6 hours.  He told a story of him and his companion killing a cobra and eating it.  The only place I want to serve is in the bush.  From what I heard, you only do service.  And it is farming, not like back home though.  But, my area is the best out of every where else though. :P

4. Elder Hanson took me to a really nice place for lunch today.  It was a Best Western Plus hotel on the coast.  It is called Atlantic Hotel Takoradi, if you want to look it up.  When I walked in, it was like a different world. The food was great and the bathrooms were the best :)  It cost 70 cedes for me, but it was worth it.  The great thing about my area is that it is very poor and such, but within a 20 minute drive you can be at a nice hotel.

Atlantic Hotel Takoradi with REAL bathrooms

Atlantic Hotel Takoradi

In the mornings I have a hard time - thinking about home.  Once we get out I'm totally fine.  What I came to the conclusion to is that I'm never going home.  I'll be here forever, which the Elders in the apartment said I would get to that point before the end of my second transfer.  So, they were surprised when I said this morning that I have just admitted to myself Africa is my home forever.

My district

Our Ward Mission Leader, Vincent.  He served his mission in Nigeria.

When we get home, you can find me in a manual studying and taking notes. Also, I bought 2 notebooks, one regular size and the other a pocket size.  In the small one I have three sections, one is for lesson scriptures I like to use, my favorite scriptures and with what it is about.  And the other is what I need to study and do better on as a missionary.  A very stress free part of the day is while eating dinner we all talk for a long period of time.  Make jokes and such.  Elder Johnson the older is so funny.  I have a lot of videos of Elder Johnson and Hanson.  Some, they are fighting about Disneyland. Another is them lip syncing to "We Are The World".  I'm excited to show them when I get home.

Sweating just a little after a morning run with Elder Hanson

People here ask really random questions. Questions that are really, really deep doctrine like, if God had blood and if sin existed before Adam and Eve  - why I have studied so much lol.  Elder Hanson and I want to answer the questions like this, "Does it matter?", but we should not do that.

I'm learning sooooo much here and enjoy it!

Elder Johnson