A Wonderful Week

Hello friends and family!

I hope you all had a wonderful week because I sure did! There were some really fun things that we were able to do this last week.

Elder Johnson and Elder Momoh

Elder Momoh and I have been working with the investigators that are being prepared for baptism. We have 5 scheduled for May 13th but there may be a few that will be pushed back. One of those with a baptism date is Richard. He is good friends with the 2nd counselor in the branch presidency, Brother Ankrumah. Richard has been coming to church for a month or so. He and Brother Ankrumah work on a rice farm. Our next task is finding and bringing back the many less actives in the branch. Fun stuff... people saying they will come back when the branch president is released.. others saying the church does not care about them... funniest one is a lady who had a baby and left the church (so called) because when she had a baby the church did not help her but they did... oh people.

Something cool that we were able to do this last Thursday was farming for a lady named Grace. She is in the Abura- Dunkwa branch but the Elders in that branch are in our district and they invited us to come. Our whole district went and we met at Sister Graces at 9 am. It was an hour walk through the bush trails of West Africa (sounds cool.. haha) to finally arrive in her farm. The job for the day was to harvest Coco. It took some hours. She fed us boiled cassava and plaintain with kontombre stew for lunch. I walked back to her house with a big metal basin of palm nuts on my head.

I learned a lot this week but here are 2 things. First, in our area we have Abakrampa where we live it is a small town.. I say village. Then we have 6 villages farther out surrounding us. I love my last area....... if only I can grow a beard. Second, when you tell a member in ABK that you want to try her fufu and light soup she will actually prepare it for you the next day. The family called us at 8:30pm the next day and brought it to our apartment. Did not eat it that night though.... ball of carbs.

Love you all,

Elder Johnson

Happy To Be Alive

Heyoooo!

Friends and family I can say today that I am happy to be alive. Transport is a little crazy around here with the one lane "highways". There were 2 close calls when I was on the tro going on transfers. But its fine, I am here ;)

I have to say that being in my last area is very very weird. Of course my time left it stays in the back of my brain but when my companion tells the members " Elder Johnson will only be here for ____ weeks". Mission time just goes at the end like nothing. My new area is sweet and everything I wished for in my "last area" wish. Out in the middle of no where, very secluded, no english really, and serve in a branch. Abakrampa is going up north to Assin Foso (2nd area) but you take a left on some little road and go for 20 minutes or so.

Elder Momoh is the most American Nigerian I have met on my mission. He was trained by an American with 2 other Americans in the apartment (all of them are truck drivin, boot wearin, gun shootin, rednecks). After he was trained another 3 Americans and now me. He will be 1 year on mission when June comes around. Sadly this is his 4th transfer so president will either send him away and leave me with a new comp for 3 weeks or put us in a 3 some. The other 2 that are with us in the house is Elder Harward and Elder Tupola. Our house is so sweet... its really really small... in a little gated compound with other small places. The landlord is already on my nerves.

No teaching has been done since I came on Wednesday because of the Easter season. When any holiday comes around its not easy to meet with investigators. So since I have been here we have just been seeing members. Sadly, the branch has close to 150 or so less actives. From what my companion said the branch president is not very helpful in missionary work. My biggest headache as a missionary is leaders that do not help us.

I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Johnson

Goodbye Takoradi, Hello Yamoransa

Hello friends and family!!

Well the time has come for me to leave Takoradi zone and go back to my old zone, Yamoransa, Abakrampa, as we say "once a yamo always a yamo". But I have been released as a zone leader and will be with Elder Momoh from Nigeria. He has been on mission about 8 months. Also I will be serving in my first branch!!  And I will be out of the city.   President Stevenson knew how I wanted to finish my mission because the Assistants knew from a conversation I had with one a couple months ago.

The week was full of meetings and one exchange. Wednesday we went to what I did not know to be my last MLC ever. The major topic of discussion was how we do our transfer news on Saturdays. After much discussion it was decided to no longer tell the missionary where they are going or their new companion until they get to Cape Coast the Wednesday to the following Saturday. All we will say is if the missionary is going and what station to be at. I know where I am going because President Stevenson called me to inform me of my release.

Thursday night I left to Apowa with Elder Jones for an exchange. The tro ride there was the longest 20 minutes of my life because some lady liked to talk to loud. But Friday was a nice day with Elder Jones. I did a baptism interview for him as well and was my first time to not give the go ahead for the baptism. It is very important for us to have the understanding of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Without the true understanding of them we can not have true faith that leads to power and salvation. Friday night we held a meeting with the District and the Sister training leaders. These sisters drive me nuts. Happy to be going to a brethren zone with no sisters :)

Saturday we went nice and early to go and help Sister McCarthy with food prep for the wedding in the Chapel Hill ward. We then dressed and went to the wedding. It was nice, reminded me that I really want to get married haha. Then Saturday evening I found out that I am going.

Sunday it was sweet! My departing testimony. And then some nice food with other Elders at the McCarthy home. As we were about to leave it started pouring down rain. Wind was blowing and thunder was rolling. We ended up helping people that had water flooding into their rooms. Then got home and found I left the window open in my room so my sheets, pillow, and mattress were wet.

All in all a good week! Love you all!!

Elder Johnson