Hi!!!!

Thank you for sending the packages! I dont have  them yet, but maybe(probably not) I will get them tomorrow at our meeting. We will see! That sounds like a crazy game!! Man I was thinking about Adams football on Saturday, about 7 so you would have been right in the game! And El Matador sounds pretty dang good! Thats nice everyone was able to go! So far I havent had rain like that, but maybe I will! The rain can be a problem because we have our scriptures and camera, so we dont want to get them wet, but when it just mists it feels kind of good! Yeah that day you were looking at the humidity here it sucked haha! It was cool but you just sweat like crazy. Once in a while the breeze hits you though and that feels like heaven. By nighttime though its really not too bad and yeah the sweet sweet fan makes everything ok haha!

How is Festival of Trees coming? I have been thinking about it and that really will be something I will miss while Im out here! Everything about it is good! Its like Christmas all crammed into one building! Its funny what I miss here, its mostly the small things, like glass windows. There are no glass windows here, its just mosquito netting! Also I miss going to Sams and Home Depot for whatever reason. I miss driving in the truck with you and dad. Also McDonalds haha! But yes there are lots and lots of palm trees! Everywhere there are palm trees! When they die the leaves all fall off and nobody cuts them down so there are lots of big sticks just poking into the sky haha!

Yeah we take all the money out and then we take it home. I have an envelope for personal money and one for the sub money. I just take as much as I will need that day and carry it in my wallet. I have really no fear of being robbed, the people here dont even think of that i dont think. Its crazy how open people are here. And if word got out that someone stole, the town would beat them and drive them out of town haha.  As far as language, it is getting easier. When they speak in Nzima  they always say the same things so you can tell how to respond. Usually they are just asking how you are doing or are asking if you can speak Nzima. But the english is getting clearer, its just an adjustment to learn how to talk haha! It is very very basic and the accent is unique. But I am learning slowly but surely. Thats crazy Josh got moved! Sadly I hear that Johannesburg is one of the most dangerous missions, so that should be...interesting. But he will enjoy it! Except that lucky guy wont have to deal too bad with the language crap because South Africa is pretty much like another state in the US. They talk the same and use the same slang, they just have an accent. One of the other elders in the house is from South Africa, he is cool. His name is Mngoma(Em-goma) and he was in the MTC with me. The other is a nigerian and his name is Obot. Not a huge fan of that guy, nobody really is hah. He has been out like 17 months and LOVES to talk about how he is the experienced missionary and how nobody is as good as he is. He told one elder in  our district that he couldnt understand doctrine because he wasnt black. What? Oh well I have been nice to him and he has been nice to me so I cant complain too much haha! Just gotta worry about yourself. But yeah we dont eat together or anything, me and Cardon just eat in our study room and they lock their door and eat in their room.

I really miss having a ward! I spoke in our church in Axim yesterday. They told me about 5 minutes before so that was fun. But thats all part of the mission life so it was nice. I had a guy standing next to me translating what I said into Nzima so I felt like the president or the pope or something! haha That was funny. The coolest animal I have seen has been....GOATS!!! Haha there are no cool animals around here so.... But actually there is a guy in Bokazo that has a monkey. Its like the size of Tipsy! We got some good pictures of it so i will send them! But yeah it cost 15 american dollars to buy it! Haha that thing was crazy! Ill write more about that when I send some pictures because the majesty and glory of the monkey can only be understood with the proper photography. And bugs, there are lots of ants in the apartment, but they just chill in the walls until some food is on the ground then they pounce. Really it hasnt been too bad. No mosquitos or anything to complain of!

I got a haircut last p-day! I was scared but it turned out pretty good! They just used the clippers on my head so its nice and short, but not too short! We did that after volleyball, which was way fun! For a net they used two sticks put in the ground with a stick going across! Pretty impressive! But the dang thing kept falling over! Also, our baptism this week fell through. Sadly he had some chastity issues so we will have to work with him for a few weeks. Not good, but we will see. I went on splits the day he was interviewed, to Tarkwa. I did that two weeks ago too, cant remember if i told you that. But Tarkwa is nice! Its kinda like half as nice as Rose Park, but around here thats nice! But there is a hotel there with a restaurant so we got....PIZZA!! It was way good! But there were a bunch of snooty british guys in there so I dont like white people in Ghana anymore haha! AND we have water in our apartment again so thats way nice! We can shower now!

The week was kinda crappy, we had lots of days in Bokazo and I dont like Bokazo. There is nobody to teach there and we had lots of appointments fall through. So we walked over every square inch of that town. We taught one recent convert named Francis Cudjoe one night because he hasnt come to church in 2 months and we kind of gave him the heat. He started crying when we were done. Ghanaians dont cry, so we were feeling way bad, like we had laid into him too hard. So we gave him a blessing and talked with him. He is better now, he just felt bad about not coming to church. Hopefully thats what he needed though to get him back to church. He is going to school and doesnt have enough money to pay it full, so the next night we bought Banku for him. Banku is like fufu kind of, I havent had it yet. But he was happy.

Eating eh? Well in the morning I usually have half a loaf of fresh bread with peanut butter. The bread here is dang good! Its like subway bread. The previous missionary left half a thing of Skippy so I have been enjoying that. Its almost gone though so I will have to buy some more tomorrow in Takoradi. But for lunch I usually have an egg sandwich, but the other day I was sick of that so I MacGyvered a BLT! I bought some mayo the day before for that very reason! But yeah I toasted the bread, used lettuce and tomato, and hot dogs! It was pretty good, not quite like Dylans or Crown Burger though! For dinner I usually have noodles and stew. Not like beef stew haha. You guys could easily make it at home if you want to live large like I do:) Just cut up a whole carrot, an onion, a green pepper, a tomato, a can of tomato paste, a can of beans in tomato sauce, 5 hot dogs, a can full of water, and cook it on the stove! We put in seasoning as well, like stew seasoning and a shrimp bullion cube.  But thats dinner! I need to make more tonight! It usually lasts a week, we just put it in tupperware and throw it in the fridge.

We go to the high speed cafe about once a month, I have some good pictures I want to send so stay tuned!  Some days out here are hard just because of the culture, I can now say I have been a victim of racism haha! They are pretty funny with white people and some just yell white man!  But I am enjoying this place and enjoying learning and growing, even though its not easy. Love you and I will talk to you soon Dad! And mom, I love you soooo much! You're the best mom in the world and I miss you and think of you guys every day! Send everyone my love!!!! I will talk to you soon! Love you!!!