Happy New Year 2014

First off, Happy New Years!

2014 is going to be a great year. I'm very anxious for it to get rolling.

Tuesday we went to a stake activity for New Years. We had to leave and be home by 9. It was still cool. There were TONS of YSA. It made me super excited for the YSA when I get home. They had insane amounts of food. 

I look drunk in a lot of pictures lately but I'm not. I think I've just been having a lot of fun.

New Years Day was excellent for proselyting we got a ton of lessons.

We've been working with Kofi and his wife, Linda. We did our very best to commit Kofi to coming to church. He said he wouldn't but his wife committed. They stay right next to Bishop and he said he'd bring her (he has a car) and when we got to church Bishop pulled up and didn't have Linda in the car.

I normally would be bummed but for some reason that time I wasn't. Halfway through sacrament meeting she showed up on her own. Now I was very very impressed because she's like 8 months pregnant so to get into a tro tro it was a sacrifice. She loved the church though!

I made the joke, I'll bless her baby when it's born and she said she would like that. I personally would love that if I was able.

Sacrament meeting on Sunday was a whole 'nother thing. It marks my number 1 favorite sacrament meeting in my whole life. It was so funny! Honestly the spirit wasn't there too much but a newly wed couple went up together and were standing next to each other so awkwardly and saying how they love each other. All these other couples followed. They would each tell a small story and everyone was laughing. I've come to love these types of things.

We got to take a tour of the Chief's palace. It's pretty awesome! I'll send some pictures. He said we're welcome anytime. It's pretty unusual for a Chief. They're usually too caught up in the traditional fetish beliefs. This one still does fetish rituals but also is a good Christian. We would teach him but he has to be Chief until his last born son is around 20 years (10 more years). It's pretty much compulsory for them to do the shrine rituals and stuff. We put our foot in the door in case the church needs anything in the future.

 It was a good week. We're planning on baptizing Gifty this week. It couldn't happen last week. She's a 9 year old girl who stays with a member. She's very smart for a 9 year old.

The town is called Amasaman. it's a developing area. Lots of nice houses, lots of uncompleted houses too. 

The ward is due to split early march. They said the building will be completed in the first week of February but projects never are completed on time here - kinda like home I guess.

We're working very well with the Bishop and some of the other members.

One less-active family that we helped re-activate is the Sekum family. Brother Justice has really been helping us with the work. He gave 4 referrals last week. The only problem is that he's going out of the country for work in about 1-2 weeks. He'll be gone for a year or more. (we find out details tomorrow)

A lot of good people we've been finding and teaching are leaving for school or going to live with family members soon. It's an area that lots of people are coming and going. 

We're going to do better at contacting more people this week which will give us more people to teach.

My President Hill Quote:

"I'd rather be burnt out than rusted out."

I'm going to burn myself out my last transfer. Whoever my companion is, he is dead!

I forgot a story I forgot to tell you. A few weeks ago we were coming home and in the back of the bus there was a drunk guy. We went and sat by him. Keep in mind I LOVE drunk people - they make me laugh so hard! I laugh with them not at them, if that makes sense.

I started just messing around with him making him laugh and then I saw his watch. I asked if he would give it to me. He smiled stupidly and said "because we're friends, yes!" he gave me his watch and then saw the watch I had on. (I bought mine from a candy stand that very day which cost me like 1 dollar) I then gave him my watch.

So that's the watch I'll be coming home in. 

I think that's one of my favorite stories that I've gotten. And the moral of the story is don't drink alcohol, some white guy will end up with your watch. 

(You asked who we can pray for this week) :

• Kofi and Linda

They could use some prayers to get answers to their prayers. They both committed to coming next week and I'm confident that if they come once more, they'll be baptized

The bicycle repair man has a huge pile of old bikes and bike parts

This mannequin is my wife, she won't tell me stupid things. Isn't she cute?

The blue wall goes into their shrine at the chief's palace. We didn't go inside though

(Elder Schmeltzer has expressed a desire to becoming an owner of a motorcycle when he gets home, when we get this picture.  I was glad to see that the kickstand was still down and he was enjoying a moment)