Heading West!

Dear Family,

Hello! Happy Monday and New Years!

So, should I share transfer news first? I guess I will! Here's what it is: I'm being transferred to Sekondi to be with Elder Halterman! Sekondi is now in the Kojokrom zone, which means that I'll be in Western Region, also inside the zone of Elder Pearmain, with Elder Baldwin there too! Woohoo! :) I'm excited to go there and see how it is. I've heard good things about this place. Also, this means I'm no longer district leader! Now I'll be focusing more on my area, yes! Elder 'Atu'ake is receiving Elder Wilding or something like that, an elder who came from the Sierra Leone mission, and Elder Judy is staying in Elmina while Elder Cardon goes with me over to that Kojokrom zone as well. Elder Judy is receiving Elder Ma'afu (is how they pronounce it, I don't know the real spelling). He's Tongan, and Elder 'Atu'ake knows him really well, so now they'll light Elmina on fire! Anyway, from what I've heard, my apartment will be really close to the Julander's (possibly part of the same building?), the chapel there is really nice, and it has more English speakers. Woohoo!!!!

Okay, now that I've told you the transfer news, I'll move on with my email. I liked your email for today! Thank you! I'll admit, if I was where Ryatt was standing in that picture of him in the snow, I'd be dead. Ahhh... Brrr... That would be so cold. I can't even imagine it. Heck, I wear a blanket in the mornings because it's really cold at night here! [I had sent him a photo of his little brother standing outside in the snow wearing just shorts and a t-shirt and snow boots]  What Pres. Stevenson said about Harmattan (just pronounce it Hamatan, somehow) is true. The days are hot, but the nights are COLD. Sometimes, that is. Anyway, thanks for the update about everybody back home. I also like that quote you sent me that Joseph Smith said! It's a good one. [“A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race. This has been your [the Twelve in England] feeling, and caused you to forego the pleasures of home, that you might be a blessing to others, who are candidates for [eternal life], but strangers to truth; and for so doing, I pray that heaven’s choicest blessings may rest upon you.”]

On to my week!

Tuesday: District meeting. A good one. It started off with some elders not being exactly content with some others, but I feel like the instruction that I gave was inspired. The instruction was on "Building the Kingdom of God -- Our Purpose", relating the two together. Then it had a small twist at the end where the kingdom of God is Zion, and what is Zion? Well, the pure in heart. It's our own choice not to get angry with other people, and at this point in time God has not asked us to have a city called Zion full of pure people (as if that could last in this present world), but rather we build it amongst ourselves through our own hearts. The spirit was really strong, and I thought it was a good one. Another one of my favorites that I've given, though I can't take credit for it when it's inspired. Moving on, after District meeting I went with Elder Kallon to his area, Kissi, to do a baptismal interview for a sweet girl, Veronica. She passed, and we also had a wonderful fufu from the woman I interviewed last time I went out to Kissi! It was a good exchange, though it was only for a few hours. Elder 'Atu'ake and I met up again and we went to Auntie Vick's house for an amazing holiday meal from her. Yum!!! :) That's mostly what I remember from that day.

Wednesday: Uhm.. No notes. Oops. We taught 5 lessons! I mean, I know it was new years eve, but we didn't really do too much about that. We taught people! That night we went to sleep, intending to wake up right before midnight to say happy new year to those in the apartment.. But none of us woke up, except Elder Cardon who is the only one who didn't sleep through the alarms and just got up to turn them off. Hahaha, happy new years!!! :D

Thursday: New years day! We went up to Agona! My last time going up there. :'( Well, after all the long crappy car rides, I went up there for the last time. We visited some people, and the Ainoo family made a fufu for us. They killed a chicken for us! (that's what one picture I sent home was) It was really kind of them, and the soup was so nice. Mmm, tasty.

Then we rushed to Ntranoa (big time rushing, we were WAY late), and I did an interview for them! It was sweet, and we stood for quite awhile on their not-so-busy road waiting for a car to get back to Elmina. That was the day!

Friday: Rikki's Birthday! At least, that is the only note I have written in my planner. :) Well, from memory, Elder 'Atu'ake went to Takoradi to get his non-citizenship card renewed. It didn't work for him. That's two trips for him taken in vain, and he might need to go to Accra for it! But it meant that I proselyted with Elder Judy and Elder Cardon for a few lessons. So strange to do because I was watching two missionaries who teach in the Ghana Cape Coast Mission style teach together, whereas I've been an entire half of the companionship all the other times, but this time I was able to see so many differences. I'm not talking about person to person teaching style differences, but mission teaching style differences. They teach different here, and I've been adapting to it, but it was interesting to see it so plain this time! Elder 'Atu'ake came back eventually that day and we didn't have much success.

Saturday: Transfer news day! So that's what we were thinking about for most of the day. But we went to Kissi's baptism first and helped set all that up and lead the service. There weren't many people there at all, so.. I presided. Somehow. I guess that's allowed? I mean, convert baptisms are under the keys of the mission president. They've done it before with me here, and president is aware.. But I was the oldest missionary there (elder, that is. Elder Kallon is my MTC, but I was the district leader), so I presided. Somethin' like that. :) Hahahaha, anyway, we proselyted that day. We had some good lessons, and we have a good teaching pool now, so it was a good day! We were walking around that evening when the zone leaders called us and told us transfer news. Woohoo! Crazy stuff. I spent some time saying goodbye to the ward that evening, but only the people I ran into.

Sunday: my last Elmina Sunday! Which meant a lot of pictures with members. I'm gonna miss them. I've gotten good at the whole not crying thing, so nobody even notices if I'm starting to get more emotional, but I'll tell you, there were some moments when I was bearing my testimony when I had a hard time. I'm really close with quite a few of these members, especially in this last month, and I'm gonna miss this area.  [when he was in Liberia, he explained that he had to learn to hold back any tears, as that's not really culturally acceptable]

Monday: We had a zone activity at Ola chapel! We all made fufu. I ate SO much fufu. :) It was a really fun activity, some small sports going on, etc. Now I'm emailing!

Making fufu

So, my thoughts about leaving this area are not small. This has been my longest area of my mission, and might stand to be my longest at the end. I honestly feel like I'm just trying to tear myself out of a rut that I've landed in, and I feel like this new area will be a great chance to get a jump start. I've met a lot of people and made a ton of memories, but now it's time for more. I've set some goals for myself with this new transfer and new year, and I want to work hard, and even more, get back to where I was always working hard hard hard. We'll see what the transfer brings. But first, we'll see what the week brings. :)

Love,
Elder Price