Hi,
Well this past week has been fine. Friday and Saturday was transfer news and I was hoping for a call from Pres. all day. Meanwhile just about all the other District Leaders got released who only served 2 transfers. So I am going to be staying as DL and in Buokrom, going on four transfers!! So I guess that he is really trying to kill me!! haha.. I’m tired of taking numbers everyday, then having to report them to Pres… I was really hoping to get released from being DL and going back to being someone that takes orders and commands, but I guess it’s not that bad. I didn’t want to leave Buokrom anyway so it’s OK, I guess??? But I’ll surely be transferred this next transfer from Buokrom to who knows where. All that matters is that it’s something new and different to change to, but other than that everything is cool.
We were able to baptize M yesterday, it went well. He is a very powerful man! He’s always asking inspiring questions. He mentioned that his mom has seen a change in him since we have started meeting with him. The other inv. are doing fine. M has a few friends that want us to meet with them.
Today and yesterday we have been all over Kumasi going to fm's cuz Elder Anouman is going home tomorrow. He has been taking us all over Kumasi to his old areas and enjoying at fm's. He is from Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and is a very powerful missionary who knows how to have fun and enjoy. He was the past AP and my Zone Leader in Asuoyeboah. It rained pretty much the whole time we were at the fm waiting for them to prepare the fufu. There was 13 of us. We had a good time. We have very strong friendship. We just recently came back to Boukrom from Piri Piri and I said my last goodbyes to Anouman. I about started to tear up a little. Within the next few transfers it seems like about all my mission friends are going home. But I guess that’s how the ball rolls. Soon I’ll also be on my way to the mission home. Haha…
So everything else is fine. There hasn’t been anything too crazy or out of the ordinary happen this past week, Tomorrow is April and it will be a happy day for me for sure. HAHA… That is good that Belle got a job and has something to give her a little money. So I better go. Take care. Thanks for everything!!
Love, Elder Ty Blackburn
Monday, March 31, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
POST 48
Hi Everyone,
Well we have had a good past week. It has rained here a few times and made things less hot. Yesterday evening it started to rain so we got all our buckets and put them outside. (it helps to conserve water that way)
Anyway, things are good. We didn’t have any of our investigators come to church, only Solomon who is now a recent convert. The others either traveled, went to a funeral, went to play football, or just decided to switch their phone to off. We are always trying to keep ourselves motivated somehow, but it really kills my spirits when we can’t find people to teach, and when people switch off their phones and don’t come to church. I always remember what you told me Dad, that the Lord is also testing us during these hard times. So for the most part it all seems to move along with time and pass. Most of the people we are teaching are mostly men, but this past week most of the new people that we have started to teach are mosty women. Whenever we need to find someone that told us to come and see them, and when we don’t know the place; somehow we most always find their place with them not telling us where they stay. We just see them moving about or someone that is waiting for us. When we go to Nana Adu’s house and when his friend Prince is there, he always compliments us and tells us he always feels good and comforted when we come to talk. haha.. I thought that was good. It gives us more boost. But hard times are not over. With all the prayers we will get through it.
Just about everyday we buy fried rice from a really powerful guy who’s name is J. He sells the best fried rice I have had yet in Ghana. He always gives us extra rice and an extra piece of chicken. haha.. He is powerful! We are thinking of teaching him sometime soon. But he is always busy.
Yeah, the members in Buokrom are pretty good to do their church duties and assignments. We hardly ever do much anymore. Every once in a while we correct on a few things, but they are getting better. The only thing is a few of them want to think and run our church like the local churches. haha…
Friday and Saturday is transfer news so I’ll know whether I’ll be staying or going and being released as DL. But not too much else. Sounds like you are getting all the farming done piece by piece with the little crew. Thanks for everything! Better go! Take Care! Good luck this next week with everything!
Love Ty :)
Well we have had a good past week. It has rained here a few times and made things less hot. Yesterday evening it started to rain so we got all our buckets and put them outside. (it helps to conserve water that way)
Anyway, things are good. We didn’t have any of our investigators come to church, only Solomon who is now a recent convert. The others either traveled, went to a funeral, went to play football, or just decided to switch their phone to off. We are always trying to keep ourselves motivated somehow, but it really kills my spirits when we can’t find people to teach, and when people switch off their phones and don’t come to church. I always remember what you told me Dad, that the Lord is also testing us during these hard times. So for the most part it all seems to move along with time and pass. Most of the people we are teaching are mostly men, but this past week most of the new people that we have started to teach are mosty women. Whenever we need to find someone that told us to come and see them, and when we don’t know the place; somehow we most always find their place with them not telling us where they stay. We just see them moving about or someone that is waiting for us. When we go to Nana Adu’s house and when his friend Prince is there, he always compliments us and tells us he always feels good and comforted when we come to talk. haha.. I thought that was good. It gives us more boost. But hard times are not over. With all the prayers we will get through it.
Just about everyday we buy fried rice from a really powerful guy who’s name is J. He sells the best fried rice I have had yet in Ghana. He always gives us extra rice and an extra piece of chicken. haha.. He is powerful! We are thinking of teaching him sometime soon. But he is always busy.
Yeah, the members in Buokrom are pretty good to do their church duties and assignments. We hardly ever do much anymore. Every once in a while we correct on a few things, but they are getting better. The only thing is a few of them want to think and run our church like the local churches. haha…
Friday and Saturday is transfer news so I’ll know whether I’ll be staying or going and being released as DL. But not too much else. Sounds like you are getting all the farming done piece by piece with the little crew. Thanks for everything! Better go! Take Care! Good luck this next week with everything!
Love Ty :)
A cute bunch of kids in Boukrom
Wandering cattle
Monday, March 17, 2014
POST 47
Hi Everyone,
Everything sounds to be going well for you all over in the Western part of the world, and your being blessed in many ways. So Mom, that is cool that you were able to meet up with Elder Esplins mom and talk for a while about us missionaries. Yeah, the area that he is in now was part of my area when I was there. Maybe he will come to Buokrom and be the next DL here.
So about Africa, ha ha.. It’s all going good. This past week we didn’t get much done cuz it’s too dang hot. About everywhere we go people want us to come and pound their fufu; which is tiring. The first pound the plantain separates from the cassava, then they pound them both together. It takes about 20 or so minutes.
So as for us over here in Kumasi not too much out of the ordinary has happened. Just lots of idiot drivers that have road rage! I’m surprised that there hasn’t been a massive pile up yet. There is hardly no stoplights, just round abouts. In the morning and evening times, traffic gets backed up for miles sometimes. Last week we went to an activity at Bantama Chapel; which was for the YSA and missionaries and their investigators. There was football and a few other games. On the way back, there is a place called Sofoline, it's the place we go to catch a tro tro back to Buokrom. So anyway, once we got going up the over pass/spaghetti bowl type of a thing, there was this big gap/hole where they had just put a bunch of boards and rocks covering it. We could see how some people had drove into it, and they just covered it up!! So that kinda freaked us out!! 100 feet in the air with holes in the over pass!!
Yeah, I think I’ll more than likely be transferred. I’m about ready for a change, it would be nice to go outside of Kumasi with less noise and less people. I’ll know for sure on the 28. If not I’ll stay here and just be released as DL. The investigators are doing good. We still have challenges with most of them. They have plenty of things come in their path when we start teaching them.
Anyway, yeah I have heard that drinking a coke a day cleans out the parasites. Yeah, I have done that. I usually have a coke; if not everyday, about every other. So thanks for all the news and keeping me up to date on everyone. Thanks for everything! Take care! May God Bless! Till next week!
Love Ty
Everything sounds to be going well for you all over in the Western part of the world, and your being blessed in many ways. So Mom, that is cool that you were able to meet up with Elder Esplins mom and talk for a while about us missionaries. Yeah, the area that he is in now was part of my area when I was there. Maybe he will come to Buokrom and be the next DL here.
So about Africa, ha ha.. It’s all going good. This past week we didn’t get much done cuz it’s too dang hot. About everywhere we go people want us to come and pound their fufu; which is tiring. The first pound the plantain separates from the cassava, then they pound them both together. It takes about 20 or so minutes.
So as for us over here in Kumasi not too much out of the ordinary has happened. Just lots of idiot drivers that have road rage! I’m surprised that there hasn’t been a massive pile up yet. There is hardly no stoplights, just round abouts. In the morning and evening times, traffic gets backed up for miles sometimes. Last week we went to an activity at Bantama Chapel; which was for the YSA and missionaries and their investigators. There was football and a few other games. On the way back, there is a place called Sofoline, it's the place we go to catch a tro tro back to Buokrom. So anyway, once we got going up the over pass/spaghetti bowl type of a thing, there was this big gap/hole where they had just put a bunch of boards and rocks covering it. We could see how some people had drove into it, and they just covered it up!! So that kinda freaked us out!! 100 feet in the air with holes in the over pass!!
Yeah, I think I’ll more than likely be transferred. I’m about ready for a change, it would be nice to go outside of Kumasi with less noise and less people. I’ll know for sure on the 28. If not I’ll stay here and just be released as DL. The investigators are doing good. We still have challenges with most of them. They have plenty of things come in their path when we start teaching them.
Anyway, yeah I have heard that drinking a coke a day cleans out the parasites. Yeah, I have done that. I usually have a coke; if not everyday, about every other. So thanks for all the news and keeping me up to date on everyone. Thanks for everything! Take care! May God Bless! Till next week!
Love Ty
Cookie Mix cooked in a pan on the stove top.
It was delicious.
About to eat fufu.
One of the many "One man churches"….
Monday, March 10, 2014
POST 46
Hi Everyone,
So this past week was good. We weren’t able to have a baptism yesterday, due to the Zone Leaders having to go to Mampong and not coming to interview M. But next week hopefully we will be able to have a baptism for him. Also yesterday was S’s confirmation. He really looked good in his white shirt and tie. Next week he will receive the priesthood and be able to prepare and pass the sacrament. So things are moving along here in Buokrom. We’ve also received a few media referrals from the church website. About all of those we get from the media, referals are pretty serious about the gospel, and seem to progress quite fast towards baptism. As for the rest of our people we are teaching they are doing alright.
We have this guy who’s name is Prince. He has rasta hair that isn’t very long, but is somehow cool to look at. He has agreed to be baptized on the 30th of March; and also his friend M who is kind of drunk most of the time, but he asks really good questions and answers ours, so I can’t complain really.
So yeah about the meat and Ghanaian food. So usually if we can’t finish or just flat out can’t eat it, they get offended and will not invite you back again. For me, I have never refused food, but when its tough to take, we do our best. But for the most part, we finish everything. Yeah, there is always a high chance of getting sick when eating stuff like that, but since by stomach is pretty use to stuff like that, its not too bad. haha….
So anyway, as I said everything is going great. There’s always trials and many hard things to work with and get through, but he is there for us when we need his help, and is always listening and watching over us. Ghana is not an easy place to survive and make a living. When we go through the markets, there are countless homeless people and beggars everywhere. About each woman has twins. It’s pretty hard to take and see. It’s not easy at all, even to see what happens. Also the majority of the people we teach don’t have hardly any money. They just barely get by with what they have.
So along the lines of things that I crave. It would have to be cheese and a nice cake or something. haha... Many things, but once I eat one or try to eat it, I’ll probably just feel sick and get a gut ache. That is how it is when we buy chocolate and when we buy cheese slices and opoku.
Well I can’t really quite picture my little sister being able to go to prom and old enough to date. I bet she was the center of attention. ha ha. I hope you got some pictures. So anyway, that pretty much sums it up for the week. It’s slowly approaching rainy season and getting more humid. Thanks for everything! Take care! Keep it up! Extend my greeting to everyone and we will talk next week!
Love Elder Ty Blackburn 1+
So this past week was good. We weren’t able to have a baptism yesterday, due to the Zone Leaders having to go to Mampong and not coming to interview M. But next week hopefully we will be able to have a baptism for him. Also yesterday was S’s confirmation. He really looked good in his white shirt and tie. Next week he will receive the priesthood and be able to prepare and pass the sacrament. So things are moving along here in Buokrom. We’ve also received a few media referrals from the church website. About all of those we get from the media, referals are pretty serious about the gospel, and seem to progress quite fast towards baptism. As for the rest of our people we are teaching they are doing alright.
We have this guy who’s name is Prince. He has rasta hair that isn’t very long, but is somehow cool to look at. He has agreed to be baptized on the 30th of March; and also his friend M who is kind of drunk most of the time, but he asks really good questions and answers ours, so I can’t complain really.
So yeah about the meat and Ghanaian food. So usually if we can’t finish or just flat out can’t eat it, they get offended and will not invite you back again. For me, I have never refused food, but when its tough to take, we do our best. But for the most part, we finish everything. Yeah, there is always a high chance of getting sick when eating stuff like that, but since by stomach is pretty use to stuff like that, its not too bad. haha….
So anyway, as I said everything is going great. There’s always trials and many hard things to work with and get through, but he is there for us when we need his help, and is always listening and watching over us. Ghana is not an easy place to survive and make a living. When we go through the markets, there are countless homeless people and beggars everywhere. About each woman has twins. It’s pretty hard to take and see. It’s not easy at all, even to see what happens. Also the majority of the people we teach don’t have hardly any money. They just barely get by with what they have.
So along the lines of things that I crave. It would have to be cheese and a nice cake or something. haha... Many things, but once I eat one or try to eat it, I’ll probably just feel sick and get a gut ache. That is how it is when we buy chocolate and when we buy cheese slices and opoku.
Well I can’t really quite picture my little sister being able to go to prom and old enough to date. I bet she was the center of attention. ha ha. I hope you got some pictures. So anyway, that pretty much sums it up for the week. It’s slowly approaching rainy season and getting more humid. Thanks for everything! Take care! Keep it up! Extend my greeting to everyone and we will talk next week!
Love Elder Ty Blackburn 1+
Rice Ball
Rice that has been cooked for a longer period of time and then
rounded into balls by hand.
The cookie mix I got in the mail.
We cooked it in a pot on the stove with a lid on. They were overly delicious!!!
Ju Ju Stick (Black Magic)
It's a place that has been so called "cursed"...
Monday, March 3, 2014
POST 45
Hi All,
So yeah the weeks are going by pretty fast if we think about it. I’m already into March and almost over the other side. Yeah this past week has and was somehow better than the previous one. My zone leader Elder Allen came on splits with me on Friday till Saturday. I learned a lot, and a lot more. He is a very powerful missionary, who knows his stuff. Also he has many things in common with me. His dad was raised in Richfield then they moved to Arizona. So I had a pretty good time with him.
Anyway you got the pictures of S’s baptism which turned out awesome. We were suppose to baptize M, but on Saturday he never came for the interview; but maybe next week. We are also planning on baptizing a guy named Nana Adu, who lives right next to the chapel. He doesn’t speak much English and doesn’t really comprehend, unless we have someone translate. So maybe we will baptize him, but not too sure yet.
So you remember how I told you that the next time that the power goes out I’ll just go outside on the lawn and wrap my self up in my net and sleep. Ha haha… Yeah, that isn't going to happen. I’ve changed my mind. When I went on splits with elder Onen to Kenyasi, there is a hill somehow close to Buokrom. One guy we were talking to said they killed 2 pythons last week. So when I heard that, I realized I better stay indoors at night. Haha.. Pretty Creepy!!!
So things are going good. The weather has been not so hot lately. It’s been raining quite a bit, lots of overcast. On Saturday ,there was lots of dust, cuz the wind blew pretty heavy the night before, so it’s probably all from the Sahara.
I had the worst meat ever this past week. Just walking into the room turned by stomach. Elder Agbeko got the head or something. I’m pretty sure I got like a leg or the shoulder, (it had 2 joints in it). Also the skin was still on with a little hair as well. It took me till late evening time to get the smell off of my hands. Anyway enough of that!!!
I’ll probably be transferred at the end of this transfer which is the first week of April. I’ll surely be released as DL. (usually Pres. Holmes leaves people for only 2 transfers as DL, but for me it will be 3), but who knows. I do know that 12 people is too many, and then to have 4 sisters to deal with is another challenge. But we keep taking it one day at a time, and keep chugging along. Almost to April so it’s going good. Agbeko and I are doing well. We’re starting to get to know each others personalities and we’re teaching more in unity. Also I’m having Bro. Kay our ward mission leader make me a temple bag. It’s made out of kinte, which is fabric that they weave and make. Its black and white, so I'll send a pic. next week of it. O and yes I did get your package. Thanks for the letters and awesome pictures that were in the package. When I tried to turn on the camera it wouldn’t turn on. Even with brand new batteries it wouldn’t, so I’ll just have to buy one, maybe next week or something. But thanks a lot for the package. I’ll probably make the cookies tonight. So not much more activity has happened in Kumasi. Yeah I gave out a bunch of the zots to the kids. Whenever they got to the sour part, they didn’t know what to think. So thanks for everything! Better go! Talk to ya next week!
Love Elder Ty Blackburn
So yeah the weeks are going by pretty fast if we think about it. I’m already into March and almost over the other side. Yeah this past week has and was somehow better than the previous one. My zone leader Elder Allen came on splits with me on Friday till Saturday. I learned a lot, and a lot more. He is a very powerful missionary, who knows his stuff. Also he has many things in common with me. His dad was raised in Richfield then they moved to Arizona. So I had a pretty good time with him.
Anyway you got the pictures of S’s baptism which turned out awesome. We were suppose to baptize M, but on Saturday he never came for the interview; but maybe next week. We are also planning on baptizing a guy named Nana Adu, who lives right next to the chapel. He doesn’t speak much English and doesn’t really comprehend, unless we have someone translate. So maybe we will baptize him, but not too sure yet.
So you remember how I told you that the next time that the power goes out I’ll just go outside on the lawn and wrap my self up in my net and sleep. Ha haha… Yeah, that isn't going to happen. I’ve changed my mind. When I went on splits with elder Onen to Kenyasi, there is a hill somehow close to Buokrom. One guy we were talking to said they killed 2 pythons last week. So when I heard that, I realized I better stay indoors at night. Haha.. Pretty Creepy!!!
So things are going good. The weather has been not so hot lately. It’s been raining quite a bit, lots of overcast. On Saturday ,there was lots of dust, cuz the wind blew pretty heavy the night before, so it’s probably all from the Sahara.
I had the worst meat ever this past week. Just walking into the room turned by stomach. Elder Agbeko got the head or something. I’m pretty sure I got like a leg or the shoulder, (it had 2 joints in it). Also the skin was still on with a little hair as well. It took me till late evening time to get the smell off of my hands. Anyway enough of that!!!
I’ll probably be transferred at the end of this transfer which is the first week of April. I’ll surely be released as DL. (usually Pres. Holmes leaves people for only 2 transfers as DL, but for me it will be 3), but who knows. I do know that 12 people is too many, and then to have 4 sisters to deal with is another challenge. But we keep taking it one day at a time, and keep chugging along. Almost to April so it’s going good. Agbeko and I are doing well. We’re starting to get to know each others personalities and we’re teaching more in unity. Also I’m having Bro. Kay our ward mission leader make me a temple bag. It’s made out of kinte, which is fabric that they weave and make. Its black and white, so I'll send a pic. next week of it. O and yes I did get your package. Thanks for the letters and awesome pictures that were in the package. When I tried to turn on the camera it wouldn’t turn on. Even with brand new batteries it wouldn’t, so I’ll just have to buy one, maybe next week or something. But thanks a lot for the package. I’ll probably make the cookies tonight. So not much more activity has happened in Kumasi. Yeah I gave out a bunch of the zots to the kids. Whenever they got to the sour part, they didn’t know what to think. So thanks for everything! Better go! Talk to ya next week!
Love Elder Ty Blackburn
S's baptism
Bushmeat!! (NASTY rodent meat with fufu)
Be glad you can't smell it….
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