POST 53

Hi All,
         Yeah the past week went over real well. Yesterday was Emmanuel’s confirmation and it went well. Usually the one to baptize is my companion. I just let him do it because of the experience and partly cuz don’t want to carry my clothes to church, which is far. So usually I’ve just been letting him do it.  I think next time I’ll be the one to do it though. Sometimes the converts want the missionaries to do it, but they usually don’t care who.
          We have found a very powerful family. The dad said he would come to church with the rest, but yesterday he came and said that next week they will all come. They are a very humble family which are a “for sure” baptism. We are teaching another guy who’s name is Christopher. (he is a friend to Gad)  He has agreed to be baptized on the 11 of May. Also Nana Adu is still coming to church.  He doesn’t speak English very well, mostly twi, so we are just trying to help him improve on his English and with Book of Mormon reading. So one day he will be able to be baptized.  It seems like it takes a lot of people to teach and to contact to finally get that “Golden Convert”.  I think that all the converts we have had in Boukrom have all been member referrals; so we are always trying to work with the members, and it seems to be working.  Things here are not easy, but we always find a way to work through them.
          So about the three lessons I have learned so far on mission are hmmm….. probably first,  self discipline, second, learning how to develop patience,  then third, realizing the important things in life that bring true happiness are living and abiding by the gospel and the commandments. So that is just thinking about it just now; maybe next week I’ll have more.
          Well now that you mentioned it, I never did burn a tie or a shirt; but I have one to do it with. Maybe today I’ll burn something. Before I leave Boukrom I plan on burning a few things, ripped pants, etc… haha…
           Some of the experiences from this week are as follows. So we were coming to town in a tro tro. The majority of them are pretty good quality, but there are a few real crappy ones. The one we got was one of them, holes in the floor covered with boards and rugs. It had been welded and tacked (I don’t know how many times), keeping the top and sides from not falling off. Meanwhile half way to town the door falls off, and it takes them 10 or so min, to Jimmy Rig it back on. Haha.. I won’t ever take that one again. And I think it was Tuesday or Wednesday night it started to storm, The power went out, then the wind started to come. We seriously thought the trees that we have in our front yard were going to snap in half. They were at about a 120 degree angle or less. They are really tall and narrow, luckily they didn’t. Also, five out of the seven previous nights there has been no power. Which is not good at all. It means no fan, no water, unless we go draw it out of the tanks; no light, no nothing. So we just lay there and sweat!! If we go outside we get ate by mosquito's.  But I’m surviving.  Haha..  Many wandering cattle pass by our place and eat out of the local dumps. They usually pass by our place in the evenings. And every morning our neighbors sweep the whole place, whether it be dirt or cement, each day at 5 am.  It’s like a wire grass broom so its quite loud. So thats my week in Buokrom!!
          That is cool about all the mission calls. Ben is the same one as Dillon went to right?  So sounds like everything is going well. Only two more weeks till Mothers Day and I’ll be callin home!! Well the time is far spent, so best go!! So thanks for everything!!
                              Love Ty (Elder Blackburn)) :)

Playing with a little kid.

(Ty was always playing around like this with his little sister)

Cute Kobi

POST 52

Hello Everyone,
          Well this past week was good. I am now over the hump and it’s all down hill to the finish line.   Haha… So I had a nice week. We celebrated on Saturday by going to Bonjour and eating pizza, ice cream, alvaro, and mineral. We had some fun with Cockrum, May, Lawson and their companions. All the rest wasn’t able to come, or they were outside of Kumasi. We enjoyed for a few hours and got out of the heat and relaxed.
          So the past week went well. We had a baptism for Emmanuel who is our bishops nephew. He was prepared and wanted to be baptized soon. So we met with him everyday last week, and few times the week before last, and he was able to be baptized yesterday. It went well. It’s always nice to have a baptism, and it feels great to be a part of helping people come into “The Light of Christ” and get them on the right path of life.
          So I’ll have to think about the one question you asked me about what the three biggest lessons I’ve learned since on my mission and tell you next week. But yeah, I’ve come to love/like my mission. I think it’s definitely one of the most challenging ones and tough. I would say that it has gone by somehow fast, but then one year is really quite a long time; and then to have to do one more, it seems like ages when I get to thinking about it. But it’s really not.  I’m Just dropping the months and days from now on.  Haha…
          The land owner decided to reroof the chapel.  It is finally finished and it looks like something else.  The way they make bricks/blocks is interesting.  First of all they haul in a bunch of gravel and sand.  They bring a bunch of water that ladies are fetching while they mix it. Then they put it into a mold/frame then they pack it.  They let it dry in the sun for a few weeks and its ready to use.  It’s quite something to watch them build a building.  All of the buildings around here are built out of cement and blocks.  No lumber!!
           Well someone stole the computer out of the Ward Clerks Office!! We haven’t got any info about it. We think it’s the workers who are painting the place.  So that’s too bad.  Just lots of crazy out of oridnary things happen.
          Sounds like the family is busy getting the crops in and farming.  Next year I’ll be back helping.  I haven’t really figured out what I want to do yet.  What do you think would be best for me? I’m somehow getting nervous small when I think about it a lot. I think I’ll start to pray about it.
          I hope you had a Happy Easter and was able to remember the Savior. Well thanks for everything! Better go! Take Care!!
                            Love Elder Ty Blackburn

Emmanuels baptism day.

Picking mangos from a ladies place. We asked if she would like to

sell any but she told us if we could get them we could have some. We had

a good time climbing around and getting some nice ones. 

"Hump day" celebration at Boujour!!

POST 51

Hi Everyone,
         Well the past week was good.  It’s been hot and rainy lately.  There’s quite a bit of overcast which makes it humid.  Wednesday was Zone Conference. It was combined with Dichemso and Asokwa. It went over well. My favorite part was the lunch. Haha.. It was rice, chicken, salad, fanice, and kalipo (juice). It was good to eat something that hit the spot for once instead of egg sandwiches, and fried rice. Haha.. We didn’t proselyte after. We just went back and cleaned the apartment. For the month of March, the Kumasi mission had 103 baptisms. It was an all time high!  President Holmes was happy about that.
          Leading by example and teaching by example is what matters and what counts. I’ve been busy running around doing baptismal interviews for the ZL's, Sisters, and the other missionaries in Buokrom. We’ve been seeing lots of bats when the sun goes down. It’s pretty much like a black cloud flying over. You can just stand there and they will just be coming for 15-20 min.
          So the missionaries from Africa come from pretty humble homes. Most of them are all converts, and are usually the only ones of their family that are members. They say that when they return they will finish schooling and get a degree. Some of them want to go abroad but don’t have the money.
          We went to a pig farm.  It’s in another Elder’s area.  It’s a place called Abrim. The other  Elder’s found it and they told us to come and see. They want to buy one and slaughter it. Haha.. I just laughed!! But it’s not too bad of a place. The guy washes them daily and keeps their pens clean. It’s all on cement as well. It’s just out in the middle of no-where.
          So yeah, that’s about it for the past week for me. I can’t think of anything else. There’s only 4 more weeks till I’ll be calling home. It will be nice to be on the down hill side of things.  Thanks for all the news and updates on everything. I’m thankful for everything that you do and who you are. Keep up the great work. We will talk soon!  I love you!!
                  Love Elder TY Blackburn   1+

The pig farm out in the middle of nowhere

Boukrom Scenery

Making fufu.
Getting ready to drive the cassava and plantain

POST 50

Hi Everyone,
          Well the past week was good I guess. I can’t really complain.   Yesterday was M’s confirmation. He is now an official member, and as happy as ever.  No, we were not able to watch, listen, or do anything with General Conference.  I imagine that it really good.  In about a month or a month and  a half we will get to watch like a session for one of the Sundays during sacrament meeting.
          We are all still the same in the Buokrom apartment. Its me, Agbeko and the other two from Uganda, Elder Onen and Komubbi. So no changes,  I’m going on 3 transfers with the same people and the same everything. Buokrom is under the Dichesmo District and also Dichesmo zone. There are 3 districts in the zone,  Kronum, Asamang, and Dichemso, and I’m DL for the Dichesmo District. But we are all under Dichemso zone. Our Zone Leaders are Elder Gakaka and Allen.  Allen is usually the one that I report daily numbers to. There are I think 28 or so missionaries under the zone, but for the mission it’s 140.
          Our investigators are doing pretty good. I actually ran into Prince coming through the market and talked a little. Both he and Nanu Adu are doing good.  They haven’t came to church for a few weeks cuz I think they traveled. Most of the people we teach don’t really have a steady job, just small small work here and there doing little jobs. But M works at an Internet Café.  We have been teaching his brother F and he is very powerful.  He works at a photo development place.  He has his head screwed on straight.  It really makes a difference when someone is paying attention, and enjoying what you are telling/teaching them; and then asking powerful inspired questions. F has agreed to be baptized on the 27.  Also a young girl that has attended church at Dichesmo wants to be baptized; and then Christopher who is Gads friend.  Yesterday was his first time at church and he got up and bore his testimony which was all in twi, but from what I could understand, it was powerful!!
          So it’s all good.  Everything is going great.  Next week is my year mark and it’s all down hill from there, and then in few more weeks I’ll be calling home!! Haha…   Thanks for all the news and updates and for everything else. Take care!!
                                 Love,  Elder Ty Blackburn

Elder Kakowa (Zimbabwe) Elder Agbeko, Elder Anouman (Ivory Coast), Me

Street view from the bank in town.