POST 62

Hi Everyone,
          I am truly grateful for modern day medicine and technology dealing with my malaria.  Over here in Africa though I think its like the 1960's when we look and compare Ghana to U.S. standard of hospitals. But it wasn’t too bad.  I got in and out with not too much havick. I have about fully recovered from the malaria. To be honest, I can only remember probably not even half of what has really happened this past week and half. So I am grateful to be here and to be alive still as a missionary, although I think that I came close to stepping into the Spirit World a few times. Haha.. I know that Heavenly Father pushed me to the limit both physically and spiritually, and I believe that I have grown closer, have gained more trust and respect for him as well.
          Anyway so today for P-day we went to a place called AFram Plains. It’s about 45 min. north of Nkawkaw. Its’ a really big river that is a tributary to Lake Volta. We were going to cross on a ferry, but just as we were showin up it was already launched. We decided to take the small boats across to the other side to a little town. We got there and walked around. We tried to find something to eat. We finally found a place that sold fried rice and chicken. On our way we saw plenty of cows.  These ones actually looked healthy and fat. We also saw quite a few fish; and they said that there were leapards around, but we didn’t get to see any. Afram Place is where the Mt. range ends and its just becomes plains, flat for miles and miles. It’s more of a Savannah rather than a jungle.  We saw plenty of little fishermen in their hand carved boats setting their nets. So as you can tell it’s a cool place. I  would like to go back and see it again before I leave Nkawkaw.
          This coming Friday Elder Sesay and I are going to Boukrom to stay the night.  Friday is Zone Conference with the Obuasi, Asuoyeboah, and Bantama Zones.   We will be staying in my old apartment with Elder Esplin and  my old companion Elder Agbeko.  It will be nice to see and visit with them.
          Anyway I hope you like the pictures. Also about Elwood,  I wish he could hang on till I get back. If you get the chance tell him hello and tell him thanks for all that he has done for me. But I thank you all for everything, your prayers and your thoughts; they are truly answered and heard from up above. Well best go and take care. Love ya,
                                                   Elder Ty Blackburn

Stopping at a rock formation.  

On our way to Afram Plains.

Me and my companion Elder Sesay from Sierre Leone

Man in boat

Hand made boats

POST 61

Hi Everyone,
          Well this week has been really really not too good at all. It all started on Wednesday. I started feeling sick and light headed. So around 2 or so we went back to the apartment, ate lunch, and then rested the rest of the day cuz I felt like crap. Thursday morning it seemed better so we went out and had 3 lessons. We came back ate lunch and I started to feel light headed and like I was going to pass out. So Friday morning we went to the hospital and they did a lab test of my blood sample and I have malaria!! Yeah, not fun at all. I started taking the medication that evening and today is when it should finish. I still feel like crap at the moment. It’s mainly just my stomach now. If only I can keep the stuff I eat down, and not throw it up. Freaking sun and the weather doesn’t help out at all!! Just be glad that you live in North America where such crappy viruses and illnesses don’t usually occur. So I hope I get better really soon. I won’t be going out to proselyte till I get better.
          Our proselyting area is around the apartment, which isn’t too bad. It’s just that not really anyone is serious. We take a taxi to a place called Amanfrom and that is where we baptized a guy yesterday from. His name is James. His sister will be getting baptized sometime in July. Most people we contact or try to teach usually try hiding from us, run away, or pretend they don’t speak English. We were able to pin down our Land Lord about our ceiling, so now it’s fixed. No more worries about mice getting in. So that’s about it for my week.  Just keep me in your prayers.. Thanks for everything!!
                                         Love ya,
                                   Elder Ty Blackburn

POST 60

Hi All,
         It is good here in Nkawkaw.  As usual it rains everyday. We are at a real crappy cafe today. The other one was packed with people, so I guess you will have to wait till next week for the pictures.
          Our apartment has a hole in the ceiling. We keep telling the Landlord but he won’t come and fix it. It’s going to fall in soon. Every time it rains it gets worse small. I was thinking I could just do it myself. I could go and buy some nails and a few small pieces of wood. Soon we will be getting mice, and we already have tons of spiders.
          I’m getting tired of the same thing everyday all day. On Saturday I went on splits with Kaufusi in his area. It was nice to be in the town part of Nkawkaw and actually have serious people to teach and find. This next Saturday and Sunday will be the Nkawkaw District Conference. President and Sister Holmes will be there and the Reiss's. So that’s something to look forward to.
          My companion is cool! This week is transfer news, so we will be knowing if anyone is coming or going. Tomorrow we are traveling to Konongo for a Zone Meeting, so I get to have a small vacation. Haha..
          Sounds like you enjoyed Fathers day with everyone.  I hope you are doing good and taking care of your selves. Love you all and good luck!!
                                          Love, Elder Ty Blackburn

POST 59

Hi Everyone,
          Well here it is Monday again!! The weeks somehow seem to be going faster and faster. Next week is already transfer news.  I can’t believe it! So I have been doing well, nothing too much has really happened here in the Bush. Yeah, so in the picture last week, my companion Elder Sesay is next to me.  Elder Kaufusi on the end is from Roosevelt. (he’s Tongan, but was born in Utah). Elder Roach is from Virginia. We all get a long really well.
          So Nkawkaw is cool. We’re planning on having a baptism for Steven.  We have also found an old man named Sampson. He is somehow blind and can’t see too well, but he is powerful!! The first time we met him he asked us if we do healings and teachings. Haha… We began to teach him, and yesterday we went back. The whole time I could tell that he was feeling the Spirit and knew that this was true. He was asking the right questions that led to the next principle of Lesson 1: The Restoration. Next time we go we will extend a Baptismal date. I really believe that this man is truly prepared for us and the restored gospel.   Kaufusi and Roach had 5 baptisms yesterday, so they are doing really well!! Our area is far from the chapel, and we don’t have really too many active and serious members to help us out. We are trying our best little by little.
          It has been raining everyday as I have said before. Thursday we came back for lunch around 2 and it started to rain, then it didn’t stop till early Friday morning. We were lucky that we were in doors or else we could of got stuck somewhere all day. It rains so hard that if feels like hail is hitting you.  On every building they have tin roofs so it gets pretty loud.
          On Tuesday we watched a car crash happen! No one was hurt but it was something else to see. There was this guy going to turn left with a bunch of cars behind. He was waiting for the oncoming ones to pass so he could turn. So just as he is turning a car from way behind starts coming around and T-Bones him on the drivers side!! The driver flew over into the passengers seat and almost fell out of the window!! We saw it all. We were coming down the hill when it all happened. In about 20 sec. about half the village was there. It was something else!!
          That is cool about the missionary from Eq. Guinea. Yeah, it’s like right under Camaroon, which is under Nigeria. I’m pretty sure the church is there. I think they may speak French?
           Well thanks for everything and for keeping me updated on all the happenings.  I hope that you can get some hay baled and put up into the stack this week. My thoughts and prayers are always with you.  Take care! Love ya!
                                            Elder Ty Blackburn

        

View of the mountain with a waterfall from the rains.

(The mountain really is bigger than it looks) 

                        Nkawkaw before a rain storm.

                                                                                                   Nkawkaw's humble homes.

POST 58

Hi All,
          Well this past week went pretty well.  Everything here in our village is good. I wasn’t as home sick as I was last year when you were taking the cows on the mountain. This year I was pretty calm and it didn’t really bother me much. I just know that I’ll be there next year and that there’s no more Mays on mission. But it sounds like all went well and everyone had a good time.
          Anyway things are going good here.  We went to Tafo water fall this morning. Just the four of us went. It’s around Mpraeso, which is the town at the back side of the mountain above Nkawkaw. We had a good time. We had to walk for like 5 min is all from the turn around spot. The grass was way over our heads, just following along single file like you see in the movies. The water was clear and clean, not like all the other creeks and streams in Kumasi and Obuasi, which are pretty much black. It took us about 30 or so min to get there in a taxi. It was a cool place. It was a lot bigger and better than the one I went to before in Obuasi. I got some pretty cool videos as well.  Anyway on the way back down to Nkawkaw, we took the other road which is really windy and steep, There are signs all the way down about on every other turn that says keep in lowest gear. Haha… But the driver just flew down it. There’s a big cliff to the one side!! Haha.. It’s a pretty freaky drive. So we finally got to the bottom and got back to town, then we went and withdrew at the bank and now we are browsing.
          So everything is good here. The work is moving forward in the right direction. We have 2 people prepared for baptism on the 15 of this month. One is named Stephen who is 13. Yesterday, he bore his testimony for the first time. He reads and keeps all of the commitments and asks good questions. After he is baptized we would like to start to teach his parents. They don’t speak English, but now Pres. Holmes has said that we can teach family members that don’t speak English. We hope it will happen! The other ones name is Sampson. He works at a sawmill with a member. He has come to church twice now, and is a powerful guy. So it’s going good. Little by little great things come to pass!!
          It has been raining everyday. Yesterday it started to rain at 4 and didn’t end till like 8 thirty. We usually cross through a little creek when we go to Kwesi's house on Sundays. It started to rain when we got there and it started to break around 5, so we made a mad dash to the apartment. On our way back, the creek was completely flooded. It would have been up to my waste, so we had to go clear back down almost to the main road to get across. Haha.. Pretty Crazy day!!
          Anyway I was looking at the calendar and realized that today is Bryler’s birthday. Tell her happy birthday for me. Will she be 6 or 7? That is about it for the happenings in our village. Thanks for everything!  Take care and have a good week.
                                                      Love Ty

Tafo waterfall

LDS Church in Nkawkaw