POST 83

Dear Family and Friends,
          Well the past week has just been the norm. The usual thing. We had quite a few new investigators and are planning on having two baptisms this coming Saturday. Appiah fell through. He won’t tell us his other concern, and when we ask him a question, he just sits there. I can’t tell if he is thinking or day dreaming. But he says he will be ready for Dec. 13. Hopefully we can get to his other concern and help him. As for Rosemary and Sarah, they are ready for Saturday. We are certain they will. As for everyone else they are doing fine. We have one sister named Abrefe who is quite fascinated with what we share every time, but sometimes she about falls asleep.  But she has agreed for the 13th as well.
          We haven’t moved into the chapel yet. We are still waiting on Prosper to finalize it. I think things will start to pick up and progress once we get a place of our own that there can be peace and quiet.
          My comp is good. His English is coming along great. Time is the best thing that will help him to get it all. The transfer ends in two weeks and that is when he will be finished with his training.
          So we are in Kumasi today.  We had a Zone Activity. We went to the Bantama Chapel and played basketball and football, (soccer) and then ate fruit. We had bananas, apples, papau, and pineapple.   We seem to come to Kumasi every Monday cuz the cafe's are chicken coops in Offinso.  They take all day to send something.
          So yeah, things are going great.  I’m trying to take it all in and enjoy my 3 transfers left.  I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving. I’m not sure what we will do. The guy named Ben from Atlanta invited us a few weeks ago to come over and have turkey with him. The woman next to where he stays has an oven, so he said we could come and eat. So enjoy your holiday and eat my share too. haha… Better go! Take care!
                                   Love Ya,
                             Elder Ty Blackburn

The school where we hold church in Offinso.

A tro full of people from Offinso 

going to Stake Conference

 in Kumasi. 

Picture of a few people that 

attended Stake Conference.

POST 82

Well Hello Everyone,
          It sure is nice to once again talk and email. It really does feel like when we email that we are talking on the phone or face to face. It’s kinda weird. Haha..   But yeah, it really is actually hard to imagine feeling and being cold. There are a few mornings that it may be 75 degrees and I’m walking around the apartment wrapped up in a blanket.  I start thinking that when I get home it will be 30 at nights or so and I’ll literally freeze and shiver to death.
          Anyway, the week went well. We had a lot of success with finding people and making progress. We had 12 new investigators and I’d say probably half are somewhat serious, and 3 agreed to be baptized. I think they are ready for the gospel. We are hoping for 2 baptisms on the 30th. The people we hoped for fell through and became not serious; plus one is a snake that we can’t trust. We are planning for a man named Appiah also Rosemary and maybe her sister Sarah. We will do our best this week to make them ready. But Church went well yesterday. Next week is Stake Conference, so we will come to Bantama in Kumasi for the Bantama Stake Conference.  I only have 5 months left and I hope that I can have the spirit to finish strong. Some days it just seems unbearable to go out under the sun all day, and then to have little kids chase us around; Bronie koko mache, la fichie gongo!! And then to go and contact someone that just tries to hide from us or say Mynty Brofo. Hahaha.. It’s not easy at all. But we are doing our best and trying to stay positive. Other than those things, everything else is good.
          Here in the heart of the Ashanti as usual they don’t like to speak English much, or go to school. So sometimes we cant really do a whole lot, They just need to make it a Twi speaking mission. We have a hand full of people that don’t speak English very well, so the group leader is coming with us on Tuesday to help us out,  also our RC Kwabena helped us out on Saturday.
          It is starting to get really dusty and at nights and when we are walking home sometimes you can’t really even see from all the dust from the mock 90 tro's and taxis.
          Anyway, it sure sounds like you are doing good. Thanks for everything and I hope that you can adjust to the new house. Yes I agree with the conference talk; it is always good to be improving and moving forward. We should never be satisfied for whatever is good. Keep up the good work.
                                                     Love Elder Ty Blackburn

Foggy morning in Offinso

Some fellers trying to stuff something into the tro tro that won't fit.

POST 81

Hi Everyone,
          Everything is just cool. We had an allright week.  We just did the usual day to day thing. The person we baptized two weeks ago; yesterday we ordained him into the priesthood and now he has the Aaronic priesthood. I think that he will really be an asset to the Offinso group.  He has given us two referrals, which are also powerful.
          They have started to work on the chapel building. I don’t know if Prosper has tied it up or not. We keep on him to make sure things are getting taken care of and are followed through with. Hopefully by the end of Demember we will be in there or early January.
          We are really hoping for two baptims on the 22, but they say that they still feel like they need to repent. We are hoping and praying that they can be able to do so, and with our help it will pull through.
           Yesterday, we met a man that lived in Atlanta for 35 years. He drove taxi the whole time. He gave us a Fanta and chatted with us for 30 min or so. All he could talk about was how great America is and all the opportunities that are there for a person. Ha… It was good to talk to some one that actually knew things about the US. Most Ghanians only know New York, Chicago, Miama, and LA, and they think that Ghana feeds the world! Hahaha…
          Anyway everything else is good. Sounds like you all had a good week and are doing well. Thanks for everything and all that you do. Take care!
                         Love, E.Blackburn

POST 80

Hey Everyone,
         Things here in Offinso are going just swell. For the most part everything is fine here. Yesterday’s church service went well. It seems like every week it gets better. I think we had 35 or so come. It was fast and testimony Sunday. It went better than I thought it would.  Usually in small branches or groups, it is pretty long cuz there is really no one to bear testimony after about 10 or 15 min. So me and my companion had to keep it going a little and take up some time.  haha…  Once we finished, the church next door started up their drums and speaking in tongues. Talk about a complete head ache!!
          We are hoping for a few baptisms towards the end of the month or so. One guy named Okyere wants to be baptized, but is a Seventh day Adventist.  His dad told him if he joins us he will kick him out. We will meet with him this week and try and find the best solution.  So yes, on Saturday we had a FM. (free meal) It was yam with garden egg stew; one of my favorites.
          We have gotten to know some of our neighbors that live in the same building as us. Also a few others around, they seem like pretty nice people.
          I hope you had a good Halloween.  Who all dressed up?  And yes, the holidays are pretty much here.  Thanksgiving and then Christmas, I can’t wait!!! But yeah, that is about it.  It sounds like everyone is doing well and everything is great for you guys! Thanks for everything! Best of luck this week.  Till next time.
                                       Love Elder Ty Blackburn

Picture taken from my apartment. 

It's a truck full of Oranges. (this is just a small one) You should see the big

semi's loaded up with melons or oranges going to the north.

Another picture taken from my apartment. 

It's a school doing some walk or march with drums and trumpets.