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.

POST 79

Hi All,
          Well It’s nice to once again be able to email. We came to Kumasi today because I’m fed up with the cafe's in Offinso. There’s no a/c, too slow, can't send pictures, ha.. , so we decided to come to town. We are at Yodafone cuz the other one had a fire and burnt all the wires up or something like that. Esplin and his companion are here too. Anyway, so I have officially 4 transfers left. I would like to finish in Offinso. I’m tired of being transferred.
          So Saturday, we had a baptism which was the first convert/baptism here in Offinso, it was for Kwabena Issac, and yesterday he was confirmed. It was great! Only if we could of had the others that we prepared, but hopefully next month we will have them. We had to go to Suame, which is in Kumasi for the baptism. The Offin River was also an option, but it looked pretty sketchy.  Also Pres. Holmes was going to bring more missionaries here, but we told him its too small; so we will remain at 4.
          Starting church at 8 is not a very good deal. Everyone comes around 8 thirty to nine. Luckily the church next door was not there, so we could of started at nine. The group leader asked me to give a talk 2 min before the meeting started, haha… It went pretty well. I just talked on the gospel of Jesus Christ.
          We met with the family we met the previous week. Yesterday, the dad came to church, but not the wife and kids. Maybe next week. We had a total of 30 yesterday at church, which was great. It has rained a lot lately.  The dry season will start next month or so. Thanks for all the news and updates. Have a good week! Well take care!!
                                                         Love ya, Elder Ty Blackburn

Baptism for Kwabena Isaac

POST 78

Hi Everyone,
          So everything is good.  Last week went pretty well, except for about 85% of the people we contacted were either mynty brofo, or were scared from us and tried to hide. I don’t really know what they think we are, probably cops or secret agents of some kind. Ha... We weren’t able to go to Namong, but hopefully this week we will try. We are starting to have success with the few members that are here. They have given us a few referrals who seem to be ready and prepared for what we have.  Also church yesterday was fine. The group leader didn’t show up until twenty after. When he got there he told me to go and pick up this old man who is a member a few min away. I got to drive his car!!   It’s been a long 18 months of not shifting any gears. It sure felt nice, but church went well.  We were able to have 12 people come total.   They have found a place for our church services now, so we just will keep riding prosper to get the ball rolling in order for it to be ready by December.  By the looks of things, I think it will be.
          Yesterday we found a family that said we could come by within the week. They received us really well. They said we are always welcome. So hopefully we will continue to find serious people that will receive our message and not run from us or just want to talk to us because I’m white and am an American. Haha… What gets me is when we talk to people they ask me what my local language is in my hometown! Some people are sooo behind, they only know twi and do not like to go to school to learn.
          I have found another favorite food, it’s Gari and beans with red plantain. It’s really good for lunch. But that is all for here in Offinso. It sounds like everyone is doing well. I better go.  Thanks for all the news.  Best of luck this week.  Take Care! Till next time.
                                   Love Elder Ty Blackburn

Offinso street market

Offinso street view

POST 77

Hi Friends and Family,
          So things have been just the normal around here. Yeah, the other churches are interesting.
The drums, speaking in tongues, singing, haha..   It’s something else for sure. Yesterday was fine. We only had one investigator (Kwabena) come to church, everyone else had some crappy excuse, but we hope they will come next week.  Kwabena will be baptized on the 25th. I think that having church start at eight is too early. Eight thirty would be perfect; almost everyone was late. Our group leader is somehow serious with the church, but needs to chill out about investigators being late. He doesn’t need to be chastising them about being late. That is our job and not his.  But for the most part he is good group leader. He has a car, so its not a problem for  him to get from Afrancho to Offinso. We hope to find more serious people this next week.  Most of the people that we are teaching have problems they need to work out and resolve before they can be baptized. We are going to go to a little town about  3 miles north of Offinso called Namong this next week. Hopefully we will have success. Half of our area is Zongo, full of Muslims and their cows. There is a certain tribe from Burkina or Niger that are called Fulanies. All they do it herd and raise cows. We are always running into them.
          Anyway, my companion is great. His English is coming along really well. It’s amazing actually!!
I can’t believe it’s been 18 months and only 6 more to go!  I really  cant believe that my time is winding down. Ever since I came I would look at missionaries almost finished with their mission and think.. Wow they are lucky! I wish I was them! Haha… But now I’m saying it to the Greenies, “You are lucky!  Make the most of your time and enjoy your mission.” About all my heroes are all gone home and now I’m taking the plate.
          So that is pretty much it for the past week.  It sure sounds like everyone is doing well and enjoying the fall weather.  That is great that Dad and Chap both got an elk. There's always good times out there getting in the middle of it all and having them run right over ya, ha… At least is wasn't as cold as it was the one year with all the snow.  It also sounds like the gather went well.  It's always quite an enjoyable outing. Anyway, next year I'll be there. I really can't picture it. I think I'll just be in shock for a few weeks, trying to believe that this actually happened. Well I best go! We’re going to Piri Piri to enjoy a bit. Have a good week!!
                             Love, Elder Ty Blackburn

My companion Elder Ilunga doing his traditional dance.

Tro tro

The major form of transportion

POST 76

Hello Everyone,
          Well yeah, everything for the most part is great in Offinso. So yesterday we were able to have church in a school building.  We probably had maybe 30 or so people come, a handful of members and the rest were investigators. Our group leader is from Kumasi Kronum. He brought his family. It was a fast and testimony Sunday so no one gave talks. All four of us missionaries shared our testimony to keep things going. We also had to bless and pass the sacrament which is not a big deal. We started at 9 and got through the sacrament, and then half way through Sunday School the other church in the next room started their drums and what not, so we just stoppped and closed. Its only a 2 hour service so next week we will start at 8 and finish at 10 to avoid the noise. They said that the building will be ready in December, so will just have to deal with it for a few months. Everything else is alright. We are hoping at least for 2 baptisms towards the end of the month, Joyce and Sompomah.
          So the market picture I sent you is a  market on our way to Kumasi from Offinso. The one at Offinso is similar; we have two. The people here are the same as in Nkawkaw for the most part. Everything is the same except they are two different tribes, the Ashanti and Kwahu. The Ashanti is in Offinso and the Kwaho is in Nkawkaw.  Yeah it seems like all the West Africans are all similar in their stature. Overall they are littler people.
          But yeah as for the packages, I have the one Gr. Becky sent me. I gave the ties to recent converts in Nkawkaw. I got one of your packages and one of Gr. Lindas on Wednesday at Zone Conference. Thanks!!! I only have the one shoe though, I hope the other one makes it soon. That is pretty much everything. Thanks for everything! Have a good week!
                                          Love Elder Ty Blackburn

Here's a picture of who was in attendance at our first church meeting 

in Offinso held in a local school building. 

The market on our way from Offinso to Kumasi.