To start, always have to start with a funny!
As we were walking home from emailing last week, we passed this house that owns a monkey. No idea what kind, but I have a video for the monkey enthusiasts out there... Anyways, Elder Powell was playing with the monkey for a bit and then wanted to see my pen so the monkey could play with it. I thought no harm of it, and handed it to him. Right as Elder Powell gave the monkey my pen, the monkey jumped away and started to eat the pen!!! Ahhhh! We were kinda freaking out because it is a plastic pen, so the shards would be sharp, and we were more scared of the ink killing the monkey, so we voted Elder Powell to go and grab the pen from the monkey! After a few minutes of debating how to get the pen, he rips it out of the monkey's hand and the monkey got ANGRY and ran after him!!! :) Good thing the monkey had a leash because Elder Powell would have been in trouble!!! :)
Next, for a continuation of last week, our eye infections (called Apollo[ ah-poh-loh]) lasted for a few days and finally spread to Elder Coleman and Elder Powell. We looked like a bunch of zombies with our swollen and dark red eyes, but it provided for a good experience! :)
Ants invaded our house as well this week, and I couldn't help but think we were being cursed with many plagues! The day or two after my eye infection left, HUGE ANTS decided our house was a good place to make their house... We walked past them the first time we came in the door because they had just taken our windows, but when we walked back into the front room, they were EVERYWHERE!!! So we grabbed some cans of "Raid" and destroyed them all! >:)
We celebrated Elder Coleman's birthday on the 12th and made him a cake! It turned out really well using the multi-pot-oven on the propane stove technique! :) It was amazing. Oh how I miss American-made sweets!!!!!
We had a Zone Council in Nkawkaw this week, and I bought a sweet speaker while I was there for cheap! It is red and looks awesome. Has the strange voice (you know this voice if you've ever bought a speaker made in China or bought from "wish.com" LOL)
Our house is horrifying right now. The fire crackers are very common now, and so, both of our companionship's have bought firecrackers and been throwing them at each other in the house. Basically, we live in constant fear that at any moment a little fire cracker (Ghana calls them Knockout) can fly into your room can scare you! Hahahhaaa! One kind they have here sounds like shooting a gun in the apartment! HOLY LOUD.
Well. This week has been tough on the spiritual side. I have done a lot of praying and pondering. The woman we have been planning to baptize was really progressing well, but a few days before, her husband called and said she couldn't be baptized because she already has a church. We are not quite sure if she is just trying to get away from us or if her husband actually said no, but we told her that when her husband comes from Accra for vacation, that we will sit down with him and share our message with him as well. The thought that continues to come tom my mind is from Isaiah 55:8...
8 ¶For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
That is my thought for the week, that no matter what happens, as we turn to God, we can know that we cannot always see the forest behind the tree we are at now, but we can have hope for the future because if we live well now, we will be rewarded accordingly.
Well, everything is looking good for Skyping on Sunday! I will be calling around 10pm my time, around 4pm your time. I hope everyone will be at Grandma's so I can see the family, I will get about 1.5 hours which will be GREAT! :)
Elder Wawro
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Catching Up...12-12-16
Final catch-up blog post...
December 12th, 2016
I've got lots to write about this week! :)
Mom, how was craft fair? Did you get any sleep last week??? :)
Elections were crazy! The President changed from Mahamma to Nana Akufo Addo and there was A TON of celebrations! We didn't proselyte much this week because of all the parties, and in some places, riots. But overall it was peaceful! IT WAS HUGE. EVERYBODY WAS DANCING AND SINGING WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THE NEW PREISDENT!!! :)
Well, this week has been rewarding. It started with me being angry with my companion over something kinda small, and it was really bothering me! But, as I thought about it and received some helpful words from Dad (last Saturday), I went up to him the next morning and just apologized for being mad at him. Wow, what a difference that made for sure! We now never walk without having a laugh or telling a funny story or 2, and it is amazing!!
I bought some sweet firecrackers this week that we played with for a long time! We have some hilarious videos with them, and hopefully soon, I will get to send them! :)
I made some interesting "donut holes" from the internet this week. They were alright, but since we don't have a thermometer, I just tried to fry them at the lowest setting possible... They weren't awful, but I won't make them again for sure! They took about 1.5 hours to make all of them, and they came out more like cinnamon sticks, but it was an interesting experience! :)
Elder Coleman found a Christmas tree this week which was awesome, as Elder Antwi (who just left) took his with him when he was transferred. We don't have lights, but we have some ornaments and a tree topper, but soon we will find some lights!
I saw a huge Gas truck this week which read "Highly Inflammable"! :) It is really common around here, but this is the first week I could get a solid picture of it! :)
I had fried snail the day before Elder Antwi left which was not half bad! It was definitely different, but I enjoyed eating them! I t was a little scary seeing them be hacked open and then thrown in the fryer, but it was really nice! :)
Ugh. For me and my companion, we have had eye infections in one of his eyes, and both of mine. And let me tell you, it is rough! Elder Coleman has some eye drops that really help, but it is taking a while to go away, but thankfully, the Lord has let me get some rest at night! Also at the moment, I have a terrible headache. I don't know what happened, I didn't feel great so I took a nap, and then I was finished! Yikes! But when we get home, I will be taking some Advil, Nyquil, and going back to sleep! :)
Anyways, for this week, we are preparing this lady Joyce to be baptized. I am really excited to finally have a baptism! We have been working really hard, and I am glad to see some success in the near future! :) Honestly, this is one of the hardest areas I have been to. But I know that the Lord is watching out for us and he truly is preparing souls to hear the message we have to share. We have been praying a lot for some success in our area, as our branch hasn't had any baptisms in like 6 months, but Saturday, we will have the first in a while! :) God truly will help us as we turn to him for help and guidance in our lives. He is always just a prayer and a little bit of work away! :)
So for Christmas Day...proably what will happen is that we won't go out on Christmas, unless to members, and then we will find some members and use their phone to Skype! We will just buy a bunch of credit and hope for the best!! There is absolutely zero wifi here. I have never seen wifi, but some missionaries have a little hotspot so they can send pictures from their cameras.
Love you!
Elder Wawro
December 12th, 2016
I've got lots to write about this week! :)
Mom, how was craft fair? Did you get any sleep last week??? :)
Elections were crazy! The President changed from Mahamma to Nana Akufo Addo and there was A TON of celebrations! We didn't proselyte much this week because of all the parties, and in some places, riots. But overall it was peaceful! IT WAS HUGE. EVERYBODY WAS DANCING AND SINGING WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THE NEW PREISDENT!!! :)
Well, this week has been rewarding. It started with me being angry with my companion over something kinda small, and it was really bothering me! But, as I thought about it and received some helpful words from Dad (last Saturday), I went up to him the next morning and just apologized for being mad at him. Wow, what a difference that made for sure! We now never walk without having a laugh or telling a funny story or 2, and it is amazing!!
I bought some sweet firecrackers this week that we played with for a long time! We have some hilarious videos with them, and hopefully soon, I will get to send them! :)
I made some interesting "donut holes" from the internet this week. They were alright, but since we don't have a thermometer, I just tried to fry them at the lowest setting possible... They weren't awful, but I won't make them again for sure! They took about 1.5 hours to make all of them, and they came out more like cinnamon sticks, but it was an interesting experience! :)
Elder Coleman found a Christmas tree this week which was awesome, as Elder Antwi (who just left) took his with him when he was transferred. We don't have lights, but we have some ornaments and a tree topper, but soon we will find some lights!
I saw a huge Gas truck this week which read "Highly Inflammable"! :) It is really common around here, but this is the first week I could get a solid picture of it! :)
I had fried snail the day before Elder Antwi left which was not half bad! It was definitely different, but I enjoyed eating them! I t was a little scary seeing them be hacked open and then thrown in the fryer, but it was really nice! :)
Ugh. For me and my companion, we have had eye infections in one of his eyes, and both of mine. And let me tell you, it is rough! Elder Coleman has some eye drops that really help, but it is taking a while to go away, but thankfully, the Lord has let me get some rest at night! Also at the moment, I have a terrible headache. I don't know what happened, I didn't feel great so I took a nap, and then I was finished! Yikes! But when we get home, I will be taking some Advil, Nyquil, and going back to sleep! :)
Anyways, for this week, we are preparing this lady Joyce to be baptized. I am really excited to finally have a baptism! We have been working really hard, and I am glad to see some success in the near future! :) Honestly, this is one of the hardest areas I have been to. But I know that the Lord is watching out for us and he truly is preparing souls to hear the message we have to share. We have been praying a lot for some success in our area, as our branch hasn't had any baptisms in like 6 months, but Saturday, we will have the first in a while! :) God truly will help us as we turn to him for help and guidance in our lives. He is always just a prayer and a little bit of work away! :)
So for Christmas Day...proably what will happen is that we won't go out on Christmas, unless to members, and then we will find some members and use their phone to Skype! We will just buy a bunch of credit and hope for the best!! There is absolutely zero wifi here. I have never seen wifi, but some missionaries have a little hotspot so they can send pictures from their cameras.
Love you!
Elder Wawro
Catching Up, 12-3-16 (Saturday)
Catching up on blog posts...I missed emailing Gabe today because they changed his date and I was working the Denton High craft fair all day. Grateful he was able to email with Bill though. ~Janene
December 3, 2016
Hey, I know this is strange, but because of elections on Monday, they have moved our P-day to today. I am sorry!!! But I am on for 1.5 hours. :)
Well, I apologize for the weird week this week, in our mission, they moved our transfer schedule which effected our P-day, so, they moved it to today ( Saturday).
Anyways, this week has been great! We took some photos as a district and they turned out great! They got some funny ones and some really nice ones! :)
We have started to email at our chapel which is awesome because I have access to my camera and my USB, but still it is too slow to send pictures, so maybe soon I can send some... but don't get your hopes up. :/
Elder Coleman and I made cinnamon rolls this week and it was AWESOME. It has been a really long time since I have had cinnamon rolls, and it turned out really well! WE "bake" a lot in our apartment, we use the 2 pots system and it doesn't cook perfectly, but it does pretty well for baking without an oven! :)
Our area is growing little by little. After being closed for 5-6 months, we have began to teach some of the same people as our predecessor missionaries which has been fun! We have 2 that have said that they want to be baptized, so I am really excited for that! :)
Well, this week will be weird for sure, we have transfers on Monday (normally Wednesday) and then the country's election on Wednesday, and chances are, we will not proselyte that day, but we are waiting for the final decision on that.
As for our transfer news, Elder Coleman's new companion is Elder Powell the district leader, and his former companion, Elder Antwi is going to Tamale to be a Zone Leader. Probably, he will finish his mission there, but we shall see! :)
As for spiritual matters, I learned a great lesson from the Book of Mormon in its first chapters. The story of a family leaving all their possessions in Jerusalem after God commands them to leave before Jerusalem is destroyed. There are those who are faithful... and those who are less faithful... and those who just complain about everything. There is a scripture to the faithful son which says someting along the lines of "blessed art thou because thou hast not murmured against the Lord." (sorry for the horrible phrasing) but it is a reoccurring theme of the Book of 1 Nephi, being faithful to the Lord's commandments and not complaining about what happens along the way. Easier said than done, but truly the Lord will truly bless us as we faithfully obey his commandments and put our trust in Him.
Thanks for reading! Love ya!
Elder Wawro
December 3, 2016
Hey, I know this is strange, but because of elections on Monday, they have moved our P-day to today. I am sorry!!! But I am on for 1.5 hours. :)
Well, I apologize for the weird week this week, in our mission, they moved our transfer schedule which effected our P-day, so, they moved it to today ( Saturday).
Anyways, this week has been great! We took some photos as a district and they turned out great! They got some funny ones and some really nice ones! :)
We have started to email at our chapel which is awesome because I have access to my camera and my USB, but still it is too slow to send pictures, so maybe soon I can send some... but don't get your hopes up. :/
Elder Coleman and I made cinnamon rolls this week and it was AWESOME. It has been a really long time since I have had cinnamon rolls, and it turned out really well! WE "bake" a lot in our apartment, we use the 2 pots system and it doesn't cook perfectly, but it does pretty well for baking without an oven! :)
Our area is growing little by little. After being closed for 5-6 months, we have began to teach some of the same people as our predecessor missionaries which has been fun! We have 2 that have said that they want to be baptized, so I am really excited for that! :)
Well, this week will be weird for sure, we have transfers on Monday (normally Wednesday) and then the country's election on Wednesday, and chances are, we will not proselyte that day, but we are waiting for the final decision on that.
As for our transfer news, Elder Coleman's new companion is Elder Powell the district leader, and his former companion, Elder Antwi is going to Tamale to be a Zone Leader. Probably, he will finish his mission there, but we shall see! :)
As for spiritual matters, I learned a great lesson from the Book of Mormon in its first chapters. The story of a family leaving all their possessions in Jerusalem after God commands them to leave before Jerusalem is destroyed. There are those who are faithful... and those who are less faithful... and those who just complain about everything. There is a scripture to the faithful son which says someting along the lines of "blessed art thou because thou hast not murmured against the Lord." (sorry for the horrible phrasing) but it is a reoccurring theme of the Book of 1 Nephi, being faithful to the Lord's commandments and not complaining about what happens along the way. Easier said than done, but truly the Lord will truly bless us as we faithfully obey his commandments and put our trust in Him.
Thanks for reading! Love ya!
Elder Wawro
Catching Up, 11-28-16
Catching up on the last three weeks of emails from Gabe during the holidays. :)
November 28th, 2016
I apologize for the typos in advance, this keyboard is REALLY STIFF.
Well, I had my first really crazy rain storm this week in the mountains! The power went out and it lasted about 30 minutes, and it was really really raining! I love when it rains here, because it gets nice and cold and the wind blows a lot!
I got to catch some videos of ants moving their colony which was really fascinating to me! They moved houses in about 1 day and 1 night, and the were gone by the next day! It is kinda freaky, but SUPER COOL!
We saw a tro tro that drove both wheels on one side into the gutter this week which was absolutely hilarious. They had 30 or more people trying to push it back out, but whatever happened, it wasn't there in the morning!
Elder Antwi put up his mini Christmas tree this week and oh how I miss the decorations back home! But our tree here brought back some good memories for sure. :)
We visited a wedding this week, and it is nothing like ours back home. Here they play REALLY LOUD MUSIC FOR THE WHOLE TIME, there is lots of hip-hop dancing, drums, and an MC! Little bit different experience, but we were supporting one of our member's daughters that was getting married! :)
Lastly, we had Thanksgiving in Ghana! It was rather an expensive meal, but was totally worth it. I bought some green beans and sweet corn in Kumasi and we got potatoes and chicken in our area! We made mashed potatoes, and fried chicken with vegetables and it was AWESOME. We ate for 2 meals in a row and it was sweet! We had quite a miracle though, if you have ever tried to deep fry things and throw water inside, you might have an idea where I am going with this...
We had been frying the chicken, after we had marinated it in some oil, seasoning and water. We fried the chicken, but it wasn't fully cooked, so we were going to cook it a little longer, but we decided to put a little seasoning in with the oil (which contained water) and well... After a few seconds in the oil, we had 7 foot flames reaching the ceiling, so Elder Coleman pulled it off really fast and Elder Antwi went right for the propane tank. They were the 2 closest, so my companion and I just watched the whole mes happen as we were too far away to be of any serious help. But it provided for a good laugh afterwards and a reassurance that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he has chosen because of their faith. Truly miracles do happen, but we will miss them if we are moving too fast!
-Elder Wawro
November 28th, 2016
I apologize for the typos in advance, this keyboard is REALLY STIFF.
Well, I had my first really crazy rain storm this week in the mountains! The power went out and it lasted about 30 minutes, and it was really really raining! I love when it rains here, because it gets nice and cold and the wind blows a lot!
I got to catch some videos of ants moving their colony which was really fascinating to me! They moved houses in about 1 day and 1 night, and the were gone by the next day! It is kinda freaky, but SUPER COOL!
We saw a tro tro that drove both wheels on one side into the gutter this week which was absolutely hilarious. They had 30 or more people trying to push it back out, but whatever happened, it wasn't there in the morning!
Elder Antwi put up his mini Christmas tree this week and oh how I miss the decorations back home! But our tree here brought back some good memories for sure. :)
We visited a wedding this week, and it is nothing like ours back home. Here they play REALLY LOUD MUSIC FOR THE WHOLE TIME, there is lots of hip-hop dancing, drums, and an MC! Little bit different experience, but we were supporting one of our member's daughters that was getting married! :)
Lastly, we had Thanksgiving in Ghana! It was rather an expensive meal, but was totally worth it. I bought some green beans and sweet corn in Kumasi and we got potatoes and chicken in our area! We made mashed potatoes, and fried chicken with vegetables and it was AWESOME. We ate for 2 meals in a row and it was sweet! We had quite a miracle though, if you have ever tried to deep fry things and throw water inside, you might have an idea where I am going with this...
We had been frying the chicken, after we had marinated it in some oil, seasoning and water. We fried the chicken, but it wasn't fully cooked, so we were going to cook it a little longer, but we decided to put a little seasoning in with the oil (which contained water) and well... After a few seconds in the oil, we had 7 foot flames reaching the ceiling, so Elder Coleman pulled it off really fast and Elder Antwi went right for the propane tank. They were the 2 closest, so my companion and I just watched the whole mes happen as we were too far away to be of any serious help. But it provided for a good laugh afterwards and a reassurance that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he has chosen because of their faith. Truly miracles do happen, but we will miss them if we are moving too fast!
-Elder Wawro
Monday, November 21, 2016
"What Week Are We On?" :)
Alrighty, another week in Mpraeso!
First, this week, we traveled from Monday to Thursday evening. My companion and I traveled to Kumasi for a meeting for the trainers and trainees and it was sweet! We got to stay at the mission home, which has air conditioning, so definitely no complaint there! :) I even got to see the Wardles' a few times which always makes my day better! :) We got back late Thursday night, I think we were opening our apartment door at 11:00pm, but everything went smoothly, we even had time to run by Palace and grab a few American goodies for Thanksgiving! :)
For Thanksgiving, we are planning on doing some mashed potatoes or french fries (or chips as they call them here) with some grilled chicken. I hope all goes well, I grabbed some green beans and corn as well, so at least we will have a somewhat healthy meal. :) There aren't a lot of places to shop, but we do have a farmer's market.
I chopped my hair off this week, it was getting big again, so I cut it pretty low, and wow, it is nice to have a breeze on my head again! :) Hahahaaa!
I grabbed a few pictures at the training and some funny ones of Sister Mpungose (South African and one of my favorite sisters here) when she caught a bird in the bathroom and she's wearing my crocs! :) She is hilarious, and about 5 feet tall, nothing more, so the shoes were huge on her! :) It was fun to see a bunch of my buddies as well! :)
This week, I have continued my study of the Sermon on the Mount. This morning I spent a few hours on Matthew 6:1-4 talking about alms (or good deeds) and how much of a difference it makes when you do it for the right reason, or as Christ taught, not for the praise of man, but for the reward of our Father in Heaven. What a different place the world would be if everyone was less focused on themselves and the praise of man, and more concerned about doing good for others without anybody knowing! I can't help but think of those families who are blessed with much more than some, and that family goes and pays for a Christmas for those who don't have as much. It is great to do that and to have people know it was a specific person, but how much greater the blessing is when nobody knows who did it. I don't know how that makes sense to you guys in my broken English, but I hope the Spirit will clear up the rest. This week, try to do something for someone else without them knowing who did it. Maybe pay for the guy behind you in the drive-thru, write a note of thanks for someone who needs some encouragement and don't put your name on it, move someone's trash bins in or an elderly person. If you need help, our Heavenly Father has plenty of children who can use a little service. We will be blessed for our actions, but how much more we will be blessed when we do it without the praise of man, and only the Praise of God. Let me know how it goes! :)
Love you ALL,
Elder Wawro
On the topic of the Wardles, Sister Wardle printed me a beginners guide to the piano produced by the church, and she didn't charge me anything! Again, the Wardles are AWESOME! :) SO I have been using the book and I am again the pianist for our Sacrament meeting! :) Piano is really improving!!!! Maybe when I get home, you will get to see! :)
While in Kumasi, I saw a PS4 for the first time in Ghana! We are a little behind technology-wise, but it was funny to see the time delay. The only thing they aren't behind on is movies because they illegally record them and download them from the internet.... But either way, it was funny to see for sure! :)
First, this week, we traveled from Monday to Thursday evening. My companion and I traveled to Kumasi for a meeting for the trainers and trainees and it was sweet! We got to stay at the mission home, which has air conditioning, so definitely no complaint there! :) I even got to see the Wardles' a few times which always makes my day better! :) We got back late Thursday night, I think we were opening our apartment door at 11:00pm, but everything went smoothly, we even had time to run by Palace and grab a few American goodies for Thanksgiving! :)
For Thanksgiving, we are planning on doing some mashed potatoes or french fries (or chips as they call them here) with some grilled chicken. I hope all goes well, I grabbed some green beans and corn as well, so at least we will have a somewhat healthy meal. :) There aren't a lot of places to shop, but we do have a farmer's market.
I chopped my hair off this week, it was getting big again, so I cut it pretty low, and wow, it is nice to have a breeze on my head again! :) Hahahaaa!
I grabbed a few pictures at the training and some funny ones of Sister Mpungose (South African and one of my favorite sisters here) when she caught a bird in the bathroom and she's wearing my crocs! :) She is hilarious, and about 5 feet tall, nothing more, so the shoes were huge on her! :) It was fun to see a bunch of my buddies as well! :)
This week, I have continued my study of the Sermon on the Mount. This morning I spent a few hours on Matthew 6:1-4 talking about alms (or good deeds) and how much of a difference it makes when you do it for the right reason, or as Christ taught, not for the praise of man, but for the reward of our Father in Heaven. What a different place the world would be if everyone was less focused on themselves and the praise of man, and more concerned about doing good for others without anybody knowing! I can't help but think of those families who are blessed with much more than some, and that family goes and pays for a Christmas for those who don't have as much. It is great to do that and to have people know it was a specific person, but how much greater the blessing is when nobody knows who did it. I don't know how that makes sense to you guys in my broken English, but I hope the Spirit will clear up the rest. This week, try to do something for someone else without them knowing who did it. Maybe pay for the guy behind you in the drive-thru, write a note of thanks for someone who needs some encouragement and don't put your name on it, move someone's trash bins in or an elderly person. If you need help, our Heavenly Father has plenty of children who can use a little service. We will be blessed for our actions, but how much more we will be blessed when we do it without the praise of man, and only the Praise of God. Let me know how it goes! :)
Love you ALL,
Elder Wawro
On the topic of the Wardles, Sister Wardle printed me a beginners guide to the piano produced by the church, and she didn't charge me anything! Again, the Wardles are AWESOME! :) SO I have been using the book and I am again the pianist for our Sacrament meeting! :) Piano is really improving!!!! Maybe when I get home, you will get to see! :)
While in Kumasi, I saw a PS4 for the first time in Ghana! We are a little behind technology-wise, but it was funny to see the time delay. The only thing they aren't behind on is movies because they illegally record them and download them from the internet.... But either way, it was funny to see for sure! :)
Saturday, November 19, 2016
From November 15th (Tuesday)
What a stressful week this has been. Sorry I didn't get on yesterday...schedule change.
For our area, it is pretty tough. Most people are farmers here so they work early in the morning to about 6 when they come home to eat and sleep. The few members we had in our area moved out for school, so we are left with one older woman who only speaks Twi. It is really tough when we are closing our week and calculating our accountability for the week and have zero members taught, zero member present lessons, zero referrals, zero less active lesson, etc... I think we had in total 5 lessons in the course of 3.5 days. It has really been stressful. Training gets a little tough when you don't have lessons to apply what you are learning, and it has become really stressful for me. But we are working hard to find some people to teach.
We had a zone council today (Tuesday) and it was all on faith-based goals and about the Book of Mormon. That really hit me hard because it feels like our area is the dead weight of the zone numbers because we don't have much to bring to the table, and since we don't have the help of the members, it makes things worse, but it was a really sweet zone council. There were some powerful testimonies given and the Spirit was really strong. We had a quick "white board Decoration" while the zone leaders left, mainly Elder Stirling and I drawing a ton of Christmas stuff all over the board because hey, Christmas is right around the corner!
We had a little bit of a crazy week this week with our district conference Saturday and Sunday, but everything seemed to work out fine. The conference was sweet, we had 3 branches there and President Cosgrave came to preside over the meeting which was really sweet! They gave us food halfway through on Saturday, and we loved that for sure! I got to meet a bunch of sweet people and enjoyed getting to see some new faces.
We had a zone activity yesterday where we (not really we) cooked food and put on a movie. It wasn't the best planned activity and there was some contention about who was gonna cook the food, so it ended up being 4 people who cooked a bunch of chicken and rice and such for us, but at least they let me wash the dishes at the end. It was fun to see a few from my MTC group there as well. We have a ton of sister missionaries in our zone, so it was good to get to know them. I think we have 4 companion-ships of sisters, in my last zones, we had 1 companionship in Sunyani and none in AsuoYeboah, so I got to know them a little better which was fun!
This week, I have been studying the Sermon on the Mount. It has been 3 days and I haven't finished just because there is so much to mark and so many scriptures that link together. I don't think I ever really studied the Sermon on the Mount in depth like I have this week. The one part that stuck out to me this week at least was about how Christ was teaching the higher law, or teaching some things that transcended the Law of Moses. Simply, the Law of Moses is a very strict law to live and is a little brutal, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. But the law that Christ taught requires love, even to those who wrong you, patience with those that look to accuse you, and to pray for those who seek your downfall constantly. It reminds me of a scripture in Jacob 3:1 (Book of Mormon) that talks about God sending justice upon those who seek your destruction, and how God will not let those who fight against you win. I can imagine the huge change they would have to make in their life. They had been raised under a somehow harsh law, and then had to change into a loving and patient people. What a change they had to make. It really is impressive what the words of the Lord can do to someone's heart. :)
So the weather here...I don't know about really cold, but it is MUCH cooler than Nkawkaw and MUCH MUCH cooler than Kumasi! I sleep with a blanket at night, which seems weird, but I sleep great with it. :) It probably gets to around 75 degrees at night, and it isn't as humid here. The weather is fantastic! The dust still hits us, but it isn't a huge deal. I have stuffy nose a lot and do plenty of sneezing, but as they say, "tis the season". :)
I am taking tons of pictures and videos. :) We go to Kumasi this week for trainers and trainees, so that will be sweet! I will give my camera to the office elders so they can upload pictures for me. :) If not, we go at the first of December I think, but we will have zone council, so it is not a huge issue. They will drive the package up to me if it comes late, so I have something to open on Christmas. :)
Well, my time is up! I am going to get my first haircut from a Muslim guy down the road. Wish me luck! Hahahahaa! :)
Love all of you,
Elder Wawro
For our area, it is pretty tough. Most people are farmers here so they work early in the morning to about 6 when they come home to eat and sleep. The few members we had in our area moved out for school, so we are left with one older woman who only speaks Twi. It is really tough when we are closing our week and calculating our accountability for the week and have zero members taught, zero member present lessons, zero referrals, zero less active lesson, etc... I think we had in total 5 lessons in the course of 3.5 days. It has really been stressful. Training gets a little tough when you don't have lessons to apply what you are learning, and it has become really stressful for me. But we are working hard to find some people to teach.
We had a zone council today (Tuesday) and it was all on faith-based goals and about the Book of Mormon. That really hit me hard because it feels like our area is the dead weight of the zone numbers because we don't have much to bring to the table, and since we don't have the help of the members, it makes things worse, but it was a really sweet zone council. There were some powerful testimonies given and the Spirit was really strong. We had a quick "white board Decoration" while the zone leaders left, mainly Elder Stirling and I drawing a ton of Christmas stuff all over the board because hey, Christmas is right around the corner!
We had a little bit of a crazy week this week with our district conference Saturday and Sunday, but everything seemed to work out fine. The conference was sweet, we had 3 branches there and President Cosgrave came to preside over the meeting which was really sweet! They gave us food halfway through on Saturday, and we loved that for sure! I got to meet a bunch of sweet people and enjoyed getting to see some new faces.
We had a zone activity yesterday where we (not really we) cooked food and put on a movie. It wasn't the best planned activity and there was some contention about who was gonna cook the food, so it ended up being 4 people who cooked a bunch of chicken and rice and such for us, but at least they let me wash the dishes at the end. It was fun to see a few from my MTC group there as well. We have a ton of sister missionaries in our zone, so it was good to get to know them. I think we have 4 companion-ships of sisters, in my last zones, we had 1 companionship in Sunyani and none in AsuoYeboah, so I got to know them a little better which was fun!
This week, I have been studying the Sermon on the Mount. It has been 3 days and I haven't finished just because there is so much to mark and so many scriptures that link together. I don't think I ever really studied the Sermon on the Mount in depth like I have this week. The one part that stuck out to me this week at least was about how Christ was teaching the higher law, or teaching some things that transcended the Law of Moses. Simply, the Law of Moses is a very strict law to live and is a little brutal, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. But the law that Christ taught requires love, even to those who wrong you, patience with those that look to accuse you, and to pray for those who seek your downfall constantly. It reminds me of a scripture in Jacob 3:1 (Book of Mormon) that talks about God sending justice upon those who seek your destruction, and how God will not let those who fight against you win. I can imagine the huge change they would have to make in their life. They had been raised under a somehow harsh law, and then had to change into a loving and patient people. What a change they had to make. It really is impressive what the words of the Lord can do to someone's heart. :)
So the weather here...I don't know about really cold, but it is MUCH cooler than Nkawkaw and MUCH MUCH cooler than Kumasi! I sleep with a blanket at night, which seems weird, but I sleep great with it. :) It probably gets to around 75 degrees at night, and it isn't as humid here. The weather is fantastic! The dust still hits us, but it isn't a huge deal. I have stuffy nose a lot and do plenty of sneezing, but as they say, "tis the season". :)
I am taking tons of pictures and videos. :) We go to Kumasi this week for trainers and trainees, so that will be sweet! I will give my camera to the office elders so they can upload pictures for me. :) If not, we go at the first of December I think, but we will have zone council, so it is not a huge issue. They will drive the package up to me if it comes late, so I have something to open on Christmas. :)
Well, my time is up! I am going to get my first haircut from a Muslim guy down the road. Wish me luck! Hahahahaa! :)
Love all of you,
Elder Wawro
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
From November 7th, 2016
Oh yeah, I guess it is THAT day huh? (Mom wished a happy "1/2 birthday" today!) LOL
Well, my favorite thing this week was the miracle that happened, but you will see that in the weekly email. :)
Training is good so far, Elder Oshilaja is still really quiet, but he is getting more talkative so that is nice. We are really working hard, though every day we come in, close our day, and then he is asleep within the hour. But everything is going well. :)
He is a little homesick, but he doesn't talk about it much, so I don't really know, and I don't want to be the one who opens that door of sadness.
Best part of training, is that I have a little more control over what happens, we aren't late to anything because I have a little more control over our time and when we leave, and now, the ideas I have pull a little more weight, so I am loving it so far! :)
What an interesting week it has been!
To start, last week, right after we emailed, we bought a few items and began our journey home. There was this weird lady at the store that greeted us as normal, but then started to follow us. I noticed she was following us, but gave her the benefit of the doubt because maybe we had been walking the same way. We passed a few turn-off streets and then the red flags started to appear. We stopped at this truck and then she started to walk by the truck we had ducked beside, and when she saw us, she stopped and looked busy at a shop. Then I begin to play the games with her. So, we walk quickly to a street we had passed and go down just 3 or 4 steps and hang by the corner. Next thing we know, she is walking back towards the street we were on and when she saw us, she did a quick double take and made herself look busy at another shop. So we walk to the same truck and she again comes to us and tries to act busy! At this point I was getting fed up, so we walk to the same street she had just followed us to and duck into the alleys walking rather quickly making what felt like 100 turns and walking through houses and such until we reach the main road again, and bada-bing-bada-boom, we lost her! It was rather a funny experience, and not one I wish to have again, but it was good for the memories. :)
I found this place in our small town Mpraeso that sells the bigger size jars of JIF peanut butter for only 25 cedis (equivalent to 6 or 7 US Dollars) and a 10 lb. bag for 25 cedis as well! Needless to say, I have been enjoying pancakes and peanut butter frequently. I knocked out half the jar just with a spoon the first few days, and now I slap it on all my pancakes and whatever else seems to go well with peanut butter. :)))
Welp. The Ghana heat has really taken a toll on my scriptures. Turns out, there is a layer of glue between the paper and the leather, but on mine, it has just separated and ripped the first weak page in my scriptures! I don't know how I will fix that, but somehow it will all work out! :) My name is no longer in gold, there is just an imprint of my name on the front because it is so hot, the gold stuff came off! :)
I used my first lawn mower in Ghana on Saturday! Our chapel has a ton of grass, so they have a mower, and I got to use it! :) Being a missionary here has totally changed me, every single week from here going forward, I will be the one mowing the lawn, and I am super excited! I love to mow and the smell of the cut grass! Who'da thought that I would love to mow? Or even love to do the dishes? Something is definitely changing! :)
I have once again become the piano player for our sacrament meeting which is tough. I have infinitely more respect for anyone who can play the piano! I have been practicing a lot, and I am starting to see the progress from 6 months ago! :)
I had a "Ghana Apple" this week. They have the normal apples everyone knows, but there is a kind that grows on a tree here that is different from the ones back home, tastes a little interesting, but it is not bad. :)
Well I have had quite the faith-building experience this week. Since I got the call to come to Mpraeso and re-open the area, many missionaries were apologizing and wishing me good luck, which by the way, does not boost your spirits, but I had faith that all would go well. This week, we have worked really, really hard trying to find people to teach, but most of them don't speak English here and they are all farmers, so they spend from 6am-3pm at their farms, cook, eat and sleep, so teaching is tough sometimes. Friday night, I had just about enough of no success, it was 6:30-7pm, we had an hour left, but I was ready to go home, but we ended up staying and trying to set appointments with some people. Then, Saturday came. We had 2 appointments for 8 hours of proselyting, and I had lost my faith in the area. But, we went out, and everything seemed to fall into place. We have 3 members in our area, 2 left on Friday for school and the other doesn't speak any English, so it was not looking very good. But, randomly, our branch mission leader opened a shop in our area, so we have been getting some referrals from him which is a miracle in and of itself. Then, all of Saturday, we had appointments. Every hour of the day, we were seeing someone, teaching, or setting an appointment for the coming week. Just as Ether 12:6 says, it is after the trial of our faith, that we get a little stronger. And I can testify it is true. We have had quite a few miracles this week, and I hope that it will continue to happen. God truly is involved in the details of our lives.
Love you all, and have a fantastic week.
Elder Wawro
Well, my favorite thing this week was the miracle that happened, but you will see that in the weekly email. :)
Training is good so far, Elder Oshilaja is still really quiet, but he is getting more talkative so that is nice. We are really working hard, though every day we come in, close our day, and then he is asleep within the hour. But everything is going well. :)
He is a little homesick, but he doesn't talk about it much, so I don't really know, and I don't want to be the one who opens that door of sadness.
Best part of training, is that I have a little more control over what happens, we aren't late to anything because I have a little more control over our time and when we leave, and now, the ideas I have pull a little more weight, so I am loving it so far! :)
What an interesting week it has been!
To start, last week, right after we emailed, we bought a few items and began our journey home. There was this weird lady at the store that greeted us as normal, but then started to follow us. I noticed she was following us, but gave her the benefit of the doubt because maybe we had been walking the same way. We passed a few turn-off streets and then the red flags started to appear. We stopped at this truck and then she started to walk by the truck we had ducked beside, and when she saw us, she stopped and looked busy at a shop. Then I begin to play the games with her. So, we walk quickly to a street we had passed and go down just 3 or 4 steps and hang by the corner. Next thing we know, she is walking back towards the street we were on and when she saw us, she did a quick double take and made herself look busy at another shop. So we walk to the same truck and she again comes to us and tries to act busy! At this point I was getting fed up, so we walk to the same street she had just followed us to and duck into the alleys walking rather quickly making what felt like 100 turns and walking through houses and such until we reach the main road again, and bada-bing-bada-boom, we lost her! It was rather a funny experience, and not one I wish to have again, but it was good for the memories. :)
I found this place in our small town Mpraeso that sells the bigger size jars of JIF peanut butter for only 25 cedis (equivalent to 6 or 7 US Dollars) and a 10 lb. bag for 25 cedis as well! Needless to say, I have been enjoying pancakes and peanut butter frequently. I knocked out half the jar just with a spoon the first few days, and now I slap it on all my pancakes and whatever else seems to go well with peanut butter. :)))
Welp. The Ghana heat has really taken a toll on my scriptures. Turns out, there is a layer of glue between the paper and the leather, but on mine, it has just separated and ripped the first weak page in my scriptures! I don't know how I will fix that, but somehow it will all work out! :) My name is no longer in gold, there is just an imprint of my name on the front because it is so hot, the gold stuff came off! :)
I used my first lawn mower in Ghana on Saturday! Our chapel has a ton of grass, so they have a mower, and I got to use it! :) Being a missionary here has totally changed me, every single week from here going forward, I will be the one mowing the lawn, and I am super excited! I love to mow and the smell of the cut grass! Who'da thought that I would love to mow? Or even love to do the dishes? Something is definitely changing! :)
I have once again become the piano player for our sacrament meeting which is tough. I have infinitely more respect for anyone who can play the piano! I have been practicing a lot, and I am starting to see the progress from 6 months ago! :)
I had a "Ghana Apple" this week. They have the normal apples everyone knows, but there is a kind that grows on a tree here that is different from the ones back home, tastes a little interesting, but it is not bad. :)
Well I have had quite the faith-building experience this week. Since I got the call to come to Mpraeso and re-open the area, many missionaries were apologizing and wishing me good luck, which by the way, does not boost your spirits, but I had faith that all would go well. This week, we have worked really, really hard trying to find people to teach, but most of them don't speak English here and they are all farmers, so they spend from 6am-3pm at their farms, cook, eat and sleep, so teaching is tough sometimes. Friday night, I had just about enough of no success, it was 6:30-7pm, we had an hour left, but I was ready to go home, but we ended up staying and trying to set appointments with some people. Then, Saturday came. We had 2 appointments for 8 hours of proselyting, and I had lost my faith in the area. But, we went out, and everything seemed to fall into place. We have 3 members in our area, 2 left on Friday for school and the other doesn't speak any English, so it was not looking very good. But, randomly, our branch mission leader opened a shop in our area, so we have been getting some referrals from him which is a miracle in and of itself. Then, all of Saturday, we had appointments. Every hour of the day, we were seeing someone, teaching, or setting an appointment for the coming week. Just as Ether 12:6 says, it is after the trial of our faith, that we get a little stronger. And I can testify it is true. We have had quite a few miracles this week, and I hope that it will continue to happen. God truly is involved in the details of our lives.
Love you all, and have a fantastic week.
Elder Wawro
From October 31st, 2016
Catching up...
This cafe in the mountains is AWFUL...so probably no pictures for a while unless I travel to Kumasi. Sorry in advance if it seems to take forever for me to respond. The internet today is decent, but the computer here doesn't recognize my USB or my cameera. I will be in the mountains for a hile. I will just try to send pictures and video from Kumasi or when we come down the mountain and email in town.
Mom, thanks for the Halloween candy pictures. Aww man, I miss the Halloween rush. Nothing like that in Ghana. I miss handing out the candy to kids, because I usually ate all the good stuff before the trick or treaters got there. Ha ha! I definitely miss my sweets. Just looking at the candy bowl makes me a little hungry for a sweet tooth! :)
So, you asked about HOW I got to my new area in the mountains. We took a tro for like 3 hours to Nkawkaw and then a taxi up the mountain.
I'm enjoying being a trainer, but it's also challenging. I ask to become a better missionary and then get nervous about the challenges that I face and the responsibility I have been given. But, this has really reminded me of how God gives us trials and challenges to make us better.
To start, this week's travel was insane! We left Wednesday morning from Sunyani to go to Kumasi and pick up our new companions. While on the way, they told us our companions were coming a day late, so Elder Fotu and I were put together and sent to Buokrom in UST Zone. It was his old area and they had extra mats for us to sleep on. I loved getting to know Elder Fotu, because he is AWESOME. Maybe someday I will get to serve with him, he is a powerful missionary! We spent Thursday proselyting in his old area which was cool to see how happy people were to see him! Then Friday morning, we went to Kumasi to pick up our new companions.
At the Mission home, the MTC group I was in had 5 of us training which was sweet to get to see all my buddies. It is strange to think that just a few months ago, I was the new missionary in the mission home. It was sweet, I got Elder Oshilaja from Nigeria. He is really quiet and I think he is just adjusting. I don't know a whole lot about him, but he is ready to work! Next week will be full of good things about him.
My apartment is sweet, we all get along and we each have our own bathroom which is nice for sure. The weather is awesome here. The clouds pass right at our level, so in the mornings, there is a ton of fog! It is really sweet to see :)
Our chapel is gorgeous and the view is super gorgeous! I am truly blessed.
This week I have focused on Ether 12:27 about how God can strengthen our weaknesses so that they can become our strengths. I really have studied this because I am super nervous about the responsibility to train!!! Yikes! But I know that God will help me to overcome my weaknesses to become a better missionary!
A little about my new companion: Member since 8, his parents and brothers aren't members, but he and his sisters are.
My apartment is a little house in the woods. It has 3 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms (2 full)
The branch building is split into 2 buildings...one has the offices and the other has the chapel and the primary room below. We live a 5 minutes walk away from the chapel
No shopping yet, the bread is freaking expensive here which is annoying, but we haven't done too much shopping yet, we will tomorrow when my companion gets his money from the mission.
The weather is amazing. It isn't very humid, the sun doesn't feel like fire when it is out, and I feel a little cold at night which is awesome!
Being the senior companion is sweet I guess. I haven't had a whole lot of chances at directing much, but it is nice to have a little more control of things!
Biggest challenge of training so far is either my companion being super quiet or not knowing the area very well at all... :)
Love you guys, more next week! :)
This cafe in the mountains is AWFUL...so probably no pictures for a while unless I travel to Kumasi. Sorry in advance if it seems to take forever for me to respond. The internet today is decent, but the computer here doesn't recognize my USB or my cameera. I will be in the mountains for a hile. I will just try to send pictures and video from Kumasi or when we come down the mountain and email in town.
Mom, thanks for the Halloween candy pictures. Aww man, I miss the Halloween rush. Nothing like that in Ghana. I miss handing out the candy to kids, because I usually ate all the good stuff before the trick or treaters got there. Ha ha! I definitely miss my sweets. Just looking at the candy bowl makes me a little hungry for a sweet tooth! :)
So, you asked about HOW I got to my new area in the mountains. We took a tro for like 3 hours to Nkawkaw and then a taxi up the mountain.
I'm enjoying being a trainer, but it's also challenging. I ask to become a better missionary and then get nervous about the challenges that I face and the responsibility I have been given. But, this has really reminded me of how God gives us trials and challenges to make us better.
To start, this week's travel was insane! We left Wednesday morning from Sunyani to go to Kumasi and pick up our new companions. While on the way, they told us our companions were coming a day late, so Elder Fotu and I were put together and sent to Buokrom in UST Zone. It was his old area and they had extra mats for us to sleep on. I loved getting to know Elder Fotu, because he is AWESOME. Maybe someday I will get to serve with him, he is a powerful missionary! We spent Thursday proselyting in his old area which was cool to see how happy people were to see him! Then Friday morning, we went to Kumasi to pick up our new companions.
At the Mission home, the MTC group I was in had 5 of us training which was sweet to get to see all my buddies. It is strange to think that just a few months ago, I was the new missionary in the mission home. It was sweet, I got Elder Oshilaja from Nigeria. He is really quiet and I think he is just adjusting. I don't know a whole lot about him, but he is ready to work! Next week will be full of good things about him.
My apartment is sweet, we all get along and we each have our own bathroom which is nice for sure. The weather is awesome here. The clouds pass right at our level, so in the mornings, there is a ton of fog! It is really sweet to see :)
Our chapel is gorgeous and the view is super gorgeous! I am truly blessed.
This week I have focused on Ether 12:27 about how God can strengthen our weaknesses so that they can become our strengths. I really have studied this because I am super nervous about the responsibility to train!!! Yikes! But I know that God will help me to overcome my weaknesses to become a better missionary!
A little about my new companion: Member since 8, his parents and brothers aren't members, but he and his sisters are.
My apartment is a little house in the woods. It has 3 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms (2 full)
The branch building is split into 2 buildings...one has the offices and the other has the chapel and the primary room below. We live a 5 minutes walk away from the chapel
No shopping yet, the bread is freaking expensive here which is annoying, but we haven't done too much shopping yet, we will tomorrow when my companion gets his money from the mission.
The weather is amazing. It isn't very humid, the sun doesn't feel like fire when it is out, and I feel a little cold at night which is awesome!
Being the senior companion is sweet I guess. I haven't had a whole lot of chances at directing much, but it is nice to have a little more control of things!
Biggest challenge of training so far is either my companion being super quiet or not knowing the area very well at all... :)
Love you guys, more next week! :)
Monday, October 24, 2016
Transferred After Just 6 Weeks!
Oopsies... I have to type fast because I've got lots to do! hahahha!
The internet is going really fast today, so hopefully it will come through this time ! :)
In a package in the future, can you add in some pretzels? I am missing them a lot! Strange things that I miss, I know... :) No worries if they come broken, I will eat them any way shape and form they come!
Well, what a crazy week it has been for sure!
First off, this week we had exchanges with the zone leaders which was fun! We taught this guy who didn't really understand the principle of marriage, so we were helping him out with that, and then they had to leave unexpectedly for another call. Short sweet and to the point exchanges! :)
Well. I have got some crazy news...we had our transfer call this week, and turns out I am going to the other side of Ghana to Mpraeso near Nkawkaw! :) I will be training a new missionary from the Provo MTC so that will be sweet as well! I am super nervous about the assignment, but if it is the Lord's plan for me, then I will follow. It will be a little different in Mpraeso, it is in the mountain, so it is a little colder there than most of Ghana, and it will be Harmattan, so it will be dusty and a little cooler from that as well. Most missionaries say that internet is a little interesting there, so next email time will be interesting. :) I hope that all goes well for the both of us. I will love to give my new companion a big hug and get to know him throughout our many hours of travel to the mountains! :) I hope I can help in his training and help him to become a powerful missionary. I am really nervous though....
Repacking was a pain, but I guess I get a little better at packing every time I do it, so that is good. It is strange that I have only come for 6 weeks and then will go again since my companion has been here for 6 months, but I am way excited to go and adventure in the mountains! :)))
We took pictures as an apartment which turned out to be really great, and some are really hilarious! They'll show up soon...
I ordered some "Angelina" ties and a scripture bag this week from one of the members in Nkwabeng, so hopefully in November I will get them. They look SUPER SWEET and can be washed as well! I am waaaay excited to get them when they are done. :)
Not much different this week, it seemed like a normal week to me, but the transfer call is what was crazy!!! Next email will be full of our travels and tons of pictures! :)
This week, I shared an awesome scripture I found in Moroni 7:29-32. It talks about the calling of being an angel, but it is nearly identical to the calling of missionaries. Talking about ministering under the command of God, calling men to repentance, declaring the Word of God to those who have faith, bearing testimony of Christ, etc... It was really a booster to my testimony of the importance of the calling of being a missionary. To think that I have been called to do similar work like the angels.
Love you guys, and sorry it is a short one!
Elder Wawro
The internet is going really fast today, so hopefully it will come through this time ! :)
In a package in the future, can you add in some pretzels? I am missing them a lot! Strange things that I miss, I know... :) No worries if they come broken, I will eat them any way shape and form they come!
Well, what a crazy week it has been for sure!
First off, this week we had exchanges with the zone leaders which was fun! We taught this guy who didn't really understand the principle of marriage, so we were helping him out with that, and then they had to leave unexpectedly for another call. Short sweet and to the point exchanges! :)
Well. I have got some crazy news...we had our transfer call this week, and turns out I am going to the other side of Ghana to Mpraeso near Nkawkaw! :) I will be training a new missionary from the Provo MTC so that will be sweet as well! I am super nervous about the assignment, but if it is the Lord's plan for me, then I will follow. It will be a little different in Mpraeso, it is in the mountain, so it is a little colder there than most of Ghana, and it will be Harmattan, so it will be dusty and a little cooler from that as well. Most missionaries say that internet is a little interesting there, so next email time will be interesting. :) I hope that all goes well for the both of us. I will love to give my new companion a big hug and get to know him throughout our many hours of travel to the mountains! :) I hope I can help in his training and help him to become a powerful missionary. I am really nervous though....
Repacking was a pain, but I guess I get a little better at packing every time I do it, so that is good. It is strange that I have only come for 6 weeks and then will go again since my companion has been here for 6 months, but I am way excited to go and adventure in the mountains! :)))
We took pictures as an apartment which turned out to be really great, and some are really hilarious! They'll show up soon...
I ordered some "Angelina" ties and a scripture bag this week from one of the members in Nkwabeng, so hopefully in November I will get them. They look SUPER SWEET and can be washed as well! I am waaaay excited to get them when they are done. :)
Not much different this week, it seemed like a normal week to me, but the transfer call is what was crazy!!! Next email will be full of our travels and tons of pictures! :)
This week, I shared an awesome scripture I found in Moroni 7:29-32. It talks about the calling of being an angel, but it is nearly identical to the calling of missionaries. Talking about ministering under the command of God, calling men to repentance, declaring the Word of God to those who have faith, bearing testimony of Christ, etc... It was really a booster to my testimony of the importance of the calling of being a missionary. To think that I have been called to do similar work like the angels.
Love you guys, and sorry it is a short one!
Elder Wawro
PICTURES:
Hair Salon Sign (LOL)
Heading to Kintampo Waterfalls
VIDEO:
Spiders for Brittan - Part 2
Eating a 'soft bone'
("It's like eating a hundred little toothpicks" LOL!)
People everywhere like to jam in the car. Ha ha
Explaining what happened when he fell off the back of the tro
(previous post)
10-5-16 Report from the Week &
Seeing the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama!
From October 17th
Update from last week - posting twice today to catch up. :)
I am on and from now on I get 1.5 hours every single week!! :)
With my next companion hopefully I will be on at 2pm every single week. B ut we shall see what the future has in store.... Sorry about the crazy life schedule, hopefully soon it will change!
Thank you for the sweet update! The Church is true, and God looks out for us always! I wish I could write more, but I am running out of time!
Alrighty, time to knock out another weekly email!
First off, this week we had the painters come all the way from Accra to paint our apartment Tuesday. It was sweet and our apartment really needed some help in the paint department. Turns out, it was the same guy who painted my apartment in Nkoransa, so that was fun to see him again. :)
This Wednesday, we had our Zone council and President Cosgrave showed up. It is always funny to see people get super nervous about President coming, but when he shows up, the discussions are much more focused and everything runs smoothly, and most of the awkward or lame questions don't come up We had an interview afterwards to talk about my life and my situation and it was so helpful. He interviewed me and then my companion, so we both got some counsel. We talked about a lot of stuff in my interview and it lasted for 15-20 minutes, but afterwards, I felt so relieved. And now, my companion and I are getting along much better as we have heeded the advice of our mission President. We had a powerful companionship inventory.
NOW THE MISSIONARIES OF THE GHANA KUMASI MISSION HAVE 1.5 HOURS (email time). HALLELUJAH!
"Harmattan" (a dry, dusty easterly or northeasterly wind on the West African coast, occurring from December to February.) has officially begun. It is one of 2 seasons in Ghana. There is rainy season and Harmattan season. IT IS POWERFUL. I am so glad to spend my Harmattan in Sunyani for sure. The weather currently is like Texas weather - a little more humid, but it is bright, a little cooler, and a nice cool breeze every few minutes makes life awesome. The dust in the air messes with my throat a little, but it is worth it for the decreased humidity and blocking out the sun for a little while. This morning I was enjoying the morning, I opened my window and sat listening to some music and loving the cool breeze in our room. It reminded me of the summer mornings in Texas.
I cut my hair today, which as interesting. I didn't go the route I went last time with the "faux-hawk", but I just trimmed up the sides and it turned out pretty well. I had Elder Isaako help me in the back because I can't see there very well, and everything is better! That was one thing President said somehow jokingly during our interview, but really meant it, so I had to cut it! :)
I changed the filters for our water this week.... I swear they haven't been changed in a year... yikes, but everything is running sweet and clean!
In zone council, we watched "Missionary Work and the Atonement" and the Spirit that was there while we watched was so strong. I had seen it before, but there was something that really hit home, especially now that I am a missionary and ask some of the same questions. One scripture that popped into my head was about taking up our crosses and following Christ. Matthew 16:24 says "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up the cross, and follow me." I love this scripture because it speaks to me and tells me that no matter what I go through, Jesus Christ has already suffered for me. I can take up my cross and follow Christ because he has already suffered the pains I am feeling, and all I have to do is trust in Him and rely on His grace to get through. This really touched my heart, especially as I am struggling with some difficult things in life, and the Spirit truly helped me understand that I am not alone. Let us all lean on Christ. Take up the cross and follow Him because no trial in our life should be faced alone. This is my thought in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love you guys,
Elder Wawro
Gabe said he wanted to take and send pictures of how people in Ghana live, so that we can see the difference in the U.S. and appreciate where we live, because it's very different.
I am on and from now on I get 1.5 hours every single week!! :)
With my next companion hopefully I will be on at 2pm every single week. B ut we shall see what the future has in store.... Sorry about the crazy life schedule, hopefully soon it will change!
Thank you for the sweet update! The Church is true, and God looks out for us always! I wish I could write more, but I am running out of time!
Alrighty, time to knock out another weekly email!
First off, this week we had the painters come all the way from Accra to paint our apartment Tuesday. It was sweet and our apartment really needed some help in the paint department. Turns out, it was the same guy who painted my apartment in Nkoransa, so that was fun to see him again. :)
This Wednesday, we had our Zone council and President Cosgrave showed up. It is always funny to see people get super nervous about President coming, but when he shows up, the discussions are much more focused and everything runs smoothly, and most of the awkward or lame questions don't come up We had an interview afterwards to talk about my life and my situation and it was so helpful. He interviewed me and then my companion, so we both got some counsel. We talked about a lot of stuff in my interview and it lasted for 15-20 minutes, but afterwards, I felt so relieved. And now, my companion and I are getting along much better as we have heeded the advice of our mission President. We had a powerful companionship inventory.
NOW THE MISSIONARIES OF THE GHANA KUMASI MISSION HAVE 1.5 HOURS (email time). HALLELUJAH!
"Harmattan" (a dry, dusty easterly or northeasterly wind on the West African coast, occurring from December to February.) has officially begun. It is one of 2 seasons in Ghana. There is rainy season and Harmattan season. IT IS POWERFUL. I am so glad to spend my Harmattan in Sunyani for sure. The weather currently is like Texas weather - a little more humid, but it is bright, a little cooler, and a nice cool breeze every few minutes makes life awesome. The dust in the air messes with my throat a little, but it is worth it for the decreased humidity and blocking out the sun for a little while. This morning I was enjoying the morning, I opened my window and sat listening to some music and loving the cool breeze in our room. It reminded me of the summer mornings in Texas.
I cut my hair today, which as interesting. I didn't go the route I went last time with the "faux-hawk", but I just trimmed up the sides and it turned out pretty well. I had Elder Isaako help me in the back because I can't see there very well, and everything is better! That was one thing President said somehow jokingly during our interview, but really meant it, so I had to cut it! :)
I changed the filters for our water this week.... I swear they haven't been changed in a year... yikes, but everything is running sweet and clean!
In zone council, we watched "Missionary Work and the Atonement" and the Spirit that was there while we watched was so strong. I had seen it before, but there was something that really hit home, especially now that I am a missionary and ask some of the same questions. One scripture that popped into my head was about taking up our crosses and following Christ. Matthew 16:24 says "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up the cross, and follow me." I love this scripture because it speaks to me and tells me that no matter what I go through, Jesus Christ has already suffered for me. I can take up my cross and follow Christ because he has already suffered the pains I am feeling, and all I have to do is trust in Him and rely on His grace to get through. This really touched my heart, especially as I am struggling with some difficult things in life, and the Spirit truly helped me understand that I am not alone. Let us all lean on Christ. Take up the cross and follow Him because no trial in our life should be faced alone. This is my thought in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love you guys,
Elder Wawro
PICTURES:
Since the internet isn't always great in the internet cafe' they use, the pictures we post don't coincide with the email for the day. Most of these pictures seem to coincide with the email from October 4th HERE.
Gabe said he wanted to take and send pictures of how people in Ghana live, so that we can see the difference in the U.S. and appreciate where we live, because it's very different.
Gabe liked how he showed up for a meeting and his name was spelled "E. Warrol" on the board. LOL!
Trying his hand at making fufu
Meetings and watching General Conference
This is our sachet water (sashey)
You just bite a hole in a corner and drink it.
It's become pretty normal for me. :)
VIDEO:
So this is what Gabe was talking about, that Ghanaians don't play Basketball. LOL!
Part 1
Part 2
A spider video...especially for Brittan. Ha ha!
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