Christmas in Africa

Ghana Accra Mission Christmas Conference

Hello Mom! This past week we had our Christmas Conference for the entire mission in Accra on Thursday! It was really cool but it took the entire day and traveling by trotro seriously wears you out. (just think of a super over crowded city bus driving on really terrible dirt roads).

On Wednesday though, I went on an overnight exchange in Kpone with our Zone Leader, Elder Ballard ( yes he is the grandson of the apostle) anyways it was really cool to see the different teaching styles and ways that I can improve. Also on the Friday following the conference I went on another exchange with and Elder from Nungua, so it would suffice itself to say that I am a little tired of traveling and this past week has just been horribly busy.

Kpone

Nungua

Anyways on Sunday we were able to have another baptism! Yay! Her name is Jackleyn and she had been taught by the missionaries since the begining of September and just would not commit to a day to be baptized but she finally did and we were super happy to see her get baptized.

As far as Christmas goes it almost doesn't exist here haha. Easter is a really huge celebration but as far as Christmas, it's just another day in the week. My plans are to go out and proselyte so it'll be good :) Elder Moss and I will be able to call home on Christmas. We're planning to call at like 6 in the evening here so I think that's like 11 back home. He'll call first and then I will, so it'll probably be closer to noon when you all back home get to hear from my sweet melodious voice, speaking the broken English of Ghana. Oh Yeah!! haha

Well the time is short and I'm at an internet cafe super far away from my area since the internet is down in the wonderfully dusty town of Klagon.

Love you all and I'll talk to you soon

Learning all food does not come from Smith's...

So first off I just want to say that the whole dehydrated fruit thing is awesome! BECAUSE I eat oatmeal every morning and having some fruit in it just makes it super awesome! So next time you decide to send me a package could you include like a variety of dehydrated fruit and berries? There is a ton of fruit here but you have a limited choice of Bananas, pineapple, mango and oranges, occasionally starfruit and cocoa beans. Can't really do too much with coconuts so they're pointless in my opinion haha. Thank you again though

Ok so this week has been really good. Elder Moss and I taught a ton of lessons, like 38! It was really cool. Since I've been in Klagon we've baptized 4 people and we currently have 8 people with baptismal dates so we are really excited and we are definitely feeling blessed.

Lately I've been doing a lot of studying from the Old Testament. It is really awesome! I've been using a student manual for it (it's like religion 321 or something down at BYU. It's Genesis-2 Samuel. I know they have ones for each of the books of scripture. It'd also be super cool if possible if I could get some of those manuals because we only have the one and they are crazy helpful in understanding some of the tiniest details that get looked over.) I've become somewhat of a scriptural nut lately . Oh well :)

Elder Moss and I get along really well! Teaching is great and I honestly haven't had any problems adjusting to mission life. I feel bad because I've seen some other elders who are struggling. But yeah I'm doing really good! Time completely flies by and I lose track of the days-which is a good sign I suppose. Tamales would be awesome, unfortunately the choices of foods available in Klagon are incredibly limited. My meals as follows: Breakfast is always oatmeal. Lunch is almost always stir fry and most nights I don't eat dinner, but if I do it's ramen noodles. SUPER EXCITING!!

Earlier today I went to Ashaiman to get my sub(monthly money we live on...90 dollars. It's pretty thin). Just some background on Ashaiman, it's probably the most dangerous area in our Mission. It's also the dirtiest and the smelliest. We go there every couple of weeks to do some grocery shopping and such (we literally don't have a market) and we went to the meat market today!! Man that place was so gross!! haha there were just decapitated cows and goats heads just laying on the ground and entrails of animals were strewn about every which way and it was huge!!! it was nuts! And the smell!! Oh the smell hasn't left me and I was there like 4 hours ago

Well I love you all and tell the Kiddos I miss them. How is Carl by the way? Haven't heard from him and tell Leanne that I got her letter on thanksgiving!!! Wow I have forgotten for the past two weeks to say that! I wish I could write letters back but I don't have any stamps!
Anyways I hope Christmas stuff is going well and I love you all

Love Elder Green

Moving right along...

Hey Mom!
How are you doing? Well I hope. I got the package you sent me! Thank you so much for all the food. The dried apples are great--I put them in my oatmeal when I am boiling the water so they get re-hydrated. Unfortunately though ants got to dry beef and peaches before I had the opportunity to do so. It's ok though! That potato soup was amazing though! Holy cow it was super delicious and everyone in the apartment was crazy jealous, so i shared it around :)


And yes Ghana is the same as Ecuador. Nothing gets done till people are paid off and nothing ever gets finished because no one can afford to keep paying people off. However Juliana and Micheal will most likely get wed at the start of January. It is a 21 day process and the Church takes care of all the fees. So Elder Moss and myself are very excited for her :)

I'm really excited because mango season is right around the corner and the fruit here is just absolutely delicious so it's very exciting. Today however in the morning I went and bought an Ostrich egg :) we had some of the best omelets for lunch.


I've had this perpetual cough since i've gotten here which has been a little annoying but hey! I can't complain too much. Transfers are in two days and I'm really excited to find out who our new Elder is going to be in the apartment. The work here is chugging along and Elder Moss and myself have been really blessed to have some really well prepared people to teach. Our branch is small and the members aren't exactly the strongest but our Branch President is awesome and we are trying our hardest to strengthen everyone.


Oh and I am really excited for that other package! Thanks a ton! The two things i miss the most here are dairy products and chocolate. I'll live though. haha
I love you very much and I will talk to you next week
Love Elder Green

Short but sweet...

Dad has had Ostrich? What the heck was the occasion to that? Haha well sadly for me when we got to the Ostrich farm the owner said he's not slaughtering them anymore because he want's to sell them alive. 200 cedis! That is soooo tempting! I mean honestly mom what is cooler than buying an 8 ft tall bird of terror for just under 100 dollars?? Man that'd be so exciting! Hahah but don't worry we probably won't do it. . . .probably ;)
Anyways how is the family? That's super cool about Travis and saving that man on the bridge! It was super weird watching that video because seeing home was just strange since I am in such a different world now. But it was still super awesome!


So there is this woman named Juliana who is just super awesome and has had tons of spiritual confirmations that she should join the Church but the only problem is that she is living with her boyfriend and they have two small children together. Church's policy states that she can't be baptized because technically she is breaking the Law of Chastity since she is not married. SO our problem has been meeting with her boyfriend Micheal to discuss marriage but he's kinda of a loser in my eyes since all he does is go out every night with his friends to party. Really dissapointing. Anyways we're going to see him tonight hopefully. And I'm super excited for Juliana to get baptized so I hope that it happens!



Anyways the internet is really slow (like usual) and sending pictures is super hard so I will try to send some eventually. Sorry about that :/
I love you Mom and I'll see you soon!
Love Elder Green