Our first week in Adoagyiri

As promised in last week's blog post…Here is a picture of our 'Next-Door-Elders'.

Elder Sharp and Elder Barnes on Monday's P-Day.

Tuesday we attended a Zone Meeting for the Tantra Hill Zone.  The top two floors of this building are used for the Amassaman Branch.  Look closely on the third flood and you can see the sign that tells that this is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  You can also see some of the Elders waiting for the meeting to begin.  

It was a great meeting.  The new Zone Leader, Elder Bigler, taught us how to mark a new set of scriptures to give to an investigators so that they can easily find the scriptural answers to their frequently asked questions. 

 A small fabric shop in Nsawam Market.  I was able to buy some Ghanaian fabric.  Two yards for 15 Cedis.  That's just over $2 a yard.  You can never have too much fabric.  Right?

Inside the Adoagyiri Chapel - the one right next door to our apartment.  The one I look into from my kitchen window.  Notice there are ceiling fans and light bulbs but not always electricity to run them.  

On Friday, two of the Nsawam Elders - Elder Bowring and Elder Taylor - rode around with us to show us their area.  As we approached this mountain, they told us about a man named Phillip that they are teaching who lives on the other side.        

They asked if we'd like to stop and see if Phillip was home and help them teach a lesson. Sure we would!  We were so glad he was home.  He said to us, "I was supposed to go to work today but for some reason felt like I should stay home and rest.  Then you came.  I think God wants me to talk to you."  I know he does!

Elders Taylor, Bowring, and Berrett outside Phillip's home. 

Phillip with Elders Taylor and Bowring.  Such a sweet, humble man.  It was our first time to help teach a lesson to an investigator. We felt like 'real' missionaries!!   The Elders did a super job.  Elder Taylor's only been out 4 weeks and he did great.  I think his Trainer, Elder Bowring, has taught him well.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, the Adoagyiri and Nsawam Branches competed against each other in a game of Football (Soccer).  These Relief Society Sisters got up at 3am (That's AM!) to begin cooking food for the branch members and players to eat after the game.  

In the large pot on the charcoal burner, they are stirring banku.  It's a thick, thick dough that takes a lot of muscle to be able to stir.  To go along with the banku, they had also made a soup.

Here they are mashing up hot peppers - and I mean HOT! - that you could add to your soup if you didn't think it was spicy enough.

The Adoagyiri Team

The Nsawam Team.

Notice how each Branch's team has their own jerseys.  When the game was stopped because of rain, the score was Adoagyiri 1 and Nsawam 3.  

Justice, on the right, had lost his shoes.  

No problem.  His teammate shared with him.  They each wore one shoe. 

The long grass had just been mowed.  You can see the big clumps of grass still on the field.  Didn't slow them down at all.  I was surprised the ball could even roll along the ground with all that loose grass. 

The Relief Society Sisters were so excited for us to try their Ghanaian food.  They showed us how you make a ball out of the banku and dip it in the soup.  They told us to be sure to give the banku time to soak up some soup.  Then you put it in your mouth and swallow.  Don't chew it!  

I made 'little' balls of banku.  I didn't think I could swallow without chewing anything too big.  The soup was a little too spicy for me.  When I asked what was in the soup, I was told - fish, okra, and cow skin.  They asked, "you know cow skin?"  Yeah.  I know cow skin and I'm done with my soup.

Our first week living in Adoagyiri was a good one.  Met lots of new people and had many new experiences.  I think we are going to enjoy serving here.