Final week of the transfer

Hey you guys,

   Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Happy Monday.

   Glad all is well back home.  No packages yet.  Hopefully tomorrow at zone meeting.  Also, Verdoni's brother is going to Cincinnati, Ohio.  We already got that news. Sister Holmes knows all this info and Verdoni is spending some time in our apartment this week.

   Well, my week was all over the place.  Last Monday's Family Home Evening was a joke.  Elder Onen did some doctrine that made no sense.  It was all about defining a angel from a resurrected being and a spirit.  A doctrine that is plainly defined in the D & C, but he wanted to do it.  We were in charge of games so we didn't get a say.  Out of the 15 or so people there, I counted maybe 3 or 4 people who were listening and/or trying to keep the lesson alive.  We ended on a high note with our activity though, thank goodness.  We played a game of Bradley's called Signs.  It is an interesting game, but kind of took a little while to help them understand the rules.  Fun though.  Elder Bradley and I were kind of ashamed about the lesson.

   On Wednesday,  We gave service to the Relief Society President.  She was preparing food for the ward temple trip the next day and wanted help.  So we came and helped chop food for the stew and stir a ton of bonku.  It took most of the day, but was fun.  She gave us some of the bonku when we finished.

   Teaching was really slow this week.  Our contacting was really unfruitful.  We have been trying to leave the chapel area and branch out because it has been contacted so much, we get names of old missionaries shouted at us when we walk around.  They showed a session of conference yesterday.  It was in English for about half of President Monson's first talk and then people complained and they switched it to Twi.  I don't understand why they don't have two videos playing in different areas, one in English and one in Twi.  They do that in different areas of Kumasi, but not here.  So we just zoned out or read scriptures.

   So my favorite smell would be fried chicken or ball floats.  I never really thought about sound.  All we hear are cars honking most of the time and kids calling us in Twi.  Maybe I will think of something next week. (I asked in my email if he had some favorite smells and sounds in his area.  So much of our lives is made up of sounds and smells)

Happy birthday Cordy.  Happy 13th.

Love you all.  Enjoy your week.

Elder Warner Ashby

(Here is an excerpt  from my Mother's Day letter and his sister's birthday letter)

Mom's letter

"Missionary work has been a great experience.  I feel that I have learned a lot from it.  For example I have come to enjoy reading the scriptures and words of the prophets more.  Right now during free time, I read the teachings of the Presidents: Brigham Young.  I have not yet started Jesus the Christ but plan too.  The size intimidates me.  I am very grateful for this experience of being one of the Lord's missionaries in Ghana."

Cordy's letter:

"Mission has been exciting too, somehow.  More like spiritually exciting.  The day to day activities can seem like a routine sometimes, but when you look back on it, so much amazing things happen.  I get to talk to so many amazing people and help them come to Christ. I didn't even realize that this Saturday will mark my 1/3 mark until a few days ago.  One thing I have learned is that if you have a good attitude about something, a task, a day, a planning session, you can have a good experience with it and maybe even enjoy it.  And you can grow from it also."