Two months

 Hello family and friends!  We hope you are all doing great!  Normally Brenda has written the weekly email but this time I thought I'd give it a go.  

Ghana is amazing!  The people here are so kind and go out of their way to make sure we are okay.  We drive out to some of the branches we are assigned and along the way there are check points  that we might be asked to stop at.  These check points are either by the military or local police.  With that said, we get asked how we like Ghana and are we doing okay here.  Every once in a while we get asked if we have anything for them.  We have tried to have water but usually we give them a pamphlet.  They seem to enjoy our visits. 

Its been very hot here since we arrived.  The very first day we arrived in Kumasi it rained but hasn't rained since.  There have been overcast days but no rain.  Its been about 96 degrees just about everyday.  I'd love to say its a dry heat, like in Az, but its not.  Usually 50% humidity or higher.  

There's something here called the Harmattan season.  This is where the trade winds bring the dust from the Sahara Desert and just settles like an inversion where we live.  Its kind of crazy, but cool to think about also.  

This past week we were able to help out with Missionary transfers.  For those that do not know, these transfers happen every six weeks for the young missionaries.  The Mission President, along with his assistants, change companionships who might need a change, either for length of time together or because of length in a specific area.  Its very normal to get transferred.  (When I served my mission many moons ago, I had 9 different areas and 15 different companions).  

The only thing we did was drive to Kumasi and take some luggage for a missionary that was being transferred and bring back 2 missionaries, their luggage and some other items.  It was a long day, but glad we could help.   We loved watching the missionaries getting together with old companions and visiting for a few minutes. 

It seems like there were about 100 missionaries there.  9 new missionaries came into the mission on Jan 1. We had only one from the States. He is from Sahuarita Arizona.  The rest came from other African countries and Tonga.   We love being around these young missionaries.  They give up everything they are doing to go off for two years (men) and 18 months (women) and serve the Lord on their own dime. 

We were visiting with our Bishop and his wife on Saturday evening and he asked us if the people here have joy.  Brenda and I both said, "Yes!" They don't have much when it comes to what we might be used to, but they live happy, productive, lives.  The people have big hearts.  They are always ready to help Brenda or I.  If I'm carrying something, I will have two or three people ask me if they could carry it for me, not for money or anything. but to just be kind and respectful.  There have been many times already that we just are amazed at how we feel their kindness towards us.  I really don't believe you could spread kindness if you didn't have it within you to be kind. 

 

We went to a New Years Eve party at one of the Branches.  We got to try Fufu for the first time.  Its a bowl of soup with chicken and a doughy mound in the soup that is made from Casava (Jicama) and Plantain.  You eat it with your fingers.  You take a pinch of the Fufu with your fingers and kind of mop up the soup and eat it.  You will come across a chicken leg and you break off meat with your fingers and eat that too. Brenda had that and I had the Jollaf.  Both were amazing.   We left early and did what we normally do on New Years Eve and went home and went to sleep. Lol!!

Sunday is always a great day for us.  We get to decide where we are going to go for church because we have 10 branches we're assigned.  We usually have a good idea where we are headed the week before. It seems like we need to be in certain area and we feel the urgency to go.  The members are always so excited for us to be there with them.  Especially Brenda.  The little kids flock to her and want to talk with her or just be acknowledged by her. The adults want to hear from her.  Its inspiring to witness.  I know how special she is to me, and I get to see others see it too.  She'll ask me to erase that if she sees it.  Time to move on.  

Saturdays are busy because we go all over to teach piano lessons.  I don't but Brenda does.  I might teach how to conduct music or something simple while they are waiting for Brenda.  The branches here are young in the church.  They are still trying really hard to do everything they need to and put a lot of effort into it.  Its amazing.  

Anyway,  we are doing well. We love visiting with our family.  Our children and their spouses and our grandchildren are the best!  We appreciate their love and support.  We know its probably not easy having mom and dad gone for two years.  We always want them to know that we love them more than anything.  We know families are forever!  We truly know it!!

Con muchisimo amor,

Elder and Sister Fuell  

Sister Prego is doing so well!  She is learning English and is such an inspiration to us all

Elder Weaver. A quick dear friend to us.  He was transferred today and another area is so blessed to have him

Elder Nielsen,  his first day.  Elder Fuell telling him how great it is to be a missionary and all the great things he will do while he is here.

There is a park here in Sunyani where thousands of bats live.  In the evening they all come out to feed and this is a video of that happening

Berekum Branch - Oh, and there's the gutters we've been talking about.

Look closely - Bats

We call this the Bat park-Zoom in

Looks like a nice park- lol