July 14,


This last weekend was super enjoyable! We had our first Tamale District Conference. The best way I can explain it is Stake Conference -minimized-. Saturday I went proselyting with the missionaries until 4 and then we went to the Kophlin Branch Center for the District Activity.When I entered the building I started talking to the missionaries, but quickly Sister Julianna, (our relief society president) whisked me away to the kitchen to help cook. We made rice and chicken. It was delicious, but if you asked me how we made it I couldn't tell you. Ghanaians do not cook with recipe books and are always just throwing things into the pot to cook! We all ate out back and for the first time since I've been here...I ate rice with my fingers...this is really quite an accomplishment and I feel more Ghanaian than ever! After eating we played tug of war, had a quick lesson and then everyone headed out. Everyone except the missionaries of course and myself! We stayed an extra hour and half cleaning, but mostly just talking and joking around! I was such a fun and different environment than back at the volunteer house haha! Sunday we had church at 10 and I was in charge of picking up Sister Cynthia, (one of the investigators who happens to be my neighbor). She wasn't ready for church so we ended up being about 15 minutes late, but luckily to Ghana time we were almost on time! :) After church I hurried home to say adios to my room mate who was leaving, but sadly I was too late and she'd already left. :'( Luckily, she lives in Colorado so I'm sure we will meet up sometime. The rest of Sunday was a little mediocre. All the volunteers went to a bar for the final World Cup game and I watched it in the house with my host mom. I called my family and talked to them for awhile and then also got a hold of a few of my missionary friends who have transferred. It was a good ending to the Sunday and week in general! Now, time for the present! I have a pretty busy week ahead of me, today I was at school and taught my kids -again with addition- and then we sang songs and took a lot of pictures! We sang this cute song "Walk like a duck" where we all walk around like ducks quacking endlessly until the teacher and I get tired, and also "The Hokey Pokey." Later I'm going to the large orphanage and sharing some tick tacks my family sent me with the little kids :) Some kids like them and others put them in their mouths, make a face, and then spit it all out :/ A lot of kids are not used to the flavor of candy or really sweet things! It's kind of weird because an american kid would be craving and asking for the entire box haha. Yeah and then the rest of the week I'm traveling :) So that should be fun! Some of the places I still want to go are: 1) Kumasi: to see the Zoo and this humongous marketplace. 2) Lake Voltar: the largest man made lake in Africa or maybe just Ghana?... I'm unsure these are all oral facts, and like oral history it can sometimes be a little false! 3) The city on stilts: which is a city built on a lake all held up by wood stilts....scary! I haven't really traveled the last two weeks so I decided I've got to get going somewhere, sometime soon! Love ya!

Love Emily