Merry Christmas from Ghana

Elder Shirley with companion Elder Rowlan

The typical way Elder Shirley teaches discussions

Elder Shirley's Christmas tree made of family photos

December 24, 2018

Wow I cannot believe that it is Christmas time!! This last week was a lot of fun and there were some events that happened this last week. This last Tuesday we had our mission Christmas devotional where we got a short instruction and then we had a Christmas program with reading the Christmas story and singing songs between each verses. It was really good to have that program and to have an opportunity to feel of the Christmas spirit! I really do miss the snow but I guess lots of you guys probably miss the heat. We always will miss what we do not have haha!

After the Christmas program we got to sit together as missionaries and have some fun. We started by watching the Incredibles 2, a lot of the older missionaries were super happy to watch that movie and I was too because I knew it was a super good movie. After the movie we ate the best meal that I have had on my mission so far because we got to eat mashed potatoes and really nice chicken and beef, along with cake and rice and salad. It was overall just a really nice meal and it was good to be able to eat mashed potatoes even though they were nothing like the potatoes back home. After the meal we had a small talent show where our district performed a song called "How can I be" and it sounded really good. There were some other talents like the Polynesians did the haka which is their traditional dance so that was pretty good. Overall it was just an amazing time and we even got a gift from the mission!

This last Saturday we had a big stake social with around 350 people there and it was the craziest event that I have been at since I have been in Ghana!! They started it with a devotional type thing that lasted for around 2 hours and then they took everyone out and had rice, salad and chicken for everyone and then they hosted some games. This activity also gave us a great opportunity to bring some people that are not of our church and show them that the church has lots of fun too!! Then yesterday we met with 4 other elders, so there was a total of 6 of us and we went and did caroling in an area called Asikuma. The crazy thing was that there was this crazy drunk man who was following us and yelling at us and telling us that he was going to beat us so we just took some back roads and got lost from him. He was just trying to ruin the Christmas spirit but we were not going to let that happen!

Anyways today we went on a beautiful hike and everything is going great with me!! Mission is great and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!! I love you all!

~Elder Shirley

The Power of the Priesthood

December 17, 2018

This week I was truly blessed to be able to feel the power of the priesthood. Saturday we had two baptisms, one a boy named Richard and the other named Prince. The boys are both 11 years old. We also gave someone a blessing. Then on Sunday we had 3 confirmations to do and we also gave two more priesthood blessings. It is really amazing to be a part of all of these ordinances and blessings, it really shows me the power that the priesthood has and the truthfulness of this gospel. During one of the blessings that I gave last night, I could feel the presence of the Holy Ghost so strongly and it was as if the words were just put into my mouth. It was so cool! This last week we also had a fun YSA activity where we ate Jellof rice and chicken and fruit and had a really fun time with the YSA.

Christmas parties are a luxury over there for sure!! {We told him about how we went to several Christmas parties this past week} We do not have many of those around here although they are doing a stake social here which should be nice and they are planning on having a lot of food for us as well so it should be a pretty good party with the whole stake here at our chapel. I am very jealous of the snow back home, because even though it is a little more dry here the snow is so so so so hot! haha. Do not have too much fun during the Christmas season without me!!

I am beyond excited to call home this next week, you would not believe how excited I am!! I am excited for the boost that it will give me and to hear each of your voices! I am hoping all works out with video calling!! I love you so so much and I miss you lots! As well as the snow and the people back home!!

~Elder Shirley

Questions & Answers:

Q. What is your companion like? Where is he from? How long has he been out? Are you two similar in what you like?
A. His name is Elder Rowlan and he is from North Carolina, he is going home in May so he is kind of an older missionary. We get along good and he is just kind of a funny guy. he is a hard worker, but he is not a sports guy.

Q. Any fun activities scheduled for this week?
A. This week we have the Christmas devotional in Accra and I am super excited for it!! We get to enjoy a big meal and I think they show us a Disney movie as well!!

Q. What is the best meal that you had this week?
A. The best meal I had this last week was probably Jellof rice. It is a Ghanaian rice that they have here and it is nice, you will have to look it up.

Q. You have almost been out four months. Have you felt sick at all?
A. I have felt sick on 2 different days but it was only for the night times and I just push through on those days. Nothing like too bad,I am doing great so do not worry!

Q. What do most people do for a living there?
A. There are so many people that just go around selling things on their heads and in different shops. There are also a lot of farmers in this area. So the power outages are not a big deal at all, it is funny because when the light goes out it is just like a normal day, sometimes people do not even know if light is out because they do not care

Dry Season Begins in Ghana

December 5, 2018

This week has been kind of crazy and on Monday I did not have anything to email with because we have to use something called a modem which supplies the internet for us and we did not have one on Monday so we could not email. Secondly, I was going to email this morning but the power has been off until now so I have not been able to email anyone. District meeting for us starts in 20 minutes, so I will only be able to get this email out this week! Let everyone know that I am sorry but that I love them all and I wish I could have emailed everyone!!

Guess what though?? I got your package on Tuesday!! It came super super fast!! I have not opened it though and I am planning on saving it for Christmas, that is was I am supposed to do right?? As for how we wash our clothes, it is not as bad as I made it sound the first time, we have a working bathroom in our apartment so we have water that we can use just inside of our apartment and we actually moved the washer inside the bathroom this last week so it will be a lot lot easier to wash our clothes now! We got an electrician to come and put an outlet for us in the bathroom so now we have power there to plug the washer in. Also, last week on December 1st I put up all of the family pictures that you sent and I love having that so I can look at the whole family!! I miss and love you all!!

Our people are still not doing very well and this last week was a little discouraging because I thought that we were going to have people coming to sacrament meeting and then no one came so that was a little annoying. However, this week yesterday we found some people that I think will both progress towards baptism this month! So I am hoping and praying for that to happen! Everyday feels like the same hotness but now it is what they call harmattan which means that it is the dry season, so lots of dust along the dirty roads, but it is still just as hot. haha.That is so cool with the tree putting up and you guys carrying on the tradition of sleeping by the tree! Where did you put it up this year? and is it a real tree or a fake one? I cannot remember what we did last year. The scoreboard sounds legit and I am a little jealous, but I am excited to hear how the boys do this year!! Sounds like the boundaries did not change too much which is good, but that is sad that you lost the good family friends of the Redd's. Anyways I got to go to district meeting now, but I love you lots and I am sorry that I could not email anyone else but I thought I should email you! Love you so so so much mom and I miss you. Give everyone their love for me!! Talk to you in a short 5 days!!

~Elder Shirley