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Monday, March 28, 2016

Easter in the City

 Elder Kambwiri and Elder Radmall
(kam-bweer-ee   He is 21 and has been a member for two years.)
Nungua Apartment

Dear Family and Friends,
          Wow!!! This was like the best week ever! I hope you all had a great Easter. I am so blessed. I don't know where to begin. I guess I will start with our zone conference on Tuesday. It was for all of the missionaries serving in the bush, since we missed seeing Elder Rasband when he came to Accra a couple of weeks ago. The conference was awesome! We learned all about learning who the Savior is. As we come to know our Savior it will be almost impossible not to love Him. We will have a greater desire to serve Him and follow His example. 
          After the conference I was thrown in a car with my giant suitcases and we headed to my new area in Accra. Nungua is the weirdest and best place ever. I love it here. We are along the coast which means it is very humid here. Our area is divided into two parts. One of them, where we stay, is very poor. The other part of our area, called Sakumono, is filthy stinking rich. Like the richest people in Ghana. They have huge houses and the nicest cars around. Our ward is made up of a combination of both. We have members who live in metal sheds and members who live in mansions. All of them are wonderful people with a love for the Savior. I have already gotten to know a lot of them. 

 Easter goodies from home.
 Easter Egg pirates.
Easter Brownies for the district.

          Now lets talk about my new companion. His name is Elder Kambwiri. He is from Malawi and he is the greatest! I absolutely love this guy. He is so humble and so happy all of the time. We are going to rock it together here in Nungua. We have four other elders in our district who all seem great. And then there is our apartment. It is a four man apartment, but only the two of us are staying there. We have tile floors! It looks a thousand times better than my apartment in Koforidua and I love it. It makes me feel like I am staying in a beach house in California. No joke. Plus it is just a few minutes ride to the mall where I can get KFC, pizza, ice cream, and much more from the giant grocery store. Am I still in Ghana?? Mom, you might need to throw an extra few hundred dollars in my account...
          Finally, there was Easter Sunday. It was the perfect day. Our ward meets at 8 in the morning. Too early. I got to bear my testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and what it means to me. After church we were invited to one of the very wealthy members homes where we were served a huge buffet of rice, chicken, and some sweet salads. Then they talked all about politics and a lot of other weird stuff. We returned home with full bellies and I started cooking brownies (thanks mom) for all of the elders in our district. They turned out pretty well and they were a huge hit. I finished off my Sunday with studying about the Savior in the scriptures. I am so grateful for Easter.  What a special time to remember the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that because of His perfect and ultimate sacrifice we can overcome both physical and spiritual death. I know that He lived, died, and lives again. How I love my Savior and desire to be like Him.
          Sorry this has been such a long email. Thanks for all of the support and love. You are all awesome. I hope you have a blessed week. I love you all!
Love,
Elder Radmall

Questions from Mom:
Q.  What is your companion’s name?  Is he a convert?  How many in his family?
Elder Kambwiri. He is a convert of about two years. Sadly, his parents both died when he was very young and he has no siblings. And yet he has chosen to devote two years to helping others! He is awesome.
Q. What is your companion’s native language?
I won't even try to spell it. Look up Malawi.  (The official language is English. Major languages include Chichewa, a language spoken by over 57% of the population, Chinyanja (12.8%), Chiyao (10.1%), and Chitumbuka (9.5%).
Q.  Are you in a ward or branch?
A ward. It will be a very different experience.
Q. How was your Easter Sunday today?
It was amazing! I love Easter and I love the Savior.
Q. What new experience did you have this week?
This week I shopped at an actual grocery store in Ghana. Life changing.
Q. Are you a junior companion or are you co-companions?
I am senior companion, but we are really co-companions.
Q. What angels have watched over you this week?
This week my angels are my family back home who send me letters, packages, support, and prayers. Thanks!

Questions from TeriAnn:
Q. How is your new area?
It is great! I love it here.
Q. How is it different from Koforidua?
People here are filthy rich. Too rich. And there's a stinking mall.
Have you met a lot of the members yet?
Q. Yes. We have visited quite a few of the members at their homes and they seem wonderful. Supposedly they love to feed the missionaries. Sweet!
Q. Is the weather any different being closer to the ocean?
Yes. It is hotter and more humid. I didn't think that was possible.
Q. Did you get my Easter package?
Yes! Thank you so much. I loved dying and decorating eggs. 
Q. What was your favorite scripture this week?
Isaiah 53:4-6. This scripture really helps me to better understand the Atonement and its purpose.
Q. What was the best thing that happened this week?
Everything really. It was a perfect week.
Q. What was the best lesson you taught?

We had a sweet lesson with a man named Eric. We taught him out of the Book of Mormon and showed him how he can receive answers from Heavenly Father.

Question from Dad:
Q. How many missionaries in you district? Sisters? Elders?  Where are they from?
We have six elders in the district. One from Australia, Alaska, Nigeria, Utah, and Malawi. We are currently short one elder.


Monday, March 21, 2016

Elder Radmall Takes on the City

Bryan will be transferred to Nungua this week.
A beach area in Nungua (taken from the internet.)

Dearest Family and Friends,
          Oh my goodness! It has finally happened. I have been transferred. After 9 months I will be leaving my beloved Koforidua. I will miss this place so much. It has become my second home and I have truly come to love the people here, but I know that the Lord has plans for me to go and learn to love new people in a new place. I will be going to Accra. My area is called Nungua (not sure how to spell it). I will go either tomorrow or on Thursday. I have heard great things about the area. There is even a mall there!! That means I can get American food! My companion is some elder from Zimbabwe. I can't remember his name. I am anxious, but also very excited for this chance to experience a new part of Ghana. 
          Also this week we had a missionary fireside! It was sweet. I was pretty worried that things wouldn't work out and it would end up a big mess, but in the end we let the Spirit guide us through it and it turned out great! I just wish that more of our branch had been there to experience it. We even provided refreshments afterwards. This week I ate a lot of free food, including two HUGE servings of fufu yesterday. The members here are too nice and they give so willingly. Today we had a zone activity at a little park in Koforidua. It was nice to just play some games and relax with missionary friends. Sister Taylor even made us some churros! 
          I apologize for the lack of pictures. I wasn't able to get my camera cord today. I promise some sweet ones next week. I love you all so much more than I can say and I miss you. I know that the Savior lives and loves us all perfectly. He suffered and died for all of us. Because of Him, we shall all live again. I love Him.
Love,
Elder Radmall

Questions from TeriAnn:
Q. How is Sister Rosslyn?
She is alright. She is staying with her sister in Accra right now, so I sadly won't get to say goodbye to her. :(
Q. Who taught your zone training?
Our zone leaders.
Q. Have you been sick at all since being in Ghana?
Yes! This week I experienced some pretty bad runny tummy (diarrhea), and a bit of a fever. I am getting better though.
Q. How is the weather this week?
This week there has been a lot of rain. It's nice because it cools things down, but it also means lots of mud to bike through.
Q. Do you use water filters or boil all the water that you use? You do this for all cooking and drinking water right?
We have a water filter attached to our sink that we use for all drinking/cooking water.
Q. What was your favorite lesson with an investigator this week? What was the lesson on?
We taught a man named Gabriel this week about the apostasy and he really seemed to get it. He even asked where the church of Jesus Christ is today! He has been coming to church and I think he will get baptized in the near future.

Questions from Mom:
Q. How many vitamins do you have left and do you take them every day?
I take them each morning. I LOVE my chewy vitamins. They make me so happy. I have enough to last me another couple of months.
Q. What lesson did you teach this week that really touched your heart?
I taught temple prep in our branch and I really felt the importance and the beauty of temples. They are the House of the Lord.
Q. What service did you give this week?
This week I didn't give enough service I guess. We helped with the chapel cleaning on Saturday. We also walked an old man home after church. I can't believe he walks to and from church! It was like a twenty minute walk.
Q. How did you like your Easter packages???
I loved them! Thank you very much. I am especially excited for my jelly beans. It wouldn't be Easter without them.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Rodents of Unusual Size

Proselyting with studs (Bro. Badoo, Elder Itepu, Bro. Dennis)

Dear Family and Friends,
          The Lord blessed us with so much this week.  We have a lot of investigators who are really progressing right now.  I love hearing that investigators have kept their commitments to read and pray.  I know that this will bring them to a knowledge of the truth if they carry on with diligence.  Another of the blessings we received this week was Brother Asomoah, who just returned to our branch from his mission in Nigeria.  Several members of his family are not members of the church, so he brought them along on Sunday and introduced them to us.  We were able to have a great lesson with them that very day!  Part member families truly are a gold mine.  We will make them a major focus this week. We are teaching a wonderful sister named Juliet. She is a single mom with a four year old boy. She sells rice by the side of the road and she has pretty much nothing as far as material possessions are concerned. And yet, she is always smiling and serving others. Every time we come to teach her she forces us to eat for free. She struggles a bit to read and speak English, but I have faith that she will be able to grow in her knowledge of the Gospel and to one day be baptized. I realize the hand of the Lord in my life more each and every week.  I know that He is truly watching over this work of saving souls.  He has a perfect plan for each of His children.  I just pray that I am doing all I can to help in His work and His glory. 
          We had an awesome Zone Training on Tuesday that lasted for five hours! It was really long, but it was also a great experience. One of the most eventful things this week came in the form of an awful smell. Our bedroom smelt like a sewage plant. I couldn't figure out why though. Well, a few weeks ago we bought some rat poisoning to take care of some unwanted friends in the apartment. When we pulled out our wardrobe we discovered a giant dead rat. That explained the bad smell! Now I can sleep in peace again.
          Well, that's about all for this week. I am so grateful for all of you and your continued support and prayers. They do make a difference. I feel it each day. I love and miss all of you people! have a great week.
Love,
Elder Radmall

Koforidua market

Questions from Momma:
Q. Besides soccer, what games do the Ghanians like to play?
They really like basketball and volleyball. Those games just tend to require a little more of a setup than soccer.
Q. Who plays piano or keyboard at church?
We have a young man named Neal who plays. Another young man named Emmanuel leads the singing and the branch choir. They are awesome.
Q. What angels have watched over you this week?
There was one time when a car just about flattened me on my bike, but I seemed to skid to a stop before I even pressed the brakes. Either angels or my imagination. Take your pick.
Q. Have you been an angel to anyone this week?
I don't know if I have been an angel to anyone this week, but we have a lady named Momma B who runs a shop by us. Whenever we pass by and she needs help closing we do that. I also tried to cheer up Sister Rosslyn by calling her in the hospital.
Q. How has the spirit prompted you this week?
While we were in Nkurakan the Spirit nudged me to walk up to a certain house. There was a wonderful lady washing clothes there, and she agreed to let us sit and teach her!
Q. Funniest moment this week?
I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. As I was lying there, I heard Elder Itepu saying "Enye easyo" in his sleep. That means "It's not easy" in Twi. I laughed myself to sleep.

Questions from TeriAnny:
Q. What's the weather like now?
Today it poured rain! It seems that dry season has finally ended.
Q. How is Sister Rosslyn?
She is doing well and should be able to come home this week.
Q. Are you feeling like you will stay in Koforidua or feeling like you will move on?
I think I will be transferred, but Sister Rosslyn says I will stay, and she has the spirit of prophesy.
Q. Will you go to Accra this month?
Maybe if President Heid lets us go to the temple with our branch!
Q. What are your goals this week?
To be more Christlike. More specifically to search for more chances to serve those around me.
Q. How are your toes doing?
Splendid. They don't complain to much.
Q. Have you see any weird bugs or animals lately?
Nope. I do have these little ants crawling on me pretty much all day every day though. I don't like it at all.

Monday, March 7, 2016

One Third! (Bryan is 1/3 of the way through his mission. He has been gone 8 months.)

Dear Family and Friends,
          It has been a great week! I am sorry, I don't have much time. I will have to keep this short. Koforidua is great! I love this city so much. At times I get irritated or annoyed with little things here, but I will truly miss this place and its wonderful people when I go. It has become a second home to me. God has blessed me with so many miracles here in Koforidua. We had a great week of proselyting. I especially loved working with one of our recent converts, Bro. Dennis. It was awesome to see him being strengthened as he shared his testimony with others. We are teaching a younger lady named Cecilia. She is so nice and she has accepted our teachings thus far. She even gave us some little cakes after our first lesson with her! Wow!
          I have realized this week that I need to be more grateful for all of the little things God has blessed me with. I will dedicate the rest of this letter to sharing some of those things. God has blessed me by sending me to Ghana! This place and the great people here have truly humbled me. I am grateful for my wonderful companion, Elder Itepu. He has sacrificed a lot to leave his family and his home to serve in Ghana. It isn't easy for him. Most of his family are not members. He is a great example of courage. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and the chance I have to read it each day. It strengthens me constantly. I am grateful for my beautiful family and friends. They spoil me so much and I don't deserve them, but God has blessed me with them all the same! I am grateful above all else for my Savior who has done nothing but to love me perfectly despite my failures and imperfections. I love Him.
          Thank you all so much for your continued support. Have a super week and know that I love you all!

Love,
Elder Radmall

Questions from TeriAnn:
Q. What are you looking forward to this week?
I am looking forward to the cereal and milk I just bought at the only real store in Koforidua! I am also looking forward to having more lessons with Cecilia.
Q. What was the best day you had last week?
Sunday was great! I loved church and the spirit that was there.
Q. When do transfers happen again?
Not until the end of this month.
Q. What is your night time routine like when you get home before bed?
We get home around 8 or 8:30 and plan for the next day. Then we throw something together for dinner and get ready for bed. Oh! And we wash if we need to.
Q. How are your shoes holding up?
They are doing really well! And my feet have gotten used to them it seems.
Q. What was he best thing you cooked this week?
This week we made yam and agushi stew! (don't ask me what agushi is, I don't know) It was great!
(Various Egusi (also called agusi, agushi, egushi) soups are favorites in Western Africa.  The soup is thickened with flour ground from seeds of a species of Cucurbitaceae (which includes gourds, melons, pumpkins, and squashes, many of which are native to Africa.)  In Western Africa, these plants and seeds, as well as soups and stews made with them, are called Egusi, and this is the name most commonly used outside of Africa.)



Questions from Mom
Q. How many investigators do you currently have?
We have about 6 progressing investigators. We have about 16 investigators overall.
Q. What lesson has been powerful this week?
We had many powerful lessons with our recent convert, Bro. Dennis. He bore powerful testimony of how the Gospel and the Book of Mormon have blessed his life.
Q. What made you laugh this week?
The sisters in our district. They are so funny and sarcastic! 
Q. What new food did you try this week?
There is a nice restaurant in Koforidua called Linda Dor. I found out today that they sell nice sandwiches for just 5 cedis! I will be buying a lot of those. I am not sure what kind of meat was on it, but it was good.
Q. Who can we pray for in Ghana?
Maybe you could remember Sis. Rosslyn in your prayers. She has been very sick the last week. She is in a hospital in Accra.