"There is this little girl named Nanaba....she's always around and she LOVES me. Ha,ha! she is the cutest little girl I've ever seen. She [styles] my hair on my arm and on my head......I've really come to love these African children and their obruni-loving ways. "
January 7, 2013 email:
Dear Family and Friends,
Where to start? I guess I'll start with transfers.
Coming Wednesday, Elder Nwoko will be headed to an eastern area called Assin
Foso and Elder James will be coming to be with me. Yes, he's an American. Yes, I'm excited. He's from Wyoming, I believe. I'll tell you more about him when I meet him. He's only been out one transfer longer than me.
I'm really excited to have someone new to work with because I know we can be successful if we follow all the mission rules. I'm ready to start again and GET TO WORK. I've heard Elder James is a really hard worker. This area, very very soon, is about to be lit on fire with activity. The one roadblock is: the meetinghouse. When it is finished in Ntranoa, members, less-actives, and investigators alike will find it very easy to attend church and see the light we have. Every church here is super apostate all about giving money to the pastor--lots and lots of money--singing and dancing the azonto (a pop dance here), and banging drums and being ridiculously loud and rowdy. The meetinghouse is expected to be done ASAP so I'm really excited to see it.
During Christmas and all this week, these villages have some kind of parade/festival where people dress up in masks and costumes and go around asking for money. Kinda like a twisted flip of Halloween and Christmas. EVERYONE asks me for money because I'm white. I just tell them, 'Menti Fante' which means I don't understand Fante. Ha ha! but I did pay a few kids 20 pesewas each to take a picture with me. That's like 10 cents. But I didn't rip them off, you can actually buy stuff with that here.
The other day we went to see our recent convert who lives with a member family. They were busy with gutting and preparing sea snail. Lots of sea snail! I had seen them doing it before with one that were about the size of my fist. This time they were bigger than my head and weighed about as much as my thigh! Hahaha! It was ridiculous. I took a lot of pictures so you'll see it all sometime. They just bash the shells open and prepare these snails to be roasted up. It's genius really--there are no bones, it's like a perfect, ready chunk of meat. Grab your forks, kids! I had a laugh at that. And the members had a laugh for the fact that I had a laugh at their sea snails. Apparently the fishermen can only catch the snails when it gets cold and they come close to shore. More like snailsermen.
Speaking of the cold, harmattan has begun! I absolutely love it. It gets cold in the evening and in the mornings. I was recently discussing with an American elder how we miss getting into a cold bed at night. No more! Elder Nwoko, however, got a cold from it. So he hates it. It's funny, actually the Nigerians will wake up and throw sweaters on while Elder Doggett just basks in the cold morning glory. I hear harmattan gets even colder, and dusty. Just like home! I heard it's like 20 below there? I don't even remember it getting that cold. So THAT I don't miss...
You should know who Ghana's number one celebrity is. Mr. Barack Hussein Obama. He is everywhere here. I think I've seen his face more here than I ever did at home. He's on signs, shirts, cars, notebooks, and even a box of pens. I laughed really hard at that and took a picture. "Obama Quality Pens!" Ghana recently had their own election and I saw a video of a guy campaigning for John Mahama, the current acting President, saying, "Obama Mahama! Obama Mahama! Obama Mahama!" That's seriously all he said for his speech and people just cheered. It doesn't even make sense. Most people, when they hear I'm from the States, say, "Oh, so you're an Obama man, huh?" I resent that! Haha. I am NOT Obama's man. But I won't go to politics :)
There is this little girl named Nanaba who lives in one the apartments of a small building we teach a boy in. The building is owned by a member and is very small, so she's always around and she LOVES me. Ha,ha! she is the cutest little girl I've ever seen. Her sister was scaring her by flipping her eyelids inside out and chasing her, so she ran straight to me during a lesson and wouldn't let go. Then she started styling my hair--- on my arm and on my head---my hair has gotten a little too long for a missionary. I've been blasting it back 80's style. I haven't had time to cut it, but when I do, she will be very sad. There is also a girl named Precious who is the daughter of a less active member here. We are good friends with the family (they always give us Waakye--- love it!). She is about 2 1/2 or 3 years old and absolutely refuses to let her mom cut her hair. She just pulls it straight up and looks like a little Rasta child, it's hilarious. I got a really good picture of it I'll try to send. Our recent convert, Linda, has a little 5 month old baby named Jojo. He is adorable, I'm holding him every time we meet with her. Haha He has a little afro. I've really come to love these African children and their obruni-loving ways.
So I'm learning a ton everyday. I can already see how these lessons are affecting me as well. The biggest lesson is patience. Always patience. But it's very good for me. And since I learned how to make fried rice I have been LIVING, let me tell ya. I'm going to attempt no-bake cookies very soon. I'll send some home! Haha yeah, right.....
Love you all!
Elder Clinton Doggett
I'm really excited to have someone new to work with because I know we can be successful if we follow all the mission rules. I'm ready to start again and GET TO WORK. I've heard Elder James is a really hard worker. This area, very very soon, is about to be lit on fire with activity. The one roadblock is: the meetinghouse. When it is finished in Ntranoa, members, less-actives, and investigators alike will find it very easy to attend church and see the light we have. Every church here is super apostate all about giving money to the pastor--lots and lots of money--singing and dancing the azonto (a pop dance here), and banging drums and being ridiculously loud and rowdy. The meetinghouse is expected to be done ASAP so I'm really excited to see it.
During Christmas and all this week, these villages have some kind of parade/festival where people dress up in masks and costumes and go around asking for money. Kinda like a twisted flip of Halloween and Christmas. EVERYONE asks me for money because I'm white. I just tell them, 'Menti Fante' which means I don't understand Fante. Ha ha! but I did pay a few kids 20 pesewas each to take a picture with me. That's like 10 cents. But I didn't rip them off, you can actually buy stuff with that here.
The other day we went to see our recent convert who lives with a member family. They were busy with gutting and preparing sea snail. Lots of sea snail! I had seen them doing it before with one that were about the size of my fist. This time they were bigger than my head and weighed about as much as my thigh! Hahaha! It was ridiculous. I took a lot of pictures so you'll see it all sometime. They just bash the shells open and prepare these snails to be roasted up. It's genius really--there are no bones, it's like a perfect, ready chunk of meat. Grab your forks, kids! I had a laugh at that. And the members had a laugh for the fact that I had a laugh at their sea snails. Apparently the fishermen can only catch the snails when it gets cold and they come close to shore. More like snailsermen.
Speaking of the cold, harmattan has begun! I absolutely love it. It gets cold in the evening and in the mornings. I was recently discussing with an American elder how we miss getting into a cold bed at night. No more! Elder Nwoko, however, got a cold from it. So he hates it. It's funny, actually the Nigerians will wake up and throw sweaters on while Elder Doggett just basks in the cold morning glory. I hear harmattan gets even colder, and dusty. Just like home! I heard it's like 20 below there? I don't even remember it getting that cold. So THAT I don't miss...
You should know who Ghana's number one celebrity is. Mr. Barack Hussein Obama. He is everywhere here. I think I've seen his face more here than I ever did at home. He's on signs, shirts, cars, notebooks, and even a box of pens. I laughed really hard at that and took a picture. "Obama Quality Pens!" Ghana recently had their own election and I saw a video of a guy campaigning for John Mahama, the current acting President, saying, "Obama Mahama! Obama Mahama! Obama Mahama!" That's seriously all he said for his speech and people just cheered. It doesn't even make sense. Most people, when they hear I'm from the States, say, "Oh, so you're an Obama man, huh?" I resent that! Haha. I am NOT Obama's man. But I won't go to politics :)
There is this little girl named Nanaba who lives in one the apartments of a small building we teach a boy in. The building is owned by a member and is very small, so she's always around and she LOVES me. Ha,ha! she is the cutest little girl I've ever seen. Her sister was scaring her by flipping her eyelids inside out and chasing her, so she ran straight to me during a lesson and wouldn't let go. Then she started styling my hair--- on my arm and on my head---my hair has gotten a little too long for a missionary. I've been blasting it back 80's style. I haven't had time to cut it, but when I do, she will be very sad. There is also a girl named Precious who is the daughter of a less active member here. We are good friends with the family (they always give us Waakye--- love it!). She is about 2 1/2 or 3 years old and absolutely refuses to let her mom cut her hair. She just pulls it straight up and looks like a little Rasta child, it's hilarious. I got a really good picture of it I'll try to send. Our recent convert, Linda, has a little 5 month old baby named Jojo. He is adorable, I'm holding him every time we meet with her. Haha He has a little afro. I've really come to love these African children and their obruni-loving ways.
So I'm learning a ton everyday. I can already see how these lessons are affecting me as well. The biggest lesson is patience. Always patience. But it's very good for me. And since I learned how to make fried rice I have been LIVING, let me tell ya. I'm going to attempt no-bake cookies very soon. I'll send some home! Haha yeah, right.....
Love you all!
Elder Clinton Doggett
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