MY NEW AREA - BUDUBURAM

My new area is called Buduburam. It is in Ghana's Central Region and is located 44km from Accra.  It is also a Liberian Refugee Camp, most have been here since 2003 or before and have no way to get home, they are somehow stuck! But I'm excited to work the Liberian people, they are very cool, humbled by the situations that they are currently found in and great people to teach. They have a love for the saviour and are willing to listen to what you have to tell them.

So my new companion is named Elder Evensen from Rupert, Idaho.
He is 9 months on mission and has been here in Buduburam for 6 months. he will be 7.5 at the end of this transfer and i will officially be 6 MONTHS ON MISSION!!!!!! wow! crazy fast!

My area is the mission boundary and is quite a high baptizing area! we are hoping for about 7 this month and plenty more in the months to come!
Ready to really work hard and seek out those people in the Refugee camp and surrounds!

Our Chapel is a nice rented 2 story building with the chapel and bishop/clerks offices and 2 classrooms up stairs and 6 big classrooms down stairs. I drew up the renovation plans to make the chapel even better for the ward. When the church buys the building that is.

It is weird adjusting to saying ward and stake instead of Branch and district.
and saying Bishop and Ward mission leader instead of President and Branch mission leader.
But it is cool and I'm adjusting!

It is also weird getting used to the new place. I was so comfortable in my part of the bush. i knew my way around and all sorts. but now i have to learn a whole new area! everywhere i go is a new place. The Camp is split into 12 Zone's, each containing between 150-300 houses! So so so many people!

They don't speak Twi which is a little depressing but is ok.
There is also a really nice (and reasonable) restaurant in town called XXX (i know the name sounds a little risky but it is a nice place. The food is good too.)
But can't be eating there too often. $$ are going to go tooooo fast!

The FM (freemeals) we get here are alot different too.
Mostly because our investigators and most of the members are Liberian. So we eat a lot of Liberian food rather than Ghanian food.
They make a different kind of fufu (one you eat with a spoon) and like pepae (chilli) a whole lot more that anyone should!!!! it is crazy how much they eat.
But there are some good food places around that make good old fashioned Ghanaian Fufu and Banku. I just need to find someone that will make me Ackpili and ill be set!!!!
lol
All with lite soup of course!

Ghana is still very very hot during the day and cooler at night and in the mornings.
Even sleeping without a fan and under my sheet! (and under a net which is never fun!!)

Our apartment is somewhat an interesting story.
1. The water filters had not been changed in 9 months. (You are supossed to change one of the 3 filters every 2 months) They were BLACK when i changed them!
2. The gas bottle had been empty for about 2 months (the always ate out!!)
3. The fridge was full of old, stale food (some things being left in there for more than 6 months!!!)
4. It has 3 bathrooms, 2 have toilets, the other has the pipe ready for one to be installed, one has a shower, (the other 2 have taps and pipes but no shower heads. None have a sink, (there is just a random one is the middle of the hall) and only one has light. they are all tiny tiny.
5. But is is cool, the kitchen is big, and our study room is big too. nice big table and plenty space (not a fan of the iron yet but it does its job so i cannot complain!!! lol)

The internet here is terribly slow compared to the Vodafone cafe but is very nice from what i hear (compared), we have light off quite frequently.
i think about 5 times since i came last wednesday and one lasted 12hours with out power!!!!!! not fun!
Lucky it was during the day, so we didn't really realize too much!