Big Highlight This Week---New Companion, Elder Amoah!

Dear Family & Friends,

I got the package you sent with Elder Pearson’s parents---it was really great! First thing I did was pull my new glasses out and take my contact lenses out so I could put the glasses on! I finished all my contact solution that same day, so that was pretty crazy. Also, it’s been a long time since I have had root beer--it was so sweet! It did not have carbonation in it either so I enjoyed them very much. (Root beer freezer popsicles in the plastic).

I have been eating lots from all the packages. I have not been eating a lot of food from here anymore just what people give us. It’s been really nice but I do not think that it will last to the end of my mission but that is okay.

Well the big highlight this week was getting a new companion. Elder Pearson left on Monday to be with his parents, and just who I thought came---Elder Amoah. I knew him from Kasoa. He was the Ward Missionary that would go out with the other Kasoa Elders. He is a really cool guy and really happy to leave New Town (that is Muslim area). He is now happy to be in one of the greatest areas or maybe the greatest. Well, any area can be if the missionaries serving there believe it can be! So he is really cool. It’s been fun to get to know more about him and a little different than being with an obruni companion.

So the baptism went through as planned, it was really good. I got to meet Elder Pearson’s parents. They were really cool. Just like Americans--it was really weird to talk to them--they talk fast and different. Oh ya, I ended up doing the baptizing because Brother Felix came late. He was preparing for the big day. He is getting married--well now he is married so that is pretty intense. He was so happy; it was great to see him. He was traditionally married, but to go through the temple you have to do the church one too. So that is what they did. Brother Felix is just such a cool guy--I will never forget him ever. The candidates that we baptized were really good. It only took one time on both of them but one of them swallowed water so that was not too good. Then on Sunday it was pretty crazy there were tons of people there.

So that is about all that happened this week. Sounds like you guys are enjoying out in San Diego. That place is one of my favorite places to go. I know that is Dads favorite, but where is Moms favorite place to be in the whole world?

We had a good turn out at church, not as many as last week but that is okay. With a transfer it will take some time to get rebooted back up to where we were before, but that is no problem, it is just a challenge. We had 5 in all come to church: The man with two kids came to church, but his kids were too tired from all the fetching of water they had to do because there is another water shortage. The daughter of the man we just baptized. She and the sister that was baptized came all alone, but brother Okerchiri, the father, did not come. It was really cool. Then Francis came he was the other person that was supposed to be baptized Saturday. He was really happy he was interviewed for his baptism that will happen on the 11th. Then the other Francis came and he was having a severe headache but he knew he had to come because he missed last week. Samuel came; he is the one that we have been working with since I first got to this area. And that is all. They are all preparing to be baptized very soon. All but Francis is going to be baptized on the 18th, so that will be a really cool baptism. That will almost mark my 2 months left. I should not be counting so much but I do like to know how long I have. I just don’t let it make me think that I will work less hard when I get to the end. I have gone this far now I have to finish strong as I can.

The rest of the apartment is doing really good; we got someone new to fill in for Elder Jorgenson. He is really cool. Then we got a new district leader in New Legion. So we have a great district.

So today on the weekly menu it’s going to be a soup--ground nut with a side of aba or also known as gary that is mixed with boiling water. It’s so delicious and also fajitas--most people in Ghana pronounce it with the j like if you want to say Jeremy--so just try it out and see what the word they say is. It’s really funny! So I will buy some chicken to go with that.

Oh okay, I did not tell you much about Elder Amoah, my new companion. He is from Ghana, Cape Coast. He was living in Kasoa when I was called to serve there. Then he was shortly called to serve in the Ghana Accra Mission. So now we have met again. He is really cool--knows lots about missionary work and how to do things so that is nice. He likes to work and also likes to keep the rules---I am way happy about that! We get along really good. He is like Elder Ewudzie a little bit. He knows a lot about how our culture is back home. He uses words and phrases that we do back home and it’s really cool, but then when it comes to knowing about the people he knows that too, so it helps tons. He can speak Twi and Fante--fluent in both.

Well that is about all that is going on, so love you all tons and tons, but not too much longer of missing you now.

Love, Elder Jeremy Reid

P.S. Thanks for the great birthday! It was a really fun time to look at new pictures and to see what you had to say. I look forward to the parties when we get home, especially Thanksgiving. I love you all.

By the way, I love all the stories. I forgot to say lots about that. I am also glad that they recorded everything at Grandpa’s funeral for when I get home.