Satchet Showers v Dirty Dishes

Hey family!

Thanks for the update on life back home! Man that's some crazy stuff going on with Jen's play and Dad helping out with the set and the whole ward deal! That priesthood line is way way way sweet (Brian is referring to the line of authority that traces his Priesthood authority back to Christ). That's so cool to know that and to have it traced back to Jesus Christ so easily. Awesome.

I don't need a CD player since I wouldn't have speakers anyway and so we are just going to pool together to buy an apartment one. Because Elder Nelson had one and it was so sweet but he is gone now haha. I miss him already! He was awesome!

Also, I got grandma's letter about how she will read the Book of Mormon! I'm so happy for her! I'll write her back soon. Also, please tell Brother Madsen I didn't get a chance to send out his letter yet, and still haven't! ARGH! Things are kind of insane right now and I literally haven't had even 30 minutes to spare to go the post and send it.

Please write on the blog and just ask people who have written me (I received like 5 letters today) to please be patient with me writing back! It's difficult to make the time. Even on P-days!

For example, this morning we woke up at 6:30. There's a zone activity at Bantama chapel at 9:30 (30 minutes away) and we had to wash our clothes but we didn't have water so we had to go buy packs of sachets and then wash, and THEN we had to take sachet showers and eat without being able to wash our dirty dishes....so we didn't even get to the activity until 10:30. Then we had to go to town to buy stuff for our new missionaries and now we only have time to e-mail. Technically we are supposed to be back proselyting by 6 PM but THAT'S not gonna happen haha! It's not enough time! Town is like an hour away from home and it takes forever to find a trotro to even get home. URGHHHH.

Things from this week:

-My new companion/my son is Elder Slade. He's a sweet guy! I forgot to take a picture of him yet so I took one JUST NOW! I'll send it haha. Along with a bunch of others pictures I haven't sent yet. He is still getting the hang of things and I think it's SOOO funny when he finds out another thing about Ghana living that's tough. Hopefully he is handling it well though. It's just funny to me because at one point I was thinking the same things.

-I found this guy in town who makes these wicked sweet Ghana bracelets that are only 1.50 cedi and he basically winds a string around some plastic and by the end it says the person's name with the Ghana colors. You'll see. It's WAY sweet! I got 5 so far, and I'll get more some other time. Hopefully I'll be able to send them. I think maybe in like 3 months I'll send a package home.

-Our subsistance went up to 140!!!! The price for water sachets (our main source of drinking water) doubled. The price for a box of indomie went from 14 cedi to 20. The price of bread went from 1 to 1.20. The price of a crate of eggs went from 6 cedi to 8. The price for travel nearly doubled. It's insane.

-We have a baptism on the 19th! It's gonna be a good one I know it! We got 5 people who are preparing for it and it looks like they'll pull through! I think I've told you about them :P But we also have 2 others set for March 11th already as well! One is Elizabeth, she is the translator for Janet when we teach. She originally didn't care about the stuff we were saying but then she got into it and now she is super excited to be baptized! :D The other is a member referral. He's a sweet guy.

That's basically it though! I love you guys! E-mail ya next week!

-Elder Gagne