May 25, 2015

A Week Off My Mission

Okay so I really wasn't off my mission for a week but it sure felt like it, let me exlain why!

So as I said last week, I will be headed to Accra for my companions doctor appointments, which we did. We left on Thursday. But Monday through Wednesday we were in Kumasi for our Zone meeting, we would have gone back to Bibiani on Tuesday, but there was no point if we needed to come back Wednesday afternoon, so we stayed. It was a good time, I love Zone Meetings, get to see some good friends.

But on Thursday Elder Barney, Sister Barney (mission nurse, they're both so great), Elder Williamson and I set off to Accra, ROADTRIP!! I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited, cause I was. It was about a 5 hour trip to Accra, and we stayed at the ancillary building at the temple grounds! Wow, gorgeous temple, albeit tiny. I loved being so close to a house of the Lord. We met Elder (West Africa Area medical adviser) and sister Hill who took us all out to dinner. We went to Fiesta Royale, a hotel and wow it was delicious. We went to their buffet and holy cow, pork and chicken and beef and mushroom and rolls and everything I cant get normally. It was so, so, so, good. That was the end of that day though.

Friday morning, Elder Hill took Elder Williamson to his appointments while I stayed with the Barney's to do some shopping for the Holmes'. It was fun! I had a great time! and we went to some really nice stores, they reminded me of home, had a lot of North American things too, so that was cool. After shopping for hours we met back up with the Hills and my companion at the temple again for lunch. I had rice and plantain. delicious. And we started back to Kumasi around 4pm. We got to the mission home around 8:30pm and since it was so late we stayed with the AP's. We finally made it home Saturday late afternoon.

Sunday the Holmes' came to our Branch for church! it was a blast seeing them there, Elder Essel has been transferred to Techiman so this was his last meeting here. But that was my week, if it sounds odd or off or something, I haven't eaten yet today and that's what my brain is stuck on, love you all!

Elder Verdoni

Accra Ghana Temple

 Looks like home... and hey, Pierogies!

May 18, 2015

Hey Guys!! Well we had more baptisms this week, and I'm going to Accra!

So, I'll start with Tuesday.
I spent most the day in the Mission Home while my companion was in the hospital for some eye tests, so I stayed with the office elders, (the elders that work in the office) and it was really cool! I really love those guys, but It was just nice to spend so much time there, with President and Sister Holmes, The office elders and yeah, so it was good. We got back to Bibiani that night.

Yes we had a few more baptisms this week! which was great and if all goes well we will have 2 more next week! Bibiani has been really nice and fruitful so it keeps us working hard.
But this week, I don't get to proselyte at all, and here's why; Today, and tomorrow we are supposed to be in Kumasi for our Zone Meeting, but Wednesday we'll be here too because Thursday we (me and my companion, elder Williamson) are headed to Accra with the Barney's, a Senior Couple. Elder williamson has some needed tests and Accra has the best stuff so we are going there. Now Accra is out of my mission boundaries so this is like, really rare! But I am excited at least, it'll be fun. We will return Saturday morning (6 hour drive) so it will quite the week, of no proselyting, which is tough but I'll manage:)

And as I am sure some of you know, my brother Brandon got his mission call to Cincinnati Ohio!!
Which is crazy!! I am so sure that he'll love it! I am so excited for him! but yeah that was my week, so I love you all and I'll tell you all about Accra next week!
Elder Verdoni

May 11, 2015

Call Home

Hey everyone! Well it was that time of the year where I get to call home and wow it was good! The other parts of the week was good too so lets see if I can talk about:

So yeah I got to talk to my family yesterday! I used a webcam at my chapel and got to talk to them all! I did it around 3pm my time which is like 8am your time (which is still weird) and I got to talk to them for a while. The only thing that was tough for me was just the fact that Jacob was drinking milk (which I don't have) and they all ate cinnamon rolls in front of me (they really love me) but It was really great to see them all. I can't believe it is already that time in my mission where I call home again, and before I know it I will do it again, crazy. I miss my family, but I do love Ghana.

So this week we had 3 baptisms! It was a young man named Samuel and his two nephews Isaac and Theophilus (I love that name) They are great people and their whole family is wonderful. We have gotten pretty close with the rest of the family and hope to start teaching them as well. But from the get-go these three are at church every Sunday, they read the Book of Mormon everyday and they know it is true, I love them all. Samuel is like the best dancer in this part of the country or something so A LOT of people know him, which is great. he is just a good guy.

But mainly that was my week, I don't have too much to talk about, did most of that yesterday:) So take care!
Till next week
Elder Verdoni

Letter to Mom
Thank you for letting me see the most beautiful mom in the world! It was really nice but I agree real tough to go. (We ended up in the "who was going to hang up first")

I loved talking to you all so much, It really made my day. Even though I wasnt able to see Dad, he could see me and that was good enough for me, I love him and am so proud of him.
Yeah my companion is a great guy! (I told him his companion was a hoot! He peeked in on the "Skyping" and was a little silly over seeing Elder Verdoni's girlfriend, and he taught us some Nigerian words like "How fa?" = How are you doing, and "I dey o" = I am fine )

But life is great otherwise, spending the night in Kumasi for more tests tomorrow but didn't know that until today so we have no extra clothes, no deo no nothing, so it'll be an adventure ;) I am grateful for Sister holmes, she allowed me to come and email. And I love the Barney's, They're a senior couple and we've been with them all day today and they're great. I have loved them since I've been in Ghana. I've gotten real close with them too. I had a CHEESEBURGER for lunch, with the Barneys at some nice food joint that sold burgers, so I got it and it was good! like home? no but good. And after that I have been pretty satisfied, so I'm not sure if I'll eat tonight, if I do it'll be small like Garri soakings. )

But yeah mom I am happy, and well my time is up! Please tell Dad and Kylie and the kids for me that I love them and miss them and will email them as soon as I can!
Thanks mom for everything! You're the best.
And yes I took money, we ate:) (He ran out of money too early but hasn't used his American bank card once, so we told him to as he only ate bread Sunday. Silly boy!)
love you!
Elder Verdoni

Happy Mother's Day!

Elder Verdoni & Elder Ikot

Elder Williamson and Elder Verdoni

Umm, is it good?Cocoa - like chocolate

Really sweet, not like chocolate though, 

I need to ferment the seeds, 

but you lick off the white gooey stuff 

and it's good!

 

KFC in Ghana

Gari is a fine to coarse granular flour of varying texture
made from cassava tubers (also called cassava roots)
which are cleaned, grated, water and starch squeezed
out of it, left to ferment and then fried.
For a snack it can be soaked in water or milk + sugar

May 4, 2015

Mission Tour

Well this week was a pretty good one! I got to meet one of them members of the Quorum of the Seventy! It was sweet!

So yes, I was able to meet Elder Dube of the Seventy, he came to Ghana and had a mission tour, where he goes and meets and teaches all the missionaries. He is a great man! I really loved it there, it was three zones so I got to see a lot of friends.

Speaking of friends, I ran into Elder Allen and Elder Carpenter, why is that so special? Well, because they both live only 15 minutes from my house! AZ BOYS we always talk about home when were together, mostly seeing if we have mutual friends (we all went to different schools) but it's always just real fun being with them, because I can talk about AZ stuff and they know it.

Moving on in the week, on Thursday we (my district) spent nearly 6 hours in court...

The apartment was robbed a few months back and a camera was stolen, the man was caught and so this was just the last part where we collect the camera, but it took 5ever. We just sat and sat and sat, but finally got Elder Ikot's camera, so all is well.

Some good news too! I don't wanna brag but I am getting good at hand-washing, (clothes) like to the point where I don't hate it, haha, and my white clothes stay white! so I am improving! life is sweet!

And a better thing, we have a lot of really good progressing investigators here! It has all 4 of us excited. But I just love that the Gospel can change lives and bring immeasurable happiness and I get to see that firsthand. What a privilege. 

But that was my week!

I hope all is well for all of you,

Stay fly, 

Stay happy, 

I love you all.

 Elder Verdoni

Letter To Mom (Sharing because it's close to Mother's Day)

I have been dreaming of you a lot lately mom. I miss you tons and I love you more than you know. I really can't describe the love, but know that I do.

Life is great for me mom, I am really loving my mission, I am so glad that I chose to do it, I can't imagine life without it. And I have been exercising a lot lately and its starting to show! Its really exciting, but yeah mom that's me.

From a letter to a friend at West Point 

(They had asked each other weirdest and coolest thing that's happened and this was Elder Verdoni's reply. (with permission to share :)

Craziest: I was in Kejetia, a huge market (like the ones you see in the movies with millions of people moving around all fast, it's real) and it was like 830pm, We four missionaries were walking through to get home and we hear POP POP POP! Three gunshots. Everyone bolts. A cop shot his AK through the roof for some reason, scary as flip. 

Coolest: Living in a totally different culture, learning a new language, and really seeing peoples lives change. They just become so much happier as I share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it's amazing man. I love every second of it.

At Zone Conference - Arizona Elders
Elder Allen, Elder Verdoni, Elder Carpenter

Elder Vause, Elder Verdoni, Elder Ashby

Elder Verdoni is first on back row