July 27, 2015

Diligent Effort

This week has been one filled with hard work, laughs, disappointments, and really good food.

Really this week has been great. 

Monday and Tuesday we were in Kumasi for a Zone Meeting and after the meeting and before heading home we stopped at a little shop that sells imported goods from the US. We bought the following:

A 10 pound bag of pancake mix, 

not enough syrup, 

Snapple drinks, 

Redbull, 

and A1. 

The ingredients for a really happy Elder. All has proved to be delicious, but, most is now low and needs to be replenished eventually. 

Speaking of food I had some weird herbal African drink this week. It's supposed to keep you strong, healthy and lose weight. Tasted super bitter but cool experience.

Now speaking of experiences, this was a good one. This week was a little tough. On two separate days, we (elder Hill and I) walked six hours straight with no one willing to listen and fallen (failed) appointments. Yet through all that, we had a good day and we were happy at the end of the day. We continued to push through it and kept trying. I know that's because we know we are doing the Lord's work. I am doing what He expects me to do, and I will magnify that calling. 

I love my District. Elders Merrill, Mkandla, Hill and myself. I have never been more unified or better friends with any other District I've been in. We are close and we just always have a good time, I love my mission.
I took more photos this week!
love you all.
Elder Verdoni 

Waiting to use the one and only computer. 

Brought mats to hang out and enjoy the a/c 

July 20, 2015

DONT GET MALARIA

Hey everybody! Remember how I was complaining about not feeling good last week? Well guess what? MALARIA. Heck yes, talk about miserable. After emailing I could barely walk. Got to a clinic, tested and yup it was malaria. We were 3 hours from home by tro tro and that was horrible.

Like I don't know how to explain it, but it feels like your entire body is fuzzy, weak,, and just hurting, while your head is being pounded by a hammer and simultaneously being drilled into from your eyes and temples. I think that's close. 

When we got to the apartment I checked my temp and it was 104°F, and that was 4 hours after my test. So I wonder if it ever got higher lol. Had to take a cold shower and I was already freezing, so that was bad, but it really helped. After that, took malaria meds and stayed in bed until Friday. That was bad, but we were still able to have 12 lessons between then and Sunday so it was okay. 

What an experience, I think it helped me lose weight so that's cool! along with the workout we're doing as an apartment, it's fun yet super tough. 

But really that was my week. Nothing else happened besides that.
Oh, we went to KFC today, sooo good, little piece of home.
That's my week though! Im A-ok and ready to never get sick again!
Love you all!!
again my pics are low, cus malaria.
Elder Verdoni

Riding in a Tro Tro

  When appointments fall through and days are tough, drink a coke

Missionary fridges arent usually this full, so its like, something really cool to us haha

 Pics from his companion Elder Hill 

July 13, 2015

Training

Well this week was pretty flipping sweet! So I'll talk about it.

Well as I said I got called to be a Trainer and my companion is Elder Hill from St, George UT. He's really cool! We have been getting along great. In fact our whole apartment is, it's now two elders from UT, one from AZ(represent) and one from Zimbabwe, it's so much fun.

Training is pretty cool/ super Overwhelming. I feel at times that I can't do it well but it's been working out so far as I have been doing it the Lord's way. Elder Hill came prepared though, he is learning very fast and having a great time. Although it's funny to see someone learning Twi for the first time, I remember those days, or the days when they were even speaking English you couldn't hear them, it's pretty funny but he has good spirits about it.

I got sick again this week, I have no idea with what but another fever and body aches. Not debilitating and not as insane as last time but still super uncomfortable, as I type this I am so cold I don't think I can feel my fingers, yet there's also people sweating in this cafe, so that's cool. I'll get better and it wont kill me so I'll be fine.

Life is sweet! We have been working out super hard, like straight HAM, expect to see differences in me within a transfer. Feeling the Spirit so much more in our lessons, I love it. I love being here, I am so grateful I am here, I can't imagine who I would be if I didn't come. The path of Discipleship is not an easy one but if you do it, you come out so much better, you come out the person that God has planned for you to become. I can promise you that.
Love you all,

Elder Verdoni in Ghana

Elder Hill and Elder Verdoni

?

July 7, 2015

I'VE BEEN CALLED

This week was really good, I loved it. We met the new mission president, had a baptism and I got a calling, so lets talk!

So, President and Sister Cosgrave are amazing. We met them on Friday in a tri-zone meeting in Kumasi. It was really cool. We were assigned to study Matthew 4, John 21, and Moroni 7 prior to the meeting. It was what President talked on the entire time. Really cool and really spiritual. It was alot about obedience, being called to the work and how we should approach the work. I loved it. President Cosgrave is a great man, he is funny, sincere and down to earth. But also not afraid to be strict, which I think is great.  

After the meeting, and a mean (Great) lunch, I had an interview with President. During the Interview I was called to a trainer for a new missionary! I will report to the Mission Home tomorrow to pick him up. I am really excited. I won't know who he is until I meet him. I am pretty nervous as well, I hope I can really help this Elder adjust to mission life and teach him how to be a consecrated missionary. Elder Williamson is being transferred to other side of Kumasi into another village, so he'll be pretty far away. 

Sunday, our investigator Gc was baptized. It was supposed to be 3 but again, some things got in the way, we will work on them. The baptism was great though, she was very, very happy and I was too.

 In my area now, with the referrals and investigators we have, my companion and I could achieve 10-20 more baptisms in the next three months, IF we work hard and work by the Spirit, but I'm expecting to do just that.

I love my mission so much, I have learned and grown by leaps and bounds but it's so cool to see how much more I need to learn, and how much farther I am yet to grow. The refiners fire is real. I love you all
Elder Verdoni

 Sister cosgrave and I 

The Barney's and I