FIRST WEEK IN GHANA  (Sept. 19, 2016)

I don't know where I am, and I barely know how I got here because I slept most of the way. All I know is why I am here and that it is for the Lord. Ghana, Africa is crazy, and I know that there is no possible way I will ever be able to explain what I am doing and what I am seeing. First things first, the plane ride was forever!  But, the cool thing was that when we were finally beginning to land, the sun came up on the horizon, and it was the most amazing thing I have ever seen! I will admit that I began to sing the opening song for the Lion King in my head. The plane landing was a little rough. We bounced several times hard, and I swear I felt the tail coming around. But, we made it safe and sound. Right when I stepped off the plane in Accra, I was hit by a huge blast of humidity! I am having such a great time getting used to it (sarcasm). The air here is the best in the world, though, I swear. It's so fresh and is mixed with the ocean breeze. I love it! We had a 3 hour trip to Cape Coast, and everything I saw along the way was nothing I had ever seen in my life! There are no rules to the road. It’s amazing to think that there are not car crashes around every corner. There are very few civilian owned cars and the tro tro's (Ghetto van taxis) use both lanes and you miss them by inches. Also, on top of that, there are huge pot holes in the roads you have to dodge.

We got to the mission home and for dinner that night we got to try our very first Fufu. To be honest, I enjoyed every part of it. The other missionaries did not. I also figured out that in the Accra airport some of my belongings were stolen from my bags. Nothing too serious. We stayed at the mission home the first night, and in the morning I got my area I would be serving in! I am serving in Axim. The couple missionaries were the ones who were taking me there, but on the way we had to make some major detours. One of them was aiding a sick missionary who couldn't get his belly button to stop oozing blood. The couple missionaries told me that this was a less serious sickness they have had to deal with in Africa. Kinda scary. We ran out of time, and I got the chance to sleep one last night in air conditioning on a king sized bed at the couples mission house which is halfway to Axim. That night while we were sleeping we were robbed. "Welcome to Africa!" They got into my bags in the car and came into the house and took the TV and other things. They were also in our rooms going through our bags. Luckily all they found was money, and they didn't take anything else. The couple’s house is a fortress with razor wire going all around and baring on every window. So, I have no clue how they got in. Also kinda scary.

The next day I got to meet my companion Elder Jennings. He is super cool, and I can tell he is going to be an amazing trainer for me. And my house is a sweet 2 story beach house with an amazing view of the ocean. Just kidding it’s ten times grosser than camping and smells awful. I have to take freezing showers with buckets and sleep under a mosquito net. Also, we cannot drink the water. We can barely bucket shower with the water... it’s that dirty. I don't know what’s in it, but I am constantly itchy from it. My companion told me that I have to rinse with filtered water. I'll let you guys know if it works.

But, other than that, I think it’s going to be the coolest experience ever!!!  We got to go out and do some proselyting! Let’s just say that everyone is black, black here! It’s so cool, and I can’t understand any of them through their crazy accents. On top of that, most of them do not speak English. They speak Fonte, Twi, and the hardest one, Axima. So we have to use a member for most lesson. My absolute favorite part is the little kids! They are all so cute and love us. They love to feel my skin and play with my hair. It’s honestly the best. They rarely see white people in Axim. They are always yelling "abronee" (A-bro-knee white person) and are waving or running up to us. The funniest thing was when a little baby, who could barely walk, ran over to me naked, hugged both my legs, and looked up at me with a blank expression and didn't let go. These kids are so funny! I got the chance to bare my testimony for my first Sunday in Ghana. Not many of them could understand me, and when I looked at them all I could see were their white eyes from the pulpit. It was pretty scary, but afterwards they all told me I did very good and that they welcomed me to their country. It felt pretty good. Afterwards, we got to eat at a member’s house, and this time I got the chance to help them pound fufu. I can tell that I am going to have the most amazing experiences here in Ghana. I am so grateful to be able to be with these people. I hope everything is going great back home!

Love you all,

--

Elder Knecht