January 23

Hello Mom,
About the baptism it was super sweet, both Laticia and Agnus bore there testimonies on Sunday and they were so powerful. it’s so awesome to seee!!! I didn’t get to baptize them, my companion. We are supposed to have 2 more on the 5th, but I’m not sure if they will happen. I don’t think the people are quite ready. That’s crazy about the mission in Tennessee, I just know if we didn’t baptize here, I don’t think many people would last. That must be very frustrating to see that. About the pictures that’s how I wear my ties. I learned how to tie a nice knot so now the tie is shorter, and I like it like that. I don’t have to worry about which tie I wear if its purple or gold or not. I wear my ties like I want to now Haha. That is the style out here, so I’m just trying to be African is all. Prince is just a little guy, he is 27 years old. We started teaching this new kid named Prince I think he commented on my profile pic on facebook so you can check him out. He is such a sweet kid. We are always teaching him, and his family is going to start coming to church next week. His dad came this week and he loved it!!! They have such a sweet family, they are super nice they always feed us and I always pound there fufu for them. Prince has a picture of me pounding the fufu. I will have to take one on my camera to show you how you do it. I have gotten a couple of letters from the McBride’s and the ward members that is really nice of them. I’m sending you guys a letter tomorrow in pouch so will see how long it takes.  Our interviews are tomorrow. So I’m excited to talk to him.  About the mission splitting, I have mixed feelings what mission I want to be in. I like Kumasi here. But there is way too much traffic, and they speak twi up here so I have learned some of that and if I go to cape coast they speak fanti. So I will know what mission I will be in by July. I bet I will stay up in Kumasi but will see. About transfers, they are in two weeks in the mtc president told me I would probably be training but I guess there are only 9 guys coming in this transfer so I don’t know if I will be training any more, will figure what we’re doing a week from Saturday. The weeks here go by so fast its crazy. I started reading Jesus the Christ, it is such an awesome book. I didn’t know much about Jesus Christ, but I’m 200 pages in now and I have learned so much its crazy. Jesus Christ is amazing, it’s weird to think that he was just like us, he was tempted many times, but he just chose to stick to the plan and stay perfect. I am so grateful for our savior and the atonement. I can’t even imagine what he went through for us. I have had the worst dreams here this week, every night I dream that I’m coming home or that I’m way into my mission then I wake up and I have only been here for 2 months it’s frustrating haha. But it has stopped the past couple nights, there the worst nightmares you could ever have hahaha. I follow the rules to exactness don’t worry it’s too scary out here if you don’t do that. I need the Lord’s help in all I do, I can’t do it by myself, no way!!! I love you all and have an awesome week!!!!

photos

 Prince 

 Elder Francom and his fake Mountain Dews

New Years Day

 Someone Ryan knows has a pet monkey! He says it always tries to slap him!

 Happy Birthday Elder Francom!

January 16

Hello Mom,
I’m doing great, everything here is going good. But the baptism went well, it was very frustrating though like the 3 days before the baptism we were trying to get hold of Prince. But he wouldn’t answer, so we were all disappointed because we thought for sure he wasn’t going to get baptized. He ended up calling us Saturday night, and he was still living the word of wisdom. So we baptized him it was awesome, he was so happy. WE also baptized two others one name was Laticia and the other is Agnus. Laticia our interviewer said she was the most powerful investigator he has seen yet. She is so sweet, and loves the church so much. She is going to help out the branch a ton. But the people we baptized our so sweet, Prince is gonna start to come around with  us a little to help us teach. WE always take this sister her name is Diana she was converted a year ago, and she is so powerful, we try to take her to all the sisters that we teach. Funny story for the week, so sister Diana and her house 3 other girls, they are so sweet and they love us missionaries so much. Well Elder Sesay and Elder Wheeler were on splits together, and they went over to their house, and they asked where Sesays real companion was, and they told them that he died, then they ended up calling me and I played along with it and told them he died. Well it was a horrible idea, we saw her later that night at the church and she still thought he was dead and we told her and she like wouldn’t even talk to me and said all of them were crying about it and stuff, I felt bad. But it was funnnnny!! Africans are super gullible. I probably don’t have time to make cookies I just need like a beef stew mix thing or a couple is all so I can make the beef. We don’t see Pres Shulz much but I think we have interviews next week. The district meeting went really well, it was sweet. I am happy I got my first one over with now they will be super easy. WE don’t get to play basketball here we don’t have a basketball or a hoop. I think Cape Coast is nicer. But they are splitting the mission in July, so one mission will be Kumasi and one will be Cape Coast, so if I stay up here till July I will be in the new mission. I love you all, and by the way I got the packages and I have to say those notes were the sweetest things in the world so thank you everyone!!!!!!! You don’t realize how much that stuff means to me it’s so sweet. Thank you so much.

Elder Francom

January 9

Dear Mom/everyone

Well africa here is pretty sweet. News about prince, he has stopped drinking and smoking and is changing his life all together it is so sweet. He is going to be baptized on the 15th. He loves us so much he wants to put a big picture on his office of us haha.  About having the 7 baptisms this sunday, I think it is only going to be 3 now which is kind of a bummer. Two of the people just aren’t ready at all and the others are down in cape coast now. About the Mountain Dew it wasn’t even Mountain Dew it was from dubia and tasted like some shiz haha. I haven't received mail yet I will tomorrow so we will see if I get the package tomorrow. Tomorrow we have zone meeting usually we just have district meeting, but for zone meeting there is around 30 elders.... and I have to teach at zone meeting. I haven’t even taught in district meeting yet but its ok, i’ll be fine. I have been preparing this lesson for over 3 hours. So I hope they will enjoy it. I forgot to tell you about our ward Christmas party haha. It was definitely a different ward party then you would ever expect. For one they were just playing gangster rap the whole time!!! The music they were playing at the party, you wouldn't hear at a club at home it was pretty bad!! Then they had some dance competitions, and these girls just go and dance and are just shaking their stuff. I couldn't even believe it haha. But  I guess I'm in africa so I should expect this kind of stuff. The girl I was talking about that we met through the translator her name is Anna. She is so sweet and we have taught her all about the restoration already, and she is having us over for dinner tomorrow. Talking about meat, I ate dog this week!!!!!!!! I ate Morgan!!!! Honestly if I didn't know it was dog, I would probably say that was my favorite meat I have had here yett!!!  Thanks for the packages that you are sending. I hope all is well at home I love you all so much and the church is so true.!!!

- Elder Francom

January 2

Hello, mom

That is so sweet about everyone and all the places they are going. I‘m so happy to see that all those people are going to serve the Lord. I am sorry about the car, that stinks but I’m glad that you sold it finally. This was a crazy week, a sweet week though. Start off with a couple stories. I have grown spiritually so much this week. I had a really cool experience. One of our investigators whose name is Prince is gonna be baptized on the 15^th. I love the guy honestly. He is such a sweet guy and just loves being with us. Well he had a problem drinking and smoking and it came back again. He promised us that he would stop on the 15^th. He told us his life story to us, starting crying cause he wants to change so dang bad. I really figured out why I am here in Africa on a mission that day. I realized how much of a influence we have on these people and how great they are. He told us the only way he will ever change is if we help him. We promised him we would go see him every day.  A mission is sweet its so hard at times, but to see these things are experiences you will never get unless you go serve the Lord. The Lord works in mysterious ways, its crazy. We have walked past this complex every day for 1 and a half months and the people haven’t even said a word and we haven’t either. So we go up to the lady and she cant speak English. Some how I got her fan and started fanning her fire to start it. This lady comes out and starts translating for us. Then I’m talking to the lady and she asks who we are to the translator. Then we tell her all the stuff and now she wants us to teach her everyday. She promised to come to church this week. I will let you know how it goes Another way the Lord has led us this week was today we were in town, and were walking back got lost had no idea where we were and we freaking found us some mountain dew I got a 24 pack it was so dang sweeetttt. Ahhhh I’m going to enjoy so much. But I love you family so much.

Elder Francom