June 18

Mother!!!

I am glad that you had an awesome time in Washington. That is sweet that you got to go up there hopefully you will get to see the baby a lot. It is hard not being home, but I have kinda forgot about home I don’t really ever think about home. I am glad that the baby and Annemarie are healthy! That is good news. Well Obuasi is sweet. So this last week has maybe been the hardest couple days I have had on mission so far. I was having a hard time with the change. Where we stay is hard, so our apartment and church is like 30 minutes away from our area so it’s hard in always. Just to get to our area we have to pay 1 cedi.  Mostly every day we pay up to five cedis on travel just to go out and teach the people. We still get the same amount of money and don’t get reimbursed for it. So it’s just a tough area but the good news is that they are going to open up a branch in our area. So I think that will happen maybe in August. Once we go out of our apartment. We can’t come back till around 8 at night. So we just have to eat at the places every day. The change was really tough leaving people you love and a sweet area. I had one of the most powerful experiences, this week. I was really just uncomfortable and all of that, so I was praying so much relying upon God like I never have before. Well the next day was awesome it was like God was right with me helping me through all of my trials helping them become better. That day we had 5 lessons, they were some of the best lessons I have had on mission. The spirit was so strong it touched everyone’s heart we taught that day. It went from having the worst week of my mission to probably having the best day of my mission. God lives and is with us as we are obedient and invite him into our lives. We can pray for anything as long as it is god’s will and we have the faith he will answer, God will answer our prayers I have experienced it strongly this week. So my companion is awesome. We are working reallllly hard. We are both determined to get this area going. Cause in the last 6 months I think they have had maybe 1 or 2 baptisms. Right now we have some investigators that our really progressing. It’s not like my old area where you can have 8 investigators to church. Most of our investigators live about 70 peswas down. So unless they really have the faith they won’t come. But we got 4 to church. We contacted this sweet family on Friday and the older sister and all of the kids came to church it was awesome. The kids here are so funny. Always asking if I will take them home with me. If only I could!!!!!!!!!! But anyway, so far I just love my companion we  are already way good friends. It’s crazy we are a  lot alike we both like to have a lot of fun. You would probably get annoyed of him cause he does a lot of dumb things like I do just makes ridiculous jokes with people but I love it. I really am going to enjoy being with this guy. He has already taught me a lot. The one thing I see in him is he really knows how to get to these African people cause he is African so I am learning that. The members are really helping us too, so right now the area is just awesome besides the first days. Obuasi is the second biggest mining town in Africa. So everyone that lives here works for the mines. Which means that there is a lot of foreigners and everything here is a lot more expensive? WE are way far away from everyone. The closest person that lives to us is about 2 hours away. But that’s okay I like the people in the apartment. So we have to travel to Kumasi tonight so I am rushed on time its 5 here now and we have to go soon. So I think I am only going to write you and Laura and Anna so make sure and send this out to the family and tell them sorry. Sorry if I didn’t answer all your questions but I will next week when I have more time!!! Love you Mom have a good week!!!

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June 4th

Mother,

I am doing really well. It has been a sweet week. It is true about the three goals. I was on fire, I am turning into a soccer player. We are trying to play every Saturday now, we do it with our ward and then the next ward by us. Today we got to meet up with the missionaries and we played soccer again. I scored 2 goals today it was pretty sweet. I just get lucky cause these guys are really good and i am not good but i some how just score i guess. This week our branch became a ward. That was pretty sweet to see. The ward is really excited so hopefully they will start helping a little bit more in the work. I love the branch here. I have been becoming really good friends with a lot of them. It’s sweet to get to know people and really understand them, some of these people are just friends like I have back at home. That is what makes a mission really fun. So with transfers we find out on this Saturday. That is really funny about all of the bats. I am glad they are taking control of the whole thing. Brother owusu got up again and bore his testimony again the man is just awesome. It will be so hard to leave some of these people that I love so much. He has such a powerful testimony and has already been spreading the gospel to others he has a pastor comitted to coming to church. He is a big man in the region cause he is a chief. There is a head chief in the ashanti region and he is just below him. So he knows a lot of people and people respect him and listen to him. This week it rained almost everyday I got some sweet pictures of it. It just send rivers the rain here is crazy. Anyway on Wednesday owusu was the only person that came to midweek besides us out of all the members. He was so excited to come I really was mad. They don’t come cause of the rain. They think the rain will take them away no lie. He will be the next bishop when his area opens cause he lives the farthest away out of any of the members he lives like 45 to hour away. This week I got food poisoning again. I still am kinda sick but not to much. I didn’t stay home or anything it wasn’t to bad. The wall is what kinda guards our house. They use gates and walls to guard the houses here. I baptized the last person so it was his turn to baptize him. We are having a baptism this week. WE will have either one or maybe 3 we are still seeing if they are ready or not. I got one package from Shelly but that is all. It was an awesome package. I will tell her thanks. President is coming up on friday so they should bring mail then I am thinking so hopefully this week. I hope everything is good and hopefully Snnemarie is delivering this week is the baby’s name really sonya?  Anyway well I love you mom and appreciate you so much. I really thought about how good of a mother and example you have been to me this week.  I love you so much and thank you for everything. I am sorry for anything that i did that was wrong in the past. Have a good week!!   

april 16

Hello Mother,

Everything here in Ghana is sweet. This place is crazy the experiences I have here are unbelievable I swear. I don’t know how to explain some of the stuff that happens. This week a short story. One of our unserious investigators we went to his house. He has a drinking problem so we were giving him a lesson on the word of wisdom. When we first got there he was like I just want you guys to tell me the truth. I don’t want you to convince me. So we said alright we can do that he was pretty drunk tho and wouldn’t let us talk much at all. So we sit down and give him a scripture. We asked him to read it, well he couldn’t read it. So he starts freaking out. “He was like see the first thing you guys do is come here and give me Dutch to try and read. You guys are just here to convince me. He was freaking out. So he ran in his house to get his bible. He got it and started reading the same verse. It was so funny. The people here are crazy!!! That is crazy about the ward so they really added 60 families or just people?  Yeah we have done some sweet things lately. Today we climbed a mountain. More like a hill but it was fun. I took a bunch of pictures. I wish I could send them but I will when I finish with the card maybe at the end of this month or so. Yeah I hope I get put up with someone old on mission soon. I want to learn from them. Elder smith goes home in august and elder hatch our other zone leader goes in June. He is really sweet too. He loves sports like me so we are pretty good friends. Transfers are on the 28th of this month. Yeah this and next transfer will decide where you go. I have heard if you stay in Kumasi you will come home like 3 weeks earlier but I’m not sure yet. Prince and the family are doing great. They have a date for baptism the 29th. But it will either be then or the first of May they all came to church Sunday besides prince. Prince doesn’t like to come to church much but knows it’s true. He was kinda just like me back at home so I don’t blame him but he has come like 6 times. You can send it to me and then I will give him it. Or just send it pouch mail. There is a good chance me and him will be staying in abuakwa still I would think. But I would rather be in Kumasi. Kumasi has a big town where you can get a lot of stuff like, hats, African stuff, and some American food. It was just me that climbed out. But I just was an athlete about it except I ripped my shirt.  I finished Jesus the Christ long time ago. Right now I’m studying the book of Mormon and d&c I found a book in the chapel like a study guide for D and C so it has helped me out a lot it explains everything. This week I received food poisoning. I know you are going to say to be careful but I promise it’s impossible. I don’t think our mission gets to call on mother’s day for some reason it is pretty stupid. But I love you so much thank you for everything you do. I received all the packages so thank you so much!!! Plus lemor sent you a letter today, I also sent one to kenzie and her friend so give them to her. I didn’t  know  her address.

april 9

Hello Mother,

Well, I had a wonderful week. I survived I didn’t think I was going to make it. That sounds like you guys had a lot of fun in San Diego. Did the boys get to go golfing? I think it is so funny how you barely tell me when you are going on vacation you are very funny and thoughtful. Honestly nothing could bring me home at this point of my mission I love it out here. I know the Lord needs me here, and I am more than willing to serve for 2 years. Alright when you send the package try and send the protein, the creotine and the camera. Elder Lemor is the African that lives with me he is so awesome. I love the guy so much. He reminds me just like my friends back at home. If anyone is going to adopt anyone it should be him for sure. He would truly appreciate it so much. You should just adopt him. He always talks on how he wants to come back and see America with me. I wish I had enough money for him I would bring him back. But just send the camera to me if you send it. I can give it to him. If you send it this week I should get it before we get transferred. They celebrate Easter here. Everyone here loves Christ but the only problem they just don’t know how they are supposed to worship so I guess that is why we are here. Friday the 6th we went to a party the ward was putting on. Today we are going to prince’s family’s house because they invited us to their party. We are pretty much family. Then there is another one at the church later on tonight. Which we have four investigators coming so it will be good for them to mingle with the young adults. We are teaching the whole family besides one daughter cause she is always at work. She works at the gas station 24 hour shifts 4 times a week. and gets paid 6 dollars every 24 hour shift it really is just sad these people are suffering. They all just try and get by. This week, I went on splits with the zone leader. He is from Morgan. His name is elder smith. Laura should date this guy. He is so awesome. I learned so many good things from him. We related together so well. But me and my companion get along well. It’s not easy tho living with the same guy for 24 hours a day, plus you don’t come from the same place so you don’t have anything in common but he is a fun nice kid I can’t complain. I am trying to stay healthy so far on my mission I have been pretty healthy. Serving a mission is so amazing the experiences, the trials everything you go through just makes you such a better person. I have never in my life cared this much to become more like Christ. It’s a life long journey but I am trying. Serving a mission is easy and enjoyable when you know without out a doubt the church is true, and there is no other way we can find salvation. I am so thankful for the choice I have made to come out and serve a mission. Although it’s tough, but it is so worth it I can’t even explain. I want all the cousins to serve a mission, I hope that they will. It will change their lives so much. We have given prince his mother and his sister a baptismal date. They are going to be baptized if everything works out on the 29th. Prince and the sister will be ready. It’s just tough with the mom cause one she is always working all day long and two she doesn’t speak any English at all just Twi. Oh yeah one crazy thing that happened this week, so we were in like a big bus to travel to some investigators and it was super crowded and I didn’t want everyone to get up so I decided to climb out the window. Well it didn’t work out to well. I ripped my pocket on my shirt off ha-ha. But I  sewed it back on last night. I have learned how to sew hahah. I have had to sew my pants twice and now my shirt. But anyways I will try and be careful. But one thing so you don’t worry, this place is very safe. I feel more safe here then, I would back at home. Thank you for everything. I love you so much! have a good week

March 26

 Mother,

You need to listen to the Joseph smith cd, it is awesome. I got 

it from one of the guys in the apartment.  One thing I learned about Ghana this week is nothing ever goes right. We move into a sweet apartment, but then we move and our pump doesn’t work to push the water into the house so were still bucket showering most the time. Then a rain storm came last night and we had a 

pool in our house!!! It’s crazy I don’t know how these people deal with this stuff. I really do love it here I know I complain a little bit, but I will be super sad when I have to leave these people. The experience here is just awesome. That is sweet, that he got his call to Ghana. You will have to give him my email so we can talk before he comes so he can be prepared. . Well I lost my cord to my camera so I can’t send pictures home till I send my card sorry. But the basketball game was sweet; the team was actually really good. For being African. WE are going to go out and play next week too. We didn’t do too much missionary work this week we had to move all of our stuff and clean both of the 

apartments so we were busy doing that all week. 

 Yes I still lead the music the president thinks he is a funny guy. I also need more 

face medicine. The reason why my face is so red is not because it’s burnt it’s from the doxycyline for malaria we are taking. I sweat way too much to wear sun screen. Love you sorry if I didn’t answer your questions

March 19

Hello Mother,

I’m doing just great in Africa. They are kind of changing the mission up in Kumasi, they used to have 2 zones and now they have four. So we are getting two new zone leaders on Monday! I know one of them he is sweet, he loves to play basketball and so does the other one I guess. We are actually going to go play with him today. I found two guys in Africa that play ball too so I got there number one of them called today but we can’t cause we are already going. Some of my mtc people, all of my best friends are down in cape coast tho so it kind of sucks. I keep in contact pretty well with one of them. Adair called me this week. He sounds like he is doing well, he says he misses it up here. I miss the guy. Sounds like you’re just the world traveler I can’t even believe you, going to Cali 2 weeks in a row! I was joking about that today, because I think they are going to split the mission in salt lake by receiving revelation I told the people in the apartment they are going to send me to Cali instead. It’s hard here but I wouldn’t wanna serve anywhere else. It’s awesome, I am having so many great experiences. I think I owe like 100 dollars in duty cause I haven’t paid it for a while. I feel like I’m spending a lot of money I hope I don’t drain all my money. Yeah those are the push up things I wanted so thank you very much!!! Me and Lemor, work out with them every day. We only have to go and fetch for water if our power has been out for more than a day.  We started moving in today, we put the new water tank in there today. We are going to move all of our other stuff on Tuesday and Wednesday. We baptized Emmanuel yesterday. It was such an awesome experience hopefully I will get time and will be able to send you a picture or two. But it was sweet I got to baptize him. Missionary work is very rewarding and much blessing come out if you just work your hardest. I really know this is where I need to be. I know that Emmanuel was prepared for me to go and contact his son. I really have a strong testimony that you are sent where you are supposed to be. Prince his son, was asking us yesterday where is my form for baptism, He wanted to be baptized. We are making him come to church a couple more times than he will be baptized shortly. We had a missionary fireside for the stake out here in Kumasi which is 3000 people, for the members to come. Well turned out that we only had like 40 members come there were more missionaries there then members. It’s frustrating cause the people aren’t serious like back at home, but I guess that is our job to help them become serious. I know this is the true church, I could never deny it. I love being a missionary and serving these people it is such a privilege. I love you all!!!!

 Elder Francom

March 5

Hello Mom,

Africa is pretty sweet, the power has been out again all week, but I am used to that now. I love Africa, the culture the people. This mission is so awesome I have learned so much. Yeah me and Elder willyerd made spaghetti it was mostly me, but the roommates helped out a little, they appreciated it a lot. Their family is awesome I don’t know if you know but Prince is Emanuel’s kid. He is going to be baptized soon; we actually got his sister to come to church too. I had a powerful experience this week. Right now for some reason people aren’t accepting us that well. No one is showing to their appointments, or anything besides Emanuel. We had two appointments fail in a row in the morning to some people that we thought were serious. So on the way back home for lunch I was praying in my heart, asking heavenly father to comfort me, and help me to realize why I need to be here. Well about 20 minutes later I received a phone call, from Emanuel. He said that he has prayed about baptism and that he is going to be baptized on the 19th of March. It made my day and week. I know that god is watching over us, and knows exactly what we need. The plan is to have him baptized on the 19th and then for him to receive the priesthood, then baptize his son prince in April. I am praying hard to see that happen. I sent the package today I sent it through Ghana mail so that will be interesting I sent some bracelets that you probably won’t use, a painting that you won’t use, and some letters and pictures, and head phones for Laura. But save the stuff if you don’t want it. Yeah I heard about the new president I think for some reason I will be in the cape coast mission. I don’t really care where I go I would rather stay in Kumasi tho. Mission is hard but there are also some fun parts too. Every night the kid from Sierra Leone goes to bed super early. He is probably my favorite elders here, any way he is the deepest sleeper. Every night I go into his room turn the lights on get the video camera going, and scare him to wake him up. It’s so dang funny he thinks he is still in his dream so he like grabs me and screams. Then he doesn’t say anything in the morning cause he doesn’t remember. I will send home the memory card soon so you can see them alll appreciated we never get meat out here. My companion is sweet; we have a lot of fun together. He used to be Hindu. His mom and his brothers were converted. HIs mom is divorced and his dad is still Hindu they all live in Fiji. He is freaking smart too. I can’t believe you’re going to palm springs you are so lucky!!! That will be so fun. I am so happy that you are going to go. That will be awesome you will have to email me some pictures from the trip please. Thank you for everything I love you so much!!!!

Note from Elder Francom to my family

Peay family,

That is awesome about the guy from ghana. That is my dream to meet a person from ghana back at home and speak there language with him small. Ghanains are so awesome!!!! My favorite are the little kids tho. On sundays i just entertain the kids and play with them cause i cant understand anything any way.