and a happy new year!

Well another week has come and gone in Ghana. We are still just kind of working through everything. One cool thing that happened this week was I did a baptismal interview for a guy who basically has gone a full 180 since knowing the church. He use to booze and even had a big drug problem that lead him to stealing and getting sent to prison. He has been able to clean up his life in the last little bit and it is amazing to see his determination to stay away from his old life. Reminds me about how in Romans it talks about burying our old man. I think he put his about 12 feet deep just to make sure that it is finished. This week we have been having to leave early a few days to catch one guy we are teaching, Joseph Kyei. It is pretty sweet I guess but it makes for a long day when you start it off a little bit early. I guess it made me see how much the routine is set in.

So I had a moment that I felt like I was in the Jungle Book. We passed a guy's shop and he ran out to the street and stopped us with kind of chanting in out of breath fashion that he wanted to be just like me. Elder Saidu had ridden a little further up and so this guy, Ben Attah, just kind of reminded me of the Ape King on the Jungle Book when he sings to Mogley. It made me smile inside though Ben thought we were paid so his interest wasn't really in being a missionary. Something else new that happened this week was another interview. The man is a mechanic and we went to his workplace and since the room we were planning on using was busy we went and had in an empty Mercedes Trotro. It was pretty comfy. Had leather seats and what not. He is a cool guy. Basically has been coming to the church off and on for about 8 months. He has had some family problems in the mountains which either means someone died or there is a tribal feud so he is kind of off and on again of being where the church is. Has read the Book of Mormon and basically is a solid guy. We are teaching a lady with a translator, that same one that I still don't know her Christian name. Anyway we have been taking a member and using him. One day he got a call and stepped aside and then her family tried to take over and it was like a circus. About 3 or 4 people who told us that they didn't want to listen are trying to chip in their two cents. Had to settle them down and cleaned us out of pamphlets. It was pretty funny to see them though. Made me smile at least. At church in the Gospel Doctrine class we have been teaching about temples and it was sweet because afterwards for the 2 sets of missionaries we had people come up and basically ask us, "when can I be baptized and go to the temple" Definitely is a sweet tool that since it is so near that we can help people see that they don't even have to sacrifice to enjoy the full coverage the temple offers. It was nice to have people so interested though. Oh Saturday we had a baptism and it was low key. The bishop, missionaries, 3 candidates, and then 3 ward members. I liked it since it was calm, quiet, and touching. Just the way I like it. This morning we went to the bank and I met a guy from New York who married a Ghanaian when he met her as a merchant sailor here 4 years ago. He thought we were college students and then when he found out I was from the U.S., he thought I was from U.K. since I don't have an American accent anymore, he pounded his chest and was like represent. Cracked me up so much. His name is Gary and he is black so he fits in. That is about it from me. This week we are having our Christmas Conference which is always a nice surprise since I'll get to see some guys that I haven't for a while. I love you guys. Bye bye.

Christmas has come out of no where. Though I do like the sneakiness of it. I always use to think that Christmas was the season of love. Though I still love Eva's how it says Jesus is the reason for the Season. It is just classic. Our Christmas won't be too spectacular here. Probably the normal go out proselyte though we do get a sweet meal from an area seventy who lives in Accra. It is pretty tasty. I love you guys. Catch ya next week.
love Elder Gibson