The Ghana MTC

    SEP. 23.    My MTC companion's name is Elder Boateng, he is from Ghana. He is very diligent and make me think of Nephi. I play the piano on Sunday, I like it. I am learning french, My companion and I just taught a lesson in french!, just after 3 days. One of our roommates  is from Togo Elder Avegna so he corrects our french. His companion is from Madagascar Elder Adrrienaivo! he just talk Malagasy but  is progressing well in English and french. That's incredible. But there are sister missionaries who speak Malagasy, so he has somebody to communicate. Today we went to the temple. It was a beautiful experience. The carpentry on the inside is very nice. This is teaching me that the gospel is perfectly the same in the whole world and all are capable of receiving and accepting and be blessed.
    Apparently in the culture here, it is wrong to use the left hand to greet or pass objects to other people. Elder Joseph's companion is left handed ha ha, we have funny moments when he forgets that.  We had the opportunity to go to the mall and eat pizza!
   Well everything is going well, I am busy but I like being here. Hope you are well! Love, Elder Archer.

    OCT. 7.   Bonjour! I am already half way through the joyous MTC experience. A new batch of two-week missionaries has just arrived and all speak french except two. It is getting easier to understand French. When I first arrived I heard the native missionaries speaking to each other in what I supposed to be a native language. When I asked someone else what they were speaking, he told me: "English!" since the first language of most African people is a native language, they all have accents whether they speak English or French. I was worried that French would be more difficult to learn but it had been okay so far. I can communicate just about anything I would need to say and I can understand a little more of the spoken word each day. It is difficult to try to say something that isn't in the present tense. I struggle somewhat in that aspect. My Ghanaian companion Elder Boateng(bwah-tin)  and I taught our first lesson on the third day and it actually wasn't too bad. We has since taught many practice lessons to our "investigators" here in the MTC.

      Breakfast usually consist of a large piece of bread smeared with butter, a boiled egg or fruit, and hot chocolate or a fruit juice. Lunch and dinner include a pile of rice (as a fallback/alternative", if people don't like the food) with a piece of chicken, some coleslaw-like salad and a side of roast beef, potatoes, pasta, spaguetti, or just sauce. We like to joke around here about all the rice.

     We had been to the Accra Ghana Temple three times now. There is a heavy contrast between the craziness of the drive there and the peacefulness of the temple. It is a beautiful place. There is a stake center in the temple complex along with living quarters for people who sacrifice much to travel far to visit the temple. We have the opportunity to go once a week. Today our district performed baptisms for the dead for the first time there. It has been one of the most special spiritual experiences so far.

        Due to time I will continued this entry later. Goodbye!

         -Elder Archer