From City Boy to Branch Clerk

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 Good morning everybody! As the title suggests, it's been a week of wild changes and big miracles for me. Two weeks ago I was confidently walking the streets of Takoradi, a place I know really well, crying repentance and enjoying KFC. I was comfortable and content. 

However, God knew it was time for a change and one definitely came. Monday I got released as a zone leader and Wednesday I found out over zoom that I was going to Elubo, a town right on the border of Ghana and Ivory Coast that is 6 hours from the mission home. It's a new but really powerful branch with lots of young members. I'm also the clerk which is kinda fun. I don't really know how to do that but the general handbook of instruction does so it'll be OK. 

We had some big miracles and exciting experiences this week as well. One of them was getting to Elubo in the first place. We had a hard time getting our travel lined up to get here so me and Elder Momoh were out pretty late. We took a tro (or bus) to Esiama, which is about 4 hours from Takoradi and then from there took a car to Aininase, and from there a car to Elubo. We left Aininase around 8:30 and our car had a bunch of problems so it took an hour and a half to get to Elubo. It was wild. We ran out of gas partway so our driver hopped on the back of some guy's motorcycle to go get more and we were just chilling there- a new missionary, a white dude, and two other random guys in the middle of nowhere at like 10 p.m. It was all pretty exciting. 

Once we got to Elubo though, everything started moving. We were out of food so we've been eating out every meal which I like. I tried akyeke, an Ivorian food for the first time and really liked it. I also have a newfound love for banku and palm nut soup with okra, something I had never tried till this week. 

In terms of the work, things are great. We did some great finding this week and had a really cool experience. We were heading to an appointment and had 30 minutes to kill. We felt prompted to take a road we've never taken and found a guy named Prince who said he'd come to church! It was super cool. Church was also wonderful. I felt the Spirit so strongly. It's a small branch with a lot of kids in it, but the testimony meeting was super cool. I loved it. 

And I'm excited for what's to come! I anticipate being here for a very long time and I'm excited to see what will happen. The church is just as true in Elubo as it is anywhere else and I know I'll have a great time here and hopefully do some good as well. I love you all! 

Love, 
Elder Johnson

1. Akyeke. Freaking delicious
2. Me, Phillip, and Dalvis. They're kids in our branch. 
3. Elder Momoh, Evelyn (a member who helps us translate) and me
4. The aforementioned banku and abenkwan with okra
5. Me and some fufu
6. Me, Elder Momoh, and Elubo
7. Me, Elders Bollschweiler, Hadfield, Guercio, and Christensen on our way to Axim
8. Pretty Elubo









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