First Days in Kumasi

Chris' first days in Kumasi

Now, at this point we will not be receiving much information from him because he will only be able to send pictures when he has access to wifi and will only write letters on Mondays.  We were happy to be able to see who his trainer is and some of the surrounding areas, but there are a few questions I have for my boy! :)  The hardest adjustment for me since his departure has been my inability to communicate with him in terms of being able to ask clarifying questions.  Perhaps someday, a couple of years down the road, I will get to point at a picture and say, "Tell me about this"...and, hopefully, he will still remember! :)

These pictures are from inside the mission home.  Check out the security on that gate!  Woo.  

Kumasi is a very large city.  If you google it, you will find a famous market and pictures of large crowds of people.  However, all areas of the Kumasi Mission may not be so populated.  It will be interesting to learn through Chris' letters what the area is really like. 

Here is Chris with his dear mission president and his wife, President and Sister Cosgrave.  They are from right here in Utah County.  We have had the privilege of not only hearing from those who personally know them about how wonderful they are, but of being able to speak to President Cosgrave prior to Chris' departure and correspond a little via email.  We are very happy to have Chris under their supervision.  They have been prepared for this call.

Here is Chris with his trainer, Elder O.  I will not try to spell the name on the tag because, honestly, when I read it earlier I couldn't tell if one of the letters was an O or a Q so I'm really not sure it's worth trying.  :)

I asked a good friend of mine, whose son has been serving in Kumasi for three months, why I'm seeing ties on Chris that we did NOT purchase.  She said, "They trade them in the MTC."  "What?"  "They trade them in the MTC.  And often they give away ties to the native missionaries because they have so much more than the natives do."  Methinks we might send a few ties Chris' way so he can hand them out.  :)

These are the beds in the mission home.  See..I'm bubbling over with curiosity about all kinds of things, like little details that I can't find out with these small glimpses into his life.  

These three pictures above (and the one below) came with the caption "Kumasi is different!"  He joked in his latest letter home that all he has seen is chickens.  I thought it was funny that the next thing we goat was a picture of goats.  Goats and chickens...just what he's been looking at daily for the past decade.  So, I'm sure he was excited to find some lizards!  And, true to form, there is a "sky" picture.  So Chris.  It's fun to see his personality come through with something as simple as just photos.

This is obviously Elder O...well, at least we know it's not Chris...but OF COURSE Chris would want to take a picture of this bench press.  Not quite what we see here at home!

We don't know yet where Chris is serving.  He is a man of few details.  I have noticed that he writes about his feelings much more than the goings-on.  I may have to be content with that for two years!  Notice that where he was serving is not as pressing to share as who his companion is and what the sky and wildlife look like.  :)