letter-December 10, 2011

Hey Family!
So I have realized that I have somehow neglected to tell you all about Africa. I'm just used to you all hearing and seeing the same things as me, so I guess I forgot! Sorry (cosay)! If you just ask me questions, I'll answer them all, every one. promise.
So, first washing my clothes with my hands is amazing! I never knew anything could be so much fun! Sike!
I hate it, it's absolutely horrible. My knuckles get raw and bleed and I have to scrub really hard to get some of the dirt out ugh! I think I'd trade my bad knee for a washing machine! I am adjusting somehow to the food, I eat alot of the same thing - indomie (like ramen), bread, rice, eggs that's what I love! I'm getting used to fufu, it's ok if I swallow small bites, big bites make me gag! Banku is okay, it's like fufu but you can chew it. It's better. And, yes, I have "pounded" fufu, and yes, you seriously pound the fufu. You take a stick, put the fufu in a big wooden bowl, and you POUND! until it's all soft. Thank you for the bacon. I saw it and just thought "awe, no way?!!" I love you! Amazing gift!
I have been feeling okay. I was sick 12/6-12/9, I had runny tummy, nausea, headache and chills and weakness. But I'm better now, HOPEFULLY! I did get my CTR ring, thank you! And the pics I will do, no worries.
Now my days usually consist of this: 6:30 a.m. arise, 7:00 breakfast, 8:00 personal study, 9:00 companion study until 11:00. At 11 we go out and proselyte until 12:30 which is lunch. 1:30 appointments until 8 or 9:00 p.m. and we come home and make dinner and sleep. The days can change. Sometimes we have so many people to teach, and the next none. We eat alot with family members now. We are even going tomorrow after church to eat and make fufu! Church is from 9-12 and we teach the Gospel Principles class. It'll be my 4th week tomorrow at church. Dang! We walk everywhere and it takes forever! It's not fun, I have blisters that are HUGE! We have bikes but they suck, they're built for small guys so I already broke one. Broke the handle bar clean in half! But the culture is sweet, alot different from home. No company-owned shops,they are family owned and family bought and everything. Family is a big thing here. It's cool! They are humble and so giving and kind and helpful. It's weird to be around people you don't know and they just ask how you are because they really care. Its's cool! Oh, clean water is also hard to find here, not for me, but for them. Don't worry!
Money is way different 85 dollars is 119 Ghana cedis. Our money is worth way more here, it's nice to see things cheap except for the American imported stuff. Expensive!
It hardly rains here in Makessim, maybe once the whole time I've been here. Humidity sucks, always wet, feels like I'm never dry, ugh it sucks! The power goes out alot too so no fans, we just sweat :(  Now, the ocean is beautiful! Breath-taking! there will be pics, no worries! :) But ya, that's life here. Feel free to ask questions! I love and miss you all! Hope your Christmas is amazing! I want pics and details and everything!
Ok, so Ghana has many beautiful things but is also has extreme poverty areas also. Trash everywhere. I don't think they know what a trash can is. Everywhere smells horrible. I mean, there are areas that smell great, but there are also areas that are gross. Stomach turning. The small children either run around naked or with just a shirt on. The take a pee anywhere! Seriously, outside a shop, side of the road, anywhere, they'll all just pee.
I travel in a tro tro, a van with the original seats stripped out then longer and more seats are welded in. It's crazy. I was somehow scared to ride in one the first time. haha.
Fante, I am coming along with, it's difficult to learn but it's okay. I sent sent some words and phrases in the letter.  Right now we are just finishing teaching Michael, Felix, Maxwell, and Elizabeth. I baptized Felix, Maxwell, and Elizabeth today. It was sweet! But ya, so now we are somehow finding new investigators, but we already have aound 7. So we should be super busy again! Oh boy, sounds tiring again, haha.
But tomorrow we will be pounding fufu and eating fufu and groundnut soup at Elizabeth's family, should be fun! Excited, haha.
We hang our clothes inside in our room to dry, because if we hang them outside there's a bug that will lay an egg in your clothes and the egg will hatch in your skin! For P-day we clean small, go to Cape Coast to play basketball, go eat chicken and fried rice, then we go home and do our wash, so fun, huh? Not! I rolled my ankle bad, but it's ok now, and my knee is okay. Can't complain yet.
But I love and miss you all so much!!!!!!
Love your son,
Elder Cody Randall

letter-December 2, 2011

Hey Mom!
How's Christmas coming along? I hope you're enjoying! For our Christmas me and my companion Elder Hunt are going to make either clam chowder or shrimp chowder with mashed potatoes, and Idk what else, that's Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas morning we are making BACON and EGGS! Bacon is really expensive here so I'll savor every bite! But ya that's my plans!
I bought you a necklace and 2 bracelets. The colorful bracelet was worn by royalty back in the day, it's made from stone and the second is wood carved, thought it was cool. Lastly, I bought you and dad a hand-carved Nativity set from Africa! Now how many people can say they have one of those, huh? Not alot, but I think it's really cool!
Well, I love you and pray for you often. We should be having another 4-5 baptisms Dec. 10th, Felix, Elizabeth, Maxwell, and Michael. Should be sweet! Love you and can't wait to hear from you! Hope you like the pics!:)
Love,
Elder Cody Randall

Letter - November 29, 2011

Hey Mom! How are you? Are you working or what? I miss you! I love you too! Africa is cool, but you might have to re-teach me things when I get home! Like how to say hello and how to eat with utencils again, and maybe how to make normal food again. 99% of the time we eat with our right hands, using your left hand is offensive to them. (note: Cody is left-handed)  And we only cook eggs, bacon, pancakes, rice, and indomie. It sucks! I want some freaking beef or some real meat!
I miss you alllotttt!! I hope all is well. And that you had a safe trip! Thanksgiving was great because of your potatoes - lifesaving!! I love you!
Love,
Elder Cody Randall

Hey Dad!
How's work? Hope you are building plenty of houses! I'm doing good, teaching alot and learning new things to! This language is hard! Fante is no bueno!
We have already had 2 baptisms, Jr. a 13 year old, and Sis. Joana a 23 year old barber. It was sweet! Dec 10 we are planning on baptizing 5 more. 15 yr. Felix, goes to school, 13 year old Elizabeth, 12 year old Maxwell, and 8 year old Michael. I'm not sure who the 5th will be but we will try for 5. But ya, that's what's going on here! Hope all is well. Love you Dad! Oh and I made a plan of salvation chart like Grandpa Randall's, it's sweet! Love you!
Love,
Elder Cody Randall

(a sweet letter I included to his little sister)
Hey Sis! How's school going? I heard you scored a goal! That's my girl!! Great job! I got you something for that goal. You'll just have to wait a little while for it, like two years.
But I love and miss you missy! Hope school is great! Remember to try your best at school and sports! Then you'll be awesome! I love you! Be safe! Write me! Wish I could be there for your baptism! So proud of you!
Love,
Elder Cody Randall

letter from November 23, 2011

Hey Family!
How are things? Africa is great. I went on my first split today, it was powerful! Committed 3 people to come to church, 1 to baptism, and found a new investigator, and not even in my area! Crazy stuff! I hope you all enjoyed my letters!
I love and miss you all more than I ever thought possible. I am so blessed and thankful for all of you guys!
Now in my area we are having 2 baptisms Saturday, Sis. Joana, a 23 year old barber, and Jr. a 13 year old boy. They are extremely excited! We also have 5 promising investigators and 1 I committed to baptism in December. The spirit was so strong it was awesome! I love it here. I'm kinda hungry ALOT! and I freaking have blisters GALORE on my feet:/ Oh well, part of the work! Love you all! Be safe!
Love,
Elder Cody Randall

P.S. Happy late birthday Mom! & Happy Thanksgiving!

       My Fante name is Quacy Potoco (Qua-cy Po-to-koo) BEAST!

DISCLAIMER from Shayne Randall

This blog is managed by Cody's mom. I have discovered that I am not a good blogger, but I promise to do better! It is so fun to get his emails and letters! I want to share them with others, but I find that I do it a month or more after I receive them. I will try to update more frequently.
The main point is that Cody is doing great! He is enjoying his mission, although he says it is harder than he ever imagined it would be! I am so proud of him and the work he is doing. It is fun to see him grow into an amazing young man!!
Another side note, the letters arrive a few weeks after they are sent, so they will be out of order, at times, from the emails, and may be repetitive.
ENJOY the reading!!

December 5, 2011, email highlights

Hey Mom and family! Everything is fine here. Lauren's baptism sounds awesome wish i coulda been there, and you just had to talk about enchiladas huh? oh i want some so bad!!! i wish we could make enchiladas but we can't. No tortillas, it's a bread shop, like bread made in a coal iron stove outside then put in their house. They don't make anything else, it's not really a store, just bread bread or more bread ahaha. I got the pics Lauren looks good and so do u and dad:) best looking family i've seen in a while! haha.
I haven't done much today. Every first Monday of the month we have to deep clean the apartment, which is easy. I haven't gotten the other package yet but i'll let u know when i do. I am going to be sending u one too:)) be ready for Africa in an envelope haha!!
We haven't really gone sight seeing on our p-day. Sight seeing is work haha so we work and sight see when we are working. It's cool but we just walk, walk, walk, and walk some more. We ride taxis and tro tros. Tro tros are vans like our taxi cabs that are full of random people it's weird!!! but ya i had a bike but i broke mine they are crappy and i was riding mine and the pedal broke and the handle bar literally broke in half haha, crazy, huh? but we just walk alot. Fufu is getting better, i guess, i still just wanna chew it! We eat with the members all the time now:). They are looking for better bikes for us now but idk when we will get them but we r just walking now.
Guess what? i was sick, had some tummy problems but i'm all better now:) and oh i got hit by a car.....

(insert Mom freaking out now)

I am still taking my meds i was sick just cuz of the food change but i'm fine now. and ya i got hit by a car just my back... it hurts but i'm ok, luckily i had syrup and oil and a bunch of stuff in my bag, but i'm fine:)
We have taught alot and we have 4 baptism this Saturday the 10th.
My time is out mom i have to go i love you have a good week. I emailed Dad tell him hi and happy birthday love you:)

highlights Tuesday, November 29, 2011 e-mail

Hey mom. sorry i was so busy yesterday so i can email today but how are u? things here are beautiful and sweet ha i love it hmm i think? but ya:) i miss u all and love u all.  but u will never guess what i had for thanksgiving dinner:)
We bought a chicken, killed it deep fried it then made rice and potatoes and hot dogs mmmm such a feast:)))
We went down to Cape Coast yesterday and played footballlllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on the beach:) ahah ya it was so much fun!!
We have an apartment, its like a little house with 2 bedrooms, tile floors, a kitchen, bathroom and eating room and its cool i guess. not like home....at all... but we are around a bakery and there are lots of kids everywhere haha so its cool. the bakery sells just bread, nothing else no cookies here or anything sweet just wanna be ice cream:/
My fante name is quacey potokoo (qua-cey Po-tae-koo) means sunday born wolf or sunday born beast/wild animal:)) its perfect ahha!!
I'm loving it here, the beauty and the people are amazing but i miss alot back home and i hate hand washing my clothes. i hand washed yesterday and made my hands bleed:(( not fun and i have blisters on my feet that hurt so bad:((
I made a list of things to send me:)
hair clippers, maybe salt sugar seasoning, more tigers milk bars more twizzlers like the big package hah tootsie rolls:)) the green apple caramel suckers, skittles, chips, mike n ikes:) maybe more jerky and peanut butter too, and some grape jelly if u can that would be amazing because its so expensive here:/ lined notebook paper alot please, maybe more stamps too, pictures of the house, u guys, my truck, etc. and make sure you put all these things in ziplock bags even if they are already bagged up :)
The Fante language here is hard to learn but i am ok with it. they speak ok english here.
I love you all be safe I have to go now:/ i love you!!!! be safe i work hard and pray for u all every night. kia kaha!!!!!