News IS Good News

By dad

Here's a big surprise - Alex is making all sorts of friends in the MTC and it is really hot in Ghana. His first letters were filled with stories of how nice and friendly the people are to him.

He says...

They love to stare at me but because they love me they smile when I catch them staring. They call me Elder Obruni (Elder white man).

His companion is Elder Mbithi from Kenya. He said there are 39 missionaries in the Ghana MTC. The Ghana MTC is surrounded by a concrete wall. The missionaries there are from Utah, California, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Fuji, Ethipoia, Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, Congo, Ivory Coast and France.

Only 3 white Elders in all. He said that some of the Missionary's accents are pretty difficult to understand and he understands about 75% of what they say. The missionaries will serve in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, the Congo and Madagascar. About a fourth of the missionaries are french speaking. He loves the French speaking missionaries and they love him. He said...

Today all the French missionaries were around and I had them sing 'Called to Serve' in French. I didn’t understand but I know the song and it is crazy how you feel the spirit in any language. I wish you guys could experience this. It’s so awesome.

He said the food is average.

I just eat and don’t ask. Finish my plate, no seconds. Trying to get in a habit. Don’t ask, eat. About the food, I made good friends with the ladies who serve us so when they serve something native (nasty) they can tell I don’t like it so they try and help me and give me something more normal. Also, I seriously don’t think you get how hot it is and how much I sweat.

He said that the days are long and overwhelming but he pushes through. He is learning how to translate and working on his sharing his testimony in Fante. He sent this short video of some of the elders in the MTC; Elder Mbithi, Elder Meinzer, and Elder Sanft.

ALEX goes to Ghana

by dad

After months of waiting, Elder Darrow left today for the MTC in Tema, Gahan. His last day at home was spent with Mom and Dad at the Salt Lake City Temple, followed-up with eggs benedict at Market Street Grill. Needless to say, Alex won't be having eggs benedict anytime soon. He spent the afternoon packing and saying good-bye to Haley. He was set apart as a missionary that evening. That night, Molly and Stephanie flew to New York for a Nat'l Drill team competion traveling on a non-refundable trip paid for in October of last year. I won't even go into how painful those good-byes went. UGH!

In the morning, we took Alex to the airport for his 8:35 flight.

He was very excited to get to the airport. We had to talk him

out of being there 3 hours early like it requested on the travel documents. Two 50lbs suit cases, a duffle bag and a briefcase will hold his life for the next two years. The check-in at the airport went far to quickly and then we found ourselves at the top of the escalator looking sadly at the security screening area. We shared hugs and tears and laughs and more hugs and more tears. I tryed

to get him to hang-out with us a little bit longer but he said, 'Nope. I'm ready to go.' He walked off and said ' Hey, take a picture of me leaving.' After he got through security and before the screening he reached over the railing and gave me final good-bye hugs.

I got a phone call from a Utah cell phone around 1:00pm. A man sitting next to Alex on the plane, gave him his phone to call home and let us know he made it to New York. I sent a thank you text to the phone number that he called me from, and quickly got a response that said, 'No, problem. You should be proud of your son. I am traveling with my sister who is very anti and I think your son made a good impression. He is already becoming a missionary.' Within the next hour I got another cell phone call from a 301 area code. Alex borrowed another cell to call from the plane headed to Ghana. He said he was very comfortable on the hot plane, in his middle aisle seat, ready for the 10 1/2 hour trip to Accra, Ghana.

The next morning I was awakened by a call from Alex reporting he had arrived at the MTC in Tema, Ghana. He was one of 3 missionaries from the states that was reporting in. 37 missionaries from Africa were still coming that day. He was all settled in his room, waiting for his companion, Elder Mbithi from Kenya. He said Ghana was Busy, Crazy and Hot. He said he has showered and changed and his shirt is already soaked. He said the MTC is GREAT. He told me to tell everyone how much he loves them and thanks for all the prayers for him. He will not get e-mail until he reports to the Cape Coast mission in 3 weeks.