Happy New Year!

Huh, for the first time on my mission, I'm not sure what to say in my e-mail. I hope everyone's New Year went well. Good to hear the weather isn't too freezing. I remember the negative winters. brrrr. Yes the rain has stopped here. We are in the Hamataan (not sure how to spell it) season. So everything is really dry. Infact it was so dry that one of our neighbors' apartments caught on fire. Whole thing burned down. One woman had a lot of money in a couch. Please don't keep tons of money in a couch and don't burn down our house. It really makes you realize just how unexpectedly bad things can happen. It's funny that Brooke mixed up girl and guy. Some people will do that here when they talk. "you know Elder Silva? yeah SHE was teaching me the other day". It makes me chuckle every time. I hope I didn't sound too different on the Skype call. My speech has changed a bit, and sometimes I get conscious of my American accent and it sounds funny. I'll be graduating from my Freshman year on mission soon. That makes 25% completed. A small milestone in comparison to what is left, but considering 6 months it seems like a long time. I've adjusted really well, but I feel that I'm going to be leaving my first transfer soon. That means more adjusting. I find myself really curious about how the other missions in the family were like, especially before available computers. Speaking of other missions, I recently found out that a close friend of mine, Jamen Cannon, just entered the field in the Orlando, Florida mission. He told me he's seen frozen gator heads, and that some members invited him over to skin one last Monday. Also, I'm sorry for the dim lighting on the call. Nothing I could do about that. No-one has been by to drop off mail for quite some time, but We're having a Zone Conference in Kumasi this week, so hopefully they'll bring the mail there. The people here are learning fast, since some of them really know how to study. I know two older men who are always reading scriptures or the Liahona every time I walk by their place. My companion and I are trying to get one of my recent converts to prepare for a mission. He's a very strong member now and he knows alot about the gospel. He's older, but I think he'll still be within the age limit. It would be cool to have him and I on missions at the same time. Well, I think I'll check out the pictures you sent me. Have a great week and a very Happy New Year, and tell everyone in the ward back home Happy New Year as well. 

-Elder Silva

 The Obuasi Zone 

 How my companion sleeps on P-day. 

 A family lost their home recently to a fire :(