Elder Kade Edler Eppich: "The dang dog jumps up and bites my ankle!"

First dog bite casualty in Akuse

June 3, 2013

Family,

Well this last week was a pretty good week! Rainy season is starting up and it rained probably three or four times this last week! And a few of those times it seriously rained super, super hard!!! I couldn’t believe how hard it was raining and then with the thunderstorms at the same time it is kind of scary! We were on our way back from Somanya in the tro tro and we see this flash to our left and then a huge boom came right after it. It made me jump and the guy next to me was laughing Haha. But we will get around 4 inches on the roads so it’s sketchy but so awesome!! We can’t really proselyte during that so we just wait it out.

On Tuesday we had a zone conference in Koforidua and that was an awesome drive! It took about 90 mins and driving through the jungles and mountains of West Africa :) and it was super pretty because it was early in the morning and there was a bunch of fog in the lower parts of the mountains. I got a birthday tie from President and Sister Judd! Oh and then 2 days ago was my year mark from graduating high school!!! Haha what the heck?? So weird to think about and then next week is my birthday and I'll be 19… so crazy! I got all the candy and saline solution so that was really, really nice! Sister Avery (mission secretary) kept the shirts, ties and socks to give to missionaries that need them and I kept the Weiler’s ties to share out here. Tell the Weilers, Sloanes and ward members thank you very much! I gave some ties to some missionaries already and then I’m going to give some to our RC (recent converts).

So on Friday it was quite an eventful day! We had to go to Akuse and when we first got there we had to go and get our bikes at the district President’s house because we travel far in Akuse. When we got there nobody was home and the gate that was surrounding the house was locked. We needed the bikes so I called president Tyson and he said I can jump over the wall to get them Haha. So I did! It was pretty cool but not a big deal :) and so this is when it gets pretty awesome…We went to visit a LA and she has this 5 ft wall around her house and a big gate and when we started to go in, one of the workers told us to not go in because they have a crazy guard dog that will bite you and that we need to have the lady come out and tie the dog up. So we tried to call the lady but no answer and so that stranger said that he will try and shake the gate so that the dog would bark and would wake the lady up that in side. So while he was doing that the bar that was holding the gate together came off and so the guy said that we needed to grab that bar and lock the door again so the dog doesn’t come and get us but this whole time I’m thinking that there is no way I would be scared of this dog (it was a big dog, but I’m a missionary and nothing fazes me except the spiders, snakes, and sometimes thunderstorms Haha) and so when my comp was reaching around the big gate to grab the bar I was watching the dog to make sure he didn’t run to the gate, and I then glanced at my comp and then back to the dog and the dog wasn’t there anymore and my comp and the stranger was trying to shut the gate but it was just stuck and they started to run and left me there all alone Haha so the dog comes running out of the gate and then stops and looks at me Haha and I’m thinking where the heck am I going to go!!! So I just turn around and run!! and I saw the big wall that was surrounding the house and it was like 5 ft tall so I knew the dog couldn’t jump over that so I took a few steps and jumped onto the wall and when I was lifting my left leg up the dang dog jumps up and bites my dang ankle Haha but he couldn’t hang on so I lifted my leg and just stayed on top of the wall for like 5 mins while the dog was just staring at me Haha and then he ran off and killed some chickens and I jumped down and ran to my comp lol. It ripped my pants pretty good and I’ll try and send a pic of it. But it was just so funny because you always hear of missionaries running from dogs or getting bit by dogs and it happened to me Haha. But mom, don’t worry because I called sister Judd and she called Dr. Elmer and they think I won’t have a chance of rabies or any problems Haha. Than after that we went to an investigator that lives outside of Akuse in the village of Atzevenya and its right on the Volta River and super pretty!!! I’ll send some pics of it. But in the end it was an awesome day where we taught great investigators and the Lord was protecting his missionaries :)

We have a sister ready for baptism next week and her name is Sister Comfort! She is a really nice girl who lives in Akuse. And then later in June we should have some more investigators ready for baptism that stay in Akuse and Kpong. Clement, Sister Happy, and maybe Happy's husband.

So now I’ll answer your questions;

Yes we still get a few FMS (ward members feed them) but we got our sub raised to 180 Ghana a month so that’s super nice! (they have more money to buy food) I try and drink as much water as I can. We have indoor plumbing and all that good stuff but when lights go off (which they go off when there is a storm because it gets pretty cold with the wind and rain) we have to shower with a bucket and cup. We take like 30 sec showers because the water feels so cold to us Haha. And on Pdays we normally wash our clothes, email, buy some food, cook, and rest. We haven’t played anything here because we’re always busy. If we didn’t wash our cloths for 2.5 hrs in the morning we could do stuff. I hope I answered all your questions! I love you all very much! Have a good week! This Work Is DIVINE!

Elder Eppich