Merry Christmas!!!
It was good to talk to you guys. ALL YOU GUYS! It was like a superhuman team of everyone! My family rocks. We had mom, dad, Britt and Dave, little kumquat, Grandma Carol, Grandpa Bob, Uncle Davey, Grandpa dad and Grandma Patsy by long distance speaker phone ( a great technological feat, with 4 phones involved, grandmas phone to grandpas phone to the house speaker phone to my Africa phone haha). I have like a whole support crew that is ready to rock at all times.
It was so great to see that everyone understands the true meaning of Christmas and that is Jesus and family. Really that is the whole reason we do everything. In the email mom talked about a paper chain.
I’ll copy and paste this little paragraph she wrote. This is a great lesson taught in a great way.
“So all the Christmas celebrations and events and news sure reminded me that our family is the most important thing and that we are one big unit, a sometimes slightly messy unit, sometimes slightly annoying, but family is the most important, always a work in progress. So I will send you a paper chain that you can use on your mission to teach about eternal families. That we can all be connected. That we can all help each other. Sometimes, like in the paper chain, we lead (or drag) each other forward, and other times we may just be there dangling, and sometimes we will be the chain out front doing all the heaving. But we are all linked in any case and I am thankful for that great family chain to rely on, and all those potential kumquat links to come.”
I smile at how well she is able to explain a principle in a way everyone can understand. All those YEARS AND YEARS fulfilling her nursery and primary callings have truly paid off!
Well back to the work! Sweat is the work...I mean sweet...both are true. We are supposed to baptize 4 people this week. We are working with 3 people from Kade branch and 1 from Asamankese branch 1. The one we have our sights on most is G because her baptism will comlete their family. Man if we baptize her then we will be sky high daddy-o on route 66 hey you’re beautiful, ho! We are also going to baptize Gifty and Fausty. They are sisters who have an older sister who is a member. It is going to be a great day there! We have already taught them all the lesson material so on Tuesday we are going to go and teach them how to make peanut butter and banana sandwiches (i’ll toast mine with cinnamon and sugar ;), after teaching them how to read the Book of Mormon of course.
Speaking of Book of Mormon! I have a favour to ask you guys. I remember that I learned a lot of the Book of Mormon stories by reading small portions with you guys and then you would have us watch the movie and learn the songs and we’d talk about them etc. I was wondering if they had any of those Book of Mormon living scriptures cartoon videos on DVD or something. We are having our branch missionaries go and teach stuff to our recent converts and I think the videos would really help them out here; it will help them to visualize what is happening. If you could find some of those and ship them to me, if they exist, it would be much appreciated.
Well were able to baptise Ellen O on Thursday and confirm her yesterday. We brought Ellen to meet our branch president about 3 weeks ago. When he met her he asked her name and she told him. He then began to cry. President’s brother just lost his wife who’s name was also Ellen O. He was touched that his family just lost an Ellen O but now they were gaining another one in the ward family. The whole symbolism of one dying and another being ‘reborn’ is kinda cool. Anywho she is a very strong member already. She brought her friends to church and we are working on baptising them too! Ellen is very cool.
After church yesterday we went over to another Ellen, we call her Ellen Kittewah, means Ellen ‘small.’ She is friends of Ellen O and they stay in the same house. Confusing huh? We travelled on a tro-tro to visit her father in some remote village to teach him about the church and ask for permission to baptize Ellen Kittewah. The father is very young and doesn’t speak English. He liked us and has no problem with it however Ellen is staying with her uncle and he is going to obtain permission from the uncle to see if that is okay with him. So we were tro-tro’n all over the place on Sunday as well. I believe she will get baptized very soon!
We had 16 people come to church. We were hoping for more. We had 2 families promise us that they were coming. We even went to pick them up and walk to church in the morning but they weren’t ready yet. They assured us that they would come. I called them a half hour into church, after the sacrament, to see where they were. One was involved with the elections they are having on Tuesday and was ‘sent’ to set up some ballot boxes or whatever. Another one had visitors come unexpectedly and had to cater to them. He recognizes that he disappointed us and I have faith that he will come soon. Another one had unexpected visitors and had to cook for them too. There is a whole lot of culture things that prohibit people from coming to church.
Being ‘sent’ is one of these, also people just show up out of nowhere and it is the culture to drop everything you are doing and serve the ‘visitor.’ This is a reason why everyone travels all the time, they like to visit and be served. It is enough to drive a missionary bananas! Oh well we are still very blessed. Hopefully we will be able to get them all down this pathway very soon!
We had a disappointing church service for one of our branches.
There is a whole debate going on about the whole ‘all meetings must be held in English’ thing. Some people started arguing about it and there was murmuring in class and stuff.
People were not being as kind to one another as they should, and some things were said against different tribes. I can see how all these little tribal disagreements start. We tried to stay out of it but of course. 2 leaders were still bickering with each other so I pulled them in to a room and discussed the matter privately using the scriptures. They all understood and are now friends. It is weird how that works to solve a problem. Instead of bickering publically, find a room, start with a prayer, keep your volume low and resolve it privately.
Goodness. There is a hard thing going on where some members are having a hard time listening to the area leaders or those who holds the keys to the branches. They want to hear it directly from the prophet’s mouth. There was even a discussion during class about if ‘all directions from the area leaders are commandments or if they were just counsel to be thought about.’ It was disappointing. Oh well, hopefully it was just one bad day and won’t happen again. Luckily we had only little kid investigators in that branch that day so no investigators saw the heated discussion. It would have been embarrassing.
Today’s email is going to be short because we gotta run over to help the seminary program do some stuff. Also we got another baptismal interview at 1 o clock today. The Terry’s are coming down from Abomosu to do it.
Well I love you and gotta run.
I’m so happy that I am now the proud uncle of a little kumquat! Keep me updated about all of it.
Love you guys and Merry Christmas!!!
Have good new years resolutions. Like in addition to the usuals, losing weight, no carinated drinks, do something very simple and something Heavenly Father would love. Like always have a kneeling family prayer both morning and night, or read from the scriptures every day as a couple or make efforts re-activate someone etc. Tell me your goals next week.
I’ll tell you mine too!
LOVE YOU GUYS!
Elder Bills
Monday, December 20, 2010
Hello my family!!!
So this week was again a stressful crazy week full of Christmas conference, traveling on long tro-tro rides, going on splits to Abomosu with the zone leaders so they could do some baptismal interviews for us and then finally, the best part, ending the week with 7 baptisms!
Man I love baptizing families! It truly rocks.
We baptized:
Nicholas A (Kofi)
Richmond A
Janice A
Emmanuel A
Mercy (sister of Nicholas)
Ernest Az
Philomena B
I’ll babble a little bit about each of them.
Nicholas, Aka Kofi, sells spare cart parts in a Zongo (muslim area) in Kade. He first heard of the church from a friend who works a couple of stores over. He came to church and loved it. He hasn’t had a lot of schooling before but he knows how to read enough. A local pastor came over to him as he was reading the Book of Mormon at his shop. The man told him that the book was, “The Book of Mammon” and that it is a Satanic book. Kofi was concerned so he looked up the Mammon scripture in the bible and noticed the obvious difference between Mammon and Mormon and told the pastor the difference. Kofi has been to a lot of churches and knows that this one is true. He immediately brought his family. Even though Kofi doesn’t understand everything yet, he knows that this is right and brought his family to partake. This is the first time his whole family has been to church together. He is a great man.
He has his children Richmond 14 years, Janice 13 years, Emmanuel 10 years and 2 small baby girls. His wife will be baptized very soon. We have to get a translator for us while we teach and interview her.
Ernest has been taught by Elder Stout about a year ago, however he moved to go farm. He has now moved back. He is 22 years old. He is a great person. He had a friend who was a member but his friend drown in the nearby river about a year ago. He respected his friend and now is a member. Ernest stays with his family. I took the side face hut picture at his house. That is his house.
Philomena B is the mother of a baby girl Selina. Philomena has been coming to church for a long time however the missionaries didn’t think she could read, or she couldn’t read a couple of months ago. I went and met her and had her pull out her Book of Mormon, it was tattered and well used. I could tell that she had been reading it, or attempting to read it. I had her read some things from it and she can read. She might have been afraid to read in front of the previous missionaries, or if she was put on the spot she might have been nervous to read, but I think she has been practicing. Anywho she can read and she already knew most of the necessary lesson information.
She was so happy that she was going to get baptized. She said that she had been waiting a long time and it was finally time. She is a great member and a very loving person.
Here is some stuff you can read from my journal. Kinda sums the week up.
Journal entry for Dec. 18, 2010
Story Number 1.
Wow! Today we baptized 7 people. We were able to baptize Nicholas A’s family. We usually call Nicholas bro Kofi. We will baptize his wife in a couple of weeks as she can’t read or speak English and she needs a little extra time and attention to understand the commandments and teachings. We obtained permission from President Smith to baptize her because Kofi can be responsible for her and can teach her the doctrine at home.
The baptism went on great. The Terry’s, the senior missionary couple, came to support us and see it. The Terry’s do some of our interviews for us as Accra is forever away. The Terry’s live up in Abomosu with the zone leaders. This is the Terry’s 3rd mission to Africa! They are from Las Vegas. Anywho the Kade branch president’s wife was supposed to be baptized but is having some concerns and didn’t come to church. Sister Terry ran over to her house to see what she could do to help her with her concerns. She had a good chat with her. She might get baptized next week. I pray that we will be able to get her baptized so she can be with her family.
So the baptism was great, however we still are missing that one person. I have faith that she will be baptized very soon. Even though it was a great, we were still concerned because we were missing one that we expected. (Kinda like the parable of the lost sheep.)
The highlights of the baptism: It was the biggest baptism Kade has ever had. We baptized a family. Our Baptist was brother Lartey, a 20 year old who was baptizing for the first time. The font wasn’t full all the way as the tap was off and they used all the polytank water. The whole area was dry. Brother John did a great job baptizing, no problems.
Sister Mercy, Kofi’s sister, showed up in the morning just in time to have her interview with Elder Terry! Sister Janice, one of Kofi’s children, didn’t go under all the way and we had to do it again. Man she was terrified of the water. We did her baptism again and brother John pushed her all the way under. Man she was scared and mad looking haha. She still likes us though. Just a little 13 year old pouty thing haha. Some of our candidates have never been completely submerged before.
I have compassion for her as I was so afraid to be baptized because of my fear of water as a child. I was terrified of the loud sound that water makes. I also had weird ear problems, weird pressure rupture eardrum problems that made my ears hurt. For some crazy 8 year old scared of water reason, baptizing me face forward was no problem for me. So my dad asked the bishop if he could baptize me face forward instead of laying me down backwards. The bishop okayed it and said that immersion and the priesthood is the important part. So I was baptized face first. I sympathize for the scared of water people haha.
Story number 2.
We visited the hospital today and gave a blessing to our dear brother Eko. We gave him a baptismal date the first day we met him, on the 8th of Dec 2010. He came to church last week! However he has typhoid fever and was rushed to the hospital by our member friend Frank, who referred us to him. Bro Eko was loosing so much water that he had to have 21 drip bags of fluid because of the dysentery. He nearly died. He was stable when we went and saw him after the baptism. He was in a room full of about 12 beds. The place was really noisy and hot, no fans, loud tv, plenty of visitors, no curtains for privacy. We felt like we should give him a priesthood blessing however we were having a concern about the lack of privacy and all the noise.
We taught him about priesthood blessings while sitting at his bedside amidst all the chaos that goes along with hospitals. He said that he would like one. He was strong enough to walk so we tried to find an empty room. We searched and searched but all the rooms were full of patients and full of noise. No privacy anywhere. Finally we found an empty broom closet. It was the only reverent place. He said that it would be fine to give him a blessing there. We gave him a priesthood blessing in that tiny broom closet. It was a very reverent thing and he was very grateful. After we sat him back in his bed in the noisy 12 bed room, he smiled at us and said, “ I didn’t know that you would come. Thank you.” He is a great man with great faith. He then recalled all of his blessings and how God has blessed him with so many friends who love him. It is interesting to see how this very sick man feels so blessed while we healthy people sometimes complain.
Story number 3.
A couple days ago I went on splits with Elder Dominic, our zone leader, to Abomosu. We went to a town called Asunafo, it was like a ghost town because everyone there goes to farm during the day. To get there we had to bike on this dirt road thingie up and down these hills for about 30 min. On the outskirts of town you have the nice LDS church building. The rest of the town is small shack shanty town like homes. On the way back home we were approaching the church and I noticed a house with a nice groomed lawn and another house next to it with a man eating some food on his front porch. I felt like we should stop at the house with the nice lawn, I felt good about the place and felt like I should also talk to the man who was eating . However we were late to another appointment in another town and we didn’t stop, there seemed to be no time. When biking home a big bus drove by and kicked up a lot of dust. We stopped to let the dust settle. I felt sad as we had not visited the home next to the church with nice lawn. I told my companion, Elder Dominic, that I felt bad that we didn’t stop at the nice lawn house and the man who was eating. We decided to go back. We pedaled our way back and first talked to the man who was eating on his porch. We talked with him and he turned out to be a teacher. He accepted a Book of Mormon with much interest and also a return appointment. We then went to the nice lawn house. I knocked and a woman named Victoria came from around the back of the house. She said she was busy, we offered to help. She said that she was busy but it wasn’t so important and she gave us some chairs to sit in. We taught her and gave her a baptismal date. She wanted to follow Jesus Christ and his gospel so much.
LESSON INSTANT REPLAY! She mentioned that she was a Christian and she loved Christ. We asked her what she does to show Christ that she loves Him. She said that she liked to sing songs to show her love for the Savior. We then sang “Lord I will Follow Thee” from the church hymn book. We discussed the words from the hymn and then taught her about baptism. She accepted a date to be baptized and “Follow {the Savior}.”
She was very happy and joyful and anxious.
THANK GOODNESS we had turned back to visit the house with the nice lawn and the man ‘chopping’ in his front yard. The Holy Ghost will lead us where we are supposed to go. I have set a goal to listen the first time, no matter how inconvenient or awkward it may seem.
P.S. The appointment we were ‘late’ to forgot and wasn’t there anyways, he was still at the farm. I’m so glad we turned back ;) End of journal entry.
Well on Sunday we got all of the 7 candidates confirmed. That was big relief. We also met up with the Zone Leaders who interviewed 2 more girls for baptism. The girls are sisters, Gifty and Fausty. Gifty is 18 and Fausty is 14. Their elder sister Gertrude is around 25 and is a member already. They didn’t come to church because their mom had them work at the store on Sunday. We went over to the families house with the zone leaders and had a little pow wow with all the 3 girls there and the parents. We taught about the Sabbath day. They said that they will stop having the girls sell on Sunday and will allow them to always go to church.
We invited the mother to come to church to learn how to speak English and read. We will see if she comes. The dad likes us however he said that he won’t sit down with us just yet so we can teach him. They will however attend the baptism ;)
We also went over to the Branch Presidents wife’s house. We were going to try to find out her concerns about being baptized. We started off by just singing. We sang about 3 Christmas hymns. We then didn’t address her baptism, but rather taught about the temple and eternal families. We read from the “proclamation to the world” on the family and we showed her some pictures of temples. We taught her and she said that she has heard about this and wants to do it. We explained that before she can do that she needs to be baptized. She said that she will do it. She then revealed some other concerns about taking offense to a former member etc etc. All that is resolved and she will be baptized very soon! YAHOO! She also mentioned that her husband did the civil marriage but they didn’t have a ‘blessing of the marriage’ which means that they signed the papers but they didn’t have a wedding ceremony with a party and stuff and she wants one! During the ‘blessing of the marriage’ that is where they get rings to wear. We told her husband and they discussed all of it last night after we left. She should get baptized very soon.
NOTE TO SELF!
Have a freakin’ shindig of a wedding!
Get the most best freakin’ sweet ring ever!
Sounds like you had quite the week mom and dad. I’m glad that my grandparents first met by having grandma land on grandpas head at a pool party. Also that grandpa framed grandma’s date and pinched her butt to get grandma’s date in trouble. Sounds like you had a fun party and game getting to know grandma and grandpa's history.
I bet it was nice to have a Christmas party without so much "stuff" all around. Instead you gave good stuff that will help others. More Christlike of a Christmas party. You guys musta had a lot of fun.
Cool you got to see President Monson at the Conference Center Program. I have seen him once in general conference before with President Hinckley. I like the temple square music stuff. It is always sounding very nice.
Well I hope you all are having a good week. Glad dads toenail problem is finally getting resolved. Man you had to go to the toenail specialist? Serious eh?
The family is looking like they are doing great.
Well I love you all. We are doing well here.
This area was so well prepared. It seems like everyone was just planting seeds and planting seeds. I got transferred here and was like, “Holy cow look at all this wheat!?” and I just have to thrust out my sickle and start whacking. It is sometimes pretty tricky to get some to be baptised but we are trying.
I am so blessed to be here. No better area in the mission.
I got your Christmas packages and the thanksgiving package. We are freaking tired! I still have not made the pumpkin pie yet. That shows you how tired we are. To tired for pie. It is a serious tired. I will make the pie today though, promise!
Thanks so much guys for everything.
Well gotta run! Love you guys so much.
I’ll call you guys on Saturday around the usual time around 6 here so around 12 or 1 for you guys. So just lay around on Saturday afternoon and I’ll call. Look forward to talk to you guys!
Talk to you later!
Oh, I almost forgot.
So the Christmans conference was cool. Elder Afu and the rest of the polynesians took the show with their wicked awesome Haka. They did it on stage and then jumped off the stage and did it right in front of the 70, Elder Dickson and his wife, President and Sister Smith and some office couples. They were terrified slightly haha. Elder Dickson was just smiling.
I did the boot scoot'n boogie with God blessed texas with Elder Beeston on the harmonica. I had Elder Holt and Elder Farnbach and the rest get up out of the crowd and boot scoot on stage. It was fun. We all had a good time.
So this week was again a stressful crazy week full of Christmas conference, traveling on long tro-tro rides, going on splits to Abomosu with the zone leaders so they could do some baptismal interviews for us and then finally, the best part, ending the week with 7 baptisms!
Man I love baptizing families! It truly rocks.
We baptized:
Nicholas A (Kofi)
Richmond A
Janice A
Emmanuel A
Mercy (sister of Nicholas)
Ernest Az
Philomena B
I’ll babble a little bit about each of them.
Nicholas, Aka Kofi, sells spare cart parts in a Zongo (muslim area) in Kade. He first heard of the church from a friend who works a couple of stores over. He came to church and loved it. He hasn’t had a lot of schooling before but he knows how to read enough. A local pastor came over to him as he was reading the Book of Mormon at his shop. The man told him that the book was, “The Book of Mammon” and that it is a Satanic book. Kofi was concerned so he looked up the Mammon scripture in the bible and noticed the obvious difference between Mammon and Mormon and told the pastor the difference. Kofi has been to a lot of churches and knows that this one is true. He immediately brought his family. Even though Kofi doesn’t understand everything yet, he knows that this is right and brought his family to partake. This is the first time his whole family has been to church together. He is a great man.
He has his children Richmond 14 years, Janice 13 years, Emmanuel 10 years and 2 small baby girls. His wife will be baptized very soon. We have to get a translator for us while we teach and interview her.
Ernest has been taught by Elder Stout about a year ago, however he moved to go farm. He has now moved back. He is 22 years old. He is a great person. He had a friend who was a member but his friend drown in the nearby river about a year ago. He respected his friend and now is a member. Ernest stays with his family. I took the side face hut picture at his house. That is his house.
Philomena B is the mother of a baby girl Selina. Philomena has been coming to church for a long time however the missionaries didn’t think she could read, or she couldn’t read a couple of months ago. I went and met her and had her pull out her Book of Mormon, it was tattered and well used. I could tell that she had been reading it, or attempting to read it. I had her read some things from it and she can read. She might have been afraid to read in front of the previous missionaries, or if she was put on the spot she might have been nervous to read, but I think she has been practicing. Anywho she can read and she already knew most of the necessary lesson information.
She was so happy that she was going to get baptized. She said that she had been waiting a long time and it was finally time. She is a great member and a very loving person.
Here is some stuff you can read from my journal. Kinda sums the week up.
Journal entry for Dec. 18, 2010
Story Number 1.
Wow! Today we baptized 7 people. We were able to baptize Nicholas A’s family. We usually call Nicholas bro Kofi. We will baptize his wife in a couple of weeks as she can’t read or speak English and she needs a little extra time and attention to understand the commandments and teachings. We obtained permission from President Smith to baptize her because Kofi can be responsible for her and can teach her the doctrine at home.
The baptism went on great. The Terry’s, the senior missionary couple, came to support us and see it. The Terry’s do some of our interviews for us as Accra is forever away. The Terry’s live up in Abomosu with the zone leaders. This is the Terry’s 3rd mission to Africa! They are from Las Vegas. Anywho the Kade branch president’s wife was supposed to be baptized but is having some concerns and didn’t come to church. Sister Terry ran over to her house to see what she could do to help her with her concerns. She had a good chat with her. She might get baptized next week. I pray that we will be able to get her baptized so she can be with her family.
So the baptism was great, however we still are missing that one person. I have faith that she will be baptized very soon. Even though it was a great, we were still concerned because we were missing one that we expected. (Kinda like the parable of the lost sheep.)
The highlights of the baptism: It was the biggest baptism Kade has ever had. We baptized a family. Our Baptist was brother Lartey, a 20 year old who was baptizing for the first time. The font wasn’t full all the way as the tap was off and they used all the polytank water. The whole area was dry. Brother John did a great job baptizing, no problems.
Sister Mercy, Kofi’s sister, showed up in the morning just in time to have her interview with Elder Terry! Sister Janice, one of Kofi’s children, didn’t go under all the way and we had to do it again. Man she was terrified of the water. We did her baptism again and brother John pushed her all the way under. Man she was scared and mad looking haha. She still likes us though. Just a little 13 year old pouty thing haha. Some of our candidates have never been completely submerged before.
I have compassion for her as I was so afraid to be baptized because of my fear of water as a child. I was terrified of the loud sound that water makes. I also had weird ear problems, weird pressure rupture eardrum problems that made my ears hurt. For some crazy 8 year old scared of water reason, baptizing me face forward was no problem for me. So my dad asked the bishop if he could baptize me face forward instead of laying me down backwards. The bishop okayed it and said that immersion and the priesthood is the important part. So I was baptized face first. I sympathize for the scared of water people haha.
Story number 2.
We visited the hospital today and gave a blessing to our dear brother Eko. We gave him a baptismal date the first day we met him, on the 8th of Dec 2010. He came to church last week! However he has typhoid fever and was rushed to the hospital by our member friend Frank, who referred us to him. Bro Eko was loosing so much water that he had to have 21 drip bags of fluid because of the dysentery. He nearly died. He was stable when we went and saw him after the baptism. He was in a room full of about 12 beds. The place was really noisy and hot, no fans, loud tv, plenty of visitors, no curtains for privacy. We felt like we should give him a priesthood blessing however we were having a concern about the lack of privacy and all the noise.
We taught him about priesthood blessings while sitting at his bedside amidst all the chaos that goes along with hospitals. He said that he would like one. He was strong enough to walk so we tried to find an empty room. We searched and searched but all the rooms were full of patients and full of noise. No privacy anywhere. Finally we found an empty broom closet. It was the only reverent place. He said that it would be fine to give him a blessing there. We gave him a priesthood blessing in that tiny broom closet. It was a very reverent thing and he was very grateful. After we sat him back in his bed in the noisy 12 bed room, he smiled at us and said, “ I didn’t know that you would come. Thank you.” He is a great man with great faith. He then recalled all of his blessings and how God has blessed him with so many friends who love him. It is interesting to see how this very sick man feels so blessed while we healthy people sometimes complain.
Story number 3.
A couple days ago I went on splits with Elder Dominic, our zone leader, to Abomosu. We went to a town called Asunafo, it was like a ghost town because everyone there goes to farm during the day. To get there we had to bike on this dirt road thingie up and down these hills for about 30 min. On the outskirts of town you have the nice LDS church building. The rest of the town is small shack shanty town like homes. On the way back home we were approaching the church and I noticed a house with a nice groomed lawn and another house next to it with a man eating some food on his front porch. I felt like we should stop at the house with the nice lawn, I felt good about the place and felt like I should also talk to the man who was eating . However we were late to another appointment in another town and we didn’t stop, there seemed to be no time. When biking home a big bus drove by and kicked up a lot of dust. We stopped to let the dust settle. I felt sad as we had not visited the home next to the church with nice lawn. I told my companion, Elder Dominic, that I felt bad that we didn’t stop at the nice lawn house and the man who was eating. We decided to go back. We pedaled our way back and first talked to the man who was eating on his porch. We talked with him and he turned out to be a teacher. He accepted a Book of Mormon with much interest and also a return appointment. We then went to the nice lawn house. I knocked and a woman named Victoria came from around the back of the house. She said she was busy, we offered to help. She said that she was busy but it wasn’t so important and she gave us some chairs to sit in. We taught her and gave her a baptismal date. She wanted to follow Jesus Christ and his gospel so much.
LESSON INSTANT REPLAY! She mentioned that she was a Christian and she loved Christ. We asked her what she does to show Christ that she loves Him. She said that she liked to sing songs to show her love for the Savior. We then sang “Lord I will Follow Thee” from the church hymn book. We discussed the words from the hymn and then taught her about baptism. She accepted a date to be baptized and “Follow {the Savior}.”
She was very happy and joyful and anxious.
THANK GOODNESS we had turned back to visit the house with the nice lawn and the man ‘chopping’ in his front yard. The Holy Ghost will lead us where we are supposed to go. I have set a goal to listen the first time, no matter how inconvenient or awkward it may seem.
P.S. The appointment we were ‘late’ to forgot and wasn’t there anyways, he was still at the farm. I’m so glad we turned back ;) End of journal entry.
Well on Sunday we got all of the 7 candidates confirmed. That was big relief. We also met up with the Zone Leaders who interviewed 2 more girls for baptism. The girls are sisters, Gifty and Fausty. Gifty is 18 and Fausty is 14. Their elder sister Gertrude is around 25 and is a member already. They didn’t come to church because their mom had them work at the store on Sunday. We went over to the families house with the zone leaders and had a little pow wow with all the 3 girls there and the parents. We taught about the Sabbath day. They said that they will stop having the girls sell on Sunday and will allow them to always go to church.
We invited the mother to come to church to learn how to speak English and read. We will see if she comes. The dad likes us however he said that he won’t sit down with us just yet so we can teach him. They will however attend the baptism ;)
We also went over to the Branch Presidents wife’s house. We were going to try to find out her concerns about being baptized. We started off by just singing. We sang about 3 Christmas hymns. We then didn’t address her baptism, but rather taught about the temple and eternal families. We read from the “proclamation to the world” on the family and we showed her some pictures of temples. We taught her and she said that she has heard about this and wants to do it. We explained that before she can do that she needs to be baptized. She said that she will do it. She then revealed some other concerns about taking offense to a former member etc etc. All that is resolved and she will be baptized very soon! YAHOO! She also mentioned that her husband did the civil marriage but they didn’t have a ‘blessing of the marriage’ which means that they signed the papers but they didn’t have a wedding ceremony with a party and stuff and she wants one! During the ‘blessing of the marriage’ that is where they get rings to wear. We told her husband and they discussed all of it last night after we left. She should get baptized very soon.
NOTE TO SELF!
Have a freakin’ shindig of a wedding!
Get the most best freakin’ sweet ring ever!
Sounds like you had quite the week mom and dad. I’m glad that my grandparents first met by having grandma land on grandpas head at a pool party. Also that grandpa framed grandma’s date and pinched her butt to get grandma’s date in trouble. Sounds like you had a fun party and game getting to know grandma and grandpa's history.
I bet it was nice to have a Christmas party without so much "stuff" all around. Instead you gave good stuff that will help others. More Christlike of a Christmas party. You guys musta had a lot of fun.
Cool you got to see President Monson at the Conference Center Program. I have seen him once in general conference before with President Hinckley. I like the temple square music stuff. It is always sounding very nice.
Well I hope you all are having a good week. Glad dads toenail problem is finally getting resolved. Man you had to go to the toenail specialist? Serious eh?
The family is looking like they are doing great.
Well I love you all. We are doing well here.
This area was so well prepared. It seems like everyone was just planting seeds and planting seeds. I got transferred here and was like, “Holy cow look at all this wheat!?” and I just have to thrust out my sickle and start whacking. It is sometimes pretty tricky to get some to be baptised but we are trying.
I am so blessed to be here. No better area in the mission.
I got your Christmas packages and the thanksgiving package. We are freaking tired! I still have not made the pumpkin pie yet. That shows you how tired we are. To tired for pie. It is a serious tired. I will make the pie today though, promise!
Thanks so much guys for everything.
Well gotta run! Love you guys so much.
I’ll call you guys on Saturday around the usual time around 6 here so around 12 or 1 for you guys. So just lay around on Saturday afternoon and I’ll call. Look forward to talk to you guys!
Talk to you later!
Oh, I almost forgot.
So the Christmans conference was cool. Elder Afu and the rest of the polynesians took the show with their wicked awesome Haka. They did it on stage and then jumped off the stage and did it right in front of the 70, Elder Dickson and his wife, President and Sister Smith and some office couples. They were terrified slightly haha. Elder Dickson was just smiling.
I did the boot scoot'n boogie with God blessed texas with Elder Beeston on the harmonica. I had Elder Holt and Elder Farnbach and the rest get up out of the crowd and boot scoot on stage. It was fun. We all had a good time.
Christmas Conference! One of the best meals I have had in 1 year. This was Elder Holts last meal before he went back home!
Thanks for the package yall! I especially liked the candy cane herheys kisses! Oh and the Victoria chocolate toffee! My favorite gift was the thing grandma Patsy did with quotes of me and mom when I was a baby. Thanks everybody!
Going to Asunafo by Abomosu. We biked on this for what seemed forever. This is the road where we felt prompted to turn back and visit the house with the nice lawn.
Kade Baptism!
Our baptismal candidates! Kade's biggest baptism ever!
Just outside the temple. The chapel where we did the Christmas conference is right next door. We just did a rehearsal for the talent show thingie. Elder Holt took my camera and started doing a photo shoot.
Photo shoot 3. The guitar is around 50 bucks haha.
Someone made a funny.
I'm smiling because I knew I was getting a hot shower at the mission home when we got back. First hot shower in 14 months! YES!!!
The 2 guys going home. Elder Beeston redshirts for the Y football team. Him and Brian will be friends. Elder Holt is going to rock it up at BYU Idaho.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Hi My Family
So this week was full of crazy stuff and tro-tro rides galore!
Sorry you felt like you were sleeping on a plane this week in your bronchitus cave.
While you were in your uncomfortable bed I was on a buncha the most uncomfortable and long rides in a tro tro EVER! I think I have been on a tro tro for about 10 hours this week!!!
We had a bunch of "holy cow!" moments this week.
Holy Cow moment #1
We have been trying to get a woman named G in the Kade branch baptized. She has met with plenty of missionaries and has been taught all of the lessons multiple times. She has been having a hard time leaving her church. I first met her and she was unenthused and not really interested, however she likes Elder Afu so we just sang some hymns with her. We challenged her to be baptized the first day I met her and she accepted but wouldn't accept a date to be baptized on. We met her again at her store where she sells meat and again sang some more and shared with her about the Holy Ghost and the Book of Mormon, she accepted a date hesitantly. We met her again later and sang some hymns with her and her husband and her kids, she told us that she had read! We went back to her store to share with her and she said she was feeling sick and we should come back later. We were about to go but felt like I should I enquire if she had prayed and if she had received an answer. I enquired and she just sat there for a moment in silence. She then shed a tear and said that she knows that it is true. She said that she had a dream and that her late (dead) father visited her wearing a white shirt and black trousers, she said that he was dressed like us. He told her that he was now a member of the "Latter Day Saint church." All eyes were slighty wet. We didn't say much more but sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" in her little butcher shop. It was a beautiful thing. She will be baptized this Saturday. This has been a LONG work in process. I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to meet her and help her down this path. Their family is going to ROCK!
Holy Cow Moment #2
We have a recent convert in Kade, in a suburb called Adonkrono. His name is Frank (pictured in the very green Irish looking landscape photo with us, he has the side bag). Frank took us over to meet his friend named E. E has been very sick with Typhoid for a long time and says that he usually doesn't look like he does because he has transformed and become very skinny because of the sickness. One of our members brought him some herbs and he has been getting better. We met with E for just a small time and we gave him the Book of Mormon. We read a place with him about baptism and repentance. We challenged him to be baptized if he knows if the Book of Mormn is true. He said that after reading that small place he knows that it is true and would be baptized as soon as possible. He then shared that he had been praying to God to help him change his life and find the right place to go. He had been attending many churches but stopped due to frustration. He prayed and then we were led to him.
This lets me know that the Holy Ghost prompts others to benifit others. God answered E's prayer by sending the Holy Ghost to prompt the member to give him some medicine, then He prompted Frank to share the gospel with him, then He prompted Frank again to bring us to meet him.
E is already repenting and is very happy. He came to church on Sunday with his friend and was very happy.
We then went over to have some Zone Training in Koforidua on Thursday. The whole North Zone met together. We all arrived early and Elder Chimuka brought his guitar so we decided to practice and arrange Silent Night. Elder Chimuka and I will accompany the choir. The first verse will be just a quartet singing the parts, I got stuck to do the melody because nobody else would...Drats. But Elder Afu, Elder Anderson and Elder Holt are singing the other parts. Elder Holt does a surprisingly good job. Nice low voice.
The 2nd verse is the whole choir/zone singing parts.
The 3rd voice is the whole choir going "ooooohh" while the Senior Couple missionaries, the Terry's, sing a duet for the last verse.
It'll be nice. Sister Smith started to cry. Yup nothing like a little string plucking action to bring those tears.
Elder Chimuka does a good job on the guitar, we are going to practice tomorrow right before.
There are only 2 things that bring a tear to the eye, a very pretty guitar and a trombone solo...of course these are 2 different types of tears. One of joy and one of pain haha. Budoom crash!
Elder Farnbach gave a really good instruction on "How to Begin Teaching." I heard it before when we were in McCarthy Hill and I applied it and all of the sudden our baptismal dates went through the roof. He is a great zone leader and great friend. He is going to help me out with the Christmas talent show. I'll explain later ;)
Well after the zone training we went back to Asamankese and visited a family, the fathers name is D. D is a great man and has been meeting with the missionaries for a long while. He is friends with the Asamankese branch 1 President. We met with him and he knows the Book of Mormon is true. He has been postponing the day of his baptism because he was the guy in charge of a bunch of churches money stuff. Guy is really a learned and smart person. Well we bore our testimony and taught the kids how to pray and then gave them a date for the 15th of January. He accepted. He felt like this would be enough time to cut all the ties with the other churches and fully join. Our Branch President is so giddy because he can give him a calling once he joins. His family of 4 will also join. He has 3 kids. 2 girls and a boy. They are excited.
We then had a baptism on Saturday. We were supposed to baptize 2, Felicia and Ellen; however we got a call Saturday morning that Ellens father just traveled in from an obscure village and she had not told him about the baptism and didn't want her to do it that day. I didn't even know her dad was alive! I thought he died. So we baptised Felicia, there were a lot of good members there to support, and then ran over to Ellens house to meet her father. Her father is a good and honest man, a farmer. He had met the missionaries before and likes us. We sat down with him and taught him about some of the commandments we keep and he made friends with us. He likes how we baptize the same way as Jesus Christ did. He gave us his consent for his daughter to be baptized. We invited him to come and witness it and support her in her decision. He was delighted. We asked him if he would learn with us and if we could teach him these things, he agreed. We will teach him once he gets done with some extended family problem stuff. Will baptize her on the 22nd, with her dad there to watch it ;)
This brings us to the rest of Saturday. The other Elders in our district have been struggling. So I went on splits to Oda to see their sacrament meeting and see what was going on and to do a baptismal interview. I have been to Oda 1 time prior to Saturday and we visited with some members who had minors they had not yet baptized. The families were hmm not unwilling to have their kids baptized but they were just not wanting to do it now. They still have the tradition that you need to be old and very knowledgable about the gospel. I told them that I was 8 and didn't know a whole lot but I knew that it was right and that Jesus Christ did it and that I would get the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. They are hesitant to do the baptisms. There has been a hardship with the Oda branch. They have a lot of older members who want to keep things the same from the time they joined. Not really willing to do new things. Since this is a church of constant revelation this is a hard thing.
For the past months the Oda branch has been re-opened they have been having an english problem. Elder Moses and Elder Kinalwa are from Sierra Leonne and Uganda, they only speak English. The members don't like that much. They are not getting referrals and people have told them that they don't like them because they don't speak Twi, etc. When I heard this, I wasn't sure what to think, but when I went there I found out it was true. The branch has those who are willing, and those who are stubborn, or not willing to change.
The branch leadership is amazing. The President is a Gah and since I am fresh from Accra I sputtered out some Gah to him and I am his new best friend. We had him meet their baptismal candidate and he is very kind and a great man. He is excited for the baptism and is ready to give the baptismal candidate a calling.
I sat through their investigators class and it was almost entirely taught in Twi. This made some of the members feel left out as not all Ghanians speak Twi. Also when they speak the Twi, they are not using the scriptures as 90% of Ghanians can't read Twi. So I talked with the instructor after and I took him through the scriptures small about the need of a common language in these situations and the need to use the language of the scriptures and he absolutley agreed. He agreed to teach the class in only english now. English is the official language of Ghana.
When I was there, President Smith's 1st couselor, President Secheree was there to give some instruction on the whole English issue. The 3rd hour of church ended up going for 2 hours...people were strongly voicing their opinions on the issue. A lot of hmm not nice things were said. Anywho President Secheree let everyone voice their opinons and then took down their concerns and addressed them very professionally. He then explained that we sustain leaders and follow their counsel. He went through the scriptures with us. John 6:58, 60-61, 66-69. Jesus just taught the people about taking the sacrament. A whole congregation size. The people said that "this is a hard saying; who can hear it?" Some of them even started to murmor. Then in verse 66 it says "from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." Then verse 67 says, "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" President helped us understand that ALL of the congregation left except the 12. HOLY COW. Then 68 and 69 tell us that they didn't leave because they knew that Jesus had the words of eternal life and they had a testimony. So we as church members need the word. If we can't read, we can't obtain the word. If you can't understand the language of the prophets, you can't obtain the word.
The church has a literacy program in the wards and branches. Even the Oda and Asamankese relief society presidents learned to read and speak english through that program. It works! However people think that, "this is a hard saying" and they begin to murmor. A lot even left. I hope that they come back. I pray that they will come back. Presdient Secheree lovingly explained everything to everyone. He loves the people. He doesn't get paid to do his calling and he has a broken down car and has had to drive it until it breaks down and then take a tro tro to the branches then return late and try to figure out how to fix his car. He left at 3:30 in the morning to be there and does this regularly. He loves the people, a lot and it pains him to see people get offended at something like this.
However there were a lot of old members that stayed. They were sweet and gentle. They were concerned but understood that this must be. They have faith in the Savior and in the gospel.
Well I gotta run.
Oh we are doing the talent show practice. I am going to play with Elder Beeston. He plays the harmonica. We are going to play a medley of "God Blessed Texas and Boot' Scoot n' boogie." Elder Farnbach was on the folk dance team and has agreed to lead my backup dancers of boot scooters. I have to teach him the dance tonight. Us north zone people are sleeping over at the mission home tonight. Elder Holt and some others are in on the boot scootn. I was going to play something pretty but I went and played some pretty stuff for sister smith at the mission home and then played her some country and she got really happy. President loves country and so do the Elders. So country it is.
Well I love you all.
Sorry about dads foot and your sickness.
Get better very soon!
Thanks for all your debit card emergencies. Love you!
Look at this baby!
A Civil Marraige! Wahoo!
The bride.
Gotta love the speakers for the reception.
Bro. Frank and his friend Bro. Eko who we are teaching.
Elder Afu.
The long road.
Primary presidents boy. He is terrified of us white people.
AAAAAAAHHHH!
So this week was full of crazy stuff and tro-tro rides galore!
Sorry you felt like you were sleeping on a plane this week in your bronchitus cave.
While you were in your uncomfortable bed I was on a buncha the most uncomfortable and long rides in a tro tro EVER! I think I have been on a tro tro for about 10 hours this week!!!
We had a bunch of "holy cow!" moments this week.
Holy Cow moment #1
We have been trying to get a woman named G in the Kade branch baptized. She has met with plenty of missionaries and has been taught all of the lessons multiple times. She has been having a hard time leaving her church. I first met her and she was unenthused and not really interested, however she likes Elder Afu so we just sang some hymns with her. We challenged her to be baptized the first day I met her and she accepted but wouldn't accept a date to be baptized on. We met her again at her store where she sells meat and again sang some more and shared with her about the Holy Ghost and the Book of Mormon, she accepted a date hesitantly. We met her again later and sang some hymns with her and her husband and her kids, she told us that she had read! We went back to her store to share with her and she said she was feeling sick and we should come back later. We were about to go but felt like I should I enquire if she had prayed and if she had received an answer. I enquired and she just sat there for a moment in silence. She then shed a tear and said that she knows that it is true. She said that she had a dream and that her late (dead) father visited her wearing a white shirt and black trousers, she said that he was dressed like us. He told her that he was now a member of the "Latter Day Saint church." All eyes were slighty wet. We didn't say much more but sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" in her little butcher shop. It was a beautiful thing. She will be baptized this Saturday. This has been a LONG work in process. I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to meet her and help her down this path. Their family is going to ROCK!
Holy Cow Moment #2
We have a recent convert in Kade, in a suburb called Adonkrono. His name is Frank (pictured in the very green Irish looking landscape photo with us, he has the side bag). Frank took us over to meet his friend named E. E has been very sick with Typhoid for a long time and says that he usually doesn't look like he does because he has transformed and become very skinny because of the sickness. One of our members brought him some herbs and he has been getting better. We met with E for just a small time and we gave him the Book of Mormon. We read a place with him about baptism and repentance. We challenged him to be baptized if he knows if the Book of Mormn is true. He said that after reading that small place he knows that it is true and would be baptized as soon as possible. He then shared that he had been praying to God to help him change his life and find the right place to go. He had been attending many churches but stopped due to frustration. He prayed and then we were led to him.
This lets me know that the Holy Ghost prompts others to benifit others. God answered E's prayer by sending the Holy Ghost to prompt the member to give him some medicine, then He prompted Frank to share the gospel with him, then He prompted Frank again to bring us to meet him.
E is already repenting and is very happy. He came to church on Sunday with his friend and was very happy.
We then went over to have some Zone Training in Koforidua on Thursday. The whole North Zone met together. We all arrived early and Elder Chimuka brought his guitar so we decided to practice and arrange Silent Night. Elder Chimuka and I will accompany the choir. The first verse will be just a quartet singing the parts, I got stuck to do the melody because nobody else would...Drats. But Elder Afu, Elder Anderson and Elder Holt are singing the other parts. Elder Holt does a surprisingly good job. Nice low voice.
The 2nd verse is the whole choir/zone singing parts.
The 3rd voice is the whole choir going "ooooohh" while the Senior Couple missionaries, the Terry's, sing a duet for the last verse.
It'll be nice. Sister Smith started to cry. Yup nothing like a little string plucking action to bring those tears.
Elder Chimuka does a good job on the guitar, we are going to practice tomorrow right before.
There are only 2 things that bring a tear to the eye, a very pretty guitar and a trombone solo...of course these are 2 different types of tears. One of joy and one of pain haha. Budoom crash!
Elder Farnbach gave a really good instruction on "How to Begin Teaching." I heard it before when we were in McCarthy Hill and I applied it and all of the sudden our baptismal dates went through the roof. He is a great zone leader and great friend. He is going to help me out with the Christmas talent show. I'll explain later ;)
Well after the zone training we went back to Asamankese and visited a family, the fathers name is D. D is a great man and has been meeting with the missionaries for a long while. He is friends with the Asamankese branch 1 President. We met with him and he knows the Book of Mormon is true. He has been postponing the day of his baptism because he was the guy in charge of a bunch of churches money stuff. Guy is really a learned and smart person. Well we bore our testimony and taught the kids how to pray and then gave them a date for the 15th of January. He accepted. He felt like this would be enough time to cut all the ties with the other churches and fully join. Our Branch President is so giddy because he can give him a calling once he joins. His family of 4 will also join. He has 3 kids. 2 girls and a boy. They are excited.
We then had a baptism on Saturday. We were supposed to baptize 2, Felicia and Ellen; however we got a call Saturday morning that Ellens father just traveled in from an obscure village and she had not told him about the baptism and didn't want her to do it that day. I didn't even know her dad was alive! I thought he died. So we baptised Felicia, there were a lot of good members there to support, and then ran over to Ellens house to meet her father. Her father is a good and honest man, a farmer. He had met the missionaries before and likes us. We sat down with him and taught him about some of the commandments we keep and he made friends with us. He likes how we baptize the same way as Jesus Christ did. He gave us his consent for his daughter to be baptized. We invited him to come and witness it and support her in her decision. He was delighted. We asked him if he would learn with us and if we could teach him these things, he agreed. We will teach him once he gets done with some extended family problem stuff. Will baptize her on the 22nd, with her dad there to watch it ;)
This brings us to the rest of Saturday. The other Elders in our district have been struggling. So I went on splits to Oda to see their sacrament meeting and see what was going on and to do a baptismal interview. I have been to Oda 1 time prior to Saturday and we visited with some members who had minors they had not yet baptized. The families were hmm not unwilling to have their kids baptized but they were just not wanting to do it now. They still have the tradition that you need to be old and very knowledgable about the gospel. I told them that I was 8 and didn't know a whole lot but I knew that it was right and that Jesus Christ did it and that I would get the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. They are hesitant to do the baptisms. There has been a hardship with the Oda branch. They have a lot of older members who want to keep things the same from the time they joined. Not really willing to do new things. Since this is a church of constant revelation this is a hard thing.
For the past months the Oda branch has been re-opened they have been having an english problem. Elder Moses and Elder Kinalwa are from Sierra Leonne and Uganda, they only speak English. The members don't like that much. They are not getting referrals and people have told them that they don't like them because they don't speak Twi, etc. When I heard this, I wasn't sure what to think, but when I went there I found out it was true. The branch has those who are willing, and those who are stubborn, or not willing to change.
The branch leadership is amazing. The President is a Gah and since I am fresh from Accra I sputtered out some Gah to him and I am his new best friend. We had him meet their baptismal candidate and he is very kind and a great man. He is excited for the baptism and is ready to give the baptismal candidate a calling.
I sat through their investigators class and it was almost entirely taught in Twi. This made some of the members feel left out as not all Ghanians speak Twi. Also when they speak the Twi, they are not using the scriptures as 90% of Ghanians can't read Twi. So I talked with the instructor after and I took him through the scriptures small about the need of a common language in these situations and the need to use the language of the scriptures and he absolutley agreed. He agreed to teach the class in only english now. English is the official language of Ghana.
When I was there, President Smith's 1st couselor, President Secheree was there to give some instruction on the whole English issue. The 3rd hour of church ended up going for 2 hours...people were strongly voicing their opinions on the issue. A lot of hmm not nice things were said. Anywho President Secheree let everyone voice their opinons and then took down their concerns and addressed them very professionally. He then explained that we sustain leaders and follow their counsel. He went through the scriptures with us. John 6:58, 60-61, 66-69. Jesus just taught the people about taking the sacrament. A whole congregation size. The people said that "this is a hard saying; who can hear it?" Some of them even started to murmor. Then in verse 66 it says "from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." Then verse 67 says, "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" President helped us understand that ALL of the congregation left except the 12. HOLY COW. Then 68 and 69 tell us that they didn't leave because they knew that Jesus had the words of eternal life and they had a testimony. So we as church members need the word. If we can't read, we can't obtain the word. If you can't understand the language of the prophets, you can't obtain the word.
The church has a literacy program in the wards and branches. Even the Oda and Asamankese relief society presidents learned to read and speak english through that program. It works! However people think that, "this is a hard saying" and they begin to murmor. A lot even left. I hope that they come back. I pray that they will come back. Presdient Secheree lovingly explained everything to everyone. He loves the people. He doesn't get paid to do his calling and he has a broken down car and has had to drive it until it breaks down and then take a tro tro to the branches then return late and try to figure out how to fix his car. He left at 3:30 in the morning to be there and does this regularly. He loves the people, a lot and it pains him to see people get offended at something like this.
However there were a lot of old members that stayed. They were sweet and gentle. They were concerned but understood that this must be. They have faith in the Savior and in the gospel.
Well I gotta run.
Oh we are doing the talent show practice. I am going to play with Elder Beeston. He plays the harmonica. We are going to play a medley of "God Blessed Texas and Boot' Scoot n' boogie." Elder Farnbach was on the folk dance team and has agreed to lead my backup dancers of boot scooters. I have to teach him the dance tonight. Us north zone people are sleeping over at the mission home tonight. Elder Holt and some others are in on the boot scootn. I was going to play something pretty but I went and played some pretty stuff for sister smith at the mission home and then played her some country and she got really happy. President loves country and so do the Elders. So country it is.
Well I love you all.
Sorry about dads foot and your sickness.
Get better very soon!
Thanks for all your debit card emergencies. Love you!
A buncha people with a baptismal date! WOOOO!
Asamankese is the place to BE!
Getting our medicine.
The district Elders!
Our chapel in Asamankese. It is a weird thing. The chapel is so nice and it is right out of nowhere. The rest of the town has dirt, cement houses, goats, kiosks and palm trees.
Elder Afu plays the keys. The branches love when we are there because Elder Afu plays for the sacrament meeting.
AAAAAAAHHHH!
IF YA SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN!
North Zone Food!!!
North zone, Zone conference food. It beats up all other zone food.
The little girls were singing hymns standing up on the chairs. They wanted to feel just as tall I guess. It was cute.
Monday, December 6, 2010
17 people came to church, second email from Asamankesse
Hello family!
So I’m having a blast here in my little flux compacitor shaped area. We have been running around like crazy, which I like to do. Feels like home, running all over the place frantically, my usual pace. We were able to get the branch presidents and district president into our ‘camp’ and we were able to schedule a fixed time each week to have our coordination meetings. We got each branch to call us branch missionaries that can help us out while we are in different areas. It is our little royal army. It is paying off too. We got 17 people to church this week. We got 15 with a baptismal date for December. AAAAAAAHHHHHH responsibility! I am having to really slack my English down and speak in terms that make no sense. Forget the ‘th’ sounds and the ‘er’ sounds. Words like ‘thirty’ become ‘tare-dee’ etc. It really is awkward haha.
This Saturday, a baptism for 2 girls, Ellen and Felecia. Ellen is 18 years old and is in her 2nd year in high school. She was a referral from a member who lives nearby and has come 3 times now. She has been coming with her friend, who is also named Ellen, who is 14. Ellen the 2nd wants to join but we need to contact her father who lives far away and obtain permission, then I need to have our branch president call President Smith and ask for permission. It’ll be great to get more people in the church here that are able to read English and comprehend what they are reading. These youthful literate people will take a big role in having the church succeed here.
The second girl is named Felecia. She is living in the same house as one of the relief society presidents house. She has been coming to church for months now. We wanted to teach her mom & dad but the dad lives far away, they don’t talk to him much, and the mom can’t speak English or read. We obtained permission to baptize Felecia from President Smith by having our branch president meet Felecia and calling to vouch for her. Teaching Felecia is tricky, she is SHY SHY SHY. She like puts her head into her lap and tries to burrow away haha. We were teaching her and she wasn’t really responding. We had her neighbor teach her the commandments and we were reviewing them with her to see if she understood them and was willing to keep them etc, but she was just super shy. I felt like we should stop teaching and play a game with her. We stopped teaching and just said, hey lets take a break and play a game. I talked her into having her teach Elder Afu how to play 2-4-6-1-1 a little clapping game thingie that the girls play. She had fun but was still shy small. We then did a little game with her neighbor on who could write down the commandments and 4 points about each of them, and who could do it the fastest. I had as the prize, some headphones I confiscated from Elder Cobbinah haha. She had fun and was able to pass her interview with Elder Terry, our mission couple up here in the bush.
President Smith also called this week and was wanting us to get our baptismal records in for our district. This is tricky because we live forever away. He told me to take a picture of the records and email them to him. Great idea…except the internet is as slow as molasses. I took the pictures of the records and tried to upload them and failed miserably. I then called the office couple and they said I could tell them the information through the phone. This would cause me great frustration because the names are all spelled crazy and stuff and would require me to spell out each thing verbally on the phone and there would still be errors. Why didn’t I finish my ham radio merit badge, that way I could have spoke in alpha bravo Charlie x-ray talk haha. So I just typed up all the information and emailed her a bunch of text with all the info on it.
So I think I gotta type in all the baptismal records on the computer and email them to the office couple. I just gotta make sure that they are all having the correct signatures and stuff. Crazy!!!
Today we are at the church family history center and using their sticky free keyboards. Ahh it is glorious. The internet still sucks but the keyboard is fresh. It is like hmm an indescribable crisp feeling. Kinda like a nice new french fry (however I like squishy wendys French fries too…)
We are working with the wife of one of the branch presidents, Georgette. She isn’t a member yet. She is kinda hmm kinda reserved. She likes the hymns though! So we go over and sing hymns to her. Elder Afu and I can sing parts, yahoo. We started teaching her at her house and shop. Upon arrival we met her daughter Niece. Niece is around 14 years old and is a member. She was feeling sick so she didn’t go to school but decided to help her mom at the store. You can tell she likes being with her mom. We taught her about the book of mormon and the promise that come with it. We then asked her if she had any experiences with the Holy Ghost and she shared her testimony. Just then I noticed Niece helping her mom cut up some sticks for her moms store, to be used for I don’t exactly know. She looked innocent and loving. A thought came into my mind that this family could be a great and loving eternal family and that I could help. I then extended a baptismal invitation and she accepted.
She has faith that if it is true that the Holy Ghost will tell her.
She should be baptized on the 18th with some work. We got her whole family together to sing hymns with her and she liked that. She is kinda stuck in her church but we are working on her. She came on Sunday and liked it. We are trying to find a way to get a woman fellowshipper over to her house. I think we will get her baptized and in with her family. She already knows that the church is true, she just is having a hard time.
Pray for her could ya?
We are teaching a man named Koffa and his family. Koffa can read but has a hard time understanding all the big words like sacrament etc. His wife can’t speak English or read but came to church. She likes it. Koffa and his children were having a really hard time at reading and comprehending, understanding our English and focusing. We even had them write down things about the Holy Ghost so they could just memorize stuff but they kept numbering things wrong and kept spelling stuff wrong like ‘heart’ was ‘h a backwards r t’ and kept correcting each others papers and getting nothing done haha. It was really frustrating. We have really simplified our teaching but it still is hard for people to comprehend a lot of it. I have been praying to have God strengthen my Ghana English speak so I can teach better, been praying for investigators English and reading skills, been praying to help them and me through this baptismal and enduring to the end process. I was comforted reading the Book of Mormon in Alma 31:26-35 and Alma 32:16.
Alma prayed to have success in the work and to help change his people from the Rameumptom ways, to have their afflictions be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. It was granted unto him because he prayed with faith.
Also in Alma 32:16 it states “therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.”
This scripture is about these people here in Asamankese and Kade. Koffa and his family have been coming, they don’t understand a whole lot yet but they know that this is good and right. Koffa used to go to different churches then got fed up and stopped for over 10 years. He knows that this is right, even though he doesn’t comprehend a whole lot. He will be very blessed as Alma 32 says. He is learning the doctrine small small, bit by bit. He is doing well. His family of 5 and his wife will be baptized on the 18th.
This is somehow hard for my patience haha. The Lord wants me to improve this attribute and humble me by having me speak the small small English and continue to find synonyms for words like ‘whisper’ etc.
Well I was able to go to Kade this week for church. It was my first time there. The building we attend church in is just a rented house. It used to be the missionaries apartment. It was definitely a new experience having half the congregation bear their testimony during sacrament meeting and not run out of time. The congregation is very small around 40 people on a good day. 11 of those 40 were our investigators.
The branch is simple and is ready to grow. I pray we find more leaders we could baptize, more families as well. The strength of the church has got to be in the family.
I felt prompted to bear my testimony during testimony meeting about the Book of Mormon. I read Mosiah 3 about Jesus Christ. I then held up the book of Mormon and said that it is scripture and it testifies about Jesus Christ. I then explained the promise that goes along with the book, read it, ponder it, pray about it and the Holy Ghost will tell you that it is true. I then bore testimony about how the Book of Mormon is very true because I did read, ponder, pray and I do know that it is true by the power of the Holy Ghost. It was very simple.
One very sweet 16 year old girl bore her testimony. She is the only member in her family, her mom is a self proclaimed ‘prophetess’ and her father is blind as has had a hard life. She has a good testimony about the church and about God answering prayers. After some of the testimonies a man came from the congregation and stood at the pulpit. He said he was Dr._____ (can’t remember his name) and he was a Nigerian. He came to Ghana to start a church and be a pastor. He kept seeing the church signboard and he said that it upset him because he heard lots of rumors and bad things about the church. He decided to investigate it himself. He said that after viewing the sacrament service and testimonies that this church truly was all about ‘Jesus Christ’ and that he would defend the name of the church anywhere he went in the world. He was highly pleased with it. After the service I gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he would read it and pray about it. He is going back to Nigeria this week. It was great to see that someone not of our faith come and see and then stand up for what he felt was right.
Having church in that small house reminds me of those videos of the church first starting the in 1800’s. Mostly I think it is because of the benches they got in there. They got those benches Tom Sawyer’s and Huck Finn’s churches had. You know the benches they sit on and some little kid sneaks a little frog into church in his pilgrim clothes pocket. They are those no cushion, unpolished kinda of awkward benches. The church building is awkward. With weird room sizes, improvise as you go type of architecture. Dr. Seuss and the Mad Hatter could have made the blue prints, especially for the doorways and crooked walls haha.
The church is definitely true no matter where you go. It is the same teachings no matter where you go. We are working on getting the literacy work going on strong here but it is all cool.
We are planning to do the Christmas program for the Kade branch here.
I’ll letcha know how it goes soon.
Elder Farnbach is cool. He is a good zone leader, fun to be around and is good with all that number stuff. He does a great job. He is my buddy. We joke on the phone and stuff when he calls. He understands me, I understand him. He is a zoobie and really smart and punny. I enjoy his cheesy puns.
Glad ya’ll are doing good. Nice fun trip to gunnies eh? The store looks fun. I bethca all that denim stuff is expensive though. I want the bull horsey rocking thing!
Keith Urban has a new album eh? Is it cool?
Sorry dad about your foot. I have a philosophy for the ingrown toenails. Grow em long and straight! Don’t cut them to the shape of your toe. We let them grow slightly longer here and just cut them straight across, that way they don’t burrow into your foot. Longer is okay, unless you have to shove them into a ski boot haha.
Looks like sister is doing good. Yeah don’t worry about me here. I am eating more akple (like banku but for ewes). It is like banku just less fermented. I am eating more fufu here and stuff so I shouldn’t be so freaking skinny here. I think that I’ll stay skinny though because they don’t have many candies out here. All the sweet stuff from Accra is more costly so we don’t snack as much here. All the imports kinda get soggy…like the biscuits and stuff, so we are eating all fresh stuff right from the tree so I’ll probably stay really skinny. We are eating like true Africans.
I’m trying to talk Elder Afu into pounding fufu, he is scared to do it haha. I’m pounding plenty out here. They do the best thing out here!!!
They mix the ground nut soup and the light soup! It is amazing! I also learned how to make some good gari tomato onion thingie I can snack on. YUM! Just needs guacamole!
Well sounds like you guys are doing great. Sorry about dads fetchamugummit toe.
Thanks for the cash. I am having Beatrice Aboagye from McCarthy Hill get grandma patsy and carol some Ghana dresses with the fake kente cloth. The dresses have an elastic thread in them. Kinda like 1 size fits all. They might require an extra t-shirt underneath them for them to be appropriate haha but they should like them.
The ATM is only in Oda so we are going there today to get our subsistence money.
Well I love you guys.
Sorry my email is sporadic, internet problems and such. Also there ain’t any time to write anybody really. I got so many names and faces floating around in my head it is hard to compose a well written thinger.
Love you guys tons!
Talk to you next week. Hey Christmas is coming!!! I should get your thanksgiving package soon, probably on Thursday muahaha!
forward those pictures to Elder Afu’s mom if ya could.
Rahmat and Irenes baptism in Asamankese
Near Subi. It was really bright, sorry for the squint. I like the
monkey island clouds in the background.
Elder Afu doing that Tongan stance thing. Austin Childs used to do this stance.
If you look closely you can see how all the bush is very organized and
in nice neat little rows. All the animals have run away into the north
because of the human development. Elephants used to live in these
places and stuff but no longer.
So I’m having a blast here in my little flux compacitor shaped area. We have been running around like crazy, which I like to do. Feels like home, running all over the place frantically, my usual pace. We were able to get the branch presidents and district president into our ‘camp’ and we were able to schedule a fixed time each week to have our coordination meetings. We got each branch to call us branch missionaries that can help us out while we are in different areas. It is our little royal army. It is paying off too. We got 17 people to church this week. We got 15 with a baptismal date for December. AAAAAAAHHHHHH responsibility! I am having to really slack my English down and speak in terms that make no sense. Forget the ‘th’ sounds and the ‘er’ sounds. Words like ‘thirty’ become ‘tare-dee’ etc. It really is awkward haha.
This Saturday, a baptism for 2 girls, Ellen and Felecia. Ellen is 18 years old and is in her 2nd year in high school. She was a referral from a member who lives nearby and has come 3 times now. She has been coming with her friend, who is also named Ellen, who is 14. Ellen the 2nd wants to join but we need to contact her father who lives far away and obtain permission, then I need to have our branch president call President Smith and ask for permission. It’ll be great to get more people in the church here that are able to read English and comprehend what they are reading. These youthful literate people will take a big role in having the church succeed here.
The second girl is named Felecia. She is living in the same house as one of the relief society presidents house. She has been coming to church for months now. We wanted to teach her mom & dad but the dad lives far away, they don’t talk to him much, and the mom can’t speak English or read. We obtained permission to baptize Felecia from President Smith by having our branch president meet Felecia and calling to vouch for her. Teaching Felecia is tricky, she is SHY SHY SHY. She like puts her head into her lap and tries to burrow away haha. We were teaching her and she wasn’t really responding. We had her neighbor teach her the commandments and we were reviewing them with her to see if she understood them and was willing to keep them etc, but she was just super shy. I felt like we should stop teaching and play a game with her. We stopped teaching and just said, hey lets take a break and play a game. I talked her into having her teach Elder Afu how to play 2-4-6-1-1 a little clapping game thingie that the girls play. She had fun but was still shy small. We then did a little game with her neighbor on who could write down the commandments and 4 points about each of them, and who could do it the fastest. I had as the prize, some headphones I confiscated from Elder Cobbinah haha. She had fun and was able to pass her interview with Elder Terry, our mission couple up here in the bush.
President Smith also called this week and was wanting us to get our baptismal records in for our district. This is tricky because we live forever away. He told me to take a picture of the records and email them to him. Great idea…except the internet is as slow as molasses. I took the pictures of the records and tried to upload them and failed miserably. I then called the office couple and they said I could tell them the information through the phone. This would cause me great frustration because the names are all spelled crazy and stuff and would require me to spell out each thing verbally on the phone and there would still be errors. Why didn’t I finish my ham radio merit badge, that way I could have spoke in alpha bravo Charlie x-ray talk haha. So I just typed up all the information and emailed her a bunch of text with all the info on it.
So I think I gotta type in all the baptismal records on the computer and email them to the office couple. I just gotta make sure that they are all having the correct signatures and stuff. Crazy!!!
Today we are at the church family history center and using their sticky free keyboards. Ahh it is glorious. The internet still sucks but the keyboard is fresh. It is like hmm an indescribable crisp feeling. Kinda like a nice new french fry (however I like squishy wendys French fries too…)
We are working with the wife of one of the branch presidents, Georgette. She isn’t a member yet. She is kinda hmm kinda reserved. She likes the hymns though! So we go over and sing hymns to her. Elder Afu and I can sing parts, yahoo. We started teaching her at her house and shop. Upon arrival we met her daughter Niece. Niece is around 14 years old and is a member. She was feeling sick so she didn’t go to school but decided to help her mom at the store. You can tell she likes being with her mom. We taught her about the book of mormon and the promise that come with it. We then asked her if she had any experiences with the Holy Ghost and she shared her testimony. Just then I noticed Niece helping her mom cut up some sticks for her moms store, to be used for I don’t exactly know. She looked innocent and loving. A thought came into my mind that this family could be a great and loving eternal family and that I could help. I then extended a baptismal invitation and she accepted.
She has faith that if it is true that the Holy Ghost will tell her.
She should be baptized on the 18th with some work. We got her whole family together to sing hymns with her and she liked that. She is kinda stuck in her church but we are working on her. She came on Sunday and liked it. We are trying to find a way to get a woman fellowshipper over to her house. I think we will get her baptized and in with her family. She already knows that the church is true, she just is having a hard time.
Pray for her could ya?
We are teaching a man named Koffa and his family. Koffa can read but has a hard time understanding all the big words like sacrament etc. His wife can’t speak English or read but came to church. She likes it. Koffa and his children were having a really hard time at reading and comprehending, understanding our English and focusing. We even had them write down things about the Holy Ghost so they could just memorize stuff but they kept numbering things wrong and kept spelling stuff wrong like ‘heart’ was ‘h a backwards r t’ and kept correcting each others papers and getting nothing done haha. It was really frustrating. We have really simplified our teaching but it still is hard for people to comprehend a lot of it. I have been praying to have God strengthen my Ghana English speak so I can teach better, been praying for investigators English and reading skills, been praying to help them and me through this baptismal and enduring to the end process. I was comforted reading the Book of Mormon in Alma 31:26-35 and Alma 32:16.
Alma prayed to have success in the work and to help change his people from the Rameumptom ways, to have their afflictions be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. It was granted unto him because he prayed with faith.
Also in Alma 32:16 it states “therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.”
This scripture is about these people here in Asamankese and Kade. Koffa and his family have been coming, they don’t understand a whole lot yet but they know that this is good and right. Koffa used to go to different churches then got fed up and stopped for over 10 years. He knows that this is right, even though he doesn’t comprehend a whole lot. He will be very blessed as Alma 32 says. He is learning the doctrine small small, bit by bit. He is doing well. His family of 5 and his wife will be baptized on the 18th.
This is somehow hard for my patience haha. The Lord wants me to improve this attribute and humble me by having me speak the small small English and continue to find synonyms for words like ‘whisper’ etc.
Well I was able to go to Kade this week for church. It was my first time there. The building we attend church in is just a rented house. It used to be the missionaries apartment. It was definitely a new experience having half the congregation bear their testimony during sacrament meeting and not run out of time. The congregation is very small around 40 people on a good day. 11 of those 40 were our investigators.
The branch is simple and is ready to grow. I pray we find more leaders we could baptize, more families as well. The strength of the church has got to be in the family.
I felt prompted to bear my testimony during testimony meeting about the Book of Mormon. I read Mosiah 3 about Jesus Christ. I then held up the book of Mormon and said that it is scripture and it testifies about Jesus Christ. I then explained the promise that goes along with the book, read it, ponder it, pray about it and the Holy Ghost will tell you that it is true. I then bore testimony about how the Book of Mormon is very true because I did read, ponder, pray and I do know that it is true by the power of the Holy Ghost. It was very simple.
One very sweet 16 year old girl bore her testimony. She is the only member in her family, her mom is a self proclaimed ‘prophetess’ and her father is blind as has had a hard life. She has a good testimony about the church and about God answering prayers. After some of the testimonies a man came from the congregation and stood at the pulpit. He said he was Dr._____ (can’t remember his name) and he was a Nigerian. He came to Ghana to start a church and be a pastor. He kept seeing the church signboard and he said that it upset him because he heard lots of rumors and bad things about the church. He decided to investigate it himself. He said that after viewing the sacrament service and testimonies that this church truly was all about ‘Jesus Christ’ and that he would defend the name of the church anywhere he went in the world. He was highly pleased with it. After the service I gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he would read it and pray about it. He is going back to Nigeria this week. It was great to see that someone not of our faith come and see and then stand up for what he felt was right.
Having church in that small house reminds me of those videos of the church first starting the in 1800’s. Mostly I think it is because of the benches they got in there. They got those benches Tom Sawyer’s and Huck Finn’s churches had. You know the benches they sit on and some little kid sneaks a little frog into church in his pilgrim clothes pocket. They are those no cushion, unpolished kinda of awkward benches. The church building is awkward. With weird room sizes, improvise as you go type of architecture. Dr. Seuss and the Mad Hatter could have made the blue prints, especially for the doorways and crooked walls haha.
The church is definitely true no matter where you go. It is the same teachings no matter where you go. We are working on getting the literacy work going on strong here but it is all cool.
We are planning to do the Christmas program for the Kade branch here.
I’ll letcha know how it goes soon.
Elder Farnbach is cool. He is a good zone leader, fun to be around and is good with all that number stuff. He does a great job. He is my buddy. We joke on the phone and stuff when he calls. He understands me, I understand him. He is a zoobie and really smart and punny. I enjoy his cheesy puns.
Glad ya’ll are doing good. Nice fun trip to gunnies eh? The store looks fun. I bethca all that denim stuff is expensive though. I want the bull horsey rocking thing!
Keith Urban has a new album eh? Is it cool?
Sorry dad about your foot. I have a philosophy for the ingrown toenails. Grow em long and straight! Don’t cut them to the shape of your toe. We let them grow slightly longer here and just cut them straight across, that way they don’t burrow into your foot. Longer is okay, unless you have to shove them into a ski boot haha.
Looks like sister is doing good. Yeah don’t worry about me here. I am eating more akple (like banku but for ewes). It is like banku just less fermented. I am eating more fufu here and stuff so I shouldn’t be so freaking skinny here. I think that I’ll stay skinny though because they don’t have many candies out here. All the sweet stuff from Accra is more costly so we don’t snack as much here. All the imports kinda get soggy…like the biscuits and stuff, so we are eating all fresh stuff right from the tree so I’ll probably stay really skinny. We are eating like true Africans.
I’m trying to talk Elder Afu into pounding fufu, he is scared to do it haha. I’m pounding plenty out here. They do the best thing out here!!!
They mix the ground nut soup and the light soup! It is amazing! I also learned how to make some good gari tomato onion thingie I can snack on. YUM! Just needs guacamole!
Well sounds like you guys are doing great. Sorry about dads fetchamugummit toe.
Thanks for the cash. I am having Beatrice Aboagye from McCarthy Hill get grandma patsy and carol some Ghana dresses with the fake kente cloth. The dresses have an elastic thread in them. Kinda like 1 size fits all. They might require an extra t-shirt underneath them for them to be appropriate haha but they should like them.
The ATM is only in Oda so we are going there today to get our subsistence money.
Well I love you guys.
Sorry my email is sporadic, internet problems and such. Also there ain’t any time to write anybody really. I got so many names and faces floating around in my head it is hard to compose a well written thinger.
Love you guys tons!
Talk to you next week. Hey Christmas is coming!!! I should get your thanksgiving package soon, probably on Thursday muahaha!
forward those pictures to Elder Afu’s mom if ya could.
monkey island clouds in the background.
in nice neat little rows. All the animals have run away into the north
because of the human development. Elephants used to live in these
places and stuff but no longer.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Transferred to the jungle, Asamankesse, in the Ghana Eastern Region.
Hello my family!
Man grandma Patsy combined with mom = missionary finder squadron special ops airborne satellite intelligence rogue team.
I can't believe that you found me and my town so fast. Yeah the Cranney's came and inspected our apartment and they said that they know Sis West and have been emailing each other. They really like grandma.
Well I'll tell you some things about my area you don't know. President first called me and said that he was going to transfer me this transfer but "you haven't done anything like this in your mission yet."
So he transferred me to Asamankesse, in the eastern region, as district leader. This place is hmm "a freaking jungle" as stated in my journal.
There are loads of trees, no city at all. Not like Accra. This place is more quiet, less noise, less cars. The forest is interesting because it is all farmland that is owned by someone. It is not like 'farmland' at home with the fences and plow and stuff. It is big bushy jungle with neat rows of plantain, orange trees etc. It is hard to explain. Here is the tricky and 'haven't done anything like this' yet part. My companion and I are in charge of 3 branches, Asamankese 1, Asmankesse 2 and Kade (pronounced cuh-day) branch.
I have never been in a branch before, ever, in my life. It is kinda the same but only around 40-60 people come to sacrament meeting. Also Kade is an hour tro tro ride away so we go proselyte in Asamankese 3 days a week and Kade for 2 and switch off on Saturdays for baptism and church on Sundays. The whole thing is a logistical nightmare haha.
Luckily I have a great companion Elder Afu. He is a Polynesian from South Sandy. Coolest guy in the world. He looks like 'the rock' from the WWF wrestling. He even can do the eyebrow. He just finished up being trained by Elder Nielson, the Elder Nielson from our Dansoman/Mataheko days,and is a great help to me. He cleans up after himself, keeps the rules willingly and hmm I am being pulled by him.
The only thing we had to work on was updating the area book haha. I am so excited to work with him! He is an answer to my prayers.
He played football for Alta High as a running back and just finished his first year at Stanford on an academic scholarship, not playing football anymore. He is really easy to get along with and they were doing a great job. He is leading me around and I'm getting to know the places and new names and faces.
Just to show you how good we are getting along, we gave a bunch of baptismal dates this week. Currently we have 13 with a date for December and 13 came to church last Sunday. IT IS GOING TO BE CRAZY!!!
I also am keeping an eye on the Oda missionaries who stay about 1-2 hours away. It is tricky because we live so far away and keeping tabs on people is going to be complicated.
Just to show you how complicated things are, to find out which investigators come to church we first sat through 2 church services for Asamankesse 1 and 2 then we had to call the branch mission leader in Kade and get the stats from him on who came to the branch there and then add up the people and stuff.
Luckily we have some great great great recent converts in Kade who come teaching with us. We planned this week to "recruit for the Kade branch army" so we can keep tabs on our investigators over there while we are here in Asamankese. We have 2 recent converts who are going to read with our investigators out there and help them answer the questions in the pamphlets. This way our little Kade army will be teaching our people the basics while we are away. Then when we are there we can get specific and help them with their commandment problems and get personal with them etc.
We are trying to find some army people for Asamankese but only really have 1 who is going on a mission next month. The Asamankese branch is mostly old people with some youth sprinkled in there. So let the recruiting begin!
Here is some stuff from my journal
26th Nov 2010
I got transferred 2 days ago. I was reading the Book of Mormon and moments before President Smith called I read a verse in Alma 22 that caught my eye. "... Behold, the Spirit of the Lord has called him another way; he has gone to the land of Ishmael, to teach the people of Lamoni."
President Smith then called and told me that he was transferring me.
27th Nov 2010
Today quite a lot actually happened. The day started off with a great baptism. Sis Rahmat and Sis Irene were baptized. Sis Rahmat is the daughter of a long time member, however the mom doesn't speak English. It was back then. Irene is the niece of the 2nd branch president. This was a tricky baptism to pull off, not because of the teaching but because of the logistics of the font! MAN! More font problems!!!
We went to fill the font yesterday around 3ish. They just installed a new spiket in the font so it would fill nicely. It would take around 2 and half hours to fill. we came back a couple hours later and
President Iyeh turned off the water because it was pumping out mud instead of water. The font looked terrible. It was full of brown caca looking water. We drained the water and swept up the dirt inside. This was the 2nd time that we were sweeping out the font that day. We cleaned it prior to the first filling because it was gross and I couldn't bring myself to baptize someone in the yucky font. So we cleaned it.
We then filled it with the normal garden hose routine. We started filling it at 9pm and fell asleep at church on top of some make shift beds of folding up chairs. WORST SLEEP EVER! We stayed there until 12:30 until the font finished filling. Luckily we live 2 min away from the church so no problem getting home. WHY GHANA FONTS, WHY!!!
Anywho they were baptized. YAHOO! The Lord provides away, even if the way involves staying at the church on top of a bed of chairs until the font filled for the baptism the next morning. Luckily we found the problem in time or else there would have been some big problems 8 am at the baptism, I could only imagine how sucky that would have been.
Thank goodness we filled it the night before!
Well after the baptism, bro Giddyglow (best member ever, he is ewe - pronouced A-way) was getting his marriage done civilly at the church. OF COURSE WE WENT! Anything for a Ghanaian performing a legally binding, temple worthy, as binding as the laws of the land can make it wedding. It was a great great thing. It was like a normal marriage ceremony however the crowd got pretty rowdy during the "I do" part and the kiss the bride part. It was a great thing to see though. He is a great man, his wife is a great woman. She got herself all dolled up for the occasion and had a nice dress with matching bag etc. They were so happy.
We went over to Kade today. We met with a man named Kofi. We met his family and we gave them all a date. Kofi is a great dude, he can read good enough. He disproved the Mammon vs. Mormon myth (they pronounce both of them the same here) because he noticed they were spelled differently and meant different things. Sweet!
He took us to his house and he really loves the gospel. They should be baptized on the 18th of December.
I am somehow petrified with all the responsibility I have here. I'm in charge of a large land mass and a lot of dates. AAAH! I feel small but the Lord will strengthen me and make me strong enough to face the challenge.
I'm tired. Good night!
Nov 26 continued.
So I turned 21 on the 7th. Mom sent me an 'offical Carrie Underwood fanclub' t-shirt and membership card. She also sent me an apron for cooking that said "guac on." My favorite part was we went over to the Dadzies and she made me banku with mackerel and tomato stew. WE ate the rice krispy treat cake mom sent and vacuume sealed closed. It was still pretty soft. She cares for me a lot, I love her. SO I spent my 21st birthday in Ghana. While a lot of the world spends their 21st birthday buying alcohol legally for the 1st time, inappropriate movies, being crazy and just being appropriate; I spent my 21st birthday preaching the gospel, knocking on doors, teaching in small small English to my African brothers and sisters. I couldn't have spent it a better way.
End of journal entries.
Everyone likes to speak twi at church. It is going to be an uphill battle with the language problem. The church is only to speak English here because for many reasons. For one reason is that some tribes don't speak the other tribes language; for example most of the ewe people can't speak twi. Also it is very rare to find someone who can read twi or ewe or any tribal language. The gospel requires literacy.
There are also plenty of other immigrants coming to church, for example there is a Nigerian member wife here who only speaks English.
In spite of all of this, they still are putting up a fight to speak twi. I'm going to make friends with the branch leadership and then try to bring this up later. My twi is really improving though haha.
Again I am really excited to be here. I am afraid that a t-rex or some raptors are going to pop out of the jungle and swallow our tro tro when going to Kade. Besides that the area is safer than Accra. Not as many psychos.
Sorry no pictures today. This cafe don't got a usb slot. I'll figure out how to get you pictures soon.
I have to say this about companions and preparing for a mission.
Playing sports before mission = Good. It takes the ninny out of ya.
I am feeling the Spirit a whole lot more being out here because we are getting along really well and are doing what is right. It is just really great.
On the way up here the Terry couple, from Las Vegas, drove us up. This is their 3rd mission to Africa. They love it here. They said that we are doing Silent Night for our Christmas conference and that Elder Terry said, "No! there will be no piano playing! We want guitar!"
Last night Elder Afu and I stayed up and arranged a 3 part harmony cowboy style version how to do it. Elder Afu played the piano in his Tongan ward so he has good ears. It was fun.
As far as the other transfers went, Elder Zadi is in Ashaiman with Elder Yahaya as his district leader again. Elder Cobbinah is companions with Elder Nielson (we just traded places), Elder Collings stayed there and is now companions with Elder Jones from Utah.
McCarthy Hills was supposed to baptise Nathaniel but didn't for some reason. I will nag them until they do! Also Edwina's sister Gertrude turns 9 on Dec 2nd so they need to baptize her. I'll let you know how it goes.
Well Elder Farnbach is now my zone leader up here. He is in charge of 5 branches and is in a new area every day. STRESSFUL. I think President took all the missionaries out of the bush and put them in Accra. The area presidency told him to put some small amount back. I think that is why we are running around all over the place. It is crazy but fun as crap.
So it is fun being up here. The couple missionaries are kinda watching over us rather than presdient smith so much. Elder and Sister Terry do most of our baptismal interviews because they have a car and the zl's can't travel all the time because of their crazy 5 branch schedule. Oh Elder Holt is just a couple towns over, about 1-2 hours away. He likes it up here, I think I will too.
Once I get this place down I'll be able to tell you more.
This place is not as hot. BONUS! Everyone keeps feeding us here so I'll gain back some weight.
Well how the poop did byu botch a field goal? I'm not mad i'm just frustamragated. Oh well. Your thanksgiving party sounded like loads of fun. I should get your package for thanksgiving very soon. Elder Afu
(pronounced ah-foo) and I will enjoy. See enjoyment!
Speaking of tasty package goodies, when they called and transferred me to the bush I quickly called the other missionaries, Elder Zadi and Elder Collings, and had them pick me up 10 mt. Dews. Last dew time for a long while!
I'm very proud of your mimi's thanksgiving dinner. I laughed at your guys football faces. Sorry-o.
Well I am off. Love you guys so much. I'll send ya some pictures soon.
Picture really green and lots of trees and neat forest. Not a lot of animals because it is farm land. Farm land meets jungle minus the lots of animals part. They still got those mega big termite mounds I'll snap a picture for ya.
Gotta run!
p.s. Wow look at all of that snow. I'm now transformed into the hot and wet weathered person. Looking at the snow kinda freaks me out a bit.
Man grandma Patsy combined with mom = missionary finder squadron special ops airborne satellite intelligence rogue team.
I can't believe that you found me and my town so fast. Yeah the Cranney's came and inspected our apartment and they said that they know Sis West and have been emailing each other. They really like grandma.
Well I'll tell you some things about my area you don't know. President first called me and said that he was going to transfer me this transfer but "you haven't done anything like this in your mission yet."
So he transferred me to Asamankesse, in the eastern region, as district leader. This place is hmm "a freaking jungle" as stated in my journal.
There are loads of trees, no city at all. Not like Accra. This place is more quiet, less noise, less cars. The forest is interesting because it is all farmland that is owned by someone. It is not like 'farmland' at home with the fences and plow and stuff. It is big bushy jungle with neat rows of plantain, orange trees etc. It is hard to explain. Here is the tricky and 'haven't done anything like this' yet part. My companion and I are in charge of 3 branches, Asamankese 1, Asmankesse 2 and Kade (pronounced cuh-day) branch.
I have never been in a branch before, ever, in my life. It is kinda the same but only around 40-60 people come to sacrament meeting. Also Kade is an hour tro tro ride away so we go proselyte in Asamankese 3 days a week and Kade for 2 and switch off on Saturdays for baptism and church on Sundays. The whole thing is a logistical nightmare haha.
Luckily I have a great companion Elder Afu. He is a Polynesian from South Sandy. Coolest guy in the world. He looks like 'the rock' from the WWF wrestling. He even can do the eyebrow. He just finished up being trained by Elder Nielson, the Elder Nielson from our Dansoman/Mataheko days,and is a great help to me. He cleans up after himself, keeps the rules willingly and hmm I am being pulled by him.
The only thing we had to work on was updating the area book haha. I am so excited to work with him! He is an answer to my prayers.
He played football for Alta High as a running back and just finished his first year at Stanford on an academic scholarship, not playing football anymore. He is really easy to get along with and they were doing a great job. He is leading me around and I'm getting to know the places and new names and faces.
Just to show you how good we are getting along, we gave a bunch of baptismal dates this week. Currently we have 13 with a date for December and 13 came to church last Sunday. IT IS GOING TO BE CRAZY!!!
I also am keeping an eye on the Oda missionaries who stay about 1-2 hours away. It is tricky because we live so far away and keeping tabs on people is going to be complicated.
Just to show you how complicated things are, to find out which investigators come to church we first sat through 2 church services for Asamankesse 1 and 2 then we had to call the branch mission leader in Kade and get the stats from him on who came to the branch there and then add up the people and stuff.
Luckily we have some great great great recent converts in Kade who come teaching with us. We planned this week to "recruit for the Kade branch army" so we can keep tabs on our investigators over there while we are here in Asamankese. We have 2 recent converts who are going to read with our investigators out there and help them answer the questions in the pamphlets. This way our little Kade army will be teaching our people the basics while we are away. Then when we are there we can get specific and help them with their commandment problems and get personal with them etc.
We are trying to find some army people for Asamankese but only really have 1 who is going on a mission next month. The Asamankese branch is mostly old people with some youth sprinkled in there. So let the recruiting begin!
Here is some stuff from my journal
26th Nov 2010
I got transferred 2 days ago. I was reading the Book of Mormon and moments before President Smith called I read a verse in Alma 22 that caught my eye. "... Behold, the Spirit of the Lord has called him another way; he has gone to the land of Ishmael, to teach the people of Lamoni."
President Smith then called and told me that he was transferring me.
27th Nov 2010
Today quite a lot actually happened. The day started off with a great baptism. Sis Rahmat and Sis Irene were baptized. Sis Rahmat is the daughter of a long time member, however the mom doesn't speak English. It was back then. Irene is the niece of the 2nd branch president. This was a tricky baptism to pull off, not because of the teaching but because of the logistics of the font! MAN! More font problems!!!
We went to fill the font yesterday around 3ish. They just installed a new spiket in the font so it would fill nicely. It would take around 2 and half hours to fill. we came back a couple hours later and
President Iyeh turned off the water because it was pumping out mud instead of water. The font looked terrible. It was full of brown caca looking water. We drained the water and swept up the dirt inside. This was the 2nd time that we were sweeping out the font that day. We cleaned it prior to the first filling because it was gross and I couldn't bring myself to baptize someone in the yucky font. So we cleaned it.
We then filled it with the normal garden hose routine. We started filling it at 9pm and fell asleep at church on top of some make shift beds of folding up chairs. WORST SLEEP EVER! We stayed there until 12:30 until the font finished filling. Luckily we live 2 min away from the church so no problem getting home. WHY GHANA FONTS, WHY!!!
Anywho they were baptized. YAHOO! The Lord provides away, even if the way involves staying at the church on top of a bed of chairs until the font filled for the baptism the next morning. Luckily we found the problem in time or else there would have been some big problems 8 am at the baptism, I could only imagine how sucky that would have been.
Thank goodness we filled it the night before!
Well after the baptism, bro Giddyglow (best member ever, he is ewe - pronouced A-way) was getting his marriage done civilly at the church. OF COURSE WE WENT! Anything for a Ghanaian performing a legally binding, temple worthy, as binding as the laws of the land can make it wedding. It was a great great thing. It was like a normal marriage ceremony however the crowd got pretty rowdy during the "I do" part and the kiss the bride part. It was a great thing to see though. He is a great man, his wife is a great woman. She got herself all dolled up for the occasion and had a nice dress with matching bag etc. They were so happy.
We went over to Kade today. We met with a man named Kofi. We met his family and we gave them all a date. Kofi is a great dude, he can read good enough. He disproved the Mammon vs. Mormon myth (they pronounce both of them the same here) because he noticed they were spelled differently and meant different things. Sweet!
He took us to his house and he really loves the gospel. They should be baptized on the 18th of December.
I am somehow petrified with all the responsibility I have here. I'm in charge of a large land mass and a lot of dates. AAAH! I feel small but the Lord will strengthen me and make me strong enough to face the challenge.
I'm tired. Good night!
Nov 26 continued.
So I turned 21 on the 7th. Mom sent me an 'offical Carrie Underwood fanclub' t-shirt and membership card. She also sent me an apron for cooking that said "guac on." My favorite part was we went over to the Dadzies and she made me banku with mackerel and tomato stew. WE ate the rice krispy treat cake mom sent and vacuume sealed closed. It was still pretty soft. She cares for me a lot, I love her. SO I spent my 21st birthday in Ghana. While a lot of the world spends their 21st birthday buying alcohol legally for the 1st time, inappropriate movies, being crazy and just being appropriate; I spent my 21st birthday preaching the gospel, knocking on doors, teaching in small small English to my African brothers and sisters. I couldn't have spent it a better way.
End of journal entries.
Everyone likes to speak twi at church. It is going to be an uphill battle with the language problem. The church is only to speak English here because for many reasons. For one reason is that some tribes don't speak the other tribes language; for example most of the ewe people can't speak twi. Also it is very rare to find someone who can read twi or ewe or any tribal language. The gospel requires literacy.
There are also plenty of other immigrants coming to church, for example there is a Nigerian member wife here who only speaks English.
In spite of all of this, they still are putting up a fight to speak twi. I'm going to make friends with the branch leadership and then try to bring this up later. My twi is really improving though haha.
Again I am really excited to be here. I am afraid that a t-rex or some raptors are going to pop out of the jungle and swallow our tro tro when going to Kade. Besides that the area is safer than Accra. Not as many psychos.
Sorry no pictures today. This cafe don't got a usb slot. I'll figure out how to get you pictures soon.
I have to say this about companions and preparing for a mission.
Playing sports before mission = Good. It takes the ninny out of ya.
I am feeling the Spirit a whole lot more being out here because we are getting along really well and are doing what is right. It is just really great.
On the way up here the Terry couple, from Las Vegas, drove us up. This is their 3rd mission to Africa. They love it here. They said that we are doing Silent Night for our Christmas conference and that Elder Terry said, "No! there will be no piano playing! We want guitar!"
Last night Elder Afu and I stayed up and arranged a 3 part harmony cowboy style version how to do it. Elder Afu played the piano in his Tongan ward so he has good ears. It was fun.
As far as the other transfers went, Elder Zadi is in Ashaiman with Elder Yahaya as his district leader again. Elder Cobbinah is companions with Elder Nielson (we just traded places), Elder Collings stayed there and is now companions with Elder Jones from Utah.
McCarthy Hills was supposed to baptise Nathaniel but didn't for some reason. I will nag them until they do! Also Edwina's sister Gertrude turns 9 on Dec 2nd so they need to baptize her. I'll let you know how it goes.
Well Elder Farnbach is now my zone leader up here. He is in charge of 5 branches and is in a new area every day. STRESSFUL. I think President took all the missionaries out of the bush and put them in Accra. The area presidency told him to put some small amount back. I think that is why we are running around all over the place. It is crazy but fun as crap.
So it is fun being up here. The couple missionaries are kinda watching over us rather than presdient smith so much. Elder and Sister Terry do most of our baptismal interviews because they have a car and the zl's can't travel all the time because of their crazy 5 branch schedule. Oh Elder Holt is just a couple towns over, about 1-2 hours away. He likes it up here, I think I will too.
Once I get this place down I'll be able to tell you more.
This place is not as hot. BONUS! Everyone keeps feeding us here so I'll gain back some weight.
Well how the poop did byu botch a field goal? I'm not mad i'm just frustamragated. Oh well. Your thanksgiving party sounded like loads of fun. I should get your package for thanksgiving very soon. Elder Afu
(pronounced ah-foo) and I will enjoy. See enjoyment!
Speaking of tasty package goodies, when they called and transferred me to the bush I quickly called the other missionaries, Elder Zadi and Elder Collings, and had them pick me up 10 mt. Dews. Last dew time for a long while!
I'm very proud of your mimi's thanksgiving dinner. I laughed at your guys football faces. Sorry-o.
Well I am off. Love you guys so much. I'll send ya some pictures soon.
Picture really green and lots of trees and neat forest. Not a lot of animals because it is farm land. Farm land meets jungle minus the lots of animals part. They still got those mega big termite mounds I'll snap a picture for ya.
Gotta run!
p.s. Wow look at all of that snow. I'm now transformed into the hot and wet weathered person. Looking at the snow kinda freaks me out a bit.
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