My people!

So this week we baptized Savior Agblewonu but his daddy was called to a work emergency as he was coming to the church, so we were left with small boy Savior and no daddy. We didn't know whether to baptize Savior without his daddy there. Us and the ward mission leader, Bro. Odum, prayed about what we should do. The answer was to call and ask the bishop what we should do. The bishop told us to baptize the boy today and baptize the dad next week when he is able to make it. In Africa, baptisms are not as big of a deal to people. Churches of all sorts baptize people all the time. Most people have been baptized a couple of times as they move from church to church. We followed the bishops counsel and I baptized Savior (sorry my clothes are kinda big, our ward member who was assigned to be the the baptist couldn't make it so we had to improvise). We went over to Savior and Akwartey's house later that night and showed his daddy the picture of Savior and I. Akwartey, Saviors dad, was filled with so much joy. I told him I would print the picture out for him and that next week, we would take a picture of his whole family at his baptism and print it off for him. They will be a very happy family in the gospel.

Today a mom got mad at us because we are baptizing Savior and his daddy, but we are not baptizing her children. In order to baptise a minor, they have to have a parent in the church or is being baptized with them OR if their parents are not being baptized, they have to come to church for 3 months, have to be enrolled in seminary classes (usually at church on saturdays) and they have to have a 'fellowshipper.' We explained to this mom that these things needed to happen and she wasn't satisifed. We have taught the mom a lot of things but she chooses not to come. She wants us to baptise her kids but she doesn't want to come to church. It is a hard and sad situation. The gospel is for families, especially when the children are only around 9 and 14 years old. They have neighbors who take them to church and will 'fellowship' them but the gospel needs to be taught in the home. I'll lethca know how it plays out.

Well Elder Holt is good at working with the ward members to get referrals. We have been going over to members houses and just making small chat with them, pounding fufu with them, eating with them and sharing small lessons with them. They are starting to give us referrals and are liking us. There is this member named Janet who gave us this sweet referral. We asked Janet if we could meet the referral at her house and teach her there. The girls name is Mary. She is somehow shy but understands the message. She is around 24 years old. We taught her 2 times at Janet's house and then she took us over to her home and we taught her there. Sunday she came to church with Janet in which Janet took Mary around room by room to show her that there is nothing scary in the church or anything to hide. There are plenty of rumors about the church such as, "they chant inside the church and then they do animal sacrifices" "they baptize people in the juices of a dead body" "they dig up dead people and baptize them" "the book of Mammon/muhamad/Mormon has an evil Spirit inside it that will catch you" etc etc. and Janet wanted to let her know that there is nothing like that going on haha. Janet is a good friend. We will baptize Mary in 3 weeks. We asked her if she prayed to know that if the message we have been sharing is true and she said that she had prayed and that she received her answer in a dream.

She said that she saw all of us sitting where we were then sitting, in a circle & teaching her outside her home. She said that she had like a birds eye view of the scenario. She said that there were other people there just besides us missionaries and her. She said that she felt very good. We asked her to be baptized and she said yes! We should do that in 3 weeks if all is well. Ah the Holy Ghost is sweet! Out of the people I have taught and that have been baptized, most of them have been referrals. Only like 2 or of them have been people that we have found. Referrals are definately the way to go. It strengthens the ward as well and is way more effective.

Well family it looks like you are all doing good, even the spotted one Brittni haha. Hope you get better soon.

We met with President Smith for interviews. It goes 'interviews' then 3 weeks later 'zone conference.' Rinse lather and repeat. Zone conference is where we get the clean appartment award, hopefully, it is like my gold star. This whole missionary work thing is very systamatized and has been well thought out, like we gotta write these letters to president every week on Sundays, fill out all these forms and stuff for every lesson that we teach and everyone we meet. President chastized everyone about our Area Books. Nobody was doing them every night and we needed more information about them written down and stuff. We walk into his office and he says, "Elder Bills, define for me 'accountability.'" It's kinda funny how business like and CEO-ish President Smith is. After he chastized us and told us to keep a better area book. I remembered this time to go "Sir yes sir. Ready to do the area book sir! (imaginary salute and accidentally smacks self in forehead at the same time I accidentally poke myself in the eye) President Smith is a good guy and he is a great leader. I have been keeping a nice area book and it is the right thing to do.

Speaking of poking myself in the eye, one of these darn eyelashes of mine got in my eye the other day. It destroyed me. I was walking around like an idiot and blinking a lot. We stopped to pick a member to go teach with us and I asked him for a cup of water. I poured it all over my eye but no good. I then got a mirror but coudn't see anything. I just decided to deal with it and we taught a less active member with my right eye watering the whole time haha. I then went over to an investigators and bought a pure water sachet and poured it all over my eye again and FINALLY success. Man. The work can really be hindered with something as stinking small as an eyelash. I shared that becuase if you think about it, there is a good lesson taught in there...plus it is kinda funny.

Elder Holt bought a guitar and he is doing well. He is already playing what every good country boy should know how to play such as "country roads" "Amazed by you - Diamond Rio" and most importantly "She thinks my tractors sexy." I didn't think that I knew any of these songs, but he started singing them and I was thinking "wow, I know all of these for some reason and they are all the same 4 chords. This darn country music, if you hear the song once it is in there for life" His progress in teaching that thar gospel and his good strummin has done gone brung a tear to my eye. He only practices for like 10 min each night and over a 3 week time period, he is doing very well. YOU HEAR THAT GUITAR STUDENTS! Do 10 min of practice EVERYDAY and you can rock in a short time. It is like that thing I shared last week. Don't walk faster than you are able but go little by little. Man the church is true.

Thanks for the packages that are coming. I haven't got the book dad sent yet but I'll be sure to read it. Thanks Grandma for the stories. Thanks dad for your letters. I look forward to them always, I can sense your voice in them as well. It makes me laugh.

HAHA you wore your dress to stake confence. Did people lookatcha weird? Man I like that Jamie Skousen guy. He has that voice that is calming, however you know he is going to embarass you so it is deceiving. He always gives great talks. I also like that drip-irrigation thing. You really gotta get close to the people for them to even listen to you and allow the Holy Ghost to touch them. Also it moves drip by drip, not just pouring of bunhca non important information all over and flooding their brain.

Well I gotta go but the church is true. I love you all. I'll look forward to your packages. I'll send you more pictures soon. Darn computer isn't liking to cooperate.

Oh thanks for your cheese story mom. It made me laugh. Remember when you taught me how to spell 'cheese' and 'potato' for my 3rd grade spelling test? Anyways I do. Still remember that song and actions you made up. See if you can remember ;)

Thanks yall. Hope all is well.

Hey Jordan Anderson gets home soon! And Brent Bullock is getting married? Holy cow. I love Brent. He is super nice and always does what is right. Him and Jeff Shurtliff (oh jeff has a new cd out with his band. Get it from him and give it a listen. I'm proud of him. Tell me how it is) anywho yeah send me the details on his marriage.

The ward has been very nice on sending me letters and stuff. I like the little kids handrwriting...it kinda looks like mine. I like the messages that the little kids wrote like "your doing a gewd job" and my favorite "I love applie pie" written by some little sticky jam-on-hands' punk.

Love you all. Talk to you next week.