Brady's Mission to Ghana

Business!
Yeah, I know who is cool in the apartment. It definitely ain't me but check out my companions.
Here is Elder Zadi (Ivory Coast, French speaker. Girls watch out when he speaks) My companion Elder Yahaya (Nigeria)

So today we are able to email really early because we found somebody to wash our clothes for us! Well she found us. It was one of those, "if you build it, they will come" type of moments.

So usually we wake up on p-day and start the long 2+ hour process of washing and fight for clothes line hanging space, but this lady and her friend showed up and asked Elder Fisher (from California) if we needed somebody to wash our clothes. HOLY COW YES! They know how to do it nicely and they get our clothes actually clean because they have the hands of steel like grandpa bob and can rub the clothes together without bleeding all over the clothes. I can do it but around shirt number 3 I loose interest and need a fruit snack and start moseying around the house and procrastinate doing the last shirts. Then I just stomp on them and make sure the dirty spots are relatively white and make sure the clothes smell okay. This apartment allows for those two women to wash our stuff because we have a big compound outside with shade where they can wash without entering the apartment. More time for buying food and football!

Well some cool stories this week. We baptized a boy named Kwame(aka Kennedy). Kwame (day name of Wednesday), lives with a member and was in the literacy class. He likes learning how to read and he now can do it good enough to read the scriptures. He speaks well too. He is really shy but he knows what is right. We taught him about Joseph Smith and he prayed about it. At first he didn't think he got an answer, then we reminded him how the Holy Ghost feels. I said that it felt like warm milo (nestle hot chocolate) inside and you can hear a small voice inside your heart and mind. We came back the next day and he said that he felt something inside. We then taught him the rest of the lessons and commandments. We went to remind him the morning of the baptism about his baptism and he said he didn't want to come unless his friend came with him. His friend forgot and said he wouldn't be able to make it. We called the Odokor missionaries, who go to our same building, to see if we could baptize him during their baptism and his friend said he would try to come if he could. During our baptism at 1:00, to our surprise, Kennedy came all dressed up in his shirt and tie and was ready to be baptized. He had the courage to show up by himself and do what is right. He got interviewed for the Priesthood and will receive it this coming Sunday. It was really cool and touching to see how he exercised his faith and came. We still are going to go back and reteach all the lessons to make sure it all sticks. It was excellent!

So we went over to Edwina's house and talked with her mom about the baptism and the mom had some concerns. Not with her daughter being baptized but she had some other concerns about wanting to feel the Holy Ghost and be able to bear her testimony one day. I was very surprised that she told us all of her feelings, fears, personal thoughts etc. She knows we are there to help and she doesn't realize that the reason she is trusting us is because the Holy Ghost is telling her to. Anywho Edwina was not baptized because they came 2 hours late and Edwina had a primary program at the stake center she had to go to. The mom also forgot to tell her family about the baptism and wanted time to cook and all the stuff. We rescheduled the baptism for the 12th of June. We are going over to her house to teach the whole family and help them all recognize the Holy Ghost. This should be no problem, even with all her concerns, because her children are hmm prepared and innocent and ready.

When we were at their house talking to the mom about her concerns, the 8 year old daughter Gertrude ran off with my backpack. After we were done talking with the mom, I was looking all around for my bag and couldn't find it. I finally went outside and saw that Gertrude had opened my bag and rummaged through my stuff and found the "How does the Holy Ghost Make Me Feel?" book that you sent me. I brought it to give to the family but I forgot about it because of all of the concerns the mother was talking to us about. (I was like grabbing my head with fatigue and wanting a big coke, in that type of mood ) Gertrude seemed to know that there was something inside the bag that she needed. So I went outside and saw her reading the book. I asked her what she was learning from reading and she said "the Holy Ghost teaches the girl to do what is right and he can teach me too." I was touched at how perfect these children are. I now know what He meant when the Savior said we should become as little children. The church is true. It should be no problem getting the mother to recognize the Holy Ghost if we teach her with her children right by her side. It kinda bit that we didn't get to baptize Edwina this week but she will get baptized very soon and she will be a great help to her mom as she comes back into activity. It'll be great.

Man my testimony about the gospel is growing so much. By spending time with all these little children and innocent people I am learning a whole lot about the Holy Ghost. He talks to us all the time quietly, simply and we have to be listening for him. I am recognizing how important the family is, every member of it. There is no doubt in my mind that this church is really Jesus Christs'.

A couple of times we have been teaching investigators and other people butt in and bring up apostate stuff about doctrine and we will destroy their efforts using the new testament and leave them in a state of 'oh crap' so they won't poison our investigators. The problem is that the people we destroy won't come to church. The Holy Ghost is what will bring them to church. True, sometimes they need some firm pushing done by us but unless they recogize the Holy Ghost and live worthily to have his guidance then they won't continue to come or won't come at all. I'm not going to destroy detractors anymore, I can show people that this church is right in a myriad of ways, it is easy. They still won't come to church unless they read and pray about it and feel the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the key!

We have been workin' hard this week. We didn't get a lot of people at church because it was one of those freak things. We are working with this family of 5 and they promised to come. We called them in the morning and they said that they were coming. Then on the way out, the 19 year old daughter fell and tripped down some stairs and they had to run her to the hospital. MAN!!! She is okay, only some bruises on her hip and stuff luckily. Come on! What are the chances of that? We have been trying for awhile to get them to come and they had funerals, baby naming stuff etc and on the week they were prepared to come, she falls down the stairs. Oh well. They will come.

Glad Brit went to Las Vegas with her friends who are educated. Educated friends are fun, especially when they are all having standards too. I betcha you had a blast. I like your poster mrs. 1920's magazine lady. I like how you are still the most perky out of all your friends.

Man my basketball buddies at home are lookin' like return missionaries. They will do well.

Glad Grandpa could ordain dad! Speaking of fathers doing the ordiances and blessings, the elders quorums kids were baptised last week. The dad showed up with them so we handed him the baptismal clothes and said "are you ready?" He said that he thought the we would baptise them and we said "nope", here is the prayer now get in there. His wife was also there and pushing him down in the water haha. The dads need to do that stuff. We had to help him out during the prayer a buncha times and he was a nervous nelly but he did it and it felt right. The next day the bishop called him and made him confirm his kids. He was scared again but he pulled it off. It also felt right.

Thanks dad for your letters. I'm doing better with the culture. I'm accepting a lot of stuff, i'm just going with it. No worries. Thanks mom for the family talks you sent. Man you looked exactly the same 20 years ago as you do now. CRAZY! Man I miss my curls. I want my curls back! Anywho I love yalls.
Glad you are being watched over so well while i'm gone. It is cool.
Keep on rockin
Do good with yur BYU peoples!

Good job burt with getting through school! School is cool (band face). Man make sure to keep yourself hmm science teacher free. Remember the more nerdy subjects you teach, the more hmm homely you will become haha. I think you have already recognized this with your exercise plan. Be sure to be super fit by the time I get back because WE ARE GONNA CHOW DOWN!!!
Thanks mah (bleets like a sheep)

Gotta run.

Don't cry too much at the chick flicks dad. Be sure to watch plenty of shoot em up blow em up alien vs predator type of stuff to equal it out. haha.

Miss you lots.

oh the first picture is of me and a ward members girl named Faith. We gave her the articles of faith book you sent (Her name is Faith). She likes it. Man you know what is best to send. Good job mom. You rule!