The Iron Rod is the word of God.
Variety = Book of Mormon and Bible
Yo my family.
First thing first, last week when you told me that they were making a Texas Roadhouse in the Orem Mall, I raised my hands up so fast in the "Steve Holt!" position that I knocked my keyboard tray and made a big scene haha. YES!!!! BEST ROLLS EVER!!! I was so excited, correction! I AM so excited. HAZAAH!
So we had a baptism on Saturday. We baptized a brother Charles. Charles is the brother of Seth and Selina (the family who feeds us a lot and who looked at me funny for eating yam skin). Well anywho we first went over to brother Seths house, just because, and I met Charles there. I started kinda asking him some church questions like about the Book of Mormon, if he knew other missionaries etc, to see if he was a member. I didn't want to just come out and bluntly say, "have you been baptized yet?" He knew all of the answers about everything so I assumed he was a member, then we asked if we could teach him about the plan of salvation as practice for one of our sisters we were teaching later. We came to a part about the Spirit World, paradise and prison. I asked him what we had to do to go to paradise and he didn't know. We told him that you had to have faith, repent, baptize by someone who holds the priesthood authority, Holy Ghost and endure to the end. I then asked him if he knew about priesthood authority and he said, "no." I then asked him if he was baptized yet and he said no. We then taught him about the priesthood and gave him a date to be baptized. We went and told his family and they were so excited. They said they were going to call us to come over and teach him but we beat them to it.
Brother Charles lives in the Eastern Region with his mom and dad, however he is on vacation from school right now and is living with his brother Brother Seth. Brother Seth joined the church about 20 years ago. He was the only member of his family when he was around 15 years old. His parents were devout catholics and they didn't allow for him to be baptized but they allowed him to go to seminary during the week and to read the Book of Mormon. Later on they allowed him to be baptized and become a member because of the change they noticed how good of a person he had become. Brother Seth later married a return missionary sister and had his family. He is now a high priest and has shared the gospel to his brother and sister who were baptized, now we just baptized his other brother Charles.
We scheduled for Bro Seth to baptize his brother and Bishop Engemann called him to confirm him. It was correct. Tears were shed by everyone in the confirming circle (myself included). It was pretty cool. Every baptism is special and unique, you'd think that you'd get immune to all the baptism and confirmations but they are all different each with a different story. Hopefully we can keep the pictures and stories that go to each baptism so we can remember how much different labor, different circumstances went into each one. Ah sweet is the work, or sweat is the work as my companion would say.
This program took a lot of planning by the senior couple missionaries, the members families and the youth. When we first pulled up we saw this mega big speaker set up. I was all excited thinking, "is Van Halen here in Ghana! YES!!!" However it was the speaker set up for the 'Mighty Change' program. Ghana likes their speakers, I agree to this. Well each stake and the branches had a different drama from the Book of Mormon to perform. They were all insanely creative and awesome.
Anywho it really rocked and the Spirit was really strong. There is something really special about the Book of Mormon. The children have read the stories and have actually studied them. It was like over a thousand youth bearing their testimony about the Book of Mormon is true. It was a great thing. President Thomas S. Monson shared an audio message with everyone at the very end which was pre-recorded. It was great to hear his voice again, it has been awhile. The program even had a set of gold plates that were the size of a television box
We brought our investigator bro Daniel to the program. Bro Daniel has a less active family. His father lives in Britain as a bus driver, he isn't around. His mom told us to take him to the program. I taught him the stories as he watched them being acted out, by his own peers. It couldn't have been any better. Well anywho his mom and his 4 year old sister, Vicki, came to church yesterday!!! It was sweet. My companion and I were jumping around in the hallway.
(Soon to be baptized. He better get used to setting up and taking down chairs. haha)
Sister Joyce even brought her daughter to church on Sunday. Her daughter is a nurse at a hospital and has been to the church before in Korlebu. I invited her to come to church before but she declined. We went and visited sis Joyce and she bought GLASSES!! So now she can read. She was reading the personal progress book and we helped her do the journal entries. I think that her daughter noticed this 'mighty change' in sis Joyce and it touched her. She only stayed for sacrament but I think that soon she will come to church, small small. The Book of Mormon is great.
Of course all this was done when President Cardon from the quorum 70 was there. He is in the West Africa Area presidency, 1st counselor I think. He was in our PEC meeting with our bishop and stuff. He is a smart dude. He was sitting on the stand during church and was very happy the whole time because we did 2 confirmations and the youth went up and sang their 'a mighty change' anthem. He was happy. He grabbed me privately in the hallway between meetings and talked to me. He said that he was "proud of what [he] saw at church today" and told me I was doing a good job and he appreciates my hard work. I was just kinda like 'uhhh thank you president.' I then just greeted his wife with her 1000 mile smile. They are good people.
Well anywho story for mom.
Last week I didn't have much emailing time because we had to run to the area office for my companion. He is a sickler, as is most of Africa. I noticed that there was something in addition to him being a new missionary that was slowing him down. His sisters and mom, Chocolotina and others, sent me a letter pleading with me to have him 'take his medicine.' I used to grab his malaria meds and put it on his pillow for him with water but he wouldn't take it. I sat him down and questioned him about his sis' letter. He then told me he was a sickler but he didn't like the medicine, or didn't take any, or used to but got better etc. His story kept shifiting so I told president in my letter because I was concerned and president called him up and chewed his butt off. He then told me to take him to the area office so we could meet with the mission doc Dr. Maughn. He then sat him down and explained to him what was wrong with him and then briefed him about Malaria and how it could be wiped out in Africa is people slept with nets. Then he said that he needed to take his anti malaria medication! Then he asked him why he wasn't taking his folic acid. My comp said he didn't like it, etc. Then he chewed him out some more and he agreed to take it. They also prescribed him some more vitamins as he didn't bring them from home. So the truth came out, my comps life is saved and now he can actually ride his bicycle longer and keep focused longer. So we had small time at cafe because we spent the cafe time at the Area office talking with the Dr.
Thought you would be proud of me. I didn't want to corner him, but it was for his own good, to stay alive and healthy, to help him take his prescribed medication that the mission requires you to take, so I will do what I have to. So I think it will help him.
The Doc and I had a good time chatting about Malaria and stuff, he reminds me of the Docs that dad hangs out with. He is a sweet dude. I went up and thanked him for getting hooks installed in our ceilings for our mosquito nets. Most of the apartments didn't have them so I would shove a butter knife in between the ceiling slats and hang my net from that, forget about finding a nail and hammer here. So he asked president Smith and he was reluctant about putting up nails because he said that the missionaries still wouldn't use the nets, so Dr. Maughn offered himself to drive to each apartment and hang up the hooks. The guy rocks. He reminds me of dad and talking to the football coaches. I like Dr. Maughn. He does what is right even when faced with stupid opposition. High 5!
When I was at the area office I saw all the white couple missionaries. I was kinda weirded out by so many white people, yes I will be a weirdo when I get home sorry-o, but they were all busy cutting out costumes for the mighty change program. It was the brain of the mission. It was like home.
Glad dad is keeping busy doing all the stuff. Oh by the way, my companion asked me "what does fetch mean?" OH NO, I am dad. Also I'm finding myself making the ceramic Donny elf face all the time. My patience grows thin a lot and I make the face. It means 'well I don't know what to do, life sometimes craps on you, oh well' I now understand why dad makes the face. Well slowly but surely I am turning into dad haha.
HOLY SWEET 1 year package! Those shirts are the best thing ever! Those are so cool! I also very much appreciated the oreo's and the protective plastic bottles you sent them in. Who else woulda thought of that? I love you mom. Also my companion freaked out when he tasted the beef jerky. He puts it on his rice. I also had a crappy day one day and ran straight to the Baby Ruth bars. Oh yes! Thanks guys for the packages so much. You guys rock. Thanks for supporting me and being the best family ever. I can’t believe I have you guys as my family. You are so awesome, thoughtful, hard working and hmm loving. I wish people could see how awesome you were here. I hope they can through my example and work but I just wish they could see the whole picture. Thanks for the newspaper clippings, the pictures, the photo tour to st. george, the indian missionary stories of our ancestors, your emails. Thank you or medase pa.
Britt sounds like she is doing great. She fits in with the 7th graders. She knows how to help them because nobody could have had as much drama as her, she will know how to help. She will understand. She will help hundreds and hundreds of students to become better people. She is now being rewarded for her hard work and determination. YAHOO BRITT BUTT! Go huskies AWOOO!
Your plays will rock!
Good work Big Dave! Keep it up.
I hope your guys week orks. Oh and rocks too. (I liked the type-o so I kept it).
So we should continue to baptize and destroy.
Oh Elder Rampe is going home so I bought 2 apple pies and a big big ice cream to celebrate.
Ice cream
Apple Pie (from Shoprite)
Alvaro
Watermelon
Rice and Stew
They forgot to invite Elder Rampe to bear his testimony during his last Sunday at church so we made it up to him during the apple pie party. Nobody had ever had real apple pie before and they all freaked out at the awesomeness. I scheduled it days earlier and invited the dad who is little less active. He was there and we gave him pie and I talked to him about his deceased father and I committed him to get his fathers baptism for the dead done. Also I grabbed his wife and she gave me 5 more names of her uncles who's info she already had. I then committed him to get his temple recommend so he could do the work for these 5 men. He accepted and said that he would come to church but his foot was hurting if he put shoes on. Elder Rampe and I told him to just wear sandals, he didn't think that was allowed. He is going to come back to church now. He started chatting with me about how he worked for the Ghana bank as a driver and talked about his family etc. All he needed was some love and some pie. His daughters, sons and wife were so happy. It was a great day.
Well gotta run everyone!
I love you all.
The whole McCarthy Hill stake was the great and spacious building in their drama.
No wait, it is a buncha Mormons doing a Book of Mormon program. ROCK ON!
(Iron Maiden Scream here! YAAAHHHH!)
Standing in front of that freedom celebration thing.
Independence Square thingie. It looks like a buncha tour de France bike racers should ride underneath this thing.
Donkey Kong bridge in our area.
