Dear family!

This week we had some excellent news. The 2 missionaries were released from prison after their court appeal. They don't tell us missionaries too much, however we asked our bishop and relief society president and they said that Elder Keeng is now home in Botswana and Elder Omale is now serving in Sierra Leonne where he will finish his mission before returning to his home in Nigeria.

For months they have been postponing their appeal due to the judge not reading the case or the judge not showing and etc. Finally they had their appeal and the judge turned over the case as all of the evidence was hearsay.

During the times they were having to wait patiently we had the zone all write them letters so they would endure their time for the appeal. Elder Keeng was a good friend to me and was very helpful and kind. He was my Zone Leader.

Every day we have been praying for their release. It was kinda upsetting at times as we would fast and pray for their release and then to hear that the case had been postponed. This happened multiple times. Elder Oaks then came and said a great prayer and actually prayed to ask God to send a message of "LET MY PEOPLE GO!" to whoever could release them. He also asked God for their release in "Thine own due time, and we hope that time is soon." We then began to pray daily for the judge and whoever was in charge. Finally after weeks and weeks of waiting they were released. It really was a miracle. It required patience, not just an instant thing, but God does listen to prayers. I learned a lot about prayer during all of this. We have to exercise patience and maintain a 'perfect brightness of hope' as the Book of Mormon says, and then endure working hard and God will answer.

The ones who were maintaining the most 'perfect brightness of hope' were the imprisoned missionaries. They would send text messages from the prison from a policeman's personal phone who they made friends with to the mission. The messages were of hope and optimism. If anyone had a reason to be angry and upset and impatient it was them, however they were the most patient. While in prison they taught the inmates how to pray and were well liked by all. They went about 'doing good' wherever they were.

Elder Keengs mother would call our relief society president often and our relief society president made the call to her in Botswana telling her that her child was free. She said the mom was very excited and relieved. Elder Keengs mom is not a member, however she showed great faith during all this as well. I hope all things will work out with her.

I know Heavenly Father listens to us. We just need to remember that His time is not always our time but He will do what is best for us. I can only see what God has in store for Elder Keeng and Elder Omale later in life.

Another cool thing happened this week. Our brother K has not drank any alcohol for weeks now. He has read all the way up to Alma in the Book of Mormon and is starting to desire to do his family history work for his deceased grandparents and parents. My specialty, coming right up! K was not going to come to church this Sunday because he was going to a funueral in his hometown, however he knew that there is lots of alcohol at the funerals and said that he would probably slip up and drink. He decided not to go to the funeral and go to church instead. We were so proud of him. He said, "I've gone to enough funerals anyway." Ah it was so great. He is well liked in the ward and is good friends with the mission presidents first counselor President Labingo. We will baptize K on the 30th of April, he will be interviewed this Sunday by our new district leader Elder Wollenzien.

We also found a new man named Seth. I contacted Seth after we left an internet cafe. I talked about how there was an apostasy and how this is Christ's church that he built originally. He went home and read the whole thing. When we came to teach him we were talking about the Book of Mormon and he said that he liked it. We said it was comparable with the Bible and that it is inspired scripture. He said that he didn't think the bible was inspired as he says that it contradicts itself all the time. He said that when he was a boy it said God created the Heaven and the earth, then they switched it to Heavens (plural). We then read in the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 13 about how the bible was changed and altered and defiled by men and it causes many to stumble. He enjoyed it. We then taught him about how the Holy Ghost can tell him that what we are saying is true. We taught him using 3 Nephi 11 about how the Holy Ghost causes your heart to 'burn.' He then got tears in his eyes and said, "I have had that feeling this whole time you have been teaching me." We gave him a baptismal date for the 14th of May.

Seth's family lives in Oda, one of my old areas and he is going to invite the missionaries to teach his wife. If you read the Book of Mormon honestly and with full purpose of heart, the Holy Ghost will tell you it is true. Many will say, "Well I did feel something, but that is just because you told me I would and it is a mental thing, not really a Divine revelation" others will say, "You can't just rely on prayer, you need physical evidence and scholarly evidence to believe." If you think it is just a mere fluke or mental thing that you felt the Holy Ghost, 'Ask, Seek, Knock' and it shall be opened unto you again and again. However if you really do not intend to ask with 'real intent' being willing to act upon the answer then you might not realize the answer. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I'm so glad to be a member of this church as I will have that knowledge of being with my family for all eternity and with my one day mega babe of a wife and with my mad midget parents and sister. I feel a sense of reason for this life and added direction and purpose. You will be a hard worker if you live this gospel.

Man a Jehovah's Witness invited me to their once a year communion. We recently interviewed a former Jehovah's Witness', now Latter Day Saint, wife for baptism. While we waited for the interview to finish he was talking with us about their doctrines and how they rely on a lot of scholarly stuff and that revelation is not as much of a biggie as we take it to be. Therefore when the Jehovah's Witness lady invited me I kinda used it on her. Only a certain number of select people should take the communion in their church because only a certain number are going to Heaven while the rest will remain on Earth after it is cleansed or something. Therefore if you take the communion and you are not one of these certain people you are drinking damnation to your souls haha. Now the select chosen ones stopped after world war something so nobody really is chosen anymore so nobody really takes the communion but they witness it. Therefore I asked her, "If I go can I take it?" She said "Yes." I then said, "If I take it aren't I taking damnation to my soul because I am not one of the chosen?" She said "The Holy Spirit will let you know if you are chosen or not." MUAHA I got her. I pulled out the Book of Mormon and said that the Holy Spirit will tell you that this book is true if you read it and pray about it. She accepted an appointment.

We went to her house and her husband was sleeping. She was willing to read it and pray about it then the husband woke up and came to join us.

Let the bible bash begin Ding Ding! I hate to do it but it was like a trap. Don't worry we tried to help but no use, it didn't get to bloody haha.

He started getting all physical evidence yabout it and saying that you can't rely on prayer but need to rely on physical evidence and original versions and manuscripts etc. We tried and tried but he wasn't ready and was trying to prove us wrong. Finally I said, "What original manuscripts are you talking about? Because if you are talking about the 'dead sea scrolls' those are copies of copies of copies of copies and are still in another language and can lose the meaning from the translators who could make errors. Therefore how can you really know if it is true as they are not truly original. You need to read it and see how you feel about it and pray and ask if it is true. He was trapped and said, "well they are old so they are original." Man he got thinking but still didn't want to read the Book of Mormon introduction claiming it was written by 'men.' Man it was depressing. The Holy Ghost was there until the man woke up and got all Jehovah's Witness like.

He claimed that "all scriptures are inspired and written for reproof etc" as it says in Timothy. We then asked him if "all scriptures" means only the bible. He said yes. We asked him "what about the Book of Enoch? Was he not inspired? His whole city and him got carried up to God because of them being inspired and filled with the Holy Ghost." He said that the book of Enoch was not inspired because it was not in the bible. There was no use with this guy. He wanted me to prove that the Book of Mormon was true. I told him that I could bring all the evidence in the world but unless you read it and pray about it, you will never know.

Also we almost got bro S to church however he got malaria and had to be put on a hospital drip. Man just use mosquito nets people! But they will not. Anywho he had some questions about Baptism for the Dead as he desired to do it for his ancestors but his friend was telling him it was not in the bible and it was evil etc. We showed him and then his daughter Em came in and was all freaked out by the idea of it. We opened the scriptures to her as well but she was saying, "You can't baptize them because you are forcing them and taking away their choice, you are forcing them to Heaven." We then explained that it was still their choice, like Jesus dying and suffering for our sins. You can choose to accept it or not, it isn't forced upon anyone. You are free to choose. She has never even fathomed the idea of Spirits of those who never heard being taught after death. She is skeptical but we gave her the plan of Salvation pamphlet to read and hopefully she will get it small small.

Em goes to a church that is very African I can say. Very noisy and has sessions of 'day of pentacost Holy Ghost visits" every day where people mumble and babble not real words loudly and walk around the church wandering and kinda shake and stuff. When riding by it the other day I saw people doing this and noticed the 'wandering' and it was in the night so it was dark. It reminded me of Lehi's dream of the tree of life where there were some wandering in strange misty dark paths who were lost. The only way to get out of the wandering is to hold to the rod, the scriptures especially the Book of Mormon. The whole tree of life story had a lot more personal meaning to me and made a lot of sense.

I know that if she keeps reading the scriptures then she will know what is right and also if she accepts the answer she gets when she prays. She keeps wanting to have a dream as an answer haha. Small small she will get it.

Well sounds like you guys had a week of cleaning the shower and making the bathroom look amazing. Man it is like on those house re-spiffing up shows. It rocks! Man you guys are like super human people.

Well that is cool that Zach Bradford is home. I bet he had a good mission.

The Giles girl is getting married. Well okay. I think I know the dude, he played tuba or something at THS. He was my friend, he is a cool dude. Blonde guy I think. She will be happy.

Little giles will have fun time on his mission and Little Skousen speaking the spanish.

Well glad dad is now on the bishopric. He will do a great job with the BYU peoples. You guys all look so great. I like and miss mom's cool long jackets she wears. Anywho all is well here in Ghana as all is well there in Utah.

Well anywho we didn't batpize Eb yet as he does not have a phone and has missed our appointments and stays far away. His friend Isaac says that he is having a crossroads in life and is having to choose a school and job etc. He said that Eb wanted to postpone that baptism and wait for his life to get set. As we all know this is not a good idea to 'postpone the day of your repentance' and we will see what we can do.

I pray that we will find a way to meet with him.

Give Britt a good head bonk for me. Tell dad that i'm proud of him. He is doing a great job.

Church was okay, we had 4 people at church. A lot of members failed us in bringing their family members to church and some were sick with malaria and some had kids typhoid etc. However we are optimistic for the future. We are trying to work with all the part member families. Man it is tricky. You gotta take time with them and love them and teach them small small.

I love you all. Gotta run to Kasoa for a split!

Your son, Elder Bills

p.s. Grandma Patsy, don't get too hip with your netbook pc and movie making. Man Canterbury Heights in 3D! soon to come eh? I can't wait to see what you will think up with the new pc. Sometimes though you gotta go back to gluing rocks because the digital-ness is not as earthy as creativity demands sometimes. You will look forward to the future and embrace it but will return back to your roots. (pun on roots here. I remember you used to show us the carrots and potatoes you collected from the backyard that looked like people, or had the potential to look like a person and you used them for crafts). Now I know where mom gets it ;)