Saturday, March 17, 2012

Letters from our Elders - March 5th


From Garrett:

I can't believe its Monday already and I'm sitting down to write you again. This last week has gone faster than just about any other week I've had out here in the mission field. And I know that’s how the last 6 months will probably go. It seems like there is never enough time in a day to complete everything I need to do. The fun started on Monday night after I emailed you last week. We had to head over to the stake center to finish cleaning up and preparing for the mission tour on Tuesday. The power was out so we were arranging tables and chairs and stuff in the dark. We didn't do too bad, they weren't too crooked either! Tuesday was our mission tour with President Dixon of the Africa West Area Presidency. He is the President of the area. It was a day full of instruction and feeling the spirit. It was a good little recharge for the missionaries I think. President Dixon is a great man. He shared with us his story of receiving a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel and the Book of Mormon. I learned that his experience was very much similar to mine. It was a great comfort knowing that an answer of that magnitude was given to someone else, someone as great as President Dixon. The spirit was definitely present on the mission tour and all the missionaries seemed to really enjoy it as well.

We have had some interesting experiences teaching people about the gospel this week. The first counselor in the bishopric gave us a referral of a family that is "very open to receive the gospel". We got there and found a group of strong Roman Catholics. We have had 2 lessons with them this week- discussing only about baptism. It has been fun to see the little change that has taken place in them since we started teaching them. I know there is a long way to go though. We had another experience with a guy in a taxi. We were waiting to catch a taxi, when a taxi pulled up who already had a man in it. He said, "Brunie, get in". As soon as we did the guy in the front seat turned around and said...... "Mormons, right?" He started freaking out about the word saints and about the Book of Mormon, and he went OFF in Twi telling the driver all kinds of bad stuff about the church. So.... we kindly sat there not egging him on and waited for him to get out. After he left, we started talking with the driver and had a really sweet 15-minute conversation with him while we sat on the side of the road.

This last week I was also able to go out to a place called Daban to go on splits with the elders there. It was fun to meet some of the people he met there. Daban reminds me lots of Sunyani. It’s a tough place to serve though. While on splits out there, President Dixon was passing through on his way back to Accra and wanted to stop in. So the 6 of us missionaries got to hang out with Pres. Dixon for 30 minutes of so. It was awesome. That man carries the spirit with him no matter where he goes. I hope I can be like that. On Friday the busy schedule continued going out to one of the mission branches that doesn't have missionaries yet. It’s called Agona-Asamang. We rode in a tro tro for almost 2 hours to get there.  We first went to a place called Sefi-Bekwai where there were only about 15 people present for church. I loved the enthusiasm of the people and their desire to do what’s right. So we taught a lesson out there and then traveled over to Bibiani to teach there too. It turned into a whole day thing pretty much. We didn't get back to Kumasi until 5.

When leaving my family, it was just for a short time, and I'll be coming home to all of you. But in leaving my family over here, I don't know when i will see them again. Now I understand what people mean when they say it’s hard to go home. But I'll worry about that when it comes, right? I love you all and want you all to know how much I love this gospel and love being able to teach people about it. This is the greatest and best thing I've done in my life, I know that for sure.



From Jordan:

Well, this week has gone by quicker than the last. I can't believe how quick time is going. but there are so many miracles happening here that it is awesome. Last Monday night, we received a referral for a 16-year old girl who had been attending for church for about the last year in a different stake, and who wants to be baptized, who lives in our area! So we went over there and were able to sit down with the whole family. I know that Heavenly Father directs where we need to go, and I hope and pray that I can be an Instrument in his hands in helping return this wonderful family to him. I will keep you updated how it goes, and as of right now the girl we are teaching has a baptism date for the 24th of March! We also have another person that we were able to start teaching as well! We helped move an older lady out of her house, because her landlord was kicking her out and we basically moved her whole house outside and everything in about 4 hours, and nothing was even packed up when we got there! A miracle, but from that another teaching opportunity has risen! The Lord has great plans for this area and I am just glad that I could be a part of helping out here. Things are going well! I do enjoy being out on a bike all day talking with people and trying to talk with many people. Life is great as a missionary that is for sure! 

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