Dear Fam, things sound like everything is going on great back home, Nate way to go on getting everything packed and I know you will do great things at [new job]. This week we were blessed to have the baptism of Patience! Pascal's will come on next month... we were a little sad, but it will all work out for the best. We are also planning for the baptism of a man named Daniel. Daniel is doing great and he has been obeying the word of wisdom for the last 3 weeks and has come to church the last 4 times. He like so, so, so many other Ghanians had a dream that has helped him in following the savior. A few days after we taught him the word of wisdom and was having a hard time keeping it. He said he had a dream, that his friend gave him a glass of Alcohol and he poured it on the ground in front of him. I have not written all dreams people have told me about but every time I hear one from an investigator it always touches my heart and reminds me how special a people are I am laboring amongst. I remember how sad I felt when I saw videos and pictures of people suffering over here, now my heart is changing, I don't know if their is a more blessed people in the world! Dad, I sent a picture of me standing next to a professor at BYU, I can't remember his name but he says he knows you. He said the moment he got here he realized their was something special about Ghana.

I have to run, but Dad I just got your letter. If you can have them make Fufu! Fufu is the best!

Love, Elder L.

Happy Fathers Day

Dear Fam, I must start this letter by wishing all the men in this family a happy fathers day, most or all to our Dad! Dad, thank your for your example and everything you do I feel so blessed to have you as my father. I'm glad to hear all the great news from back home and I was especially excited to see the pictures of the new house! This week we are hoping for two baptisms, Pascal and Patience. Pascal is in her twenties, she was a referral from a member. Teaching her was difficult because she learns very slowly, but she is excited and ready to be baptized. Patience like Pascal was a member referral, she is also in her twenties, I am very excited for Saturday. This week we had our last interviews with him...it was tough. He told our zone how much he loved us and said that if he qualifies for the celestial kingdom he will first look for his wife, then his kids, and then us.(This is the part where I lost it haha) The focus of his talk was on magnifying our calling and making sure we are doing everything we need to all the time... including the small things. This is something I have been thinking a lot about and because I have been focusing on them as well I believe its why I have been the happiest over the past two weeks. I have thought a lot about diligence(serving with all your heart, might, mind, and Strength.) Then our offering to the Lord is complete as President Smith taught. I have learned one simple truth that "life by the yard is hard but life by the inch is a sinch." Things were pretty hard before this transfer, I was always focused on things I lacked and felt over whelmed and was not patient enough with myself... I wish I would had changed that attitude earlier but then I read a scripture in D&C 127:4 and have to tried to "redouble my efforts" and have been more diligent in the small things and patient as it says to do. Now the weeks are passing like days and the transfers like weeks. These are lessons I wish I could have learned from day one, its some thing I have heard countless times before but the thing I love about the gospel is its not enough to read or to hear but the real lessons come when we apply them in our lives, that what the gospel is all about and I am grateful I can help people change their lives by applying the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Expect more great letters and more great stories! I encourage all of us to Redouble our efforts and look for anything our lives that is slowing us down from achieving our full potential. (3 Ne 27:27)

Love, Elder Andrew K. L.

Another Great Week

Dear Fam, it has been another great week here in Osu. Victoria was baptized, and came for her confirmation an hour early!(She beat us to church and we live at the church) We are going to teach her about temples this week and I hope I can see her their one day just like I saw Pat. That was one of the most rewarding days of my mission. Sis Vic came with a friend to her baptism, we are going to start teaching that friend this week and I hope and pray that many follow Sis Vic's example. I am looking forward to this week, the work continues to progress and we are hoping for two or three more baptism by the end of the month. I am currently enjoying the most wonderful time of the year... Rainy season! It makes that work that more much fun plus its fun to get soaked every once and a while, we try to avoid it but things don't always work out... On thursday is my last interview with Pres Smith. He has been such a blessing in my life, he really helped me over come some bumps on the road and I will forever be grateful for the things he taught me, but I look forward to Pres Judd and it will be fun for a few things to be mixed up. Elder Cardon of the seventy visited Osu yesterday and told the most wonderful story about the Hymn "for the strength of the hills we thank thee" I don't have time today but I will write you about it another time. He has been in West Africa for the last 5 years. Please keep in your prayers Pascal, Essie, Patience, Daniel, Philip and Debora. Please Send my Love and Greetings to Ben and Spencer, I am so excited for both of them. Next week I will write him and short letter by email and I would love if you could forward it to him. I am happy to hear everything is well at home. I continue to pray that it will be so. Mom, I'm sorry that your knee is giving you troubles, but you are making the right choice and by doing so you will be more healthy and be able to bless more lives! Thank you for your example and know I pray for your knee every night! Love you all!

Elder Andrew K. L.

You Can't Judge a Book by it's Cover!

Dear Fam,

This past week was one of the very best of my whole mission! Everything just seem to work in our favor. I haven't kept tack of the most lessons I have taught in a week but I'm pretty sure last week would be my PR. We also had our best week at sacrament in probably the last six weeks or so. This week we will be blessed to have the baptism of Victoria Love Kotey. She is 65 and I would say she is one of the most solid people I have taught so far on my mission. She was going to be baptized a number of years ago but stopped investigating the church because people told her things about the Book of Mormon. President Smith Interviewed her yesterday and said "go find ten more just like her." She has a solid testimony of Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and I look forward to Saturday.

This week I learned and important lesson, that the gospel is for everyone. I have always know this is true but sometimes when we are proselyting we meet people that are "not ready for the gospel" The way I learned this important truth is because of a man named Harold. Since the time I came to Osu Harold has always been giving us problems. He would always swear at us and tell us we were lying to people, once or twice he did that to us when we were teaching an investigator. This week we ran into us and said "do you remember me?" I jokingly said how can we ever forget you?" We laughed about that and continued to joke around a little. A women sitting near us recognized us as missionaries told us she had a Book of Mormon she couldn't read. That must have sparked his interest or something because a few days later he stopped us on the road and pulled out a Book of Mormon from his back pocket, he told us he went to the women three times to get it and that he was now in part way through 1st Nephi. We taught him a few times last week and he came to church on Sunday. We even gave him a Baptismal date for the 9th of July. I don't know if he will actually be baptized but we are going to do all we can to help him. He has a lot of things to overcome but he has the desire. Weather he is baptized or not I will always remember this story and it has taught me a great lesson and you can't Judge a Book by its cover! Please keep in your prayers Harold, Daniel, Philip, Pascal, Pat and Sis Vic.

I have to run but I am so grateful for all of your love and prayers! I'm happy to hear all is well back at home! Know that I love you all and you are in my prayers.

Love, Elder Andrew K. L.