Monday, February 27, 2012

Hello Family!

Dear Fam,

Sorry this is so late and I'm sorry that i will need to make it short today. The light has been going on and off for a few days so I just want you all to know everything is great in this part of the world. In Elder Hollands visit to us he challenged President Judd to make this a Book of Mormon mission, so Elder Jones and I did all we could to change and improve the way we used the Book of Mormon. We felt like it made a big difference, it really is the greatest tool we have as missionaries. The early missionaries we using them and teaching with them before the church was organized! This week I really enjoyed my studies, I was reading in Alma about Moroni, one great lesson I learned from Moroni was the way he made his preparations for war he made his weakest fortifications his strongest. It reminded me that our weaknesses can become our strengths Ether 12:27 and that we must always, always put on the whole armor of God. If we do this it  will bless our live a lot.

This week we found a lot of cool people and we received some great referrals. The work is going a long great and I feel like Elder Jones and I have grow a lot, wed is transfers so we'll see what happens he has been here for 5 transfers. If someone came to me and was an African that would make me and five Africans. That would be fun! Things are going well in this part of the vineyard, sorry it so short this week I'll make sure it is nice and long next week! Love you all!

-Elder L.

Monday, February 20, 2012

More fun from Adenta

Dear Fam,

[Personal messages to family.] This week continued to be as great as it started from last monday. So here is a funny story for you, so last monday, after we got back kind of late from our visit with Elder Holland we went to the apartment and found out that we are out of water like we usually are (don't worry mom we always have enough water to drink) we just didn't have water to clean and wash and because it was late we decided we would call a water truck the next day. So when the next day came I only had shirt left and it was my least favorite shirt but it was clean so I wore it, I bought it at the market and its a terrible shirt b but sometimes I where it when I need to. After we proselyted for like an hour I got a call from one of President Judd's counselors: President Labinjo. He told me he needed one white elder and one black elder, but he didn't tell us why. So were hurried back to the apartment as fast as we could, one the way over there he explained that as part of Elder Snows call of being the new church historian two camera men came over one the trip. They filmed Elder Hollands talk to us the day before, as part of there trip they wanted to record some of the great conversion stories of some of the great church leaders from Ghana. So he tells the story of his conversion, and Elder Akak and I are teaching his family. It should be on Lds.org in a few weeks along with Elder Hollands devotional with us. Its just a fun little experience I wanted to share with you guys, I also have a lot more respect for the missionaries who were filmed for the preach my gospel dvd's. Its a lot scarier teaching when the camera is on you haha.

On weds we took some of our Investigators and a recent convert to Elder Hollands devotional, we got there early and were able to get our investigators seated on the fifth row right in the middle and then we went and sat in the back. They loved it and felt said they felt something as he spoke. One of our investigators Osei asked for a baptismal date after the meeting was over. After the meeting I was able to see a few of my recent converts that are still going strong which I am really happy about but we couldn't stay long and talk which was kind of disappointing. One thing that I thought was so powerful was Elder Holland was pretty emotional when he said how much he loved Ghana and he said of all the places in the world he could be right at that moment he said there was no where he would rather be. It hit me powerfully! I thought of different things that I could be doing with my life that might be good and memorable but the is no where or anything I would rather be doing than serving the Lord in Ghana. I try not to be one that thinks about time but I just hit my 18th month mark and I feel that I have more than enough juice than I need to finish the last lap strong. Left... Right... Left... Right (only dad will get that). Mom I'll let you know when I get the package, not yet but thanks for sending it. Love you all

-Elder L.

Monday, February 13, 2012

I don't even know where to start. . .

Dear Fam,

This week has been one of the best and most wonderful weeks of my entire mission! This week we had the baptism of Irene, Samira, Ishmael and Joyce. It was a wonderful baptism and they were all very excited for their baptism. I Especially Joyce, she has been waiting for months for her baptism and the bishop has taken notice of the special person she is. Most of the time we have to work to help get recent converts a calling, and when he met with her he just told us "we need to get her a calling right away. The work continues to move forward with our other investigators and we continue to look for more that are looking for the truth.

On Thursday we found out that Ghana will be opening its third Mission, the Ghana Kumasi Mission!! We had known that it was going to happen soon but we were not sure on the date. It will open on July 1st 2012. At that point I will have one transfer left, I don't think it will shake up the Accra mission too bad, but it is going to be so fun to see what happens around here. The excitement is really something. Elder Holland told us the story about how he was with President Hinkley when he announced that the second temple in Africa would be built in Ghana. He said none of the Ghanaians knew it was coming and that when he announced it, Elder Holland just started balling, he said it was one of his most wonderful, church assignments he has ever had. When he told us that story I thought of the church video I watched again and again and again on the revelation on the priesthood. This is what it is all about, building the Lords Church. The Priesthood, Temples, branches and Missions being opened and Elder Holland taught us its all about us and how we serve our missions. I took a whole bunch of notes and I can tell you a little bit more about it next week but it was a spiritual feast! Elder Curtis, Elder Dixon, Elder Snow, Elder Holland and their wifes all addressed us. One of the greatest things I took from our meeting was when Sister Holland told us that Elder Holland is up many nights praying and weeping because he wants to be more like the Savior. If an Apostle of the lord feels like that then I think we can all look at our lives and improve on those things and also make our prayers more meaningful. Thanks for all the love and prayers!

Love, Elder L.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Great Things in Adenta

Dear Fam,

This week has been a good one, we had ZLC and I always enjoy those meetings. We talked about some areas that will open up this transfer, so that was fun. Then we talked about some of the strengths and weaknesses of the mission. It was also announced that we will have a meeting with Elder Holland next Monday. I'm very excited about that, Elder Snow will also be coming with him. On the 15th will be a meeting with Elder Holland for members and investigators. We are planing on taking some of our investigators and recent converts and I am going to have my eye open for some of my recent converts from Ho, Osu, and Buduburam there. I heard that those wards and branches are coming as well so I can hardly wait. This Saturday we will have four baptisms; Irene, Joyce, Semira and Ishmael. Yesterday Joyce got up and bore her testimony of the restored gospel and how blessed she felt to have found the truth. Its times like these that make missionary work so worth it! We also found some wonderful people this week, Alice, Daniel and Julianna are doing well, we have seen so many wonderful blessings lately and I love the ward we are working in. This week we had a funny experience this week, Elder Jones got some pop rocks and it was one of the funniest things to see some of the ward members eating the pop rocks, it was really an experience for them. haha I think it was last week Bryan was asking me some cultural things I will bring home with me... In Ghana you should never pass people by without greeting them so I think I'll keep that going. I think I'll stop calling every one mommy or daddy haha I'm just used to doing everything with my right hand now... except writing. Mom, happy birthday! Turning 29 that great, i'll catch up to you before you know it! Thanks for all you do for me and for all of us, you are the best! Thanks for all the love and prayers!

Love,

-Elder L.