Dear Fam,
Thanks for all the letters and support, sounds like everyone
is doing well and enjoying spring. Its been raining over here a little
this weeks so I have also been enjoying good weather! I'm also excited
about the wonderful news of Michelle and Matt! Congrats! Yesterday we
had the Baptism of Emmanuel Kwesi Mensah, it was the first time I have
had a baptism on sunday on my mission, for one or two reasons we had to
move it back a day but I'm glad it was on sunday because the attendance
was so much better and he felt very welcomed. This week we did our best
to thrust in our sickle with all our might and we were able to find some
wonderful people. We are teaching the Offori family; Mary, Kwesi, Akose
and Emma. They are really excited about the gospel and want to know the
truth. This past week we have been trying to teach more about the
importance of desire, because on Monday we had a mission tour with Elder
Callister, Elder Evans, Elder Satati, Elder Curtis and Elder Dickson.
Elder Evans taught us that without a true desire some could never get
the answer. I feel like focusing more on having the desire to find the
truth has really helped our investigators, they see the importance and
more of the purpose. Thinking back on it, I have been so blessed to
learn from so many wonderful General Authorities and two great mission
Presidents, it has really blessed my life. I know that they are called
by God, and that God can speak to us through them. I had something that
had been on my mind for a few days and I was not sure how to go about
it, but as Elder Curtis spoke to us something he said really touched me
and as I followed what he taught it has blessed my life and it will
bless the lives of others.
On Tues we went around with the Bishop and visited some recent
converts and less active members. Elder Haggard and I wanted to do some
more work in this area because we know it will greatly help the ward
and also it is a great way to find people to teach. We are hoping to get
from the ward clerk a list of all the part member families in the ward
and we will go from there. I think it will really help us to find those
the lord has prepared.
I thought I would also take just a minute and tell you a
little bit about Elder Haggard, he is from Chicago, but his family is
moving to North Dakota before he comes home. He is going to go to BYU-I
after his mission. I can already see that he is going to be my favorite
companion, I have had some wonderful companions but Elder Haggard is
really pushes me to be my very best. I know that he is the right
companion for me at the right time for me. Love you all!
-Elder L.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Hello
Dear Fam,
This week was transfers, my new companions name is Elder Haggard. He is was one of the district leaders in our zone the past transfers but I am supper excited to work with him, he loves to be obedient, work hard and he is just a fun guy so I'm really excited to work with him. We have a lot of work ahead of us, we have made some goals of what we can do to really help our area and the ward improve. I feel like over the past few weeks things have been going down hill a bit but I am looking forward to improving things. This past week, we felt like we were always running... actually we went running a few times in the morning and if feels great. But we just gave it all we had and I have just been feeling great inside all week. This coming week some more exciting things will happen in Accra from the 4 stakes they are going to split them and make 6 stakes. We will have a huge meeting at the Ghana International Conference Center. Also some other sweet news is that Eugene, the first recent convert of my mission received his endowment on saturday. I talked to a senior couple who is serving in Ho and I over heard them saying that 3 people from the Ho branch were going to the Temple on saturday so I asked the names and I was so happy to hear that he is doing so well. I continue to be grateful that the members in Ghana have a temple so close to them and I pray that more of the people I was blessed to meet and teach will go to the Temple.
On Friday night we were knocking doors around 8:30, no one was interested but we kept doing it until one boy let us in and took us to his Grandfather. His name is Peter Fojo, he used to teach philosophy at the University of Ghana but is now retired. We met with him and his Grandson and he was very receptive we are going back this evening and he said the rest of the family will join us. I remember at ZLC we talked a lot about working to find the elect and to find families. That is what we are now focusing on as a mission. That day, I felt a peace in my heart that great things were ahead, the experience we had last week reconfirmed the feelings I felt that day and we are driven and motivated to continue to do all we to make the work move forward. Finding these people is what will really bless the ward we are serving in and all the wards and stakes in Ghana. The Church needs more people that can lead, that can help teach and add strength. We are praying that we can find those the lord has prepared and President Judd always says I know we can be lead to more "Elder Satatis'" if we will earn the lord trust. Thank you all for your love and prayers, I'm sorry that I didn't have time to respond to your letters and questions but they were wonderful and I will keep sprinting to the end. Love you all!
-Elder L.
This week was transfers, my new companions name is Elder Haggard. He is was one of the district leaders in our zone the past transfers but I am supper excited to work with him, he loves to be obedient, work hard and he is just a fun guy so I'm really excited to work with him. We have a lot of work ahead of us, we have made some goals of what we can do to really help our area and the ward improve. I feel like over the past few weeks things have been going down hill a bit but I am looking forward to improving things. This past week, we felt like we were always running... actually we went running a few times in the morning and if feels great. But we just gave it all we had and I have just been feeling great inside all week. This coming week some more exciting things will happen in Accra from the 4 stakes they are going to split them and make 6 stakes. We will have a huge meeting at the Ghana International Conference Center. Also some other sweet news is that Eugene, the first recent convert of my mission received his endowment on saturday. I talked to a senior couple who is serving in Ho and I over heard them saying that 3 people from the Ho branch were going to the Temple on saturday so I asked the names and I was so happy to hear that he is doing so well. I continue to be grateful that the members in Ghana have a temple so close to them and I pray that more of the people I was blessed to meet and teach will go to the Temple.
On Friday night we were knocking doors around 8:30, no one was interested but we kept doing it until one boy let us in and took us to his Grandfather. His name is Peter Fojo, he used to teach philosophy at the University of Ghana but is now retired. We met with him and his Grandson and he was very receptive we are going back this evening and he said the rest of the family will join us. I remember at ZLC we talked a lot about working to find the elect and to find families. That is what we are now focusing on as a mission. That day, I felt a peace in my heart that great things were ahead, the experience we had last week reconfirmed the feelings I felt that day and we are driven and motivated to continue to do all we to make the work move forward. Finding these people is what will really bless the ward we are serving in and all the wards and stakes in Ghana. The Church needs more people that can lead, that can help teach and add strength. We are praying that we can find those the lord has prepared and President Judd always says I know we can be lead to more "Elder Satatis'" if we will earn the lord trust. Thank you all for your love and prayers, I'm sorry that I didn't have time to respond to your letters and questions but they were wonderful and I will keep sprinting to the end. Love you all!
-Elder L.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Hello!
Dear Fam,
I hope that everyone had a happy Easter yesterday! I'm grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and for his atoning sacrifice. I know he live and that because he lives, we too shall live again. This past week Elder Jones was called to train, he will open Dodowa(a new area) and I am really excited for him. I'm really going to miss him! Because he is training he had to go to Trainers Council and I was able to go to the Temple. I was so excited when President Judd called him because I knew that would mean I could go to the Temple. It was a wonderful session and I love the feeling I get every time I go to the Temple, I know its the Lords house. When we went to the temple we were about an hour and a half early for our session. I'm glad that instead of sitting in the waiting room they put us to work. They didn't really put us to work, but they were a little undermanned that morning so I got to work as a temple worker for about an hour. I sat a the desk putting the names on the screen for the baptisms. As I had this fun experience to things came to my mind. First as I was looking at the names, birthday, death date and birthplace I really felt the importance of doing the work for those that past away. I have done baptisms many times but this particular visit helped me to really see the importance of redeeming the dead. The other thought I had was how much I love the temple and how wonderful it would be to be a temple worker one day. I don't really know how that works... If its a calling or if you can voluntary? But needless to say it would be fun and I look forward to going to the regularly! Mom and Dad I know that you dedication to going the temple and prayers every week has blessed me so much as I have been serving! I don't know of any other way you could show your love more.
This week we had a very spiritual lesson with one of our investigators named Thomas, Thomas has been a bit stubborn a has been putting up a wall lately. But as we read from the Book of Mormon with him, his heart was touched. I feel like many times in missionary work the people we teach see it as simply leaving their church and coming to ours. In this lesson with him we told him not to worry about any churches but to worry about finding the truth. Because the truth will set us free, he agreed that the truth would help him and we taught him that only the truth is what will help you to gain salvation. The spirit was very strong during the lesson and I know it touched him. The following morning I was reading in Jacob 4, I have read this chapter many times but it has never stuck out to me, and I can't say that I knew what it talked about but since my personal study it has become one of my favorite chapters. The reason why is because the same truths we taught the night before were in its verses (I believe verse 20 if you read around there you will find it) and the words which were said that brought the spirit into the room we also in the scripture. The spirit touched me again and taught me the importance of the truths we taught the night before, which is that the spirit will teach us of truth. All the things it teaches us are for our profit and that all of these things will help us to gain salvation. The lesson I learned is that nothing is more important than having the spirit to guide us because the spirit truly is our guide back to our Heavenly Father.
I'll find out tonight or tomorrow morning who my new companion is so I'll let you know next week but we will have a lot ahead of us, so please pray that we will find some people whom the Lord has prepared, because we are going to be doing a lot of finding over the next weeks. I'm excited and looking forward to it, I love talking to people about the gospel and I love being a missionary and representing the Lord. Thanks for all the love and prayers!
Love, Elder L.
P.S. Before I forget, I learned this week that they will be closing down the Buduburam camp. The UN is going to fly everyone home and give them 400 dollars. I talked Elder Anderson at ZLC, he served there in the past and Buduburam is in his zone now. He was able to visit a few weeks ago, he said all the Liberian members are really excited. I remember some of those people have been away from home longer than I have been alive. I am so happy for them I know most of them will go back to Monrovia and I hope and pray that when they do they can find the Church! The people in the camp were as wonderful as any people I have ever met, they were so accepting, kind, and humble. I feel so blessed that I was able to serve among them.
I hope that everyone had a happy Easter yesterday! I'm grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and for his atoning sacrifice. I know he live and that because he lives, we too shall live again. This past week Elder Jones was called to train, he will open Dodowa(a new area) and I am really excited for him. I'm really going to miss him! Because he is training he had to go to Trainers Council and I was able to go to the Temple. I was so excited when President Judd called him because I knew that would mean I could go to the Temple. It was a wonderful session and I love the feeling I get every time I go to the Temple, I know its the Lords house. When we went to the temple we were about an hour and a half early for our session. I'm glad that instead of sitting in the waiting room they put us to work. They didn't really put us to work, but they were a little undermanned that morning so I got to work as a temple worker for about an hour. I sat a the desk putting the names on the screen for the baptisms. As I had this fun experience to things came to my mind. First as I was looking at the names, birthday, death date and birthplace I really felt the importance of doing the work for those that past away. I have done baptisms many times but this particular visit helped me to really see the importance of redeeming the dead. The other thought I had was how much I love the temple and how wonderful it would be to be a temple worker one day. I don't really know how that works... If its a calling or if you can voluntary? But needless to say it would be fun and I look forward to going to the regularly! Mom and Dad I know that you dedication to going the temple and prayers every week has blessed me so much as I have been serving! I don't know of any other way you could show your love more.
This week we had a very spiritual lesson with one of our investigators named Thomas, Thomas has been a bit stubborn a has been putting up a wall lately. But as we read from the Book of Mormon with him, his heart was touched. I feel like many times in missionary work the people we teach see it as simply leaving their church and coming to ours. In this lesson with him we told him not to worry about any churches but to worry about finding the truth. Because the truth will set us free, he agreed that the truth would help him and we taught him that only the truth is what will help you to gain salvation. The spirit was very strong during the lesson and I know it touched him. The following morning I was reading in Jacob 4, I have read this chapter many times but it has never stuck out to me, and I can't say that I knew what it talked about but since my personal study it has become one of my favorite chapters. The reason why is because the same truths we taught the night before were in its verses (I believe verse 20 if you read around there you will find it) and the words which were said that brought the spirit into the room we also in the scripture. The spirit touched me again and taught me the importance of the truths we taught the night before, which is that the spirit will teach us of truth. All the things it teaches us are for our profit and that all of these things will help us to gain salvation. The lesson I learned is that nothing is more important than having the spirit to guide us because the spirit truly is our guide back to our Heavenly Father.
I'll find out tonight or tomorrow morning who my new companion is so I'll let you know next week but we will have a lot ahead of us, so please pray that we will find some people whom the Lord has prepared, because we are going to be doing a lot of finding over the next weeks. I'm excited and looking forward to it, I love talking to people about the gospel and I love being a missionary and representing the Lord. Thanks for all the love and prayers!
Love, Elder L.
P.S. Before I forget, I learned this week that they will be closing down the Buduburam camp. The UN is going to fly everyone home and give them 400 dollars. I talked Elder Anderson at ZLC, he served there in the past and Buduburam is in his zone now. He was able to visit a few weeks ago, he said all the Liberian members are really excited. I remember some of those people have been away from home longer than I have been alive. I am so happy for them I know most of them will go back to Monrovia and I hope and pray that when they do they can find the Church! The people in the camp were as wonderful as any people I have ever met, they were so accepting, kind, and humble. I feel so blessed that I was able to serve among them.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Adenta Weekly
Dear Fam,
It sounds like everyone is doing well and enjoyed conference! Its crazy that this is the last one I'll miss.. I don't know where the time has gone. I'm excited to hear it and have enjoyed reading some conference talks this past week. I am happy about the Wild Cats making it to the Championship! Bryan I'm still the proud owner of the do you believe in miracles shirt from when they beat LSU. A fun part of my week was the visit from Bishop Bench yesterday, he came and dropped off the package, thank you, thank you! The cookies were amazing and I think I know that I more than enough treats to last me the rest of my mission. We were able to talk for a good hour or so before church started, he had a lot of questions about Ghana, the work in Ghana and we were able to talk to him about his mission a little. He came to Investigators class and then we sat with him in Priesthood. By the way church was a little interesting yesterday, there were three baby blessing and many non members came to support their families. We had people shouting amen, hallelujah! During sacrament meeting and in investigators class some of the people got very upset about the message of the restoration and said that this is not the only true church, after that meeting they just left right after huffing a puffing all the way home. We get that all the time like I'm sure everywhere else in the world but usually not during church so it made church a little more interesting yesterday.
On Saturday we had the baptism of Abraham and then he was confirmed on yesterday. Prince was not baptized, he has had some second thoughts but we'll continue to work with him and see what we can do to help him. Abraham was very excited for his baptism and it was a wonderful service, we joined with the West Adenta ward and a few children of Record were also baptized. While we were preparing for the baptism I observed the bishops daughter playing with a baby named Kofi. I noticed that as Kofi was sitting on her lap she was playing with a toy and with her friend but everything seemed to be fine. Thinking back on it I should have just told her to put the baby down or that she should be more careful but I didn't, but I had the impression that I should go right in front of her immediately. I didn't want to pick him up because we are not supposed to as missionaries but right after I got in front of her, Kofi lost his balance and I was so grateful I was there to catch him or he probably would have hit his head on the tile. I'm grateful for the promptings of the Holy Spirit to teach us of truth and protect us from spiritual and physical danger. I am so grateful for all of your encouragement and prayers, I know that the prayers of the righteous bring about much good. As I thought back on this experience from Saturday I thought of several experiences from my mission where I didn't know why I did what I did but it always proved to help me avoid a situation that could have been dangerous.
The last thing I wanted to mention was Michelle talked about how President Monson blessed all the people in the conference center or all the membership of the whole church? Elder Holland did the same thing for all that attended the fireside a few months ago and it was one of the most powerful experiences from my mission! President Judd also taught us that as missionaries we can also bless those who receive us. I can't remember the scripture in D&C but he taught us that instead of praying for them to receive an answer we can bless them to receive that answer. As we did this we could fill the spirit come into some of our investigators homes and I know it had a powerful impact on them. I know that the Church is true and that the Priesthood is the Power of God given to man. I'll let you know the scripture next week but I just thought I would share that with you guys. Thanks for all the love and prayers! Love you tons
-Elder L.
It sounds like everyone is doing well and enjoyed conference! Its crazy that this is the last one I'll miss.. I don't know where the time has gone. I'm excited to hear it and have enjoyed reading some conference talks this past week. I am happy about the Wild Cats making it to the Championship! Bryan I'm still the proud owner of the do you believe in miracles shirt from when they beat LSU. A fun part of my week was the visit from Bishop Bench yesterday, he came and dropped off the package, thank you, thank you! The cookies were amazing and I think I know that I more than enough treats to last me the rest of my mission. We were able to talk for a good hour or so before church started, he had a lot of questions about Ghana, the work in Ghana and we were able to talk to him about his mission a little. He came to Investigators class and then we sat with him in Priesthood. By the way church was a little interesting yesterday, there were three baby blessing and many non members came to support their families. We had people shouting amen, hallelujah! During sacrament meeting and in investigators class some of the people got very upset about the message of the restoration and said that this is not the only true church, after that meeting they just left right after huffing a puffing all the way home. We get that all the time like I'm sure everywhere else in the world but usually not during church so it made church a little more interesting yesterday.
On Saturday we had the baptism of Abraham and then he was confirmed on yesterday. Prince was not baptized, he has had some second thoughts but we'll continue to work with him and see what we can do to help him. Abraham was very excited for his baptism and it was a wonderful service, we joined with the West Adenta ward and a few children of Record were also baptized. While we were preparing for the baptism I observed the bishops daughter playing with a baby named Kofi. I noticed that as Kofi was sitting on her lap she was playing with a toy and with her friend but everything seemed to be fine. Thinking back on it I should have just told her to put the baby down or that she should be more careful but I didn't, but I had the impression that I should go right in front of her immediately. I didn't want to pick him up because we are not supposed to as missionaries but right after I got in front of her, Kofi lost his balance and I was so grateful I was there to catch him or he probably would have hit his head on the tile. I'm grateful for the promptings of the Holy Spirit to teach us of truth and protect us from spiritual and physical danger. I am so grateful for all of your encouragement and prayers, I know that the prayers of the righteous bring about much good. As I thought back on this experience from Saturday I thought of several experiences from my mission where I didn't know why I did what I did but it always proved to help me avoid a situation that could have been dangerous.
The last thing I wanted to mention was Michelle talked about how President Monson blessed all the people in the conference center or all the membership of the whole church? Elder Holland did the same thing for all that attended the fireside a few months ago and it was one of the most powerful experiences from my mission! President Judd also taught us that as missionaries we can also bless those who receive us. I can't remember the scripture in D&C but he taught us that instead of praying for them to receive an answer we can bless them to receive that answer. As we did this we could fill the spirit come into some of our investigators homes and I know it had a powerful impact on them. I know that the Church is true and that the Priesthood is the Power of God given to man. I'll let you know the scripture next week but I just thought I would share that with you guys. Thanks for all the love and prayers! Love you tons
-Elder L.
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