Another week is in the books and you can't do anything about it! haha happy birthday to Elise, make sure somebody hits the high notes for me!
so weekly update
after we emailed I felt great last week and we worked hard this week which is the best!
Tuesday was funny, this guy was raging at me because he doesn't like Americans and he kept telling me to convince him or confuse him so we pretty much walked away because he just wanted to hate me, poor guy, he really seemed upset about something else but he was just looking to lash out at something, I tried to help but in the end he wouldn't accept it. The good news is I felt the Lord say "hey I am proud of how you handled that, you acted with love" it was such a blessing to feel that spirit of God! Later we watched the temple dvd "between heaven and earth" with Matilda and she loved it and is progessing towards entering the temple for baptisms! She really is doing so great now, the gospel can change anyone :) We finished by teaching Desmond who is so prepared to be baptized I am just stunned. That man hears the words of God and acts on them like no one I know!
Wednesday was zone conference which was great! we talked about asking inspired questions and many other things so I made that my goal. We didn't get to teach a lot because the conference was from 9-4:30 but it was still a great conference and we got adom rice so no complaints!
Thursday was the announcement that was 8 months in the making on wether or not john mahama's election was valid or if they cheated. no one would visit with us because they were all waiting to know. finally they announced that it was valid (probably just to keep peace in ghana because from what i here it wasn't) so no riots or anything! That night we had a talk about the atonement in the apartment. We were all talking about various points including wether or not we were watching in Gethsemane and really it had me chocked up.
Friday I had that conversation in my head and when ever we got rejected I thought of Elder Holland's talk about missionary work and the atonement. Jordan knows that one he sent the video to me back at home on facebook. But we saw some people and met the kids over at mobile force again. My hands were dirty from pulling them in this wagon and them all holding my hands so I couldn't eat because we never have utensils for anything but rice. so i had been praying for the spirit all day so I could ask inspired questions and instead I was just hungry and tired haha so we got back to the apartment and ate. then I felt better and when we went to teach desmond I felt to walk instead of bike. So we talked to everyone we met and we met these hawkers who were about my age and they were so excited about the gospel that Emmanuel now has a baptismal date for the 21st of september I talked about the book of mormon helping me in 9th grade with dad in the hospital, it was such a miracle moment for me to me someone like him, only 17 years old too. Then desmond, we talked and I had an inspired question. I asked something like, so after reading this could you tell me your testimony? and he just opened up about not having church for 13 years because he never felt the spirt and then when he was sleeping God said to go for a walk and so he found the church and then God said to go in and so he did and just everything that happened was a miracle!! God will answer prayers, always always.
Saturday we cleaned the chapel and i made some pasta! then we met with some people and after one lesson on our way to Matilda's area, she passed us with her mom in a taxi saying they were taking her mom to the hospital. so we went to find where the hospital was and her neighbor walked over to it with us. It was right by the airport and we walked in and talked with her and gave her a blessing, I was so desperate for the spirit and so glad I was worthy to have it because I wanted to bless her so much!
We went and got her food and then left to teach Emmanuel and his friends.
They were selling on the streets again so we went and sold with him! potato chips for five cedi haha everyone was stunned to see obruni out selling so i didn't get a sell but everyone gave me some priceless looks :) all the hawkers were impressed that we did that so they all came to listen and we taught a bunch of them! We met with Desmond again and he was inviting his neighbors to come. they only spoke twi but I heard "it will change your life" and wow... it was just great.
Sunday was fast sunday so I fasted for all of you and prayed for my family to be happy :) hopefully you are all happy because all i can do is pray and work. At one lesson I just looked at the apartments/barracks with the wire strung across the sky and the clothes line waving in the breeze with the african sunset behind, and i just stared, because this is real. well We got back to the apartment after teaching for the day and we finished out weekly planning. then i read landon's letter while listening to nearer my god to thee.. i love that song and I love that letter, thanks so much landon, it really is changing my mission. I do what I do knowing that satan will try to stop me so it will be easier to try and stop you. but i made you a promise and I made God a promise so satan might as well give it up :) we are a family and we can do anything when we are together in spirit.
make sure to pray together as a family each day because that makes a huge difference and strengthens our eternal seal.
savanah I have a letter coming for you and Elise too! so be watching in a couple weeks for that! mom did you get my letter??
tell whoever ask that i am doing work out here! haha
fun fact the sun comes up at 6 and down at 6 everyday because we are on the equator.
I had wakye (watch-eh) this morning and loved it and am starting to love fufu, everything here has African spice in it called pepa (pep-eh) it so if i make this for you in two years you will probably hate the food haha but i am learning to love it small small :)
The church is true and I would like to share how we met this french girl from coute divoire and her father had just died, she was staying in the chapel with her stake to attend the temple. we couldn't speak so we sang and we cried together with this girl. The spirit speaks to everyone and in there own inner language, I felt a testimony that I was exactly where God wanted me to be as we sat with her.
Everyday I see miracles, at least two or three. People here have dreams, like Lehi, they have visions in there dreams. no i am not joking those dreams have brought several people to church and are a common thing here... sometimes I dream too and in a different way then back at home but nothing like what they dream. It is kind of a poetic thing to hear about the dreams.
I am coming closer and closer to loving the people as would Christ, that is my hope, then I can become the missionary Heavenly Father called me to be and the one these people deserve and need.
I love you all to the ends of the earth and hope that we can all be filled with charity for those around us, because after this life so much of what we are concerned with, including time, will simply be gone. Like going on a mission haha but in a perfect way
I love you family and am praying for you, remember that God is with us always, so be with him.
Elder Van Wagoner
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