Imagine All The People

(Written Sept.16, 2013)

Logan's Baptism

Living the Mission Life

O mission life, haha I realize that as I describe things to you that unless you come out here and experience it, it'll just fall short of what it really is like. Saw the usual obruni tourist as we went to see the beach this morning. He had his "man i am in africa we don't shave" stubble going on and the new back pack, new stuff, trying to look like he just walked out of a transfer in the bush haha and Elder nelson and I were laughing because Ghana is not what people show it as on tv, or movies or wherever else you hear about africa.

So Ghana is the most 'traditional' of almost any African nation. That means they continue to keep old culture traditions and struggle to really advance to be like south africa but that is part of what makes the adventure so crazy haha :)

But anyways tuesday was zone meeting and we talked about leadership and seeing the bigger picture. As we talked I realized that truth has a sound. you hear it in conference talks, you hear it in the hymns, you hear it in the truth of lessons we teach. and it is the same music where ever you are. As long as it is the truth.

The rest of the day is exchanges with Elder Nelson and we did great! we taught one lesson to a man named Essian and it ended up that we basically had him try to teach Elder nelson the plan of salvation as I helped him through it. It was a great experience and the spirit was solid. the rest of the day was just really good work, I loved it!

Wednesday I wrote Landon and then went out teach. I took the picture of me walking in this new area we went into that day and later that night we taught these girls. Linda and Latisha, they are referrals from the bishop (family if you have people to teach, let the missionaries know, referrals are the best) so we taught them about finding an answer from prayer and scripture study. I prayed that the spirit would come so we could point out to them what the spirit felt like, as I testified of my own witness of the book of mormon the spirit came so strong. what a blessing.

Later that day I had popcorn and banana from a hawker and took a picture :) haha I love popcorn, yes both the food and more so ashley's beautiful daughter.

Thursday my comp started to pack his bags again, poor guy, I wish I was the perfect companion, but we had a slow day and he emailed president to send him home. president called us to the office at 3:30 so we went and talked with him. then he called me in and told me that the Lord had put us together for a reason, that in the future I would be training and leading in the mission and he wanted me to know that so I would prepare for it.. ha.. i'm 18 and wow... this is the fastest way to be humbled, serve a mission. you realize how dependent you are for every step you take out here. thank goodness I am not the man in charge.

My comp is staying and said the president will probably transfer him but that he felt so much love from him. our President is the man. it inspired me to find that pure love, not the convenience love, so i am praying for that. also president wrote me saying that my background of spiritual giants was going to help many non-american companions who would need that. again the inadequacy is a feeling that often i am tempted to give to. yet I know that the Lord will be my guide.

Lead kindly light, amist the encircling gloom

 i have never felt so close to Heaven

friday was a slow day but we had miny exchanges so elder nelson could interview desmond for baptism. so I taught with elder lloyd over in jamestown at there small chapel. the chapel is on a noisy street that has so much crazy stuff going on outside you would not even think it was real but the spirit seems to remove those. pretty surreal.

we got a sweet new water filter too! it is silver and the filtered water comes out of the side of the faucet instead of on a seperate thing! it is awesome! i also got the dear elder letter from ashley and mom that you sent on the 5 that day :)

Saturday we went to mariams and had fish soup with plenty peper (they say it like pep-ey). we helped her prepare some other dishes and then went and taught. my stomach was on fire! haha so she had told us to come back and get jollef rice and we did later that day. again so much peper, like really good food but man my stomach was just like.. hey what is this haha it was a lot of fun, and another good story to tell people. like if you hear weird food ask them if they have tried banku, tilapia, fufu, light soup, fish soup haha ghana has the real weird food :) and it is fun! you would probably not like any of it, but for some reason it grows on you. but we were very grateful, everyone wants to make food for people, they always say "o you are invited" (minsaka in twi) and thats just how it goes! 

Sunday i felt prompted to fast, and naturally i was like... why? haha but i felt that if i did i would go from having a good day to having a spiritually important day. so i fasted. It was slow start to church but then we had somehow 7 investigators come! one even brought here sister and marcus made it too!! man marcus made it to church!!!!! I love that man, i hope that one day he will come in. and then i baptized brother Desmond and it was such an incredible moment, i felt like satan had been weighing me down trying to stop from teaching desmond. so the burden was lifted and I know that brother Desmond will be a leader in the ward here in no time.

Then we got fed the best red red with plenty plantain! it is soooo good man, me pa red red paa! I was going to say no i am fasting but the spirit said, be polite, I just wanted to know if you were willing. Blessings come to those that put God first. later we went to teach and we taught this guy named nelson or little as everyone calls him so i call him nelson little and his friend, a girl. as we taught them I spoke some twi without even thinking about it! I was talking about dad in the hospital and me reading the book of mormon because of it and then some twi just came with it!

Later we went to this man, bro. alex van de os man, a dutch man who is working in africa. he is a member and was giving my companion some music, he played some stuff i knew and some old crazy rock stuff like pysch 60's. I didn't realize how close the spirit was with me because it was gone so quick. I felt kinda sick and just wanted to go. finally we left but i realized how blessed I was to realize how far I had come even in just a month and a half. we are instruments in the hands of God, trying to tune ourselves with the spirit. 

The more we have to spirit, the better.

Today I went to the beach after getting some new strings for the guitar. it was covered in trash but the beach was so beautiful, the salt smell was there and it was nothing like what you are imagining right now haha it was Africa. :) and i am blessed to be hear.

this wednesday will be the end of my first transfer and my companion will likely be transferred to a new area or i will. next week we will know but for know we will just keep working hard!

I think you should know. when we make even the small efforts to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost then the Lord will bless us far beyond. He is just waiting to give us those blessings, just hoping he can. he is a loving heavenly parent, that means he specifically is looking for ways to bless. so let him, you will both be a lot happier if you do :)

The church is true and the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon can bless you like nothing else can, they are the one offensive weapon we have in the armor of God, use them.

love you all and I am praying and fasting often for you! have an incredible week :)

Logan's Tribute to Baby Popcorn (What we call Ashley's baby)

Logan Helping Miriam

A Ghana Sky