(Written: October 28, 2013)
Well hello world!
Month 3.. is over.. weird how time does funny stuff. But hey, so first things first. I bruised my foot playing spoons haha so word to the wise, spoons in flip flops is a dangerous game.
Well, Tuesday we had district meeting in our apartment and the office elders got us ice cream bars! No idea where they found them, but man that was awesome :) We were teaching auntie Gina and as her daughters were cooking (she owns a spot, which is a bar in Ghana, but lots of people work at a place like that and she is such a good lady) and as the ash rose up from the fire it looked like snow painted against the darker area that was underneath the tin roof covering. it felt like home, just really hot and sunny and humid.
We also taught Peter and Martin that day, it was a good lesson on the restoration and I was talking about how Joseph was in an area under the trees like we are here today. As I said that there was a kind of silence that entered. the cars around us were quite and the world hushed (which never happens in Ghana, usually when we teach restoration is gets very loud) yet we had this moment of great peace and profound spirit. there are some moments that are very literally irreplaceable.
On Wednesday, we contacted a lady named Grace who was wondering why God made her face so many challenges, oh I wish she would have been able to feel the power of her name. We tried to express the love he had, the greatness that is the fall of Adam and Eve and the blessings that will flow eternally, but it is interesting, people don't respond to these the way you feel they would, you imagine that as you provide the love and answer they need that they will love it. Many times they do, but she was missing the grace in her own life. but if like nephi says in 1 nephi 4:15 if they don't know they how can they change, so we must teach all those who will hear. Pause and think though, who around you can you bring closer to Christ, all over the world the push for missionary work is happening. the hastening and gathering are very real and very literally occurring now. Take your chance, the work is not as hard as we make it seem, it is simply turning too and talking to people. then after asking inspired questions you teach restored doctrines and bear testimony. you can simply say i know this is true or i know it can help you. member and nonmember need this, the world needs this, not just those in Accra, Ghana. But your family, your friends and neighbors need this and we need to bring it to them. We need them and they need us.
Well that night my companion got a call from president, he is training. which means I am getting transferred! So next week i have no idea where I will be or who I will be with but president said it was a solid companionship he was setting up. so I am stoked!
Thursday we went out with Chinnydoo who is a member in the picture standing next to me. The guy is a stud and it is like teaching with a third missionary since he is an rm.. who even served in Ghana several years ago, but he is from Nigeria. so we taught a couple lessons and came back to the apartment to go on exchanges. We had some adom rice (Grace rice) which is this awesome fried rice and chicken for 3-5 cedi and it fills you up!
Elder Lloyd and I went to teach in Jamestown area. We met their investigator Samuel. he is this 13 year old who is just solid. Most small boys and girls just start yelling obruni when i come but he comes up to me and says "Elder Van, how are you brother?" he is quiet but in a very humble and cheerful way, I want to be more like Samuel. We talked about temples, it was awesome. Later we went to the Jamestown branch for institute but the teacher didn't show up. We did get to go to the roof and see Accra from there, it was beautiful. The roof isn't finished and the last flight of steps was ill measured so it was more like a bridge than stairs haha. but we went on to teach Nyomia, a less active lady who lived close by. As we talked we asked why she hadn't been to church and she was kinda laughing it off saying 'o i will come'. But as we slowed down and looked to God for our questions we started asking about the sacrament, what it was and when had she last taken it and why do we take it, it opened into a discussion on the atonement and again the spirit brought peace to her, the testimony we bore is something I would like you to know. I know that my redeemer lives, that he came to earth to live for us, and eventually to suffer, sacrifice, and nevertheless, carry on to death for us. This is not all, he then went on to rise, for us.
Do the people you meet know this, the single most important occurrence in the history of the universe? Not everyone is prepared to hear, but would you rather be asking what if, or saying i have done the work, thou gavest me.
Elder Lloyd and I went home, our topic of funny stuff with friends at home became the atonement, and why we were serving missions. the atonement and the grace of it is the changing solution of the universe. The world wants peace and prosperity and for some reason we look else where. yet we haven't built on Christ our foundation. Helaman 5:12 is our mission scripture.
Friday was trainers council for my companion so i went on exchanges with Elder Francis. that was really a great time, getting to catch up with my mtc mate. He is doing well and both of us have learned to love banku and fufu. We taught a lesson that was pretty halting, kinda funny the first time you teach with someone, there is a couple moments of figuring it out.
Well we biked back and i got a phone call and had a pretty funny front flip over my handle bars. I even kept the call going and answered the elders question haha. good fun! Don't worry I didn't get hurt mom :) The back pack actually took the fall. haha
Well that night we got to meet with Bismark again and we talked about 1 nephi 4. It was all by the spirit, because the lesson we had was just not what he needed. it isn't all my stuff to talk about but as we talked the spirit unfolded the scriptures I had read that morning to me. We talked about how the lord often provides answers we don't expect, like a drunken Laban. in verse 9 that sword he uses is also used in 2 Nephi 5 to fortify an entire nation. that like Nephi we may shrink but the Lord will guide us and strengthen us and we will conquer our Labans. Many other things did we teach him which are contained in that chapter. I hope you go and find some of them. they are countless :)
Saturday was stake conference day and we saw Elder Strong! my mtc mate! He is doing well and the talks were all on missionary work and that was great. Elder Vinson talked about the good Samaritan being Christ. Also, how Jerusalem to Jericho is a steep decline from a mountain to the dead sea, just like the doctrine of the fall. and how Christ takes us and binds our wounds. I wish you could have heard all that I heard.
Sunday was the final session of stake conference and we had four investigators show up! it was really solid and they all expressed great love for it. Bismark noted that somethings we taught him were taught again and it really built his testimony up. Later that day we were able to have a dinner at the Robinsons which was pancakes and peanut butter! Man that was soo good!
Well life is going well, transfers are coming.
i am praying daily for each of you and I love you so very much!
Hey if anyone wants to send me uno cards.. preferably sponge bob ones.. that would be okay... just saying haha
But I love you and hope you can each find a new way to build another and yourself on Christ.
The church is true and I love you
Elder Van Wagoner
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