A Quick Letter...

(Written: March 3, 2014)

Hey everyone! I gotta be quick, I was trying to move the stuff from the flash drive my family sent to me.. not working yet but one day I will get those songs! so I am behind and have like 2 minutes hahah.

This week was pretty good. The baptism on Saturday for Kafui and Rebecca was so sweet! Seeing Kafui join her family in baptism was so cool. They both showed up super early and helped with the building clean up. Rebecca has been so weighed down and unhappy for a while and Sunday she was glowing. The Spirit that accompanied the service was obvious. We have been working and praying to find elect Priesthood leaders. I think we may have met a few, and a few we were working with have been coming back to church. Samuel is one, he lives and works in Ho, but his family is all in Ho Hoe. He met us and after our first meeting said he 'wants to be the pioneer of the church in Ho Hoe.' He reminds me a lot of a convert in Accra. Desmond. When I met him he was the same way, just determined to do God's will. Not concerned with the opinions given to him. Jeoffrey has been coming to church, Romel also came this Sunday and attended the Baptism. 

Right now we have a lot of Sisters lined up for Baptism, which is great! However, we recognize the need for Priesthood brethren and are trying to find them.

The branch stayed after church to hang out together. I thought there was another meeting going on, but it was just friends being with friends! Made my day to see that. The addition of Brother Eugene Sorgbe to our weekly coordination has been great. They have lit a bit of a fire under the Elder's and Relief Society. They even volunteered to come meet Kafui and Rebecca with us. Hoping this can keep up and the branch can grow together, get over the separation that happened when the split into two branches.

I feel like prayers are really being answered with Elder Monday and I. our prayers for our investigator's are being answered. My testimony is really coming about praying for specific things with them. Prayers and Fasting are what is bringing Jeoffrey around. They are what allowed us to have those people attend Church. 

Thanks so much for the package, the trousers are sweet!! And American food rocks! Still fufu is pretty good, everyone asks if I will eat it at home, where would I find fufu?? haha

love you all to Ghana and back and eternity

Elder Van Wagoner

Sweat is the Work, Sweet is the Reward

(Written: February 26, 2014)

Pretty good week looking forward to the work in March. You have to start preparing your people a month in advance, so if I meet someone next week then we would extend a date for April. Dad you talked about being a senior comp last week and having no idea what to do.. yep.. everyday haha but the work goes on. Dad when you hit those hard points on mission, what were they? and What did you do? It was way cool to hear about Sav's play! Did anyone record it?? I gotta see that one day!

We were blessed to have some member support this week. Elizabeth always teaches Rebecca with us, which is good since she speaks ewe way better than english. Beatris came back! A neighbor, Jamima, is helping us out with her, since she speaks only ewe. They are good friends though and everything is looking good for her baptism on the 8th. We are trying to organize an ewe class so those who don't speak English can come and get some focused learning time. 

So we kinda got worked on Friday and Saturday. Just some of those days were nothing is working out. Saturday night was better, but in the heat of the day we got rejected pretty good. This lady we have been working with gave us back her copy of the Book of Mormon and said only if you teach from the bible can you come. No can do. She said 'it doesn't matter, we are all going the same way.' That was some tough words to get out, 'no, Kristiana, we are not going the same way.' You just hope that one day other missionaries will find her, her heart softened. Those words rang in my hears. 

That night I was just praying for a miracle tomorrow. That maybe Kafui could come even though she was sick, that Jeoffrey would skip the half night prayer group and come to church in the morning instead, that Abel would make it, even though we had had to appointments with him fall through. All signs pointed to no. But, it is the Lord who is hastening the work, we are supposed to keep up.

We walked up to the church and as I came in the door Abel was there!! Sitting waiting for us to come in! We were talking and I got a member to come and fellowship him. I walked out to greet some people when, Kafui! Her whole family coming in, tony and jephter (jeff-ta) Excited to be there. Could hardly keep the excitement back seeing them all walk up the steps. Man SWEET is the reward!

As the meeting went on tony and Jephter fell asleep next to me. A lady came in late and made the hand signal to come that we use in Ghana. I lifted the boys and walked out. Jeoffrey was outside! He was sick from the prayer camp and some bad food but wanted to see us before he went home! He came in for the last 20 minutes though.

Really a great moment to be a missionary. WE are excited for Rebecca and Kafui, they will baptize this Saturday! Also Beatris on the 8th and then Abel and Eyernam are preparing for late March (22) so keep them in your prayers!

I love you all and am so grateful for the support and help! pryaing for all of you!

Elder Van Wagoner

Half a Font, Full Baptism!

(2/17/14) What a week, looks like it's monday again. Feels like Friday is every other day. Mostly because the days look the same, except for every friday you hear the radio stations with the classic 'IT'S FRRRRIIIIIIDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!' Thing going on. So I always know when it's Friday haha.

Tried to do a lot more finding this week. We will see how everything goes. But somedays you just wish you had more hours to work, just so you could see everyone and do everything that needs to be done. Which I have realized is impossible. You can't do everything you are called to do as a missionary. Think about it, a human is going to care for the teaching and salvation of thousands of People in there area? We are wholly dependent on the Grace of Christ to make any of this possible, and to make our efforts matter. 

Sometimes we start getting into humanism. Thinking that it is only in our efforts that the miracles happen. Sometimes (Especially Ghanaians) get into cheap Grace. Thinking that it all comes at the hands of God just giving us gifts. Both are false counterfeits of the truth. It is like a pendulum and we must keep it in the middle by constant effort.

The truth is we are instruments to be played by God. We must make our selves ready and available, willing to do all that is asked and then putting our faith in God to carry what is beyond us. We must be in tune with the Spirit to be an instrument worth playing. The Holy Ghost is the perfect pitch of the Universe. 

Saturday was crazy. We had a full day planned and it got very much derailed. We went to go a print pictures for the Baptism which took way to long. So we rushed to see those we had planned for and found them already on their way. So after meeting a less active we met (we have met so many lately) named Jonathan, we contacted and met some people who were trying to convince us that European union was really the Holy Roman Empire, and that the moon would be blood red until April of next year?? That apparently makes our Church not worth his time??... I let him finish and asked if he ever actually opened the Book of Mormon and prayed about it, he said that was not needed. Man, Everyone PRAY ABOUT THE BOOK OF MORMON. Get a testimony for yourself. 

Everything was falling through, everyone was saying they were busy. Finally we met with John, and he was excited to learn more about the Book of Mormon, but the baptism was in 30 minutes and we had to go. So we ran to fill the font and get the white clothes out. Everything was going smoothly till I checked the font and found out that it has a leak and was filling way slow. So it was only about half way full. Like up to right above my knees! When it came time the service was great, the Spirit was really good. Then the ordination. I stood and baptized Celine first, we had to go twice because of the gown. Then Augustine, he was really really baptized, because we had to re perform the Ordinance four times! Finally I had him go on his knees and bunch the Gown between his legs. Then as he went down the gown was floating up again! So, I put my knee down on his legs and basically put him flat under the water on the floor. 

good times

The service went on well, they were good sports and Elder Cosgrave did a good job with the closing remarks, explaining that it was proof of the truthfulness and exactness of the Lord's way. They were late to church since it was market day (every four days in Ho is market day, everyone goes, it's crazy) but they finally got a cab and we had a great confirmation and Sacrament.

Other cool news is that Elder Udofia got transferred to HO! Another Elder was having issues with a certain person in the branch and had to be moved. So we got to talk and he is the District Leader, so he got to interview Augustine and Celine his first day here. Really awesome to see him again, he made us Eba today! Just like Accra :) Love that man, well love you all, thanks for the prayers, those that we are serving really need them. Remember Mawuli and his family as he is leaving to serve in Sudan for a year. The wife is not very active and his sons are young. A lot is on Emmanual's (his oldest son) shoulders but he is the one.

Love you all to Ghana and Back and To Eternity

Have a great week and work with a love

Elder Van Wagoner

Be Bold

(Written: February 10, 2014)

It's been one of the weeks were I have old songs from the U.S. stuck in my head. Haven't heard american radio in 6 months so I have no idea what is going on. But shatta wale has a new album and moptears has a new song. Haha! I hear way to much of the Ghana music in the taxi and the chop bars, I always laugh thinking about how much dad would not like it. :)

President has asked that we double our baptismal dates. We are looking forward to working on that. That was something that occurred to me the other day. I need to be more bold in my teaching, so I look forward to the invitation. Kafui didn't come to church, she had to stay and watch her grandmother. But, her family did come. They want to be baptized this week. So we are going to discuss if we should baptize on Sunday so that everyone could baptize that day and be together for it. 
Also, a sweet surprise. Worlator came to church! We didn't even get to see him during the week either. His phone was with someone else for a time and we had no idea where he was.
I am sad that one of the recent converts, Mawuli, will be leaving to Sudan for a year of Duty though. He is a soldier. A great big man, yet humble, and loving and good to the very core. This is someone everyone could aspire to be more like. He is one of the ones in the photo there. The other is of Hanson and Ceaser, two of our great recent converts, some of my great friends.
We went contacting near a members home the other day, after an appointment fell through, and found some great people, so we are excited to be working more in that area. We met one man named Joseph, and his wife had just passed away. We had the opportunity to share with him the plan of salvation. With emphasis on the Spirit World and Alma 40. We explained where his wife was and how she got to see God. He questioned us on temple work and the mercy of God to save us after death. He really loved the doctrine and we taught as Elder Bednar gave us the pattern for. His final question: Where is the Church? When do you worship? I really believe he will progress.

so it has been a good week we are working hard and look forward to what is coming this week! The Church is true and I love you!

From Ghana and back and to eternity! love you family

Elder Van Wagoner

Elder Bednar

(written February 3, 2014)

What a week! Lucky to be so blessed and for my time to be here. I am so glad the package got home to you and that you all liked the stuff!

Elder Bednar came to our mission! We went down on Wednesday afternoon to make it to Accra by the evening. It is only the Distance of Like Logan to Bountiful, but Ghana doesn't have highways so it is like a four and a half hour tro tro ride from Ho to Accra. 

We spent the night in my old apartment and it was cool to be there. The accra west mission was also invited, so in order to get a good seat we left the apartment at like 5:40 a.m.for a meeting that wouldn't start until 8 a.m. haha. We sat up front and waited. More and More Elders and Sisters came in and I got to see my wife! (MTC companion) Elder Strong is doing great, over in Tema. That Elders is great, I love him! I also saw Elder Nelson, man is going to be an apostle. Elder Udofia was there and everyone says the work in Cantonments is really starting to pick up! So happy to hear that things are getting better around there.

At 7:30 everyone was studying scriptures as we sat and waited. The anticipation was incredible. We could hardly hold still. Not sure that I have ever been as excited to see someone before. A small time before he came in, I reflected on how worthy I would feel if he were to come up to me. Pondering on how it would also feel to be waiting, those moments before we enter the presence of God. 

He came in and there was a noticeable Spirit accompanying him. President Judd stood and began conducting the meeting. He said 'This Meeting will be presided over by Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles' Felt Like I was in General Conference!! 

When he stood to speak we all were ready to take notes and listen for hours. But, he told us to not take note on anything we heard, only things not said. He asked us questions and demonstrated how to help our investigators seek learning by faith. He taught us how an investigator saying they 'felt good' when they read the Book of Mormon is the first testimony they bear of it. That these statements are worth infinitely more than our best words. He urged us to help others find the truth for themselves. to keep it.

I love you all form ghana and back and to eternity!

love,

Elder Van Wagoner

Living Prophets of the Lord

(Written: January 27, 2013)

Hey Everyone! So this week was transfer week, and I am 6 months. When I first got here I thought that I would have the mission thing figured out by now.... nope! haha So it has been good to hear from everyone and see how the work is going on. I am still here in Ho! Grateful to be here and I am with Elder Monday. He is from Uganda and is a pretty good Elder. He is 21 and, as I learned 3 months on mission. Which means I am the senior companion. Scary thought huh? haha 

I always thought that at the sixth month mark I would be so different, and perhaps I am, but I feel like I am mostly the same. Definitely a process. But, I am grateful that God has carried me to this point. I do feel like Alma and the sons of Mosiah, being comforted when they would have turned back. I am very grateful to a Creator who allows the weak to Hold His Holy Priesthood, and to be cared for by him.

Some cool things though this week, on monday we had a fireside with a traditional dance group. They are led by a Ghanaian who moved to America for like 10 years named Bennicent, he is our friend. The night was so cool! Just made me love that traditional culture, that is my favorite part of Ghanaian culture, the roots. Well remember all the jokes about being a tribal dance leader? They had the missionaries come up and perform one of the dances haha that was so much fun! Felt a little more Ghanaian :)

Glad to see the work in the area going on. Kafui and her son, Augustine, and daughter, Selena,  continue to come and have such a good desire to learn. They came to the other Elder's Baptism on saturday! They were even asking to confirm the baptismal plans, even though it isn't for two weeks! We are waiting on Beatris to come back from her home town, she hasn't yet had the money to do so. She told us that as soon as she came back she wanted to baptize and she should be back this week. Joshua missed church, so we will wait on another baptismal date. I did not feel inspired as to a date when we meet with him. I said we would plan for next week, when we saw him at church. He wasn't there, so we don't know where he is, we don't want to spend too much time with someone who isn't ready. Corney called the Cosgrave's and said he was hoping to see us when he got back from Togo, so we will see what has happened since he left.

We met a cool family the other day, very busy though, so we will hopefully be able to follow up with them. We are looking to contact more, now that Elder Monday has been in the area a bit. To try and find those new investigators.

This week Elder Bednar and Elder Clayton will visit the mission and we have the opportunity to meet them on Wednesday!! They want us ready to ask questions and contribute to a discussion. I have a question I would like to ask but, still trying to craft the right question for Elder Bednar and Elder Clayton. I am looking forward to such an incredible opportunity! 

I invite everyone to read the talks we were assigned to read as a mission. Elder Bednar gave a few called 'Learning by Faith' and 'That we might not Shrink'. These men are living Prophets and their words 'are Scripture' as we learn in Doctrine and Covenants.

Skye has the best pictures in the world, and hey this week there should be a package getting to you, maybe towards like friday if it all works out! 

I love you all from ghana and back and to eternity!

Elder Van Wagoner