Another week in Paradise

7/6/2015

Dear family of mine,

Serving is the greatest thing I have ever done. It feels like it wasn't me that took it to this point though. God really is full of Grace and mercy, He has done all the heavy lifting. We watched 17 miracles (and Lion King) as a zone today! It stuck out to me how when the Lady prays and the revive the daughter, she said "Father we have done all we can...' Time and time again miracles have come as people 'Have done all'. It just made me pause and again ask, 'have I done all?' We have been pushing as hard as we know how, unfortunately it has gotten to our sleep schedule a bit, Elder Bautner, our District Leader, was saying that we should choose at least one day this week and start planning by 9 and not the usual 9 30ish. Seems like people are not around till like 3 pm in Tema is the problem, but I feel so happy :) nothing brings joy like His work.

We also signed journals at the activity and this week, as we have had a bunch of chances to be with zone members (exchanges, hand off to sisters lessons, meals with a couple members, meetings etc) I felt an overwhelming love for all of them. Two sisters are transferring today (some mtc mix up so a 2 week transfer for it) Sister James is going, she will leave the same day as me. We celebrated her bday on tuesday with cake mix mom sent for my bday! haha :) Also Sister Wanjohi, and Elder Yeboah (Godfred, from Kwabenya who is here as a ward missionary to take the place of a missionary still at the mtc for language help). I love being able to serve them and you can feel how precious each is to God, how much they did to come and serve. I love these people :)

This week was full as far as our time goes. I feel like we didn't really have a down moment, and we (hopefully) accomplished some good! We went on back to back exchanges. We thought now would be a good time and we thought we had a Stake Presidency Meeting on friday that didn't happen. After some prayers and consideration we decided to have both of the DL's to come and see how things work in our area and then next month the exchanges will go to their areas and see how they applied what was learned. The Junior companions would both get a chance to lead and take charge. I was in Newtown with Elder Saunders and saw great things. He is everything you could hope for a missionary who is 3 weeks out. he is doing great things with what he knows. I tried to help him with adjusting, and a few areas to improve. Other things he will learn as he simply progresses on mission. He will be a great Elder in the future and capable of almost anything he gets called to do. We are excited for him! He said 'You know you've made it. You're there!' I remember thinking the same thing about people like Elder Nelson and was overwhelmed with humulity knowing that I was far from the level he thought. The Spirit prompted, so I said "there is one correction, you don't arrive, or get there, but you'll get farther than ever before."

Elder Udonsa was also great, he has progressed a lot. He was a lot more confident in his area and approaching his people. He is so humble about how he approaches people and they feel comfortable with him. He is truly a servant of the Lord and shows a lot of love.  It was sweet being with these two elders! I learned a lot as I watched them, the simplicity and the honest way in which they share what they know really touches the heart. Seems that in the end the best missionaries are not necessarily the best teachers, but the ones who love and try with a fervent testimony. Being with Elder Saunders brought a wave of emotions and memories flooding back. Mission has been beautiful.

Our area was really blessed this week and some part member families are doing so good! One guy, Fiifi had his baby blessed on sunday, Logan Yao Nunana Cudjo-Deborah. (his wife is an rm) the man is sweet! He is Jehovah's Witness but has really been softened since he moved into the house full of members :) Gifty is doing great, bore testimony in RS and gave the closing prayer, she loves the church and is excited about the Gospel! baptism is the 19th! Suzy also came to church, she is in the same family with Fifii (a cousin-in-law I guess haha). This week was great in the area.

Also the fourth was awesome!!!!! There is a lot of asians in tema and so we went to the asain shop and picked up some roman candles for 3 cedis!!! (that is like 75 cents for 8 full sized ariels) We also bought what we thought was sparklers... turned out to be a 12 cedi bag of incense hahahaha. Took them to the Kufalors and they lit them off (WHB says we re not supposed to use fireworks so we couldn't be the ones to get close and light them) so much fun! We got to whole neighborhood out to come and watch! We were at the top of the flats in community 4 and people enjoyed! Funny enough even helped our relationship with Fiifi to pick up! :)

Alright I love you all from Ghana and Back and to Eternity

Elder Van Wagoner

p.s. as for leaving. I feel peaceful about things, just working hard is the only thing I really have control over, my attitude is the other. So I'm giving every tiny gram and effort I can and choosing joy. Thanks everyone I love this work, it is the Lord's. This is His gospel we bring!

Nyame Adom

6/29/2015

Family I am out of time. Trying to send more one on one emails this week so please forgive:)

It will have to suffice to say that this week was watching a roll of miracles happen before us. We have been trying as hard as we know how and it seems like God has poured out his blessings upon the Tema zone and the follow ups on sunday were so rewarding. Many great things have happened for us all here :)

We worked on a lot of things this week we have been working on our planning strategy a lot. The following days were very busy and so rewarding.
Members have been in higher support of us, actually of most of the missionaries in Tema and this week we recieved some great reports from all of the zone members. It was a very humbling call in report. We have seen some mighty miracles come in Tema. Several have come as missionaries brought the other Elders or Sisters to teach someone who they felt needed the other more. Others have come as people have contacted and referred those contacts on, taking the contact still seriously and not just moving on because it wasn't in the area. We want to keep up this attitude here and move things forward.

It feels as though it has all been 'nyame Adom' as everyone says. Elders and Sisters have been working, and many miracles took place this week, for whatever reason God has allowed. We feel very blessed. God has led and directed and done so much, seems like we were just continuously in the right places at the right time. Wish I had more time to tell you about it all.

We have been working with some great referrals, a couple don't speak english and so we have been working to see if they could be strong enough to baptize. But we understand it is not rushing for numbers but helping to have sustainable Recent converts. We've made plans to take different translators and things for people like Sister Martha. Sisters Kafui and Gifty are both progressing well and we had some of the more spiritual lessons I can remember with Kafui, she loves the idea of temple work! Met a man who was dating a member and she was trying to force him to baptize, he wanted to break up with her, but called us over to teach him. He had some bad experiences with missionaries before and I was blown away that he had the courage to try again (after telling us about his past member/missionary experiences). His name is Prince and we can see the Gospel is going to make a great impact on a great person.

Mission is sweet and I love it here!

love you all frm ghana and back and to eternity!

Elder Van Wagone

Tune my heart to Sing Thy Grace

6/22/2015

Emailing Jake.. everyone says he is at home... Not sure I buy it. #tupaclives

Thanks for emailing me though, it's always uplifting to read about what everyone is doing. As we learned yesterday in Elder's Quorum about being led by the Spirit, all of you do a great job of that, thank you!

It is a blessing that the revelation came to keep me in Tema, I feel like it has taken up till now to truly desire the welfare and happiness of the missionaries and to be willing to Sacrifice my proselyting time more for them. At first I was just doing it because I knew I was supposed too, now it is a blessing. I suppose some (myself) learn these lessons slower.

We gave one sister missionary a blessing and she was very grateful, I think she has some stresses getting to her. The spirit really did direct things that I would have never thought to say otherwise. They did well this week though and it seems the blessing was what she needed. Giving blessings is so great. We gave several this week to members and non-members. It really helped us be a lot more obedient and Christ-Like, knowing that we would later give blessings.

We had a lot of working with members the past couple of weeks, some interesting results. Some of the people we may ask the sisters to start working more with. Like a young girl who seems a little terrified to open up to us hahaha her family is awesome though. It's the Kufalor's neice. By the way, Ethel Kufalor had her baby! I predicted she would give birth to Yao (a thursday born) She did and so, after some debate, she asked for my first name and now the baby is named 'Logan Yao Nunana Cudjo-Deborah'. He is awesome!!!!!!!

We were blessed to have some great people come to church, Jerry's mom Gifty came, a referral who has been overcoming a pretty massive alcohol addiction named Martha.

After our zone meeting, which went on well, we followed our own council to see "if we had eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel" (A President Monson quote). We had all our appointments fall through and no where to go around 8 pm. So Elder Beckett said we should stop and pray. We did and started to open our eyes to his guidance. A couple roads down we met a sweet guy named Kwabena (my name sake in Ghana) who is a family man and pretty interested! We would have missed him without stopping to pray. Then as we passed a part member home, we felt to go back and didn't know why. We did though and found the non-member husband sick and we were able to give him a blessing. It was so sweet to be used by the Lord and I felt like we were really going about his business, not our own.

We were a part of the choir who sang for a lady's funeral in the church. As we sang "Come thou Fount" the words rang out for me "Tune my heart to sing thy Grace". What greater joy could we have than to be instruments in his hands?

I love you all from Ghana and back and to Eternity

Elder Van Wagoner

Father's Day!

6/15/2015

Today has been sweet everyone! I just did a quick check on the missionary portal. I looked up some old emails between me and President Judd, about November 2013 time. That was the time I received some of the best council ever given to me, it came from Elder Jensen (congrats man, thank you for the example). He seemed to be having such a good time I wondered how it was possible. "When things are crazy I try to see the adventure in it all, other than that I see the people".

As I applied this council and others from President Judd, the difference in the emails and journal entry's (yes I reread some with Elder Beckett on Saturday) was almost humorous. People are what it's all about. Just searching for that 'one' somewhere :) Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad? or made someone feel glad? if not I have failed in deed...... then wake up! and do something more than dream of your (self, problems, worries, desires, etc.) mansions above, doing good is a PLEASURE, a JOY beyond measure, A BLESSING of DUTY AND LOVE. Serve and never look back.

We watched Ephriam's Rescue as a zone today, it was in black and white, but super awesome. It really struck some deep chords. "When you have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel you can reach out and Rescue others". President Monson

I would like to send my gratitude out to a man who has rescued me on several occasions. Dad Happy Father's day, thank you for all you have done. The small day by day lessons you have taught are still affecting missionary work here in Ghana. :)

We saw some miracles the past couple weeks though with finding. We were at the chapel and Bishop Appianti gave us a ride with a member because of the rain. We stopped at the member's, Jerry, home and made a quick plan to visit the next day. As we came we talked about his family and his mom has not come to church before. As we came another day to meet, she was so ready for us and had good questions and is on date for July 12 now!!!

The other great one came after getting 2 lessons to fall through with a member along with us. On our way a man came running from a nearby church and asked for the Book of Mormon, at first I feared he was a church member and want the Book of Mormon too aid his preaching (oddly enough a common problem here, pastors will steal a line or two from it). Turns out, he was the security there and went to a different church. Then, 2 days after MLC, we followed up. He had been reading, had awesome questions and accepted to be baptized and come to church the next day (after some inspired insights from Elder Beckett).

The following day we went to pick up another investigator, but he wasn't around. The rain was decently heavy (Ghanaians fear the rain and struggle to come out of the house when it's even a small sprinkle), so we thought neither of them would come. I had to keep telling my self to get some faith and when we walked in, he was waiting! He loved it and contributed a ton, it was sweet. I think he is now permanent living in com. 1 so we will have to refer him there, but still he is sweet! Albert is his name.

I'm realizing that we do a lot of planting seeds until we can meet that one who is prepared. I have been seeing that the most important moment in our day may just be when we follow a simple prompting to talk to an unlikely man on the way. God's work is incredible. I would love to be someone he could call at any time and know I would respond, so I'm working on it.

I was blessed to have my temple recommend interview with President Heid on thursday. It was one of the most incredible moments. Going through and being able to have the Spirit testify to my answers was making getting a simple 'yes' or 'no' out difficult. This Gospel is true, Jesus Christ really is the Savior. This really is his church.

The invitation is to all of us to go to the rescue. President Monson said the opportunity WILL be there. We all have need to 'go where he wants us to go, say what he wants us to say, be who he wants us to be'.

Love you All from Ghana and Back and To Eternity

Elder Van Wagoner

The Scientist

6/1/2015

An older Coldplay song has a chorus that says, "No body said it was easy, no it's such a shame for us to part... no body said it was easy, no one ever said it would be so hard...  O TAKE ME BACK TO THE START."

Sorry I had some random guy from Germany and his wife who didn't know how to work the computers very well (the guy had some difficulty in movement and speech) ask me for help. they were trying to get the wifes visa to go back to Germany, so I am once again short on time. But hopefully that couple is able to get home to the kids. Pretty random, they seemed super lost. 

A lot of my MTC mates are talking of going home just about everytime I meet one of them. It's crazy that they are feeling this way. Mission is so sweet and I feel like the song sometimes. I would love to try mission again with what I know now. But I am sure that at the end of any time I did that they same feelings would come. Mission is such a rare opporunity. No one could have taught me these things if I spent eternity in a class room.

Elder Beckett and I tried to pick it up this week, just more squeezing our time. It did allow us to meet some great people, met one guy whose name is Newlove and we will meet him tonight! We couldn't meet on Sunday and he was super disappointed he is really excited about the Book of Mormon!!!! We were working on 'keeping our lines in the water' and being aware of opportunites at all times. Tonight we will be trying to follow up with a couple of those people, I'm excited! We are then going to Newtown to do exchanges and also take part in their district council. So both of us will be their tomorrow.

We had some sweet lessons this week, really powerful and one of the great ones came as we simply read and explained 1 Nephi 13 with Sister Beatrice. For the first time, she committed fully to church and also to baptism. I fear that the rain was the thing that stopped her. Many of our ward members also didn't attend because of the rain, even Benjamin didn't come. We took a teaching record to him and explained why he can't yet be baptized, how he needs to be keeping these committments and learning these things. It helped him see the scope of things and hopefully it will be the push that he needed.

The member work is going ongreat!. We had some great lessons as we planned in advance for the member present and would also use the opportunity to work with and teach the member. We had a chance to do a service project for one family, trimming a tree, and it went well. They were really grateful.

Elder Beckett is great and tries hard, I always learn a lot from him and am very grateful to be serving with him. Mission is sweet. We are trying and working hard as we can to be finding those who are ready to progress, we will find them.:)\

love you all from Ghana and Back And to Eternity!!!! have an awesome week!!

Elder Van Wagoner

subject de.. but i no go for make one dis time

5/25/2015

Super short  on time, sorry I was trying to respond to all of the members of Tema zone. President and Sister Heid are doing a great job about setting up activites to help people who never had the chance to learn some life skills. This week they set up a computer assignment and they had to email Elder Beckett and I. So I spent a lot of the time getting to learn more about them and respond to some comments they made, it was super sweet! I love the missionaries here, they are not a perfect group, but they really try.

This week we had a few times where God lined things up super well. ON monday we were late getting out, but we felt we should just try and go contacting around, our area was too far to get to by then. We ended up meeting two people we had contacted in com 4 but they hadn't accepted us the times before! Also this week we tried to fast for the area and as we did we had some really powerful lessons with some people, also one house we just felt prompted to try at like8:45 was the house of a woman who had come to church like 3 times in ashiaman! God really can connect all the dots and it's amazing to watch!

Sorry my time is out, I love you allf rom ghana and back and to eternity!

Elder Van Wagoner

The Music of the Gospel

5/18/2015

Dear family! the cafe is struggling and won't load names of contacts.
So hopefully this one reaches ash and jordan and if possible the
elders.

We are late today, had a zone activity that was good but went over
time. We make burgers for the whole zone! Found a great place called
max mart in the industrial part of tema.. seriously most random place
to put a store of that caliber hahah. They had patties and some great
things to throw on, made it for half the price of what the zone
members would have paid for a half as nice burger at the restaurants!

We had a good week of trying and making new efforts. We are getting a
lot more creative than I can remember being before and I love teaching
about family history these days. At the core of what we are doing is
bringing families to the foundation of Christ. As I studied this week
it seemed like family history work was jumping out at me, they make so
many references of it and it is just as both Luke and Malachi put it,
that without this work we are cut from the root and we lose so many
blessings (luke 3:7-9 and malachi 4) the Book of Mormon and the
Doctrine and Covenants are full of the 'intent' (jarom 1:11) for
family history work and it is so sweet!

We have been able to find a couple of people this week that have some
potential and we have also made some great plans with members this
week. We are trying all we can, so any ideas or suggestions would be
soooo appreciated. One guy, named John, is interesting, a bit socially
awkward, but so are a lot of people. We met him after a row of funny
meetings with a couple drunk people and some... disturbed?
individuals. He is reading though and seems ready to listen! Bro
Yeboah-Aferi has been opening up a bit, a first he seemed pretty
unconcerned with our invitation, but we were so bold it kind of
shocked him and he started to pay attention. He had a mild stroke and
is having a lot of difficulty getting out of the house for more than a
few times a week. We are looking for someone with a car who can drive
him to the chapel. Still we are excited to work with them and looking
to help their families. His wife though, is not speaking too much
English, so it's kind of a challenge. Teaching families is sometimes
really stressful, but it is the best thing ever!

We got to see general conference, two sessions on Sunday!!!! They were
so good and really I was just overwhelmed with gratitude and guidance
from start to finish. Truly good and without guile was so powerful and
humbling (we had a 3 hour discussion on it at the house last night)
and also I loved the one about 'hearing the music of the gospel'. We
were looking at all the ways we are just dancing and not even looking
for the music. We can teach, work and even serve with all the right
steps and moves, but what truly helps people to dance is the music.
They may be awkward and incapable at first, but so are all of us. That
is what the Atonement of Jesus Christ was all about. Which person are
you going to help hear the music this week?

I loved the sessions we heard so much! We have living Prophets and
Apostles who hold the Authority of God and direct His work on the
earth. I know this is true. As we sang the hymns and saw the group of
people standing and singing in sign language it brought the sweetest
tears to my eyes. They can hear the music of the gospel. Can you?

i love you all from Ghana and back and to Eternity. I invite everyone
to stop and think for a moment....... do I hear the music of the
Gospel? Now what will you do?

Elder Van Wagoner

Mom's Day

5/11/2015

It's been a whole 24 hours since we talked haha, but it was sweet yesterday talking with all of you. It's hard to believe we are doing this for a second time. Don't worry I took the advice and got some things today at the market in Tema Com. 1. Sweet cloth and some things, even an ewegbe bible (Bibilia)! I have wanted one since I was in Ho and found it today! 

Something super sweet this week, I did family history! President Heid has assigned us all to fill out our 'My Family' family history booklets. I need help with this since I don't know the birthdates and places for people besides my siblings. Assuming Elise was born in SLC right? If you look at the great grandparents and stuff I don't have it at all haha so this is my repentance, and I find great joy in this. We have taught a few smart people about family history and my testimony seemed so much stronger, it was a great experience! We get a lot of concerns about the temple and having my own family history really helps, especially when people think we are un burying and re baptizing dead people into saints (an evil spirit in Ghana) haha.

We had a really busy week, a lot of administrative stuff had to go on. I suppose all of it is necessary, but still not a huge fan of spending proselyting hours in a meeting. How do people go to school??? haha :) But Elder Kadima is now with Elder Udonsa and we are basically training him as an apartment until he goes. Elder Udonsa does the actual extra study hours and stuff though. President re assigned him on Friday saying he needed us to handle the administrative and wanted him to be doing proselyting as well as give Elder Udonsa some experience. We look forward to doing a lot of contacting and just working hard this week, trying to get back on track (or something like that, is there even a track?) 

Benjamin is moving along, but meeting with him is difficult, he never has enough time with school and a problem at the bank. But he called today and wants to meet tonight, we are stoked to try and help him. Other than him we are seeing Beatrice keep reading and praying, trying to get her a friend so she will have a bit of help in coming on sunday. Adwoa's family is still not too accepting, but we have some plans this week and hope we can help!!

I called Sister Kafui, the one from Ho and she is doing good! She wants to go to the temple, but missed the trip while caring for the sick mother and no one else is around to do it. Her kids, Augustine and Celine are doing great though! I try to call people, but the past few weeks I have not done very good with it, repentance is a process! haha :) 

Our hamburgers last night were so sweet! We made up our own way of doing it because I couldn't remember everything and of course we didn't have all the usual stuff. So we made beef patties with vegetables inside and marinated with salt, chili seasoning, some ghana this things, and then used ketchup to rub them while on the frying pan. Added some chicken patties we found and more vegetables, mayo, and pickles!!(thanks for  those mom!!!!!) and some juice we found. It was so awesome! 

I love you family and I pray for you everyday and night. 

I just have to say, mother's are wonderful. I look at mothers like Nephi's mother Sariah and her concern for her sons. For the concern of all those mothers of the 2000 stripling warriors. For the sweet humility and sure conviction to follow the Lord of Mary.  Mothers have made every difference in the world. I see how much the Savior cared for mothers as he told his own mother and John "woman (queen or great lady according to the hebrew), behold thy son.' and 'behold, thy mother'. He knows how important all of you are and all the sacrifices made.

I also heard an interesting testimony amongst many .... interesting things said on fast sunday. That mothers are much more than just having a child. Mothers is a set of characteristics and qualities, regardless of how many, if any, children are in the house. That those qualities and attributes are the most pure and sure Christ like attributes that can be held.  He gave examples of friends and others who had been mothers to him. I too am grateful for all those 'mothers' I have, the ones in Ghana (rita, kafui, sista kufalor, mariam and so many others) and for the ones at home. I love you and I know that God loves you and is so incredibly grateful for you. Can you imagine the joy you feel when someone helps your family. So too God feels even greater joy when we serve his children.

mom I love you!

and all of you reading, from Ghana and Back and to Eternity

Elder Van Wagoner

All sorts of Fun!

5/4/2015

Seems like mission will never really take a week of just normal, there is always something new that happens. I suppose God is just giving us more chances to grow!

First though, happy mom's day this coming sunday!! I thought mother's day was an end of may thing, but it's this sunday!!! Super excited to talk to all of you and I will try and skype again, we will see if the timing of things works out. The internet source we are relying on is not too stable.. but miracles happen! :) Mom is saying around 10 am utah time and around4 pm ghana time we will talk!

I uploaded a bunch of pics this week so hopefully Landon and mom can get them. I'm like 80 percent sure they should have all come in by now haha :)

This week was a set of surprises. I wish that I had a chance to talk about the minute to minute type stuff. Unfortunately most of that will hardly get into my journal. But it's just funny how much happens in one day and when I write in my journal I am surprised about how much of it doesn't phase me enough to write any more. Elder Beckett and I were discussing how at the beginning of our missions we always wrote about the drunk encounters and the 'crazy things', and then by the end the only things you really want to write are about working with and serving people. Don't laugh when you read the beginning of my journal haaha :)

Got a call last monday right after we left the cafe and was informed that a visa waiter was coming to our apartment, fresh from the close by MTC. His name is Elder Kadima from DRC. He, in the words of President Uchtdorf, 'speaks english only with great difficulty'. In our apartment he, 'actually thought he [knew] the wrong language', listening to Elder Beckett and I talk. haha

I was given the charge to work with him until the visa came and have been trying my best haha he has a good heart though and is a pretty humble guy (or so I assume, since we can't talk all that much). He was supposed to have gone by now but we are still together and trying. More to come.

We had some sweet lessons with Adwoa this week! She is doing so well, even stood up to defend the church or to walk away from negative comments. But she is getting hammered by her mom and some cousins for listening to us, so please be praying for her. She really needs help and is so good! Beatrice is another investigator who really surprised us, she seemed pretty typical at first but has been reading like crazy and even praying about baptism!! Please remember her and Benjamin about being baptized, we are getting close with Benjamin!!! :)

Took a trip to Accra for a mission conference with us and accra west and elder evans of the 70 and the area presidency. Great stuff! only my time is very short and I have to go! Still I love you all so much and am so grateful for the prayers and the help!

I love you all to Ghana and back and to Eternity!

Elder Van Wagoner

p.s. i always pray for all of you

How Great the Wisdom and the Love (Hymn 195)

4/27/2015

O family, I love you all very much. This week was full of learning, I think it's safe to say that every week is, yet this one had more than usual.

I have one more transfer here in Tema. The biggest change was the Elder Pesamino finished his mission today and should be on a plane about to take off from the Kotoka airport. I'll miss that guy, we learned a lot together. Grateful to learn more with Elder Beckett and to have more time to serve the people here I love so much. People like Benjamin, Ronald, Adwoa and the rest. We try everyweek to improve, so at least there is the peace that comes from trying.

We had some entertaining experiences, ever contacted by offering to make smoothies? One lady was saying no and we said well can we serve you today? Could we cook? and she said no, as everyone does to 'men of God''. So we offered to make American Smoothies and she was like... well okay! Handed us 50 cedis and told us to go and come. That was random time, but the family likes us now. Too bad the dad is certain we ''are all worshiping one God''.  Maybe the son could be good though!

It was a humbling week for a lot of reasons. There will always be more to learn and to figure out, even if your mission is in the latter end. Many people had a great fear of our message this week and especially about the Book of Mormon. We saw a lot of people ignorantly deny the truthfulness of any book outside of the bible. We tried all the means and methods we could think of: testimonies, Bible scriptures to back it up, Book of Mormon scriptures to back it up, reasoning, inviting, trying to help them see the blessings. Only in a few cases did we see a positive acceptance, felt something like I imagine the Elders in the states have to face hahaha, but still I'm sure their own is more difficult. One that really was hard to swallow was a wonderful woman named Mary Ama. She was showing incredible progress and we were excited to meet. She told us that she prayed and then told us that God said Joseph never saw him and the Book was not from Him. We tried all we could, Elder Beckett even sang a verse of a hymn. We walked out and it was pretty emotional. What else could we do? 

The moment that hit the most was after a disagreement in our apartment. It wasn't a big thing, but nobody handled it well, just an issue about others not doing dishes. I'll give you the story when I get home, but later as we talked with President during the week he heard about it and asked ''sure what you did made sense, but would Christ have done it like that? you ever hear' WWJD?'' That really is what it is all about, loving others as he does. As he offered himself in ''the courts on high''. He really cares.

On the bright side, which is ALWAYS bigger than the downs, Benjamin has a strong desire for baptism, Adwoa is over coming fears a step at a time and Ronald wants to be baptized. We met some people who look ready to find more, one is named Beatrice and, although we haven't had some big spiritual moment with her, she continues to read and try to find more. I'm so grateful to be here one more transfer. There is so much to learn with Elder Beckett and there is so much I want to help people here to do. Sure the area is not just booming with success, but these people are just as precious as the ones in areas where the ''success'' is coming. I feel a great love for them and find it very natural to pray for my investigators all the time. At least there is the peace of knowing we are really trying. 

I love you all from Ghana and bAck and to Eternity!

Elder Van Wagoner

p.s. I love being a missionary!

Ashley!!!!!!!! Afe hyia pa!!!!!

4/20/2015

O my fam.... what a sweet week!!!! And by sweet I mean a mountain of up and down and love and trying my patience on street corners and everything in between. Mission: (noun) a lifetime is lived every week as small boys attempt to serve the Almighty God and Represent his Son, the Savior and Author/ Finisher of their faith. I was trying to send a few more one on one emails this week and had a real struggle with the 'O' key because it seems to be just a little not sensitive and so some of my words may be brken haha

Bash happy gold bday!!! So happy for you! Do something awesome! I was thinking about it last night and hope you are so happy! I'll be singing from here!

Heard Sister Van Wagoner got back! Sounds like she was an incredible missionary, truly tried to love as Christ. She sets a good example to me. Congrats landon on eagle and mr mr mr smething and what not haha :) you tried oo!!! Elders... Well, Brother Rob Nelson and Cameron Lloyd visited my family and spent an hour talking about mission in Ghana and the time that we served with eachother in the same apartment when I was training and later when I was at Kwabenya and saw Elder Nelson at a multi zone games day! It is so sweet that they were there, I hope you enjoyed a little insight into the beautiful land of mission!

Elder Beckett and I really tried to improve our efforts this week and felt that we saw some definite improvement on the work this week.  We were able to take better advantage of finding during our failed appointments, instead of just going to the next plan and also referrals, getting a better way to encourage people to offer referrals. I love working with Elder Beckett! This Elder really gives his all, he takes planning with some real intent and you can see the Spirit guide his teachings. One thing we have been improving on is teaching with a balance of scriptures so that we can allow the two of us to be more in sync. It is great working with him because he is always looking to improve, so you know every week we will try something knew and look to be better.

Benjamin came and we had to move his date back. Because he traveled to visit with the parents about some issues, and even talk about the church, we couldn't teach him all. We feel he really needs some details and we are also having conference so unless the 10 of may. Still that will be just perfect to ensure that everything is well understood. Sweet guy though!
We were praying so hard to meet with Adwoa again. We were nervous that her friends told her more false doctrines and scared her away, but we feel strongly that she is an elect. Because of God's perfect timing our prayers were answered. We had just prayed over dinner at the chop bar on Saturday to see her again and we finally met her! We were stopping for a break and she came by, she told us to wait and she came back. Such a sweet lesson followed and the Spirit helped make up for all I lacked, it was a very tender mercy. She faces a lot of persecution, but she can handle it. We just want to get some good friends for her.

Great Exhanges, with Elder Jorgensen. He is a great District Leader and really tries for the district members. He has a wonderful love for his people and earnestly sought for my advice on what he could do to really bless Newtown. We discussed the way they get to know people and how it would help to really open a friendship and build trust as you naturally and lovingly bring the gospel in. He was pretty excited about it and it was cool to see his good heart. He has all you need for a zone leader, especially the humility for it. One lesson we had, I was unsure if I was going to have strength, but he was kind and tried to help me out. We got there and the Spirit (long enough to teach her) allowed my mind to feel correct. As we talked sincerely with this woman she opened up in tears after watching 'He lives' about how she felt he wanted to forgive. It was incredible, he really does want to forgive.

Work is good here, the members have been trying small small to remember and call Benjamin and he really appreciates it! We are looking forward to getting more done this week and trying to continue improving the member efforts, the referrals, and as always helping people feel loved.

I don't know what plans God has for me for the last couple months, but I am ready to be here, or there, any where he wants me to be. As long as I can serve Him it is a privilege.


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


Elder Van Wagoner

Ye 'Elder Van Wagoner' come join now with me

Landon... Australia.... Melbourne..... August......... 26th.........2015

Landon!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy, so excited for this call! You are going to be a full time missionary for the Lord! What I would give to go back out with you, to serve another mission.

We had a wonderful meeting with the missionaries of Tema zone this week. We had some sweet activites and workshops and role plays, really one of the more interactive and effective meetings we have been able to have in a long time! I learned a lot more than planned and was so glad to see the missionaries working together to improve themselves. You could see they cared, I love missionaries who care! I try to love all missionaries, but the ones who really care are a lot easier to love haha :) 

4/13/2015

As it was time to give some instruction I was reminded of the words of the white handbook: 'The time you have to serve the Lord with all your heart, might, mind and strength is extremely short...'

At the beginning of my mission I thought this was a terrible false doctrine and that 2 years was endless. Now I know, the white handbook is inspired of God and teaches us the way to live, line upon line I have seen it and the other scriptures be fulfilled on mission. The time we have is extremely short. Looking back to when my call arrived it feels like yesterday, only when I recall the immense details does the space appear. By Then time was a solid unchangeable mass, by now it is as the sand on the streets, moving past before you can catch any of it. Jacob was right 'it seemed to us a dream'.

Landon, this is such a sweet time, soak every second of it in. Even in Ghana were I didn't like the smells at first I soaked it all in and engraved it in my mind. That is one of the greatest things I have done on mission: live every moment. This is the time to give every ounce, take every chance, and do ALL you can. Leave the standing still part (D&C quote) to when your on the plane back home and give it all to Him!

You and I and all of us, are CALLED TO SERVE HIM, The Heavenly King of Glory.

Over here, we had a lot of services opportunities this week, very unplanned ones. Not able to turn all of them into new investigators, nice to be of help though. We did things like: painted a compound wall, carried a shop load of watermelons, and fetched water up to the top of the flats (lucky nothing in Tema is more than 4 stories high haha). We saw some sweet progress with Benjamin and also with Adwoa and Ronald. These are some of the sweetest people. Benjamin's baptism has been pushed back though, we want to teach him somethings more clearly and ensure he is ready. We finally got a great fellowship set going on for him, good friends with a lot of people in the ward now. Adwoa too has a friend now, sister Lydia is such a good friend for her, she would have been an awesome missionary!!

We met a man as the rain was coming to fall. We had been stopped by some people and thought we were late. Seeing him I thought he was the one we bought water from a couple days before and went to talk with him. Wasn't even him hahah, but he was super excited that we came to him and expressed great interest in our beliefs and a desire to know why we didn't just have one gospel (every Ghana Accra Missionaries dream question). As we discussed with this man, Moses, who also is a reverend minister, we had such a sweet lesson and he really understood so well! We are going to meet him at 6 and I'm so excited to see how his reading of the Book of Mormon went.

On Sunday I was praying about what to do again, how to improve, and all those things. We sang 'Master the Tempest is raging'. As we sang the second and third verses it was harder and harder to sing, guess sometimes you still cry. I felt the power of those words 'No waters can swallow the ship where lies, the MASTER of ocean and earth and skies.. peace, peace be still'. It was hard not having the people we worked so hard for at church this sunday (Although they called to explain that their clothes were soaked from the rain) but I felt a great drive to work that much harder.

I know this is the work of the Lord. I know he loves each child so much that he will send and send and send missionaries out to find them. And that he loves the missionaries enough to suffer them to come and try, feeble as it is, to represent Him, the Master of ocean and earth and skies.

love you all from Ghana and Back and to Eternity (with a side stop in Australia)

Elder Van Wagoner..... Ghana... Accra.......July...... 26th..... 2013

Happy Birthday Landon!!!!!!!

4/6/2015

Just about out of time, we had a sweet zone activity... basically tema zone really loves water balloons and team games... and soaking everyone they can hahaha :) We also have to go quick quick because we got permission from President Heid to take all our investigators to the movie 'Freetown'!!! The movie will premier soon in Utah and is filmed 100 percent in ghana hahaha so no it's not freetown at all. I know where the show was filmed and have proselyted there :) We are going to take Benjamin, Benard and Ronald!! The show will be at the Tema stake center and the stake wanted the missionaries to come, but I didn't feel that would be appropriate unless President Heid agreed and he did!

This week was super awesome though!! Benjamin is really progressing and we are doing great! Benjamin is coming each week and now has a good relationship with several members and one member went to his house to watch a movie! Like real friends! Another one is Adwoa Abigail Owusua, she was contacted as Elder Beckett tried to get their clinic's generator to start. We could never meet and so we just taught her friend, one day she was there and as we taught she was captivated by the temple and baptisms for the dead. We left her 1 cor 15 and Alma 40 and she read all and then some in the plan of salvation pamphlet! She told us the other day that she is praying to know if she should join the church and she is getting small feelings that this is right!! :) She is really sincerely trying to know for her self! Man mission is so sweet right now!!

We tried all sorts of contacts this week, taking pictures, singing on a tro tro and service ideas. Even asking people to baptize after getting to know eachother was a lot of fun :) man I wish I could extend! (no mom don't worry haha)

Sorry though my time is up! Thanks so much for the love and support. I just needed to send Landon some things this week!

Love you all from Ghana and Back and To Eternity!

Elder Van Wagoner

He is Not here, but has Risen

3/30/2015

I'll have to be pretty quick, our email just started working, not sure why but the mylds thing was down in our whole mission. Still we have to get somethings done still and hurry to some appointments. Mom could you forward the pictures that have Elder Ezieme inside to his email?

It was another awesome week here and I feel like we got some great things accomplished. My companions have shown me a lot, that always show me that my future companion will need to be somebody with a desire to do the Lord's work. Elder Beckett is a great Elder to serve with because he really has that desire. i.e. his efforts in trying to prepare a great zone meeting and in thinking of new ways we can contact. We decided to try three new methods of contacting this week. Should be fun to: sing when we are going to get rejected, ask strangers to take pics with us, and then to invite baptism within the first moments of contacting :)

We contacted everyone we could this week and have had some crazy conversations, good and bad, met some lady who was whispering under her breath after she would talk and the spirit most definitely said 'leave now'. But also met the coolest guy who, although crippled, was excited to know more about the church because of all the service he has seen the church do.

We have worked with some less actives that we found contacting this week and are seeing some small progress. One is Elizabeth, we saw her in her window and then she ducked down, the small boy came and told us she was sleeping. So we sat outside and sang hymns for like 20 minutes and she came out hahah just asked her a thousand questions about her self and she opened up small when we asked about hair dressing and her baby. Told her we would come and disturb again, and we surely did haha. Came again and she told us 'o myae busy kakraa, pakyo etre' (please i'm busy small, come next time). We just started talking about random life things and she opened up a lot this time! Great talk about families, hopefully we will have more to share next week about the less actives.

During the last week we some sweet lessons with Benjamin! That guy is coming along so well. The members always call him J.j. Rawlings hahaha he has a beard just like the guy! But he actually has called and texted us! Then during one lesson he told us how he had questions because some friends asked which church he went to and told them 'The church of latter-days... I mean Jesus Christ of latter-days'. That is the usual name of the church in Ghana. No one calls us 'mormons' it's always 'latter-days!' (except for the random white guy in tema who randomly showed up as we contacted people and said we were not 'born again Christians' today).

Speaking of the man, as we calmly tried to share to those that heard that we know Christ lives, some thoughts came to me.

Never at anytime in my life have I been more certain that Jesus Christ lives. Each time I read the scriptures (scriptures that no other church can provide, or explain correctly), see the church videos, or read the words of the living prophets the Spirit testifies with great power. 

In Ghana people are soaked, drenched, saturated in preachings of the deceptions created by man. It is the most incredible thing to ask the right questions and have someone open up that they don't know what we believe in Christ, or something that they don't understand about him and then get to testify of the Restored Doctrine of Christ.

All of us should be bold in our declaration of the resurrected, living Jesus Christ, and His Restored Gospel. He does live, 'in the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea, with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me.. As he died to make men holy, let us LIVE TO MAKE MEN FREE, while God is marching on!"

He does live. He did come to his former tomb and spoke to one of the first to seek him on that day. Can you imagine how incredible that moment was? She, consumed in her grief, confusion, hopelessness, hears the voice of the 'Good Shepherd calling her name".

         'Mary', 

was all he said. How special it would have been! To witness his love for her, his desire to comfort and to bless. And it is not her alone.

As I sat in Sacrament meeting on Sunday, I prayed sincerely that day for a special time. We sang "Jesus, once of Humble Birth". As the song carried on I thought about all that I wanted to rid myself of, to repent of, to become and do. Then the Spirit burned and said, "This is the very reason HE has done all these things". "once all things he meekly bore, now those things he'll bare no more! now those things he'll bare no more".

I'll add my voice to all those who testified before. I know the Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer, LIVES. HE LIVES, I know that my redeemer LIVES.

I love you all from Ghana and Back and to Eternity. and he loves you beyond all that.

Elder Van Wagoner

p.s.

we taught a man this week and used the example of a man who has built a house. Wouldn't that man know every detail of the house? I explained that when I made videos at home I noticed every mistake and every detail we worked on.

The creator knows us perfectly. That is why he has done all these things. He lives and loves us to the end :)

Please forward out of time

Typed up a whole email and then the light off came, worse part is, none of the email got saved as a draft. I'll have to be a little fast sorry.?

The week went by pretty quick in our area, but we had a productive week. I've been noticing somethings about the 2nd and 3rd wards of tema. Just like going to a high school party, you don't know all the reasons you are there, you don't know what you are supposed to do, and if you don't have friends there it's easiest to just leave; unless someone comes and talks to you. When you have a reason and you feel it, and you have some support staying is great. The 2nd ward, even for the few weeks we were there really struggles with accepting new comers. They have a plan to split the ward by years end, which is great, but there is a set back with goals. Their goals seem to be number based, whereas this work is about people. Ward 3 may not have all the outlines and programs working, but they can usually laugh and talk with someone who just came.

It's showed me a lot about the type of person I want to be at home and even as a missionary here. The 'hello's' and the 'how are you's ' in the corridors make a big difference. Christ really is just here for the one. Not for 3 baptisms, but for Kelvin, Benard and Nana Yao.

Speaking of those 3, Kelvin should be baptized next Monday. Benard came to institute, which was his first ever church experience! and Nana Yao is a great member referral with a lot of promise!

One time this week of seeing God reach for the one was with Mustafa. We met a man last week and then following him we ended up meeting a lady near-by. Because we met the man and then the lady we greeted them a few days later. As we greeted the lady we saw a man near-by read a book called the 'Gospel of Barnabas'. We were naturally curious and Elder Ezieme felt impressed to swap out that book with the Book of Mormon. At first we questioned if he was okay in the head because he immediately started to preach out stuff from inside. As we kept discussing and slowed him down and got to know him and the family we realized how good a man we just met. We talked about his change from Christianity to Islam and how he was seeing problems in churches. We showed him the Book of Mormon and as we talked he paused and began to cry. As he cried he told us he 'just wants the truth'. We testified that this was it and that God was showing him his love. We could feel that love, God cares so much for the one.

love you all from Ghana and back and to eternity

Elder Van Wagoner

Lightening Strikes Twice :)

(3/23/15)

Good afternoon my beloved brothers and sisters. I thank my bishop for giving me this opportunity to share a talk on the topic of tithes. What is tithes? The book 'True to the faith' says that...

Yes that's how everyone gives talks here, haha each week, it's great. Well this week was pretty awesome I'll be honest. 

Monday was some fun with the district and a great meal with the Bessa-Simmons family (don't worry I'll upload pics later today) and we also saw the Anokye's.

We got to Accra tuesday morning and I said good bye to Elder Francis Ezieme. I was going to pick up Elder Beckett!!! I was surprised to say goodbye so fast to Elder Ezieme, I was used to being with Elder Grissignon for almost 6 months and just thought that would carry on. But we got the call for transfer news on Friday. 

Since tuesday I have flashed back to Kwabenya like 50 times haha even Elder Beckett keeps thinking that we are there, and it's awesome! Just imagine serving with one of your best friends and sharing the gospel with people! Such a sweet time.

We have been in a blur this week, just showing him the area and even getting to meet some great new people. Followed up on a referral we felt prompted to call and he had lost his phone and our number! That week he had gotten a new phone and was waiting for us to call. When we saw Benjamin he had written questions to ask us and then came to church on Sunday!

Sunday was sweet because Kelvin got baptized! Kelvin is the son of a member, but he is super smart and has such a strong testimony. The service was great!

Well i am out of time!

love you all from Ghana and Back and to Eternity!

Elder Van Wagoner

Silence and Peace

(3/9/15)

The time is far spent, there is little remaining.. haha. Just been trying to work out some things for going to school. Elder Strong, my MTC comp, called me this week to ask about rooming together at BYU. He struggled to get in during his mission and is so excited to go. I am a bit spoiled and haven't thought about school or life after getting off the plane until now. Even now it's only an off and on thing. Like the light (those of you living in Ghana will get me when I say me ma me dumso dumso! ya mahama!) hahahahahah :) that is even why we are cafeing so late, so we don't have to tomorrow.

There is a lot of work to do and that is what usually takes over my attention. This week we had some incredible moments! Besides finally having some referrals, a good ones, come in we also contacted some great ones. We continue to work with Benard and he is progressing well, but wasn't able to come on Sunday, so please be praying for this guy. We are really trying to work with him and my mind so often comes back to, "what can we do for this guy?"

One mercy was being contacted, not everyday someone wants to talk with you and be serious, not just talk to a white guy. The guy grabbed my arm and made some hand motions. I said 'et te sen?' he was silent. Took me over to the dirt and started to write messages. "I am a deaf". "I am Kojo" "I know your church" "Joseph Smith" and then he grabbed the Book of Mormon i was carrying and asked for it. We arranged, by typing in the ipod to come and visit the next day at around 10. We did come and he was ready, found him praying in sign language. We took a piece of cardboard with the plastic still on it and then bought a marker (couldn't find any whiteboards) and a pure water and a tissue to clean it off. The lessons are pretty slow and it is so peaceful, teaching without talking. All he can see is what we write and what we do. We still pray to begin and close and he likes that. People were very confused as they passed us by. But Kojo came on Sunday!

He saw the picture of our family and during our second visit with him he wrote "15 yr old, picture, deaf?" My companion didn't know about it, I never told Kojo about it. So I took out the picture and wrote the percentages for her left and right ears. He wanted me to say hi, no idea how he knew. Savanah, Kojo says hi!

In other brief news. Barbara's daughter got baptized and they are going to the temple soon. She speaks brofoo like crazy now! (English) gift of tounges I suppose. Eric was also baptized! The one from Kwabenya!!

Love you all from Ghana and Back and to Eternity

Elder Van Wagoner