(11/17/2014)
The strange first picture is my halloween costume.. haha and the next one was a baptism for some children of record. I was invited to baptize a girl named Karen Ama Dogba, because we have a good relationship with the Dogba family and brother Dogba said he wanted his daughters to be baptized by missionaries, like he was. He really wants them to serve missions to which is sweet!
This week just helped me see the infinite ability of God to plan and organize and prepare all things. Before the stories I'll explain the week a bit.
We have been trying to improve the work in our companionship and also to create more ideas to find people and meet with those who could be ready for the gospel. Been getting a lot of rejection with contacting the normal ways lately, that is why we have been looking to try new things. These new methods brought some good results and some that we...probably won't try again hahaha :). Still we were able to meet some people this week that seem pretty solid and we hope they can start progressing soon. People like Gifty and Wisdom!
Some of the things we have been trying to do is a daily challenge. For example, one day we were trying to use one of every pamphlet we have throughout the day, another day we were to use the Book of Mormon in every contact, a fun day was the one were every contact would get a baptismal invitation. That last one actually was pretty good, probably going to try it again, shocked most people and had a lot of 'i've already been baptized' responses haha. It has helped us to be a bit more optimistic in contacting though. I know that it is helping Elder Grissignon to have more desire to do it. He gets tired of knocking on doors, especially when we are getting rejected (who doesn't!), but some of the contacting methods are helping out. I enjoy it too!
Now story time! :
Sunday at first no one was coming in. Worst feeling ever, watching a whole week of work seem of no effect. I was feeling down, thinking 'man another week of no one', but after some time we saw both of the Barbara's we are teaching! One was the one we contacted two weeks ago and the other was a member's sister. So sweet to see them come in. We also had sister Barbara come to the piano class that Elder Henrie is teaching, light off came but still we had a good time and she got to feel the Spirit. Well good thing i took like a month of piano lessons haha paid of yesterday trying to help teach since the class size is getting larger.
Eric wasn't able to come we knew that he wouldn't be able to though. He reminds me of a man that we baptized in Ho. He has a lot of questions and wants answers fast, he has truly desired to know. The problem is, he was muslim for most of his life, but decided to stop, so his comprehension isn't as fast as his desire to know. He had some man come and preach to him that he should seek truth from a dream from God. He went and sought the dream and had a pretty incredible one. 5 kings were ruling 5 nations. They watched idly by as the 5 nations destroyed themselves in a tremendous battle. As they got to the point of killing everyone off, some men came to carry away the 5 kings. As he watched they told him to run away. As he ran down a road he came to a certain junction. A lady with a cutlass came and met him and a man came closely behind from a different way. The lady gave the man the cutlass, and they asked him why he was still there, he told them "I don't know which way to go.'" They took his face in both of their hands and pointed him a path he should take. (Doctrine and Covenants 123:12)
Down the path he went and it became difficult and narrow, as he was pushing through the bush he came to meet a beautiful city, just before he awoke.
I am sure you can see the meaning in the dream, it will also help to know that his niece is a recent convert (that lady in the dream) and Stanly, our recent convert is fellowshipping him so well (the man in the dream) and these and other things have really prepared him for the truth. At first we did not think this man was going to be serious at all and we only met with him because our other appointment failed. God really knows all things and has all things diligently and carefully prepared before us. He knows who we should meet and as we are obedient he allows us to meet them all, according to his will and perfect timing. It is very incredible to me, wonderful to me. Angles are preparing the way.
I have noticed another incredible thing. As I have strived my best to be obedient and the best missionary I can be, we have always been led, in one way or another, to those God has prepared. In Incredible ways :)
Another thing was, as you remember, Stanly's father was baptized in Togo (his daughter was baptized saturday too!) At first his father didn't want the church at all! He told him to take his pamphlet and get out. Well like Alma 20 we were able to play the role of Ammon (Elder Beckett and Elder Van Wagoner). The only difference was he moved to Togo instead of Ammon 'going another way'. Still it is the exact same story and it makes all of me so happy :)
God's Gospel is perfect, he has everything prepared and the bottom line is: seek his truth and follow it and more truth will be added unto you.
Things this week went well for us and we hope to have a good week and chances to bless many lives.
I love you forever, from Ghana and back and to Eternity
Elder Van Wagoner
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