October 9, 2017 Email

Hey everyone!!!!  Chai things are pretty sweet here in Achimota, but this week wasn't the best for our numbers.  We'll dominate this next week though so that'll be good.  So as for the week here it was pretty straight forward I guess haha!!

 So as for Tuesday it was pretty cool.  We got up and went out and had the chance to sit down with Emama.  She was pretty cool and we got the chance to sit with her for a little bit.  We then left and went to Frank.  So after the lesson we just sat and talked with him for a while about animals and stuff, it was weird, by oddly cool haha!!!  We went around and met up with the Osai family.  So here's the thing in Ghana, either little kids are death scared of us or they love us haha!!!!  That happened with these cute little girls here in this compound with the Osai family.  Chai little African kids are growing on me, they aren't too bad once you get used to them haha!!!!  So we left and saw Jerry.  We introduced the Book of Mormon to him and we didn't have the time to teach a lot so we left.  We went to Christianna and we talked about what she liked from the General Conference.  She loved the talks and it was a super nice experience haha!!!  We came back and that wrapped up that day.

Now here is the problem here in Africa, those who enter the church have such enthusiasm for the missionary work, but aren't too bright.  The "culture" of the people vs. the welfare of the souls of the children of men. . .and this is iyiyiyi. . .So to begin our Wednesday we had our DCM and that was nice as always.  We then left and tried to meet up with an old investigator of Bangura's.  Her name is Mercy, but she wasn't there so we taught a lady named Favor.  So more than anything in missionary work and even life is that "first impressions have the most impact".  Favor said she learned with missionaries before and that she even had a date to be baptized, but due to some unforeseen accidents she wasn't baptized.  She also made mention that she didn't have the best church experience. . .this happens a lot in Africa from what I hear.  So in church people ask the most stupid questions and can't control the teaching lesson, so when she went to the church she said it sounded more like a court case than a church service.  They were talking about divorce and stuff like that on the Sunday that she came, sooooo she had a bad experience.  This happens numerous times with people who are not qualified to teach, I won't say more, but yeah.  So after that we tried to find more people to teach we just ended up not finding anyone and we went to our meeting with the War mission leader.  So he never showed so we had to go to PEC again and chai that just made me mad!  So we were hoping to baptize some people on the 21st of this month and confirm them that next day, but due to the laziness of the people and the lack of understanding that the people can't do baptisms on Saturdays because the people don't want to come and that they think it's ineffective. . .I've had to put up with that for my whole mission and yet I still did baptism on Saturdays just with the missionaries and a few members and that was more spiritual and uplifting than an uncontrolled service after Sunday when everyone wants to go home and don't care what's going on.  Chai I'm just too fired up about this and it makes me very upset to see that even the people here don't understand the importance of a child of God coming into the waters of baptism!!!!!  So yeah, we left and just went home.

Now Thursday was a day to remember!  That day a few in our district were going to the temple to celebrate their 1 Year on Mission, so we were invited and we went.  Chai the Ghana Accra Temple is amazing!!!  I've only gone in a few times, but it's amazing.  The funny thing was that I would be heading in there a little over a month later for my own departing session. . .crazy to think.  We went through and it was nice.  We then went and ate, chai. . .I'm getting fat from all the ampacey and garden egg stew I'm eating haha!!!  We left and came home.  We went and met Frank when we got back.  We taught him a little and then went to the Haircutters, so they are doing ok, but not the best haha.  We read the intro to the Book of Mormon.  We then left and came home to enjoy more of their 1 Year at the Mall haha!!!!!  Don't worry, I only enjoyed a little bit, it's crazy to see how fast mission files, not only for my own mission, but for other missionaries around me!!!!!

. . .and the rain came down and the Elders stayed in, the rain came down and the Elders stayed in, the rain came down and the Elders stayed in until the sun came late. . .So Friday we had it rain quite a bit for the morning haha!!!  So we had our planning and then we went out.  We tried to meet a lady named Nana Ekwia, but that failed cuz she was busy.  We instead went to Frank and read more of the Book of Mormon with him.  We are just trying to help him receive his answer on whether he should be baptized and come to church, but it's hard.  We went and tried to see a lady named Aunty Julie.  She is a lady we met a few days ago and we got the chance to see her, but that failed.  We then taught her nephew who is ironically less-active so that was super cool!!!!  He was baptized like 7 years ago and he misses the church, he just never has time to come.  We talked to him and then we left to go see Evelyn because they were busy.  We taught Evelyn, but it was hard cuz she was busy.  I feel that if she wasn't busy and we got the chance to sit with her without her being distracted she would be sweet!!!!!  We left and went to a group of people we taught on Sunday, but that failed so we traveled around.  We tried to see a lot of people, but we didn't have a lot of luck with that.  I also forgot to say that we discovered a secret road to Taifa, the other part of our area that is too far away that we just happened to have found a short cut in our area in Dome haha!!!  We left and went to Jerry's.  So in a way, we are just coming up with a lot of sweet game ideas that will be super big!!!!  When I make them it'll be sweet haha!!!  We then had to go and meet Andrew, so we read from the Book of Mormon.  So he tried to disprove the Book of Mormon very stupidly right off the bat, but we totally shut him down.  We continued and he did a little better at learning.  We then left and saw Christianna's group and that was nice as always.  We came back and that wrapped up Friday.

Now as for Saturday, it was pretty cool.  So we went out and had a baptism for the Elders at Ofankor.  So the funny part was that we left crazy late and had a meeting with a member and so when we went we missed the whole baptism so that was the start of the long day.  We then left and met with Frank.  So when we saw him it was pretty good.  Memmot said he got a headache and didn't feel too good, but we pressed on.  We then went to the Yeboahs to tell them to come to church and to teach them a bit.  Memmott didn't feel any better from that.  We then left to see Esther and tell her about church and that she was invited.  So we had to leave and head home cuz Memmott did not feel good at all.  So we got there and he crashed haha!!!!  So he had a bad fever and the chills which just suck on mission!!!!!  We waited there and then a big storm came so that didn't help either for going back out if he got better.  We then had light off which sucked.  So that was basically that day which ended in us having our light back.

Sunday, so today was pretty good.  We left and went to go pick some investigators in the morning.  We met Jerry and his brothers and we got them to come to church.  We got there and only Christianna and Angel came.  So we had 5 there and then we had a new face come and she is the person we are supposed to go and teach.  We then left and came home.  We just went out and tried our best to find more people to teach.  We managed to find 4 new people to teach and that was super cool!!!!  We then came back and then left again for the Yeboahs.  So we chastised the family because they all didn't come to church so that sucked.  But 4 missionaries against one family. . .I think we won haha!!!!  We then left and saw Christianna for a little bit.  We then came home and that was that.  That wrapped up that day!!!!

As for today we went and played basketball and I saw tons of my buds there again haha!!!!  Chai life on mission is sweet and I couldn't be happier to serve at this moment!!!!

Hope you all had an AMAZING week!!!!!!!  Take care of yourselves, hope to hear from you all soon, and remember to stay AMAZING!!!!!!!

From,
Elder Stockton Smith