Elder Elijah Turner in Africa: Week 20 Techiman

HMMMM! Kinda a cool week. Everything here in Dwumoh is cool. There's a lot happening in the Ghana Kumasi Mission right now. First, the Ashanti queen passed and they just had her funeral. Don't joke with Ghanaian funerals. They were doing human sacrifices (beheadings) hahaha! Also, an outbreak of swine flu is going around Kumasi as well, so I'm praying it doesn't hit Techiman. It killed some people in Kumasi this past week. Not just some, but A LOT, so we are trying to stay extra healthy and sanitary out here right now.

Anyway, my son, Elder Dago is doing ok. He's having some small mission culture shock. He served some small time in Ivory Coast while waiting for his visa and there they enjoy and get referrals and don't contact at all. Here in GKM it's not like that, especially Techiman. No referrals just contacting and finding your own investigators. I mean we are trying to change that right now. But his English is doing very well. He studies very hard, so that’s good.

Speaking of investigators... We are planning to have some baptisms very soon. It's all because of the Book of Mormon. There’s a 17 year old girl named Ernestina and a man named Patrick. Ernestina was someone who stayed at the house of a former investigator named Asante. You might remember him. Also its kinda cool how it worked out, cause we were about to drop Asante because he wasn't interested, but we found Ernestina at the last second. So she just needs an interview from our mission president because she is a minor. And also Patrick, he has always been interested, but not convinced. He can't really understand when he reads English so I found a Twi Book of Mormon and gave it to him and told him to read 3 Nephi 11. He came to mid-week and watched a cartoon about Christ coming to the Americas. He absolutely loves the Book of Mormon now! He is also preparing to be baptized.

So anyway this week was a cool week. I just want everyone to realize how important the Atonement of Jesus Christ is. Think about it and ask yourself what would happen without it? Could we go back to heaven? Would we have heavenly fathers plan? I hope you know the answer, but think about it. Also go to Mosiah 27 and the Beginning of Mosiah 28. See what the Atonement does to the Sons of Mosiah and Alma. It changes them and makes them want EVERYONE to be saved.

That’s how you find missionary purpose, understanding TRUE COLD HARD DOCTRINE hahaha! Serious though. To any potential missionaries, study the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST.

Also another thought, there's doctrine behind every single thing we do out here in the mission and in life. Think about that as well.

I love you all. I hope the holidays are sweet!

ELDER TURNER