Week 87 Kumasi

TRANSFERS! Oh boy, just another one down and two to go. Wild huh? This one was just the blink of an eye.  It was crazy fast. 

This week 6 of the transfer has been great! My companion and I had a lot to do. We started our week in Sunyani for a conference. I was able to make it out to Berekum and see some old friends of mine. President Ofusuhene is just an absolute stud of a Branch President.  The conference went well and then we had to turn around and come back to Kumasi for another conference the following day. It also went well!

We took time to prepare a brotha for baptism as well.  Ishmael, what a stud!  I just love that guy!  He is around 40 years old, a single father of a son and just loves the gospel.  He wants nothing more then to be a member of the church!  I felt bad that we had such a busy schedule, he was calling and calling us so we could keep teaching him! Finally, he was able to be baptized this past Saturday by his buddy, Martin, who is a member.  It was great! 

Me, Smith, Ishmael, Paul Smiler, Martin(the member who baptized), Garrett and Matthews

Elder Garrett and I with Ishmael and his friend Martin who baptized him

I love the Daban Ward!  They are referral machines. We are blessed with the members we have in this ward!  We got like 4 referrals this week that seem promising. We hope that they will work out and progress towards baptism. Shoutout to the Daban Ward! haha!

Like I said, it’s transfers this week and Elder Garrett and I will remain together for the coming transfer. We are gonna try to make this transfer a legendary transfer. So we will see what the transfer has in store for us! hahah! Also for you to see! haha!! Should get interesting! 

This week I was just thinking about the Book of Mormon prophets and how proactive they are!  If I want to be like anyone in this life it's first, The Lord Jesus Christ, of course, and then second, the Book of Mormon Prophets.  They are some of the greatest leaders and most proactive people.  Think of Nephi, making a bow after he broke it.  There is the brother of Jared who prepared 16 stones for the Savior to touch and make light for their journey across the ocean.  You have Alma who heeded the Lord’s command to return back to a city that he just got absolutely beaten in to meet Amulek.  Mormon was made a leader over the Nephite army at 16.  In the end Moroni was running and running alone after all his people were wiped out to preserve the plates.  It’s just amazing how proactive these Prophets were.  Keep those people in mind.  I think the Book of Mormon means something when it says if we read it and abide, we will draw closer to our Father in Heaven. 

I hope everyone is gonna have a great week! Things are kicking in Ghana! 

Elder Turner

Sister Moses is a cool funny sister from Nigeria

This is an unfinished building that we teach in sometimes

Week 86 Kumasi

Another one of these things is going into the books.  This week was a fast one! The weeks just seem to get faster and faster.  Sad, but......... what can we do??:) We just had some busy work to do this week that included some zone conferences and what not.  It’s nothing too note worthy to you guys.  Hahahah! 

I will give a little update about the Daban 1 area. Things are going well and Ishmael is still on the list for baptism. He is progressing and constantly tells us that he is ready! We also have our little man, Brother Evans. He is 14 years old and also making progress. We are just trying to get them prepared for this upcoming Saturday. We also had a guy named Boga show up to church for his second time this week.  He was a referral from a member about 4 weeks ago. He never really showed a lot of interest at first, but now he seems to love the church. He even wants to bring some of his buddies and brothers to church. He asked if he could bring his RASTA brother to church. I just pray that works out.  How funny would that be?! Converting a Rasta! 

Things are going well out here. Time is really flying. Elder Garrett and I are just doing Elder Garrett and I things. So what more could we ask for?? 

This week I was reading about Alma and Amulek. Those guys are just a power companionship aren't they? They teach so perfectly.  In chapter 12 Alma is talking to Zeezrom and said something that I love: 

13 Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned.

14 For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.

All this could happen because someone would turn their hearts away from the Word. I guess the point is clear.  Read the scriptures. Pray.  It’s the Primary answers you know. 

Things are going great! I hope things are going well for you back home or on a mission or wherever you are! 

Elder Turner

Us with Sister Akanyenne

Our mission's newest senior couple serving in Obuasi, The Thurstons!

Week 85 Kumasi

YO! It’s been just another busy week here in the GKM. I can't believe that I am writing another one of these things. Like, to be honest we had nothing too crazy this week.

So I'll just talk a little about our teaching pool. We don't get a whole lot of time out there to find but we manage though.  We are teaching Ishmael still and that guy is so awesome. He truly wants to be baptized. We had him on date for this week but due to some small things... I think we will extend it a week.  Ishmael is really an awesome man. We also have a member named George who is a recent convert. He has a son named Evans that we are teaching. He is 14 and he says that he has received a witness that the Book of Mormon is true! Yeah! What a cool 14 year old! He has a friend named Sekina that we are also teaching. She is 15 and is reading the Book of Mormon. So that is a little about our pool. We have some others but those are the ones who are really progressing. 

We just had a lot of little busy work to do this week that took up a lot of time. One word that has been popping up in my head lately is the word Penitent. To be penitent means to feel Godly sorrow, or to be repentant. There is a scripture that I love in Alma 42 when he is giving his son Corianton a piece of his mind.

v. 23  But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his  presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice.

Even Ammon tells us that those who are penitent are those who have joy and have happiness! It's a sweet word! So just remember to be penitent. 

Anyway, I hope things are going well wherever you are in the world! 

Elder Turner

Pizza!!!!

Week 84 Kumasi

This week was just another crazy fast week! A lot happened this week. Just nothing too interesting to tell you guys.  It was filled with just a lot of little things missionary things. 

My companion and I were in Tamale this week.  That Zone Conference was great! And what was really great was that I got to see some of my people from when I was served in Tamale!  But a crazy thing happened while Elder Garrett and I were cruising on the way home. I reached in the back to grab my scripture bag with my camera in it. I came to find a surprise of 40 Cedis of Groundnut paste (Ghana’s peanut butter) poured all over the floor!  That’s about a gallon of groundnut paste all over the scripture bag and floor! Ugh!  We quickly pulled over and used an apron, white shirt, a full bed sheet, and a dirty rag to somehow clean up the mess. I didn't get a pic of it because my camera was suffering in the groundnut-covered bag.... I just didn't want my scriptures to get dowsed...What a mess!

We went to Techiman on the way back from Tamale. We hit an exchange with some elders there. The next day I went to my first area and saw a couple of people! I saw my "Ghanaian Mother."  Her name is Gifty!  She used to “take care of our stomachs” back when I was serving in the area! hahah! The people in Techiman are doing well! I was so happy to be back in the area! 

This week Ishmael, one of our progressing investigators, came to church again! We were even able to have a lesson with him the day before.  He kinda set his own baptismal date.  I just asked him about the baptism and he said the 16th of March... I don't know if he heard something about that day or what, he just said 16th March hahaha! He is doing very well though. Ishmael is so awesome! 

Anyway! This next week will be another busy one with zone conferences and stuff!  I hope everything is going well with anyone who is inspired and actually reads these! 

Elder Turner

A Really Cool Lady From Our Ward Named Elizabeth Kondu

Our Car and Our Hats!