Week 53 Tamale

Well.  The year mark was cool!  Not much went down.  Just had a normal day! Hahaha!  We did find some people on the year mark though!  I burned a shirt so that was cool!

Half Way Mark Shirt Burning!

I can honestly say it was probably my most successful week in Tamale yet! Tamale is one of the more difficult areas in the mission, so my companion, Elder Mbithi and I were very happy with the work we did this week!  We were able to place 17 Books of Mormon!  I mean, we did do it street contacting, but still, it was a lot!  It was so nice to talk to a lot of people about it! It makes your day when someone understands and reads!

Elder Lino's New Comp, Elder De Vires from Michigan

We met a guy this week named Agbesi. (Yes. That’s his name).  He is a sweet young guy from Accra!  He asks questions like crazy!  Sometimes it can get a little frustrating because we think he’s asking just to annoy us, but he’s not!  Hahaha! He just really wants to know!  So we taught him and gave him the Book of Mormon and he read and even came to church! Good for Agbesi! 

This week we had a sweet Tamale District activity (not a missionary district, the district is like a stake but smaller. This is not Utah! Hahaha). It was so crazy! The whole district walked from a chapel on one side of town to another chapel on the other side of town! It was like 3 miles! They also had like an African Mariachi-type band follow us the whole time! The purpose was to get the church known to the residents of Tamale!  It worked! 100 people walking in the middle of town with drums and trumpets!  Members also passed out pamphlets along the way!

Yeah, this week was cool.  Elder Mbithi and I are enjoying being back together and we were able to really increase our teaching pool! So it was a sweet week!

I hope everything back home is cool!

Elder Turner

Week 52 Tamale

HMMMMMMMMM. I don't know if you people remember how long 52 weeks is, but it sounds familiar.... YES SIR! ONE YEAR! 

What a crazy year it has been! And also what a sweet week!  We got our new companions this week.  I was so eager to know who my new companion was.  I was stuck in Tamale waiting to hear so I just called one of my guys at transfers. He said "you’re never gonna guess who you’re with!"  OK?  He said, "It’s your “Father”!!!  MBITHI!"  I absolutely jumped for joy! hahah I was sooooooo happy! So right now I'm with Elder Mbithi, my trainer.  We are just enjoying being companions and having fun now!

Me and Elder Mbithi

Elder Lino (a Tongan missionary in our apartment) and I were waiting for our companions this week until Friday.  So we were companions for about 3 days!  It was fun!  We were going around in both areas talking to everyone we saw.  Both of our areas need work finding so that’s what we did all week.  We just spent our time finding.  Not the ideal week, but it was ok and went by fast haha!

With Elder Lino's Investigator

I found myself singing a primary song this week.  It was the baptism song "I Like to Look for Rainbows Whenever There is Rain."  I have no clue what the rest of the song is, just that line.  So Sunday I just started to sing it, no idea why. We went to church and our last speaker didn't show up and Sacrament Meeting was just a mess.  Our Branch President wasn't there so the guy conducting tried to close the meeting like 30 minutes early! haha! I walked up to the stand and told him to sing hymn #143 as an intermediate hymn and that I would give the last talk.  So… that’s what happened.  I had not a clue as to what I was gonna speak on! THEN, I started to sing the song. I don't know the whole song but that one line is sweet! I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain! So that’s what I spoke on, just trying to look for the good in everything. Trying to look at others the way Christ looks at us.

That reminded me of a scripture. Mark 10 when the rich young guy came and asked Christ what he needs to do to inherit eternal life.... Christ answered and said don’t do this and don’t do that, type of thing. The rich guy said, "I know. I already do that."  There are 6 words that I love in one of the verses that says "Then Jesus Beholding Him Loved Him."  What does that mean?! Well beholding means to look or see.  So Jesus was looking at this guy the way HE DOES and he loved him. We can learn TWO powerful lessons here. Whenever you want to teach or correct someone, look at them the way Christ does and LOVE THEM! That’s the only way to teach in my mind. Or the BEST way I should say.  The rest of the story says that Jesus told him to give everything away and the guy wasn't happy.

Well yeah.  That was the week. It was cool. I hope life is cool for whoever feels inspired to read this! hahaha!

Elder Turner

Bye Bye Barnum

Elder Sanao from Botswana

Week 51 Tamale

Well...transfers got us again!  It was probably the most surprising phone call. Since we got a new mission president, we didn't think much would change throughout the mission! WRONG! Elder Barnum got transferred! Sad day! Serious! We were in shock! But the mission just has to keep moving forward! I'll get my new comp on Thursday! So that’s crazy!

Elder Barnum Signing Off

We spent a lot of our week in Kumasi for MLC. We rounded out a whopping 20 hours proselyting! But MLC was Sweet. President Webster is just ready to roll man! It’s so awesome! There's a lot of change going down and its sweet. Not anything bad just cool!

During MLC we watched a video of Elder Jeffery R Holland and his wife talk to the new mission presidents about the Book of Mormon and how we should use it as our MAIN Proselyting tool!  The stories and scriptures that they were sharing were absolutely amazing. I don’t know if you can find it on LDS.org or what, but try to find it!

Anyway, not much else happened this week!  Our teaching pool is small but we are just trying to find time! So yeah! 

Sorry for the short letter! 

Elder Turner

Week 50! PROGRESSION

What a fast week. These days my companion and I are just Ghana travelers.  Two weeks ago we went to Bolga, last week to Sunyani, and this week to Kumasi and back to Bolga.  Next week we go back to Kumasi again. So yeah… Basically we are just a senior couple! But for the small time we have to go out and work, things are going ok!

This week we were able to meet our new Mission President! President Webster! Man, he is an awesome guy! He has such a great attitude coming into his mission! He is a very humble and loving guy! He's got fire, a loving fire!  It’s so awesome and I'm excited to see how everything goes for the next year! 

Elder Barnum and I were able to have a Baptism this past Saturday! Michael Gakpo. He’s 17 and he is so POWERFUL! He was confirmed on Sunday.  After church we stopped by his house and he asked us if he could come out with us... OK?!?! NO PROBLEM!  When he came to work with us it wasn't like we had to que him up or tee it up for him.  He just got to it.  He saw his buddy, Ernest, who is a Christian on the side of the road and talked to him!  It turns out his entire family are Christians!  Then he found another lady for us!  That’s also powerful! He’s the Miracle worker!

Me, Michael Gakpo and Elder Barnum

When we were in Sunyani this past week, we started our meeting with a hymn #219 Because I Have Been Given Much.  I remember very faintly singing it in like sacrament as a kid or something.  It just might have to be one of my new favorite hymns! The opening line just HIT me.... 

Because I have been given much, I too must give

The song continues to say:

Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord,

I'll share thy love again, according to thy word.

I shall give love to those in need;

I'll show that love by word and deed:

Thus shall my thanks be thanks in-deed

Unreal! Being in Africa.... I can honestly say I have been given a lot! Everyone has!  So share the love!  Even the love of the Lord!

Everything is cool out here in Tamale... just grinding to build our teaching pool!

Love,

Elder Turner

One Thing You Should Never Be in the GKM, A Tourist!

Poloroids

Aduwa, A Little Girl in Our Branch